Things I've Seen In March

I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but it's hot in NY in March. As in, 70+ degrees for weeks on end, now. This is unprecedented. At least in my memory/lifetime. It's like we're in fast forward. Spring? What spring? Winter segues into summer here, baby. It's the exact opposite of last year. I mean, last year in March we were just making it out of the deep freeze of below zero.

This weather is bringing out the crazies, let me tell you. I saw a car with a bra on it the other day. Are we not done with those? Dear bra-ed car owner, 1980 called and it wants it's terrible idea back. What are we even trying to say with that? Your car's tig old bitties are so big that they need to be contained? Your car has polateeters and you don't want anyone else to see them? I mean, I've seen truck nuts and for the record: I get it. I get what people are saying with those things and I think it's pretty funny. But not in the "laughing with you" kind of way.

I also saw a man walking down the street in jeans and no shirt today. Dude. It's not that hot. It's 72 degrees, here. Let's keep it together, Rochester.

I've also seen a bunch of great stuff, namely: vegetation. Like I said, on fast forward! These things usually don't even start coming to life until April and then it's weeks between seeing the first green sprout to getting flowers on trees. It's happened this year in about a week and a half. Scary. Check it:

Hostas from this week.

Hostas from last year, mid April.


Lilac tree from this week.
(Please overlook the fact that this is a craptastic picture.)


Lilac from last April.

Look at these gorgeous little party people! I stared at them for a long while. Their color was so deep and mesmerizing!

At this rate the lilacs will all be come and gone before the Lilac Festival goers have a chance to enjoy them!

One more quick thing. On Saint Patty's day we went out for sushi. Obviously. Trying to stick with the main Irish traditions and all. Imagine my surprise and delight when this was delivered to me!


Green rice! I'm pretty sure I squealed with delight. I mean, come on! I love this kind of commitment and creativity. It's making me totally hungry looking at this. Mmm...suuuuushi.

So, in summary:
Mother Nature Is Pissed
Vehicles Oughtn't Have Naughty Bits
This Junk Be Growin' Like One Of Them Speeded Up Videos In Science Class
A Little Green Food Coloring Makes My Day

Back on Track

Hi-ho. You're never going to believe this. I went to many thrift stores on Saturday with a large group of people and I'm going to blog about it. Right away. No months of letting the pile of unphotographed flotsam sit on my kitchen floor. No weeks of guilt as I look at said pile and wish I had the time to tell you all about it. No pretending as though I don't owe you anything.

So get ready, because here it comes. Everything you see was bought at my absolute favorite and cheapest of the thrift stores: AmVets.

I didn't have the gumption to look at clothes this time. Our (one, small, coat) closet is spilling over and so are all the drawers in our place. I need to do some serious purging before I can be allowed to bring more clothes into this small space.

I did, however, look at all the "stuff" areas. Got me some good junk.


As I look at this photo I'm really reconsidering that last sentence. The 99 cent vintage frame is well and good. I snag them whenever I can because they look smashing when spray painted (or not) and I use frames all the live-long day. The Christmas devil, on the other hand, might have you wondering. Wondering if I'm into haunted dolls that will stalk and kill me from the shadows of my own home some dark and stormy night. I'm not. That, my friends is a gift. A gift for my aunt, who has other such...pieces. But I don't think she has a Christmas...one. Now she will. I can't tell you how much I paid for it. It's embarrassing. It's the kind of thing you should only have if you lost some kind of bet, not if you paid for it. But I think it will make my aunt and the other imps in her collection happy, and you can't really put a prices on happiness...right??

Don't look directly at it. You'll turn to stone.

My colors. Pink, green and black. (My jam, if you will. As in, "This here is my jam!") Don't even say "Another polka dot purse? How many polka dot purses does one girl need?" Because you know the answer: Many. At 99 cents, it's not about need, anyway. It's about 99 cents. You don't think at that price. You just act.


Yes, I've bought another pair of pink shoes. That I probably also will not wear, like most of the other pink shoes I've bought. It always seems like a grand idea at the time. But then, when you're going out to lunch in June you put them on and look down and think, "My, but those are pink!" and then you kick them off and put on some flip flops instead. But, I'd like to point out two things. One: Made in Italy. Everyone knows shoes made in Italy are better. Why or how, I wouldn't know. But they are. Two: 99 cents.


Green plastic earrings: 99 cents. Marked down from nearly three whole dollars! See why I love AmVets? The pink tablecloth was a whopping $3.89. It's in gorgeous condition and worth about $40.


This is a gold tone cat pin. With jewel eyes. I have a friend who collects critters with jewel eyes. I can't help it, I know some weird ass people, ok? The fur in the background isn't just to make the photos look sexy and dangerous. It's a faux fur collar and I'm going to attach it to my jacket at this year's Tweed Ride.

So, in summary:

Vintage Frame
Devil Doll
Another Purse
Shoes I Won't Wear
Green Earrings
Fake Fur
Vintage Tablecloth
Scary Cat

Midwinter Blink

I'd just like to get this out of the way up front. I miss my Christmas tree. There, I've said it. I don't want to "turn back time", as Cher suggested, but I would like to still have it up. A tower or glitter and twinkle lights in the middle of your living room? Yes, please! I guess I 'll just have to get creative and make a remedy for the situation.

