this little life of mine

Good Lord, I can't believe it's the end of September already, and next Wednesday will be October 1st!! I feel like I lost a week in September somewhere ... I'm not sure where it went! Anyway, there's still five days left in September (counting today!), so here's five things I hope to accomplish before next Wednesday:

1.  Clean out my closet. I'm halfway there already, having spent a few minutes a night staring in my closet, grabbing stuff I haven't worn or am bored of, and setting them up in the den. The plan is to sort them out, and decide what stuff to sell and what to give to Goodwill.

2.  Design a Christmas card. Yeah, I know I wanted to be further along in this process, but, alas, I am not. Still, if I could get the basic design sorted out, then I can start gathering supplies and get set up for a marathon stamping session next month!

3.  Prep for Chantell's Photo a Day October Challenge. I haven't done one of her challenges for some time, but October's  list looks kinda fun - she's used a letter of the alphabet for the first 26 days of the month, and numbers 1 through 5 for the remaining days. I already have some ideas for a few of the letters, and look forward to brainstorming the rest!

4.  Cook something healthy and yummy this weekend!  I've been so busy with projects, yardwork, and a conference that I haven't done much cooking. I don't think it's quite cool enough to use the oven yet, but maybe a crock pot meal, or something fabulous out of one of my Clean Eating Magazines would be a welcome change from TV dinners or deli sandwiches.

5. Remember my Chiropractor appointment! I don't know why, but I've forgotten the last two chiropractor appointments I've had. Completely blew them off! So embarrassing!! I believe my vacation in July threw me off my regular schedule, and if I don't think about it, I forget it. Well, I'm scheduled for Tuesday the 30th, and hopefully I'll get it right this time!

That's all for now! Have a great weekend! Cheers!

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Good morning, everyone, and TGIF! Since I'm going to be busy busy like a little bee on Friday, erm, today, I'm actually writing/scheduling this a day early. So. Hello, from the future!!

Ha! Anyway, Here's hoping nothing really crappy happens overnight before it's posted, and all is well on Friday!

So, I'm attending the Central Coast Writer's Conference this weekend, as well as spending a couple days in Morro Bay, so here's a list of things I'm most looking forward to this long weekend:

1. Meeting Anne Perry at the Conference.  Well, pooper scoopers, it turns out Anne Perry can't make it - SO bummed! Apparently they're planning a future Event with a book signing at a time when she can make it, and we Conference attendees will all be notified and, as they say, can attend "at no additional charge". So. That's something to look forward to, I guess. Still. So. Bummed.

2.  Getting inspired.  Anyway, even without Anne Perry being there, I'm really hoping to soak up a bunch of creativity and inspiration - by osmosis, if nothing else! - this weekend. My writing has been sucking royally for some time now, and even when I spend tons of time at it, really working on it ... well, it's ... I'm just  ... floundering, I guess. I don't know what's wrong (maybe I do), but I'm hoping being around some creative types will help jump start my writing!

3.  Enjoying the ocean air. I LOVE the smell of the ocean - yes, even the pungent, fishy, briney smell! There's just something about it that's so refreshing and relaxing! I don't think we've been to the ocean since we were last in Morro Bay, which was in May for the Bands on the Run 5K. (Oh, and BTW, stay tuned for info on future 5Ks I've signed up for, and whether or not I'll be able to do them. Or even walk without a cane. In a couple weeks.) Anyway. Moving on.

4. Maybe spending a day in Cambria. I took Monday off work, too, so I'm hoping when we check out in Morro Bay, we will have time to head down the road to Cambria - another one of my favourite towns! - for lunch and a walk on  the boardwalk, if nothing else.

5.   Oh, I don't know, here's a pretty picture! (A picture of flowers I took in Butchard Gardens in BC. Enjoy!)

It should go without saying, but, sadly, it needs to be said, the above image is © me and only me (lisa-marie jordan & lapis blue photography, to be exact.) . So, pleaseplease, don't steal my photo. it'll be bad for you, i promise.) Thanks!

 As always, thanks so much for stopping by, and for reading! Have a great Friday and a fantastic weekend! Cheers!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Happy Tuesday, fellow Teasers! This week I'm reading a truly delightful book called The Riverman by Aaron Starmer. I really like this guy's books! Last year, I believe it was, I read The Only Ones, and really enjoyed it. I love his fantastical stories and his interesting characters. Here are my teasers from page 25 on Nicky the nook:

Sometimes I wondered if that was my problem, an abundance of cluttered rooms in my mind. She had me pegged, though, and she had me worried. "You're only twelve," I said. "Why do you need a biography?"

