My Hunt for the Best New Chair

Here's the story of my hunt for a new chair.

First of all, Juliette has 2 teeth now. This is great granddaughter #2.

This is one of the fabrics I was thinking about putting on the Lucien chair I wanted. When I showed it to my friend, she said, "It looks like you." I said, "Does that mean I'm cute?" :-) She said, "Yes."    :-)

This one was a serious consideration after seeing it done up in a darling bedroom at Ethan Allen in Boise.

While I loved this red fabric, it wasn't even close to the same red in my other chair so it wouldn't work.

My final choice. It's a bit French-looking also, which was a plus. I like a little bit of the French look in my home. The fabric is ideal also. It's almost burlap feel and look, but very substantial with a grade of "heavy duty" so it'll stand up to grandkids and great grandkids.

When I saw this ad in the a local high-end store in Boise, I almost cried. It's pretty much like the sofa I was considering at Ethan Allen, but went with another one instead. This one is priced at less than half the other sofa though.

That would NOT have been the color I would have chosen though. I am not into browns in any way.

Then I found other sofas while looking for a chair. Isn't this one darling? Reminds me of Pierre Deux fabrics and style.

I loved the style of this sofa and the whole room actually, but then I do love "Traditional" decor.

This one looks comfy also. We have so many choices that it's hard to select just one.

There isn't just any one thing I like about this room but put together, I love it. I think it's absolutely stunning.

This isn't an Ethan Allen chair but I would have chosen this fabric in a heartbeat; however, I have no clue where to find this fabric.

This one is gorgeous also but I like a cushion seat.

This sofa is so much like mine it's uncanny. Now, I can look at this and see how 2 of my current sofa, now in the family room, would have looked if I could get 2 sofas in my living room. I can't. It's just not big enough.

This would have been one I'd have seriously considered if it was available to me. But I love fringe on a sofa and I love that pink with the yellow walls. My sofa leans toward the yellows and my walls are pink. I love it though.

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Tidbit:
The average woman will spend 8 years of her life shopping.
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A Question I Asked Hubby

When my granddaughter was here in March, I had her try on my wedding dress. I just wanted to see if it would fit or, truthfully, see how much larger than her I was as a bride. She's normally a size 2, but is probably a 4 right now because of the pregnancy but she gets weight off so easily I could scream. Ain't so with her grandma! Anyway, it wouldn't even zip up past her hips. Talk about depressing. I thought I'd cry since I was smaller than her when I got married. She's always been tiny even at 5' 4 1/2" tall, exactly like me. My daughter, her mother, is 5' 11" tall. I am the shortest one of our family. Granddaughter is also endowed with the family chest. We all have more than is wanted in that department. Just our heritage as my mother, all my aunts, my maternal grandmother and most of my cousins are well-endowed in that area. Why is it that all of us who have it don't want it and others who don't have it want more? A friend of mine is small and would like a bit more, but I'm always telling her: No, you don't. You really don't.

But that brought me to asking hubby about it. I said, "As a man, why do all of you look at the chests at women?" He, being a man, should know. His very serious answer? "We're hard-wired." I nearly fell over laughing. He's so honest about it. He looks at women just like any other man. I doubt most women are that concerned about the size of their chests.

Oh, and granddaughter? She eats like a horse. I mean she packs it away. Candy? Loves it! Pie, cake, ice cream? Eats it often. Always has to have dessert when we go out to eat. And just like me, if I bake a pie or cake for a special occasion, I have to eat some as soon as it cools from the oven. Drives my hubby nuts. That happened at Thanksgiving at her house. I baked the pie the day before and she and I had some. Hubby just glared at us both. She's so like me, more than her mother really. She just never seems to get fat. Life is not fair!
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A beautiful clearing in a yard for this dining setting and torches walkway, lots of plants and a building with a canvas top. Perfect for warm evening dinners.

Looks like a large kitchen in the mountains if looking through that far window. It looks like snow covered mountains back there. But it is a huge kitchen.

This must be a very northern European country photo of a living room. You get such marvelous light in that part of the world and simple lines of furniture with bright coverings for the furniture.

Another way to store your bedding and laces. Charming.

A sweet setting of flowers on a charming table.

What a tub to bathe in. Lots of room around for setting soaps, towels, bottles of scents and perfumes, and candles.

Another beautiful purple decorated bottle.

Aren't these cute?! A really fun way to jazz up your paper clips.

Has to be in Europe somewhere. Beautiful lavender and periwinkle wisteria.

A door to an old cottage with a purple door, knocker, mail slot and a #10 on its door.

It took a brave person to paint her gate this color, a woman with vision I think. Just beautiful!!!!

Another compact kitchen but elegantly appointed with essentials.

A bed or sofa to dream in with a canopy overhead and done in relaxing white with 2 splashy throw pillows for color.

I. Want. This. Purse! It's the cutest thing I've seen in  froufrou bags.

I'm still working on my 2 French cane chairs. Maybe soon I'll have them all done and can show them to you.

