Bathroom Remodel: Floors & Inspiration Photo

I hope you are not finding these home improvement post regarding our bathroom remodel too boring. I hope that you will find something you can take away from these posts and apply it to your own home...if nothing more, maybe you will be inspired by the fact that you CAN do it, just put your mind to it, and try!

Today, I want to show you the floor in our bathroom. I had purchased these tiles at a salvage discount store here in Ft. Worth last February. I purchased these tiles for our bathroom remodel at our cabin in Colorado. These were very inexpensive. I paid $41.00 for enough tiles to do a tub surround at the cabin, and I had plenty left over. This same tile purchased at a tile store in our area would have cost me well over $185.00. Believe me, I priced it. This is high quality, Italian tiles, not seconds. Actually, this tile was better than the $185.00 stuff I had looked to buy at the tile store. I was pleased at the price an the quality.

I had so much left over, I had enough to tile the floor of our bathroom at our home. Now, I could have purchased new tile, and I most likely would have wanted something a little more flashy, but I already had this, so I could not see spending any money for tile when I had some. We tiled (had our handyman) tile the floor in a brick pattern.

Cost of tile: FREE! We had to purchase grout and thin set, total price for that: $32.00
So for a new floor, tiled we paid a total of $32.00 How about that!
Here is the look before the tile was grouted.

And this is the tile after the grouting had been done. It is a neutral color, durable, and I like the pattern.

Granted, I know I said this tile was free, because it was left over from another project. And I realize everyone does not have tile laying around. I would suggest looking in the phone book for salvage places in your area for tile if you are looking for a small amount. You can also check on Craigslist under materials, for tile and just about anything else you can imagine when undergoing a remodel. Don't forget Craigslist, you can come across some great deals...and the price is always better than paying retail. I have seen some ads on Craigslist for free tile, grout, and mirrors. You never know what you can find until you start to look.

Remember I told you about the vanity demolition? Well, now, I had to find a vanity and stay within a budget without compromising quality and style. Well, I remembered a photo from The Pioneer Women's blog of a bathroom she remodeled during her Lodge remodel project. I was at Loewe's and a local Surplus store looking at vanities. I did not find anything that I was willing to pay over $700.00 for. Really, have you priced bathroom vanities? Not only are they overpriced, but the all look the very same, only the colors and wood styles are different. I did not find anything that spoke to me, then I remembered Pioneer Women's vanity in the photo of her remodel. I decided that was what I wanted for my bathroom too...... only a bit different....one that was more me.

This is not my photo. This is from The Pioneer Women's blog, and this is my inspiration photo for my bathroom. Please look at her beautiful photos on her blog regarding the makeover of their lodge...it is a dream....simply a dream. For more great photos of the bathroom, click Here. You will really enjoy the photos of their lodge remodel, I like to visit and just dream....

Like I said, this was my inspiration.....only. I had my own vision for our vanity.....and I had to sell it not only my husband, but to Matt, our handyman....and that was not easy.....they both thought I was crazy....Nope, it was not a easy sell. I wish you would have seen their faces when I told them what I wanted to do. It was not a pretty sight.

See ya' Monday for the rest of this story.

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Bear Salt & Pepper Shakers and Glasses

Hello Everyone! Welcome to this weeks segment of Vintage Thingies Thursday.

Thursday is the day to showcase your vintage treasures and to share your special things with everyone.

If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy! All you have to do is:
(1) do a post about something vintage.
(2) Visit all the participates and leave a comment.
(3) Link in with the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post.
(4) Be sure to refer back to my blog so everyone can see who is participating today, and if you like include the VTT button in your post. Please be sure to have your post up before linking in. Thanks so much.

Sorry, I really don't like complicated rules for these memes, so I have tried to simplify this down to the minimum. Don't be shy, we have fun every week. Join us if you can.

This week, I would like to show you a few of my bear items. These are really a fun collectible. I always smile when I see some of my bear treasures.

These are a pair of brown bear salt and pepper shakers. I purchased these at an estate sale for $3.00. I love the spaghetti bodies of these little bears. I think they are very unusual and are a nice addition to my vintage bear items.

Next, I have several of my bear glasses....some may call these Swanky Swigs. This glass is one of my larger type of glasses. Notice the cute little bears stealing honey and the bees coming after them.

Here is the other side view of the glass. Don't you think these are so cute and happy little glasses?

