Bits of Easter

 

     I don't put out a lot of actual Easter decorations. It seems that most of what I put out these days are eggs. I have sparkly eggs, candy looking eggs, eggs that look vintage...you get the picture. I do tuck a few rabbits around, tucked in with birds and nests. The bunny above is an antique candy container. My husband gave me mine when we were dating, you can easily find them on ebay.

 

This little Boyd's Bunny wears her carrot hat well, don't you think?

 

  

 

     Did you notice my book? Did you? Did you? I have wanted this book since it first came out several years ago. It was $60 and I just couldn't make myself do it. It still is close to $40 on Amazon, but I found it on half.com for $9! It is in perfect condition and it is every bit as beautiful as I expected it to be. Do you remember when I told you all about half.com? Click here to read the post. I get some of the most beautiful books from this site and many times they are cheap, cheap, cheap! In fact, this was one of the most expensive I have purchased!

 

 

I am actually reading it from front to back...

it is my afternoon guilty pleasure!

 

I am joining Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

and

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

 

 

A Little Mud, A Little Salt...You Have to Try This!

     I want to start this post by telling you that I'm not being paid in any way for writing about these products. In fact, they didn't even know I had a blog until I made my second trip into the store and asked if I could take a few pictures to share with all of you.

     It isn't often that I find a place and products that completely blow me away. A few days before Christmas, that is exactly what happened. After a huge pre-holiday meal (a future post) we decided to take a stroll around the shops at Pointe Orlando, where the restaurant was located. As we walked by a new shop, Mindful Minerals, what first caught our eye was the colorful soap sitting just inside the door. We stepped inside and you have never seen 3 females turn into such "girly girls" so quickly. We were immediately greeted by Melissa Sweiss, who is friendly, fun and extremely knowledgeable about her products. She put a bit of the mud mask on my hand and let it dry. It not only changed the texture of my hand, it changed the skin tone. My hand looked younger with one use.

    The facts: Mindful Minerals products are 100% pure raw minerals harvested from Jordan’s Dead Sea. They contain no preservatives and additives found in all other Dead Sea Products currently available in the market. They offer products free of preservatives and additives with its unique process of maintaining purity while naturally preserving the product. This allows Mindful Mineral customers to experience the amazing benefits of the 21 minerals found in the Dead Sea, 12 of which are found in no other ocean or sea.

     Now, for my take on the products and the store in general. I love this place! I bought several products for all of us on our first visit and took them back to the hotel and we tried them. I went back before I left town to stock up because I already knew that I didn't want to run out of anything! My daughter has been back in the store twice this week. Best of all, not only does my skin feel better...my husband actually commented on my face on two different days this week! Of course, it went something like this-

"Your face looks better, less bumpy"

"My face was bumpy?"

"No, you know...smoother"

     A couple of days later, he said, "your face really does look better". I see this as sort of a back-a**ed compliment, but considering he never says anything about my skin...I'll take it! I really can see a difference and the products are fun to use and amazingly affordable. Melissa told me that their products are sold in the Ritz Carlton Spa for so much more than they are selling them in their shop. Honestly, these are high-end products at such affordable prices we were shocked.

     So, what products am I using and do I suggest you try?

The Dead Sea Mud-it comes dry and you add a little water and use it on your face and/or body. The dermatologist at the store told me to use it once a week.

The Dead Sea Scrub-I am using this twice a week on my face. Again, as suggested by their dermatologist. I was a little nervous about this at first because my skin can be very sensitive. It does sting a bit (it is supposed to) but I was told it would "get rid of all the dead skin on my face"! It actually is doing that! You can use this all over your body as well, I haven't had a chance to do that yet.

Just Get Smooth Exfoliating Bar-I'm using this about twice a week in the shower on my legs and arms.

Just Get Dirty Mud Purifying Bar-I'm using it on my face every day and on my body 5 days a week.

Dead Sea Salt Bath Soak-I've used this only once, and I liked it. I just have a hard time taking the time to soak in the bath tub. I need to do it more often as it helps with sore joints and muscles.

