Good Morning Dear Reader:

With the holiday weekend over, I thought you might be interested in what I like to call The Lake Report:

When you live on or near a body of water, surrounded by woods, you have very interesting neighbors—furry and feathered ones. There also seems to be an increase in the creepy, crawly ones.

Hardly ever do the furry or feathered ones present a problem inside the house, although the deer population challenges most any landscaping effort I have made. The creepy, crawly kind sometime slip in. Last night I was in hot pursuit of an enormous cricket until he slipped under the sectional sofa. Try as I might, I could not locate him nor could I move the monstrous sofa to evict him from his hiding place.

By bedtime, I had forgotten him. But he had not forgotten me. Of all the places in this house he could park himself, he selected my bed, specifically, my side of my bed. Around midnight I felt what I would have sworn was a bug bite but in my deep sleep, I passed it off as something I dreamed.

When I got up this morning and started to make the bed—there he was, absent a leg, smushed flat. Oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh. (I could not find a word to aptly describe my reaction, but I think you get it.) Let’s just say that there are better ways to get rid of bugs than body-smushing.

Sometimes when we go to the lake we allow ourselves the luxury of shutting out what is happening in the rest of the world by avoiding TV news, which is predominately depressing. We don’t have newspaper delivery since it is a vacation home. Usually, this makes for a really nice weekend of only being depressed about what has broken or needs replacing at the lake house. Unfortunately, upon getting up this morning we discovered that Tropical Storm Hermine has made a path to our door and the rest of South Texas.

Note to self:  Add weather report viewing to weekend college football line up.

Women doing good!

J.J. Ramburg, host of MSNBC’s Your Business, co-founded a search engine site, Goodsearch.com, with her brother Ken to generate funds for charity. Each search generates one cent for any one of 90,000 approved charities listed. From this effort came Goodshop.com which offers coupons and discounts at many of the retailers we use regularly, like Target, Banana Republic, the Container Store, etc. Since its beginning in 2005, it has raised $34,000 for the ASPCA and $14,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Go to Goodsearch.com and register your non-profit and start using that site as a path to your online shopping. Merchants donate anywhere from .5-2.5% of your purchase to your charity.

The only way I will bicycle today!

Let’s all go out and do some good today!

Diane

Guess what's at Payless?

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

This is the really, really big issue!!!! Weighs at least 6 pounds!

Today I am in a total fashion state of mind. Not that if you saw me at this very moment would you say, “You look so fashionable!”.  I am showered but beauty and fashion are still on stand-by. Nothing comes between me and my blog when I am inspired and I am today! My September issue of Vogue just arrived with the fall fashion forecast and I am just filled with inspiration and I know you will be as well!

First, this issue just weighs a ton, so you know it is just packed with great clothes and ideas–to be exact, 726 pages of them. At $4.99, this magazine bought off the shelves is a steal. With a subscription, there’s not a better deal anywhere unless Godiva has one of those “going out of business sales” which I seriously doubt will happen. (One year is $15, buy online)

Second,this issue of Vogue tipped me off to a great injustice. On September 10 and beginning as early as September 7, New York City is the scene of Fashion Night Out (FNO) when the block party to end all block parties happens with Vogue editors, models, celebrities and major fashion retailers taking part in special events–including, of course, shopping! Other cities in the U.S. such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta will participate as well.

Houston, we have a problem! Do we not love fashion? Are we not consumate shoppers? What the heck is wrong with this picture? Besides, Bloomingdales, Sak’s, Sephora, Macy’s and more than 900 other stores will participate. CBS is even showing a documentary of the event on September 14. Proceeds will benefit NYC AIDS Fund.

For more details about Fashion Night Out, go to Vogue.com. QVC has its own event running on TV from September 10-15.

While I am getting over being left out of FNO (you would know the jet is in for repairs), I am very excited about some of the really beautiful clothes and accessories that will be coming to our stores soon. While some of the outfits featured in Vogue may cost thousands of dollars, there will be very similar styles at affordable prices at our local retailers soon. The fabrics are rich jewel-toned colors and there is lots of gorgeous, rich suede, fur accents, and the strong  influence of  animal prints and patterns.