This is another larger glass that I have, but the design is a little different but similar just the same. This one has pine trees, and one little bear stealing the honey...but it has the same angry bees!

This is the smallest glass I have, this is more of a juice glass. Still, the theme is the same, bears after honey and the bees not too pleased.

I hope you enjoyed a look at my vintage glasses and salt and pepper shakers in a bear theme. Be sure to link in to this post and show off some of your vintage treasures today. Have a great week everyone!

Love on Wednesdays

Since Valentine's Day is in the Month of February, and that technically is the Month of Love....I have decided to host a Photography Meme each Wednesday during the Month of February.



There are no right or wrong photos...each one can tell a story and each one can represent what you think about when you think of love. I will have a Mr. Linky up each Wednesday and if you want to participate each week during the month of February, just link in. Be sure to link back to my blog so everyone can share the love represented in your photographs and blogs.

I am looking forward to seeing all of your photos. It is amazing what one can find in a simple photograph. Please spread the word...Start looking for love in all the right places....and get ready to have a fun month of Love on Wednesdays in February. I will remind you again next week. But for now, I will heed my own advice and start looking for photo opportunities,... you would think I would be more prepared...but no, I am not!

The Budget and Bella's Antics

Hi Everyone! If you read my entry on Monday, I talked about the bathroom remodel and I talked about the Bengay...but I don't think I mentioned too much about the Budget. When I say budget, it is not the budget that Steve sets up for me, it is the budget I set up for myself. Sometimes, that is a not so great a thing, because I have a hard time compromising that amount at all cost. (Get it?)

"Oh, brother, I am new here, but do I really have to listen to this again?"

If I let Steve set the budget, well...I mentioned he expected me to purchase a new vanity for under One-Fifty, and we know that was not going to happen, so there is no telling what the budget would have been.

It is not the fact that he is cheap, it is more like the fact he really does not have a clue on home improvement pricing, or any prices in general. If it is not the current price of a gallon of gas or possibly, the price of the phone bill, well....he is really not too interested. Truth. I swear.

So, I often find myself overly stressed in sticking to the budget I set in my mind for a particular project. And did I mention the fact that I am cheap. I may be even cheaper than Steve if the truth was told. I want a Champagne look on a beer budget. Seriously. I refuse to pay expensive prices for things, when with a little bit of research and effort, I can find exactly what I want for a much lower price. That is just how I roll.

"OK, Seriously, don't you think you could mention the fact that peeling wallpaper, drywall scraps, and a torn up vanity make excellent toys for growing pups?" "Well, I thought they made great toys until you took them away."

What was the budget for this project? Well, once I realized that I was going to have to purchase a new vanity and counter top that I was not counting on, I decided the budget for this project would be roughly around $900.00 for supplies alone. The labor, I figured separate, as we would do most of the grunt work, and I would pay our handyman hourly for his work. I really did not count that figure into my budget because I knew we would be doing most of the work ourselves. That to me seemed like a realistic budget.

No, I did not want to spend that much on supplies, but I was on a mission. I wanted a certain thing and I wanted it at a good price. Did I mention the fact that I can drive you nuts with my wild ideas and design thoughts?


"This is really boring, you have not mentioned one toy, one treat, or anything fun for pups...it must be my nap time."

Let me remind you, we replaced everything besides the tub. Everything.

What do you think? Do you think I stayed within my budget or went over? Do you think you could take a bathroom to bare walls, leaving only the tub and stay within this budget I set up for myself? Do you think you could have done all of this while not compromising one bit on design or style of the room?

I am going to tell you how this turned out, the trials of the remodel, the stress, the work......just not today.......check back.

"Well, we know how this turned out and we all could be bribed with a few milk bones and dog treats. There is really no need to wait, we know the answers....So, What do ya' say?"

Bathroom Remodel, a Budget and Bengay

We have been pretty busy around here the past couple of weeks. What started out to be a simple project turned out to be a major undertaking...go figure.

We needed to remove some wallpaper from our master bathroom and texture the walls and paint. Sounds simple enough....right? Well, not so much. Seems with 4 layers of old wallpaper on the wall, that removing it was not an option. That stuff was not going to budge...not one little bit.....

I should have taken a before picture of the bathroom, but by the time I remembered to do so, this is where we were in the work....See the stubborn wallpaper? It did not take me long to throw in the towel on this.....

