favorite things Archives - Page 15 of 17

The Face of Friday

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I couldn’t resist this one, guys! I am going to see Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood tonight and I am looking forward to some great acting! New readers, there is nothing but surface stuff here on Fridays, at Adulting- Second Half. On Fridays, I pick three of my favorite items, foods, songs, books, etc. and I encourage you to share your favorites in my comments section. Please see previous Friday postings for over a year’s worth of my favorites!

Today’s favorites:

The Original Make Up Eraser – This is a miracle cloth. I have sensitive eyes, so most make-up removers tend to burn my eyes or make them swell. This item is just a cloth that you dampen slightly and it removes your eye make-up in an easy couple of swoops. I am shocked that it works as well and as easily as it does. It is sort of like a slightly shaggy washcloth, that can be thrown in the clothes washer to clean it. Love it!

SouthEndGirlArt (etsy) – I bought a small woodblock piece of artwork from this artist’s adorable collection and I adore it. The artist, Tiffanie Seiler suggests that their small size is perfect for closets or other small spaces. I actually keep mine in my car, so that every time that I get into the car, a beautiful, whimsical, spiritual looking woman smiles at me with the word NAMASTE resting beneath her ethereal presence. The artist has actually licensed her whimsical mermaids and little girls and cute animal images and they have been featured at Trader Joe’s and even on a wine label. Pick out your own one-of-a-kind piece at her etsy store!

Jardinière – I took Latin, so I just learned this word last week. It is the French word for gardener, in its feminine form. I bought a wonderful, old, interesting vintage flower pot adorned with two dragon handles from a cool retro store in the artsy end of town, last week. The tag had this word on it and I thought that it referred to the actual artist or maker, but I was wrong. Jardiniere refers to any fancy variety of pottery used to house plants. There are a lot of collectors of Jardiniere in the world, and I just discovered that I am one of them and that I have been one of them for quite some time. There is nothing more delightful than a beautiful flowering plant, housed in a unique, eye-catching pot – the house that the plant deserves and where it will be happy to flourish and bloom. Don’t just settle for generic terra cotta pots – you and your plants deserve more! Jardiniere it, baby!

Heart Ocean Happy Friday days friday friday quotes friday images best friday quotes

Fried Egg Friday

Hello friends and readers!!! Happy Friday!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!!! On Fridays, we keep it light and crispy here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I list three “favorites” – things, songs, TV shows, books, etc. These favorite things make my material world all the better! Please check out previous Friday posts for other favorites and please, please share you favorites, as well. Because like Madonna says, “We are living in a material world . . . . ” Here goes – today’s favorites:

HBO’s Chernobyl – Amazing TV series! Captivating, awful, excruciating, yet hopeful. The acting in this series is absolutely exquisite. This production came in right under Game of Thrones as one of HBO’s best productions, in my mind. It is definitely worth some of your weekend to start to watch this show and ponder its magnanimity.

Should I Answer? App – I have been on the pointless “no-call list” (HA!) for a long time, but now my cell phone seems like it is THE hot number for anyone selling anything, to call. I want to kiss this app’s feet. So many pointless, ridiculous, aggravating calls have been blocked since I downloaded it. I have proof from the list of blocked calls that it keeps every day. Numbers that are known to be telemarketer/spoof dialers have angry red faces on them, and they cannot get through. Love it!

“Things Are As Big As You Make Them” – This was the best piece of advice I received as a young mother, by another young mother, when we were embroiled in neighborhood drama that was probably rooted in the lack of sleep and the lack of solitude, young mothers get, when they are raising their children. I never forgot this piece of advice and it has helped me, many, many times, keep things in perspective. Now, some things actually do need to be made BIG (to make a point), but most things do not. This little mantra is an excellent reminder of this.