Continuing the march of high-end designers to affordable retailers like Target.  Payless Shoes has their own stable including Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, and Isabel Toledo. Don’t expect their designs to be in the stores long because they are stunning, however, you can buy them online right now. Most are priced between $39 and $45. Wow!

I know those of you who are like me and have issues with really bad hair days will be elated to learn that Vogue has proclaimed that the turban is back!! I can’t remember when it was in, but I am relieved to know that we have another option besides wearing our tennis hat all day. I am guessing that we will be soon seeing classes on “How to wrap a turban”. As big as scarves have been recently, we’ve all got the essential material, we just need possibly more than just a little help–at least I for one do. There is probably a trick to looking more Grace Kelly-like than cleaning woman. And then there is Bret Michaels. Maybe this is one look we will skip!

Have a simply fantastic day!

Diane

Darling shoes by Isabel Toledo for Payless!

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

Today I tackled a project that I have been avoiding for quite some time–weeding my flower beds. There was a point, 3 or so months ago when they looked just great. We had weeded, mulched and planted some great hot summer plants. Over the past few months everything has deteriorated, except for the weeds which have grown spectacularly. In fact, they were so lush, it was difficult in some spots to see the original shrubs.

Today, I just could not look at it one more minute. I assembled my tools:  rake, 2 sets of clippers, garden gloves, sunscreen, not so glamorous sun hat, large garbage can and Barry White.

I cranked up Barry and I boogied a little and snatched out weeds a little. I even did one small fire ant dance. Ultimately, I hauled out 3 garbage bags of weeds, lantana that never lived up to it’s promise and a small mountain of pine straw. I must say the flower beds look much better. I must also say that I cannot raise my right arm above my waist. Barry and I may not be dancing for awhile and the next door neighbors who observed my contortions think that is really a good thing.

What I do have is a bumper crop of cuttings from hydrangeas gone wild and coleus that threatened to take over the neighborhood. While they are rooting, I’m going to be looking for something I can trade them for with the neighbors–like margaritas or a nice chocolate pie. Offers?

Coldwater Creek is the place!

I had a chance to pop into Coldwater Creek this week and I was most impressed with the great sale they have going on. Besides reductions of up to 60% on a ton of cute clothes, they have some great bargains on decorator items for your home.

$49.99 bracelets!!!!

In the new fall merchandise, I fell in love with the gorgeous bracelets with slices of geodes at $49.99, just stunning. Also their scarves for fall have delicate pleating and fringe that really set them apart from the thousands of others in the stores. Check them out!

Reduced to $18.99

Who knew fiber was so important?

We already know that fiber is very important in our daily diets, but now new research shows that it is even more important when we are recovering from any bacterial infections. That includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains–like artichokes, lima beans, blackberries, oranges, flaxseed, pears and more.

The soluble fiber changes immune cells from being pro-inflammatory warrioers to anti-inflammatory peace-keeper cells says Dr. Gregory Freund of the University of Illinois. It also boosts the production of the protein interleukin-4, which stimulates the body’s infection-fighting T-cells.

Chocolate to love!

Yum-Yum!

You know I love chocolate, but most chocolate (that’s any good) has a lot of sugar in it as well, which is not the best for us. Until this week, I had never found any sugar-free chocolate worth eating–rejoice!!!! Dove has done it! Their new line of sugar-free chocolates is divine and I promise you cannot tell the difference. I have only had the chocolate peanut butter creams, but I am certain the entire line is just as good. These come about 12-15 to a bag on the candy aisle. I found mine at HEB.

Have yourself a delicious weekend and come back Monday!!!!

Diane

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

After being out of town for a week, I returned to find a mountain of mail including all the great magazines I dearly love. Although reading them is never a chore, there have been so many good articles that I have found myself progressing at a snail’s pace–don’t you just hate that trail of slime? For me it is more like a trail of subscription cards.

