Know your role, woman!

Touchy title, I know, but still funny. My manhunk screws with me all the time in this way, and I don't take it offensively at all (he's always a punk - teehee)....until his buddies are around and he developes that annoying quality of not knowing when the hell to shut up! But that's another story entirely.

The story I have today, kids, is about kitchen appliances. Stop moaning and let me finish. I'm talking about awesome appliances here; not your everyday, run of the mill, Maytag, Fridgedaire, or Whirlpool. The appliances I'm referring to can make you want to spend all your time in the rockin' kitchen you've modified specifically for your wants and needs.

I'm sure most have seen the Big Chill fridges. They're modern but with a vintage appearance. Well, I get this Carolina freeby magazine that focuses on local stuff - (the current season's gardening tips, design pointers, and tidbits about NC counties in general), but inside the last issue was a gorgeous ad for Elmira Stove Works!!!! How in God's green earth have I not seen these before?! If you haven't, then you're in for a treat unless you aren't really into vintage. If that's the case, NEVERfreakingMIND! Here we go:

They kinda look like Grateful Dead ranges, don't they? :)

So these bad boys can be custom built for YOUR kitchen. When I say custom built, I mean exact measurements, style of stove top, gas/electric, color, you name it! Seriously, check out the flames. It's HotWheels!

Elmira Stove Works do more than stoves too! I've googled dishwashers and even microwaves. To be honest, the microwaves look a little bit like easybake ovens.

This next image makes me sad. First off, I love copper, so I want this really badly. Second, I received on of these lovelies from my bro-in-law at Christmas this past year. Problem: When lugging all of our presents into our home, I decided to get my Oster out of the box the moment I stepped in the house. Not the best of ideas, being that the room you would immediately step into has tile floor. Upon opening my new kitchen toy, I fumbled......wait NO! I already had everything out of the box, and I was walking up the stupid four steps into my kitchen. My clutsy a** tripped then dropped the canister piece. The daggon thing bounced off the bottom step and crashed into a million glittering pieces all over that white tile floor. Tile is not the most forgiving when it comes to slamming into it....not like carpet would have. Sad, very sad moment. I didn't even get to use it yet. I still have the base. Not sure why, but I do. :(

Oster Classic Beehive in Coppertone

Not keen on the idea of retro-renovating an enitre room. How about a nifty computer tower. I love this. Also one of my all-time-favorite colors.

Man, I can't remember who does the toaster, but it reminds me of my first car:

1954 Chevy Belair

Yep, that was my first car. It was candy apple red with white trim. The interior had red carpeting and white vinyl seats with red piping. There was chrome everywhere. The windows were chopped. It was a sight to behold. Don't be jealous. ;) I'll post pictures of it someday soon. Funny story goes with it too. Oooo, I can't wait to dig those photos up now.





Ahah! It's a Dualit two slice toaster. Google is good.

This avocado knockout is my absolute favorite. Everything about it is what I want for my little hole/role/place. So many colors would compliment this piece, and I have so many colors in my kitchen. Hmmm, thinking I could use this as a motivation piece to start saving up for. I will have a 35th bday in say-oooh some 7 odd years.

Now let's take a look at kitchens as a whole (not hole) with the Elmira stoves. I've noticed that although they certainly have a vintage appearance, they don't always give off an overall retro feel once placed in their home.

Look how elegant this copper range is. I love copper, really I do.

This one definitely gives that country vibe. I bet grandma's got cookies in that one.

These two give a perfect visual for one of you that might ask,

"what kind of kitchen would they fit best in?"

Answer: ANY!

On the left, we have the expected 40s/50s style kitchen, obviously. Quite diner-esque, don't you think? As much as I love this style, it would get old after awhile. The right side, however, is so elegant and a little rustic all at the same time. This is what I think an Italian kitchen would look like. The windows in the cabinetry are lovely. I would love to have my dishes on display. I don't know...I think I'd get sick of this too.

And LOOK! I even found mommy&me photos. So awesome! My girls would probably play with their kitchen more if it looked just like mine. They're loving games that mimic life right now.

Wow, that's so....pink! Sheesh.

(Grace would love this one, Dani!)

Oh! One more thing:

I found a neato website that has "Retro Kitchen Design Sets". Very nice site, with amazing pics. Go see!

http://www.home-designing.com/2009/05/retro-kitchen-design-sets-and-ideas

We're all mad here.

Oh Johnny, I would have tea with you ANYday....multiple times. *wink-wink

Is anyone as excited as I am about the making of this movie? I am psyched!!! Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and ALICE IN WONDERLAND! Are you kidding? Someone pinch me. I am such a die hard fan of all I just mentioned so to throw them together in one film! My God is gooooooood. On a serious note, I had wondered for the longest on why Burton hadn't jumped on this film sooner. Regardless, I can't wait until this comes to the BIG screen.

And now for the pictures:

Here we havethe oh-so-sweet Aussie actress, Mia Wasikowska, as Alice
click for larger view

The always enchanting, Anne Hathaway, as the White Queen (my God those lips)

click for larger view

Helena Bonham Carter (need I say more?), combination of the Red Queen & the Queen of Hearts

click for larger view

British comic, Matt Lucas, as the Tweedles

click for larger view

Alice in the living flower garden (my all time favorite part)
click for larger view

next 2 images from the Disney 23 mag

After a little searching, I found that this take on Alice is going to be a return to Wonderland. Alice is now 17 and has no memory of every being there. Things have changed greatly since her last visit. Wonderland is now dark & twisted. And we all know, Tim Burton is the master of dark & twisted. I can't wait to see his Wonderland. I know it will be beautifully and wonderfully creepy. YAY!

