MORNING GIRLS :>) Whew, just got down from the chandelier.

Do you all know about the store, UNIQLO? It is based in Japan (DD introduced us to the products when she lived there). Now there is an on-line store. It is the very best quality fabric for very little money. The cashmere, t-shirts, heat-tech products are amazing. I just bought the sale items…for me heat-tech leggings and a long sleeve t, a v neck cashmere sweater, and a v-neck t shirt. For C P, a cashmere, t-shirts, and lined cargo pants. I located on line promo codes for free shipping and another $5.00 off. If you have never bought UNIQLO, give it a try. Sizes run small (those Japanese are so tiny). uniqlo.com

I think I survived... just need to wash and press the linens and un decorate. I was so bagged yesterday, It took me all day and evening to get done what I would normally do in just a morning.

judyg, cashmere? now your talking. I'm going to check that out right now, hopefully not too small or short :) When I but from Eddie Bauer on line I always get the item in tall. Hopefully one day Eddie will realize some women actually have boobs!!!!

top of the mornin to ya ladies!

My shape is 5'7" and I weigh 148. 38 D (thank heavens for good health), I typically wear a xl in uniqlo, as I cannot wear the stuff too clingy. Hubby 205 6'1", good shape, wears an xl also. If the return policy is o k give something a try. I wash my cashmeres in the machine, ammonia only, on a gentle or wool cycle and dry on those bendable padded drying hangers.

mp, just read your comment on that great '50's ranch house. Now I can picture what you home is like :>) Love it.

Good afternoon ladies! Thanks MM and right back at you! There is NOTHING like these grandbabies! Do you know if it's a boy or girl or did they opt not to find out?

Just for the record, I don't like cashmere or wool. Y'all can buy me something in cotton though! ;)

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121227/LIFE/212270301/-1/LIFE03

Just finished reading this article from our local paper. It is a very encouraging piece on aging well. bobbi I want you to read about the importance of sleep.

creeser, here you go http://www.uniqlo.com/us/store/made-for-all/women-wide-rib-crew-neck-sweater/071107-16-005 I don't want you to be left out.

judyg, perfect! And it doesn't look like it would hug my jelly rolls! I hate buying a large and it be so skinny, my size4 daughter could wear it.

ok gals....this is a sample of what my dreamhouse, that I will have to build one day will look like. I am a glass lover! floor to ceiling...on one entire side of my house and up to the loft second level. I know exactly what I want.

[houzz=]

judyg....the second pic is of my house now, (reality...ha!). It is not similiar in looks to the house that I posted about, but is the same square footage and a brick ranch. I don't have a pic of the entire front. It is double in length from what you see. And another brick chimney juts out in the front as well further down on the right, just like the one by the front door.

Love your dream house, mp, but I really love the one you have now. Easy maintenance outside, great color brick, one floor, the perfect age-in-place home. Those big leafed plants ? Begin with a C? Must be for your part of the country. I don't think I have ever seen them around here.

I need all new windows and I want long casement windows with no separated panes, but no money in the budget right now for that! :(
I am going to build a narrow pergola coming out from the front door, hopefully this spring in stained wood. And a stone/slate walkway through the front yard out to the mailbox. Winding. With grass in between the stones, if you get my drift.
There is only so much money I can invest into this house. I am a realist. This will not be my forever home, and the house is only worth so much. So I can only recoup so much. I have worked on the inside to update it and worked in the back yard as far as landscaping and a patio area and firepit. Also put up a horizontal fence between me and the neighbors. Things that needed to be done that no one had done in the past.

They are called Elephant Ears, not the scientific name, but they were out of control this past summer! Biggest I've ever seen! I actually made a card out of part of one of the leaves. I stuck a few more in some heavy books to dry and flatten them out for future artistic endeavors. Very beautiful.

Love your elephant ears MP. Have you seen the black ones? They are skinnier and more pointed.

I guess my next home will be a condo. Sigh. We have had some lovely homes over the past 44 years, but my husband has always done the yard work. He is fussy, does a great job, but I think it is getting too much for him because lately he has been hiring for the bigger jobs.

We want to stay in our town, but there are very few choices for condo living, surprisingly as our town has soooooo many retired folks. There is one spot, downtown, that we both like for the convenience and walking possibilities. It was built in the 80's so the inside is pretty tired. That's o k with me because I would like to gut whatever and start fresh. The outside grounds are very nice, well maintained, with beautiful mature trees and plantings.

Just can't imagine how I can take all my treasures with me. I have two linen Chesterfield sofas which I'll begin the design process. (I think there will be a huge yard sale).

Those leaves are spectacular. When dried, could they be framed?

great article judyg...thanks for sharing. I concur!

Yes they can be framed. I took some beautiful close up pics of them as well this summer.
The ones in the dictionary that I flattened and dried have an odd smell, but maybe after they age more it won't be as bad. I actually did a buddha painting for someone and incorporated real bamboo leaves into the painting. Wasn't sure if they would stay green or brown, but they had stayed green the last time I saw them. I think I brushed glue lightly on top of them. Underneath for sure, but think I did a layer on top too. I'm not really very "crafty", so I wing those sorts of things. If they stay green, fine, if they don't, fine. That's the way I roll. I just like using those kinds of things for paper. Like writing a note and sending it. Something different and unexpected.

bobbi: am late with this response about the rust jeans you have. Saw some pics this am. 1. Rust jeans with taupe top and taupe pendant on a black cord. 2. Rust jeans with yellow top and aqua jewelry. 3. Rust jeans with print top (aqua, orange, taupe). 4. Rust jeans off white top.

