thin ice & stockings

okay, so it's official. the credit card will have to be "frozen" again for the month of december. it can only be used for emergencies. fortunately for me, i have most of my christmas stuff done; and after today's trips to world market and michael's...it better be all done. sheeeesh. those places are bloody dangerous. i found stockings for me and seven. they were cheap and adorable from one of those aforementioned dangerous places. it was the final decorating touch i needed for the house. yay!
now i'm back home and getting ready to wrap some presents and clean out ole jane honda (in preparation for the upcoming weekend's road trip). poor jane. by looking at her, you'd think i didn't love her. that needs to be remedied.
on another note, i have created a pandora station for ma fave christmas song, "christmas wrapping" by the waitresses. it has since created the most hilarious string of christmas music for me to listen to while i do all my holiday things. right now, for example, i'm listening to winger. that's right. winger. i told you it was hilarious.
i am looking forward to finishing up my day off with as much productivity as i began it with. i'm almost there. time to fire up the crock pot and make some dinner.
i hope y'all are having a delightful monday, friends!
xo
lu

M-_-N-D-A-Y, i'd like to buy a vowel.

guten tag friends! 'tis monday. i don't have to work today, thank goodness. i wish i didn't have so many errands to run today so that i could just stay home and keep enjoying my solitude. yesterday i cleaned for hours and listened to pandora (and started my new itunes collection, of which i haven't had in 2 or 3 years). it's very exciting.
i saw the fantastic mr. fox last night with a gal pal. oh! it was lovely. wes anderson rarely missteps. the whole time i was watching it i kept thinking about how the little foxes look like seven. so now i have the fortunate opportunity to imagine him having little adventures like the ones they had.
in reality he is trying to get out onto the balcony to bark at the maintenance men and dogs in the yards behind the apartment complex.
i wish i had more items of interest to share with you guys today but, my head is still fuzzy from a weird night's sleep.
more later!
xo
lu

things you may not know

1. if i could hang out with one celebrity ever in my life, it would van morrison.
2. i keep a flashlight in almost every single room of my house.
3. i collect a lot of images of things that speak to me. not like i hear voices; but that somehow represent things that affect me. i have a corkboard above my desk of colours, the drape of clothing, numbers, letters, baby pictures, mismatched odds & ends, and fortune cookie prophecies... they bring me great joy to see every day.
4. i love artwork and images of birds, but i'm afraid to be in very close proximity to birds themselves.
5. i possess a trait considered a "neurologically based phenomenon", called synesthia. this means i attach qualities to time, concepts, objects etc. but i also assign gender to things from letters and numbers, colours, dates, times, and objects to name a few. my mother does too. ours is genetic, not adventitious. learn about it: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthia
6. i'm exceptionally partial to odd numbers.
7. i keep files on a bizarre myriad of things. ranging from potentially useable trivial information, names i like, stuff from ex-boyfriends and old friends, to random things i've gotten in the mail.

love me!
xo
lu

the "this is cool" post for sunday

because i literally spend hours on etsy. it's like tetris for the soul. heh.

i keep coming across this. i imagine this smells like man. like a delicious, corduroy jacket-wearing, takes-walks-in-the-woods-with-you, tom waits-listening type of man. *sigh* Whiskey. No. 006 eau de toilette. http://www.portlandgeneralstore.etsy.com/ $68.
and because i'm an aquarius and well...i like amethysts. oh, and the artist is based out of new orleans. february birthstone, amethyst and gold ornament. $28. http://www.byapryl.etsy.com/

later!

esperanza y paz

yay it's sunday! if i rally, i could have my whole house clean by noon. if i truly rally i could have the storage closet organized to make room for the possibility of a washer/dryer one day. the odds of that last one happening are dwindling as i type this sentence.
i found out this morning that my great-grandmother is not doing well. that worries me. yes, she is 91 but i cannot bear to think that she may be gone anytime soon. last year was hard enough with all of the people that i lost; losing her would be the end of a great, long era. a piece of my life would effectively remain in the past from that point on. no family homestead to hearken back to being a child, let alone my mother being a child in that house, my grandmother's life in that house. the pear trees and azaleas, the ancient, white iron garden furniture, and the goats in the back yard.
i can imagine the connective thread becoming more and more flimsy between me and the extended family with whom i have very little relationship with.
i have a feeling she and i are more alike than anyone realizes. well, i like to think so anyway. i think had she not had to leave college when her father died, had she not felt the pressure to marry and have a family; she would have done more in the scholarly world. perhaps traveled more.
i digress.
please send positive healing, and peaceful energies to her today. i didn't know in time to make a trip to see her with my family today; so she is heavy on my mind.
love to all this beautiful day!
xo
lu

sabado sabado sabado

good morning friends. 'tis saturday. seven is being the definition of an only child this morning and he keeps sticking his head into the christmas tree. it's rather amusing.