The Dead Sea Skin Care Creams-Cleanser, Day Cream and Night Cream-I swear these combined with the salt scrub are doing good things for my face. I use the cleanser at night only. The price of these was so reasonable that I couldn't have bought them at Walgreens for that price.

The Citrus Soap with loofah-this is just fun and it smells good and feels good. It has loofah sponge inside the soap!

     I never buy skin products in large amounts, but as you can see...I bought a ton of Mindful Minerals and I bought 3 jars/bars of almost everything just for me, plus what I bought for my daughter and her girlfriend. My dad even bought a bar of the Just Get Smooth soap for his dry skin. What is wonderful is that it works if you are 27 (my daughter) or 57 (me) or 85 (my dad). It works for men or women.

     I think you can tell that I love this stuff. I love the fact that Melissa and her husband lived where these products come from for 3 years. I love that they have a dermatologist that tells you (even if you don't want to hear it) exactly what you need to do to look better. I loved that their young children were in the shop and that they were so new that they had just gotten their cash register the day we were there. I also love how she really works with you on what items are best for you and didn't push a single product. I also love it that I have a single jar of night cream in my bathroom that cost more than all of these products I bought added together. It is affordable and it works!

     I am linking the website and their Facebook page so you can see more of the products and order some if you like. There are also discounts offered on the Facebook page. If it were me, I would call the number and talk to Melissa. They had some great specials before Christmas and my daughter says they have a Valentine Special now. You can save even more money if you happen to grab a special offer, plus she can tell you what you need most for your skin type and how to use it. I actually can't wait to see what products they come out with next and I will try them without hesitation.

     If you call Mindful Minerals, please tell them you read it about them on Suzy's blog. I'd love for them to know that I sent my friends their way. You won't be sorry, I promise!

Mindful Minerals Website

Mindful Minerals Facebook Page

She Wanted To Come Home With Me!

      Does it ever happen to you? You are walking through a store somewhere and suddenly something catches your eye. You stop, you look and you know that you have no business buying whatever the item might be. It certainly isn't something you NEED and maybe it isn't something you can even use.

     Most of you probably remember that my decorating style is anything but primitive. I have leather, seashells, old silver and lots of crystal and iron. My style is more "Tommy Bahama" than anything else I can think of...with touches of whites and sea glass. I have some antiques, but they aren't "chippy" painted and I even polish my silver. So, what was I thinking?

     What would you do if you kept walking past something in a store and you just couldn't leave it alone. What would you do if she had a name and she seemed to be calling yours?

Meet Lady.

     After about 20 minutes of wandering around and around a darling little shop, Back to Nature, in Petoskey, MI, my husband finally said, "just buy it"! Now, believe me, I'm not the kind of girl who needs permission from my husband to buy something. It wasn't permission I was looking for...it was some sort of explanation as to why I would even want her. I didn't have a place to put her, she certainly doesn't look like anything else I own and she doesn't match, blend, go with or accentuate anything in my house. I just loved her.

I mean look at the face!

Look at those wings...she's a ladybug!

     For right now, she is making her home in the shade of the topiary on the library table. I simply haven't had the time or energy to get creative with her yet. Am I sorry that I bought her? Not one bit. Sometimes you need to just go with your heart even if it doesn't make sense. She may not fit in with the rest of my decor...but my house isn't a showroom, it is home. It is supposed to be fun and eclectic. There are supposed to be things that just make you smile when you see them and "Lady" does that right now for me. So, while I realize she may not be the prettiest ladybug you've ever seen...she is the only one for me!

I hope you all had a great 4th of July.

We watched the fireworks from our deck and had a quiet day.

I'm still getting over the big "germ" that followed me home from Michigan.

I'm joining Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for

Table Top Tuesday. Please visit her today!