Let’s end Friday, with these “wise” thoughts:

“For Children: You will need to know the difference between Friday and a fried egg. It’s quite a simple difference, but an important one. Friday comes at the end of the week, whereas a fried egg comes out of a chicken. Like most things, of course, it isn’t quite that simple. The fried egg isn’t properly a fried egg until it’s been put in a frying pan and fried. This is something you wouldn’t do to a Friday, of course, though you might do it on a Friday. You can also fry eggs on a Thursday, if you like, or on a cooker. It’s all rather complicated, but it makes a kind of sense if you think about it for a while.”
― Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt

Ehh, It’s Friday

funny friday quotes for work

Happy Friday, friends and readers!!! This one felt “long in coming” didn’t it?!? New readers, I love Fridays. We don’t go into deep subjects on Fridays here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I discuss three favorite things/songs/websites/ideas, etc. and I highly encourage you to share your favorites (anything goes!) in the Comments section. Please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites. Here are today’s favorites and they are all random and in no specific category:

Sconza Chocolates Lemoncello Chocolate Almonds – My family first had these “euphoria for your mouth” almonds in California last summer. I was absolutely delighted when Costco started carrying them, although I have the feeling that they were a limited special purchase. Get these yellow nuggets of gastro gold, however you can. Find a way. I would beg, borrow and steal for this candy. And you know, on a happy note, almonds are a super food . . . .

Next, by now, you regular readers know how much I love Think Smarter on Twitter. I attribute 60-70 percent of my “smarts” to this feed. Below is my favorite post yet. They posted it just a few days ago. I LOVE when a few words can encapsulate a feeling, or an experience, or a nuance that we all can relate to:

(It’s not just “human” that this applies to – our dogs have idiosyncrasies that evoke the same smile in my heart)

Final favorite this Friday –

Frontgate Ultralight Slimline 4-Step Ladder – I may have shared this one already, this is how much I love it. It bears repeating. This is not your average step ladder. Granted, it is not inexpensive but it is worth every penny. It is as sturdy as they come, and the best part is that it folds up so skinny that we keep ours in between our washer and our dryer. This ladder is so skinny, that if it were your friend, you’d secretly hate her. It is light and easy to carry from room to room, too, so you really only need one of them and it comes in all sorts of color choices.

And a final thought for this Friday as you head out to festivities for the night:

“At every party there are two kinds of people – those who want to go home and those who don’t. The trouble is, they are usually married to each other.”– Ann Landers

Friday Frenzy

*****Ugh. I lost my entire post into the abyss and I had to start all over again. This has only happened to me one or two other times. My mouth needs to be cleaned out from the filth that was erupting from it.*****

Here we go again! Happy FRIDAY!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday, friends and readers!!! We keep it silly and surface-y, here at Adulting -Second Half, on Fridays. (I just hit Save Draft) On Fridays, I typically list around three favorite anythings, whether they be products, websites, songs, books, etc. etc. that have helped keep a spring in my step and joy in my life. I encourage you to add your favorites to the Comments section. Please also check out previous Friday posts for more favorites. Share the love!!

As my regular readers know (I know that you are getting really used to my complaints), we have had a little renovation project going on here at our home, that we are finally wrapping up. (I just hit Save Draft) The final touch to most projects, is the paint. I am very happy with the paint colors which we have chosen, so I thought that I would pass the paint colors on to you. All of these colors are neutral, background, subtle colors. None of them are color popping, statement colors, just so you know. (I just hit Save Draft) Some fun, helpful painting tips: Paint the color sample on to a white piece of poster board and tape it to the wall. This helps from the distortion of the color that may happen, if you just paint the color on the old paint, underneath the new paint. Also, the magical internet has pictures of rooms painted in the colors that you are considering and often, you can find more than one picture in different lighting. Finally, artists and crafters are happy and grateful to take the little containers of paint samples off of your hands for their projects. Just advertise them for free on Craigslist or neighborhood social media venues. (I just hit Save Draft) Win-win for all, including Mother Earth!!

