sick for a week

There are things I enjoy and things that I don't enjoy- and being sick is on my list of things that I do not enjoy!

I feel as if I've been sick for forever. I'm tired and cranky, and to be honest I'm tired of being tired and cranky. I've lost my sense of smell and can hardly taste anything, my hearing goes in and out, I've lost my voice and I'm tired, so very tired. Damn this sucks!

quote of the day

Have a heart that never hardens,
a temper that never tires,
a touch that never hurts.
-Charles Dickens

I'm back in the UK

Actually I've been back since late Monday afternoon but have been quite ill. It seems that no matter where we go on a vacation holiday one of my family members gets sick. This year both my husband and I have gotten sick. Me, well I've had 2 different illnesses and have developed pleurisy because of the extent of coughing. We went to see the Doctor on Tuesday and well my husband seems to be getting better where I have taken a turn for the worse. To make my situation all that more pitiable I'm having an bad allergic reaction to the pain medication and now have hives and severe itching all over my body plus diarrhea and uncontrollable vomiting (nice huh). So I guess this is something I can write about in my scrapbook eh?... Caught a serious head-cold and was almost wiped out by a stomach bug from a Falafel sandwich from our tour guide while on vacation in Egypt. Oh the memories!

quote of the day

I'm thirty years old, but I read at the thirty-four-year-old level.
- Dana Carvey

Today!

Finally after all this waiting, the big day is here! We were wanting to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary with a special trip just for us, but alas at that time things were just a bit hectic. So here it is, October and well wouldn't you know it, the timing couldn't be more perfect for us to take a trip!

Our bags are packed, just a few little details to take care of around here and then we'll be off! we won't have internet connections other than at the airport so I'm leaving my little laptop behind. I am bringing a note book to write about all of the places we've been to and our experiences. When we get back, I'll tell you all about it!

Our daughter is off as well- we all will have stories to tell of our travels when we get back.

Please keep us all in your prayers!

quote of the day

I believe that two people are connected at the heart, and it doesn't matter what you do, or who you are or where you live; there are no boundaries or barriers if two people are destined to be together.
~Julia Roberts
Happy Belated Anniversary to me!

1 day

Why is it that men seem to wait until the last minute before a trip or a social event to do clothes shopping? They knew weeks in advance of such occasion yet they put off doing the one thing that they should do fist- buy clothes for themselves! Myself, I've been packed for more than a week! My husband? Well he's got some toiletries put together in a white plastic bag hanging on a door knob (yes I'm being slightly sarcastic).

Yesterday I went out with my spouse to get him a new blazer and a couple pairs of trousers- oh yeah that was fun (insert eye roll here). Women generally come out of the store HAPPY when carrying a bag of nice clothes for themselves. Men on the other hand, well they come out just as grumpy as they went into the store even with a bag full of nice clothes- do you know why that is? It's because they had to pay full price that's why! They knew well in advance that they needed to add something fresh to their wardrobes but never shop until the last minute. They don't look for sales or anything, and they think that the stores will always carry their size (time to wake up guys).

As I was sitting on a stool waiting for my husband to come out of the dressing room, I was sitting next to a lady who had me smiling from ear to ear. I must have been looking bored out of my mind when she leans over to me and says with this smirk and a sarcastic tone only another women can understand "I've completely lost the will to live". She was referring to having to wait for her husband in the dressing room trying on trousers. Throw in that charming British accent and I almost lost it! It was too darn funny! She said to me that she's rather shop for clothes with her teen aged daughter than suffer through this. I looked at her and I said "I couldn't agree more". Meanwhile another gentleman comes out of the dressing room, walks over to his wife and says "do these trousers make my bum look fat?" Can you see the irony in this? My thought was -we've tortured you for years with making you come clothes shopping with us and now it's your turn and you get back at us for those years of torture in just one afternoon...nice!

quote of the day

Always and never are two words

you should always remember never to use.
-- Wendell Johnson

2 days

Here I am, getting ready for this trip of a lifetime. I look forward to going someplace new and exotic but yet this place is as old as time its self. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I'm bringing a notebook to journal in while I'm away as I will not have my lap top with me on this trip.

I have no qualms with the requirements of dress, I only wish that more people would do what is asked and be respectful of other cultures and religions. This is the trip of a lifetime- I know that I say it a lot but it's true! This has been a dream of mine for such a long time, and for it now to become a reality is nothing short of amazing!

Now after this trip I'll be filling my look look book blog with TONS of photo's! I'll have MORE than enough pictures to fill a scrapbook and maybe I'll bring back a trinket or two!

quote of the day

For travel to be delightful,

one must have a good place to leave and return to.
-- Frederick B. Wilcox

Hellos and Good Byes

Being a military spouse isn't an easy job. We're the ones that go through the constant heartache of losing friends to a PCS (military move) year after year. I used to let myself get upset about this thing that I couldn't control- those damn military moves taking my best buds away! I'd throw myself a little pity party as I hated "losing friends to a PCS" and the worst part was being the one that was left behind. I got tired of the constant heartache and that's when I decided one day to look at it from a different angle. God has given me a fantastic opportunity to show new people the wonderful places that I've discovered- the little places to have lunch with a girlfriend (or my kids), the places where to buy those hard to find items, a yummy place for a cup of coffee or tea, where you can get yourself a cool scarf, the places to take your family to set up a great back drop for a family photo, etc. Look at all of the wonderful things you've shared with your "old friends" that you can now show to "new friends". And when YOU leave, all of those wonderful things will continue to be passed on. It's like you're leaving behind a legacy. Look at it as never really saying good bye but as always saying" Hello".

some of my other antique shop finds...

