Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Graduation 2013 NYC

Where to start?
So much crammed into 5 days.
Bear with me, so I can tell
local friends and bloggie friends.

Arrived on Tuesday to face humidity that
curled brillo padded my hair, and ran rivulets down my back.
Wednesday was Yankee Stadium Graduation
 for the entire university and on the walk there I met
Blake for the first time.

After a sardine packed train 
where I had stranger's body parts
 pressed against mine for 40 minutes, 
we arrived at the stadium 
and I met up with parents of roommates
 to sit in nose bleed seats and weep in unison.
The graduates don't walk, they stand as a group
 according to their schools and we all go crazy.


What happens when there are 40,000 students
 in a university, and 1/4th of them are graduating.
You meet in Yankee Stadium.





How cute is this?
This was their first date...at...
Yankee Stadium

Some Tisch friends


The large group split up after the ceremony and 
Blake and Hannah decided they
wanted not to go fancy, but to go to their favorite
Pies N Thighs for lunch.
While there, Ben checked in, he had flown in the day before,
and he and Anam were also in Williamsburg, 
they had just eaten at Pies N Thighs, so we met them.
So other, significant other, was met.

Darling Daughter and Dearest Son with their
significant others.
I think my children chose wisely and well. 


Thursday Hannah and I spent the day 
having makeovers at Sephora, 
shopping like fools and making memories.
We were caught in a horrible thunderstorm, soaked to the bone, and loved every minute.

Friday was the Tisch salute at Radio City music hall,
for just Tisch graduates, and still they did not walk,
 but stood in groups as their concentrations were called.
The keynote speaker Glenn Mazzara was fabulous.

Glenn Mazzara
worth listening to..great advice


Bono and Denzel Washington were at the end of my row,
and to those of you who will understand all too well...
I successfully avoided those family folks I did not wish to see.
Ben sat with me and shared the moments with me.
Perfect

NYC
I went up and down a thousand subway steps,
and covered a zillion uneven miserable concrete blocks,
 I swear.
I took to carrying small foldable slippers in my purse and
swapped shoes frequently.
Frequently the young folk were 1/2 block ahead with one or
the other turning back and stopping.."are you Ok?"
I was either soaking wet in rainstorms or soaking wet with sweat,
my photo ops are awful...but I don't care.

We ate at favorite haunts, shopped at neighborhood stores and
I really got the sense of her life in Brooklyn.
We saw Ben and Anam here and there,
they had friends to see and catch up with also, 
and we had the worst Italian
something? cocktail in a very pretty spot... my bad choice
Ben you were right....

Late my last night there Blake, Hannah 
and I headed far into Brooklyn to go to Target 
and get apt stuff ( mama's treat)
and passed an exterior craft show closing up and 
we picked up fried Oreos and a funnel cake.
From sweating bullets to 40 degrees and freezing that night. CRAZY.

We had pizza and beer in her tiny apt and dined 
around Brooklyn and Manhatten on quiches, 
great burgers, chopped salads, chinese takeout,
gelatos and good coffees.

I was up at 3:45 a.m. Sunday to get an express bus 
to the airport and Hannah insisted on going
 as far as the Port Authority with me.
Such a sweetie that girl.

It was wonderful.
It was everything I hoped it would be.
My children are prosperous,
hard working, healthy, happy, 
and in love.

Mama is bursting with joy.

All is right with my very small world. 

Winner Winner
Carole you won!
email me for details:

Thanks to all who entered,
I wish you each could win,
 and maybe
I can convince Shabby Apple to do another one someday?

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1 
Max: 47 
 Result:
27
Powered by RANDOM.ORG



Tuesday, May 28, 2013

NYC, Rain, DD & DS and Me

Returned Sunday from NYC after
Darling Daughter's graduation from NYU- Tisch.
One teaser photo
This was at the first graduation at Yankee Stadium
This is her beau Blake.
I adore him
He makes her happy.

So much to catch up on...
be back Wednesday with photos and stories.
iPhoto giving me fits so can't upload yet.

Deadline for giveaway is tomorrow.
be sure you've entered.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Enter Giveaway At Oldgreymare

How cute is this?
At Last

or this? 
Heart Of Me


Perfect for a summer wedding
At First Sight

Many to choose from
many $100.00 in value!!!!
ONE FREE
to one lucky winner.
You have 4 chances to win.
Did you miss Saturday's post?
Enter here
Think of a graduate you know who would love a new frock.
A birthday gift?
Have a wedding coming up,
or a summer party?

Many of you have emailed me
 saying "but I don't wear dresses.."
and my reply is ..
then give it away to some one you love.
Geetha will even ship it to them for you.

I am thrilled to offer this to one of 
you readers, so go over to Shabby Apple,
see how great their site is, 
and then leave me some comments

C'mon your chances are much better
 than the powerball thing..
and you don't have to buy a scratch off.



Saturday, May 18, 2013

Vintage Giveaway At Oldgreymare


I get this wonderful email today from Geetha 
and she very kindly offered to let me have a free dress
OR
GIVE
AWAY...
 a free dress to one of my readers!
WoOt!

