Home Wong Nga and Black Cty: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

the adventures of young ghetto

Ghetto's life is just one long adventure - his days are quite exhausting.

Being rather a ~~undisciplined~~ bold dog, he always has to be where the action is, and hates to think he may be missing out on something. I have developed the habit of checking around my feet before closing the car door, because nine times out of ten, he'll have jumped in behind me

Gibson in true Golden Retriever style, is fairly respectful of house rules here. Ghetto says he's never heard of rules, be they house or any other.

Which is why yesterday morning I was woken by something warm and wet on my neck, you guessed it. Ghetto had come upstairs, pushed open my bedroom door and decided it was time for everyone to be up and about. My reaction was to groan and roll over which brought me nose to nose with Gibson. The look in his eyes said "I do know I'm not meant to be here, but it was his idea, and I thought you might be pleased to see us both after all ... maybe?"

SIGH ....

So they got me out of bed early, which was not such a bad thing, they were fed and sent into the garden, but before long Ghetto was barking.

I went outside to investigate and found him nose to bristle with a hedgehog. I put him away once, but he went straight back and started kicking up a fuss again. So the start to my day was yet further delayed, as - still in my jimjams - I had to don gardening gloves and wellington boots, and crawl beneath a hedge to grab the hedgehog, then open our gate and cross the road to put him safe from wire-haired dogs. I so hope nobody saw me !

In the afternoon, no doubt worried he might get bored, Ghetto managed to get himself shut inside the guest house, from where he tried to escape via ... the bedroom window!

Can you see? he even ventured out on to the roof and dislodged a tile AAARGH!

Hmmm.... life is going to feel pretty quiet around here, the day Ghetto goes back down to Nice!

Oh and by the way ..... August is going to be a month of giveaways on this little blog - one every Wednesday. I already have three stunning gifts to be won, but there are five wednesdays in August! If you have a really cool product that you would like to promote via a giveaway here, just send me an email and I'll see if I can fit you in!

https://twitter.com/MarcCarig/status/230399434503094273

Yankees Trade For Casey McGehee

From Joel Sherman:

The Yankees didn’t get Ryan Dempster at the trade deadline, but they did make a deal.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman obtained versatile infielder Casey McGehee from the Pirates for reliever Chad Qualls, sources told The Post. In the short term with Mark Teixeira out (wrist), McGehee can play some first base and he can also fill the third-base void left by Alex Rodriguez (broken hand) with a power bat.

The Yankees are getting $225,000 as part of the trade to cover some of about $1 million left on McGehee's deal.

McGehee hit .230/.297/.377 with 8 HR and 35 RBI in 92 games with the Pirates.

Hello everyone!

On this beautiful sunny summer day I would love to have you join me for a Victorian Garden Tea.

I took out my old victorian wicker chairs and looked around the 'garden' for a pretty cool spot to enjoy a cup of tea.

As luck would have it we have a pretty big patch of fireweed growing on our property and I think it makes a perfect background for our tea today.

We have some good books to enjoy and a pretty teapot for our tea.

A bouquet of garden flowers adds some charm to our pretty little tea table.

. It's amazing how pretty even wild flowers are.

The bees are loving this fireweed too.

So, dig out your hat and gloves and join me for a Victorian Tea on this beautiful summer day.

I am joining Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage today.

Thank you for your visit!

Carolyn

Last week while on a walk with my hubby, we discovered this really cool garden. It had the most amazing flowers and really great, interesting details. I absolutely loved it. One of my favorite parts was the trail of river rock with the border of flowers and plants. I can't stop thinking about it...

Now I am dreaming of getting to work on my own garden.

Perhaps I will give Missy a call for some advise...

https://twitter.com/MarcCarig/statuses/230324099728146432

https://twitter.com/MarcCarig/statuses/230324248676286464

I was so excited to be contacted by the folks at Waste Management (WM)! You're thinking, Lindsay.......you have lost your mind. But no, I haven't......not entirely. My husband and I have been talking about getting a dumpster for a home renovation project for awhile. Renting a dumpster can be pretty pricey, so that's probably the main reason we've been putting it off in addition to being so busy with our three little kiddos. So when WM emailed me asking if they could 'give' us one of their new The Bagster Bags to try, I said 'sign us up!

My business is pretty much taking over the house. Yes, I have my studio where I do most of my creating, but what takes up even more space is my inventory. There are boxes and boxes of my printed sewing patterns, bolts of fabrics for custom orders, shipping and packaging supplies, read-to-ship clothing, photography props and tools and the list goes on.

Organized Side

(Don't be fooled, that's maybe half of my inventory)

Non-Organized Side

Right now we have somewhat converted our loft space into a storage area. One side is pretty well organized, but the other side could be used much more efficiently. There are still a bunch more boxes that we need to move from our mud room either up into the loft or possibly out into our coach house. Now the coach house......it sounds a lot more lovely than it really is.