I confess, I am a hopeless Pottery Addict! Living here in England has enabled me to find a wider selection, better prices and better quality pottery!

Take this Portmeirion Basin and Ewer in the Christmas Rose pattern- I could only dream about owning something like this. But living here in England has given me the opportunity to be able to own such fine pieces as a fraction of what it would cost me back in the states. Now to replace them if they were to break during the move- now that would cost a mint!


Now who can resist a covered casserole dish? This was calling out to me, a brand NEW Portmeirion casserole dish that someone received as a wedding gift and they didn't like it. Left abandoned and on it's own to find someone who would love it...then I came along! I paid a third of what full retail is on this lovely piece of British made pottery! I will treasure it for many years to come!

These platters are so seriously cool to look at! The style is called "Flow" as it has to do with how glaze is applied before the firing process. Believe it or not but the Turkey Platter is in mint condish and I got it for the whopping price of...£5.00, no joke! It dates to the early 1900's and has clearly only ever been on display. Apparently turkey platters aren't much in demand out here.

The Fleur di Lis platter is supposed to be late 1800's and did cost me a little more than the Turkey Platter, but look at it, it's seriously cool!

Now as for being "collectible", apparently it's the Asian or Oriental designs are the ones that are highly prized and sought after by collectors. Me, I don't much care for the Oriental designs, I'd much rather have a nice pretty floral pattern or something else that strikes my fancy than Blue Willow.

AAhhhh, more great finds in Portmeirion. This is a retired floral pattern and it's one heavy bowl! It's lovely! It will be well used in my home!

This lovely little vintage piece is made by Portmeirion, it's from the 1970's and I do not know what the pattern is called but it's pretty none the less! The piece is a Sandwich tray, but it's great for serving all kinds of yummy treats!

The little bowls you see are made by Burleigh and are small sugar bowls- which are great for serving wonton soup, salsa or ice cream!

Here's my best deal yet on Burleigh Pottery- the large Chinese bowl which retails for £54.50, I paid £15.00. There's no way on this planet that I would ever find a deal like this back in the states...no way no how! I felt as if I had won the lottery that day!

There are also the Unusual finds- take this Portmeirion Halloween Bowl. Since Halloween isn't all that "big" out here in England like it is back in the States one would never expect to find something like this.

As you see, it fits in perfectly in my kitchen table in the breakfast room filled with Halloween treats!

With only 6 more months to go out here, I look forward to seeing what other great deals I'll come across and discover. One never really knows where the next bargain is lurking.

quote of the day

Be an explorer.

The universe is filled with wonder and magical things.
-- Flavia

My Antique Shop Treasures

I saw (it's been many months ago now) in a magazine, a sitting room decorated in a manner that has stuck with me and has been in my head for quite some time. I'll have to wait until we get state side once again to find some wing back chairs, I've got the Turkish Rug and maybe I'll get lucky find a small table while here. Okay lets get back on topic- Then a little while back on the internet (HGTV to be exact) I saw a formal dining room decorated in a manner that I thought quite pleasing. Elegant yet not too formal to make ones guests feel uncomfortable. Then I saw a some more photo's of this persons house and loved what she had done with her Blue and white Staffordshire pottery collection. I knew that I wanted to recreate a similar look for my own home with my collection of blue and white pieces. Here's the link to Tetbury's photo's over on HGTV's website. Now here's the look I've recreated...

Actually it's 2 of the looks combined into one. My British house alas has narrow poky hallways and compartmentalized rooms. The picture you see here is in my breakfast room. But once I get back to New England I'll be able to have a larger house (hopefully one with an actual entry way like I had in my last house). I've found these items in various Antique shops here in the UK, on e-bay UK , the RAF Croughton gift shop and of course at the Burleigh Company factory shop in Stoke on Trent. Now if you'd like to catch up on the lovely person who created those wonderful rooms over on HGTV, well here's a link to her Blog Antiqueaholic, it's well worth checking out!

quote of the day

About the time we think we can make ends meet,

somebody moves the ends.
~ Herbert Hoover

A day in the life...

Getting ready...
♥ for the postman to bring me a package
♥ for the power to go off in about 30 minutes
♥ for my pedicure today
♥ to drive to the base
♥ to check out an antique store
♥ to call on a friend
♥ to have lunch out

Just a day in my life really.

3 day weekend

Believe it or not but there was this 3 day weekend- well for me there was. My husband worked and my daughter Had to go to school but alas I celebrated Columbus Day!

quote of the day

We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities.
- Walt Kelly

quote of the day

Isn't it interesting that people feel best about themselves right before they go on vacation? They've cleared up all of their to-do piles, closed up transactions, renewed old promises with themselves. My most basic suggestion is that people should do that more than just once a year.
~David Allen

Dreaming of my next house

With retirement in 6 months and the actual move within a few short weeks after that...It's got me thinking and dreaming about my next house. I know exactly what I want to do with the next one! I wonder what kind of house we'll end up buying- oh I hope that it's a Salt Box design as it's such a classic New England style house! I've got plans for the various rooms and areas of the house-from our reading area (which will be the formal living room) to the eat in kitchen, the formal dining room and the family room! I've got some pretty nifty ideas and with a few things purchased here in England, well I'll be able to put together something quite spiffy!