Opposites Certainly Do Attract

Just a reminder: 
For those of you who don't know or realize it, I have a Pinterest page with well over 11,000 images. All "eye candy" you would love to see. I post daily or at least very often there. Go visit it. I really don't like tooting my own horn but I will here: In just 6 short months, there are 7,500 followers there, so you know the images are beautiful. Your choice. But if I were you, I wouldn't miss them. ;-)
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Stymies me: 
Why don't I have any tattoos? For the same reason you don't put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari. I see the most beautiful young women, and young men for that matter, who have gorgeous skin—youthful, glowing, smooth, vibrant—and just want to cry. I couldn't put something on my skin that diminishes the skin I was born with.
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Men who leave 10 minutes early to go 1/2 block but wait until 8 minutes to the hour to go 1 and 1/2 miles to pick up a companion to go back the 1 and 1/2 miles to visit another person. Sigh. You know this happened in this household, right?
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The train wreck that recently happened in Spain was caused by the engineer being on his cell phone. Now that hundreds of people are dead because of that, maybe he'll be a bit more careful. Hmmmmm? Sickens me, because I've very nearly been hit by women talking on their cells while driving.
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My hubby and I are both fairly smart, but we're smart in different things. He can talk to someone for hours about different trains, but he can't concentrate on another language enough to learn it. I, on the other hand, know not a thing about trains but I can whip him savagely in learning languages. I'm more of the arts and he's more of the sciences. But as I've said before, we are different in so many ways. Once a man told us while we were together that we were nothing alike. We looked at each other and smiled because we've been married over 52 years. I almost said to the man, "It must be the sex." If I had, I have no doubt he would have been flustered. He's a man that wouldn't say much and would probably blush. But we've made it this far and I expect we'll go out of this world together and spend the rest of eternity together. Opposites can very well do great together with a commitment to love each other to the end of time and beyond and we do.

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A beautiful window. Too bad it has to have iron bars on it. Looks to be in another country though. Actually, I think the bars add interest to the window.

Tulips and narcissus.

Just a simple, beautiful basket of fading roses.

Oh, yum! I love chocolate and coconut together. I'm such a sucker for sweets.

A very cute and open kitchen. Love that look.

Gorgeous camellia.

A sweet vignette in a house. Living here would be relaxing I think.

More gorgeous pillows to drool over. Love these.

A homeowner who loves to sew cute pincushions to look like cookies.

Another relaxing area in a backyard.

I wish I had a space for a couple of these eggs. I'd make them in a minute. They are so cute. Maybe I'll make a few to put in a bowl somewhere in this house.

I saw this and thought it was delightful. How cute it is to place pretty flowerpots on a short ladder like that!

A charming blue and red bedroom.

I'm lovin' this colorful small kitchen and dining room in my favorite colors, pink and red.

And another crafter put her talents to good use. Adorable.

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Tidbits:

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs had his first job at age two when he modeled in an ad for Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops.

Steve Martin once worked at Disneyland selling maps and guidebooks.

Billy Bob Thornton once spent eighteen month working in a Los Angeles pizza parlor. He was so good he work his way up to assistant manager.
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Linking up with Pink Saturday, French Country Cottage, 