We called our friend who is a wonderful handyman....He is the one who did the remodel at our cabin last summer....Oh, I forgot to show you that project? Well, I will post about that in the days to come....now, back at the task at hand. After a quick consultation, we decided to re- sheet rock the whole bathroom. Simple really. Should not run into any problems...right?

As long as everything has to come out in order to hang the new sheet rock, I might as well get rid of this out of date Hollywood light fixture. I had planned to save the vanity and put it back, however my son and husband demolished the vanity when they removed it. Seems my husband was under the impression a new one could be purchased for around...maybe...$150.00?! Are you kidding? Not in my world. I was not too happy about this situation, as I was not intending to spend the amount of money I knew that a new vanity would cost me.....and trust me, nothing that $150.00 could buy would I want....at all. What to do???

Well, as long as we are talking about a re-do, I might as well have the old linoleum removed and tile the floor. Boy, this type of thing is going to blow the budget out of the water......or maybe not. I remembered I had tiles left over from the bathroom remodel we did at the cabin, so I knew I had enough to tile the floor, and the price was right...free! Say goodbye to these out of date floors.....See that mess? That was from the vanity demo, and that is what I was looking at when I first discovered the smashed up vanity laying in the backyard.

Now, I hate the popcorn ceilings. I have removed all of it from my house except this bathroom and one bedroom. So...as long as we are in the process of updating, might as well strip off the popcorn ceiling too. I should have reminded myself what a job that can be. Have you ever got started on a project and it just snowballed into a major undertaking? This was going to be a quick weekend project that has turned into much more than a simple weekend job. This has been a major task.....But if you like, I will take you on this journey. I will give you a couple of demonstrations and explanations on how-to's and maybe ask for your opinions on some pressing decision making.

In case you are wondering what you need in order to strip the popcorn ceiling off, it is really quiet simple. You will need a putty knife, a step stool and a spray bottle of hot water. That is it. Oh, and a bit of elbow grease....nothing more!

Here are the directions:
1. Fill spray bottle with hot water.
2. Spray generously the ceiling in a small area with the hot water. Let set about 2-3 minutes.
3. Scrape with a putty knife. Once the ceiling is wet, the stuff will scrape off very easily. Please remember to wear a mask for protection from the dust. If you live in a older home it is a good thing to check for asbestos before beginning any project. Stay safe!

This is what I have left. Newly sheet rocked walls, freshly scraped ceiling. Floor waiting to be tiled.....did I mention the fact that I have been busy? Did I mention the fact that for such a small room, this is becoming a lot of work? Did I mention the fact that I am a few years older than the last time I did a home improvement project, and I am feeling every bit of it? Did I mention the fact that my shoulders and back hurt so bad I needed Bengay Cream to help my old tired muscles?

Or did I mention the fact that this is just the kind of thing I love? The planning? The searching? The finding all the right elements? Did I mention the fact that it brings me great pleasure to update a room, on a very strict budget, not overlooking any elements of design I was looking for originally. I just love that type of thing. Yes, I love it, tired bones, smelly Bengay Cream and all....... and I want to show you how you too can make major changes on a very small budget....with a little work, time and patience....you can turn your dreams into a reality. Check back for the rest of this journey.

Oh, Yes....I want one of these!!

Check out this Canon Digital SLR camera. Does this camera not make you swoon? Does this not make your fingers tingle with anticipation of the photos you could master with this camera? Does this camera not make you want to sell your dog to own one.......What?


Sell my Dog? Wait a dog-gone minute....SELL MY DOG!....well, I don't want one that bad. But yes, I do want one. However, no dog selling will be taking place around here for crying out loud!

Shelley from A Sister for the Bean is a new blogging buddy I met through McKMamma's blog. She is practically our neighbor who lives in Colorado Springs. I was delighted to learn that about her family and delighted for the opportunity to help them bring their daughter Claire, from South Korea home to her forever family.

Shelley and her family are currently in the process of adopting a baby girl, Claire, from South Korea. How special is that? She had a super-creative idea to help come up with needed funds to help with their adoption expenses. Shelley is holding a raffle for a Canon Digital SLR camera!!!!! Now, this has been on my "wish list" for quiet sometime. I am crossing my fingers and toes for this one!!

You will also receive in the camera package a camera bag and custom strap for your new wonderful camera. This is a wonderful prize package worth around $600.

