Shark Skinny Suit

If I a) went in the water, b) had skin that did not instantly go into second degree burns at the touch of sunlight, and c) had the self-confidence to wear a swimsuit, it would be this one:

I Wish, I Wish, I Wish

A while back I saw this adorable home online and took a screenshot. I've no idea where the house it or who designed it or even the photographer, but I genuinely believe I could not love a building more. It is so sweet and classy and so American. Just plain fab!

An Ideal Cottage

In my perfect life, the one I daydream about multiple times per day, I have a nice sized plot of land in a quiet part of Chester County, PA. On it sits a pond and a quaint home surrounded by woods. Secluded and safe. Tucked into a corner of the woods I imagine a sweet little guest house. Seeing this home on Instagram made me think that this would be the perfect addition to my dream life; a place for friends and family to stay for a visit whenever they wanted.

Mixtape for Dublin

I'm longing to return to Dublin and see all the new-to-me utility cabinets that are scattered around the city, Love Lane, the street art, the Green, the Chester Beatty, chips with salt and vinegar at Kingfishers, and to shop for jumpers at Retro. I'm hoping to see this one, but I fear it has been replaced...

Side A

Lankum - What Will We Do When We Have No Money?

Lisa O'Neill - Rock the Machine

Declan O'Rourke - Galileo

Mic Christopher - Heyday

Solar Bears - Our Future is Underground

The Gloaming - The Lobster

Wyvern Lingo - Out of My Hands

Loah - Unveiled

Clancy - Hope In Your Heart

Phil Lynott - Old Town

Fontaines D.C. - Big

Brendan Behan - Zoological Gardens (Intro & Song)

Side B

Uly - Redlight

Kormac, Jack O'Rourke - New Day

Toby Kaar - Snapdragon

Strabe - Acid Love

Caleb Kunle - Eden

Fehdah - Like No Other

Interskalactic - The Grunt

Shit Robot - We Got a Love

Saint Sister, Jafaris - Causing Trouble

R. Kitt - Dublin is Bubblin'

Le Boom, Æ MAK - Dancing Bug

Meltybrains? - The Vine

U2 - All I Want Is You

OxKnit Wishes

So I absolutely love, love, love this online shop's stuff. However...I've read terrible reviews and apparently they are pretty low quality with wonky sizes and horrible customer service. But look at these gorgeous creations!! I wonder if the designs were stolen by actual artists and maybe I can find the real thing on another site...I may need to pull a Rockford and do some detective work...

Missing These So Bad...

While scrolling through my IG saved posts and deleting, I came across a review from 2020 about my all-time favourite store bought cookie - Trader Joe's Neapolitan Joe-Joe's. I miss them desperately and hope like hell they will bring them back, even if for one little season...

Day to Re-live

I recently saw a question: If you could re-live one day from your life, which day would you choose? Christmas Day from my trip to Dublin in 2016 sprang instantly to mind. I was all alone in my second home and ventured out into the city in the early afternoon. I wasn't sure if it would be super busy with people grabbing a bus to a relative's home or if restaurants would be bustling with holiday customers, escaping the chore of cooking up breakfast. But, I went out anyway. To my utter delight it was freakin' dead as the proverbial doornail, which for an introvert like me is pure bliss. I know this day is nothing special in the lives of normal people, but for an oddball like me, it felt so good to be alone in a lovely, quiet city where I could take silly photos and not feel the usual fear of people seeing how weird I am. That and the only human I saw and interacted with was kind to me. He was the best part of the entire day. Here is an excerpt from my travel journal from nine years ago.