Just Some Thoughts 7/10/2013

I'm back. I really didn't get all done that I wanted to, but I'm a blog junkie so here I am. Is there a cure for it? A shot? Therapy? Rehab? Sigh. I may not post as often but I'll definitely be around at least a couple of times a week.
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I saw a blog the other day, not a fashion blog either, which are very popular, but it had over 18,000 followers and one post had 751 comments! WOW! That's astounding.
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Imperfect people are all God has to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him but He deals with it. (J. R. Holland)
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I've had this insatiable thirst for root beer lately, but not just any root beer, only Henry Weinhards Root Beer. I sent th' hubs to Wal-Mart the other day with a very small grocery list, about 4 items. I had told him to get 2 cases as we've been drinking a lot of it lately. So he got there and they didn't have any cases of 12. He called me to tell me. Sigh. I told him to go ahead and get 4 of the 6-pack cartons. No, I didn't scream or have a breakdown; I very politely told him even if he insisted it would cost more. When I'm in the mood for a H.W. Root Beer, don't even question the price! Double sigh.
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I don't let anyone dull my sparkle. One woman had a good shot at it several years ago and it sent me to a therapist because of it. I told her after that I didn't want her in my life. Period. She kept insisting as she thought I was something special. I'm not. Well, to my family I am, but that's about it. She even had her hubby call me to let her back in my life. We moved to another town about an hour away after that. So, a couple of months ago I met up with her daughter at Costco and tried to ignore her but she's as bad as her mother. Well, her mother was there also and she called her over from another aisle and I just about wanted to fall through the floor and get out of there as soon as I could. That didn't happen. (Plus the fact that it was a hurried, emergency trip to Costco and I looked like a hag. Why don't you run into people you don't care for when you're looking your absolute best?!?!) She wanted my new phone number and I'm not a good liar so I gave it to her. Aaaarghh. Hubs and a dear friend said I should have given her a false one. I just don't think fast enough in those situations. Since she asked for it several times putting it into her cell phone, I'm hoping she copied it wrong. I've since turned off our home message machine and gone with the phone company generic one with the generic voice. I'm such a wimp! Well, not usually, but this was a shock. Plus I didn't want to be nasty, which I can do very well. ;-)
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Many people prefer the comfortable lie. Oooooh, do I cry now or tonight.
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Squeeeeallllll!!!! I'd love to have this for my very own in my backyard. Just a dream, not going to become a reality.

I'm not a big quilt fan but this one is gorgeous with all the pinks and flowers.

Another cute and quaint kitchen.

The color of verdigris is what I loved about this door.

A charming little home in France, Italy or Spain. They have really cute stone homes.

This is one spectacular lighting fixture. It would look grand in my backyard. ;-)

This looks like it's copper but I think it's beautiful even if it isn't.

Can you see yourself strolling down the petaled pathway here?

More lovely flowered china for you.

Our roses are blooming prolifically now. These aren't ours though.

A most unusual tablecloth. It looks like petals. I've wondered how she did it.

If I had a work bucket that looked like this, I might just dust more often. Then again, maybe not. :-)

I love everything about this room. Beautiful!!!!

Another patio to relax on.

Vibrant roses against a vibrant sofa and pillows.

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Tidbit:

In 1928 travel writer Richard Halliburton paid
36¢ to swim through the Panama Canal. [This just goes to show you nobody gets a free ride through the canal.]
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A Woman's Decision

Beginning with today's post, I'm taking a break. There are a lot of things going on in my life, just like all of you. It may be a week, two weeks or a month. We'll see what happens. I just need to get some things done I've been putting off for a long time. But I truly thank all of you who follow and/or read my blog.
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Several weeks ago, we all read about Angelina Jolie having her breasts removed. I'm not fond of her, but I salute her decision to take a very pro-active stance on her body. I'd do the same thing. In fact, I did many years ago.

I'll not go into the details as it's very personal and it wasn't cancer but I made a decision for health reasons and would do it again in a heartbeat. Breasts are not the be all/end all to some women or men. I doubt seriously that many men, and I do mean men, not the narcissistic idiots that come out of Hollywood, marry women for their breasts. I know my hubby didn't. I've talked on this matter before on one of my blog posts. Some women are identified by their chests; I'm not one of them. Be happy with what you have. There are health risks to women with larger breasts. There are also other considerations with that also. I chose to do what I did and was extremely happy with the results.

But I'm glad it was brought to the forefront for women. Don't be afraid to take a pro-active stand on your health matters. Listen to your doctor but make your own decision. He'll inform you but he shouldn't be the one to make a decision for your own body. I'm certainly glad Miss Jolie did what she did so she wouldn't leave her children without a mother. Children need their mothers as much as they need their fathers. Wise decision, in my opinion.
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A very colorful entrance to an adorable place somewhere in Europe. France and Italy are pretty similar in their homes, all very lovely and fascinating architecture. This is a darling place though.

I love gorgeous arrays of pillows as art. I'm thinking of having Love Bunny make me shelves for the family room to display pillows I've made. I need to make more room in my office, where most of them are stored, and in my craft room. I'll be cleaning that out soon. Yeah, yeah, I know, you're heard that before, but this time I mean it as it's getting seriously trashed in there.

Another exceptional place for an al fresco dinner.

A stunning bunch of lavender. I'm not fond of the smell but its medicinal value is wonderful for burns.