Now, if you think this is too much of a camera for you, well, go ahead and enter and if you win.....you can ask for my address and I will be happy to send it to you, let me remind you I like a challenge and no camera would be too much to master!!

"Tickets" are $5.00 each, and this is a very good cause and would help this family bring Claire home to Colorado from South Korea. Click HERE for more details on this raffle and instructions for entering. Be sure to stop by and visit Shelley, and tell her Coloradolady sent you!

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Button Jar

Hello Everyone! Welcome to this weeks segment of Vintage Thingies Thursday.

Thursday is the day to showcase your vintage treasures and to share your special things with everyone.

If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy! All you have to do is:
(1) do a post about something vintage.
(2) Visit all the participates and leave a comment.
(3) Link in with the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post.
(4) Be sure to refer back to my blog so everyone can see who is participating today, and if you like include the VTT button in your post. Please be sure to have your post up before linking in. Thanks so much.

Sorry, I really don't like complicated rules for these memes, so I have tried to simplify this down to the minimum. Don't be shy, we have fun every week. Join us if you can.

This week, I have a jar of vintage buttons. I purchased this jar of vintage buttons about 20 years ago at a small local antique store located close to my home. I love old buttons, and have several different collections of buttons. This one is most likely the first little jar of vintage buttons I purchased back so many years ago.


I loved the old refrigerator jar that the buttons were sold in. It was worth the asking price alone.

Here are some of the many varieties of buttons in this collection. Some are gold, some white, some brown and some a variety of other colors.

These are some of the larger black buttons. They look like they were well worn. I am thinking by the size alone, that maybe these came off a coat. They are really nice quality buttons. I really like these.

These buttons are so pretty. This is a mixture of white or off-white buttons found in this jar. Some are rather large, but some are very tiny. Many of these buttons have a Opel look to them.

I hope you enjoyed a peek into one of my vintage button jars. Can you imagine the stories these buttons could tell of days gone by? I love old buttons in old jars.

Please be sure to click on the Mr. Linky link below, and visit everyone participating in VTT and take a look at all the treasures on display today. Have a great week!

It's Raining.....What ?!?

The other evening I was cooking dinner and my husband was across the street visiting his dad. I heard the doorbell ringing and stopped what I was doing to answer the door. Now usually when the doorbell rings, it will send Sophie into a barking frenzy. This time however, Sophie and Dora were absolutely out of control. I really thought it must be my brother in law, because Sophie and Dora can not stand him.....imagine the surprised, shocked, stunned look on my face when this greeted me on the front steps.

"Oh, no you don't!" was the first thing out of my mouth. "Where did this come from?" "Nope, take it back, TAKE IT BACK...we do not need another big dog....." Once again, I asked, "Where did you get this pup?"

Well, would you believe, according to my husband that this puppy was sitting on the front step of my father in laws house, looking up at my husband as he walked out the door? You don't believe that for one minute? Well good, that makes two of us. But none the less, that is the story he is sticking with.

It is one of three things regarding how this dog, which is just the type of large outside dog my husband so very much likes, came to end up on our street. One, Steve brought the dog home, slipped it out of the truck and into his dad's front yard without me seeing it. Or two, someone dumped the pup and it just happened to latch on to the softest heart on the block when it comes to dogs. Or three, The gray clouds that day dropped this pup straight from the sky. Go ahead, you choose which best fits this story.....

Oh. My. Goodness. Would you just look at this face? Oh dear, if I am not careful it won't take long to fall in love with that cute little face. Quickly, I told Steve he had to walk the street and see if anyone had lost this puppy. There was no way we could even consider keeping this dog if it belonged to someone in our neighborhood. Steve pounded the street and asked everyone, no one claimed it, one neighbor even told Steve that he thought the dog belonged to us.....nice touch to the story don't you think? True, I swear.

Now, I most likely could ignore the pleading look of my husband's baby blues to keep this puppy, but do you think I had a snowball chance in hell at turning the other way when these eyes looked up at me? Nope, that pup had me at Hello and a tail wag. A real goner tell ya'. Especially at the thought of someone having dumped this puppy on the street and left it hungry, thirsty and in the cold. Maybe it did not happen that way, but the thought of it happening, really got me.

Have you ever smelled puppies feet? If you have not, you have not lived. It is the most sweet, special smell I have yet to encounter. I love the smell of puppy feet. And this pups paws were so sweet, not as sweet as Sophie's....but sweet none the less.

