Hidden Magnolias

I just got back from my trip to Savannah. It was wonderful! I could bore you with tons of pictures, but I think I will just add my favorite for now. Of course, I spent a ton of $$$ but I had saved up for the trip so it really didn't hurt. But once I got home, I begin to feel a touch of guilt and decided with the holidays coming up to pinch some pennies. I have always been pretty frugal by some standards: I rarely buy Starbucks or other fancy coffees. I always bring my own coffee to work. I never buy bottled water. Our water in our town is really good and if I run it through my fridge filter, it beats anything in a plastic bottle. I take my lunch more often than I don't. And I use small soap slivers until they die. ( see post here ) But can I do better? So, I turned off the radio during my morning commute -- they were just going on and on about the usual -- so I missed nothing. And I pondered. What could I do? With Christmas coming up, I know we will s...

In a week, my dearest friend of 40+ years and I will be traveling to Savannah for Halloween week. We will be taking every ghost tour we can and there are bunches of them. We will eat in all my favorite places. Pirate's House -- yes, it is haunted. And the The Olde Pink House -- yes, it is haunted. And the 17Hundred90 Inn - yes it is haunted. We will be staying in a B&B that is haunted. Eliza Thompson House - yes, it is haunted and has haunted room. unfortunately, the haunted room is booked years in advance. Also, we will be nipping over to Tybee Island for a Dolphin Tour and to check out the adorable bungalows nestled around all the new development on that really crowded island.  But, some eye candy for you from my last few trips. (excuse some of them -- taken on the fly with an old iPhone) Happy Halloween!!! Pat

I have been reading lots of frugal blogs lately and have found some really good ideas about where to cut the budget. Being frugal in this day and age is really hard, especially if you are a working woman and you need work clothes. One of the themes I have seen in all the frugal websites is: “ MAKE DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. ” If you are like me, your closet probably burps when you open the door. So, I pulled everything out – and I mean everything . I sorted through. Made the three piles: Keep, Repair/Clean, Give.  And then put it all back. After all this, I made list using Notes on my iPhone. I listed various combinations, and even found some combinations I hadn't thought of before. Then as I wore them, checked them off. I used various icons to make it more fun. The list helped me realize that there are clothes I hardly ever wear. There are combinations that I wore often and some I only wore once or twice. This was a surprise!!...

OK, it is Sept 26.  Bloggers from all over are posting about fall.  All I can say about fall is....

Well, the day has happened.   Somehow, I never thought it would. (actually it happened in the Spring) I am a Senior . As in Senior Citizen . With grey hair. Gasp!! Since my 62 nd birthday, I have become obsessed with this thought. I remember vividly the night I was watching a lunar eclipse and wondering about life. I counted up how old I would be in the year 2000. I was about 14 at the time. The year 2000 seems centuries away, age 44 seemed almost impossible to imagine. Now it is almost 20 years AFTER the year 2000 and that same little girl, at age 62, is wondering about life. And being 62 seems impossible. How did this happen? When I was a child in school, I would look at the school clock thinking 2 pm would never come.  Now when it is 2 pm, I am alarmed because it is 2 pm and I have so much more to do. Anyway,  I searched around the web to try to find like-minded blogs to read for...

"You sure are frugal" These were the words a recent visitor to my house said after using my bathroom. "What makes you say that?" I asked. "All those soap slivers in your soap dish." Hummm, she was right. I do have soap slivers in my soap dish. Silvers that are too small for using in shower or bath but a perfect for hand washing. While getting dressed this morning, I glanced at the soap dish and though, yes, I am frugal. I am frugal. But not a fanatic about it. I have just learned over the years that saving pennies -- saves dollars. I begin to notice other little things that prove this. For one thing, I use a lipstick brush to get all the lipstick out of the tube -- especially if it is a favorite, discounted color. I just don't throw it out when it is flat. There are many more applications left in that tube, you just gotta work for it. I do take my own coffee to work avoiding the daily stop at Starbucks. Since their regular size, ...

I have been asked many times for the past couple of months why I am not blogging? To be frank, I am not sure. I have several posts half way completed, so maybe I shall complete them and post them. I get frustrated with blogging and bloggers. Mostly bloggers. It is as if they are all commercial now -- their pages full of ads, they get tons of free stuff and blog about using those items in their homes. One woman whom I started reading years ago before she was anyone, was able to buy and remodel a whole house using items for free. the personal nature of her original blogs entries have faded into a commercialized page of stuff no one wants. Others seem to specialize -- only cooking, recipes, Keto, gluten-free. Or fitness, fashion, and style. Or photos, decorating, frugality, children. Perhaps my thoughts and interests are too broad to be a successful blogger? I am not sure. In the meantime, I think I will polish up those half-completed posts and send them along. Pat

It has been a while. Sorry readers -- sometimes life in gets in the way of blogging. Today I want to talk about Cowboy Boots. http://www.wideopencountry.com/handmade-cowboy-boots-in-texas/ I love cowboy boots. Some people say they are in fashion; some say they are out of fashion. But for most boots lovers they are always in fashion. Acredale Saddlery Nothing is cuter than a girl in a darling little dress with a pair of boots. The Country Girl Pinterest    https://www.pinterest.com/source/thedatingexperts.tumblr.com/ The Highland Fashionista loves them – calls them the American Wellies.  http://www.highlandfashionista.com/ And if you like bling, this woman has bling for you!! Jacqi Bling     http://www.jacqiblingsty...