When we bought our 1934 cottage, the previous owners had just let the coach house go (as well as a lot of other things in this house). It was really sad because it used to be a studio apartment with a brick fireplace, kitchen, bathroom and hardwood floors, but now..........it's nothing close. Basically it's just sort of falling down. My dream is to someday convert the coach house into a two story studio / guest house, but that's not happening any time soon. In the meantime, we need to clear out some of the debris in there (i.e. falling down drywall, construction material, ect.) so that we can at least use the space for additional storage. Most of the things we need to clear out of there aren't able to be picked up curb side during our regular trash service.

Door Leading Into Coach House

So WM and The Bagster Bag to the rescue! Over the next month the hubby and I (and perhaps a few extra helpers) will attempt to clean out the coach house and work on some of our other spaces to make our storage of all my inventory a little more organized and user friendly.

So how does The Bagster Bag work? It's a pretty neat idea. You purchase one of the large bags at your local hardware or home improvement store for about $29.95 (click HERE to find a store in your area). You unfold it, load it up with all your junk and then call to have WM come pick it up. Now don't be fooled, the whole process is not $29.95, you have to pay for the pickup which varies from area to are from between $79-$249. But it's still far less than renting your own full dumpster and having to wait for them to deliver it. This way you can start your project whenever you want, keep the bag out for as long as you want and have it picked up whenever you want.......definitely more freedom and more cost savings!

The Bagster Bag is supposed to hold up to 3,300 pounds and be made of a really durable woven material. You can throw out most things but there is a list of approved materials that can be thrown away in a Bagster. Here is the list:

You pretty much can't throw away things that you can't throw away in your normal trash.......paint, batteries, chemicals, ect, that should be disposed of in the proper place anyways.

I'm excited to try out this new product. I'll let you know what I think. Wish us luck. I'll be back with a follow-up post and a $100 Amex Giftcard Giveaway. I'm glad WM gave us the push we needed to take on this project. Not sure my husband is super-glad.......but I am!!

PS: I would never share a product on this blog that I didn't think was a neat idea or one that I didn't intend on using wholeheartedly.......just so you know :). But one of the perks of being a blogger is that I do get to try really cool things out for free and sometimes I get paid for doing so.

Waste Management partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its The Bagster® Bag Blogger Challenge. As part of this program, I received compensation to cover the cost of the Bagster bag and pick-up as well as my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the The Bagster® Bag Blogger Challenge. Waste Management believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Waste Management’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. A winner will be chosen by random and voucher fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

Yankees Turn Their Attention To Dempster

From David Kaplan:

Baseball sources have confirmed to me that three teams are in play for Ryan Dempster and he will approve a deal to any of the three teams if the Cubs can agree on a suitable return in exchange for the veteran right-hander who is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who have long been Dempster's preferred destination will have to increase their offer as the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees have stepped up their pursuit over the last 48 hours. With Roy Oswalt having another poor performance on Monday evening, the Rangers have decided to upgrade their rotation and are looking at all available options including Dempster and Matt Garza.

"Texas is serious about adding a starter and Dempster isn't as expensive to trade for as Garza would be, but after finishing as runners-up in the last two World Series and seeing the Angels add Zach Greinke, Texas management has decided to make a run at adding pitching, a baseball source told me. "However, with three teams seriously involved, it won't be cheap to acquire him even though it is potentially a three-month rental."

"Dempster has made it clear to Cubs management that he would like to play in Los Angeles but he also understands that Epstein and Hoyer have a job to do and he will not stand in their way if it means that the best deal is somewhere else," a source with knowledge of the discussions told me this morning. "He never told them he would only go to LA, he only said that he wanted time to make the best decision for him and his family and that is his right as a 10/5 [10 years in the majors, the last five with your current team] man. Ryan is serious about wanting to win a World Series and he will approve a deal if it gives him that chance. People who have been critical of him about the Atlanta deal don't have all of the facts."

While he wants to go to LA, the one thing the Yankees have going for them is that he's familiar with pitching coach Larry Rothschild and Jim Hendry from their days in with the Cubs. Dempster is 5-5 with a 2.25 ERA this season for the Cubs, easily his best season so far.

{Coffee Can Vases}

Start diggin' in your recycling bucket, 'cause today's project is waitin' for you.

I've had these vintage coffee cans for 'eva.

They travel around the house for different decorative purposes all the time.

This summer, they're planters.

But don't worry if you don't have the vintage cans.

Regular ole cans are just as cute, and cheaper! plus you get the extra bonus of using what's in them first.

(And by the way, are there actually people out there who drink HALF caffeinated coffee? Silliness)

So, go ahead. Dumpster dive in your own driveway.