We quickly found out this puppy was a girl. She was starving, thirsty, dirty and after her dinner the first order of business was a bath. I think she cleaned up rather nicely. I love her markings and coloring. She is a sweet girl. Meet Bella. The newest member of our family.

Saturday, my son came over with his dog Cassie. You may remember me talking about her a few weeks ago. If you missed the story, click HERE. Bella and Cassie became fast friends.

But as you might have expected, for Queen Sophie and Princess Dora the transition has not been too smooth. There are still uproars in the house. It is loud, noisy, and total hysteria at times. It's the big dog syndrome...my two dachshunds think they are two full grown pit bulls, and no puppy is going to dethrone them. This may take a while before things settle down around here with this one.

But who could resist a freshly bathed pup, wrapped up like a tamale in a afghan, sleeping in front of the fire.........not me. Yes sirree, Bella might have fallen from the sky, or maybe not...but however she arrived....the one thing that is for sure...She has ARRIVED! And she is a cutie!!

Simple Sunday

Admiration is a very short-lived passion, that immediately decays upon growing familiar with its object.

~Joseph Addison, The Spectator

Something to Warm Your Heart

Click on the link and watch the video. It is worth it, trust me. If this does not warm your heart, nothing will. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBtFTF2ii7U

Seasonal ~ Depression ~ Aggravated ~ Disorder

Here is my Dora. See the look she is giving you? That is just about how I feel today.

I am aggravated on top of battling minor seasonal depression disorder that I have problems with every year around this time, I am aggravated at the choices some people in my life choose to make. I don't like cloudy, cold, dreary days associated with winter time, and it is so hard to stay upbeat until I see the first tale tell signs of spring. Don't worry, it is nothing major, just a pain dealing with this during the winter months.

I know of several people who have this minor inconvenience in their lives, but throw in a good dose of aggravation with it and it does not mix too well.

What am I aggravated about? Well, I will tell you it has something to do with the fact that there are people in my life who choose to suffer and not ask for help. That there are people in my life who act as though they are God and think they can decide what is best for everyone else except their own selves. That there are people in my life whom choose to not let me know what is going on with them. That there are people in my life with what appears to me, whom have such disregard for me, they think it is OK to leave me in the dark. That because of such actions as said people, for someone on the outside looking in, makes me and others look like a bunch of losers.

Today, that is what aggravates me. Sorry, just keeping it real.

Days like this kick me in the tail........come on Spring!

No comments to this post ~ comment option is turned off. No comments are needed.

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Small Vintage Plates and Platters

Hello Everyone! Welcome to this weeks segment of Vintage Thingies Thursday. Thursday is the day to showcase your vintage treasures and to share your special things with everyone.

If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy! All you have to do is (1) do a post about something vintage. (2) Visit all the participates and leave a comment. (3) Link in with the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. (4) Be sure to refer back to my blog so everyone can see who is participating today, and if you like include the VTT button in your post. Please be sure to have your post up before linking in. Thanks so much. Sorry, I really don't like complicated rules for these memes, so I have tried to simplify this down to the minimum. Don't be shy, we have fun every week. Join us if you can.

This week, I want to show you a few of my smaller vintage platters. These are really smaller than my normally large platters I collect. I hope you enjoy looking at these today.

This one is in the USA and is stamped Upico Ivory on the back side. This measures 9 in. wide and is about 3/4 in. deep. I love the orange rim and the floral design in the middle.

I really like the design on this little plate. I know it is not a platter, but it is one of my favorite. I picked this up at a tag sale for 5 cents. This is a Homer Laughlin plate, measures 6" X 6" and has the same orange rim as the smaller platter above.
Here is a close up of the design in the middle of the plate. Very hacienda looking.

This platter is marked STERLING VITRIFIED CHINA D-5, East Liverpool, Ohio. It has a burgundy rim that looks like leaves. I really like the look of this platter. I purchased this at an antique store in Walnut Springs, Texas for $2.00. I think that was a great find.

I hope you enjoyed looking at a few of the plates and platters in my collection. Have a great week everyone and happy treasure hunting.

Yes, In America.....Part 2

......Thanks for coming back to finish this story. I wondered if you would.

During the holidays it is the busy season for my line of work. Often, you are paired with another employee to handle the work load. This year was no different, and I found myself working across from an employee of the opposite gender as myself. This person is very funny, witty, and a real joy to work with. He also is a very compassionate person and seems to have a knack of reading people very well.