when i was decorating the tree last night, i pulled out an ornament that was given to me several years ago that looks like my old dog, chuchi, and has her name written on it. i miss that ole girl so much sometimes; she and seven were big pals (so were we). when i showed the ornament to seven, he tilted his head to the side and kissed the ornament right on the nose. i almost burst into tears. silly.

well, i'm gearing up to go to the shop again this morning. we had to fight for every penny we earned yesterday and i am hoping that today is a better day, or at least easier.

i'm sure i should go out and meet up with the people i haven't seen in a long time while they are still here for thanksgiving weekend, but honestly...i just want to stay home and i very likely will do just that. i'm kind of hearing that sweet siren song of hermit-life. heh.

well, i hope y'all all enjoy the kickoff to your weekend!

adieu for now,

lu

poking a grey cloud with a stick

well, so much for keeping my cool. within an hour of opening the store i was ready to rip my hair out. oh well. the day ain't over yet, and i may just miraculously develop some coping mechanisms within the next 4 1/2 hours. i surely hope so.
tonight, when i get home, i want to crawl into bed. alas, i cannot. i have two different events now scheduled for this evening. i'm already beat and i just burned my lunch. come on!
there is a silver lining though (i know, i know). upon opening my mail a few minutes ago, i found probably the most kind and sincere letter from a friend i have ever recieved.
in it extols the merit of our unique friendship, kind words, and a little ditty about the pig of happiness.
and breathe. perhaps i can make it through today without hitting someone after all. thanks friend.
loves to all mis amigas this fine day.
xo
lu

cue the jaws theme in 3...2...1

good morning friends! 'tis friday. black friday. i'm in a rather good mood today, surprisingly, considering it's my least favourite part of my chosen career and i have an inconvenient sinus headache and cough.
i had a wonderful, low-key thanksgiving with mama and b. we ate, we laughed, we watched the parade, there were naps. it was what a holiday with family should be. then i came home, took a bath, took a nap as well, watched some movies, and rearranged my living room. yeah, i did. i even set up my first big girl christmas tree (artifical) and it's adorable. i haven't decorated it yet because i have to buy low-heat lights (per the tree's package) so my tree won't go up in flames.
i feel i should name this tree. it's got a good personality, it's flexible, optimisic. like shelby eatonton from steel magnolias. hmmmm...
anyway, life is good. i'm always a thankful girl and i'm praying i can make it through the next two days in good spirits (flask anyone? just kidding. sort of.) so that i may relax sunday and monday. we're on the downward slope to the holidays, 3.5 weeks left, folks! let the games begin!
enjoy this beautiful, chilly day!
xo
lu

objectifying once again

because i unleashed the crush beast by posting my david krumholtz post a few days ago. and because when you start thinking about things you are thankful for...and you've covered the basics: family, friends, shelter, puppums, health, job etc. you can't help but pause. take a minute. and be grateful for truly attractive men.

now, this little dose of adorable comes to you courtesy of an old-school (like 3rd rock from the sun) patootie named joseph gordon-levitt.

okay, so i remember that ridiculous movie where he played an amish kid (not witness, but another one and it was silly and i rather enjoyed it). so you think he's a kid star big whoop. 10 things i hate about you (remember he dated larisa oleynik? what show did she use to be on nickelodeon? anyone?) yadda yadda yadda then he grew up.

now when i say he grew up good, i mean that the description was actually coined for him. anyway, ole tiger beat mcgee did well in all kinds of serious movies and thrillers/dramas etc. over the years and then pops out this year with 500 days of summer.

wait what? he not only looks better (how?), he can be a romantic lead with my favourite gal, zooey deschenal....and he can dance too? heaven help us all. there's something very gregory peck about him, and it's about time one of those rolled around again. the man can wear a suito to, though i neglected to post one of those pics...

let's all just take a moment and enjoy. i will put my paws down i promise. wink wink nudgie nudgie. heh.
adieu for now, amigas!

xo

lu

big, black, buckled shoes & a bonnet

good morning friends. 'tis wednesday, and thanksgiving eve once again. it makes me want to wear big, black, buckled shoes and a bonnet. not that that is too terribly different from any other day of the year.
i am in a silly mood today, a little scattered. perhaps a little smothered and covered as well. we ended up having a rather successful day at the shop which is wonderfully welcomed; and there weren't nearly as many crazies in as usual which was refreshing.
i am very much looking forward to my little lulu thanksgiving tonight. here's what's on my menu...
roasted honey glazed turkey loin (i wish there was a better word than "loin". "loin" makes me shudder a little).
green bean casserole (because i was brought up right)
mashed potatoes & turkey gravy
sauteed sweet potato medallions with brown sugar & cayenne
cranberry sauce
king's hawaiian rolls
pumpkin pie

