My 70's Fashion Picks

And the secret word is...

Hold onto your chair as we zip back to the 70's fashion era this Flashback Friday.  I scoured my mind (and it was quite abrasive) for memories of my favorite clothes items from back in the day and this is what I came up with.

Google search does not always bring up exactly what we want, unfortunately, but it can usually come pretty close.  I had a pink Groucho Marx shirt similar to this except there was no collar and it was shorter.  Not exactly the same but it gives you a good idea of my fashion flair back then...and yes, these were

Dream a little dream of dread

Umm, am I even at the right locker?

I've been doing some thinking, as always probably too much, and have cooked up an idea for today's installment this Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday.  I just had a dream about going back to high school after being absent for about a whole semester, or so it seemed in my subconscious. I had no idea what my schedule was or even where my locker was, let alone not knowing the combination.  Have you ever had dreams like that? 

Winner, winner, chicken spinner

I want to fly like a chicken

It's time to explore some vintage photos this W/E Wednesday, emphasis on chee-kons.

This shot just goes to show that there have always been those types that just have to do their own thing. How liberating this 

Rod the Mod/Bod

It's Flashback Friday and I'll be going to the 70's and 80's for this ride back in musical time.  I was listening to my Rod Stewart CD which spurred me to look up some videos and, well, here we be.  Rod is a mixed bag for me...some of his songs are my all times favorites as you will soon see,  and others not so much.  It seems everyone LOVES "Maggie May", but personally I dislike it.  I dunno, maybe it was overplayed when I was younger but I just don't care for it.  However, I am posting to clue you in on my tops of Rod so I'll start with my #3 pick   "Forever Young".

Oh, problems

Yup

It's yet another Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday and, per usual,  I spent much too much time on my tiny blog.  However, I take my writing seriously (no really!) and try to craft the best possible post. No cheap, flimsy writing for my readers out there.  Plus I have OCD tendencies so you add those two together and you get lots of time spent scouring the web.  And now for the actual topic!  There has been a lot going on as of late; lots of little things that add up and kinda weigh me down.  I find myself, at times, comparing my problems with other problems (example...well all these wasps invading my house aren't as bad as the time ants were invading the kitchen) to apparently make myself feel better.  As

Open slide and say "owww"

"Weeee?"

Guess what? It's W/E Wednesday, my time to throw whatever happens to be on my mind at the moment on my blog. What fun!  Today's tosses are about "different" playground equipment, specifically slides.  I was scanning a bunch of playground "fails" and by far slides are the most notorious at being a 

Adventures with Paracord

I've done quite a bit of research for this Tips, Tricks and Treats Tuesday so I'm hoping y'all really get some use from today's tips.  So let's just jump right in, shall we?

I don't know how I find the things I do...I guess I spend too much time online (ask my hubby) but I love to search and learn, which brings me to paracord.  I had seen paracord bracelets in stores and pondered upon them so here we are!  First off, paracord is short for parachute cord; don't laugh that I didn't know that. However I know now so there ya go.  This is actually pretty cool stuff. It's a very strong cord and has middle cording as well which is what makes it extra strong and useful in emergencies.  The first video here is a tutorial on how to make one yourself and it's actually not too difficult. I 

Getting to the knitty-gritty

My toe bone is knitted to my...foot bone

Hey all!  It's Mesmerizing Medium Monday and guess what creative branch I'm climbing onto today?  But of course, it's knitting! There are some crazy-talented folks out there and here are just a few.

Ben Cuevas is officially an Installation Artist (looked this up and it means art that is

Simple Sunday-The Beast

A walk in the summer wood
revels mystery
that I should
see

Grand scope shows nothing to view
focusing in show
something new
oh

Creature alights to take rest
delicately clear
wings are best
here

A mythical beast I sigh
dragon first in name
also fly
tame

This beast is nothing to fear
what his name implies
it is clear
lies

As in the heavens he goes
I fondly say bye
my smile knows
why

CCB
8/28/2015

Moccasins, Planks and Love

Two moons or a mile...it's the walking that counts

Once again I've really overthought and over researched for my small blog on this Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday.  What can I say?  I try quite diligently not to pass on false information.  For example, the iconic phrase about not walking in someone's shoes or moccasins  is supposedly not an old Native American proverb...or is it?  I thought I had it figured out, as certain sites I came across attributed the sentiment to a poet, Mary T. Lathrap in a piece from 1895.  However, I also came across more info that stated it was not contained in a collection of her other works and it turns out I could not find said poem, supposedly titled "Judge Softly", in any other official location.  Perhaps she wrote it or, if not, I couldn't find anyone else connected to it...phew!  To cut this shorter, I suppose

The Beatles' American Invasion

Ladies and gentlemen...The Beatles!

