Announcing my new blog

The Mesquite Creek Cottage is officially retired.... please visit the The Shaggy Palm Tree for updates

Nerd Necklace

My Dr Who & Dalek necklace, it's not to everyone's taste but I freaking adore it! Thanks Charming Charlie for having this jewel on clearance on buy one get one free, score this was my free item

My Non-Bummer-Summer-Recap

Summer Recap 2012 South Texas

Might I say we were busy this summer

-Purchased a season pass to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and we used our pass every single weekend. We went to every single exhibit except the Titanic. http://www.hmns.org/

-The Hubs had a dental appointment almost every two weeks; he had his wisdom teeth pulled, cavities drilled, and caps made; along with, normal cleaning appointments. We ate a lot of soft cottage cheese this summer due to this event

-During a fishing trip we caught a fresh water crab on our line he was the size of a medium dinner plate. He was eating the bait and had a hold of the line and was still eating the bait as we reeled him in. Once he was done he let go and made his way back to the water. 

-Almost every weekend we went to the ocean. Favorite snacks at the ocean were raw squash (zucchini and crook neck) we ate them raw. Low calorie cheese, the kind you find in the produce/deli department in the cardboard wheel for around 35 calories. My favorite was the purple label and the hubs like the tomatoes basil red label. 

-We exercised regularly during the week and I have lost an additional two inches off my waist, only two more inches to go and I will be my freshmen high school size.  

-We also went to the movies every other weekend, one of my favorites so far was the Men in Black 3

Hobbies this summer-

I started devouring and assimilating these two blogs. Ironically both of these ladies live in a cool climate and near the sea. Audrey owner of Putting Me Together lives in the San Francisco area, and Sarah owner of Classy Girls Wear Pearls lives in the Providence of Rhode Island. Both of them have a love of fashion but are completely different. I love the cleaver and smart ideas that Audrey has on re-mixing your wardrobe and I crave the luxury and preppy feel of Sarah’s style. I am somewhere in the middle of these two ladies on my personal taste. 

How has these two blogs helped me grow in my personal style.

-I gave up beading as a hobby with the stores like forever21, H&M, and Charming Charlie and I can buy any accessories I want far cheaper than it would cost me to purchase the supplies from Hobby Lobby and Michael. I donated my entire bead collection, extra unworn strands and only kept the meager supply of tools for simple repairs. I no longer bead.

-After learning tons on how to work a wardrobe and I have decided that I will no longer purchase an item unless it can work as Building a Remixable Wardrobe, is one of the following colors, any shade of blue, black, white, and taupe (animal print taupe). This allows for luxury textures and is part of Building a Remixable Wardrobe. Essential pieces, the tank dress, tank tops in silky fabrics, cardigans, button ups or pop-overs, skirts, and pants. I have been following this rule all summer on my purchases, especially due to my shrinking body. It really works. I am so pleased with my closet. I can make a tank dress into a skirt and shirt, and hundreds of different effects all from just 3 or 4 articles of clothing. I always look chic with little effort. I am happy to claim I do not own a single pair of sweat pants, yoga pants, or baggy cotton shorts. 

Items I purchased this summer

-White jeans for the hubs

-Vineyard Vine tie for the hubs

-Several skirts, black white stripe, solid grey, solid white, paisley blue print

-Four button ups two gingham, one plaid and one blue

-Two tank dresses, one is navy with teal diamond pattern, and one blue/teal stripes

-Many tank tops (Old Navy and Target)

-3 pairs of ballet flats, nude patient leather, orange coral suede, and mustard yellow suede, all to go with my blue wardrobe.

-Also decided I am going to wear white all year long regardless of Memorial/Labor Day, I can’t wait to try out my white jeans and cognac knee high leather boots with a large chunky sweater.

-Drank gallons of coffee this summer, goes well with the above mentioned cottage cheese/strawberry MIO flavored

-Visited the Kemah board walk several times.

-Bay Area Mall in Webster is so amazing; it is like a mini galleria without going to downtown Houston. Made our first Lush soap purchase it was the licorice scented charcoal bar, the hubs favorite.

-Spent sometime in the air traveling this summer (woo hoo for bonus miles)

-Discovered KFC, for me and the hubs when we have played too hard and to long and need protein. Our standard order is four chicken breast baked with a single side order of jalapeno peppers, and two large unsweetened iced teas. Around $9.00

-Favorite on the road coffee break is Luvs gas stations; they have the best coffee bar.