An array of vintage hats. How wonderful that this owner was able to get so many with flowers on them.

I'd love to have this small vase. I know exactly where I'd use it.

I love impatiens for their strikingly vivid colors.

Don't we all wish we could create a cute vignette like this? I'd just love to have that old ice cream parlor chair!

Looks like British Colonial decor to me.

Just a bit of lace juxtaposed with peeling windows.

A place to sit and dream while surrounded with gorgeous roses.

These are French-enameled measuring cups. Cute!!!

A beachy-type decor. I do love the colors.

I just loved the stairs in this old home. I doubt I'd ever feel safe going up and down on them. I need a handrail as I'm a klutz, but I love the look. The stone fireplace is also a plus in this house.

A way to decorate a canning car. Just put earrings on it and it's an instant vase.

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Tidbit:

The Houses of Parliament have nearly 1,200 rooms, 100 staircases, 11 courtyards, 8 bars, and 6 restaurants—none of them open to the public.
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A Few Thoughts on Womanhood

My favorite instrument is the cello. I love to listen to Yo Yo Ma play. Here is a video of his music playing one of my favorite songs. He's one of the greatest musicians in the world. Enjoy while reading this post. If this doesn't touch your heart, there is no hope for you. ;-)

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Many years ago I was a die-hard feminist. No more. I actually had an epiphany and that changed my whole life. I love and appreciate men. They are as necessary as women are. I'm just a woman who loves her husband more than anything. So I'd like to post a few things about womanhood for all of you because no one else can do womanhood or mothering like a mother can. Now, I don't want to hear about men. Yes, they are absolutely special also, but we women give birth to the child. No man can do that, only women. Neither can a woman take the place of a father in the home. Men are necessary for children. Women are necessary for children. Nothing replaces a mother or father in the home.

There is great nobility in Motherhood. God planted within women something divine.

 The only way to get through this life is to laugh your way through it. You can either laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. And I sure do a lot of laughing. Crying gives me wrinkles and destroys my mascara and makeup.

The Lord uses us because of our unique personalities and differences rather than in spite of them. He needs every one of us with our blemishes and weaknesses and imperfections. Trust me, I definitely have mine, more than I'd care to have.

As you create your home, don't get distracted with a lot of things that have no meaning for you or your family. Don't dwell on your failures, but think of your successes. Have joy in your children. Have joy in your husband. Have joy in yourself. Be grateful for your journey.
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Stunning vintage cabinet. The way she decorate touches me as she has a very humble bench with a large dining table with glass on top. Some chairs are slipcovered and some aren't, just have pads on them. Everything topped off with a chandelier. Extraordinary!

I like old scroll work like this in a verdigris finish. To me it's one of the prettiest colors in the world.

A truly unique wall covering. I don't think I'd do it but she pulled it off rather well.

Who can resist pretty pink cookies in a flowered box, even if they are in a photograph?

Another French style dining room. Different chairs around the table and an old store scale for pizzazz.

I thought this was cute with the little soldiers hanging from the chandelier. Maybe it's for Christmas decorating but it would still look cute all year round.

Another cute room from one of our Swedish friends. I can tell from the flags.

Truly, for me, I'd rather have my cook top in a corner like this. That way you can work from both sides. I believe this is the ideal kitchen with the sink to the right but down a bit more from the stove. Our last house had it that way and it was perfect for me to cook.

Just a bit of whimsy for you today.

If this didn't start as a barn, you could have fooled me. It's just adorable, especially with all the vivid colors and that pool.

Greengate items. One of my favorite stores on the internet. They have the prettiest items for sale I've ever seen.

Maybe someone should coin the phrase rusticglam. (Hmmm, I think I just did!) This would be the lead photo. Very pretty.

By now, you should know I love clothes pin bags. I've made several unique froufrou-y ones for my laundry room to just hang in there along with decorated clothespins in them. Make your laundry room pretty!! You'll love being in there more.

We'd all love one of these tables in our kitchen or living room.

Simply beautiful tassels.

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Tidbit:

London's smallest house is only 3.5 feet wide and forms part of the Tyburn Convent on Hyde Park Place, where 20 nuns live. These nuns have taken a vow of silence and still pray for the souls of those who lost their lives on the "Tyburn Tree," London's main execution spot until 1783, where about fifty thousand people were executed.
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Linking up with Pink Saturday.