All you Beatles fans out there, I am once again featuring them on this W/E Wednesday.  I'm trying to post in a somewhat chronological order but we'll see how that goes in the long run. However, I am still on the right timeline which brings us to the Beatles takeover of the good ol' U.S.A. It's common knowledge that the Beatles first landed

Magiookstrous T.V. Shows

Loved the nose wiggle

Here we go with another Flashback Friday and what magical, kooky and monstrous ideas do I have for you today? Well, just have a gander at some of these old mythical-based shows.

First on our magical tour is Bewitched.  Nose-twitching Samantha Stevens and her short-wicked husband Darren 

I make-a da sauce

Cook those tomatoes into submission...and sauce

 Hey de ho, it's Tips, Tricks and Treats Tuesday and I was speculating on what to write about for today when I thought, Hey!, I bet there's a lot of people out there with an abundance of tomatoes like I have and might like a few ideas on how to use them.  It's always nice to give some of your crop away, but it's also nice to use it, too.  I had already given away a bunch and was thinking of a way to utilize the LARGE bowl I still had. Spaghetti sauce popped in my mind so I Googled away and here's what I came up with...

Bubble Street Gallery

"A Chance to Dream"

This Mesmerizing Medium Monday will feature the fanciful art of Daniel Merriam.  I can't remember exactly where I first viewed his fabulous work, but I would bet it was on Pinterest.

I love, love, love surrealist art and that's the branch Mr. Merriam falls into.  His website is called "Bubble Street" and I'm assuming he formulated the title from his frequent use of bubbles in his works.  From my casual perusal of his paintings I also noticed other common themes are fish, butterflies and houses.  The latter is present in all my picks today, I suppose, because home is so very important to me.  In this first example I can fancy myself on board

Simple Sunday-Even the stones

Even the stones

though commonplace

are different 

shapes, sizes, colors

Even the stones

though silent

can speak

of past, of place, of beauty

Even the stones

though basic

have worth

in gardens, as tools, to enjoy

 Even the stones

though soulless 

can matter 

are different, can speak, have worth

Even the stones

though unlearned

can teach

 show, guide, lead

Even the stones

though merely stones

show souls all

 are different, can speak, have worth, 

Even the stones

though earthly

do scream eternity

faith, hope, love

CCB

8/20/2015

Games of "olden" times

Frantic Fun

Goin' back in time to the late 60's/early 70's this Flashback Friday and investigating some games I fondly recall.  

First on tap is the ol' "Ants in the Pants" game.  This consisted of a pair of Farmer Jack's (or whatever farmer you care to choose) plastic red suspender jeans and a hoard of plastic ants that actually looked more like grasshoppers.  The simple object was to flick your ants/grasshoppers into the pants by pressing the rear end of your bug,

NOT a burst balloon!

Would you?

On this Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday I am a bit of both and I'll explain why.

A few weeks back the Hub and I went garage sale-ing and happened upon one that had some good deals on fishing rods and reels.  Well, Hubby got quite excited and got a few, paying for them with cash from his wallet.  Perhaps you can guess where this 

Mellow Yellow Stylin'

Tie one on banana style

Here we are again on another W/E Wednesday and once again I'll serve up bananas.  Oooo, I used to love to eat bananas as a kid but somewhere along the line I acquired a sensitivity to them so I cannot eat them any longer...boo!  Perhaps my consumption avoidance of them makes me more fond of them, like craving the thing you can't have.  There's no harm for me to look at the yellow beauties, so expect to see these yellow dudes every once in awhile.

Today I'll deal exclusively in banana apparel, starting with this 

Prank me, Daddy

Fake bugs are ALWAYS fun

On this Tips, Tricks and Treats Tuesday I've decided to dwell on the "Tricks" since I haven't done that in awhile, at least not of the of the prank variety.  Why wait for April Fool's Day?  I say. Spice up the day with a fun (not too naughty!) hanky-pranky.

Fake bugs are inherently a great gag and this little tease is pretty harmless but should be enough to give 

Simple Sunday-Dog in Box

Dog in box

not a fox

color black

front to back

even tongue

so much fun

soulful eyes

cutie pies

likes to play

all the day

out can't get

silly pet 

makes me smile

all the while

let him free

he goes pee

home we go

love him so

CCB  

8/14/2015

Red car, blue car, old car, new car

"I spent my life savings turning my van into a dog."