I picked you my dear friends





Shabby Apple style is all about Vintage Clothing,
 just what most of us love.
If you win, you could also gift the dress to a dear one

Their press explains Shabby Apple like this:

Looking for that perfect party dress that exhibits both vintage style and unique taste? Our Vintage Style Dresses come in a variety of selections ranging from bridesmaids dresses for a vintage wedding to summer dresses for a casual night out on the town. We have all kinds of fabrics, lengths, and colors including classic black dresses, elegant white dresses, and knockout cocktail dresses in every color of the rainbow: redorangeyellowgreenblue, and purple. With a vast selection of sizes, including retro clothing from the 20’s30’s40’s,50’s60’s and 70’s, in plus size or petitematernity dresses and baby dresses, you’ll be sure to find a whole wardrobe of retro style dresses for any and every occasion.

We'll do this the traditional way OK?
You must comment on this post
Follower? -1 entry
Post about it with link to this post? - 1 entry
Put a button on your sidebar?- 1 entry
Tell me which dress you would select if you win-1 entry
FOUR CHANCES 
my friends

Please leave a separate comment for each entry,
so my staff does not have to figure out the count.
hehe

Here is the list of styles from Shabby Apple
that are available for selection by the winner;
more than enough to choose from.
While you're there be sure to check out the other departments
and the fabulous styles on sale.



Snapdragon
Heart of Me
Dressage
Grand National
Hackney
Captain
Admiral
Cut the Cake
At last
At first site
My vow to you
Maid of honor
Together forever
Ever after
Save the date
Moon River
Ski Bop
Some like it Hot
Tiber
Andes Skirt
Jetty Skirt
Ballerina
Nantucket
Boogie Woogie
Marigold Skirt
Lime Ricki Skirt
Park Picnic Skirt
Hully Gully Skirt
Newcomb Skirt


The timing was perfect as I pass another two milestones.

Enter between May 18 and 12:00 p.m. May 28
Good Luck!



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Until You Pee A Little



samples for sale
please inquire



Paris theme design
Same papers used in both
Top - grey lightly sparkled letters
Below- petal pink lightly sparkled letters
width approximately 40"
Pennants approx 7"x 9"

Tulle will be removed if shipped,
but included for assembly.

$55.00 ea plus shipping


Bloom and Grow
Bloom is approx 22 " wide
Pennants are 4" x 5 1/2"
$45.00 plus shipping






Class was a blast
Greatest of Gals
Supportive, Encouraging
Smart and Funny
We share, we dish
Heartache and Laughter hold hands

Women of "a certain age" understand the phenomena.
With good friends...
You laugh
Until you pee a little.

Friday, May 10, 2013

If It Has Wheels Or Balls




"Got er done"

*************


If it has wheels or balls 
you're gonna have trouble with it.

Begin with DD getting new laptop as grad present.
Fed Ex tries to deliver but she is not there
 to sign because of her new job and very long hours.
She calls and arranges for it to be sent 
to Queens for her to pick up on Saturday.
INSTEAD
They have her drivers license info so they send it...
 HERE?
In what universe does that make sense?

I am just leaving house this a.m to go to 
_ _ _
jcp
yeah yeah

to pick up second pair of glasses that came in
when Fed Ex comes by.
Oh NO!

I explain the situation.
He says it'll be faster if he takes it with him,
and she should call ASAP, to make arrangements.

DD cannot get phone calls at work, 
so I quickly text her, leave her 
voicemail with tracking # etc
and assume all is well.

I head out to run long list of errands for class tomorrow.
Frantic text from DD.
They are returning with Box.
Her Dad will come pick it up,
she's got him involved now, since he purchased for her,
and could I please go home and wait.

A few hours later I get email.
Her Dad has decided to overnight it to her.
Sent her ( not me, dumb a--) the shipping label, 
which then she has to forward to me,
and I am to wait some more and sign for box then
reroute via new shipping label.
That was nearly 5 hours ago.
Still no Fed Ex.
It has wheels, he has balls.
Trouble with it.

I know you are sick of hearing BUT,
while picking up glasses,

JCP has POP UP Shop
with glasses for $149.00 with FREE no line bifocals

Holy Moly I wish they had these last week,
though I am thrilled with pairs I did get.
Only through this Sunday. 
Unbelievably GREAT frames,
several hundred to choose from
TRUST me - go check it out...
if you need glasses.



oh, and as I have told a few other gals 
who also loved Bella..
Bella will be getting a sister coffee maker 
since I sold a couple more totes. WoOt!

now a moratorium on jcp
promise
pinkie swear?

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Bella, Banners and Lulu


Bella
Isn't she lovely?
My 23 year old crock pot
passed on 3 days ago.
Both her arms had come off 
about a year ago,
and when I took her off the pantry shelf
 on Tuesday, her knob broke off.
I figured I could still manage with a pair of pliers....

Then yesterday I went to JCP
 to pick up my new eye wear,
and yes, they yell
"Suzan" now when I enter...

and I saw her, 
Bella.
On Sale
in 8 colors, no less.
And only 5 dollars more than the plain silver
Hamilton Beech I was going to buy as a replacement.  