Here are my paint color recommendations (they are all Sherwin Williams, as that is the brand of paint that our painter likes to work with):

(I just hit Save Draft)

SW6099 Sand Dollar – warm, slightly tan, slightly peach, glowy, dreamy. This is the color that you would have picked out of a crayon box, as a kid, to depict white people’s skin, but not pasty people.

SW7013 Ivory Lace – creamy, warm, glowy, very slightly pinky/ peachy. Matches anything. Clean and bright.

SW9166 Drift of Mist – slight, slight gray. Mist describes it perfectly. Bright, light, clean, crisp tint of gray.

(I just hit Save Draft)

SW7656 Rhinestone – the whitest of white, blues. White that might be a little bit blue. Subtle white, light blue. This does not scream light blue, it hints at it . . . .

I hope that you all have a very colorful weekend, as colorful as what was coming out of my mouth when I realized I lost my entire first draft. (I just hit Save Draft)

You Matter

I love people who return their carts to the return station.

I love people who are kind and interested, no matter what or who the subject matter is, at hand.

I love people who still write thank you notes.

I love people who laugh at everyone’s jokes and make them feel special and at ease.

I love people who are honest about who they are and do not perform metamorphosis, depending on their company.

I love people with sparkle in their eyes.

I love people who believe that almost everyone has good intentions.

I love people whose whole body smiles, when they do.

I love people who get excited about their passions.

I love people who remember little, seemingly inconsequential things that are meaningful to other people.

I love people who love nature and animals.

I love people who are comfortable in their own skin.

I love curious people.

I love people who can laugh at themselves.

I love people who you can rely on.

What’s on your list of favorite traits in people? I imagine you fit into my list, so thank you for being you. You brighten my life! You brighten other people’s lives! People notice. They really do. You matter.

Stop Stressin’

“It doesn’t need to be a great day, as long as it is Friday.” – upJourney

Happy Friday, readers and friends!! Here at Adulting Second Half, Fridays remain fun and frivolous!! We don’t take anything seriously on Fridays. On most Fridays, I list three Favorites (whether they be things, books, music, etc.) and I strongly encourage you to share your favorites in the Comments section. Please check out previous Friday blogs for other excellent ideas to brighten up your living experience!

Here are this Friday’s Favorites:

Toffee-To-Go – I adore toffee. I love Heath bars. However, this Toffee-To-Go is the best toffee that I have ever eaten. It is the best combination of chocolate and nuts (which is the best combination in the world to begin with). It is totally impossible to not eat a small box of this mixed perfection in just one sitting. Go to their website now and order yourself a little box to be delivered to you or to your friends and associates, straight from Heaven.

Ballard Designs Clothes Drying Rack – A very wise, creative closet designer suggested that we add this dream contraption to our newly remodeled laundry room and I am so happy that she did! (shout out, Jo Anne) This drying rack hangs on the wall of your room and you pull the racks down from their magnetic closures, to dry your socks and intimates and whatever else you prefer not to put into your dryer. When you are finished, you just close the racks back up and they fold nicely back into the frame on the wall. Before this, we used to haphazardly dry our things on various pieces of furniture and unfortunately, some of the wooden furniture shows that we did that, with ugly water wear marks. (so sorry, my lovely, beloved rocking chair) This rack comes in all different sizes and is sturdy and attractive and yet, still extremely useful.

Madonna’s Medellin video – Love or or hate her, you have to hand it to her, Madonna remains transformational, relevant and interesting to this day. She came on to the scene when I was just 12 years old and now at age 48, I am encouraging you to check out her new video. The video is raunchy and racy and controversial (would we expect anything else from her?), but it’s fascinating to watch and I do really like the beat of the song. I watched a little bit of her MTV interview about the video and here are a few interesting tidbits that I took from it:

Madonna picked the directors for this video because she wanted it to look “painterly” (her words) and surreal. It does seem otherworldly.

Madonna currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal. She moved there so that one of her sons, who wants to become a professional soccer player, can get his best training. In her words, Madame X (her new persona) is a “soccer mom” at heart.