It's Snapshot Saturday where I let the photos do the talkin'.  It's Vehicle Cruise time (I used vehicle instead of car because there are all sorts of wheeled machines about, many that don't fit in the "car" category) so here are some shots from last years event.  And remember to click on "Read More" for more to view :)

Crusin' down the avenue

Here's another look back at songs about vehicles from our past on this Flashback Friday.  I'm in the mood as it's summertime and classic car owners are cruising around in their car"pets" (hee hee, pun time).  Well, enough of my frivolity and on to the tunes...

First up on the playlist is a spunky

Okay, where'd I hear that?

On this Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday I thought I'd have YOU do some thinking!  I will subject you to three, count them, three movie quotes and you may, if you take my chal-on-gg, try and guess where (oh, where!) they came from.  Ready?  Okay, here it goes...

#1  "These go to eleven."  This one, I think, is pretty easy and that's why I made it the first one as I'm going for the easy to hard route.  Clue:  A musical spoof.  And the answer is...

Odd Idea=Funny Money

For fun it's a wonderful toy

W/E Wednesday has reared it's head yet again and today I'll touch on the topic of odd ideas that made certain people a dump-load of moo-la-la.  I'm presenting them in the order of "odd but good" descending down to "And why did people waste their money?", at least in my opinion.  As you can probably guess, the "good" idea was the Slinky.  The toy got it's start when naval engineer Richard James dropped a tension spring he was working with and had a light bulb moment when it did the slink-thing.  What a million dollar accident!  I suppose  I should start watching my clumsy moments more

Hot Dogs to Chilly Pups

Pupsicles!

Since we're in the hot Dog Days of Summer I thought it'd be nice to share some chilly treats for our hot dogs this Tips, Tricks and Treats Tuesday.  

First cooling snack is for Cheese Pupsicles and is pretty easy to put together from the ingredients shown in the pic at left.  Just place some cut up cheese cubes into 

Tattooths

Nope, the title's not a typo but an art form I'm going to feature this Mesmerizing Medium Monday.  I happened upon this craft in one of my many searches for new and exciting ideas to showcase and I thought this

Simple Sunday-End of the Day

The end of the day

searching above the tree leaves

frames the dusky sky

Eyes delight in clouds 

of pastel molten lava

oozing overhead

Volcano vault show

surpasses man's fireworks

in awesome beauty

CCB

8/7/2015

Sailing, takes me away

Calm Waters

The pics are doing the talkin' today as it's Snapshot Saturday.

Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy and make sure to click on "Read More" to view more :)

Flashback Fashions

Ol' Red

It's Flashback Friday once again and today I'll remissness on clothes I remember back in mid/late 60's.  First off is this little number, a red plaid jumper.  The pic to the left is not exactly like mine but it's pretty close.  I remember wearing it to kindergarten, with both a white turtleneck and tights underneath.  Side story...when I'd get home

Magical Memory Tour

Hub-a-dub-dub

I am thinking once again for this Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday and I'm pondering upon memories.  I was reading my AARP mag (yes, I'm a member) and flipped to an article on how music is greatly helping Alzheimer patients.  It seems that music is a kind of "magical"catalyst (I'm so full of whimsy!) that conjures up our tucked-away memories so we can enjoy them again.  Before I forget (hee hee, irony) here's the link to read more about the wonderful affects music has for the elderly...

And it's good for you :)

I was scoping out Facebook the other day and zeroed in on the tidbit to the left and thought it'd be an interesting topic for W/E Wednesday, that topic being laughter.  After watching this video of people being slowly overtaken

Just Desserts

As good as it looks

Thoughts of sweeties are dancing in my head like sugarplums this Tips, Tricks and Treats Tuesday.  I have test-eaten all of the following goodies and they've all been given the two-forks-up approval from me and the family.

First on the dessert tray is Krispie Ice Cream Dessert. This recipe is just right for a summer gathering as it only has 4 ingredients (more if you desire extra toppings that I didn't use), one of those ingredients is ice cream (yum!), it makes enough for a small crowd as it's made in a 13x9" pan and, duh, it tastes scrumptious.

It's cool and creamy and is reminiscent of fried ice cream.  The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of butter but I used 1/2 cup and it turned out fine.  I didn't use the caramel sauce shown in the photo but I'm guessing it would've been a nice extra flavor.  Here's the link for this chilly delight...

http://www.chef-in-training.com/2013/04/krispie-ice-cream-dessert/

Serving up some pretty pancakes

Taco Pancakes!

