Happy Halloween!

 "Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere.  He's gotta pick this one.  He's got to.  I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one.  You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy.  Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see. "  -  Linus van Pelt

My Weird Dog - Gets High

 A few posts back I wrote about my weird dog  Pippen and his pine needles  vacation.  If you recall, I mentioned his car anxiety problem and how enjoyable it was to have him in my back seat.  We decided to take another road trip (with Pippen).  I said I was not getting into the car with a weird  nervous dog for four hours, so I had to find a solution.

After talking to several dog owners, I purchased some CBD (for dogs).  On the way out for vacation, we put the CBD on some bread.  The bottle said it takes about 30 minutes to kick in.  Well, that was a lie.  We dealt with heavy panting for the majority of the ride.  I think Pippen finally calmed down the last half hour.

I was thinking about the return ride home the entire week and how I could make it go smoother.  (Maybe hitch a ride with someone else?)   You know, less heavy breathing.  I decided to put the CBD directly into Pippen's mouth and see how that works.  

Yes.  That's how CBD oil works.  I'm not sure why we put it on food.  And, prying open Pippen's mouth is a story in itself.  I was successful, with help from Bella.  I do have to say that this time I gave him more than his first dose.

I did not realize how quickly it would kick in.  Pippen sat up facing the back of the car and stared out the window.  He looked over at Bella and she said to lay down.  He fell towards her and didn't move for awhile.  I thought I might have killed my dog  help my dog to OD.  He was still breathing and he was very calm on the drive back home.  He did sit up and stare at Bella's shoulder for 10 minutes.  

I think he is looking forward to his next trip.

Student Driver

 We have a student driver in the house and we also have the car magnet to prove it.

We have survived two other student drivers without a magnet on the back of the car.  The magnet tells the world that there is a student driver and to please be patient.  One of our neighbors gave it to us and I thought I would try it out on vacation since it was a long drive and the student would be doing the majority of the driving.  I thought this would be a great idea.  Why not let other drivers know so they don't get road rage?

All was going well until we turned onto the expressway ramp.  We had a tail gaiter who sped by us once he had the chance.  I noticed that the drivers in Illinois are not as patient with student drivers as other states.  When we finally made it into Michigan, we had drivers who, as they were passing our car, smiled at us.  There was no road rage or aggression.

The other day, Bella was driving us home from the library.  She was trying to turn right onto a busy street and was doing great until "Mr. Impatient" pulled up behind us.  "Mr. Impatient" used this opportunity to honk his horn until Bella made her right turn.  Luckily, Bella isn't phased by any of the bad driving behaviors of others and turned when it was safe.

I keep the magnet on my car at all times.  I enjoy the reactions from the other drivers.  I drive the speed limit (most of the time) and obey traffic laws and still get the road rage and the honkers.

Do you respect cars with the "Student Driver" magnet or Do you show the student driver how not to behave on the road?

Rare American Collections and Sports Memorabilia

 With the holiday season soon approaching, it's time to start thinking about what gifts to get each of my loved ones.  RT has got to be the most difficult person to buy a gift for   It's difficult to find that perfect present for RT.   Ask him to give you some ideas and you will get,  “I’ll be happy with whatever you get me.”    So I usually end up buying a bag of chocolate, a couple of chocolate bars and some fancy cheese. 

This year, I wanted to steer away from the food (we don't need an expanding waist band) and do something different.  RT has a collection of sports memorabilia, including some autographed jerseys and photographs.  Maybe I could get him a special item to add to his collection?  I did a little investigation.  Over dinner (and a few drinks) I asked him about the memorabilia he currently has, about his favorite team and players and which players and what items he might want to add to his collection.  It may have seemed out of the blue to him.  It's early so I don't think I gave away my plan of buying him a Christmas present.

RT likes our local Chicago teams:  Bears, Bulls and Cubs (good thing, since we live here).  Oh, and anything from the Chicago Bears Super Bowl Team of 1985.  He was looking for some autographed photos of the lesser known players, like Gary Fencik.  I have to stay within budget an I know how some of this autographed sports merchandise can get very expensive.  I did a quick little Google search and found this sports memorabilia website called Rare American Collections.  They had exactly what I was looking for and more!  They hgave a wonderful selection of autographed football photos and jerseys, including several autographed photos of Gary Fencik.  And, the prices were very reasonable.  They also have some really helpful information about what to look for when buying autographed memorabilia including how to make sure that the signature is authentic (and not a fake). 

I'm so glad Rare American Collections had such a great selection.  I can now cross RT off my gift list.  OK, maybe after I buy him some chocolate.

Do you have any sports fans on your Christmas list?  Check out Rare American Collections for some great gift ideas!

Too Sexy

 I'm too sexy for my love

Too sexy for my love

Love's going to leave me

I believe the saying is, "Dress to Impress."  This is great to follow when you are headed out for a date or an interview where you want to make a good first impression.

I'm too sexy for my shirt 

Too sexy for my shirt

So sexy it hurts.

I think you know where this conversation is heading.

