Saturday, December 22, 2012

IT'S THE END OF THE YEAR!

Well we've come the end of another year (thank God the Mayans were wrong)!
My husband and I have been through the wringer this year. He became ill in April and it turned life as we knew it upside down. We had just weathered the storm from me being ill most of 2011. I'm reminded of a song we used to sing at church:

The Rough Side of the Mountain

"Oh Lord I'm strivin'
tryin' to make it through this barren land,
but as I go from day to day
I can hear my Savior say
'trust me child,
come on and hold my hand'

I'm comin' up on the rough side of the mountain
I must hold to God, His powerful hand
I'm comin' up on the rough side of the mountain
I'm doin' my best to make it in"

I've visited the rough side of the mountain more times then I'd care to count these last few years but 2013 will be, has to be a better year for my family. It's the year my daughter in California will land a major role in a movie. My daughter in Georgia will land her dream job. My oldest son in Indiana will stay safe from all hurt, harm and danger doing his job as a policeman. My youngest son will find everything he's looking for. Everyone in my life will be truly blessed.

I know I haven't blogged the way I had planned to when I started this journey and what I did write deviated from my original subject matter: green. But 2013 will be the year I will blog more, finish the two books I'm working on, lose weight, join a gym, buy a new wardrobe and all of those things we resolve to do at the end of the year. 

Thanks to those of you who took the time to read my blog, such as it is. And if you took time to leave a comment, I truly appreciate you. As we come to the end of 2012, I want to take the time to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2013 is going to be a great year!



Rosa

Sunday, December 16, 2012

NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT

My thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the families who's loved ones were taken away so tragically. There is a song I remember hearing years ago that said "earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal" I pray God will touch Newtown, its' residents and all of us with His healing hands.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

MY BIRTHDAY

As I approach my 60th birthday it occurred to me I've had one birthday party in my life; yes 1. Well 2 if you count the one when I was about 3 years old. I remember my 16th birthday when my parents tried to surprise me with a party and I was so shy I stayed away for the first hour or so. That was the year my parents gave me permission to get my ears pierced and my cousin Connie bought me a pair of gold knot earrings. I still remember those earrings! But I also remember I never liked surprises. However, I'm going to be 60 next year...so what do I do? But first let me just say I'm God allowed me to get to this age.

I've been looking at trips for my husband and I to take but do I really want to do that? Dinner and a movie....nah! I was thinking about making a bucket list of the things I want to do before I die but I'd have to give that some thought. Again I ask what do I do? Perhaps I'll buy myself 60 lottery tickets and take my chances at becoming a millionaire...there's an idea! Please, please, please if you have any ideas let me know.

What did you do for your 60th birthday or what do you plan to do?

Monday, December 3, 2012

HELLO

It's been quite some time since I've blogged but I wanted to stop by to say I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

ACTUALLY HEARING GOD SPEAK

One of the things my husband and I used to do was to buy a lottery ticket on Saturday while we were out riding and talk about what we'd do when we won. And of course, we just knew we would win...one day. Our list always started with pay our tithes, pay off everything, help the kids, help certain family members, build my cousin a new church, find some property we could use for rental property, etc. At the end of our ride the last question we would ask each other is where we would live when we won. Certainly we wouldn't stay where we are. Both of us want to be closer to family members but can't really see ourselves living in the places where most of them live; some of those places have too much snow, the cost of living is too high in others, one of the places we just don't want to live. But all the while we talked about where we would like to live we were disrespecting God for giving us the house we live in now and the city where we live.

Early in our marriage we visited Memphis, loved it and prayed to move there. The Lord answered our prayers and provided my husband with a job that moved us within 3 months after visiting. We learned when God works He works fast! We lived in Memphis in the early 90's until both of us decided to quit our jobs and move to Florida. We wanted to live near the water or so we thought. We explained our moving away by telling ourselves "God told us to move." Neither one of us had actually heard God tell us that. After a couple unexpected hurricanes came so far inland to Orlando, we packed up and moved to Georgia. Things were so expensive there we were miserable. Jobs weren't as plentiful as we thought they would be. While living in Georgia, my husband got a call from a good friend about a great job that brought us back to the Memphis area to live. Right back where God allowed us to move earlier.

