One Tough Customer

Apparently I am a more difficult customer than I had realized. Now I always try to be kind, and I always tip at least 20% (yes, more for GREAT service). But sometimes I guess I just think toooooo deeeep for some people, especially in the restaurant business.

Actual conversation I had today, at Subway:

"I'll have the 6-inch orchard chicken salad on 9 grain honey oat." 
Subway man "Would you like that toasted?" 
Me: "Wouldn't that be kind of yucky?" 
Subway man: "Yes, ma'am, it would be." loooooooong pause. 
Subway man:"So you would not like it toasted, then?"

My dear friend Jessica then reminded me of this conversation, which I had completely forgotten about.

Actual conversation I had about 2 years ago, at Cheesecake Factory (on girls' night out!!) As written by my bestie, Jessica:

Waiter: “What would you like to drink, Miss?” 
Liz: “I don’t care, something with mango.” 
Waiter: “I’m sorry, we don’t serve mango drinks.” 
Liz: “Don’t you have some mango syrup from the bar you can put in lemonade?” 
Waiter: ...“Yes.” 
Liz: “Okay then” *while she rolls her eyes in boredom* 
Waiter: “So what would you like to drink???” 
***rest of the night, he makes no eye contact with me (Jess) and ignores me (Jess) with a passion while he humbly makes sure you (Liz) have everything you need***

This whole experience reminds me of a conversation I had at Pier 1 yesterday.

Pier1 Saleswoman: This set of vases is on sale, and they kind of go with the color scheme you have going on." 
Me: "Well, those seem to be a shiny coral color. All of the items I placed on the counter are more rustic burnt oranges and golds." 
Pier1 Saleswoman: "Well you know, they are on sale." 
Me: "I appreciate that....But, I mean....do you really think they match the rustic theme in the room?"
Pier1 Saleswoman: "Well, not really, but they were $79 and now they are on the sale for $12.99"
Me (in my head): "LADY these don't match my theme, they are the wrong color, they are ugly, and I don't care if they are on sale!!!" 
Me (out of my mouth): "You know, I'm thinking of getting a large urn to hold some giant bamboo. Do you have any suggestions?" 
Pier1 Saleswoman: "So you don't want these vases, then?"


I guess I am just a jerk for assuming that obvious questions need to be answered. :) But honestly for some reason I find that I have these conversations rather frequently. Weird & strange!!! If I ask you something, and you spit out an answer that makes sense, please oh please don't ask me again!!! :)

In all honesty I just find it hilarious. It gives me a daily laugh. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine!!

Oh Happy Day @ Pier1!!!!!!

 Rattan Charger, White Coupe Dinner/Salad Plates, and a spice yellow napkin with a gold border. The napkin ring is shades of chocolate/amber/yellow etc. I bought just 1 place setting to see if I still love it in a few days. I've learned myself! :)

 The mirror still needs to be hung!! 

  The secret to staying cool here in S Florida...light coverlets. NO COMFORTERS!!!

  Rustic trinket tray

  Breakfast trays are very useful for decorating. Love this one.

  You can kind of see the wood color in this pic

  Burnished copper lamp with a silk champagne shade. 

  Emmett is sure I did all this work for him.

 I bought this piece of art when we first got married. I loved it then, and I still love it!! We still need to hang it. It's going above the bed.

Rich says he feels like someone is looking at him :) The colors don't show true in the pic. It has warm oranges, reds, yellows, chocolates etc.

Cheers to Pier1!!!

A Day in Hair History

When I hit puberty, my hair was suddenly possessed by demons. My long, soft curls looked, as my brother Michael so kindly put it, "like an explosion in a steel wool factory." I tried relaxers, straight perms, everything that was available to tame curly hair. Yet time after time, hair stylists would shake their heads and say "I've just never seen such thick, coarse, spiral curly hair. I don't know what else to do." When I was 14, I heard that there was a "Japanese straight perm" new on the market that could tame the craziest hair. I didn't really believe it could be true, and plus it cost about $1200 to get it done in California. When I went to visit my grandma for the summer, I left CA with crazy curly hair. Her hair stylist did the Japanese straightening treatment for $300. I decided to give it a go. I could not believe how straight, silky, and shiny my hair was when I left the salon that day. My mom and grandma saw me in front of the mirror later at home, eyes big--just running my hands through my hair, saying, "It's a miracle...."