-Started and completed Season 1-3 of Disney’s phineas and ferb,

Repeatable catch phrases we use

“I know what we are going to do today’

“Watcha doing?”

On my ipad I have become a daily player of garden to times game.

Have almost 300 books waiting to be read on my kindle and look forward to reading them. Funnies so far was the “housewife with a half life” (laugh) freezer geezers. 

As of now that about sums up my busy non –bummer-summer…

For our wedding anniversary 24 years we are going to the Galleria Mall to spend time window gazing, holding hands, and soft talk with a dine in at the Texas De Brazil.

This fall we look forward to spending Halloween at the Smithsonian museum in Washington, Thanksgiving at the sea, eating many pumpkin pies and enjoying a fire on the beach at the ocean, and sipping hot coco at a ski lodge this Christmas. If nothing else, I know what and how I will be wearing (wink)

The Hubs received a promotion; he is now Director of a two level facility with the lower level feeling of a hospital and is finishing up his clinical for his Masters. With the hubs heavy work schedule I see us spending all fall and winter here in the Houston area.

In my opinion

I saw this today and it rang true to me on why I get upset at seeing elementary school children dressed as a teen or adult such as bold nail polish, high heels and lipstick, so wrong

Shopping in the suburb of Houston

Purchased freshly ground flavored coffee and a bar of pineapple soap that smells simply perfect

Weekends in Houston Texas

Cooling down with iced tea before going to the $ movies
Movies=$3
Mc Donald's tea=$2
Total = awesome

Random facts

Unknown facts some of my favorites
1. Scratch and sniff stickers
2. Godzilla
3. Fables and stories
4. Electric techno music as in, thievery corporation and gotye
5. Modern art example sculpture made of ordinary objects; such as, http://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/events/2012/february/11/tom-friedman-returns-to-new-york/
6. Favorite ornamental animal: the giraffe but due to increased history education it is slowly changing to appreciate the camel
7. Favorite colors turquoise and cranberry color blocked
8. Favorite flavor chocolate then coconut followed by pineapple
9. Favorite time of year, November
10. Biggest wish to travel the world in class and return occasionally to a place called "the house" where it is fully staffed with healthy happy people all around me

Beads

Summer statement

Beads

Summer statement

Weekend smiles July

Us Houston TX

Redbox summer movies

Redbox codes

http://www.insideredbox.com/redbox-codes/

Anytime any redbox
DVDONME
BREAKROOM
REDBOX

Codes that work at Redbox kiosks at specific stores:

DVDATWAG - Good at any kiosk at a Walgreens store.
DVDATKROG - Good at any kiosk at a Kroger affiliated store (for Utah it's Smiths)
DVDATSONI - Good at any kiosk at a Sonic Drive-In

Galveston Island

Where we were on the 4th of July, 2011 and 2012

~Back Fence Gossip~

This is my latest creation. I used pink chain, beading wire, fresh water pearls, and dyed jade. BTW all jade is dyed.
I strung the beading wire in and out of the link of the chain

~FOTD Friday~

Playing with angles
Soft pastel
Lilly P skirt, handmade by me, purchased Lilly P fabric from eBay via the overseas Lilly Fabric Company, sewed quilting trim for elastic waist band and this makes it look like a belt. Neat
Average striped T-shirt
playing with angles and getting use to new hair style
real amber and leather necklace DIY from last year

~Back Fence Gossip~ Guilt Free Pancakes

~Back Fence Gossip~ Guilt Free Pancakes- below is the actual picture of the pancakes made at Mesquite Creek Cottage, handmade from scratch! Mmm good

Ingredients

Wheat bran 1tsp

egg whites 1/c cup

spelnda 1/4 cup

cinnamon 1 tsp

non stick spray- butter flavor

6 to 8 inch non stick skillet

whisk all ingredients together and pour into skillet, makes one pancake, due to the nature of the wheat bran, it is my experience that this works best mixing one pancake at a time, this ensures even distribution of the wheat and keeps each serving low carb. 