The second time we moved to Tennessee we must have looked at 1000 houses. We even put offers on 3 or 4 which were pulled off of the market before the deal could be consummated. One house we found, we loved but it was far from my husband's job and the back yard wasn't great. Then I did hear from God...I kept hearing Lyon's Gate. I had seen something about Lyon's Gate but the only thing I could think of was the movie production company. One Sunday morning while watching HGTV and what people could do with their homes, I jumped up and said let's go for a ride and find Lyon's Gate. We had on nightclothes under our coats determined just to ride and find something..anything that said Lyon's Gate. My husband was driving so fast I couldn't look from side to side fast enough but suddenly I saw a sign...LYON'S GATE! "Turn around! Turn around!" I cried out. We found Lyon's Gate. And it was a subdivision owned by the same people who owned the property we liked with the ugly back yard! And when my husband went in to the model home (yes, he went in with nightclothes on under his coat!) the same agent was sitting there! She showed us the house and we put in an offer that day!

So do we move when we get some big money? Not unless the Lord says the same. In fact since we came to the realization that we were being blasphemous against God and what He had in store for us we even quit playing the lottery. For surely if could give us the house we wanted out of all of the houses we looked at then He will take care of the rest of our needs.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

MORE GREEN

It's been quite some time since I've posted pictures of my favorite green pieces for the season. But with autumn in full swing it's time to take a look at what I want in my closet. (all pictures provided by net-a-porter) What's in your closet?

J. Crew satin skirt

J. Crew Cafe animal jacquard capri pants

J. Brand denim

Malene Birger

Sunday, October 14, 2012

WE WILL MISS YOU MR. HILL

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything. Lots of projects going on: just launched the second chapter of the Green Slipper Society in Muncie, Indiana. Still working on my novel MIRRORED MIRAGE (at least that's the working title for now). I'm still writing the third book in the LOVED TO DEATH trilogy. My husband and I are still dealing with the effects of his recent illness..like everyone else, I just have a lot going on. It all reminds me of something my mother used to say..."always so busy doing nothing" Actually she would say it to describe a lazy person and while I used to be lazy life has a way of kicking your butt into a gear you didn't know you could get to.

While in Muncie this past weekend we had the opportunity to stay with a dear friend and her husband. (Fortunately they would always let us stay with them when we were in Muncie! Thank God!) The husband had been dealing with cancer for a few years. And although we knew he was sick we always had a great time being together. He loved food around the house and his wife loved to cook....we loved to eat! What's not to love? He loved chocolate, she couldn't eat it but loved buying it for him. My husband doesn't eat chocolate but somehow he loved eating the candy at their house. Their garage looked like a big box store with all of the soft drinks, water, teas, wines and beers. You never ran out of toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, paper cups etc. We absolutely loved visiting them. Sadly however, we will head back to Indiana this week to help our dear friend bury her husband. Yes, a couple days after we got home the husband passed away.

Things may be different when we go there to visit again. The wife may move away and start somewhere anew. She may no longer buy the chocolate he loved to eat. She may not cook like she used to. She may stop buying in bulk like she did when he was alive. But she will still be our dear friend and he of course, will always be remembered. R.I.P. Mr. Hill

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL



pic provided espn.com
Stunning! I don't know a whole lot about football but over the years I've learned to enjoy watching it because my sons played it in high school and its been a way to spend time with my husband on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights. But I do know what I saw Monday night didn't look like the same thing the referees eventually claimed they saw. I saw an interception that would have allowed the Green Bay Packers to come away the winners. What the referees finally announced they saw allowed the Seattle Seahawks to walk away victorious.

Now this has absolutely nothing to do with the color green except that the two teams that played last night had green in their uniforms and I love Seattle's colors! If you went to sleep on the game you missed a doozy! In the first half of the game, Seattle sacked the Packers quarterback something like 8 times and they were leading the game. They weren't leading by a large margin but they were still ahead. Green Bay came back and was leading. I don't even remember what the score was but at the very end of the game Seattle's quarterback threw a pass which was simultaneously caught by a Seattle player and a Green Bay player. The replacement refs called it a touchdown by Seattle and even the people upstairs whomever they are, reviewed it and it was still called a touchdown. Seattle won the game.

This game reminded me of  the roller coaster of emotions one feels of almost winning and then almost losing and then almost winning then winning or losing. Eventually somebody has to win and someone has to lose. That's just the way it is when we compete. Why do we wait for the last minute "hail Mary" to try to win? If we have to depend on the referees to win the game for us then we weren't prepared for the game we were playing in the first place. We also have to remember under that theory the referees can lose the game for us as well. It goes go both ways.

