Sunday, April 29, 2007

Happy Harmony...Almost Anyway

I started out not in a very good mood yesterday. I finally got to sleep around 1am night before last, only to be rudely awakened at 3am by -- yup, you guessed it -- the rubes upstairs. Heather was NOT happy. Needing to get out of here before I went ballistic on someone, I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and do some walking and shopping. Walked about 5 or 6 miles, did not buy very much. Found two books at Frugal Muse (one of which is for one of my sisters) and some cute summer outfits for my youngest niece at Kohls. I tried looking for shorts for me, but finally gave up.

Note to all designers (and store buyers): we're not all teenagers, and some of us really don't care for the polyester pant suits you stuffed our grandmothers in. Give us shorts that actually fit, damn it! Not this "low riding" crap. As adult women we have waists, so give us shorts that actually have waists. Some of us like shorts that fit, not ones that feel like they're going to fall off if we so much as breath. And no short shorts -- mid-thigh length is prefered, though a little bit shorter than that is also okay. Every pair of shorts I looked at were either low-riders and cut far too short, or over-long burmudas. Seriously, what is with that? A grown woman just can't win!

And the selection in the womens department? Pitiful! There was an entire section devoted to teeny-boppers, and only four racks in womens. Ya know, kids aren't the only ones who like shorts during those hot summer days; their aunts, mothers and grandmothers wear them as well. Honestly, I might as well buy some material, haul out the sewing machine and learn to make my own because it seems that's the only way I'm going to find a pair of jean shorts that actually fit and are comfortable to wear. Sheesh!

Okay, so that started to to put me in a foul mood again, but there were some things that did lighten the day. For one, it was warm without being too hot. Pleasant, although a bit too breezy at times. I was fine in a long-sleeve t-shirt, but there were times my neck wished I had grabbed my scarf on the way out the door. My face got a little bit of color, but didn't get too sunburned, and as I walked along one stretch between shops, I came upon a group of little magnolia trees, their flowers just starting to open. They should be in full bloom in just a matter of days. It looks like most of the tulips and daffodils in front of our building survived the early April deep freeze, too. Not as much color there as in previous years, but there are some in bloom. The lilacs...well, jury's still out on those.

Oh, and did I mention that when I was coming home from work Wednesday evening I spotted a new calf at the farm that has the Scottish Highland cattle? There are two or three little ones there now, and so darn cute. Much cuter than a holstein or a guernsey any day. In my opinion, any way. *g*


The two cards on this page were made a few weeks ago with the Happy Harmony set from Stampin' Up. The top one uses the DCWV heritage paper pack and patterned mat stack, and was stamped in glorious green (SU). A few strands of cream embroidery floss serves as the sole embellishment. The bottom card was stamped in more mustard and uses a scrap of the DCWV mat stack. I used the deckle stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds so the white didn't look so bland. The verse is from Inkadinkado.

Speaking of Stampin' Up...the retired list is supposed to be posted this week. I think like most people I both dread and look forward to it. Stampers will then have two months to purchase these items before they disappear forever. Since there were very few items on last year's list that I just *had* to have, you know there are going to be a lot more items from my wish list being retired this year.



9 comments:

Angela's Designs said...

I saw you go for walks... I wake up earlier than needed each morning and read. I walk a little each day at lunch or during breaks at work, but way too little and that is slowing down because my lunch break happens when it is about 85+ this time of year outside. Morning times here in Reno area are cooler, and I've been trying to get my mind to that stage to commit to using my reading time for walking and put in a few miles each morning.

Heather said...

Yeah, I like walking but honestly have become a bit lax in it. My right calf was a bit tight today after yesterday's walk, but found it hard to motivate with the 80+ temps we had today.

When the office was 2-1/4 miles from where I live I used to walk at least one way every day. Now it's closer to 8 so not really within walking distance. Have been meaning to get the bike out of the basement and cleaned up the past two summers. It's anybody's guess whether it will happen this year either. I know, I am soooo bad!

Bebe said...

I hear you about the shorts and women's clothing in general! I know I could order from a catalog or online from Coldwater Creek, but my size varies due to my weight and body shape. I have to try everything on. That's enough to put me in a bad mood.

As for your noisy neighbors, have you ever considered calling the police instead of the apartment management? I'll bet they'll get the picture after a couple of late night visits from the cops.

Heather said...

Bebe~ That's why I don't like ordering from catalogs, either: you never know how different designers/styles are going to fit. JC Penney has a nice, simple, basic black dress you can only order online or from the catalog, but I hate the thought of ordering it, then having to send it back because it didn't fit right. Too much of a hassle!

As for the noisy neighbors, I have actually called the police on them a couple of times. Unfortunately, the police cannot guarnatee a "timely" response. One time they woke me up at 1am with their music, it was an hour and a half before the police arrived. By that time I had lost 2 hours of sleep and they had just turned it off and gone to bed so police could do nothing.

What really sucks is that, because we're on the corner, we take the brunt of the noise so it's primarily us complaining. I have no doubt that if they lived in an interior apartment there would be a LOT more complaints against them.

Soguesswhat11 said...

cute cards! Thanks for visiting my blog, too - it's what brought me here. lol

Have a great day!

Jana said...

Oh, what cute cows! So sweet.

Cute cards, too.

And amen on the shorts. It's rare that I find a pair that doesn't make me look like a beached whale walking around on a pair of sausages. LOL

And just about every place I go only devotes two or three racks for "women" And since when did "women" mean "grandmother in polyester?" I swear, there are some women out there above a size 2 (okay, above a size 20) that would like to look closer to 30 than 60. Is that too much to ask?

And BOO! on those neighbors. I'll start praying that they move soon. :-)

Heather said...

Thanks Gina and Jana!

J~ I had a feeling you would agree on the shorts issue. LOL

Joan said...

This card is so lovely. I love the combination of those flowers and the sentiment. Great job!

Heather said...

Thanks, Joan--and thanks for visiting!

Annalee~ Walked another 4-5 miles yesterday, and two earlier this week. Slooowwwlllyyy easing back into it.