yes, this is all for me tonight. and yes i will be eating leftovers for a week. that's what the rolls are for...sammiches!
tomorrow, my little tradition will be continuing. i started it a few years back. i take all of my clothes that need mending to my mama's house and we watch the parade between her cooking and my stitching away.
this year, however, my mending is limited because i had to get rid of some of that stuff after several years of repairs. so in addition to my handful of things that need a loop stitch or two, i am going to bring all my shoes that need polishing. it feels so decadent. it's challenging to actually realize how practical i can be sometimes. this coming from the woman with rainbow bright sheets on her bed and 400 magazines in her apartment.
*sigh*
i'm feeling the "thanks" faerie fluttering around now and hope y'all all have a fantastic thanksgiving day eve. more to come!
adieu for now, kiddos!
lu

the lion sleeps tonight

there is a unique calm that sets in before the official holiday insanity ensues. like when the animals get quiet when a predator approaches. i am experiencing that today. what is even more hilarious about it, is that it puts shoppers into a noticably good mood whereas customer service representatives slide down the other side of that slope.
everyone is in the shop talking about how great it is that they are getting four and five-day weekends this week. all i can say is "good for you!", and "a long weekend! how fun!" etc. i am not sure i would know what to do with myself if i had long holiday weekends. i've done retail and customer service so long, that thanksgiving is always just a one-day-off kind of thing.
i am setting my sights toward a new job/new career, and new city still; yet i still haven't the foggiest how to get started manifesting it all. but i am taking comfort in the idea that i will have holidays off one day. i won't always have to work the day after thanksgiving, or christmas eve or 3 saturdays a month. that's a christmas present to myself as it is.
here's to all my retail/customer service warriors!
xo
lu

some kind of silliness

there is a line from an edward sharpe & the magnetic zeroes song that says "home. yes, i am home. home is wherever i'm with you"; and while most of the time i would say, all i need is my fam and friends and i am home... nothing quite prepares you for the immediate exhale released when you cross the threshold into your own little home (this came for me this morning after housesitting).
nothing throws me off more than housesitting. the way canadians and americans appear to be the same, but aren't really, that's what it's like for me to housesit. it's canadian to my american. and when i cross the border back to the states, i appreciate the difference and beauty of the vacation. there was nothing wrong with canada. it was a nice little excursion in fact; but it just feels so good to see a piggly wiggly and eat a moonpie again. i'm not sure if that made any sense.
i have nothing against canadians or canada in any way. just sayin'.
adieu for now,
lu

another dreamboat.

ugh. good afternoon mis amigas. i've been feeling a tad under the weather while i'm housesitting (isn't that how it goes?) and haven't had much to write. but because this house has cable, i have been filling the past 5 hours with crappy television and guilty pleasure movies. if you watch enough of them in a row, you start to notice trends in theme and actors; and since i haven't done one of these posts in a while.. here's a movie star crush for you this monday whom i haven't thought about in a while (but did today thanks to 10 things i hate about you and the santa clause). david krumholtz. he's hilarious and cute. i would probably giggle like a 12 year old girl if i met him. i'm not ashamed to say it. *sigh*
enjoy your day friends!
adieu,
lu



tee hee!

smiley face

okay, so the deer tick & neko shows were awesome. deer tick is a lot better live than i would have thought, and neko blew my mind. tears were a-streamin' by the end of the show. went out after the show and had some crazy good times. except for the really creepy girl at fermentation lounge. *shiver*
i also had a fortuitious encounter courtesy of the higher power in regard to someone i had been very angry with for quite some time. i got a much-needed apology, a hug, and some laughs. thanks universe for havin' my back! i feel like a million bucks minus bus fare and a chicken biscuit (i did, afterall stay out waaaaaaaaaay past my bedtime with some awesome friends and giggled a lot). whew! what a week!
a few items of note from the shows:
1. the drummer for deer tick looked like a country bear. awesome.
2. cute kid with green hair, his name was thomas. i like meeting new people. especially if said person is kind of a character, which this youngin was.
3. "i didn't bring ma trampolinin' bra" was one of my favourite quotes from neko's backup vocalist, kelly hogan.
4. deer tick's cover of "maybelline" was R.A.D.
5. neko sang every song i wanted to hear, and did so perfectly.
6. her band is really, truly awesome. how on earth does one find a pedal steel player who can also play banjo? (note- he does not play them both at the same time).
7. my awesome friends who shared this amazing night with me. i love love love love love that we made this memory together!

well, i reckon i should start getting ready for work. love to all this gorgeous saturday!

etsy fetish friday

thanks for putting up with my silly etsy fetish this week, guys! here's the last two, unless i decide to do this every day. sheeeeesh. enjoy!

http://www.lauralombardijewelry.etsy.com/ 24 carat gold quartz necklace $175. because i just think it looks really rad and have looked at it a million times on etsy but can't buy it.