Hello there!  It's another Mesmerizing Medium Monday and today I'm dishing up some Pancake Art.  The hotcakes to the left were cooked up by Michael Goudeau who started out his craft by making letters out of pancake batter to amuse his kiddies then took off 

Simple Sunday-Zeb and I

Holding my trusty Zebco

out at our fishing spot

clear, sunny and hot

is how the weather did go.

Calm and warm on the pier

dipped hot dogs in the lake

caused a minuscule wake

wondered if fish were near.

Hooked on my Senko

and flung out my line

Zeb shot it out fine

 watched how far it did go.

Gave Zeb's handle a turn

slowly reeled in my bait

going slowly, but wait

a heaviness hard to discern.

A fish...could it be?

dragging in our prize

Zeb and I soon realize

it's only the weed of the sea!

CCB

7/29/2015

I think I'll have a cool one

I can almost feel that frigid air wafting out of the door of delight!

Ah, Summer!  I'm not fond of all the heat and humidity it brings but I am partial to the ice cream that seems to be an integral part of this season.  So, I thought I'd look fondly back this Flashback Friday at a staple in my neighborhood back in the day and 

prIde vs hUmbleness

Take note of the prominent "I" 

Sometimes when I get thinking I can't stop myself like today's Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday. Actually this idea popped into my mind a few days ago and I thought (ya, yet again) it would make an interesting topic for a Thursday. It's turning out to be much more of a involved topic than I had anticipated...lots of meat on the bone here.  As you can probably guess I'm talking about pride/proud and how, perhaps, it's not the greatest

Doggies sing the blues

Hey hey, it's W/E Wednesday and I was inspired to do a post on dogs...again.  If you don't like dogs I'm sorry on a few different levels, but I love them tremendously and on my Wednesday posts they'll be sure to show their fluffy canine faces every now and again.

My inspiration came from another

How to keep the poison ivy itchies away

On this weeks Tips, Tricks and Treats Tuesday I thought I'd touch on a ticklish subject...actually it's more downright itchy.  That's right, I'm talkin' 'bout the pariah of the plant world, poison ivy (or oak or sumac, they'll all get you).  We're still in the height of summer so learning about these green demons is probably time

Going bananas...again

Oh, the carnage!

I'm always surprised by what I discover when I'm searching for items for Mesmerizing Medium Monday and today was definitely no exception.  I dunno, somehow I always end up being sucked into some crazy banana vortex abundant with yellow artsy ideas. So, here's a 

Simple Sunday-Eeeee

A rock in a tree

how can it be?

My eyes that see

playing tricks on me?

As I stand like a tee

feel green as...a pea?

I hear the buzz of a bee

no wait, one, two, three?

Seeming happy with glee

are these bugs on a spree?

I must suddenly pee

Was it from drinking that tea?

Nope, it's the stingers, oh gee!

Will I ever be free?

Searching, I drop to a knee

Where is that car key?

I find it and flee

am I in the Grand Prix?

The Officer, a he

 " You ready for a fee?"

Voice small as a flea

I squeak out a "Oui?"

CCB

7/10/15

Dinos, "Dogs" and Foxes

He was hungry

It's Snapshot Saturday where the pics do the talking.  Remember to click on "Read More" to view more :)

Tasty Memories

Yay!  Fun Food!

There is food in store for this Flashback Friday as I will feature meals that are fond in my memory.  To the left is one of the classic Libbyland Frozen Dinners available back in my youth.  I loved getting these and what's not to like?  There was the cutey/comic packaging that could be turned into a cutey/comic serving tray, there was a bonus Milk Magic mix to enhance your milk and most of the foods included were some of your 

I think therefore I think and think and...