The prices to subscribe are just fantastic with great incentives for adding gift subscriptions. I am sure I probably mentioned that Better Homes and Gardens has an offer for 3 subscriptions for $15, and it is one of the most well-rounded magazines out there. There are bargains, check the Internet for your favorites.

Drowning in pictures (this is not about The Titanic)

I love making pictures so I have lots of them. The ones choking up my computer’s hard drive don’t take up much space at the house, but those prints from years of family photography are just waiting and waiting for me to do something with them.

I have even gone so far as to purchase frames. They too are waiting. I was not sure exactly what I was waiting for until I saw this terrific article, ” Walls That Talk“, in Martha Stewart Living, the September issue, page 98.

The four-page spread is the step-by-step process that MSL’s Editorial Director Gael Towey used to  sort, size and shift family photos to create a beautiful two-story wall collection. Where I found hope for my own eclectic hodge-podge of photos was in the photos that Towey used for her wall display. They were a mixture of professional studio shots, Brownie camera photos, and even children’s art.

They began with about 100 photos of their life as a family, editing down to what they felt were the best of their collection. They then photocopied the pictures. The photocopies were then pasted on larger sheets of white paper to represent the size frame and mat that would be appropriate. Using removable tape, they began attaching them to the wall and moving them around before they committed to a final plan.

Ultimately, they had their photos framed and in their case (with their budget ) hired a professional to do the actual hanging. My husband has a hammar, a level and I can give orders all day long. There is some question as to how long he would be taking them…

There is a better way! And better photos!

Good ideas:

1. There is no need to follow a timeline. By mixing it up, it becomes more interesting.

2.  It’s okay to mix black and white old photos with new color ones.

3.  Even though many frames were different, they were all in a dark wood tone.

4.  Most photos were matted in the same shade of white/ivory.

5. Photos with the same theme can be used to create a collage–sports, hugging, pets, etc.

For more great ideas about hanging photos and art, go to marthastewart.com/photo-displays

You heard it here!

Check out the feature on page 90 in Martha Stewart Living–”Tied and True”, using handmade tassels to dress up everyday objects. The instructions are simple if you want to make them yourself or you can simply purchase them at places like JoAnn’s Fabrics or Hobby Lobby. The article shows them on baskets, hand towels, throws and pillows,window shades and bookmarks–great ideas.

You can save 74% on a subscription to MSL and get a year’s worth of her beautiful magazine, Everyday Food for $24!

Have a wonderful, creative day!

Diane

P.S. We have 27 adorable, fun ladies going on our Girlfriends’ European Christmas Market Trip, come with us!!! Click on Trips at left for details!

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

Yesterday I was thrilled to point out a great buy on this season’s hot wardrobe item, jeggings–on sale at Dillard’s. I purchased a pair without trying them on and then wrote my post. This morning in the bright, cruel light of day, standing in front of a full-length mirror, I realized I had made a serious error in judgment. I really don’t know quite how to describe the way the jeans jeggings looked on my body. No, I will not be including a photo.

It is possible if they were all dark denim, they might have been more forgiving, but with the dark denim fading into light denim and back again, I had the sensation that big waves were swelling up and down my thighs and and about to crash onto a really large shore on top. Possibly I could have thrown on a top over them, but the only part I would have ever considered showing was about 2 inches just above my ankles. So today, back they go for some willowy woman to buy or at the very least, a woman who does not own a full-length mirror. Buyer beware.

What do you love about you?

There is am interesting feature in the September issue of Marie Claire magazine called, “What I love about me“. I thought that was a strange feature because I think most of the time we are so focused on what we don’t like about ourselves that we don’t pay enough attention to what is positive. The women who are in the magazine feature are all mostly in their 20’s, but I think it is relevant for women of any age. While most of them are attractive enough, they are not  all great beauties. Just a sampling of some of their comments:

“Shoe shopping is easy when you wear a size 5 and 1/2″

“I was a dancer…and was extremely thin. But now my body has returned to its normal size–I celebrate healthful eating.”