Christmas Day 2016 

55°

awake at 8ish • read • up at 9:30 • out for a walk @ (lisa* for around) the city up O'Connell 10:30 - near Trinity pass by an immaculately uniformed doorman outside a hotel (possibly The College Green Hotel) "G'morning, sir" I said. "Merry Christmas!" was his cheerful reply. "Back at ya, sir! Take care." "You too. Be safe, honey." So nice! • go up Dawson but no luck finding the green telephone booth • wander @ & over toward Grafton to (I think Chatham then Balfe, loop around and back up to Exchequer)/Wicklow Street and Dame Lane • across Millennium Bridge snapping pix down Henry Street to Moore and back to SLP by 11:30

Bondi Rescue on YouTube (up to S3 Ep7 by midnight) * • knit • finish second scarf •  eat • pack • text & IG • FaceTime 9:30ish-9:40 with Lucy, Paul, and Stacey • clean •  turn in at 12AMish

*shower and finish reading For My Lady's Kiss (most hilarious romance book cover EVER!)

May's Christmas House

I saw these festive Spark matches when I was with Autumn in Ohio and had to buy them. 

My hopes and dreams of late are entirely of having a safe, quiet home, far from neighbours and noise. Since I'm obsessed with Instagram pages that have anything to do with houses, this one post about the Christmas house that best suits people based on the month of their birth made me click on it to see May's. I will so take this as my own. Note that there's not another living soul as far as the eye can see. Just me and Denver, my gorgeous horse that never bites and also mucks out their own stable. Amazing!

(photos kidnapped from rickusloveschristmas on IG)

Biscoff and the Double K Mash-Up!

Absolutely to die for!!

Vegan Treats Coffins

I am seriously considering driving out to Bethlehem to get one of these. But I'm trying to watch my sugar intake and this might send me right into full-on diabetes! (But what a way to go, eh?)  

Who's the first person...

I saw this page from a writing prompt book (Cut It Off by Level Up & Bloom): 

Imagine being in a room with everyone you've ever met, from childhood to the present day. Who's the first person you're going to look for?

(photo kidnapped from dlcwellness IG page)

Instantly I wanted to say Aunt June, but sadly, we never had the chance to meet. Then I thought of my cousin Donna, but she was never one to gush and show excitement when I walked in the door. So of everyone I've met and lost or lost touch with, I'm going with Bryan Berryman. He and I met and worked together in 2005-2007 and I never loved anyone quite like I did Bryan. It was wholly unconditional and we had such a great connection and genuine love for one another. He was there for me through some dark and difficult times and I was able to be there for him as well. He's off Instagram and has been for a while, but last I heard he and his lady had a son and live in Asheville, where he's part of the fire department. I know if I were to see him again we would get in a nice, long hug and I'd pepper him with dozens of questions about how he met his girl and is he happy, how's Asa, how are you? And I would tell him how much our brief time together meant to me and that I love him and miss seeing him.

(photos from Bryan's last day 3 January 2007 - ps: I gave him that necktie)

Perimenopause-a-palooza!!

Oh man, I so hope this becomes a reality!! Clearly it would need to be an outdoor festival in late Fall and all through Winter because menopausal peeps can't take the heat. A woman over on Instagram, whose handle is TheGarbageMom, came up with this GENIUS idea and it's getting some traction. Here's hoping it comes to fruition because to see Rage Against the Machine, one of my top three favourite bands of all time (tied with The Smiths and The Velvet Underground), would be an absolute dream come true. Especially since they are the only male led band on the entire roster. It helps that they are four bad-ass feminists. That's why they get the invite. Please, Universe, let this happen!!!

Wishin' and Hopin'

A tight playlist in preparation for a happy occasion. It can't come soon enough!

Agent Orange - Depeche Mode

Dead Man Walking - David Bowie

Death Comes Calling - Everlast

When That Man Is Dead and Gone - Mildred Bailey *

Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead - from The Wizard of Oz

No One Mourns the Wicked - Broadway Cast of Wicked

I’m So Excited - Le Tigre

It's Such a Good Feeling - Daniel Knox

Happy Days are Here Again - Barbra Streisand

At Last - Etts James

Finally - Florist

Dead and Bloated - Stone Temple Pilots

Dead and Buried - Alien Sex Fiend

Dead and Gone - Ozzy Osbourne

Maggot - Amyl and the Sniffers

No Peace for the Wicked - Rory Gallagher

Feeling Good - Nina Simone

Good Times - Chic

Happy - Johnny Mathis

Celebration - Kool & the Gang

Joy - Sean Hayes

Good Times - Journey

Celebration Day - Led Zeppelin

Happy - George Michael

Freedom - Rage Against the Machine

Joy - George Winston

Gone for Good - The Shins

I Forgot That You Existed - Taylor Swift 

(Lyrically the titles don't fit the theme, but the titles most certainly do, as do the joyous feelings that accompany each song.)