My fav jeans at the moment are NYDJ (Not Your Daughter's Jeans). They have about 4% lycra and hold you in.

I'll try the UNIQLO shop.

Good Cape Cod article! from Judyg

creesy...I have seen the black ones...they are gorgeous. Some of those in front of the greens ones would be nice! The guy who lived in this house before me had a variety of things in that space, but they were haggered and not very well organized. I left the elephant ears and planted 2 junipers in front and to the right of the ears. I now have some yuccas to the left of them. There is another "island" bed in the front right of the yard that has turned into something really cool. There used to be a huge sweetgum tree there that had been chopped down. So a huge low stump when I got it. and 2 small cherry trees. Well added a fairly mature crepe myrtle, lavender, yuccas, lantana (purple and yellow), cannas, and indian hawthorne.

olldj22: some sales http://www.shopstyle.com/browse?fts=nydj+sale

mp, some of those plants I don't recognize at all, but I love lavender and lantana.
This picture is a perfect example of a Cape Cod garden, except it is missing blue hydrangeas. All our driveways are crushed stone or white shell. Hard surface is prohibited because of drainage. We are all sand.

MP, LOVE lavender! Several varieties stay green all winter for our area. I'm going to get a bunch and set out to see if they take off. Would it not be cool to have a field of it? Imagine the smell!

I love that....english garden type landscaping! absolutely beautiful! I do have 2 hydrangeas, one blue one pink.

MP, love the dream house photo. We have a wall-o-windows in your great room and although I love them for the lake view, they are a "Pane" to clean and not altogether energy efficient.

This is what happens to our gardens, maybe because the growing season is short, but everything goes wild and fills in every speck of dirt.

judyg: thanks for the sale link!

Elephant Ears: saw them growing beautifully in New Orleans gardens in old quarter. I have (So Cal) lavender here & there & in my herb garden, have bouganville on the side, lantana in back & front.

Where's olldbobbi today? She must be showering and enjoying a cup of java.:)

i think she is! lol

Hi ladies! Yes, I wish I was enjoying a cup of coffee! Soooo much work I'll never see the light of day. Trying to undecorate a little at a time but R wants everything up til New Year's, I don't think so.

j22, thanks for the tip on the rust jeans! I think I'll either go for the taupe or the powder blue judy suggested. I can't wear yellow, I have blonde hair and yellow skin and the palest green eyes you've ever seen, in photos I look like a ghost. I keep asking my eye dr for blue contacts but he says they're really uncomfortable so I guess I'm stuck.

MM, I agree 100% with your husband regarding the Christmas lights!

creeser, we didn't get to see a pic of your redbird tree, is it still up? Can you share?

Mpoulsom, email me your address if you want this box, no need to buy one, this one is free! And please do it soon before I toss it!

Judy, 5'7" and 148? You skinny thing you!

Where's roo? Sleeping as always. hehehe

Thanks, bobbi, used to be skinny, not now. For some strange reason all the fat has moved to my back! You know that skin that you have no where to stuff? It looks like two big lipped smiles under the bra.

Did you look at the uniqlo link? (The reason I posted the height and weight). There are some very good buys on there, some pieces in light blue.

oh, i hate backfat! I've always had it, but it's gotten much worse. Not long ago I was in the bed on my back, and something had crept up under my armpit. I did not know what in the helz it was...then I realized it was backfat that had crept up to the side of my boob! oh lordy. I have never been more disgusted, but had to laugh about it.

RE: backfat. lol. Some here could be olld-stand-up-comics, that's for sure!

mp, I know. We do have to laugh. Notice that no one except olldj22 has the courage to join this discussion (dilemma). What's a girl to do? Do you think we have finally found the one topic that bobbi does not want to get into?

olldj22,we know you have something going on?

OK...I'll come clean. Less like back fat and more like fat: "that had crept up under armpits" as mp so succinctly stated. I don't think there is even a name for creeping fat deposits in this area. Is there?

Hello again. I missed you too much to stay away.

I just posted twice over in the Design Dilemma section on "help with a four year old's bedroom." If one of you could pop over there and read my strong, heartfelt opinion, I would appreciate your thoughts on whether I was appropriate, or whether I was a bit "off" for this site. Thanks.

eeztia, I just read both of your posts on DD. I think your posts were appropriate & not "off". We have various backgrounds & interests and these influence our responses. Do you have a background in child development? I was a nurse...

eztia, so glad you're back, please don't stay away! I'll try to find your post in the four year olds bedroom.

No, Bobbi doesn't want to get into the discussion about back fat! Not even sure what it is! If you have fat all over, back fat just blends right in......

eztia, I just found your post on the four year old's bedroom and I agree with you 100%! Pastel colors work best for calming a child down, while bright colors spark imagination and fun. Kids do not need to be stimulated 24/7, they should be allowed to relax the same as us big kids.

@olldj22 and olldbobbi,
Thank you for your validation.

eztia, of course! Please don't be a stranger!