One night, (remember I work nights....lucky me!) I happened to notice the said women I told you about yesterday, once again looking as if she wanted to gouge my eyes out. I must have made some type of facial gesture because my fellow co-worker, Pete picked up on it. The conversation below is what transpired from this one incident.
Very carefully, and very thoughtfully, Pete proceeded with the following questions. I have tried to relay them here exactly as the questions were put to me on this one particular night.

Pete: What do you think you would do if you worked 12 hours a day, everyday and you had to give your paycheck to your husband and did not get anything out of your paycheck but a full tank of gas and ten dollars?
Me: Huh? Right....not in my world.

Pete: No....hear me out. You know how this time of year, there are great sales going on and say you wanted to go to the store and buy yourself something but all you have is $10.00. You asked for more and you were told you did not need anything and the answer was no. What would you do?
Me: Someone better be ready to start running from the end of a baseball bat!

Pete: No.. no...hear me out....What would you feel like if it was your duty to bring money to the family and this was not option?
Me: Huh?... Duty? Well, if that was the way it was, then I'd dang sure not work 12 hours a day....are you for real?

Pete: Yes, I am for real.....What if you knew it was not an option and it would cause shame to your family if you did not do what was necessary to bring as much money into your household.
Me: Huh?... Well, they (the family) would get over it.....I would not agree to that. This is America, are you crazy? Everyone has a choice. Who and what are you talking about?

Pete: No.. no....you would do it because it is your culture to not question. If you did question, your brother would come to your house and beat the heck out of you because you would have shamed your family by disobeying.
Me: Huh?... Ha! I'd like to see him try to beat the heck out of me.....I would not do it....plain and simple....this is not a 3rd world country.....come on, Pete.

Pete: How do you think you would feel if it was expected of you to cook and entertain your mother-in-law when she is at your house, all day long until your husband gets home. All of this after you have worked hard for 12 hours the night before, and the only sleep you get is after 5:30 pm after your husband comes home, and you have to be at work by 8:00 pm. The only sleep you get in a 24 hour period is what you get at work on breaks and lunch and the couple of hours at home....Remember, this is expected, not an option. How would you feel?
Me: Look, forget how would I feel. How would you feel, because...I would not do it. Are you kidding me??? Someone would not live to tell about what I was doing. Seriously. Who treats someone like that?

Then, all of a sudden the light bulb went off in my head. Who was he talking about? Then it hit me, he was talking about Miss Sour-puss herself.

Me: Are you telling me, right here today, in America... The United States of America, where we have the freedom to choose for ourselves, live our lives without fear and the choices we make are not dictated by a over ruling husband that this woman does not know she has a choice? Come on, I don't buy that. These women have a choice, and they have lived in this country long enough to know that they have a choice.

Pete: No, they don't have a choice. Remember this is their culture. Because if they did try and change their situation they risk fear of being discarded.
Me: Well, that does not sound so bad....discard me!

Pete: No.... no, they also risk losing their children.
Me: Wait just a minute....What?
Pete: Yes. Its true.

Then Pete proceeds to tell me about how this said women's husband, the one who is always mad at the world, in order to teach her a lesson for questioning him, took her small child out of the country for over a year. She could not see her child for a year and ran up thousands of dollars in phone bills begging him to return here to the United States with her child. Vowing she would never question him again. No friggin' way.

I could not believe this was happening here in the United States, today. All of a sudden I felt so sorry for this lady. Pete told me she was not the only one, there were several women working in my place of employment from the same ethnic background who's lives were much of the same. Unbelievable. Unrealistic. Unimaginable.

Me: Pete, tell me this. Why does this women hate me so much. I can tell she hates the sight of me and I have never done anything to her. What gives?

Pete: You don't know?
Me: No. I don't get it.
Pete: You have not done anything to her, but you are everything she can not be.
Me: What?

Pete: You are a true Caucasian American women. Your life is all she dreams hers to be. You come in here everyday happy, friendly, you look nice, you look rested, you exhibit all she wants so badly but can not have.
Me: Rested? Not always. Happy? Not really. I would rather be at home!