http://www.kirby.etsy.com/ odelia 5x7 print $12. because i feel like the lady in this print today. perhaps a little solemn, mysterious, lost in through, oh! and wearing that awesome colour.

neko friday

good morning friends. 'tis friday and this very evening i get to see one of my favourite singers/songwriters, neko case. i am beyond excited and grateful i have my gal pals to share it with. i keep randomly squeeling when i realize i am an hour closer to the show. aaaaah! 12 more hours!

que ridiculo. i know this. well, in honour of said concert, a beloved friend is in town and she and i went out to a benefit concert last night. we danced around like we were 20 years old again and it was just wonderful. much needed with the way i have been feeling in my moments alone. having lived in this town for 25 years, i am bound to run into a few people i don't care much to see (and who don't particulary care to see me) but all in all the evening was a SUCCESS!! great friends and great fun.

soooo, for great fun's sake, a video of neko performing a song i will hear by the close of this day. aaaaah!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CftB3X1O_8

if i had money etsy thursday

i love etsy's prices most of the time. but, some things i find are absolutely astronomical. they, of course, tend to be the rad kind of stuff that people who summer in the hamptons would buy. so today, since it's almost the weekend and that exciting tinge is in the air; i am pretending once again, i had all the money in the world and could buy whatever i wanted from etsy that was over $1000. here are two.

http://www.beaverboatworks.etsy.com/ $3200 baby tender rocking cradle. except i want a grown-up sized one!!! i would put tons of blankets and pretty pillows in it and lay out in the yard and swing for hours with a good book.

http://www.bloomstudios.etsy.com/ $1200 2.54 carat raw rose cut chocolate diamond ring. because me wants it!!! my preciousssssssss.

white noise

good morning compatriates. 'tis thursday and how the time has flown this week. i don't think i have let my mind rest on any particular thought other than "FOOD" or "SLEEP" in days. last night little bud and i stayed in and watched movies, i took a really long lovely bath, and order a pizza for one. it was rather awesome, though i need to be watching my money more carefully.
i may be taking another month of the mastercard like i did in august. it was so liberating and since then, i have forgotten all of my brilliant financial lessons i had taught myself.
perhaps i will have another solo night in tonight, for i have a big weekend ahead of me; and THE CHAIR is starting to develop new layers since i cleaned it off last sunday. my horoscope said to avoid being social today (good luck being in retail), so i guess of all the nights to be a hermit, tonight may just need to be one. no one invite me anywhere because i will go and throw everything i just said out the window!
hope your thursdays are gorgeous and peaceful!
xo
lu

miercoles at etsy

because i can never have too many feathered chapeaus and this one is badass and reasonably priced. sooooooooooooo love it!!!!!!

http://www.spunsugarvintage.etsy.com/ $36 bohemian hat wool hat with feathers.

and because you can never dance around and laugh enough. i thought this print was cool.

http://www.timesbright.etsy.com/ $60 Sometimes I Act Like Myself 17x22 print

adieu lovelies!

lu

turkey britches

yaaaaaawn. i'm a glutton for punishment. had too much fun out chatting with friends last night and fell asleep fully clothed with my hand on the keyboard of the computer way too late for a girl who has to be at work in 30 minutes. alas, that was a run-on sentence and cue the big girl britches in 3...2...1
good morning, friends. 'tis wednesday. i have a freshly scrubbed puppy running around the house like a wee, soggy cyclone. it's another beautiful day in north florida. there is a pleasant crispness to the air, and though it dissipates every afternoon, is always welcomed back with open arms by dusk.
i am having a hard time grasping that thanksgiving is right around the corner. whenever someone wants to make plans for next week i have to remind myself that thursday, friday, and saturday are out for this little retailer. remember when you were a kid and it took years for christmas to roll around again? by the time i finish writing this it will be thanksgiving eve.
alright, i need ma coffee.
love to all! keep a-smilin' friends.
lu

etsy picks for tuesday

i have been looking for stockings for me and seven for christmas, and though i have something specific in mind, i found these and think they are so wonderfully dr. suess in shape. the one on the right side is my favourite (but i'd change the buttons to something funkier if i got it). are you surprised?

toe classy stockings $28 each.

http://www.southhouseboutique.etsy.com/

isn't this gorgeous? i would rearrange my entire desk area to make room for this. i can't say i like the idea of destroying books but if they perhaps were in poor condition, then this is the most rad thing i could think of to make something out of it.

vintage ivory french text paper wreath sculpture. $50

http://www.simplejoyspaperie.etsy.com/

roll up yer britches and dip yer feet in.