Madonna believes that it is MUSIC that universally connects all people of the world. “We were connected before Instagram, people, seriously.” (her words)

Finally, Madonna told one of her fans that she wanted to get back to her naivety. Now, most people don’t look at Madonna and think, “naive and innocent.” She explained that what she meant is the naivety that she had when she just started out and didn’t care, at all, what people thought of her or of her work. Madonna explains that when she was young and starting out, she created herself and her craft, out of pure passion and inventiveness, without giving much credence to other people’s influence and criticisms.

I have never found Madonna to be a particularly warm, ingratiating person, but I really do respect her vision and her daring and her inspiration. She is encouragement for all of us Second Halfers to keep on creating, doing and exploring what makes us alive and “naive”, in the best sense of the word. And for that reason, I’m grateful for her influence.

It’s Friday, Dog Gone It!

This was my wake-up call this morning. This is why I love Fridays! For new readers, the adorable lab on the left is Ralphie and the beautiful collie on the right is Josie. They are my fur babies, as my four babies are growing up and leaving me. 😉 There are a few funny fur baby stories in my blog. Search up their names and you’ll find the fun posts. New readers, I don’t probe the depths of my mind, heart and soul on Fridays. I keep it light and airy and list three favorite items that have added fun and delight to my life, therefore I call it Favorite Things Friday. Please check out previous Friday posts for other favorites and readers, please, please share your favorites in the comments. Nobody bites here. My readers are all really cool (like me 😉 )! Plus, as I’ve told some friends, I’m running out of favorites. Here we go:

No 7 Laboratories Line Correcting Booster Serum – Damn, I really like this stuff! A woman working at Walgreens used her male manager as an example and took some before and after pictures, after about 3 weeks of him using it. After seeing those pictures, I bought two tubes. I have really big smile lines. I like to think this is because I laugh a lot, but they look like parentheses and parentheses in bold, when I just have a blank stare on my face. I have noticed a definite reduction in these lines since using this serum. The great thing about this stuff is that it won’t break the bank (find it at Walgreens and Target), a little goes a long way and it looks scientific.

Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa (medium) – I love Mexican food! I love spicy food! I have been known to drink salsa that I like. Mateo’s is my favorite all-time, holy grail salsa. It’s not too chunky. It has just the right amount of spice, and you can buy it in bulk at Costco. What more do you want in a salsa?? Ole!!

Sprayway Glass Cleaner – This is an aerosol glass cleaner that works amazingly well, but that is not why I love it. I actually wish that it weren’t an aerosol, but I have done my research to see that aerosols have been regulated in the U.S. to stop their ozone depleting properties. Still, the reason why I love this stuff is that it smells fabulous! (and you regular readers know that the way to my heart is through my smeller) We have a glass top table in our kitchen that is always full of fingerprints, food residue and dog nose smudges. Sprayway takes this all away in one swoop, keeping the glass clear and mama’s nose in Heaven!

Have a great weekend! Thanks as always for your wonderful support!!

“I’m going to need Friday off for a reason I’ll think of by Monday.” – someecards

It’s a Feminine Friday!

“A woman should be two things: who and what she wants.” – Coco Chanel

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” – Unknown

“When there is a woman, there is magic.” – Ntozake Shange

Happy International Women’s Day!!! Happy Favorite Things Friday!!! New readers, I keep it on the surface here on my favorite day of the week. I list three favorite items, songs, animals, foods, whatevers and I tell you why I like these favorite things. I encourage you to add to the list of favorites in the Comments section. Please also check previous Friday listings for other favorites. Without further ado:

Frontgate Pagoda Lantern – My very cool, interesting, intriguing, NYC dweller Great Aunt Alice loved a touch of Asian in all her decorating. I think that rubbed off on me. I love my foo dogs, my lucky cats, my three legged toads and my Frontgate Pagoda Lantern. Every time I look out at my pool area, I see the curly roof and the tall spire and it brings a little bit of glee to my heart. I have had mine for a few years now and it holds up well to the hot pelting Florida sun, and the torrential Florida downpours. Worth every penny!