It's January and snow has only fallen a few meager times. It didn't even mean it, really. Just a few measly inches, nothing substantial with staying power. Poor kids wanting to make snowmen and forts. Poor skiers, wanting to plunge blindly down a powdery mountain on what amounts to two slats of hardwood floor. I really hope it doesn't all translate to rain or snow until May. Because I'm jonesing for yard sales already. Normally we have to wait until April for that and there's no way I'll make it a month beyond that.

To help satiate my hunger (Can you tell I've been reading vampire books? No, not those books. Other vampire books. They do exist, you know. ) I went to a half off sale at Savers. They scanned my card so I didn't have to have a meltdown. Let me show you what I got!

Banana Republic argyle sweater. $5.


White, very soft Gap sweater. $4.

Gray, loose and light J Crew sweater. This is going to probably end up being my favorite weekend sweater, ever. Too comfortable for it's own good and light enough to wear on chilly yardsale mornings. $3.


SO striped sweater. $3. It smells a little like old lady perfume so I'm left wondering what 80 year old was bopping around town in this. Probably will be me in a few years...

That's all I got at the sale. I was pretty resolute about getting sweaters. Next on my list of things to show you is a picture that I framed. The husband got it for me from Etsy for my birthday. Just recently I found time to spray paint the frame and find a spot for it. Oh god, it's good, people. Hold on to your hats!


Fancy Beehive lady is now in my bedroom, above my bedside table. I mean, look how at home she seems!

See other fun work by this artist here.

Speaking of Etsy...I bought something the other day.

That would be a super rare Zoot egg cup. He's from the Muppets (Honestly, people. I shouldn't have to tell you that.) Sax is his ax. He's in the famous band "The Electric Mayhem". It's one of my all time favorite bands. Usually he's wearing a large hat, but it's an egg cup, see? And he's bald. See? Funny, eh? They also made a Sam the Eagle and a set of Statler and Waldorf egg cups. I got this for a song and I can't stop looking at it and grinning like a cat. I set him on my mantle just to take pictures and now I can't seem to put him away, in the Muppet Room.

This Is How It Is

So, my kitchen. You cool and lucky cats get to see it at it's least decorated and most regular. Please, don't mind the layer of dust that you think you can see in every shot. That's just your eyesight. You might want to have that checked. You're getting kind of old.

Let's jump right in, shall we?

If you click on the images, you will get to see a larger picture. Not that you'd want to see any of this jumbled mess up close. Note the striped cardboard popcorn box. If you purchase popcorn at the Dryden Theater you will get your very own stripy box, too! Plus you'll probably be seeing a rad movie. Can you see little Strawberry Shortcake there, on the tiny red plastic couch? She just loves vintage decor! Here is a closer look:


You probably also recognize that adorable and as yet unidentified basket of not-egg cups from before. Remember?

Vintage soda bottle from LeRoy, NY. Vintage tin bird was $5 at The Dome Sale one year. He thinks he's the cock of the walk.

The framed dog picture is a vintage trading card. A Westie and a Scottie dog. I heart them both. Here is a closer look:

The left hand cabinet shelves.

I grow mushrooms and Apple Dumplin's in my jadeite forest.

I love these lettuce leaf plates. I only have two of them but they make me happy every time I see them.

Accidental lobster collection.

Incidentally I ate a whole lobster once and it's something I never hope to repeat. I've never really loved disemboweling animals right on my dinner plate. Call me crazy, but that's something no amount of melted butter can make right.

The middle section of the cupboard.

My only piece of Holt Howard pixieware. You don't know about pixieware? Please go here and educate yourself. I got mine for TEN CENTS at a yard sale when I was in college. The steal of the century!

And the right hand side of the cupboard.

Now kids, smile for your close up! (Those pieces of candy are actually lip gloss containers.)

I keep a bunch of pitchers on this shelf. It's good to have them so easily at hand for all of my impromptu hostessing. A good hostess likes to have a full pitcher of water at hand for her guests at all times. Make a note of that. (A better hostess will have a full pitcher of booze on hand at all times.)

This is the Martha Steward shelf.

I sort of feel bad about doing a blog about my regular decor. In a way it feels like a clip show. You've already seen most of this stuff when I bought it and wrote about it then. It feels cheap, like the easy way out.

All of the fall decorations are up now, though. Had to be done. Although, it's pretty strange decorating for fall in 90 degree weather. And by strange I mean annoying and sweaty.

So all of the other regular Joe decorations will have to wait for another season or so. I'm sure you're all filled with despair and longing. But, take heart. I have two more blogs waiting in the wings already. I went thrift shopping this week and also will be taking pictures of the fall decor. I remember that last year I felt like I had one million decorations and this year I feel like, "Where are all my decorations!? I better run right out and get some more!"

And finally I'd like to give a shout out to Daria, who is also a faithful reader. What does that bring my total up to, now? Four? My span of influence and power is vast and wide reaching.