How many of us have tried to publish a book only to be rejected time and time again? How many times has an actress auditioned and been called back but never getting that one big role? How many houses did you have to look at before your offer was accepted? How often have you had to pray your credit was good enough to get the car you wanted? Instead of having to ask those questions why aren't we asking questions like: did I write the very best book I could write, did I reread it, proof read, edit, having it professionally edited before sending to a publisher? Was I prepared for that audition, had I taken acting classes, singing classes, dancing classes or whatever classes were necessary to make me competitive? Have I paid my bills on time so my credit is where it needs to be and if I didn't make enough money to pay them, did I get a part time job or find a way to make extra money to straighten out my credit? You get the point. There are too many things we can and should do for ourselves so we don't have to depend on someone else to decide our fate.

So do we blame the replacement refs for the debacle that ended last night's game or do we blame the players for not playing better earlier in the game so the end of the game wouldn't be or couldn't be decided at the last minute by someone else?

Sunday, September 23, 2012

MORE GREEN ON RED CARPET

There was more green seen on the red carpet but no credit was given for the designers. 
All pictures were provided by Getty/aol.com. Tell me which ones were your faves!





GREEN AT THE 2012 EMMY AWARDS

Allison Williams was wearing Oscar de la Renta at this evening's Emmy Awards. I wish I was there to to wear my green gown!

pic provided by getty/aol.com

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Let's talk about the word NO. By definition it is a negative used to express dissent, denial or refusal as in response to a question or request




But it is so much more than that. It's one of the most powerful words in the English language. A lot of times we don't like to use it for fear of hurting someones feelings. Used with the wrong inflection it can scare someone. The word NO can save someones life. The word NO is a complete sentence. It needs NO explanation (NO pun intended). Many times the person who's feelings get hurt by not using the word NO is the person who should have used it in the first place. How many times have you agreed to something only to find out it was more than you should have committed to or more expensive than you could afford? How often have you gotten close to the time of an event and wished you had said NO up front for whatever reason. A good friend wouldn't put you in position to have to say NO and a good friend should be understanding if you have to say NO. Do you know if you say yes and not do what you said yes to it make you a liar so you should have said NO in the first place! As parents, the usual answer is NO! Sometimes the right word is NO. NO is not always negative. If a friend ask your honest opinion on whether or not they should wear a specific item and you tell them NO to keep them from embarrassing themselves...that's a positive. I could go on and on about the word NO but you get the point. Maybe we should use the word NO a little more often. Be proud to say NO! What have you said NO to lately?

Monday, September 3, 2012

ME - A BAKER?

I love www.pinterest.com! I repeat, I LOVE www.pinterest.com! I love looking at other people's ideas and wondering if I can put stuff like that together. Well I found out I can! I've never been much of a baker preferring to purchase ready made cakes and cookies (neither of which I need to eat right now) but I found a recipe for Easy Lemon Cookies on pinterest.com I just had to try. I had most of the ingredients except for cake mix and the lemon extract, yes, I said cake mix! I'm using Deanna Alicia's picture because I forgot to take pictures of my own. They looked exactly like this. I fudged the recipe a little and used 2 teaspoons of lemon extract and the next time I may use 3 (we like lemon) and I will make them flatter to see if I can make them a little less "cakey" but overall it was a delicious easy recipe. A fun one to try with the kids. We got about 30 cookies out of this recipes but our cookies were different shapes and sizes. Happy Baking!





Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix               1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 eggs                                                                    1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2.  Pour cake mix into a large bowl.  Stir in eggs, oil and lemon extract until well blended.  Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into a bowl of confectioners' sugar.  Roll them around until they're lightly covered.  Once sugared, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3.  Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven.  The bottoms will be light brown and the insides will be chewy.


Wednesday, August 29, 2012

GREEN ON THE STREETS

I don't know who to credit this picture to but I sure would like to thank Demetrius Jones from Los Angeles, California for sharing it with me so I could share it with you! This is a bad (and that means good) suit! I sure wish I owned it. But how many wears could you get out of it before people started talking? What do you think?


Monday, August 27, 2012

THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND MEN....

I'm sure most of you have heard the quote by Robert Burns about "the best laid plans of mice and men" well today those best laid plans tried to get the best of me! I pulled out all of my weapons and fought back. Let's go back to the beginning. Upon awakening I put on my pedometer determined to count every step I took. I knew I had to run some errands so this was going to be a good measure of how many steps I could realistically take in a day. One of the stops I had to make was at Walmart. And you know Walmart has a reputation of holding people hostage. I walked around the store for 3, yes 3 hours! It was near the end of my  shopping excursion I realized I hadn't heard the "click, click" sound of my pedometer! I had put on a pair of slacks, clipped my pedometer to my pants pocket so I wouldn't lose it and decided to change outfits. I forgot the pedometer!!! I would love to know how many steps today's journey equaled but until the next shopping trip to Walmart..I won't know.

How many steps do you think you walked today?