Toppings

 Walden Farms: Pancake Syrup 

 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Original

Brummel & Brown Made w/Yogurt butter 

 

 

Summer vacation

Whoop whoop
Summer Vacation starts-
Return blogging September 2012
Best Summer Ever, the couple from the Mesquite Creek Cottage

~Mesquite Creek Woods Monday Update~ lark sparrow nesting

This year at the Mesquite Creek Cottage the killdeer did not nest on our drive, but the Lark Sparrow did next in our back yard on the graveled path to the swimming pool.

We placed a center block about a foot from her nest to block the 30+ mph winds she was receiving. Fortunately she tolerates me checking on her daily without making a peep. We respect her space and privacy. I am not sure the eggs with hatch, the Lark Sparrow has been nesting for almost two weeks, and we had an entire week of unseasonable cool weather. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they do hatch.

~FOTD Friday~

Red - White - Blue,
Revlon lip butter lipstick in 070 cherry tart
handmade skirt
thrift shirt
handmade jewelry, real red coral, fresh water pearls, blown glass
new hair style

~Back Fence Gossip~ may

another handmade skirt this one has pink lace on the hem

~Mesquite Creek Woods Monday Update~

more wild flowers these are wild purple thistle and a native to Texas we has was lucky and an entire grove of these bloomed in one spot in the west acreage we probably have about 200 hundred of these blooming and they are one of my favorite Texas wild flower.

~FOTD Friday~ spring yellow

The following is me in yellow, I know I don't look the best in yellow with my straw hair and pale skin but I do like yellow in the spring

Of all places I found this cute stripe shirt at Walmart

Fresh water pearl and pineapple jade necklace is a DIY by yours truly and the skirt is from Target

the other picture is me after my new hair do and no, zero, zilch makeup

~Back Fence Gossip~new hair do

this is my new hair-do, Okay I admit it, I have never been one to have what I would call a great hair day. I have had thin/fine hair my entire life! This is me and I have learned to love it. You know my hair dries lightening fast!!
skirt- handmade navy with white, green, red dots
ordinary red tee
mix of costume and real jewelry
new hair style
shoes designer via Target a couple years old

Hooded Eyes video I like from youtube

For a year I have been using NYX jumbo pencil in milk on the inner part of my eye. I do have natural hooded eyes both from age and just facial features and I tried placing a medium dark brown on the inside of my eye instead of the milk pencil and YES, I think it made my eye look rounder and in proportion compared to the slant of a hooded eye. Give it a try, hope it works for you as well.

TIP on the second day of trying this reverse method, I used NYX jumbo pencil in "french fries" a brownish golden bronze color, I placed a wash of it on my lower lid next to the lash line all the way to my crease and also in my inner corner. I liked the effect and it was fast, I set entire eye from lash line to brow with Mac brule.

~Mesquite Creek Woods Monday Update~

~Mesquite Creek Woods Monday Update~

  weekend Mothers Day

Wild Flowers and Bees

Listed:
Wild Honey Bee
Nectar sucking fly
Solitaire bee (species that doesn't live in a hive) has a wicked sting, I know personally from a few years back
yellow beetle with black spots

The Killdeer bird that nested at our gravel drive last year has made two appearances but has yet to nest this year. 

~FOTD Friday~

cool day in spring
dress from target
jacket walmart

leopard shoes flats target

my sink, and pink mirror, and wash room/mud room

~Back Fence Gossip~ first week of May

I have never been proud of my sewing skills, when it came to sewing on a machine it was always a source of stress at home. My Mother was very proud of her machine, but her machine and I never got along, and this was a source of great stress and anxiety when it came to me learning to sew. I don't know of many people who can say they are a fourth generation seamstress. I am sure it goes farther back than four generations but I am only privy to in know in person of four. I am so selective when it comes to skirts, I am tall and I do have some junk in my trunk and I am over 40. That means, that I cant show to much leg and I refuse at the moment, to wear those shiny fabrics the 20 something crowd is garishly sporting. Lets not forget how much I love a little Lilly P. in my closet. Did you know you can buy past seasons bolts of unused fabrics from eBay from the Lilly Pulitzer factory? I didn't till a few years back and was able to purchase and make my own genuine Lilly P skirts. Below is pics of me sewing a Greek key white, with navy patten skirt, I choose to make my own patterns based on my measurements.

and of course it just wouldn't be a pic of me without another basic button-down shirt and dress combo. (chuckling at self)