Orvis Wine Barrel Lazy Susan – My mother taught me the value of a round table. It makes conversation flow so much better and no one gets “stuck” in the corner. My mother-in-law taught me the value of a Lazy Susan. I didn’t come from a big family, but she has five kids, so the first time I was introduced to a Lazy Susan was when I had dinner at my in-laws. You would never get the chance to eat hot food in a big family, if you were constantly asked to pass the salt, pass the mustard, pass the pickles, etc. The Lazy Susan eliminates the need for all of the pass requests. This Orvis model is particularly high quality and you can get your family’s name engraved on it, which makes it very special.

YogaToes – I’ve had many inspiring yoga instructors over the years, but one wise older woman really sticks out in my mind. She said that we must place particular care and attention to stretching our feet. It does seem that I know a lot of elderly people with a lot of feet issues that I would prefer to avoid in my elder years. She had an exercise where she would make us pick up pencils with our toes. She also recommended these toe separators to wear on occasion to make sure our feet don’t become deformed in our old age. They hurt a little when you wear them for a long time, but a little soreness beats foot surgeries any day!

I hope that you noticed that all of my suggestions today came from inspiration and recommendations from women! Today’s a good day to reflect on all of the good wisdom every one of us has gleaned from the beautiful women in our lives. Happy Friday! Happy Weekend! Just Happy!

Friday, Friends and the Freakin’ Weekend

“The only trip you will regret is the one you don’t take.” – unknown

“Cheers to the freakin’ weekend.” – Rihanna

Happy Friday, readers and friends!! I am writing this from afar today. I am on a weekend trip with my best friends from college. We do this trip every year since we graduated and sometimes it feels like we are still back in school. It is such a blessing to reflect on life – life’s adventures, life’s misadventures, life’s sorrows and life’s greatest joys, with people who have known each other since the dawning of each other’s adult lives. It makes today a very special Favorite Things Friday. For new readers, I usually describe three favorite things, websites, songs, products, etc. on Fridays. Please see previous Friday posts for fun and helpful ideas. Fridays are always light, pleasant and airy here at Adulting – Second Half. But today, I am going to do it a little differently, in honor of my dear friends who knew me in my Adulting – First Half.

Here are my favorite things about being with really good friends. I hope this list will spur you on to make your own list about your friends and you will carry those warm feelings with you all of the way into a wonderful weekend.

My favorite things about being with my friends:

Feeling like you never left off. Even if you haven’t seen each other all year long, you come together so easily and happily, it’s like you just saw each other yesterday.
All of the inside jokes. Long histories make for crazy stories that never seem to lose their luster and novelty for the people who have shared funny times and hilarious memories.
The feeling of total acceptance. Your long-time friends know almost everything about you and love you anyway.
Knowing that you have a big group of gals who “have your back.” The wonderful feeling of being cared for and supported and the good feeling of being that same source of support and caring for others, in their times of need.
Making more fond memories with new shared adventures, that will add to the cache of inside jokes.
Really good insights and ideas and perspectives about situations going on in each other’s lives, that come from people who know each other well and earnestly care for one another.

I could go on and on, but I don’t like to get sappy on Fridays. Let’s just say that this wonderful group of women are treasures to me. They were a huge part of my first half of adulting and I look forward to all of the fun, joy, tenderness, reflections and wisdom that we will share as we travel together on this journey through our second halves of adulting.

