Feel Good Friday

via poet, Erin Hanson 

It's is Friday! YAHOO! We have made it to the weekend! We ROCK! 

I am a huge advocate of rescue dogs. Even if you are looking for a specific breed, there is a rescue out there. We are associated with two rescues that are dear to our heart, the first being The Jack Russell Rescue of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Their organization does so much in helping Jack Russell Terriers. They really go beyond what is necessary to make sure that Jacks are placed in great homes, with people who understand the behavior. They offer great advice in training your JRT.

The second organization is Underdog Railroad Rescue. This is where Iggy is from. This organization is wonderful, but if you want a quick dog fix, this place is not for you and I'm glad of that! They take their time placing each dog they have (mainly smaller breeds). We had several home visits, two meet and greets and even necessary medical precautions before Iggy came home. The whole process took over a month but it was well worth it. They want to make sure that each pup is placed in the right home. PS, while looking through all the success pics to find ours, I was in tears with all the happy dogs who found homes. PPS-Lola is not pictured because she was the crankiest dog ever and decided that she would "be in her trailer."

Both are in need of adoptive parents. If you can not adopt, then they also need foster families and if that is out of your ability, then please give. Rescues can not operate on love alone. They need funding. Even the smallest donation, means a ton to a rescue organization.

I have become obsessed with building a fort in my craft room. I want a little area that I can read, relax, stitch and feel like a kid hiding away in my own little world. I have  few ideas in mind-I am in love with this room from designer Justina Blakeney on Design Sponge. 

I LOVE Free Vintage Posters.com. They have public domain ads and posters that you can download for free! From advertising to sports, you can find just about any public domain vintage art work there.

You're welcome....

Well cats and kittens, that's it for me! I am off to enjoy the sun, the pups and maybe a dip in the pool. The world is calling my name and I have to answer! 

Tute Thursday: Kittyware

I am a huge collector of vintage patterns and love to share them. These are my latest finds, all cleaned up and ready for you to stitch up! How adorable is the little kitty on this chinaware.  Please let me know if you stitch this pattern up, I would love to feature your finished work.

PS-There are two more patterns, I need to scan them a little better and I will post them later for you.

I Like Stuff: An Honest Review of Loreal's Pore Vanisher

A couple of weeks ago, I was hanging out in my backyard, reading magazines while the dogs were running around like mad little monsters and came across a reader's poll article. Everyone voted Loreal Pore Vanisher as the best primer for make up. I have never ever been one of the those people that use all the different primers, spritzes and such for my makeup. I mean, I love beauty products but really. c'mon! Just throw some concealer on, foundation, a little powder and blush, and you are ready to go. A lot of women my age (cough, 44, cough) said they used it to even out their make up and it smoothed out lines. Hmmmm...."okay," I thought to myself, I will give it a whirl. I checked out reviews from other sites and they were equally as positive. Now here are my two cents. 

Loreal Pore Vanisher is just that. It supposedly instantly diminishes the look of pores on your face. It absorbs shine for 8 hours and gives your skin a nice smooth finish (one person said that their skin looked almost photoshopped). You can use it both at night and before you put on your makeup or just alone. Over time, it is supposed to diminish large pores. 

The Pros:

• I LOVE the way it makes my skin feel. It really does give a nice smooth finished look to my skin. Right now I am sporting freckles from the sun and it doesn't hide them but it smooths out my skin tone. My makeup isn't splotchy. 
• The price is pretty good for what it does. I paid 20.00 for mine but just found in on Amazon for 15.50 with the opportunity to get it lower with a subscription. This price fits great into my budget. 
• I have combination skin and do lay out in the sun, the Pore Vanisher has not dried my skin out at all.
• It doesn't feel heavy on your skin, it blends well.  

The Cons:

• I haven't noticed my pores reducing in size, but I haven't been using it for very long and honestly, my pores aren't that big. 
• It doesn't have sunscreen in it.

Bottom Line:

I am really impressed by this product and it is the perfect primer for makeup or just on its own. It makes my skin feel wonderful and it evens out any funky tones. The price is affordable and it is perfect for women of any age. It fills in acne scars and, I use it around my eyes, so it fills in a little bit of my wrinkles. There is minimal fragrance. I would be cautious about sensitive skin, I did read reviews where some people said it caused more break outs. It does have a slight tint and I'm still trying to figure out if the tint blends with my skin-I think it disappears but once I put my foundation on, I'm not 100% sure. 