Camera Shopping...Opinions Wanted

     There is a new camera in my immediate future. I've had 2 Sony Cybershots and I really liked them, but my current one is not acting quite right and it is old enough that I think a new one is called for. I want a point and shoot, no changing lenses for me. I would prefer it to fit in my pocket so I don't have to carry a camera bag. Sometimes I really don't like to draw attention to the fact that I have a camera. I'd like it to have a few more bells and whistles than I've had. I want to be able to take pictures of the moon and fireworks as well as food, tablescapes and grandchildren!

     I'm considering these 3 cameras, do any of you own them? Love them? Hate them? I'd appreciate any advice or suggestions you have!

     Canon SX30IS 14.1MP Digital Camera with 35x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 Inch Wide LCD

     Canon PowerShot SX130IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3.0-Inch LCD

     Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 24x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD

Finding New "Must Haves" From Other Bloggers

     Don't stop reading! Isn't that just the worst name for something that tastes good? A few weeks ago, I was reading a blog post from one of my favorite bloggers, Torie Jayne. Torie is from London and is a designer. Her blog is beautiful and she shares everything from furniture to craft projects, all in amazing color palettes.

Torie posted a recipe for this gorgeous butterfly cheesecake and the crust used Digestive Biscuits. Well, I immediately asked her what she meant...and I was intrigued enough by her response to dig a bit deeper.

A digestive biscuit, sometimes referred to as a sweetmeal biscuit, is a semi-sweet biscuit popular in the United Kingdom and in other Commonwealth countries, as well as in Ireland and in Greece. The term 'digestive' is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed. (from Wiki)

     Years ago, I was able to buy a Tea Biscuit from Carr's, that is no longer available. I loved them and this sounded somewhat similar...so, I started my search. I discovered that there are several sources in the States for British products. I also learned that McVitie's Digestives are the original and I decided I would try those. I checked various websites and found that my best deal was ordering them from Amazon where I bought 7 packages for $28 and got free shipping. I did put a link to them on my sidebar. I see they have lowered the price since I bought mine last week!

     They are a little bit like a graham cracker, only more fragile. They crumble so easily, but even the crumbs would be good for crusts, or sprinkled on puddings etc. They are slightly sweet and perfect for a treat with tea or coffee. They would even be good for an easy breakfast. The nutrition label is different than I'm used to, but I think it says that they have 70 calories, 3.1g of fat and .5g of fiber per biscuit.

     Thanks to Torie, I have a new treat on my "Worth it" list of favorites. Have you found anything wonderful through another blogger? If so, why don't you share it with us in the comments!

I'll share a few more beautiful photos from Torie Jayne.

Don't you love her color palette for Halloween?

Torie's sweet colors for Christmas.

Do You Half.com?

     If you read my recent post about Nancy Drew books, you know I have had a lifelong obsession love of books. Sometimes I want a book to be brand new, all mine and untouched by the hands of others. Okay, really I always want them to brand new, but I can't always afford every book I want, so I settle for a little wrinkle in a cover, a bent corner or a little bit of loving use. I've used Half.com for years. When my daughter was in college, we literally saved hundreds of dollars on her textbooks buying and selling them through this website.

     My most recent purchase started innocently. I had a picture of a book torn from a magazine. I googled the title and found they had it on Half.com. I immediately went to the site and ordered the book.

Phyllis Hoffman's book was mine for $6.43! Woo Hoo! Of course now I was on the webpage and it asked if I wanted to continue shopping...that is where the trouble began.

A Nell Hill book for under a dollar, Shabby Chic for $3.09. It didn't stop there...I was in the decorating section and a few more clicks and look what I found...

All three of these were under a dollar each.

This one was calling my name for $2.78. I love it!

Who could resist the title of this one?

The Relaxed Kitchen: How to Entertain With Casual Elegance

and Never Lose Your Mind, Incinerate the Soufflé or Murder the Guests

It was only .75!

     What about shipping? You do pay $3.99 per book shipping, unless you happen to do what I did...combine purchases. Once I put a book I wanted in my shopping cart, I tried to find other books from the same seller. Each book from the same seller has a slightly lower shipping charge. Sometimes that worked, sometimes not. My total for all of the above books, plus a landscaping book that I picked up for my husband ($1.89) was $42.37 including the shipping. The retail price of the original book I was looking for, $24.99.

