Can't be more tea here! No teacups!

I had a good time at my sister's house for Easter last week. While I was there I took a couple of pictures of her old china. Her's is a delicate pink flower pattern, and it is marked Elite Works, Limoges France on the back. After all these years I did not know she didn't have any teacups or saucers. None! But I'll be she didn't know I don't have soup bowls, either.

This is part of the china from a former ancestor that was handed down through our grandmother. She was our grandfather's second wife, and somehow she ended up with 2 sets of china. Remember the story that it was ordered on the way home from Monaco on a gambling trip? We don't know any better so we keep telling the story!

Enchanted!

I used home-made enamel dots on this one. They are oven-melted perler beads. Don't they look like little starlite mints? Yum.

I got 4 packages of stamps in the mail on Wednesday, and I couldn't play with any of them until Friday. Arrgggg!

Anyway, this is Enchanted, from The Alley Way Stamps, and includes this adorable pony dressed up like a unicorn, an innocent-looking dragon, and a frog prince, complete with a crown.

I clearly need to practice more with my coloring, but I am really loving these images.

Curses, I did it again! Twice in one week!

I can't believe it, I fell for it AGAIN, on 2 separate products!

First of all, I haven't bought Miracle Whip in decades because I'm convinced mayonnaise is better. Hellman's to be precise. But the commercials with the "tangy and sweet" got to me. When I got it home I read the label. High fructose corn syrup. When, when, when, will I ever learn? This bottle is going to work where someone will take it.

My other big mistake was the Tervis water bottle. That piece of cr*p leaks like you wouldn't believe. But, it's cute, I'll give it that. Next to it, on it's side is the Wal-mart water bottle that leaks a drop after 20 minutes on it's side. Better, but still not exactly lunchbox safe. I'm looking for an insulated bottle to carry green smoothies to work in. Leaking is not acceptable. So far the only bottles I've found that don't leak are mason jars and re-used commercial drink bottles. These are not insulated, and I have to replace them fairly often.

I'm off to find a recipe for "Miracle Whip" that doesn't have bad stuff in it. The only problem with home made is that it doesn't keep for very long. Any suggestions? For either a good sweet mayo or a non-leaking insulated bottle at least 20 oz. big? Thanks in advance.

Today is a good day.

Seriously, I am thrilled that Clairol is making my boxed hair color again.

I don't remember how long ago it was that my color just stopped being available. I found out they weren't making it anymore, and I bought 10 boxes from Amazon. When those were gone, the price was up to over $30 a box on Ebay. I don't think so. So then I got the color that was similar, but darker, and mixed it down with some blonde. I did that for a long time, and I honestly can't remember how long. Then the darker color disappeared from the stores and I panicked. Amazon to the rescue again.

Well, I really had to find a solution, because I knew the price would creep up on color #2. I tried a product from Sally's beauty supply. I am so glad I did the strand test.

Well, it was so dark and harsh I realized I'd have to go back and get other starter colors. And I had to order the developer online and everything. And the topper is it took 30 minutes! My Clairol box product takes 10 minutes.

Then, last week I saw my original color on the shelf in Publix, of all places. Oh, it was a new name, but the number, 15RG was just as I remembered it. I took all 3 boxes they had on the shelf.

I'm so happy! Now I can ditch the Sally's product. Talk about bad timing, but I'd still rather have my Natural Instincts 15RG. Any day!

Be more tea, part 2

 Ok, yesterday's tea party went well, but I didn't get to talk about the cup or china after all. The conversation just didn't go there. Oh well.

I looked it up in some reference books, and it appears the mark on the back dates it to 1893. So, if it was ordered in France about the time it was made, it makes it older than I had previously thought. About 120 years old, to be more precise!

I also located the pattern in Arlene Schleiger's book, Two Hundred Patterns of Haviland China (Book II).

All of this is very interesting, but at the end of the day I'll wash the cup and put it away in the china cabinet again, and won't pull it out for quite some time. The only piece of it that gets used often (define "often") is the platter, which is magnificent.