* This song is perfect for the now - life in a world where he is still alive, where I daydream of a day when that man is dead and gone.

Kitty McCall Style

I saw this on Instagram and love the clear, bright, cheery, lived-in/loved design of her home. Oh how I would love to have a house all my own with no neighbours so I could let sunlight spill into it.

Natural Health Store Wishes

I saw this in January at a shop in the next county and had to snap a photo. Here is a list of the ways that I am attempting to be the best version of myself this year.

- began exercising again on a regular basis

- started juicing at least one meal a day

- focusing my diet on loads of healthy grub - lots of stir fry-ups of veggie veggie veggies! Oh, and a newfound obsession with salads.

- making sure to send a card a month (and sometimes more!) to Amy and writing to Autumn every other week

- reading a book a week (audiobooks make this easier but I'm also reading physical books as well)

- once again trying to be better with finances - it's hard because I love to treat the kids to books and lunches, to buy cards and stamps to keep in touch with friends afar, go to the movies with pals and pick up the tab, plus splurge on Naked Lunch Jammed Yams for me every weekend, and buying things for child Lisa, because I want her to have all the stuff she wanted but never got.

- getting my savings to 5k and looking to get in shape for a fun adventure abroad with Isabella in 2026 for my 50th

- trying meditation at least once a day, even if it's only for a couple minutes

- working on puzzles, because it's relaxing and almost meditative, and I can listen to an audiobook - win win!

- making doctor appointments and trying to stay on top of my health as I grow old

It doesn't seem like much, but I'm trying. Even when I fall off the wagon and splurge on junk food or buying myself stuff just-because, I am getting in the habit of hoping back on that wagon and continuing on the road to better living.

Vegan Treats Has Done It Again

This bakery can seriously do no wrong. I saw these beauties on Insta last night and seriously thought, "I have off on Friday...I could easily drive out there and pick up a couple of them..." I should behave and continue to eat healthy grub and stay off sweets, but these are so tempting!!! They are mini cookies with icing like those Great American Cookie Company ones that they had at malls back in the day!

POST SCRIPT:

Okay, so I had off on the 11th and drove three hours out to Bethlehem (why is there traffic during the workday?!?!?) to pick up four of these little cuties only to be humongously disappointed. They were not pastel and Summery and bright, but rather dull and more for Fall than anything else. Thankfully the taste was out of this world. I think from now on, I'm only making the trek out there for Halloween and Christmas treats. 

(WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??? Turd brown, puce, and Exorcist pea soup vomit in JULY?! The colour wheel offers endless options and THIS is what they went with? Unbelievable.)

The Magic of Ordinary Things

Sometimes the simplest objects can bring peace to one's state of mind. I love to flip through the pages of magazines and admire home decor ideas. The colours, wallpaper, furnishings, and unique touches that make a room into a place of solace. Seeing this chair online, in my favourite colour, with the cool yet warm, almost institutional green walls, plain standing lamp and side table with a matching green vase sent a feeling of calm warmth straight through me. I am forever daydreaming of my ideal home, someplace quiet and secluded that brings that very same calm sensation the moment one crosses the threshold. 

(photo kidnapped from artfasad)

I Do

Should a man ever propose to me with this ring, it'll be an instant yes.

Decisions, Decisions

I love these posts on IG, although I am fairly certain that all of the photos are CGI/AI/phony. Still, this one had me stumped as to which one I would actually choose...

(3, 8, 10, and 12 were the favourites, but in the end, I would choose the third home. It's small, seems to have a decent yard, a lovely front step, and NO shutters. I really liked eight, but the fake shutters were the deal breaker. )