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Tidbit:

Spam filters that catch the cord "Cialis" will not allow many work-related emails through because that word is embedded inside the word "specialist."
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Speaking with Confidence and Authority

Another reminder: I post regularly on my Pinterest page so you might want to go visit even more photos that I haven't put on my blog yet. There are currently almost 8,400 images. You truly won't be sorry if you like images of gorgeous things and eye candy. Promise!
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I have had a few friends through the years who were rather wimpy, especially in their voice, speech and conversations. I think it's insecurity from childhood and the teenage years mostly. Young people for the most part aren't sure of themselves yet. Shy maybe. I know I was that way.

In the early 60s, I had a friend who told me her mother thought I didn't have a personality. What?! I had a personality, probably one she didn't like maybe but I had a definite personality, shy a bit but always laughing and humorous. I think later on this friend had psychiatric problems. She was the daughter of a preacher and a kind of domineering mother. I found her on a website of our old school but she seemed distant. We were very good friends and I'm thinking her adult life didn't turn out as well as mine has. Patti didn't seem wimpy when I knew her in the 60s but in the 90s when we communicated a few times via the internet there was just something there that wasn't right. I really don't know what her problems were so we didn't get together as she seemed to hesitate on that issue.

I've always been a person from my late teens/early 20s who was confident and spoke with confidence and later authority also, especially in my job. There's no sense in being wishy/washy or mealy-mouthed about things. I'm not an insipid person. I speak well and try to articulate what I'm saying but I've always spoken with confidence and not afraid to say something. Well, hurting someone is not something I'd do. I hold to good values. But I think when we speak with authority it empowers us to do things that are important. I know it does me. People listen to me AND I listen to friends for advice. I've always been told I'm a Leader. I don't want to be a leader. I want to stay home with my hubby and visit kids and grandkids when I want to. I'm tired of leading. I want to just be a grammy and mom now. I'm too tired to lead! (This conversation came up today with a friend of 13 years and she knows me well.)

I think we should try and get these young people speaking properly and help them with confidence and authority. After all, they'll be our future leaders and the way some of them are right now is a bit unnerving to me. Stand up! Be proud! Speak with authority and confidence. Make this world a better place than it is now.
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This is my absolutely favorite couture gown from all I've seen lately.

Pretty vintage tablecloth setting for a dinner in the yard.

And a gorgeous pink and gold and blue table setting.

Lovely lavender bedroom.

A secret pathway? Hmmmm?

My kind of roses for a table.

This has to be a Christie Repasy chair. It's so gorgeous. I'd love to have it.

I really do like these tiny ruffled bags.

A very unusual living room wall. I'm not sure I'd like all those vines running up my wall but it makes for a stunning picture.

Just a simple decoration for a picnic with cards hung on wires.

Too pretty to eat!

Beautiful chandelier with roses, crystals and butterflies.

Just like this fabric—stripes in pinks.

Kind of a retro feel for this kitchen making it quite adorable.

A lovely home with an abundance of flowers along the lane.

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Tidbit:
The right lung in humans is slightly larger than the left. The total surface area of a pair of human lungs is equal to that of a tennis court.
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My Decorating Frenzy

I've been on a decorating frenzy for several months now but, truthfully, there is only so much decorating I can do to this house. It's our "forever/retirement" home and a smaller size so how much decorating can you do to 1800 s.f.? But I'll continue to do what I can as long as I can. I get tired of the same thing after 6 or 8 years and feel the need to update or, at least, move around some things. It will be less and less the older I get but it will be done.

But that brings me to blogs I see from time to time where the women are changing things every year or so. How do they do it? Are they that bored? Do they have unlimited funds? I don't see the need to do it every year or two. Seems wasteful to me. Also, are they never happy with what they have? I'm a happy person and love the things I do have. In our 52 years of marriage I have probably changed furniture maybe 8 times. That's with relocating to new places and homes. I don't think that's a lot. But to have the same house and change every couple of years just seems a waste to me. But I'm having to buy higher and higher sofas just to meet my butt at my age! I don't get up off the sofa as easily as I used to when I was 45. ;-)
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A darling spot on the side of a house for a relaxing nap.

More pots of pansies.

Love this idea of hanging stuff needed to hurry out the door very near.

Beautiful roses and hydrangeas.

A queenly bed. Love the bed linens.

Pretty evening purse.

Got any extra teacups? Here's how you can display them.

Clever way to put lights up.

Gorgeous French chair, luxurious sofa and a pail of roses.

A little wire basket to hold mail.

I just loved this photo when I saw it.

You can actually buy these shoes for kids. Look up Joy Folie and check out their cute designs.

Just a cozy corner in a bedroom.

Pretty handmade chenille pillows.

Yes, I love this lamp also!!

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Tidbit:

Our state is #1!
Continuing with the "N" states on what makes them #1 in the nation at. (Terrible grammar but I couldn't think of a better way to put it.)

Nebraska:
Livestock
Domestic violence

Nevada:
Gold mining
Home foreclosures

New Hampshire:
Lowest percentage of people living in poverty
Skin cancer rates for women

New Jersey:
Millionaires
Population density

New Mexico:
Lowest cancer rate
Children who drink alcohol

New York:
Charitable donations
Longest daily commute

North Carolina:
Most diverse population of salamanders
Lowest teacher salary

North Dakota:
Lowest rate of AIDS
Lowest rate of seat belt use


Sir Francis Bacon died of pneumonia. He was experimenting with freezing a chicken by stuffing it with snow.
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