Does anyone other than me assign gender
to inanimate objects? 
Of course Bella's gender was predetermined.



Seriously, isn't she grand?

I don't buy anything other than food 
these days, so the clothes I found last week, 
and the new glasses, and Bella are it for me
for the year.

I am thrilled with these items,
just thrilled. I touch and handle them as if 
they are precious gifts, as they truly are.
So many folks have so much less than I.
I am so very grateful.
I carefully examine and ponder each purchase.
I give most things a "ride in my cart"
before putting them back.
I'm serious.

If you are the eye in the sky in a store,
you would become suspicious as I weigh 
the purpose, price and necessity of each item.
I have been known to stand in front of a display of purses,
and handle and inspect dozens,
taking 30-40 minutes to select just the right bag.



Meanwhile I finished up my last pennant garland sample.






Ready for my Spring class this Saturday.
There are six more pennants to this banner.
They will hang above this set, 
once I get them strung tonight.

I made this one to keep.
I used some of my favorite papers.

I will sell off the other 3 samples after class.
Let me know if you're interested.



Now meet
LULU


Remember the polka dot purse I mentioned in a previous post?
Yes, this is one of purses I pondered for 40 minutes in JCP.
I do seem to be obsessed with polka dots of late.
Even in the banner!


The bow front purse is the one that I wanted,
but when I returned and stood there
and tried out half a dozen polka dot bags,
I decided this one would hold my camera better
as it was wider, and it was half off at $20.00
LULU 
you make my heart sing.

I got to thinking about what I  just said about
polka dots.
This obsession goes WAY BACK 


(Oh yes my hair was once much lighter)
Check out those shoulder pads!
I think this was one of the last years Ben was shorter than me.

Seems I dressed us up in PD's a lot.
They're happy things, these dots...


the notes I had on back of the pic were
"mom, take my picture"
She used to do that quite a bit around this age,
and she is just touching Gadget 
with her toes, not kicking her.


Sweet Gadget
best rescue dog ever

This sweet girl is graduating from college
with honors.
This lovely woman was just hired as a PA
(production assistant)
on a feature film starring
Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy.

I could just bust a button
on my polka dot blouse. 
Yep, one of the pieces I bought last week
  at JCP!







Wednesday, May 1, 2013

JCP Fan

JCP




Growing up in the 50's - 60's
there were not a lot of big stores to shop in.
In my neck of the woods,
there was Sears, JC Penny, Murphys and Monkey Wards.

Families seemed to divide themselves into
the Sears families and the Penny's families.
People rarely frequented both.
We were of the Sears clan.
I think because my Dad was such
a Craftsman fan, as am I.

So it is no surprise that I had not set foot in
a JC Penny store in nearly 30 years,
(Sears, maybe a handful).
Target was my home.

Needing new glasses, I had 
ventured into the mall on Monday.
I am as foreign to a mall,
 as honey boo boo is to good manners.
What made me turn into JCP is a mystery.
Perhaps it was because I have been following
 the ousting of JCP leader Mr. Johnson, 
and the MS lawsuit, who knows, but turn I did.

Straight in to one of the nicest
shopping experiences I have had in years!
Designer style in nearly every dept,
and at fabulous prices.
I could give a hoot about a name, but quality
and good design, always a plus.
Bright, beautiful, organized displays are everywhere
 Liz Claiborne, Betsy Johnson,
Michael Graves, Conran, Jonathan Adler,
Nicole Miller and more.
I wandered the store for over an hour,
 and walked out with a bag of clothes,
and I NEVER buy clothes.
I found dozens of things in 
each department that I loved.
I was waited on by a lovely gal Josephine,
who checked me out on the spot with a hand held.

I caught myself just smiling and humming,
and was headed down to customer service to leave a good 
review for Josephine when I was approached
on the escalator by a nice man
 commenting that I seemed to be having a good day.
 Turns out he is a manager.
We stood and chatted a few minutes and I raved about the
store and told him I would be back.

Which I was....
The NEXT day!

That night I saw a pop up ad for JCP
eye wear for 2 for 99.00 (bifocal extra)
I had shopped Lens Crafters the day before and found
400.00 for a single pair of bifocals a bit too much.
(and that was 40% off!)
Back to JCP where Cheryl 
spent an hour helping me select TWO pair of
fabulous, just what I wanted, 
even better quality lenses than LC,
 at get this...

100.00 less!

So Johnson may be out,
I hear it had a lot to do with couponing,
(they have brought them back),
but he did something really right,
because I have not been this excited about anything
since the spin mop and TJ's cookie dough spread.

This morning I saw a great new tv ad about how 
JCP has changed and they got some things wrong,
and some things right, but come to visit.
No kidding my friends.
Go visit.

Check out the sequin docksiders for 14.00.
The LULU polka dot bowed clutch for under 40.00.
and uh, did I mention an entire Sephora 
smack in the middle of the store? 

uh oh, I think I need to go back.

Looking for Z?
Try JCP