it's a pavlov's dog response the moment i prepare to make a new post here. as soon as the words begin to appear on the screen as i click click click away on the keyboard; i have to have a cup of coffee. i can't stop thinking about it. hilarious.
'tis tuesday friends. i had a pretty good day off. got all kinds of things done except the errands i needed to run all over town. i stayed up and watched for the meteor shower last night but by one o'clock in the morning, i couldn't see any, so i went to bed. alas, i have never seen a meteor shower. it doesn't help that i had to take a nap to be able to stay up 'til one o'cock in the morning.
ah, rapidly disappearing youth.
well, i woke up this morning with a surging optimism that i hope gets me through the day smoothly. i am in a really unusual place considering recent events. i am thinking a lot and i feel good despite the inherent melancholy associated with the place that i am in right now.
it's a nice change from previous experiences. i hope your days are beautiful and filled with cool forward-pushing stream of optimism too.
love to all.
adieu,
lu
...off to make the coffee now.

etsy picks of the day

because i go faux-shopping every day and wish i had the money and available space to put all these rad things i find.

this first thing actually made me a little emotional. #1. i love numbers #2. i love throw pillows #3. i can be a hopeless romantic with the proper trigger. hence, "the circle the date pillow" from http://www.chakrapennywhistle.etsy.com/ $30. what a sweet sentiment for whatever happy day you want to remember.

and for those who know me, you know my weird thing for perfect t-shirts. well, i saw this one and, though it is more expensive than i would normally drop for a tee, it's amusing enough that i'm truly considering buying it for myself. nice & naughty t-shirt http://www.storied.etsy.com/ $36

adieu for now, kiddos!

lu

how does she do that?

somehow i have managed to schedule the BUSIEST day off ever. so much so that i'm already running late for it! i got a great deal of relaxing and cleaning accomplished last night and am very much looking forward to more alone time in the funky little shack. alas, it will not be tonight. i am booked solid. it's actually rather amusing. i think wednesday will be my next evening alone. maybe. unless there is something planned i have already forgotten about.

sunday was beautiful. a cloudless and slightly warmer than normal november day. some girlfriends and i went to the indian mounds to have a brunchy picnic; and it was so insanely beautiful it already feels like i dreamed it.

*sigh*

i hope your mondays are excellent friends! more to come later.

xo

lu

moment

i have been in such a musical place this week. it has been moving, shaking, stirring, twisting, freeing, and snuggling up next to me; wrapping me up in the comforts of home all the way through to my veins.
a lot of soul has been shadowing me in my musical world this week. tom waits, ray lamontagne (good gracious ray!), edward sharpe & the magnetic zeroes, roy orbison, otis redding, and van morrison have been speaking to me so specifically. and i could never be more grateful than in the moment that just passed through me. i feel like my heart and soul are literally being swirled in one of those bathtub drain water cycones. round and round and round and round. it's a beautiful thing.
here's ray:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcLUIU2-uv8

here's edward sharpe & the magnetic zeroes:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpWCil5HGwk

adieu for now friends,
lu

my brain as represented by a corner of my bedroom

so i have been trying to take it easy on myself all week in regard to home life because i've been sad and super occupied by concerned friends and loved ones. but i think tonight before i go to a birthday celebration for a pal, i'm going to clean. this may not sound interesting to many of you but i get a deeply sick satisfaction from certain household tasks. i am also deeply disconcerted and unable to think properly if certain tasks (which incidentally i dislike performing) are left to grow into unmanageable beasts. putting away clothes is one of these things. my brain isn't right when this task isn't performed but oh! how i despise this task.
90% of my room is clutter-free. calming, sparse, comfortable. except for THE CHAIR. THE CHAIR is the catch-all for any and everything i don't feel like putting away at a given moment.
there are four layers to THE CHAIR right now.
bottom layer...core of the planet, if you will. the beautiful chair itself. lovely olive green and cream damask print wingback piece of fabulousness that i refuse to give up (no matter how tiny of a place i live in). it's magnetic energy pulls toward it all the following layers.
next: the crust of the planet. seven's toys. every now and then THE CHAIR is empty and when it is, i throw seven's myriad of misfit toys into it so that i may vacuum. there are rope toys, limbs from previously loved stuffed creatures, a squeaky alligator that he hates but was expensive so there it remains, and a tennis ball or three.
next: the basic land mass/earth. this is a decadent layer of laundry that is wearable but not fresh out of the dryer. it needs to be put up but the thought of have to turn everything right-side out and fold and/or put on hangers has prevented said clothing from a) being worn in the meantime and b) staying wrinkle-free.
last: the topographical region, otherwise known as everest. this is a layer of oft-worn items (pajamas, elegantly understated concert tees etc.) and bags of clean laundry. the clean laundry is safely folded and tucked away in said bags so that i have a steady stash of clothing to choose from when in a rush to leave the house (which has pretty much been every day this week).