Have a great day and great rest of the week! Cheers!

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Last Friday my mom and I attended one of our favourite local events: The Art and Wine Tour in downtown Atascadero. This was one of the better Tours they've had with a total of 17 wineries representing their best wines, as well as some flavoured olive oils and vinegars, lots of yummy hors d'oeuvres, singers, dancers, various artists like photographers and painters, belly dancers, a country band, and even the drama department from Atascadero High School! To be different, we started on Traffic Way instead of Entrada and paced ourselves this time, so we didn't get to taste at every winery, and didn't get to see all the artists (particularly bummed about missing the drama department!), but we did manage to try some different wines, and got to browse some different as well as newly opened downtown shops and businesses. And we broke out of our rut! Yay, us!

Frolicking Frog inside Olive Tree Gallery.

Model posing outside Olive Tree Gallery - pull up an easle and draw a picture!

Our one big regret was not thoroughly perusing the map showing the business and their artist and winery before we started because Envisions Gallery had as their artist, executive chef Shannon McDuffie who prepared a food and wine pairing with Eberle winery which looked amazingly delicious! However, we had already been to six places before that and they all had lots of really good food (Wilwand Tea basically put out a full meal!), so we were already full by the time we reached Envisions and only tried the wine and looked longingly at the amazing food. That was a bummer!

Eberle winery inside Envisions Gallery. 

The food thing is kind-of hit or miss as this event; you really can't count on there being any food at all. At one of the first-ever Art and Wine Tours, every business that was hosting a winery had a variety of  hors d'oeuvres, fruit, or desserts, so we snacked the whole way around as we drank. We didn't even need to have dinner afterwards, or worry about The $20.00 Rule. The next time we went, only a couple places had anything at all, and they were crumbly little cookies, and dried up mini cheese and crackers. It was not enough, let me tell you! So, from then on we decided  to play it safe and have at least a small snack before going down there, so we weren't drinking a lot of wine on an empty stomach if no one was offering food.  Still, if we'd checked the map, we would've gone to Envisions first, and tried their food and wine pairing. I'm hoping they'll do that again next time!

St. Hilaire inside Grape Enounters Empourium

Still Waters Vineyards inside Wilwand Tea Co. & Healing Arts

Robbins Family Olive Oil and Vinegar outside the Empourium 

Several businesses who participated in this event before weren't open this time, which was disappointing because I always enjoy browsing those shops, and a couple new businesses joined in. It's always nice to see new faces downtown, and I wish them all the best of luck!

 Demeter Winery at the Atascadero Family Chiropractic.

Ancient Peaks at 805 Board Shop.

Trader Joe's Coastal Zinfandel inside Back on the Racks Consignment.

Pomar Junction's fantastic Picnic Chardonnay inside the Historic Carlton Hotel.

All in all it was a great event - good job, Downtown Atascadero Association! Looking forward to the next big event!

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1. I have decided it's time to buckle down and get rid of most of my high heeled shoes, and go with flats almost exclusively. Oh, sure, there are a few pair of heels I plan to keep - the special occasion-type black pumps and pointy-toed leather hot pink pumps both by Steve Madden, the embellished grey mules with a kitten heel, the adorable black lace-up Oxfords, the black suede wedge sneakers, and one pair of brown wedge sandals. But all the others - all of them - outta here. I finally came to the conclusion that I live in a very small house (and may someday live in an even smaller condo) have to be realistic: I just don't wear heels that often, and it's mostly because I know they'll be uncomfortable at work, and I never go out on dates, or with "the girls", so there's really no point in having so many pairs of heels.

You see, I've had at my disposal the past six months several pair of wedge sandals - two brown (one with straps, one flip-flop type), a cream pair, two black pairs, and a white pair - the aforementioned Oxfords and black wedge sneakers, blush faux snakeskin slingbacks, a pair of beige wedge sneakers, and a pair of faux snake skin pumps. The Oxfords and snakeskin pumps/slingbacks would dress up jeans, while the wedge sneakers would be good for more casual ensembles, I told myself, and I convinced myself I would wear the wedge sandals with my palazzo pants and maxi skirts at least the first week or so after a fresh pedi when my toes looked super nice. But have I? Nope. Not one single time this entire spring OR summer. I wore flats the entire time.

So, what does that say? Obviously, it says keeping all those shoes I haven't worn in 6 months (and therefore probably will never wear) is stupid, and I need to get rid of them to make room in my closet for some really super cute flats! That I WILL wear. All the time.