“I like my crooked smile. Unique imperfection is better than having Chicklet teeth.”

“Both my parents are 5′6″ so it took me a while to make peace with my 6′ frame.”

“Growing up in South Korea where pale skin is the ideal, I always thought my skin was too dark, but now I embrace it.”

If you were to answer that question, what would you write? For me it would have to be my laugh. All my life I have been teased about my laugh which has been compared by some to various creatures including a hyena and a chicken. On the positive side, my family and friends can locate me in a Super Target in a matter of minutes. I was embarrassed by it and had no luck controlling or muffling it, until one day someone stopped me and told me they loved my laugh. It was contagious and made them laugh as well. So now, I look upon it as an opportunity to hopefully bring a smile to someone else’s lips and maybe even a really good snort.

Free or almost free Computer Apps for every job!

Last Monday, The Houston Chronicle had an excellent article that highlighted many computer applications that are very handy to have and are free or are very inexpensive. Here are a few you might enjoy:

1. For photo editing, I have already mentioned Picnik.com, which I love, but also try, GIMP.org, Paint.NET and photoscape.org.

2. For Internet Security try avast.com, malwarebytes.org, mywot.com

3.  For digital drawing try inkscape.org

4.  For Web page design try kompozer.net

Keep your herbs happy!

Fresh herbs allow you to use less cream, oil and salt in marinades and sauces. Treat fresh herbs like you would fresh flowers, trim the stems at a 45 degree angle and place in a glass with two inches of water. Refrigerate up to two weeks. You can cover the leaves with an unsealed plastic bag to minimize odor absorption and replace the water if it gets cloudy.

Have a lovely evening!

Diane

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

I have some exciting news to report. Just as I was on the verge of giving up on finding a truly sweet, well-done romantic comedy, I found Leap Year. As far as I am concerned, we’ve been experiencing a rather dry spell in that genre lately. Mama Mia and It’s Complicated were two movies which were very well done (both with the amazing Meryl Streep). Since then, all my hopes have been dashed by many mediocre attempted romantic comedies.I had such hopes for Date Night, but it fell just a little short.

Leap Year received a lukewarm review in the newspaper and was gone from the theater before I had a chance to decide for myself. I am a huge Amy Adams fan after Enchanted (pure pleasure), Julie and Julia, June Bug and Sunshine Cleaning, not to mention Charlie Wilson’s War and probably more!

If you love the predictable, but always happy ending, the scenery of the beautiful country of Ireland, quirky characters and great chemistry, run right out and rent Leap Year!

Jeggings on sale!

It is rare to find one of the hottest new looks of the season on sale already, but Dillard’s has jumped the gun with a big mark down on jeggings capris by that great company, HUE. I found them in both faded and dark blue marked from $30 to $9. What a great deal!

Cranberry Pancakes–a recipe at last!

I am sure you remember how much I loved the cranberry pancakes in Nantucket (of course you do!). I have been looking for a recipe ever since I discovered you can buy them frozen in the grocery store. My dilemna was how to prepare them so they come out tender and not mushy or explode. Finally, I found a recipe online that allowed me to re-create that amazing and healthy taste sensation!

You can use your favorite pancake mix or this delicious one I found at Food.com with rave reviews:

To prepare fresh or frozen cranberries, take about 1 cup and bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add cranberries and boil for 1 and 1/2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.

These were so yummy!

For batter:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 pinch salt

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

4 T. melted butter

2 and 1/4 cups of milk ( I think I used a bit more. I like mine light and thin)

Mix well. I use Pam in my skillet and when it is hot, pour in batter in size and shapes you prefer. I really love to make mine in elephants and puppy dogs when time allows, but on Saturday, I just did boring circles. After pouring in your batter, drop cranberries individually onto your pancake. When the bottom side begins to brown, turn, brown the other side and serve with warm maple syrup. Fantastic! These freeze well, if there are any left!

