Prizes & Silliness & Smalltowns Abound

I've won a giveaway.  It's rather exciting, don't you know.  I've won some faux diamonds!!  Well, technically they are called "simulated".  Anyway, I really am pleased about it.  When I travel I always worry a maid at a hotel is going to accidentally take my diamonds or my pearls with her/him.  I know, that's terrible.  But I worry.

When I dive into the pool at the club, I often fear that my diamonds may come unlatched and fall out.  As a matter of fact, this did happen once. 

So who wouldn't love a pair of "simulated" diamonds to take on your travels, or to wear to the pool?  AND..the best part is...they are FREE.  Well, they really were FREE for me.  For you...they are $3.77 or some such in shipping.  Don't believe me?  Go HERE to see what I'm talking about :)  Thank you Mon Cheri for this wonderful giveaway!!!

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BFF sent me this link the other day.  She said, and I quote, "just because I know you like seeing crazy dog stuff..."  And the link sent me to this:

Yep.  You are seeing this correctly.  It's a little "cover" for your pup's bum.  Just in case they have a dirty bum.  Ick!  But, if you feel that you may need some, be sure to visit THIS Etsy Shop HERE to order them...

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A very special blog friend sent me a little note in the mail the other day.  And inside of the note was the most lovely little token for luck.  And on the back of the token, in script, is the word LOVE.  And I'm carrying that sucker everywhere with me from here on out.  So watch out boys ;)

Thank you my sweet friend!

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Another very special blog friend sent me something last week, and I've been DYING to share it with you all.  So, obviously I live in Smalltown, VA...right?  Yes.  That's right.  Well, it really is a SMALL CITY.  But, for all intents and purposes (and for everything that happens around here) it is Smalltown, VA.

Anyway, my dear friend Katie, who has a lovely blog called Westie Julep where she shares the adventures of her two westies Julep and Derby (I know!  How cute!), took a  photo and sent it to me.   She said she saw this book and it made her think of me: 

Isn't that cutest???  So, of course I had to immediately figure out what this book was all about.  And where I could purchase it.  And so on....

So much fun!  Thank you ever so much for thinking of me Katie :)

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Finally, quite a few of you have asked where to acquire a set of Yoga Toes!  I found them on Amazon.com.  AND...from what I hear, the non-name brand ones work just as well :)

Original Yoga Toes - $ 39.95

Telebrands Deluxe Pampered Toes - $4.74

My knee is feeling better today, but not so much better than I'm going to be making it to Zumba tonight.  I think taking this week off is probably in my best interest!  I'm off to the grocery store and liquor store to purchase ingredients for one of our favorite cocktails. 

Wednesday's weather is going to be dark & stormy for MK, WIMP and I.  At least......it is at Seersucker Central.  Umbrellas and raincoats optional :)

T

Stella & Dot - 200 Followers Giveaway!!

Hello friends!  Are you ready for another giveaway? 

Remember how I posted HERE about the fact that I was going to a Stella & Dot Party? 

Remember how I showed you all of the lovely jewels I wanted to purchase?  Weeeeellll...I didn't so much get them all. 

I only ended up getting:

Why you ask?  Well, because I didn't have a $25 gift certificate to spend, that's why!!  But do you know what....YOU DO! 

That's right!  One of our fellow bloggers, Jess from Where Are My Sunglasses??,  is going to sponsor my 200 Followers Giveaway.  Isn't that lovely of her??  Thanks again Jess :)

So, how do you enter the giveaway for a $25 Stella & Dot gift certificate?  Why, it's easy as pie!

1 entry - you MUST follow my blog AND "like" Jess' FB page for Stella & Dot (found here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2459203&id=7805956#!/pages/Jess-Norden-Independent-Stylist-for-Stella-and-Dot/147817225237893?ref=ts).  Without doing both of these you won't qualify.

1 entry - tell Jess and I what YOUR favorite piece is from the Stella & Dot Fall/Winter Collection found here: http://www.stelladot.com/corporate/productcatalog?page=productlisting.category&categoryId=1174

1 entry - follow me on twitter (DSSeersucker)

1 entry - blog about this giveaway

1 entry - tweet about this giveaway

That's a total of FIVE possible entries!  Please leave me ONE comment telling me how many entries you have.  Entries are welcome until Wednesday, September 29th at midnight. 

Best of luck!

T

My Weekend Was...

Picking Louis up from day care, and watching him have the time of his life on the ride home...