RT walked by wearing his usual uniform.  Shirt, shorts, long black socks and shoes.  The socks don't quite reach the knee (Thank God!).  I made the comment that the long socks and shoes are quite a sexy look and, " Maybe I should write a blog post?"

I'm too sexy for my socks

Too sexy for my socks

At least they aren't Crocs.

I would post a picture but, I wasn't getting good vibes from him.

Luckily we are heading into cooler weather and long pants and RT won't be exposing everyone to all of that sexiness.

And I'm too sexy for this song

My Weird Dog - Vacation Edition

 My weird dog  Pippen went with us on vacation this summer.  Its been awhile since his last vacation down to the Smokey Mountains when he was three.  You might recall that ended in the ghetto van  my van dying and Pippen riding in it while it was towed (he has never recovered from that experience).

RT and Pippen headed up to Michigan together.  I asked RT to send me photos of Pippen enjoying his getaway.  This was cute until I get a phone call from RT,  "Tell your dog to get out of the car!"  There I am, at work, sweet talking my baby  dog trying to coax him out of the car.  Fortunately I was successful.

I guess I forgot to mention the reason Pippen was in the car.  Apparently he was loose (off leash/chain) and started wandering the neighborhood.  RT thinks that Pippen was trying to escape  find me.  

Pippen did enjoy his vacation (once I arrived).  He liked to be outside laying on top of the pine needles and hanging out in the closet under the stairs.  We started to call the closet, "Pippen's Room."  I think he has plans to redecorate.

I was the lucky one to drive Pippen home.  I'll set the scene.  It's 90F and my a/c doesn't work that great.  The ride back was much longer due to traffic and construction.  It was about 100F inside my car.  Someone  Pippen decided to pant (breathe heavily) in my back seat.  After 3 hours of dealing with the child  Pippen, I called RT, who was a few cars ahead of me.  At the rest area, Pippen hopped into RT's car and went to sleep.  Amazingly, my car cooled off.

I think Pippen enjoyed his vacation, but is happy to be home. 

National Handbag Day

 Today is National Handbag Day!  A day set aside for me to celebrate all of the time and headaches effort that I put into finding the perfect a new purse.  

Handbags come in many shapes and sizes.  They can be as small as an envelope or as large as a carry on suitcase.  Handbags also come in every solid color and a variety of prints like leopard, zebra and even stripes.  You can get a sparkly bag or a purse with rhinestones.  There is a handbag out there for everyone.

Whatever you call it... purse, pocketbook,  clutch, evening bag, case or pouch, handbags have been used for thousands of years.  The earliest bags were used to carry tools or gear.  Sometimes the user decorated them with beads.  And some  dyed the material to make the bag.

How do you celebrate National Handbag Day?  Wear your favorite handbag today, of course!  Or, use this day to buy a new handbag.  There are so many out there for you to choose!

 We all know that I celebrate this day because of my purse commitment issues.  If you need to read up on my scary purse stories, click  HERE, HERE and HERE .  They stories are quite entertaining.

I think today is going to be a good celebration.  I am happy to announce that I have added a few more purses to my collection.  I think I should probably start focusing on a new wallet to go with these purses (lots of prayers are going to be needed for that search).

Fall is Here!

  "Fall is here!  Fall is here!

It's my favorite time of year
Football games and falling leaves
I'll take mine with turkey please"

It's that time of year set aside to think about falling leaves and all things pumpkin!  Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice, pumpkin spiced latte, pumpkin potpourri, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies and just plain pumpkins.

Are you a pumpkin person?  A football person?  How about a Halloween person?

Well, it's time to get your craft on this fall and get into the Fall spirit!  I thought I would put  links to some of the Fall Halloween crafts and Costumes that I've blogged about in the past.  Some of these are great ideas to do with little kids and some are great to do with your Girl Scout Troop!


Halloween Crafts

Bat Pencil Cup  uses an empty can and construction paper

Extra Crafts - using construction paper, make owls, witch, ghosts and foam monsters

Mosaic Pumpkin - using paint chips

Mosaic Pumpkin - using construction paper

Owl - using construction paper

Pony Tail Craft - using ribbon (great for a Girl Scout Troop!)

Pumpkin and Ghost - using Popsicle sticks and paint

Pumpkin Magnet - using foam

Spider - using pipe cleaners and google eyes

SPIDER  using construction paper

Spider (under $1 craft)  using an egg carton, black paint and google eyes

Witche's Hat  uses foam and glitter glue

Pumpkin Soap


Have a party to go to and need a quick, easy Halloween costume?  Look no further! 

Costumes
Easy Halloween Costumes
Eye Candy Costume
Target Employee

It's also time to grab that apron and whip up some fall goodies!  Everybody loves pumpkin!  (well, at least I do!)

How about some Fall food ideas:

Vegetarian Chili
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Pie (from a Pumpkin)

Halloween Candy Dessert 

The Great Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins 

Hope this inspires you to get into the fall spirit!  I think I'll go make some pumpkin cookies.

Enjoy!