I must mention that one cannot engage in creative cooking without truly getting into one’s work. My accomplices insisted on an after photo.

Why yes, I do buy Shout by the gallon!

Have a splendid day and attempt to stay cool!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

Yesterday, I had a most embarrassing situation— I fell asleep at the AT&T store. Let me just say first, I slept very little the night before after drinking a cup of cappuccino very late in the day (yes, I know better, but I do love it and I am weak willed when it comes to coffee and chocolate). The unthinkable had happened to me–I lost every single contact in my IPhone. I know you feel my pain. I couldn’t even order out, I didn’t have a number to my name. That’s when I decided to go to the AT&T store and beg for help.

Well, let me tell you, that store is possibly the hottest place in town. They have a sign-in sheet and nice cushy chairs to wait in until your name is called, which was the beginning of my problem. Those chairs were just a bit too cushy. Pretty soon I was sliding right down in one and the next thing I knew, 45 minutes had past and they had blown right past my name. Thank goodness I wasn’t snoring, or at least I don’t think I was. Their staff there is very helpful and friendly, besides if you need a nap while you’re out shopping, it’s a great place to stop.

Don’t say I did not warn you…

The latest issue of Marie Claire is out and all I can say is if you don’t have something with an animal print on it or a faux fur vest, you will not be able to show your face in pubic! Ha! Seriously, the other hot look is tassels so just pluck those drapery tie backs and go. Three clever features I like in Marie C. are Splurge vs. Steal, Look Like a Million for Under $100 and Big girl in a skinny world–so brave a feature for an American fashion magazine. Bravo!

If you're not wearing a (fake) animal you may as well stay home!

I Love Tim Gunn

Tim Gunn is such a class act and so mentoring to the Project Runway wantabe designers. He has a new book coming out in September, Gunn’s Golden Rules. Read more in Marie Claire, page 110. He believes above all, be nice and polite— and how refreshing that is. He was on Dr. Oz’s show today doing a wardrobe makeover on a female Army soldier, mother of 5, who lost her leg on her third tour of duty in Iraq. He was so moved by her courage and attitude. He made her look beautiful.

He tells a funny story about Isaac Mizrahi whose clothes are now at Target. He calls him one of the world’s biggest divas. He tells about him throwing a fit about a security guard in the Liz Claiborne offices (Tim is Creative Director there). Everyone wondered if the guard was stealing? late? what? Turns out he made the horrible mistake of wearing brown.

Estee Lauder fan?

If you are an Estee Lauder girl, get thee to Dillard’s. they have a lovely gift with purchase of at least $29.50 that comes in warm and cool shades–2 lipsticks, eye shadow, eye liner, cleanser/makeup remover and a lovely face cream, until supplies run out.

Have a perfectly fabulous Wednesday!

Diane

Good Morning Dear Reader:

Life is back to normal or whatever that might be. Athough I am still trying to re-distribute the contents of my suitcase which miraculously doubled in New York. No, I did not shop until I dropped, in fact, quite the contrary. My only real tangible purchase was a pair of flip flops I bought because my “comfortable, but dressy tennies” had rubbed giant blisters on my heels. Obviously, the breaking-in of them was insufficient. They are still cute, but will be worn in short increments of time, with big wads of cotton stuffed in the heels leaving them looking not quite so cute after all.

Look what I did…

I want you to carefully observe the photo to my right. Not only is it of some beautiful coleus I grew, but there are actually 3 zinnias in there as evidence that some plants are determined to survive no matter how you treat them! The other thing I would like you to notice is the clever photo editing, the softening of my photo, the text on the picture and the borders. No, I have not mastered PhotoShop, and possibly never will. However, thanks to a wonderful seminar at BlogHer, I discovered the fantastic photo site, Picnik.com. It is free to use and easy to use. I mastered the basics in 10 seconds, so you know even your beagle can learn to use it. The basic services are free, but there is an upgrade for about $2 per month that allows you to get really, really fancy. For most of us, this is plenty. Try it, have fun!!