Friday, August 24, 2012

BREAKING BAD HABITS

I'm getting there...this morning I actually got up, put on pedometer before rising, drank a cup of hot lemon water!!!! I actually remembered to reset the pedometer so I wouldn't have to try to figure out how many steps were from yesterday and where I started today!! I'm on this journey for life so bear with me while I share my ups and downs. I will still focus on "green" but I've got to start focusing more on "me"

What are you going to do today to make things better for you?

Thursday, August 23, 2012

BAD HABITS GET IN THE WAY

This morning I had every intention of putting on my pedometer and drinking a hot cup of lemon water. I was up and about before I knew it (that rise and shine gets in the way every time!). I grabbed my usual glass of Crystal Light ice tea with lemon and drank it down before I even thought about the cup of hot lemon water. Needless to say the pedometer was still on my nightstand. I can go back and recount those steps but they won't register on the pedometer. I've heard it takes about 21 days for something to become a habit so I guess it takes a little time to break a bad habit. I now have my pedometer locked in place and will be able to count the rest of today's steps but my cup of hot lemon water is on hold until tomorrow. What are you doing to get to healthy today?

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

MAXIMIZING MY MORNINGS

I've always been a morning person. Maybe it started because my parents always chose to foster more kids than they had bathrooms for. Perhaps I continued to be a morning person because I needed to take my shower before getting my own 4 kids up for school when they were little. Whatever the reason, I've discovered regardless of what time I go to sleep I'm still able to rise and shine between five and six a.m. Lately its been more rise and less shine! The schedule in the last few years has been to fix myself a glass of sugar free iced tea, turn on the television to watch The Today Show, get on the computer and .....get off the computer around five or six p.m. You don't even need to comment on that because I already know that's not a good thing. And snacking all throughout that time. But changes abound! Yesterday I bought myself a pedometer and because I'm so anxious to hear the clicks when I walk I'm finding myself walking through the house for no reason! At least every other commercial I plan to at least walk to the refrigerator..90 steps. If I do that 100 times I will be close to the recommended 10,000 steps! How are you going to maximize your mornings?


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

A LITTLE GREEN SWAG

I don't know who to credit this picture to but I thought it was as cute as anything I've seen lately! I had to share!





Wednesday, August 15, 2012

GREEN ON THE STREETS

pic provided by essence.com
I found model Nayasha Romoeo in a Mus by Mali Ro top and skirt on essence.com.  She knows how to wear green...I wonder if there are some green shoes under that skirt! What do you think?

Saturday, August 4, 2012

GETTING MY GREEN


True story...I was on my way to Indiana for a Green Slipper Society charter members meeting when I decided a good place to stop and stretch my legs was at the Coach outlet store. I told my husband before going in "if I find a green purse I'm buying it. If not I'll leave." In the newly expanded Edinburgh Indiana store I walked and walked and was a little disappointed. I found one bag that had a tiny touch of green in it but it was a bag I would only be able to use in the summer. I need to stretch my money further than one season. As I turned to leave...a small voice (thank You God) told me to keep walking. I obeyed and came upon the "clearance" section!!!! Clearance is my middle name. The prices at the outlet stores are already incredible but clearance...wow! Lo and behold right in front of my eyes was this beauty! Okay so I bought the purse (the couple in front of me bought 12 different bags!) but then comes the dilemma; I had no shoes to match. Of all the green shoes I had nothing that matched this color. So I made a pair! I took an old pair of comfortable shoes and colorblocked them with ... nail polish!!! I had a bottle of Pure Ice nail polish in a color called First Time. The nail polish is a metallic but I think they matched up well. Now I'm looking through my closet for shoes I haven't worn in a while and paint them too! Tell me what you think.

BACK TO GREEN

I've been off topic lately and thought it high time to get back to what Emerald Obsessive is all about! The Green Slipper Society was spawned from my obsession with green. We are a group of women who find ways to help those less fortunate, have a good time while helping and wearing green shoes! Some of our members have had trouble finding green shoes so I try to keep my eyes open for possibilities. Even though I've purchased a few pairs (ebay.com is my new best friend) I've also taken a couple old pairs of comfortable shoes and turned them into green shoes.  This was a pair of those clear Cinderella slides I've had since back in the 90's. I decoupaged them with green images I tore out from a magazine. The pictures don't do them justice because they turned out so cute!




As usual I'm staying true to green!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

GIVING MYSELF THE GREEN LIGHT

Years ago and I do mean years ago, I was what they would have called the "dancing queen." I absolutely loved to dance and found a way to get to the night clubs where I could get my groove on every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If it got real good to me, I would find an after hours type joint to get my dancing in. Then I married a man who had no sense of rhythm. I mean he can't even "snap" or "pop" his fingers (much to the dismay of his grandson Jaxon). So I stopped dancing.