Pete: But you get what I am saying. No, you have not done anything to her personally. But it is the image of what she can not have that draws the hate so fiercely.
Me: I can not believe all of this. In The United States of America? Unbelievable. No wonder she is always mad at the world. If that was me, I think I would have one dead husband for putting me through so much hell. And one dead brother for thinking he was going to bully me. Unbelievable.

Pete: No....remember it is the culture. The culture is stronger than what a country stands for. The culture is stronger than what one's heart desires. The culture dictates what their lives will be like.
Me: They have a choice.

Pete: If they choose differently, they risk losing everything. Plain and simple. Everything. They have no monies of their own, so how would they leave? No home, no car, no personal belongings, no children, nothing. It all belongs to the husband. They would have nothing. Culture.
Me: No wonder she hates me. How sad.
Pete: Now, you know.

I felt so sorry for this lady, I forgot how mad she has made me over the last few months with her nasty looks and hateful attitude. I am sure she will never warm up to me. And I am not so sure that if I was in her situation, that I would even want to like someone who in her eyes has everything she does not. It is really unimaginable to me.

I can not believe in The United States of America in the year
2009, that women are being treated in such a fashion and in their culture it is acceptable.


I am so glad that I live here in the land of the free. I am so glad that I am not from a culture that treats women with such disregard. Because I know myself, and I would not take that lying down. I am so thankful my husband knows not to try this crap on me....LOL.

I learned something that night. People really do judge a book by its cover, even if they will not admit they do that.

She....judges me from the outside...what she thinks I am. If she set her prejudices aside and tried to read the inside, she would know my life is not exactly as wonderful as she thinks it is. Nothing is that wonderful. She might even like me just a wee- bit.
Me... I judged her for horrible attitude, even if I don't want to admit it. I had a feeling she was a miserable person, but really had no idea to what extent that was true. If I was originally guessing the nature of her book it would have been a horror book, her being a mass murder, but in reality it was a tragic drama and when I looked more closely, and she is the victim.

Joy list entry number two: Joy in knowing I have the option to choose. Joy in knowing my culture does not direct my life and I am free to chose. Joy in being a women in the United States of America and respected.

Are you Kidding Me? In America?

.......As this story unfolds, you will understand the title....trust me.

Have you ever known a person who seems to be mad at the world? Not only mad at the world, but who appears to have a distinct dislike for you? For no reason? Have you ever known anyone who seemed to have such a black heart that their physical beauty was non existent? Well, truthfully I can say I have never known anyone who falls into that category........until about five months ago.

To refresh your memory, I was transferred to a different facility with my job in August of 2008. Not only was the move stressful, but working with a large number of people I did not know was stressful as well. The dynamics of the work environment was very different than what I have been used to. The combination of the many different ethnic backgrounds, different work procedures, different management styles made for a very stressful few weeks in the beginning.

One thing I noticed in particular was a women who works in our unit. She is of foreign decent and from day one, she looked at me as if I was Satan's spawn. This women has such a hate for me, it is overwhelming at times. I catch her looking at me as if she could claw my eyes out. At first, I tried to overlook it, and thought maybe I was overreacting and seeing something that was not there. But I am here to tell you over the course of 5 months, no matter how much I'd smile, speak, acknowledge this women, she still had a very distinct dislike for me. It never changed.

Can you imagine speaking to someone, smiling, trying to be friendly day after day to have them look at you with such hate you can feel it radiate off their body? Can you imagine speaking and saying hello to have them abruptly turn and walk away as if the devil himself is sitting on your shoulders?

It is really hard for me to describe the depth of this women's hate, it is so monumental that I really can not put it to paper. In all of my.......... 40-something years, I have never encountered anyone like this women. It was a new experience for me and one that not only made me very uncomfortable but down right angry. After all....what the heck did I do in the first place?

I decided after a few weeks to take notice of her demeanour with other coworkers. She talked to other employees, smiled at other employees, seemed to interact well with other employees....just not me. She had no desire to even act like I existed. All I got out of her was hate filled glances and dirty looks. I was perplexed to say the least.

My conclusion was this person had just a hateful spirit about her and I could not change that. I was not going to waste any more time trying to befriend this women because I could see I was wasting my time. I knew in my heart I had not done one thing to her personally, just showed up for work. Me being there had nothing to do with her, personally. It was her problem not mine. Once I made up my mind to let that go, I did feel better about the situation because I refused to let her personality upset me any longer. However, from time to time, I would catch that hateful look every now and again and each time I said a silent prayer for God to Bless this women who was apparently in such misery.