For the past 8 years, I have successfully squelched every curl on my head. In fact, if you didn't know me before I was 14, you'd have no idea that my hair is, indeed, a story of epic proportions. There is enough money invested in my hair to put a down payment on a very nice house.

But today, I decided to be human. I have grown weary of the 2 hours it takes me to blow out and straighten my hair to polished perfection. I'm just running errands today. So, I gave my hair permission to show its true colors for the first time in 8 years. I've actually straightened it so much, that I've broken the curl. Now it's just a wavy-ness. I scrunched it with Jonathon Silky Dirt (my favorite EVER hair product) and actually put in a few curls with a curling iron. Then I played around with my new camera (which I still haven't figured out how to use fully) to create photographs for the archives of the epically unbelievable. I am leaving my house with curly hair today :)

I know, it's rather shocking. For me, too.

Almost smiling. :)

I think you get the full effect this way. I took this pic from the mirror. :)

Illogical? Yes

Emmett loves to sleep in his cat carrier. Nevermind that if I take him outside the house in it, he shrieks, screams, and attacks the inside of the carrier. When the carrier is back inside the house, suddenly he loves it, and it is his bed of choice. See his satisfied little face as he rests in his plush sherpa bag.

WasteNot Basket

Of all the things I will throw money at, I REFUSE to spend money purchasing those little garbage bags for bathroom/bedroom wastebaskets. I save and use Publix, Wal-Mart and Target bags for that job. I like this wastebasket a lot. It is a neat way to use up all those plastic grocery bags!! You can find this wastebasket HERE!!

Finally, a Little Sanity

I have finally gotten most of my kitchen stuff put away. Tonight I took the last box off of the kitchen counter and finally, I can cook in my kitchen!! This always makes me feel a little more sane! Even though the kitchen is galley style, the wall on the "sink side" has a large cut out so that it is open to the living room, which I really like.

Easter Afterthought

After the Sunday service at our church, we had a communion service for the church family. Rich and I were sitting with David between us, Victoria next to me, and Carolyn next to her. During the start of the service it seemed that some of the younger teens might need some "guidance" (hehe) and Carolyn went over to sit by them. This left Rich and me to make sure that somehow a 7 and 9 year old kept their eyes closed during prayer and didn't spill their juice. I thought that was the hard part. I must have told Victoria three times to be careful to sit still and not to spill on her Easter dress. She was so careful and adorable to hold her little cup carefully, and kept glancing up at me with her eyes shining, the cup grasped tightly in her hands. David sat like a statue, too. I ended up being so careful and attentive to the kids that I ended up moving my own hand and spilling all over myself!! I immediately started laughing and so did Victoria and David. What a picture we made, two great kids sitting there grasping their cups tightly, and me in the middle with juice all over my lap, laughing during the middle of the Lord's Supper. It reminded me of the "dates" my dad used to take me on when I was a little girl. To this day I can't remember where we were going on this certain one, but I remember that I got dressed up in this pink flowery dress, and we went to grab a quick dinner before going to wherever it was that we were going. Dad told me repeatedly not to spill anything on my dress. I was sooooo careful, and I ended up without a spot while he spilled something all down his white shirt and he had to go home and change.

David is 9, Tory is 7, and Maddie is 3

It was great to spend this Easter with the friends we have made since we have been here. We hit it off with our Pastor and Pastor's wife (Tom and Carolyn) immediately when we met them, and we love their kids too. Madelyn doesn't get mentioned in the story because she is only 3 and was in the nursery. She is a pistol--everything from cutting her own hair, to coming in from the yard looking like she rolled in the mud--then she becomes a giggling little girl, playing with her dolls in the tub to clean up.

Tom & Carolyn

It makes me think of our friends Jim and Nanette from CA. We vacationed together with them in January. They had their 3 kids with them, and we had a great time! We really miss them, but thankfully Nanette is great about taking pictures and letting me keep up with the kids that way. :)

Nanette & me, Chloe is all bundled up in the middle and Seth in the front pack. It was freezing!!

Happy After-Easter! :)

Moving!!