Years ago and I do mean years ago, I loved to drink. I didn't drink in excess but enjoyed having mixed drinks while I was out dancing. Then I married a man who never took a drink in his life. So I stopped drinking.

Years ago and I do mean years ago, I loved smoking cigarettes. Not in excess, in fact, those I worked with didn't even know I smoked and that was when we could smoke in the work place. With all of the dancing, drinking and smoking I stayed skinny. Then I married a man who never smoked a day in his life. So I stopped smoking.

Years ago I did marry a man who loved to drive and I absolutely loved riding. I could ride from here to nowhere just to be in the car with the radio blasting. My husband didn't require much in the way of conversation so it was just me and my music.  It was a time where all of the thoughts in my head had the opportunity to come forth and be heard without interference from everyday life. That was the time I was the most creative.

Just recently, my husband (my driver) became incapacitated and the riding ceased. As with the dancing, the drinking and the smoking which I quit cold turkey... it just stopped. No warning. Now
it's been a long time since I thought about dancing, drinking and smoking but recently those memories have cropped back up making me wonder if I've missed anything. I probably did my body good by not having the alcohol and cigarette smoke in my system. But the dancing kept me fit and along with the smoking I was able to keep the weight off.

Okay so what's a girl to do? Granted I won't go back to smoking...that's a definite. But an occasional glass of wine won't hurt me surely..might even make me heart healthy! Highway driving I've started doing again..don't necessarily like it but it is an means to an end. Recently while driving and listening to the music...a song came on that I haven't heard in years; Love Song (We Never Danced To A Love Song) by The Manhattans. Oh boy, to be held closely and sway and move simultaneously as one.. wow!!!! Almost orgasmic! Okay..back to reality. Maybe I'll find a line dancing class or a friend to go dancing with. Or perhaps I'll pull out some dance dvd's for the Wii and get my groove on again. Thanks to that song I realized I hadn't "done me" in a long long time.


I know you're wondering where this is going...quite bluntly...I'm giving myself the green light to do some things I want to do. If I want to dance, I will. If I want to drink, I will. If I want to go long distance, I'll drive. Give yourself the green light to do something for you today.


As always, staying true to green!

Monday, July 9, 2012

GREEN DRESSES

Over the last few months I've made several purchases on etsy.com. Thus far, the items have been relatively low in price..but all that is about to change! I recently discovered Solome Katongole and her fabulous clothing. Below are a couple I wanted to share with you.


photos provided by Solome Katongole/etsy.com

Thursday, June 28, 2012

THE GRASS ISN'T ALWAYS GREENER

I remember when I was a little girl planning my fairy tale wedding and finding names for the children I would have. In my dream, my Prince Charming would take care of everything: the bills, house repairs, pay a cook, pay a housekeeper and any and everything else he could do to make my life as a princess easy. Along the way, I married a few good husbands, each of whom did their part to keep me as spoiled as my daddy did when I was growing up. As I look back over my life, I realize I've had it very easy. But in between husbands I had to operate as the head of household: paying bills, paying for house repairs, pay to have the grass cut and anything and everything else that had to be done. On top of that I worked full time, went to college full time and raised two sets of twins. (Yeah, I was Superwoman!)

(Fade to the present) As a member of the Baby Boomers I have become a part of the new "married single" That is a new term I just this minute made up! Pay me if you use it!!! However, the married single is this: a wife or husband who is suddenly forced to take over the operation of the household  because of the illness or the death of their spouse. So while I gladly allowed myself to be taken out of the game and relegated to a seat on the sidelines, I let myself forget more than I had in my lifetime learned. And let me tell you, the grass wasn't greener on the sidelines. It was brown and dusty from the footprints of others who had chosen to sit on the bench with me. I should've stayed in the game even if it was just on a part time or limited basis.


If I could teach women anything before I die it would be not to remove yourself or allow yourself to be relieved of your duties. If you haven't already, learn how to change a tire, change the furnace filters yourself so you know how it's done. Clean your dryer vent. Find and know how to operate the fuse box. Become familiar with your lawn care people and the exterminators. The one thing I've had to get used to doing is driving on the highway. I had no idea it had been about twenty-one years since I had actually driven any distance longer than going to work, school or shopping. Women don't limit the things you can do for yourself. Yes, it is great to have someone take care of you. But it's so much better to take care of yourself!

Staying true to green!