does anyone else have a weird catch-all spot? i feel a little bashful for THE CHAIR but at least it's contained, sort of, for now.
well, back to work.
adieu,
lu

fortnight

g'mornin' saturdayers. i am sleeeeepy. i went out for a low-key evening with my gal and had a blast. came home tired but couldn't go to sleep until 1 a.m.!! so here i am, snoozy and jealous of everyone who has a normal 9-5/m-f job. for funsies, a list of things i learned last night:
1. if you look hard enough you can still find men with george hamilton tans. ew.
2. dutch beer is delicious.
3. mishmash dinners with a gal pal is the best way to get dinner on a friday night before heading out! kudos to miss a for the addition of apricots and almonds to the brussel sprouts p.s.
4. sometimes people sounds crazy when they discuss astrology. noted. not like it'll stop me too much.
5. it doesn't matter how many times i have seen it, i can watch the gilmore girls and still be interested. which is how i stayed up until 1 a.m.
i hope your weekend is off to a great start, friends!
xo
lu

twisty optimism

well, friends. it's friday. only 15 hours of work left this week and i am so very much looking forward to laughing with friends and taking it easy with the little buddy. i am still a bit sad these days but the love and support i have been randomly recieving from great friends and people coming out of the blue has helped me so very much. thanks, to any and all of you who've done so who read this blog!
i am trying not to rain on everyone's parade. mostly because i don't want to talk about it, but also because people in general don't have a lot of patience for grief, i've noticed. i, quite frankly, can admit i am one of them sometimes. it isn't a horrible thing, it's just human nature to keep wanting to move forward. humans are like that and whether we want it to or not, life is like that. the train keeps rolling out of the station and you're either on it or not.
i hope today is filled with smiles and laughter for y'all today. i'm certainly striving for the same!
xo
lu

silver lining lu

good morning friends! 'tis thursday and it's take the puppums to work day. so far, he isn't very impressed but i love love love having him around all day. i have a puppy station set up in the back room of the store. snacks, duckers (his favourite toy), and a big pillow for him to plop down on. so cute. it brings me happiness.

as for me, i am working at the shop by my lonesome. which is always a rather nice treat, i must admit. i'm hoping it doesn't get too busy and that hopkins eatery has a good soup for lunch so that i don't end up getting ANOTHER sandwich. blech.

i am very much looking forward to the peace and quiet of my upcoming evening of solitude. it's not tonight, but it's around the corner. it will be so relaxing to just be with the baby and music and cool evening air. i am glad i didn't bail on all the plans that have emerged for this week. it has been a learning, comforting, loving experience to be with all of the people i have surrounded myself with.

much needed. i am sending out a bunch of love to you, dear friends. get out your butterfly nets and catch some!

adieu for now,

lu

if

i haven't done this in a while and sometimes it's just nice to mindlessly browse my favourite online stores for goodies. i got a little inspired to create an outfit for myself that would express the way i feel today. i based it off of a concert tee that i tend to wear when i'm in the kind of mood i'm in today. so here is what i would do:
deena & ozzy felted wool hat $38 http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/
my remember the fiery furnaces concert tee $20 http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com/

flipside blazer in navy $88 http://www.anthropologie.com/

mira cords in grey $88 http://www.anthropologie.com/

frye harness 12r boots $222 http://www.zappos.com/



fun, comfortable, with a big dose of laid-back rock n' roll attitude. that's me today with a little bit more eyeliner.

enjoy your day, friends!

lu

little things

good morning friends! 'tis wednesday. i got a decent night's sleep, though eight hours just doesn't seem to be cutting this week. i keep forcing my body out of bed though it begs me for three or four more hours. and oddly enough, i'm not really wanting coffee either despite how tired i feel. i keep making myself drink a cup or two to keep from getting a withdrawel headache. that's a hilarious sentence to read back over. sheeeeesh.

tonight i have a "date" with a customer from my store, whom i love! she and i had made these plans a few weeks ago, and i was really tempted to cancel so i could disappear tonight but i think i'll keep them. i am doing everything backwards this week.

my usual coping mechanisms (and i use that term loosely) haven't swarmed into my life as they have in the past. for that i am grateful. i am functioning, though very, very sad. but, i am taking care of myself (and a certain little stinky buddy too).

i hope your wednesdays are delightful. the earth and the plants were happy for the good soaking yesterday and last night. the weekend approaches. the fair is in town (though i don't really give a hoot, everyone seems really excited about it this year). we are all here and are capable of great happiness and love.

cool, right?

adieu for now,

lu

evening

woah. what a day. seriously. long. day. i am glad to be home and with the little buddy who was not pleased with me for being gone so long (he has since forgiven me, thank goodness).
the windy, rainy, dark day has been a rather good one. it was good to have something else to focus on today. the store did well with our event and i'm comforted by the fact that i only have 30 hours left of work this week before i can rest in a little peace.
i'm happy to be here today. to be alive. to have things that make me laugh and bring me comfort. to have music that speaks to me and for me.
here's a taste to get you through the hours, friends. it's one of my favourite songs by ben harper. diamonds on the inside.
xo
lu