     I buy so many books from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Borders and Books-a-Million that I would never suggest that anyone should stop buying books through these wonderful stores/websites. There is nothing better that being the first person to open the pages of a new book. On the other hand, sometimes it is fun to get a big package in the mail and not know exactly what you are getting. Now, if I could just find the time to sit down and read them all!

Worth it!

* I was not compensated by half.com for this review.

The $5 (or less) Cure for the Winter Blahs

     I am one of those people who doesn't "do winter" well. I don't like feeling shut inside, I don't like driving on slick roads and I really don't like that it gets dark so early. Do I have Seasonal Affective Disorder...I don't know. I have enough problems without giving myself that label! I have found that the past 3 winters have been a little better for me and I truly believe the reason is that I spend 2 weeks in Florida in December, where the flowers are still blooming, the grass is green and the sun shines.

     I discovered several years ago that a simple $5 or less expenditure really helps my mood. I know that many of us are budgeting this time of year. We don't feel as if we should "treat" ourselves to much of anything. I promise you that this is worth it. Give up that latte, that extra magazine or bag of Oreos and grab one of those bouquets from the grocery store. Our Wal-mart has them starting at $3.98, even less if you happen to hit the half-price sale. It doesn't matter what kind of flowers they are, just bring them home, snip off the ends and put them in water.

     We have been having sub-zero temps and snow around here. Friday night I found these gorgeous tulips at Wal-Mart for $5. They weren't white, but they weren't exactly pink either. Tulips are my favorite flower and with just a moment's hesitation, I put them in my cart. When I woke up Saturday morning, I'd forgotten about the flowers. When I walked into the living room, the first thing to catch my eye was the vase on the kitchen counter...I started my day with a smile. There is something about that touch of life in the house when the temperature is -10 that gives me hope that spring is coming, eventually. I call it flower therapy and I swear it works. Here it is Tuesday morning and they still look beautiful. What a deal for $5.

Worth It! Gilchrist-Gilchrist

     I'm sure that many of you are just like me. We read magazines, tearing out projects we want to make, recipes to try and places we'd love to visit. Often, the projects are never completed, the recipes never prepared and the trip never taken. Sometimes, if you actually follow through...you many find it was worth the effort!

     We generally stay in Nashville, TN on our way home from Florida. Last week, we didn't make it that far. A morning migraine and the traffic from hell slowed us down. We ended up spending the night south of Atlanta, arriving in Nashville around noon the second day. I generally stop at my favorite place to buy loose tea while in Nashville and that was already in the plans for the day. I also was armed with a torn out page from the December issue of Southern Living Magazine. The issue had featured the Nashville home of Genia and Glenn Gilchrist. It also talked about Genia's shop (she runs it with her mom) Gilchrist-Gilchrist...I knew I had to check it out.

     Lucky for me, the shop was only 2 miles from my "tea stop" and it was my wedding anniversary, so my husband wouldn't tell me we didn't have time. We pulled onto a cute little street of what obviously had been residential, to find Genia's shop and a few others. Genia was chatting with a friend when we entered and I immediately knew that she was the kind of woman who could easily be a friend. All I could think about when I walked in was how so many of my friends from Blogland would go crazy in this great little store. It was a sea of whites...both vintage and new. I don't even decorate with the shabby chic look and I wanted everything. Genia was very generous in letting me take a few pictures to share with all of you.

     Of course I didn't leave empty handed. I seemed to focus on trees, and was lucky it was after Christmas...so my tree purchases were half price. The other item I forgot to take a picture of was delicious Lip Balm from Tokyomilk in Opera Mint. If you have never seen this line of soap, lip balms and perfumes...check it out. The packaging alone is worth the price and the lip balm is wonderful.

     Gilchrist-Gilchrist is located at 2825 Bransford Avenue in Nashville, TN. They aren't on the web, but you can call them at 615-385-2122.