Rosa

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

GREEN WITH ENVY

I usually talk about most things green and while this particular post will be about green, it will take a different direction.
ENVY or green with envy is what's on my mind tonight. I celebrated my birthday recently and years before I got to this age I thought about all of the things I would've liked to have accomplish before now; a bucket list so to speak. I've always wanted to be on Broadway. I loved to sing growing up and was called on quite regularly to lead a church song or to sing a solo. It wasn't that I   was the greatest singer, I think the church used me because I wasn't scared to stand up in front of the congregation. I was cast by a few local civic and community theaters but never as a lead, always in the background. I wanted to stand center stage on Broadway and sing to the heavens. I wanted a casting agent to sit front and center and ask someone after the performance "who was that and why haven't I heard of her before?" I wanted that agent to hand me his card and tell me to call his secretary to set up an appointment to meet with him so he could discuss a leading movie role he had for me.

Which brings me to the second thing on that "wish I had done" list; become an actress. I wanted to take Hollywood by storm. I got married young and had my children early and by the time I could clearly think about making my way to either Broadway or Hollywood, I had too many ties to the small city I had grown up in. There was always something else in the way of my seeking my dream. How dare I think about taking 4 small children away from their grandparents, their school, their friends and their lives? And by the time I was ready to spread my wings, Hollywood had their Debbie Morgans, Loretta Devines, Lynn Whitfields, Lonette McKees and so on and so forth. So those dreams died and the only stage I sing on now is riding in the car and singing to the old songs I grew up listening to...thank God for Sirrius radio!

The third thing I should've wanted to do was to maintain a decent weight and reasonable health. But once I quit smoking in 1988, I immediately gained more weight than I care to announce publicly and sadly never looked back. Just when I tried to do something about losing weight, poor health got in the way. Then when the health was under control, my husband got ill and whatever progress had been made took a back seat to getting him back to healthy.

There were things I wanted him and I to do together, take a dancing class, a cooking class, drive from Mississippi to California, of course taking some of the ride on Route 66 in a Corvette! There were other things along the way that I've wanted to do and now that my husband and I have all the time in the world to do them, I'm almost too tired to even try.

So I live my life vicariously through my children. One of my daughters and her boyfriend recently rode in a helicopter (also on my list). They went to a gun range (on my list too). Both of my daughters know people from Hollywood well enough to call them by their first names (yep, that was on the list as well).

Perhaps my life will take a dramatic shift and suddenly I will be skinny, healthy, have enough money, plenty of time and energy to do at least some of the things I want to do. But until then I will remain emerald obsessed.



Thursday, June 7, 2012

NO MORE HOBO BAGS

Let me start out by saying I'm sad. Why? I'm sad because hobo bags are out this season. Why does that make me sad? I have a closet full of them. I love the comfort of throwing one over my shoulder and being unhindered in my shopping or whatever errand I happen to run. Structured bags -- ughh! You either have to hold them in your hand or put it in the crook of your arm. It's hard to shop without it sliding around and just simply being in the way. You can put it in the baby seat of the grocery cart, but if you turn your back on it, someone could run off with it...bet you never thought about that had you? Now with the hobo bag even you're out eating, you can place the it in your lap. You can squish it up without fear of ruining whatever fabric it's made of. I guess my point is that a hobo bag gives you a lot of flexibility and freedom. You just don't have to be as careful with it. Structured bags require a little more work. However, since I'm going to be forced to carry the unforgiving purses I'm going to have to add a few to the limited number I have. One has caught my eye. I found this Kate Spade New York Satchel - Grand Street Melinda at Bloomingdale's and it's on sale!

pic provided by bloomingdales.com

Friday, May 18, 2012

VINTAGE GREEN

Recently The Studio Museum of Harlem held its sixth annual Spring Luncheon at New York City's swanky Mandarin Oriental hotel -- Museum Educator Katrina DeWees wears a vintage dress, necklace and clutch, with Vince Camuto shoes. That's my kind of luncheon attire!

pic provided by essence.com

Monday, April 30, 2012

AS PROMISED!

I promised to post some pictures of First Lady Michelle Obama taken at the 2012 White House Correspondent's Association Dinner held at the Washington Hilton Hotel over the weekend. I found these on www.tomandlorenzo.com. They didn't have a full length shot of her but did supply a picture of what the strapless paisley organza Naemm Khan gown looked like on the runway.




all pics provided by tomandlorenzo.com



Sunday, April 29, 2012

ANOTHER ONE FROM OMG! FROM YAHOO!

