Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

Is it just me or has spring suddenly given way to summer? This morning, while drinking coffee on my porch swing, I realized I was scratching my first mosquito bite of the season. What?! A mosquito bite in early April?! This global warming thing must stop. Seriously.

Congratulations to friends [Alex and Miriam](http://alexandmiriam.blogspot.com/) who welcomed twins Addison and Jasmine into the world today. The girls are healthy and beautiful – weighing in at over 6 and 7 pounds respectively. I’m sure Miriam will enjoy getting some sleep tonight since it’s the last she’ll have for a while.

My friend [Cindy](http://herethereandback.blogspot.com/) posted these on her blog so I thought I’d play. It’s really fun!

SCATTERGORIES … it’s harder than it looks!
Rules: Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following… They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same first initial.
You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question … Now, Go! Do this really fast and see what pops into your head first!

1. Famous singer: Tom Jones
2. 4 letter word: tool
3. Street name: Tangelwood
4. Color: teal
5. Gifts/presents: tschotske
6. Vehicle: Toyota
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: trinkets
8. Boy Names: Tom
9. Girl Names: Tiffany
10. Movie Title: To Catch a Thief
11. Drink: Tanqueray and Tonic
12. Occupation: teacher
13. Flower: tulip
14. Celebrity: Tom Cruise
15. Magazine: Time
16. U.S. City: Texarkana
17. Pro Sports Teams: Texas Rangers
18. Something found in a Kitchen: toaster
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: throwing up
20. Something You Throw Away: trash
21. Things You Shout: take that, you bastard!
22. Cartoon Character: Tom (as in Tom and Jerry)

I’ve been compiling my list of “must haves” for Spring and it’s mostly accessories. I guess I just haven’t been in the mood for clothes, but have seen so many great shoes and handbags that I put them at the top of my list. I did score some great skinny black pants at The Gap a couple of weeks ago and wore them to an event recently. They were quite the bargain at $9.99 which is more than I can say for my wish list right now.

* My number one desire is [these shoes](http://www.ninewest.com/n/browse/product.s?productId=2848194&source=category&index=1&prodIndex=1&listSize=14&categoryId=15006) from Nine West. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find them in the soft silver leather that all the fashion magazines have been featuring. I’ve seen them advertised at Macy’s but our store is lame and doesn’t have them.

* I also have this burning desire to have a pair of yellow patent wedges and a yellow handbag. I saw a photo of some lovely Christian Louboutin wedges in a magazine, but I think $695 is a bit ridiculous for something so trendy. Plus, that’s way out of my price range. I do like [this purse](http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2926481?refsid=181970&refcat=0%7e2376779%7e2374605%7e2378374&SourceID=1&SlotID=1&origin=related) I found at nordstrom.com, but it’s a bit too big. I’ll keep looking.

* I’d like a patent leather purse and have been looking at them since last fall. I like [this one](http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2909886?refsid=181220&refcat=0%7e2376776%7e2374327%7e6009188%7e6009571&SourceID=1&SlotID=1&origin=related) in just about any color, but I think I’d like to see it in person to determine how nice it is. Many patent leathers are really crappy unless they’re expensive.

* I found [these adorable peep toe flats](http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=301&langId=-1&storeId=301&productId=501150118&view=80&No=80&N=1000425+2010098&searchUrl=%2Fendeca%2FEndecaStartServlet%3Fview%3D80%26No%3D80%26N%3D1000425%2B2010098&R=SWF940) at our local Dillard’s and love them! The leather is really soft and they were pretty comfortable. My only concern is how comfortable the ankle strap is. Last year I bought a pair of cute wedges with an ankle strap and the buckle kept rubbing my ankle bone. Luckily, I only paid $15 for them so I didn’t feel too bad selling them to a consignment shop. I probably made all my money back.

* I’m dying for some cool lucite jewelry this year! Unfortunately, I have yet to find anything I really love. I even went looking for some beads to make something of my own and still came up empty handed. I like the designs by [Alexis Bittar](http://www.alexisbittar.com/lucebracelet.html) but they’re a bit pricey for me. I’m hoping for something really cheap.

What’s on your “Must Haves” list? Have you made one yet?

For some strange reason, I’ve been thinking about what I’ve learned so far in life. I thought I’d share them with you. Please feel free to add your own:

* My sister isn’t as annoying as I once thought she was. I actually like her and consider her my best friend.

* My mom really was right about some things (but don’t tell her I said that).

* I’ve learned that it’s ok I never had children. It’s a decision I don’t regret because I knew it was right for me.

* I’ve learned to listen to my gut instinct. It’s been right almost every time even if I didn’t listen.

* It’s ok to have loved, lost and learned. It’s better to come out smarter in the end rather than to play it safe and never experience something wonderful.

* Sororities are hugely overrated.