Quick, buy this issue! It is life-changing! Buy one for a friend!

Oprah really is brilliant

If you don’t subscribe to Oprah Magazine, run, don’t walk to the store and buy a copy of the September issue. I will not recycle it. I will not loan it. I will keep it forever. It has the best collection of articles to inspire and improve how we live our lives. Every article is spot on.

Even Dr. Phil, who at times I must admit, gets on my nerves (at least on TV). His column, Give Yourself a Mental Makeover, is powerful. In fact, the entire magazine is devoted to “Makeover Your Look, Your Luck, Your Life”. I started turning over corners of all the articles I found helpful and pretty soon I realized I had dog-eared more than half the magazine. I am going to share some excerpts, but you owe it to yourself to have your own copy because I can’t do justice to it because there is so much great content!

Tomorrow, I will highlight some of the articles I found to be so powerful–truly, road maps (with clear directions) for getting to where you and I want to be in our lives.

Have a great hair day anytime!

Another thing about this issue that I think is great, Oprah is wearing a darling wig. She looks fabulous and I think younger as well. I am all for wearing what I like to call “party hair”. I don’t care how fabulous your hair is, there are just days when fab is hard to find. Traveling is hard on the hair. Looking good from dawn til’ disco might be easy for some, but for the rest of us, there is not enough hair product in the world to give us good hair after 9 p.m. on a big day. That is when you pull out your “party hair” (wig) or your clip on hairpiece. Today, the wigs are light weight and very natural and the clip-ons, like Jessica Simpson’s are available in many color matches (at Ulta).

I have had great success finding my great party hair at Sherry’s Wig’s on 1960 at I-45 in Houston. If you know of other great stores, let me know and I will share.

Have a simply wonderful day!!!

Diane

Don”t forget to check out our Girlfriends’ European Christmas Market Tour of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Dec.  1-9. We already have some absolutely fun women going and we’d love you and your bestie to join us!!! Click on TRIPS at the left for details!

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

One of the beauty spots of NY, 850 acres of Central Park

One of my goals when I  began this blog was to share information that would be helpful to others, make their lives better, to save time and money and find something fun to share. My husband tells me that in the interest of saving you money and time, I have expended quite a bit of my own, and possibly his as well. I told him you are worth every cent and as long as I am able to lift my handbag and carry my own suitcase, I will continue to blaze more trails, find more sales and pass them on to you.

New York is waiting…

This week I am in New York with 2400 other women bloggers at BlogHer ‘10. I have managed to find time to see some of the wonderful things this city has to offer. If you have not visited New York recently I advise you to think about planning a trip. I would suggest that October might be a great month and much cooler. The leaves should be changing and that should be a sight to see.

Some fascinating things I have learned since arriving here:

1. I have never seen so many restaurants and eaten so much good food. In fact, in New York, there are 28,000 restaurants. That is not a typo.

2. New Yorkers like coffee (me, too!). In addition to all the neighborhood coffee shops, there are 250 Starbucks locations. Macy’s has 4 inside. Yes, everyone is caffeinated here. And I like that.

3. They like their sweets. Most blocks have a bakery of some type and there are 1000 Dunkin Donut locations.

4. There are only 11 service stations in all of Manhatten.

5. There is only one grocery store with a parking lot.

6. Fast food is alive and well. There are 350 MacDonald’s locations.

7. Brooklyn has the largest high school in the area with 20,000 students.

8.  There is a rivalry between The Magnolia Bakery of Sex and the City fame and Crumbs, the other big cupcake bakery. The key lime cheesecake at Magnolia Bakery will win Best in Show anywhere for my money. The cupcakes weren’t bad either. I will eat anything to find only the best for you.

Magnolia Bakery's Key Lime Cheesecake--Yum, Yum

9.  The most expensive piece of real estate in the city is underneath a hot dog cart where the tiny space it sits on rents for $10,000 a month.