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“A friend is a gift you give yourself.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

BEE Good This Weekend

“It’s Friday. Any plan of being a productive member of society is officially thrown out the window.” – Unknown

Happy Favorite Things Friday, my dear friends and readers!! New readers, I keep my Friday posts in the mindset of Levity and Frivolity, my two favorite Friday friends. I discuss three favorite items, websites, twitter feeds, books, etc. that just tickle me! I sincerely urge my readers to let Levity and Frivolity guide them to my comments section and to add their favorites so that we have even more offerings to choose from. (ahem, ahem)

Over the holidays, when my husband and I would be talking to our family, friends and business associates, the subject of our eldest son now being self-sufficient and “on his own”, would inevitably come up. My husband and I have noticed a common theme of questioning from everyone, when this topic comes up. It is such a reliable inquiry people have about this subject, that we have made a game out of seeing if anyone won’t ask it. That hasn’t happened so far. The question we consistently get when we mention that our son is now out of the house and self-supporting is, “Wow, so he is completely off of the payroll now, huh? Even his cell phone bill??”

It seems that telephone bills are a nemesis of all parents everywhere since the invention of the telephone happened. I remember getting heart palpitations as a teenager when our family’s long distance telephone bill arrived in the mail. It was the the opposite of what you wanted in communication from a college acceptance committee. You did NOT want that telephone bill envelope to be thick and heavy. Don’t worry readers, nothing regarding telephone bills will EVER make a Favorite Things Friday list. (oh and yes, my son pays for his own cell phone bill) Speaking of the Favorite Things list . . . .

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca perfume– There is a “no horse pucky” story tied to this one. (see previous “no horse pucky” blog posts – they are worth a read) I’ve told you before, that I adore anything that smells fabulous. Sometimes I think that smelling is my favorite sense. Anyway, I own a gazillion perfumes and the smell of this one does not fall into my usual spicy choices, yet I LOVE it! I discovered it in the most unusual way. I was practicing yoga at this lovely studio and I would go the bathroom and they were using this perfume as the bathroom spray there. However, it was an old bottle (I came to find out that the owner of the studio had purchased the half-used bottle, at a garage sale) so you could not read what the name of this fabulously wonderfully smelling stuff was, as much as me and the studio manager with a magnifying glass, tried to make it out. So, thankfully, I am absolutely dogged when I want to know something and with some internet sleuthing, I was miraculously able to figure it out. It is a minty, fresh, unusually clean, enlightening smell. (Fragrantica, btw, is a wonderful website and resource when you are researching fragrances.) I wish I were one of those people with a “signature scent”, but I am far too mercurial and expansive to settle on one or even, six perfumes.

the CREME shop I am GLOWING dewy primer & setting spray– When I was in CVS the other day, desperately waiting for the Minute Clinic doctor to help me to fix my miserable sinus cavities, I was killing time looking at their new display of The Creme Shop make-up. Now, typically I don’t like setting sprays. They make my face break out and they make me look like I accidentally missed my hair and sprayed a bottle of Aqua Net on to my face. Still, I’m a hopeful person, so I purchased this stuff and I love it! It sprays on more like water and it does not make my face feel stiff or sticky. Yet, I do notice that my make-up seems to last longer without having to do touch-ups. Now, they also offer a matte finish, but I choose to stay clear of matte finishes. I find that matte finishes on me, scream, “Hey, hi, look at my wrinkles! Here, I’ve highlighted them for you with my spray.”

Lady Bee Lavender Hand Soap – I feel guilty putting this one on the list because I’m not sure that it is even available anymore. I got mine at T.J. Maxx and I haven’t seen it there in a while and an online search of it was fruitless. Still, if you are dogged like me, go on a hunt for it. It is worth it!! I bought this on a whim one day, because my husband has a thing for bees and honey. Therefore, I try to surround us, with all things “bee.” We have a bee coverlet, I have lots of bee jewelry, and we even go to bee-themed restaurants. Seriously, one time we went to this restaurant in Colorado called The Golden Bee. The waiters threw little sticky bee-themed patches at you that stuck to your clothes, as you were ordering your food. True story and fun! Anyway, this is another concoction that smells too good for words. I keep it in the kitchen, and I have never seen my family wash their hands more. I don’t understand how we get sick, we wash our hands so much. It is incredibly good smelling soap!

Okay, guys, that’s a wrap. Have a fantastic weekend!!!

“I’ve eaten more than enough kale this week to justify destroying my body this weekend.” – someecards