I just had to steal this picture of actress Rosario Dawson from OMG! from Yahoo! I think the boobs took center stage over the emerald green dress! She wore this to the 2012 White House Correspondent's Association Dinner held at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington DC. By the way the President and Mrs. Obama were in attendance! More later if I find a picture of Mrs. Obama's dress.

pic provided by OMG! from Yahoo!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

OMG! FROM YAHOO!

The folks at OMG! from Yahoo! asked this question "Did Emily Blunt look matronly or magnificent in this Jason Wu dress and Alice + Olivia pumps at the New York premiere of her new rom-com, "The Five Year Engagement"? I'm on the fence and need your help. (4/18/2012)" Well I'm not on the fence. You know my answer is absolutely NOT! I love this ensemble especially the shoes! Tell me what you think
pic provided by OMG! from Yahoo!

Monday, April 16, 2012

IT'S GREEN WEEK

It's green week. What are you doing to help save our planet? Me, I've started turning off the water when I brush my teeth. I'm also using my "real" dishes more than paper plates (oh, how I miss the convenience, but what the hey...I've gotta wash the dishes anyway!) My sister-in-law has taken to washing her dishes by hand....I haven't gotten to that point yet but I'm working toward it.

For my body, I'm eating a lot more healthy... who knew how much I loved green peppers and onions? How quick it is to fix a meal with sauteed peppers and onions added to chicken I cook on top of the stove and black beans. I've even started eating the vegetables and beans without the chicken. I'm drinking so much more water. I've seen too many people pass away too soon to not be concerned about changing my bad habits.

What are you going to do to save Mother Earth? Have a great green week!



Tuesday, April 3, 2012

ICONIC MARILYN

All of us remember the iconic scene of Marilyn Monroe and the "dress" in the 1955 classic The Seven Year Itch. If you don't actually remember the movie surely you have seen the pictures. If not, let me refresh your memories.

pic provided by google.com images
Now don't get me wrong, I loved the dress and the movie. I even thought it was quite poetic to have the platinum haired beauty wearing the white dress and shoes. It made an unforgettable statement. But (and you had to know a "but" was coming) what if the stylist had dressed Marilyn in a different color. Perhaps green! Now you can be an icon. You can get your own dress and make whatever statement you'd like. www.modcloth.com has the University of Marilyn dress for $169.99. A small price to pay to become your own version of Marilyn Monroe!

pic provided by modcloth.com
While you're at it, go all out and do a special pair of shoes. Check out these Gianmarco Lorenzi python skin pumps for $1,025.00 at www.farfetch.com


pic provided by polyvore.com


Have a fashionably green day!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

PICTURE TAKING

I have a friend who takes her family at least once a month to get their family picture taken. I'm always amused at the lengths she goes through to make sure everyone is matchy-matchy. Now I understand coordinating as well as the next person, but when the father and sons wear the same shirt and mother and daughters wear the same outfit...hmmm.. in my opinion is going a bit overboard. My husband and I haven't taken many staged pictures during the course of our marriage; perhaps a snap shot here and there but not the sit down and pose kind of portraits.

Recently I started taking notice of picture "specials" sent through the mail. $9.95 doesn't sound like a big deal to me especially since there usually isn't a sitting fee involved. Now you only get to choose one pose per special for that price (remember this). So I made an appointment and the process was relatively painless, if you don't consider the photography studio had far more business than the number of employees could handle. There were two actual rooms to take pictures in. There were four employees. Now in my mind I'm thinking two of the four employees should be taking pictures full time and the other two should help the customers pick out which pose they wanted to purchase. But this was not the case. All of the employers served as photographers, salespeople, receptionist, and cashier. I'm sure they also had other behind the scenes duties.

So imagine having a 6:00 p.m. appointment (I purposely asked for the latest appointment available) and not getting out of the building until shortly after 8:00 p.m. Imagine sitting with babies crying because they were out way past dinner and bedtime. Imagine the Lego table in the waiting room to occupy older children being used as a basketball court and Lego pieces being thrown all over the place. And no mother speaking up to tell the little heathens to sit down somewhere and be quiet.

When it was finally our turn to be serviced by the photographer, we went in proud as peacocks in our matchy-matchy outfits. You would've thought we were getting ready to walk down the aisle or something equally important. Oh the models we became striking poses like pictures were being taken for a fashion spread in a magazine. Rather quickly however, we went back to the role of impatient customers as we were sent back out to the crowded waiting room to wait to pick out the pose we wanted to purchase.