2. I'm also going to be realistic about some of the stuff I've bought recently and return at least one of the jackets I mentioned in my Favourite Things post last weekend, if not both of them. While I really like the cropped real leather moto jacket, it's just not practical, and I really don't like that it's so cropped, and the other jacket is faux leather, and while I like the fabric detail, it, too, is a bit short, and I just don't know if I'd really wear it. Best to just say no now, and not have regrets (and stuff in my closet that I just have to sell for pennies) later. The two pair of boots I bought recently, however, I'm keeping. I think they're worth trying to stretch out to fit my calves, and they'll go with dresses and skirts, straight-leg pants, and jeans.

3.  My jewelry collection is going to be getting a once-over, too, to see if I can get rid of some stuff I haven't worn for years. It's hard, though, because a lot of the stuff I've hung onto I kept  just because I like the look of it, or because it's pretty, or I think I'll wear it, but then I never do. (I'm not counting sentimental value/family heirloom stuff, of course. Those will be distributed in my will. When I die.) It's silly to keep stuff because of that, though. If I don't wear it, I should get rid of it, right? Especially since there are adorable things like this, this, this, and these that need to be purchased. Yup.

4. Let's not even mention my handbags. Nope. Not at all.

5. Ugh! That's enough purging for one go. I plan on starting all this this weekend, and I'm dreading it! Who knows, maybe I really am a hoarder! Anyway, here's a pretty picture I took of the Ross Fountain at the Butchart Gardens to get you (and me!) through the weekend! Cheers!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Last week I started reading the final Maximum Ride book, Nevermore by James Patterson. I've really enjoyed the Maximum Ride series - there's lots of action, mutant sci-fi weirdness, a little romance - usually not so much that it's distracting, but it's pretty heavy-handed in this last book, and it's getting kind of annoying - and great characters you want to see win the ultimate battle against evil. I'm just about done with this book actually - all the books are really fast reads - and I have no idea what I'll read next. I recently downloaded several books on my sad, lonely nook, so I might pick that up again and see what I've got on there. I do have several real books to read, too. 

Anyway, back to Nevermore ... here's my teasers from page  108:

"What?" Angel felt her skull prickle all over and her hands go numb. The air around her felt like it was vibrating, and she rested her head against the plastic wall of the dog crate, breathing deeply. 

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Cheers!

A few weeks ago I hit my local Sephora store for some new products:  

I've recently heard rave reviews about the GlamGlow products, so I decided to try their Youthmud face mask and eye treatment. The face mask came with a bonus travel-sized tube, and teeny tiny instructions in every language on the planet. I will likely need my readers AND a magnifying glass to read them!

Next I picked up the Sit Tight body firming serum and FatGirl Slim Arm Candy to help tone up my calves and upper arm area. As you can see the Sit Tight has three rollerballs on the applicator, and the Arm Candy has sever little nubs on its applicator, I'm assuming to help stimulate the skin and massage the product into the skin. It'll be interesting to see if either of these products actually does what they claim! 

I don't know why I decided I needed four new mascaras, but I did. From left to right are: Josie Maran Black Ink Argan Black Oil mascara, Dior Addict IT-Lash, Lancome Grandiose wide-angle fan effect mascara, and Urban Decay Perversion with Subversion lash primer. I also picked up some more Bare Minerals Locked and Coated waterproof lash topcoat, since none of these mascaras are waterproof, and I need waterproof to get through my day.

 The final product I bought was as total impulse grab while on my way to the register: Hourlass Femme Nude lip pencil in Nude No. 4. I have tried dozens of lipsticks, and while I like the look and colour of most lipsticks, I really don't like wearing lipstick. I tend to lick my lips a lot during the day, and rub them together as some sort of nervous habit, so lipsticks tend to get all over the place. I basically just stick to the basic Blistex lip balm. But oh, well, I have it now, so I guess I'll try it! 

 As a VIB Customer, I had a lot of points built up, and chose as my free gift the Beauty Insider Origins gift set which includes tiny sizes of their Checks and Balances face wash, GinZing eye cream, GinZing moisturizer, and High Potency Night-A-Mins skin renewal cream. They all smell delightful, and I'm looking forward to trying them out! 

So, that's it for this trip. I'm afraid I don't remember what everything cost, and I already shredded the receipt, so I can't share that info with you. Just assume since it's Sephora that it was expensive; that's a pretty safe bet! (Which is why I only go twice a year or so!)  Have a great Monday! Cheers!