R.I.P. Blue

These are two pics that I found from last year. We had bought this gorgeous blueberry bush, then killed it. We didn't mean to do it, obviously, but I'd like to try again. Does anyone have experience with these? I have had some success with plants. More with those that are self sufficient, but still success nonetheless.

So in memory of.....here she is in all her blooming glory. R.I.P. Blue. Better luck next time. :(

SYTYCD?!?!?!?!

I am a little shamed to admit that I am a SYTYCD whore. BUT only since this current season 5, I swear it!

To be quite honest, I am typically the girl who refuses to jump on a band wagon that everyone else is riding on. That is I don't take a liking to many things that are poplar simply for the reason that they are.....well, popular. I've always been the odd girl, the different one, the unique sort, if you will. For the sake of proof, I was nominated and overall voted "Most Unique" all four years of high school. Sadly, this title was not a compliment at WCDS.

Back to the topic at hand, SYTCD. Dancing has been a huge part of my raising. So I am relieved to find comfort in at least 1 of the common reality competitions. Season 5 could not be a better season...really. I've fallen head over heals for the talent of (eliminated WAY too soon) Kelsea Taylor.

Her audition was emmaculate. I hate that she didn't make it to the Top 20.

And

Don't let me forget to mention the 17 year old kid....google.....Nathan Trasoras.

Beautiful is what he is.

Anyway! I get side tracked so easily. I am completely and utterly enamored with the choreographer

Sonya Tayeh

So I've been googling her like mad. I found this gem of a video that exudes the quirky sexiness that I love so much about her work. Seems like such a fun person Enjoy the clip.

xo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROtV_GeelKA

Picnik-ing
(These are some beautiful white roses. I warmed up the overall color and added the "pencil" feature. Now they look like some sort of magnolia/gardenia hybrid.)

I was recently directed to a wonderful photo editing site called Picnik.com. *Thanks Vicky! This such a nice option for those of us who drool over the idea of owning a $200+ photo editing program. Sadly, most of us, don't have enough shiny pennies to even consider it, and picnik is there to help. It is free to register...seriously. I don't mean "free". I mean FREE! There are tons of tools that are available for use. The little catch is that there are also premium tools. These tools can be played with and tested on your pic, but you cannot actually accept and save the pics with the premium tool in use. Now, if you love all those advanced tools as much as I do, then you won't mind paying the $24.95 for one year!

(This is a view of Daddy's house taken from the rose garden. Beautiful, isn't it?)

I've only editted a few old pics I had floating around on my work computer. They're not the best, but I had a blast learning all the tools. Comments are most welcome!

(Mis bebes! Haylee (4) is the one with her face burrowed in the rose, and Charlee (5) is the one, gingerly, moving her hair. Don't let their angelic faces fool you.)

(Blueberries that my dad swears look like eyeballs. Ew.)

(This is my favorite. So soft. So sweet. I'm not 100%, but I believe these are pink fairy roses.)

(The only thing I did to these little ladies was frame it with the "polaroid" tool. No zoom, no softening, no color adjustment, NADA. Not to shabby, if I do say so...)

(Here, I played with the shadows & exposure, then finished it with a soft focus.)

(Can anyone say Andy Warhol? I think he would have liked this.)

Research, Reflect & Revamp!!!

Ok...I'm officially ashamed of my blog, which means it is time to revamp. I started this thing 2/3 years ago, and that's where it stopped. I may have posted two entries. Crap, I know.

I have so many ideas of what I want to achieve with this blog, but no idea as to where I should start. I follow numerous, beautiful and equally inspiring blogs. I should feel inspired, right? To be quite honest - I am imtimidated and terrified. It has always been a stuggle for me to "put myself out there". Did I mention these bloggers are magnificent?! They even spread the love by linking to other fabulous blogs. How sweet? All of these creative minds have an element of personal style throughout each and every post.

I really don't know what to do with a blog. I am, at least, noticing a pattern to the types of blogs I like to follow. Most importantly - I have desire, passion & moxie! I certainly enjoy writing. I somewhat know how to write. (I don't want to pretend that I know it all. I need to learn so much more.) I want to become a better writer...a great writer. I need to get a handle on all the HTML, formatting, photo hosting sites, etc...and get this blog ball rolling!

I love informative, descriptive, detailed, photo-filled (but not overdone), and personal entries. Of course, I do understand that there are fundamentals that need to be learned and understood first. I've read that Holly Becker, decor8blog.com/, has e-course called "Blogging Your Way". Can anyone let me know more about this? After following her blog for a couple of months, I've deeply fallen for her sweet and helpful nature. Turns out that she is also a Carolina girl. I knew she was a southern belle!

Then, just recently, I read an entry at Vicky's Simply Hue, matissecolor.blogspot.com/. She conducted an amazing interview with Holly, but the kicker for me was when I read,

"Just four months ago I had no idea what a blog even was.

One afternoon I was doing an online search for the

'10 most popular decorating sites' when Holly Becker's

blog "decor8" popped up. I spent the next few hours

(yes, hours) perusing her beautiful, inspirational site

and became hooked. Shortly after that, I registered for

Holly's e-course "Blogging Your Way" and discovered

what a dedicated teacher and caring person she is. "

You see?! There IS hope. Vicky's blog is beautiful, and she had no clue what a blog was four months ago. I'm very excited now, but I would love to hear more about this e-course or any others that you would like to recommend. Comments are most welcome.