                                                             I think this face really says it all!! We are surrounded by moving boxes, wrapping paper, bubble wrap, and tons of loose items everywhere!! We have gotten a fair amount done in the last 2 days, considering our schedules. On Wednesday we moved all of our stuff from storage into our new place, and moved our clothes and personal items from the townhouse. Thursday morning was our furniture delivery. We love our new bedroom set and dining set. I snapped a few pictures around the house but I still haven't figured out how to use the flash properly on my new camera, and they look super dark! As you can see the dining table is functioning beautifully as a catch-all. There's so much stuff still to put away!! Then Rich installed a fan/light fixture thing in the master bedroom. I have to admit I married a pretty smart guy :)

Thursday afternoon we went and picked up an entertainment center, which Rich put together by himself.  He never reads the directions for anything, but somehow he puts together everything perfectly--extremely fast. The entertainment center is all done except for the doors we ordered for the two towers. We wanted a special type of door, so when they are in then he will be able to finish that. You can kind of see the living rom in this pic of him putting everything all together. 

Then there is my fab find. That would be a piece of art for the living room. And surprisingly I found it at Ikea. We were browsing through and I saw the Golden Gate bridge!!! I knew I had to have it!

I love my bridge!! It's a nice reminder of the place I spent most of my life. I love having things in the house that mean something in one way or another. I can't wait to get things more put together!

Target has cute flats for summer!!!

Basic black and ..... basic yellow? Lol :) $19.99 each, that's a great price for me!! :) I bought a really cute brown pair of knotted front shantung flats (THESE, the brown) a couple of months ago (rocket dog) but I have been disappointed in the quality. After 2 wears the sole was coming unattached from the toe of the left shoe. :( I don't think I will buy another pair of Rocket dog shoes!! Unless I give in to THESE.

His love is extravagant :)

New Furniture

                                                  Rich took me shopping for new furniture today. :) I have been wanting to get some furniture for about six months, but we knew we'd be moving again when our lease was up and the movers damaged our dining set pretty badly when we moved last year!! Finally we are moving into our new place in 10 days, and we went furniture shopping today!! This is our new dining room set. The wood is actually burnished and distressed, which I LOVE!! We also bought a bedroom set. We actually found one we both liked for under $1,000. I am putting a picture below. 

I am excited about my new stuff!! I am planning to switch over to white dinnerware for spring and summer, and to change up our master bedroom colors as well. I think I'll put our current stuff in the guest room. I am still thinking of the yellow spice bedding collection that I found at Ethan Allen. If you missed it the first time around, you can view it HERE. 

Spring Color Splash

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. For me, that means that Easter passes and dressing in 80% black must end, for a couple of seasons. Black is my favorite color to wear. It's a very friendly color, it loves all people and it goes with EVERYTHING. Today I went shopping to get my spring and summer clothes started. I picked up this cute dress for Easter, with a cute shell and pearl cocktail ring to go with it.



Spring also means pearls get exciting. I love pearl and chain necklaces, like the one pictured below.

HAPPY SPRING!!

Think, People!!

"I wonder if the pastor who decided to burn a Quran realized he would create a multi-national protest and riot outbreak? Better yet I wonder if he regrets it now that multiple U.S. Soldiers have given their lives as a direct result of increased attacks due to his actions."

This is a direction quote from a college friend of ours who is serving overseas. I don't have a lot to say today, only that if people would simply think through their actions from a heart of love instead of hatred, so much heartache would be saved in this world.

It is a shame that this man calls himself a Pastor. I was horrified and sickened  to hear the news of his decision, and today, reading our friend's status on Facebook, it just made me sad to think that a man could be so selfish and hateful in the name of God.

THINK before you do something foolish and hateful!!

I Told You So!!

When we got our cat back in 2009, Trupanion pet health insurance was still a fairly new product in small animal medicine. Since cats are fairly inexpensive to insure, Rich & I decided to enroll our cat as a test, to see if it was really worth it. We enrolled our cat as soon as he was eligible at 8 weeks of age (we had him since he was 4 weeks old). It cost $25 to enroll, and our monthly premium was $21. At the time that we enrolled Emmett, he had had no illness or injury, thus there was nothing that would be considered "pre-existing," or excluded from insurance coverage. The coverage that Trupanion offers is simple. They pay 90% of your vet bills for diagnostics and treatments of accidents, illnesses, medications, and lab work, excluding the office visit and certain items such as special diets. You can read about their coverage HERE.


When people found out that we had a health insurance policy for a cat, they snickered, snorted, and hooted. Some people even had more to say than just funny comments. It was kind of surprising. :) However, Emmett turns 2 years old this month. And I have to say, to all the nay-sayers, BOO YAH!!!!