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpns_a4Nuvo&feature=fvst

morning with ida

good morning friends. 'tis tuesday. i had a three day weekend, if you could call it that. and now i'm heading to work for an 11 hour day. i guess i can't really complain. i probably should just throw myself in there. but i would rather be in bed, watching movies and listening to music. i have a feeling i will cancel all plans except family dinner this week.
my friends have been taking good care of me. i went to lunch, a movie, and dinner with them. that was nice. i'm super out of it and the windy, rainy, dark days thanks to Ida, have aided in my desire to hole up at the funky little shack and disappear.
because i'm not out and out talking about it people are just finding out through the grapevine. so it's amusing these random messages of well-wishings coming my way. it actually helps.
waking up helps. golden corral last night helped. charlie brown thanksgiving helped. seven helps. coffee is about to help too i think.
life is good, right friends?
enjoy this blustery, rainy day. it's a snuggle in day.
adieu for now,
lu

where my head at

so i'll be honest. i'm down. thankfully i had the day off already scheduled for getting out of bed has been tough. i have pandora on my tom waits station because he's the only one thing that makes sense to me this morning. i tried bon iver, ray lamontagne, neko, vince guiraldi. no, it's my tom. thought i'd share a bukowski poem spoken by mr. waits with you today, because that is where my head is right now. i promise more cheerful or at least insightful posts to come.

loves, friends, and enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKSJEv5wRF8&feature=related

step one

uh, so good morning friends. 'tis sunday. i had a weird and fun evening at a disco-themed birthday party and a really long, emotional night last night when i got home from said evening. i need coffee, food, a nap, a hot shower, a week off from work (yeah right), and a lot of hugs. or maybe i need to wallow, or throw myself in to work. i cannot tell. i think i will start with coffee and a shower and see where that leads me. left foot, right foot.
i hope your sundays are far brighter.
adieu for now friends,
lu

gratitude

1. getting to spend all morning with mama puttering around town. it has become so rare which makes me sad sometimes. it was nice to have such a prolonged girlie visit.
2. the lovely fall weather and sunshine.
3. good music that fits the ever-undulating sea of emotions in which i swim.
4. a certain little buddy running around the house with a tennis ball in his mouth.
5. not being at work today or monday.
6. the funky little shack. the perfect hidey hole.
7. being alive and cognoscente of the intricate workings of my somewhat crazy minefield of a brain.
8. you!

adieu for now saturdayers.
lu

wild & crazy gal

happy friday evening friends. i am cozied up at home with the baby, a charlie brown thanksgiving, snuggly jam-jams, and a breakfast dinner. all in all the perfect cure for my self-instigated headache/sinus misery.

it is most wonderously chilly outside, i don't have to go to work tomorrow, i get to hang out with mama for her birthday this weekend and all in all, i am just grateful for it all.

i hope you have a wonderful friday as well, amigas!

xo

lu

p.s. that's the turban i wore around the house last night. i am a few more dangly bracelets away from being mistaken for a fortune teller.

repeat offender

i love spending time with friends. especially getting to see a friend who i don't get to see much because she's busy a-travelin'. i enjoyed every minute of it last night. this morning, however, my brain is very upset with me. swirling, spinning, throbbing, and i did it to myself. how embarrassing. i haven't the foggiest how i will make it through the next nine hours of my work day other than the hot shower i am about to take, aleve, coffee, gatorade, aleve, water and whining. oh, and aleve. i will now proceed to fight the unbelievably strong urge to go back to bed.
adieu for now,
lu

speedy

the time change just caught up with me. not the extra hour from sunday but the daylight being present at different times. anyway, my body has been rejecting it and i slept an hour and a half late today! nothing throws me off more than missing my morning routine. so, seven and i are condensing the 2 and a half hours of morning we usually have together into one. that means playing ball, eating breakfast, drinking coffee, and writing blogs really quickly.
so anyway, last night i made a butternut squash-based version of my corn & sausage chowder, i was so excited to try it and realized as i sat down with a big chunk of bread and a heaping bowl full of soup... i had left out the corn. that's right. i had sausage, potato, butternut squash soup and quite frankly, it was quite yummy. next time i'll make a note to to forget one of the KEY INGREDIENTS! i thought it was hilarious!
well, with that little anecdote, i must run. only 30 minutes left before i have to actually be at the store. *sigh*
adieu for now,
lu

throw in a parrot and some jodhpurs while you're at it.

alright guys, question. does this outfit make me look like a pirate or an equestrian? i am not going for either of those looks but i love my new tights, boots, and shirt and dammit, if i didn't try to wear them all together.

i think it works but i wanted to see what y'all think. if i look like a damn fool, then i'd like to know so i don't do it quite the same next time...and try to ignore the fact i have no makeup on please.