As different ones were being checked out with their pictures in hand..I started hearing totals like $230.00, $320.00, $350.00 and even $445.00! What the heck!! What happened to the $9.95? Those customers had purchased several poses; one with the mother and father, one with the mother and daughters one with the father and sons, one with the mother and sons, one with the father and daughters. One of the little ones holding a basketball, etc, etc, etc. You get the point. Who do they give all of those pictures to? We ordered our one pose paid our $9.95 plus tax and went home. Yes, they tried to get us to buy a calendar, a mug, this that and the other. Who needs all of those pictures? We sent out several pictures to family members (how presumptious of us to think someone wanted our picture on their mantel) and we still have tons of pictures left.

But guess who is going back this weekend to suffer through the same horrible experience...yup! Me! Me! Me! Sunday morning at 9:00 (the earliest appointment we could get). I'll be sure to let you know if it gets any better. I'm leaving now to find matchy matchy outfits..but I'm only going to buy the one pose for $9.95!

Have a good emerald green day!

Monday, March 26, 2012

MINT GREEN

I think I'm falling in love with the mint greens I'm seeing this season. It feels like such a fresh and happy color. You just can't be sad, depressed or down in the dumps when you see it.
Speaking of this season...my husband and I have decided to get the Schwinn bicycles we bought in 1991 (and have never used!) and get out in this gorgeous weather. When I thought about our bikes, I ran across a picture of a mint green one. Who wouldn't be tempted to ride everyday if they were riding on this baby!!! Heck I may even paint my brown bike a prettier brighter color to make riding more interesting. How will you do mint green for Spring?


pic provided by lulus.com






pic provided by pinmarklet on pinterest.com




Sunday, March 18, 2012

PREMIERE OF STYLED BY JUNE

You may have seen fashion stylist June Ambrose's work on Jay-Z, Naomi Campbell, Missy Elliott, Kelly Ripa, Mariah Carey, Sean Combs and Mary J. Blige just to name a few. You may have seen the fashionista herself in magazines, at grand openings, at parties, or sitting on the front row at New York Fashion Week (or any other fashion week for that matter). We can all watch June work on  her reality show "Styled By June" premiering Monday, March 19, 2012 on VH1. Can you imagine what it would be like to have a fashion stylist as your mother? To grow up around the fashion industry and attending fashion weeks on the lap of your mother as a youngster sounds heavenly. I love fashion so of course I want to watch the show to see how she styles celebrities so effortlessly, but I also will be watching to see if her adorable daughter, Summer Chamblin will be on the show!
Speaking of styling effortlessly..you can purchase Effortless Style written by June Ambrose on amazon.com and other online outlets

June Ambrose with celebrity client Jay-Z
pic provided by fashionbombdaily.com

June and Summer
pic provided by zimbio.com

June Ambrose with little fashionista Summer Chamblin (her daughter)
pic provided by ekiuwajmagazine.com

June and Summer
pic provided by thetruthabout celebrities.blogspot.com





Friday, March 16, 2012

REAL PEOPLE WEAR GREEN!

Karesse Small wearing green in real life!
Looking good Karesse!
pic provided by Karesse Small


GREEN FURNITURE

There is so much green furniture in my home right now I should be afraid to look at anything else in the same color! But since I'm in the market for a new desk for my office...hint, hint to my husband! This one would be perfect. I saw it on pinterest.com but I could probably find an old desk and paint it myself. If I do I will be sure to post pictures.

pinterest.com


GREEN JEWELRY

I don't talk much about jewelry but I saw two bracelets on etsy.com (I forget who was selling them) and fell in love with both of them. I would love it if my husband bought either on or both as a Mother's Day gifts for me!
etsy.com

etsy.com










Monday, February 27, 2012

MEN CAN ROCK GREEN TOO!

I saw this picture some time ago and don't even remember what site it was on (I think it was essence.com) but I wanted to give you the opportunity to see a man in green!
Tell us what you think about a man in green


will-i-am of The Black Eye Peas wears green

Sunday, February 26, 2012

VIOLA DAVIS IN GREEN

I absolutely loved it when Viola Davis threw all caution to the wind and let her natural hair be seen but I was completely over the top when she arrived on the red carpet of the 84th Annual Academy Awards in an emerald green Vera Wang gown.

picture provided by google.com

We first saw Viola "au naturele" at Essence's 5th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon where she stepped out in a figure flattering ivory color Victoria Beckham dress.

picture provided by essence.com


Tell us what you think. Do you like Ms. Davis in the natural or not?



Friday, February 24, 2012

GREEN ON THE STREETS (AGAIN)

With spring just around the corner, we'll be looking for transitional pieces to take us from season to season. Wouldn't this animal print skirt paired with the green blouse and shoes be perfect? Show us what pieces you'll be rocking through the changing of the seasons!


pic provided by honestlywtf.com