Next week we move out of the beauty world and into the kitchen. Stay tuned for more honest reviews! 

Tie One On Tuesday: Movie Night

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to have a "drive in" movie night. We attach a sheet to the garage door, thrown down some pillows and blankets and watch movies outside. It is so much fun to invite friends and neighbors over to watch your favorite movie with you, under the stars. 

The good folks at Craftster feel the same way. In this crafty video I whipped up some yummy popcorn and refreshing flavored water for my movie night. Sweet and savory popcorn, movie sized candy is washed down with blueberry and raspberry water. What a perfect combination for a warm starry night. 

You can have your own movie night with an outdoor movie projector, a sheet, yummy snacks and beverages. You could even add a little bit of alcoholic flavoring to the water...not that I encourage that kind of thing. 

Check out the video below for recipes and directions to this movie night snack table. 

Getting My History On

via Here is Where website

I recently had the chance to read and review Here is Where by Andrew Carroll. I am a huge history buff so this book was right up my alley. Here is Where is a delightful, most of the time, quick read about lost history. You follow Andrew as his crisscrosses across America to find the locations of our lost American history. 

I really enjoyed this book, like I said above, the majority of it was pretty easy quick read. Each chapter is a different location and story. I will admit that some of the stories didn't interest me so I passed a couple of chapters. I did love that the places he went, the locals knew the forgotten history and he was able to share it with the rest of the world. When he told stories of places close to my hometown, I squealed with delight, because I KNEW that story! I KNEW that history! 

I do think, however, that if you are not a history buff, you might not enjoy it as much. You will find some of the stories entertaining, but I think you really have to have a passion for history to get a lot of enjoyment out of the book. That being said, I stayed up for hours one night and powered through the book because I could not put it down. 

I felt as if Mr. Carroll was on my level. He didn't get too involved or over the top, trying to analyze the information. He was just there to tell the story. He didn't put any spin on it or make a political statement. He just wants to get the information to you and allow you to process it to meet your needs. The story of the Orphan Trains is a wonderful example of this. 

Here is Where is an excellent history book that is not too heavy or too opinionated. I like that. It allows me to form my own opinions. Although the book is a great source of information, it is not too technical to be boring, it is the absolute opposite. Definitely a great read! You should check it out! If you want more information about the author and what inspired the book, check out Andrew Carroll's website. 

Scrappy Dog Sunday: The Iggy Edition

A few things about Iggy. He loves surfing the internet, watching funny dog videos. 

He also loves telling ghost stories..."and on the door handle was a CAT CLAW!"

He is excellent at doing the cha cha. 

He is a huge movie buff

He loves hanging out with big brother. 

Getting his picture taken with mom....not so much. 

Feel Good Friday!

via Zsa Zsa Bellagio

Look at you! Making it to Friday, all on your own! Give yourself a big smooch in the mirror, cause you deserve it! Let's see what I have in my bag of tricks to make this Friday extra special. 

Do you need some life lessons? Why not take the advice from a 90 year old woman? Hey! She has been around the block and back a couple of times, I'm pretty sure she knows what she is talking about. Popsugar has this amazing lifestyle article entitled, 45 Life Lessons Written by a "90 Year old Woman." Here's the first secret, the woman isn't 90, she's in her 50's. After being diangosed with breast cancer, Regina Brett penned these lessons. The lessons took a life of their own. She's not mad about it, just glad that she touched so many lives. 

I know summer is now on the downside but we can still celebrate the Summer of No Pants. First, get your minds out of the gutter. Second, this has nothing to do with the naked bike ride that zoomed by my house earlier this year. The Summer of No Pants is all about creating skirts, dresses and shorts to wear during the summer. Marigold at Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky has various patterns, inspiration and a newsletter to help you celebrate no pants this summer. Maybe I will finish the summer with no pants. It would be a bit cooler than jeans, that's for sure! 

And because it has been WAY WAY WAY too long, here's a puppy for you. This is Linus, he was a ball boy for the U.S. Open. You can read about his adventures on the Fluffington Post. I can barely get my dogs to stop barking at the doorbells on TV. 

Well, there ya go! Some good advice, a chance to sew and not wear pants and a cute (and smart!) puppy dog. Nice to see that my Fridays are back to normal. I hope you have a fabu weekend! Get out there an enjoy the weather or if that's not your thing, sit in your room and write poetry...both are entertaining!