Psssst! Have you Heard?

There's a new, fashionable, cute, talented blogger in town.

OK, she's been working her fantastic-ness for a while, but has just gotten around to blogging.

Check this out ... DimplesDamesDudes.com ... for the latest in food, design, health, beauty, exercise, fashion, music and movies tips.

It's the brainchild of makeup artist AlexAndrea, the creative force behind Atlanta's A+ Makeup Artists.  

AlexAndrea has gathered a talented team of contributing writers from throughout the country to bring you the latest and the best-est.

Check out some of her work below.

Congratulations AlexAndrea.   You go girl! 

Why not make DimplesDamesDudes.com part of your daily read? 

You can make an appointment with AlexAndrea using the link above.

Paint or Fabric? A Redo Dilemna

I love to cruise thrift stores. Rarely (much to my sweetie's consternation), do I come away empty handed. I could say it's because I like recycling but the truth is, I always find good, quality vintage pieces one makeover away from gorgeous! IMHO today's furniture is flimsy and doesn't have the good 'bones' of vintage pieces.

Take a peek at my latest find, straight from a decorator's staging house to mine, and for less than $30 for the pair. I picked them up at the Salvation Army the other day during their 1/2 off sale. And they are perfect, no stains, no smells no snags.

Tah dah!

Here's a closeup of the fabric. You can see there's some texture. 

One idea for a makeover is this houndstooth from Hobby Lobby. BTW: Hobby Lobby carries two houndstooth fabrics; one for lightweight clothing and the other for upholstery.  This upholstery weight fabric is black and cream, not black and white, as it photographs.

But, then I ran across this tutorial for painting upholstery at Little House In the Big D which is cheaper less expensive than new fabric. My favorite color these days is a cool gray from Ace Hardware, called Smooth Slate #5042. It's a sophisticated neutral that is neither too masculine nor too feminine.

Stay tuned for the big reveal!

Celebrating Life!

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ~ Steve Jobs

Shoutout to AlexAndrea of A+ Makeup Artists (Atlanta) for launching her dream of becoming a makeup artist and following up on that dream.  

 

Out With The Old, In With The Old

My Christmas PJs.

 As 2012 prepares to wind down, many of us are making plans for 2013.

Along with the new year come the ubiquitous resolutions to lose, quit or find something.

This time around, I'm doing things differently. Instead of throwing out the old to make room for the (unknown) new, in 2013 I consciously choose to hold closer the people and places who mean the most. However, there is one promise I am making to myself in the coming months.

A little background ...

My daughter and I were outside Target yesterday when I warned her to watch out for the puddle of water ahead about 15 feet. Her response,"Mom, sometimes instead of looking so far ahead, why not concentrate on what's in front of you, that way you won't worry so much." (((Do I have a smart kid or what?)))

So here's my 2013 promise to me, myself and I. To spend less time worrying about the future and more time appreciating the present! It's gonna take some time because it means breaking old habits. But that's the beauty of growing; it means trying 'till you get it right.

Holiday Preparations ...

As you run around spending money and time -- both in short supply for a lot of us  -- let's keep in mind the reason we celebrate Christmas. I am so blessed to have my little family all together in one place this year.  Everyone is tackling a favorite dish so no one has to do it all. That's great because it means we can spend more time together playing Scrabble, watching Catfish and taking embarrassing photos of one another!  Have a great Christmas, a most prosperous New Year and remember to keep your promises to one another.  

P.S.: Here are some closeups of our holiday decorations.