Playing Bocce Ball with friends for a few hours Friday evening...

Tripping on my too large Virginia Tech flip flop, falling on the patio, dropping the puppy and banging/scraping/damaging my knee at 8:15am on Saturday morning before leaving for the Virginia Tech game...

Daisy and I were the only two from our tailgate group that made this game.  So...we decided to have a tailgate on wheels!!  We had a rolling cooler, cocktails, food, cups, napkins...you name it :)  We "rolled" around and visited numerous friends at their tailgates for a change!

Mmmmm...spicey sausage:

Hello Hokie Bird:

LARGE speakers with plenty of good music:

Flip cup:

Ummmm:

Ouch...my knee hurts:

My friend "neck brace" giving me sympathy about my knee (and wearing cargo pants....bad, bad "neck brace"!):

After all of that walking, my knee was completely swollen and hurting terribly :(  What's a girl to do?  Flag down the rickshaw and ask for a ride back to her car of course:

Sunday found me on the couch with this:

I suppose I should have stayed home from the game and kept my knee iced and elevated.  DO WHAT?  I don't think so :)

Hope your weekend was lovely as well!!

T

200 Followers...And Another Giveaway To Celebrate!!

I know that everyone says this, but when I started this little journal of my crazy dating life I had no idea where things would lead.  My blog has changed so very much over the last 1-1/2 years! 

Having this journal is so important to me.  I have never been able to write (on a regular basis) in a paper journal.  Well, unless I'm on a trip to Europe or something.  I've tried bunches of times, but I always fail to keep up with it.  Until this blog.  And I don't know why that is?  Granted...I may not include all of the tiny details of my relationships or my adventures on here, but for the most part I do.  And I will be able to look back and re-live all of these wonderful memories because of that.  And that truly is the reason I keep blogging away.

Well, that AND the fact that I've met some of the most lovely people through blogging :)  It amazes me every day how dear you all are to me.  My blog friends. 

I've been along for the ride as you have gotten married, had babies, been through break ups, gotten puppies, had beloved pets cross over the rainbow bridge, started school, graduated from school, fallen in love, fallen out of love, moved, lost jobs and started new jobs....

This world that we are all a part of is something else, isn't it? 

I had a little day dream over the weekend.  I dreamed that I was rich.  Richer than I could even imagine.  And I had this amazing castle...on the water.  It had so many rooms I couldn't even begin to count them all.  And I flew you all in for a visit.  And we all had cocktails and laughed and sat in the sun and got to know each other in real life.  Wouldn't that be grand? 

Maybe one day!

In the mean time I'm going to host another giveaway in order to celebrate reaching 200!!

More details coming on that...

T

A Lot on My Mind

"People really aren't all that different; young and old.  They want to feel peace in their hearts, a life without turmoil, happiness.....

The difference between the two is that most young people seem to think these things lay in the future, while the older ones believe they lay in the past."

Thanks SHM for copying that down for me :)

Have a great weekend loves!  Here's to figuring it all out...

T

Thoughtful Thursday

I don't know if "Thoughtful Thursday" is a real thing that anyone is doing, but if so...my apologies for hijacking your verbage :)

I really just have about 10 things on my mind that I haven't shared, so I thought that Thursday would be a lovely day to get all of that out the way!

1.  First, I want to thank everyone for your kind comments regarding my scare on Monday evening in the forest.  I realize it was a silly thing for me to do...to put myself (and my pup) in that situation.  However, when I got home I really felt quite ridiculous.  I guess because nothing ended up happening?  I thought "gee T, could you have overreacted any more???".  And I was a bit embarrassed.  But again...that's because nothing happened.  How many times in your life have you thought "if I had only done this..OR...not done that...everything would have been different"?  This didn't turn out like that, but perhaps that is because I ran?  Either way, I'm buying some pepper spray.  I'm going to hold off on buying a gun for the moment (kidding).  Or, perhaps a "holster" for my Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun would be comfortable for walking?

2.  Yoga Toes.  Do you have them?  Do you love them?  I do, and I do.  I had actually forgotten that I had a them until they came up in discussion last night.  I went home and wore mine for an hour.  My feet feel like heaven today.  Ahhhh..