Five weeks to the day that his coverage started, Emmett had a freaky episode. While we were playing with him, he turned blue and couldn't catch his breath. He started panting (which is NOT ok for a cat) and screaming. I was getting him loaded up to take him to the vet when he started breathing again. The next day, a work up cost us about $300. The Dr. wasn't sure if he had asthma or possibly a cardiac issue. Radiographs showed a slightly odd shape to his heart. The radiographs were sent out for review by a radiology specialist, and an echocardiogram was recommended. By this time we were about $700 in. It turns out that Em had a genetic heart condition that was causing slight shunting and therefore, shortness of breath. I submitted my claim to Trupanion, and after I had paid them a total of $45, I got a check back in the mail for 90%, fully covered...over $600. Nice.


This cat has had continuous issues for his life. Ear infections, heart problems, allergies, asthma, skin infections, chin acne, and on and on the list goes. In the total lifetime of the pet I have paid about $465 to Trupanion, and the check I'm getting back from them for January 2011 vet bills alone is $407. The insurance has saved my patootie!!! 


The main thing I have learned about the pet insurance is this: enroll your pet while he or she is still young, before they have any issues or injuries. Thus, your premiums will stay very low (Emmett's are still under $25/mo) and everything will be covered. There are many, many insurance companies out there. Trupanion is my favorite. Not only because they pay my claims, but because I see that they pay the most and the fastest for my clients as well. 


Having pet insurance has enabled me to provide excellent care and a good quality of life for my kitty. I will definitely be enrolling any pets I get in the future!!! If you want to read about Trupanion or get a fast online quote for your own pet (you known you want to now, nay sayers) you can look at their WEBSITE. It's easy to say you will not spend a lot of money on a pet, but when something bad happens, you'd be surprised how much your feelings can change!! I see it happening all the time in my office!


Cheers to pet health!!

Acapulco & the Stairs

I dedicate this post to my obnoxious, adorable, (sometimes) grouchy, (slightly) land-sharky, old, devoted Chihuahua Acapulco. He landed in my life when he decided to hang out in my parents' garage until a rain storm was over. He was barely 5 pounds, starving, bald, and extremely pathetic. I decided to keep him because I was certain nobody would want him. For a long time I did not really want him, because he was a real "challenge". But after he and I learned each other a bit, I loved his little self and was so glad that I got him!!
When I first got him, I hid him in a crate in my parents' garage for about a month. He did not make a sound; in fact, he would not even walk. He would drag himself around the house on his belly and keep his eyes downward. If anyone looked at him or talked to him, he would tinkle all over himself! After a few months of that, I got married and he graduated to having the run of a whopping 490 square foot apartment. He would run in tiny circles all around, so happy to have "all that space" to play in. I still remember, after almost a year, when he figured out that toys were for him. He loves extremes: either VERY tiny toys, or VERY large ones. He does not allow the cat to play with his toys. When we moved to Fort Lauderdale, he did not know what to do with our 1,000 square foot condo. He raced around like a jet rocket. He never stopped moving or wiggling. He was so excited to have so much room to romp!!

It almost short-circuited his brain when we moved into a house with STAIRS last week. I could see the wheels turning in his little brain and his bright, naughty brown eyes were full of mischief. First I taught him stair safety and made sure he could get up and down without falling or hurting himself. Paranoia after the thousands of dollars that stairs have made me in my profession. :) Next I made sure that he knows he is not allowed on the stairs without permission. He is so smart, it's scary!

After 3 tries he can zoom up and down all 16 stairs and the landing in about 6 seconds flat. It is so funny that I tried to take pictures, but all I can catch of him in motion is a black blur racing past and wagging his little tail at the top. I have attached a bunch of pictures like the psycho pet parent that I have proudly morphed into over the past three years. But seriously, rescue a little bundle of brattiness, and have a little dog watching your every move with devotion (not to mention convinced that you are the center of his universe), and I think you'll understand where I stand. :)

 SO excited that he is halfway up!! See that tail wagging furiously between his ears!









Racing down the stairs on Ninja Speed Mode

That smirky little face and play bow that he gets
when he is excited!

 Doing the VICTORY DANCE at the top!!

 More of the Victory Dance. this one includes a little yapping!

 Very suspicious of the camera. Most of the time when I try to take his picture he gives me an evil eye and hides under the bed.

 Very excited barking, waiting for me to c'mon so he could keep going to the top!

 ZOOOOM!!!

This black blur is about all I can catch of the little booger in action.