* While I may not always like my body, I’ve learned that I’ll never have a tiny waist or flat stomach so I might as well play up what I’ve got and cover up what I don’t.

* Sometimes when I think I want a larger house, I remind myself that it’s just more to clean.

* Quality is always better than quantity. Although that doesn’t seem to change my growing shoe collection!

* Every so often, it’s good to get outside my comfort zone.

* I may not be the most well read, well traveled or well rounded person, but dammit, I’m pretty cool for a 40 year old.

* It’s better to leave an terrible job, even if you don’t have another one waiting, rather than stay because you think it looks good on a resume or you like the money.

* Long hair does not suit me.

* Growing out my hair takes more patience than I ever thought I possessed.

* I’ve learned to feel comfortable around children of almost any age.

* I’ve learned that, when forced, I can be a very flexible person.

* I’ve learned to like white wine.

* I think I’ve finally figured out my sense of style. Although that could change next season!

* The older I get, the more opinionated I get, but the more comfortable I get with myself.

What a lovely day to celebrate the first day of Spring. Before 10 am it was almost 70 degrees outside and I’m feeling the urge to frolic. I need to go to the school studio and continue raising my piece. I want to play outside. Think I just might do a little of both. Enjoy your day!

Sometimes it’s really hard to be an overachiever. Take this week, for example. It’s Spring Break and I’ve needed this mini vacation for weeks as I’ve juggled two classes and my business obligations. So, what am I doing? Working. I was up at 6 am this morning obsessing about my latest project which is to incorporate fold forming as part of the design. Yesterday, I spent all afternoon making a little sterling silver wheel no larger than a quarter. I’m planning on constructing a purse out of copper and having little wheels on the bottom. This morning I made a model out of file folders so I could gauge how large my sheet of metal should be and get an idea of how it will look when done. Well, it looks like a wagon so it was back to the drawing board. Now, I think I’m going to do something more rounded, like Cinderella’s coach – my niece will love it!. This afternoon I’m going to Sarah’s studio so I can start raising this piece. I’ll work on wheels tomorrow.

It’s not all work. I did get my KC trip last weekend and we’re going to Des Moines on Friday. I’ll have a good week. At least I don’t have to go to class on top of all this!

A great weekend in KC with lots of shopping finds. First, was a stop at The Gap where I was looking for ankle-length black skinny pants. I found the perfect pair with little zippers at the ankle and only $9.99! I had to go up a size and the waist is too big, but the bottom fits perfectly and they make my legs look super skinny. I finally got to check out the Sephora at Oak Park Mall and scored some new blush (not MAC for the first time in ages). Thought I’d try Nars “Orgasm” the color that’s supposed to flatter all complextions. I also bought a lip stain and a new spring lipstick. Today, Sunday, was the record show. What a great day! I spend about $20 over my budget, but got some great stuff. My splurge (that sent me over budget) was an album featuring cover art by [Jim Flora](http://www.jimflora.com/gallery/albums/index.html). The album itself is in pristine condition and the cover is in very good condition. I love his weird drawings and knew I’d regret it if I passed it up, so it came home with me. I also got some great Martin Denny, Henry Mancini, Eydie Gorme, The Ventures and others I can’t remember. Steve even got into the fun and got pretty excited when I found “Vintage Sports Cars in Hi-Fi” By Riverside Records. Apparently, this company produced a few albums in the 50s of the sounds of sports cars – like a day at the track. Steve has another one from his grandfather so adding this one to the collection was really fun.

We’re tired, but we had a great time. Valerie and Kevin are fun to travel with, we all got our KC fix, Valerie and I were able to shop at Gap and the record show was worth the drive. Now I get to greet the week of spring break! Hooray! All I have to work on this week is four little sterling silver wheels for my next project. I’ll post pics when I get one made.

Steve and I are off for a short visit to KC with our friends Valerie and Kevin. Valerie is a huge album (LP) collector and discovered there was an LP collectors show in KC. A few phone calls later we decided to take a short trip to the city. Should be fun! I’ll post my new finds here next week.

Last night, I treated myself to a movie in a real theater. I rarely go to the theater any more because the audience doesn’t know how to act and I get irritated with all the talking, texting and telephoning that goes on around me. However, I was dying (no pun intended) to see “Zodiac.” For those who don’t know about this movie, it’s based on the Zodiac killer who terrorized San Francisco in the late 60s, early 70s. He wrote letters to the police and the San Francisco Chronicle with messages and cryptic images. Critics have said that the movie doesn’t reveal anything new about the case and many viewers have been disappointed that it didn’t answer any questions. Since I didn’t know much about it, I was fascinated. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jake Gyllenhall had amazing performances. It was long, running almost 3 hours, but very interesting. I’d say anyone who likes true crime would love this, but it would appeal to those who like solving puzzles also.

All in all, a great Friday night outing. And the audience behaved this time!