3.  Zumba.  Have you heard of it?  Taken it?  I have.  I went to a class on  Tuesday night, and now I've signed up for the next 10 weeks.  I have never experienced anything like it.  Never.  It's like dancing with your girlfriends at the bar on a Saturday night....only not really.  Because I never break a sweat doing that :-o  I am in love with Zumba.  I hate exercise (I think I've mentioned this before?), but Zumba is somehow not really exercise.  My calves are screaming today.  My thighs are wailing.  AND I FEEL AMAZING!  I need to work on learning how to "shake" more.  As in shaking my rump, and shaking my chest.  Not that there is much of a chest to shake, but you get the idea....



Only, our instructor isn't trying to have us dance to this nice little song by Shakira that you see above.  No. She likes for us to dance a little bit faster.  And to work a little bit harder.  Our first song of the night was:



4. Yesterday afternoon I went to pick LW up from day care.  When I walked in the girl smiled and said "he's in the dryer.  again."  Which basically means that he was pooped on.  Again.  They have started to look at me a bit suspiciously.  I wonder if they think I tell him to get pooped on so that he can get a free bath?  Baths are regularly $20.  On some level I do believe they think it's a conspiracy.  But it isn't.  It really isn't.  I am always so embarrassed.  Really, I am.  I think LW just loves being in the dryer.  It's his favorite part.  They have trouble getting him out of it sometimes.

 I told Babbo Natale about LW's getting pooped on last night.  She looked appalled and said "OH.  How embarrassing."  See.  It is embarassing :(

5. BUNCO.  Have you played it?  Do you love it?  I have, and I do!  Last night was Bunco night.  We used to get together every month to play, but the summer had all us running in different directions.  This is another reason I'm so excited about Fall this year.  More time to visit with friends, and enjoy Bunco and cocktails :) 

(doesn't marilyn monroe take the most fabulous pictures?!?!?  she's so talented :)

Marilyn Monroe and I were the big winners last night.  Well...that's not exactly right.  I was the big winner.  Marilyn was the big loser.  BUT...when we play Bunco being the big loser also warrants a prize!! 

(aren't these the cutest?!?!  daisy mad them for both the big winner and big loser.)

(marilyn monroe and i with our prizes!)

6. Tonight I'm going to a Stella and Dot party. 

Can we say EXCITED!!  I've never been to one of their parties before.  I absolutely adore everything they sell, so clearly I am going to be applying for food stamps after this evening.  Oh well.  A girl has GOT TO accessorize.  Right?

7.  I was searching for a picture of an automatic dog dryer, and I came across this picture.  I'm pretty sure that it's preciousness doesn't need any explanation:

8.  I know we aren't nearly as cute, but here we are last night saying our prayers:

I asked Louis what he was thanking God for.  "thanking God?" he said  "oh, I was actually asking God for something".

Spoiled pup ;)

T

Stinky, Stinky

Have any of you been having problems with those nasty "stink bugs"?  I'm quite sure that these bugs have a fancy latin name, or whatever, but around these parts we commonly refer to them as plain old stink bugs.

And they are taking over.

Apparently I am not the only person who hears them buzzing around inside their home.   I killed THIRTY of them inside my home the other night.  Vom.

There are so many websites dedicated to how to deter and get rid of them.  However, the general consensus is that they cannot be completely deterred.  You must go around your home and using a gel caulk, seal every window, fireplace, door, etc. 

WHAT?? 

That sounds like a pain in the a$$.

Many of my friends have run to the store to purchase Borax to make a liquid mixture.  Apparently spraying this mixture on stink bugs will kill them immediately.  My friends wonder if perhaps spraying this concoction around the windows (both inside and out) will help to deter them?  The results are inconclusive at this point.

I grew up in Florida.  There were bugs everywhere.  We had our home sprayed by a bug man every month.  I still have someone spray my house every month, even though I live in VA.  Old habits die hard :)  BUT...one thing we did have in Florida that I don't have is eucalyptus.  Bushes outside the house.  Clippings in the house.  Wreaths.  Eucalyptus everywhere.  And then it clicked.  I needed eucalyptus. 

I called Daisy.  She has a huge eucalyptus plant growing in her back yard.  I asked her for 20 sprigs of eucalyptus.  I placed one sprig in every single window of my home.  Between the main window and the storm window.  I threw a sprig into the fireplace.  I hung some over the doors.  And I waited. 

I'm still waiting. 

I'm hesitant to say the problem is solved...but....

If you are having a similar problem, find some eucalyptus ASAP!   I'm not sure how often I will need to switch out the eucalyptus sprigs.  Or if eucalyptus oil would work?  All I do know is that for the moment fresh eucalyptus sprigs are keeping those monsters out of my house :)

T