I have always been a firm believer that anyone with a disposition like that must be a very miserable and unhappy person.......I never dreamed how right that one belief I had would prove to be......to be continued.

"Quick & Easy" Photo Tag ~ FUN!

I was tagged by my sweet new friend Bo from Blinks 'N Winks from Brown- eyes for a "photo tag". The rules of this tag are quick & easy:

1. Go to the the 4th folder where you keep your pictures on your computer.
2. Post the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the photo.
4. Tag 4 fellow bloggers to join in the fun!

So here is my 4th photo in my 4th folder. Wouldn't you know it is nothing cute and soft and furry, and most definitely needs an explanation.


Last May, we did some remodel work at our cabin in Colorado. We gutted the bathroom and did a complete remodel. Well, as you can imagine with a remodel like that, the bathroom was down for four days. There was not a extra bathroom, the only one in the place was out of commission. No problem if you are a guy. But I can assure you, if you are a girl it is not so fun. Especially in the dark of night and you have to go.

This was my make shift potty for my daughter and I while the work was being done. Genius really....a Bucket, A trash bag, and the old toilet seat.

Gross? Yep...but this is a real life blog and believe me, it got the job done. I would set this up in the kitchen in the evening and remove it in the morning. No way was I going to pay a visit to mother nature in the cold dark night.

This is a picture my daughter took. I don't know why she took this photo, other than to remember the misery of the week without a working toilet. ~Thanks Bo! I can not believe I posted this!!

Okay, now I am supposed to "photo tag" 4 bloggers to post their 4th photo in their 4th folder.

1. Sally ~ Smiling Sally
2. Patty ~ Pip stitch
3. Elizabeth ~ Thoughts of a evil overlord
4.Georgie ~ Decisionally Challenged

Thanks for coming by and if you get a chance, check out these ladies' blogs & see what they have stashed in their folders.

Simple Sunday

A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!
~Author Unknown

Vintage Thingie Thursday: Vintage Dog Planters

Welcome to Vintage Thingies Thursday. Don't worry, you are at the right place, just a new look! Scroll down to my earlier post and take advantage of a discounted rate on a new blog makeover for yourself offered by Danielle.

Now that the holidays are over, and things are settling down from the fast pace of the holiday season, please consider joining us on Thursdays. We really have a great time showing our vintage treasures here in Blog land.

If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy! All you have to do is (1)do a post about something vintage. (2)Visit all the participates and leave a comment. (3)Link in with the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. (4)Be sure to either include the VTT button in your post and refer back to my blog. Don't be shy, we have fun every week. Join us if you can.

This week, I have a couple of vintage planters to show you. Of course these vintage planters are nothing other than cute puppies......seeing how I am a dog lover at heart.

How cute is this little guy? I purchased him off of eBay a few years back. He really does not look like any dog we have had in the past, but with his cute little polka dot bow, and smiling face, he was hard to resist. The bottom is marked Reliable Glassware & Potters 1956. The pencil mark price on one of his feet is $2.80. I paid a considerable amount over the foot price!


This next little dog planter is one of my favorites. This little guy is a Boston Terrier Pup. My cousin, Carie has the sweetest little Boston Terrier named Levi. When I found this planter at a flea market, I knew I had to have him. He reminds me of my cousin's cute pup, Levi. He has no markings or stamps on the bottom.


Now, can you guess what's next? I found this adorable little puppy at a flea market in November. The lady whom I purchased this from was a dachshund lover as well and owned 3 of them herself. This little dachshund planter of course represents my two pups. The bonus for me was that this is pink.....pink for my two girls! I am sure if it had been blue, I would have bought it anyway, but I was glad it was pink. I think it is so cute! The bottom is stamped Japan.


Finally, this little pup was purchased off eBay, and I truly thought it was a planter. However, once I received it, I think it was more like a dresser caddy. It has a spot for maybe a wallet in the back, and the little basket in the front that looks like it would hold change. It really does not matter what it is supposed to be used for, it reminds me of my Sophie and I just love it. I have this sitting on the window ledge in my laundry room, and because I spend so much time in that room, I enjoy it often. This little pup always brings a smile.

I hope you enjoyed a look at my vintage puppy planters. They don't hold any plants, but they are great for catching dust! Be sure to link in below on Mr. Linky and show us some of your close to the heart treasures. Have a great week!