I do it all the time

I'm thinking it's Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday and I was thinking about what to write about as I was also thinking about how it's getting late and I should go to bed but that I reallllly should write this post so then I starting thinking about what to write again and

Getting in the Last Word

Pretty nasty wallpaper

Okay, it's W/E Wednesday so it's my time to throw anything I want at you...you don't have to read it after all, but I hope you do.  So, as I was skimming the web-waters I happened upon one of those items that entice you to check out some crazy information that, at the time, you don't want to miss.  The one that caught my attention was about famous people's last words which seemed like a morbidly interesting topic at that moment so on I clicked.  The quote by Oscar Wilde grabbed my attention and

Fun in the Summer Sun

Our visit to Tippy Dam Recreation Area

Hey-ho!  I hope y'all didn't think I vanished forever from my bleating as I was just on a vaca in the northern regions of the fantabulous state of Michigan.  As this is Tips, Tricks and Treats Tuesday and I still have the info fresh in my mind, I thought I'd share some of the new spots we found that I believe are hidden gems.  The first pic is of the Tippy Dam Recreation Area.  This is a fishing mecca but it's also great for you nature lovers/hikers out there as there is a river trail to meander along with lots of spots to dip your tootsies in.  Here is a link...

http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=696&type=SPRK  

Check it out for more info on all the particulars on this nifty travel spot, especially the 

My baby, just-a wrote me a letter

How romantic :)

I'm back again (had some summer vaca time) with another Mesmerizing Medium Monday. This post was inspired by a birthday gift I received from my so very thoughtful nephew a few weeks ago. I was surprised to open up a new "antique" quill pen complete with a set of nibs, ink and a stick of sealing wax.  It evoked an image of me similar to the one above of a

Vroooooooom!

Yet again it's Flashback Friday and today's menu features The Beach Boys.  Oh, and not just ANY of their many hit,hit songs but it's all about the muscle cars this week!  My thoughts are zeroed in on summer now that it's here and that goes hand in hand (at least around these parts) with cruising.  First

Find the Flecks

And she's told me this many times!

It's Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday and my thankful thoughts are drifting to earlier this week.  I was due for a teeth cleaning and my appointment happened to fall on the day before my birthday.  No prob, right?  Welp, I was in the home stretch of my bi-yearly minor torture when, as the hygienist was flossing, my crown popped off.  Okay, not too

How do YOU do it?

Not my yard; for example only :)

A certain topic has been on my mind as of late and today's the day on this W/E Wednesday to release this nagging thought into the world...well at least to you all reading my blog!  And the topic is **drumroll** Mowing the Lawn **ching!**.  The Hubby had always mowed the lawn (or cut the grass, if you 

No Sweat!

It...could...work!

Tada!  It's Tips, Tricks and Treats Tuesday and after much thought (well, enough thought anyway) I decided that it'd be a nifty idea to discuss the semi-delicate subject of underarm perspiration a.k.a. sweat, seeing as it's summer and it's getting all hot and humid.

First on the agenda is an interesting tip

The Mighty OakoAk

Ouch!

We will again go to the streets for this Mesmerizing Medium Monday and search out some super imaginative art.  

The artist I'm featuring today is known as OakoAk  from France and you can catch his fanciful street art there, in particular in his native St. Etienne. His works are not "in

Simple Sunday-Beyond

Leaves forming a frame

white vapor drifts above me

my eyes sky high spy

Thoughts relax in view

breezy winds tease, plays in trees

fluttering like flags

Treat for my senses

eyes, nose, ears, skin, and a taste

for the heart and mind

Embracing all in

thankful, my soul cries to the

One beyond the clouds

CCB

7/3/2015

A Haiku

Ah, Summer

Old Glory

On this Snapshot Saturday I thought I'd try and dig through my pics and find some that are somewhat relevant to the 4th of July.  I don't have too many but I'll do the best I can and hopefully you'll like 'em.  Happy Independence Day!

Don't forget to click on "Read More" for more pics :)

Flashback 4th

Oooooo, ahhhhhhhh

Seeing as the 4th of July is almost here, I thought I'd dedicate this Flashback Friday to the holiday. Of course one of the first things we think about when we ponder on Independence Day is fireworks.  I remember back in the day (well, even now in the day!) how

Ryting Roolz 

An age-old mystery solved!

As usual, I'm always thinking (my double edged blessing/curse) which is useful when it's Thoughtful/Thankful Thursday.  My bestie, Pappy,  has fair colored hair which I am always teasing her about using the classic Blond Jokes.  And yes, I believe I used the word "blond" correctly in that sentence.  I had always wondered when teasing my friend relentlessly with my written assaults what was the proper way to spell her hair shade and I finally looked it up!  Go me.  So as you can observe to the left, the appropriate way

Naughty Doggie!

Just trying to look outside...

Hello der!  It's W/E Wednesdays and I decided to bring in another floating topic; dogs.  Today I'm going to  talk about those crazy things that our lovely doggies do.  

Ah, the old dog-in-the-blinds gig. This poor critter got a bit carried away trying, I assume, to look