Girardi on Teixeira's Wrist Injury: "It's a Big Concern"

From Chad Jennings:

Turns out, Mark Teixeira actually hurt himself last night. He was trying to play through it tonight, and landing awkwardly on his glove wasn’t part of the plan.

“Yesterday, third at-bat against Doubront, swung through a pitch and it just didn’t feel right,” Teixeira explained. “Played through it yesterday. Got a lot of treatment last night. I had treatment today. It just didn’t feel good again today. And then when I dove, I landed right on my glove and I just tweaked it even more. I went back in the dugout, in the clubhouse, tried to swing the bat and just couldn’t do it.”

Teixeira will go for an MRI tomorrow. He said he’ll almost certainly miss tomorrow night’s game, but his concern is “low” that this is a significant injury.

“Not crazy concerned because like I said, I tried to play through it,” he said. “It’s one of those things if you really hurt yourself bad, you’re out and you can’t do much. I was kind of nursing it today when I was swinging so hopefully it’s just a couple of days and I can get back out there. … More achy and sore than major pain. That’s why I feel okay about it. Hopefully it’s not too bad.”

...

“It’s a big concern,” Joe Girardi said. “He’s a huge part of our lineup and hopefully it’s only a couple of days, but we’ll find out more tomorrow.”

Let's just hope that MRI comes back clean because this team cannot afford another key injury.

Bread & Pastries…and Family!

This past weekend my family gathered for a niece’s wedding and a brief reunion. As part of our reunions, we always have a family raffle. Several people contribute items, and tickets are $1/each. The proceeds go to help defray expenses for the next reunion.

This was my contribution this year. I had seen a similar sign a couple of months ago, and I wanted to recreate it.

Most of my family members are AMAZING cooks—especially of homemade bread! So it was perfect.

I used a recycled cupboard door for mine, with a little bit of a crackle finish and lots of distressing to make it look like it had been around since grandma was doing the baking!

This went home with another of my newly-wedded nieces! It couldn’t have been more perfect—she and her new husband actually do love to bake together!

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This project was featured at Domestically Speaking, Elizabeth & Co., {aka} design, and at the All-Star Block Party.

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Linking up here:

Domestically Speaking	Elizabeth & Co.
Primitive & Proper	The CSI Project
Friday Remodelaholic	2805
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday	Miss Mustard Seed’s Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special	The DIY Show Off
Beyond the Picket Fence	Someday Crafts
Knick of Time	All-Star Block Party
Perfectly Imperfect	{Primp}
Simply Klassic Sundays	My Repurposed Life
From My Front Porch to Yours	It’s So Very Cheri
Cowgirl Up!	{aka} design Coastal Charm

Although I am having a wonderful time at the beach, taking long walks and eating delicious food, I can't help but miss my little shop when I am away for so long.

Have you been lately? Stop by and tell the girls hello for me!

Besides the already low prices for this week's series in the Bronx, TiqIQ also has some great ScoreBIG/Make-An-Offer deal opportunities for you to rack up even more savings. These make an offer deals can't be beat and tickets can sometimes be had for as low as $10, and you don't have any pesky service or shipping fees to worry about. Just name your price and avoid all the hassles.

Click here to sign up for for your own ScoreBig account and start saving today!

Here are some of this week's best deals

- 7/31 vs Baltimore: Save 53% and offer $52 for 3-star seats (List price: $110.64)

- 8/1 vs Baltimore: Save 51% and offer $35 for 2-star seats (List price: $71.72)

- 8/3 vs Seattle: Save 50% and offer $98 for 5-star seats (List price: $195.00)

- 8/4 vs Seattle: Save 25% and offer $95 for 4-star seats (List price: $127.32)

- 8/5 vs Seattle: Save 28% and offer $80 for 3-star seats (List price: $110.64)

And to see our entire ticket inventory, click here.

Hello everyone,
Hope you had a lovely weekend again. Can you believe it is the end of July already??? I remember a few of you Island readers have asked when our Garden Tour day is and I thought that this Wednesday evening I would have an open garden for any of you that would like to stop by.

So maybe I won't be lounging in the hammock this week as the garden needs a bit of a tune up but you can enjoy it for a spell. This is a Novica hammock-handmade in Mexico.

We are having a beautiful sunny warm but not too hot summer-my only compliant is we could use more rain.

But,it is perfect for lounging in the hammock or trips to the beach.

A cold glass of lemonade and a book and you're set for the afternoon in this shady corner of the garden.

Some summer perennials to admire while you relax.

Have you fallen asleep already?

This little squirrel had his eye on the your cupcake and he is just waiting for you to doze off so he can nab it! He is a smart little guy and loves when I have a little treat and turn my back for a minute

Sorry, for the short notice but if you live nearby and would like to have a garden tour- you are welcome anytime between 6:30 and 8:30 this Wednesday August 1 .Hope to see you then!

Take care,
Carolyn