Ditching Cable?

OMP and I have been in heavy negotiations about ditching our Direct TV and just relying on network TV and the Roku. I know a lot of people have been ditching cable and using their computers or tablets to watch movies and TV. A few weekends ago, we decided to see if we could do without our TV and just watch things on the Roku. Here are our adventures. 

Friday Night:

Friday night wasn't that much of a big deal. We normally watch movies that night anyway. Now, trying to find a movie that we wanted to watch was another story. Even though we have Netflix, Amazon and even Hulu, we spent nearly an hour trying to figure out what we wanted. I suppose if I had been more proactive, I could have lined up something from my watchlist, but nothing sounded that great. After spending much time looking, we decided to rent Grand Budapest Hotel for 4.00. The rental was for the whole weekend. 

Saturday Morning/Day:

I have a routine. I like to get up and watch the local news, then I just leave the TV on for background noise while I write or stitch. When I got up Saturday, I didn't have a converter for our TV so no local news. Okay, not too bad, but I was feeling a little out of my comfort zone, which was not good at 4:30 in the morning (yes, I do get up between 4-5 EVERY morning). I turned on some music, checked my emails, stitched a little bit and starting listening to an old movie. I knew I had errands, so during the day wouldn't be that bad. 

Saturday Night:

Once again we were at the "what do we watch" phase of the night. I could binge on WKRP in Cincinnati or watch a horror movie...I believe we settled on WKRP and we were fine for the night. 

Sunday morning:

I was jonesing bad for some local news. I really did feel a little off, like I was on a diet and I desperately wanted a cupcake. I didn't feel enlightened or have any moment of zen by not having the TV on in the background. I felt like my routine had been disrupted. We do listen to a ton of music on our TV but even then, I just felt disrupted. I really think it is because I was making myself do it, instead of just letting it happen naturally. 

Sunday Night:

We decided to crunch the numbers and see if were would save anything. Here is the way it broke down:

90.00 for Direct

The Channels we would want:

Netflix-8.00

Hulu-9.00

Amazon: 10.00 a month (annual fee)

Rodeo and Wrestling channels : 20.00 a month for both

Something weird-6.00

We were up to 53.00 with just the channels we wanted and not adding anything else. We wouldn't get Rodeo, wrestling, Something Weird or Hulu if we had just Direct TV. Now, before you get all judgy about all the TV we watch, I will say, yes, we watch a lot of movies, get addicted to show and this is our entertainment-especially during the winter when it is raining and when I am stitching. I make no apologies for having show that I love or being a movie buff. 

After much deliberation, we decided to keep our Direct TV. We knew that this was a form of entertainment for us and it was a treat we could afford. Some people have dropped cable altogether and said that they can find shows very easily on the net and stream them through their TV. Maybe we will try another weekend and do this. I will admit that I am too chicken to cut the cable cord, so to speak. 

Do you still have cable or do you use other sources? Pros? Cons? I would love to hear what you think. 

Scrappy Dog Sunday: The Bee!

So many times Jujube gets lost in the mix. The other three are so demanding, but Jujube just allows life to happen She is a quiet little girl who can be shy when given too much attention. She is my little emo teenager. 

I don't think she realizes that she is a dog. She doesn't do a lot of "dog" stuff. She has never had to do things on her own.

She has never been without her mom, Lola. They have been together since Jujube was born. 

I don't know what happened. One day I turned around and my little girl turned into an old lady. I noticed that she sleeps a little more, is a little bit slower moving up the stairs and seems to get a little more tired chasing squirrels. Where did my little quiet emo teenager go? 

Can someone please reverse time and stop it right here. I need more of my Bee.

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.