10. Grayline ’s double-decker hop on hop off tours are a splendid and cheap way to see the city and many major attractions.

Do not rush out and buy this outfit!

In addition to the fabulous art, music, theater, architecture and of course, shopping experience, there is the people watching which is just as entertaining as anything you’ve ever seen on TV.

I have seen too many candidates for “What not to wear“, but have not met one single person who wasn’t polite or helpful.

Don’t wait, plan your trip, but diet first because I can tell you that you”ll be bringing some memorable pounds. Yes, the diet begins on Monday.

Have a just wonderful weekend! Come back Monday!

Diane

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for our Girlfriends’ European Christmas Market Tour–Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Dec. 1-9, fun, fun, fun. Click on TRIPS at the left

Good Afternoon Dear Reader:

I know that you have wondered why I have not shared any of my recent gardening news since I was so preoccupied earlier in the summer with the growth of my garden. I’ve been nervous about planning summer vegetables since a horrible episode back in 2000 when there was a convention of grasshoppers, mealy bugs and enormous green tomato worms convened in my yard.

Naturally, in addition to the important business they had to discuss, they took frequent snack and meal breaks. I hosted those, or should I say my poor little tomato plants did.

There they were, loaded with plump green tomatoes one day and the next, something resembling green Swiss cheese. I can’t begin to tell you how long my depression lasted from the sheer trauma of it all.

My sister Janet, who could coax a walking stick into bloom, assured me that my previous tomato disaster was a one-time thing and with her counseling I would be supplying my entire neighborhood with big, juicy tomatoes. Did I tell you she also insisted I plant bell peppers and zinnias? There truly is a fool born every minute.

Yes, I planted my crop, fertilized, watered, documented, hired a sitter when I was out of town and even resorted to camouflaging the vegetables like little net Christmas trees.

Professor Tomato was shocked at the sad state of my plants

The plants’ progress was slow. It was as if I had purchased the bonsai version of real plants. When they finally began to produce little veggies, I could have sworn I heard neighboring squirrels and birds discussing them. Holes began to appear in my tiny little produce. I rescued a few but the rest mostly resembled compost.

My 5 packages of mixed zinnias which I purchased at the exorbitant cost of $1 each from Wal-Mart have produced 4 possibly 5 plants which appear to have rickets. I had no idea plants could get rickets.

I’m sure if I ever get up the courage to plant again, if there aren’t insects or bird and squirrels, there will surely be a tornado or really bad neighborhood children to assault my garden. Therefore I am tossing in the trowel. I will gladly support the efforts of neighboring farmer’s markets and my local grocers, but I will probably never get over a bad case of tomato and zinnia lust. For your sake, I just hope it’s not contagious.

Fall style watch

The summer sales are in full swing as the department and specialty stores begin to roll out their fall inventory. No matter what fashion magazine you pick up, animal prints are just the hottest thing going. From the subtle to the outrageous, they are here to stay, at least one more season. Both TJ Maxx and Marshall’s are carrying some great animal print bags. These ranged from the small at $59 to the large bag at $99. A steal for these brand names bags.

InStyle’s here for our makeover

Great bags, great prices!

The fall 2010 issue of InStyle Makeover is on the shelves and if filled with some great looks for fall, including more beauty bargains, which we love. Page 30 has some of the best.

Look for these in a drugstore near you:

Andrea Eye-Q’s Makeup Correctors–$4, a pack of pre-moistened swabs for travel to remove eye makeup.

Roux Tween Time—$6. Touch up for between color jobs so those little roots don’t show. I still worry about the visible roots that some Hollywood types are rockin’. I am pretty sure they can afford a trip to the salon. Strange.

Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Treatment--$3—Be kind to your hair!

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum–$5. A silicone gloss for your hair, both light and non-greasy. One pump for fine, two for thick hair.

Have a simply lovely day!

Diane  P.S.

Don’t forget to check our our TRIPS, Come with me to Austria, Germany and Switzerland!