xo

lu

slices & pie

good morning friends! 'tis wednesday. the same ole glorious routine is in progress. coffee, playing ball with seven, bacon, checking emails yadda yadda yadda. so lovely.

now, as many of you know, i attend meetings for ACOA (adult child of alcoholics) and yes it is anonymous, but i'm allowed to say i'm a part of it. aaanyway, i was in a much-needed meeting the other day when i had a little brainstorm. "what are the things that give you the most peace?" i asked myself. "what do you do that makes you feel calm and happy?" the answer? well, there are many. the point is, the enlightened part of me told the unenlightened part of me, i need to do whatever those things are, more often.

that could mean, making sure i get enough sleep so that i may get up before dawn and get my dark, quiet fix for the day by walking around the lake; then spend the morning with coffee, and writing, and food, and taking care of myself and the little buddy.

i cannot control the people i work with or their drama, or the people that come in the store who are rude to me; but i can control those two tiny little slices of peace for myself. and breeeeathe.
enjoy your slices, friends! you are loved!


adieu for now,
lu
p.s. is anyone else craving pie now? i sure am!

classics

good morning! 'tis tuesday and it is wonderfully chilly outside. how i love autumn weather! although i am feeling a little off-kilter this week (for reasons still unbeknownst to me), life is good. i have one more super busy day of christmas pricing and storing before i am finished. i have to say i will miss that task in an odd way because it gives me something to focus on so i do not have to focus on the things at the store that stress me out and irritate the you-know-what out of me.
alright, well, enough of that. on to the fun stuff. i am about to embark on my tri-annual cosmetic purchasing adventure and because i am so susceptible to advertising, i am toying with a few new things to try on top of the classics that i stock up on. like that new mascara that penelope cruz is the spokesperson for. it looks like a spiky ball on a stick. i have no idea what it's called but i am totally going to try it!
in honour of that silliness, i have made a list of the top 5 (plus a few honourable mentions) beauty products that i will always keep around (as long as they are being made) because they are fabulous! ...and so are you!

i have been addicted to carmex since i was probably fifteen. nothing else helps with my perpetually chapped lips. except maybe drinking more water. love the smell, love the texture, love the price.

dove extra hold hairspray for fine hair is amazing. it's the only one i have found that does what it says it will. a fellow fine-haired fillie introduced it to me. if they ever discontinue it i will buy out every store in town.

now black honey shiny lip tint by clinique is a classic for millions of people. it is one of the first lipsticks my mama ever got me when i was a teenager and thus began my love affair with red lipstick.


dr. bronner's castille soap is one of the most amazing products ever. i used it when i was a teenager and into my twenties. then for some reason stopped buying it all together only to fall back in love with it because of senor mas' addiction to the almond scented version. now that's my favourite! you can refill the bottles, you can use it to wash stinky puppies, your hair, your floors, anything! plus there are a million little things written on the bottle which i read in the shower every morning. love LOVE!

maybelline crushed cranberry lipstick. this is the only image i could get of it, but that's not the colour. it's the perfect strawberry red. most of you will recognize it from any picture taken of me in the past two years in which i have lipstick on. it's inexpensive and kind of stains your lips in a pretty way. it's no coincidence that 3 of my 5 favourite products are lip products. i'm obsessive about them.

honourable mention #1: aromatics elixer by clinique. it's not a cosmetic but it is the definition of "lady" to me. though it smells totally different on everyone, it adore the way it smells on me. a little spicy, with some citrus notes. OH! love it, it's the grooviest! mama use to wear it when i was really little, and it smells awesome on her too!

honourable mention #2: sea breeze astringent. this reminds me of summer in the 80's. i use it almost every night. i love the smell!


what are some of your favourites?
adieu for now,
lu

hween 09 pictures

here's the first batch of photos, i have to steal a few from people's facebook pages before you get the whole shabang. cosmo issue october 2009

zack galafanakis from the hangover

tammy faye bakker

rorschach girl

braveheart!!!

hween 09 & mama!

good morning novemberites! 'tis monday once again and after a 32 hour weekend, i am about to start getting ready for work again. yay!

so, halloween recap:

fun party, felt a little out of place. jello shots were potent. favourite costumes of the night were tammy faye bakker, followed by zack galfanakis from the hangover, little edie, cosmo girl, and glamour shots. pictures to come soon! oh! and my stepdad dressed as braveheart. some kind of fabulous.



on a more awesome note, yesterday was my mama's birthday! we brunched it up, gifted it up, champagned it up, and all in all had a lovely morning/afternoon. i hope you did too mama! i love you very much and am sooooo glad we have each other! i hope you enjoy your week of birthday fun, because you deserve it!!!

have a great monday morning guys, halloween pics to come shortly!

xo

lu