Reincarnation

It's been a good day today. I went a little crazy on the shopping but oh the goodies I've found. I started at Target this morning since I was up way too early for my ballet class. Tried on some shoes cute little metallic sandals but I was being good. Made it out of the store with just an exercise mat and the water bottle Mom wants for Mother's Day. Went on over to my class and got my work out in. We did some new stuff today, something called a Tondeau and something that sounded French. I don't know, I just try to do my best. Anyway there's this one move where everyone sweeps their toe across the front and then back. There are five of us in the class and it makes the most relaxing little whispering noise as the ballet shoes move across the floor. It's sort of mesmerizing to be listening to the classical music and concentrating on making the correct movement. I feel transported.

After class I turned down a little side street and stopped at a garage sale where I found two very lovely gold sheer curtain panels. Score - only $5 for two panels! Then I decided I was annoyed with my hair and went to the Mall to see if I could get it cut. They had an immediate opening and I now have a cute little bob. Ran by FM material store to look for stuff for the tent after the haircut. Oh my gosh, there were wonderful things in every nook and cranny. Not only did I get some lovely sparkley gold and pink material but I found a wonderful deep purple silk for my chaise. I also found some very pretty trim for my chandelier.

Boy have I been busy this afternoon with draping and decorating. I haven't been inside all afternoon. I also popped into Big Lots and bought some solar lights. They're not charged up enough to show in the pictures yet but hopefully by tomorrow evening they'll be shining through the sparkly fabric. I couldn't resist sharing pictures, just keep in mind the pictures aren't nearly as pretty as the real thing.

Everything is all a glitter in my little retreat.

The Return of Seraphina

I've very much enjoyed having an extra day this weekend. Yesterday I visited hardware stores and gathered pvc  pipe and joints for my tent repair project. As you all know I had a tentastrophy last week and Seraphina was down due to high winds. After much aggravation searching on-line and talking to service hotlines I found out that replacement parts were not available. So of course jury rigging was the next step. Men have tools - women have ingenuity. A generalization I know but definitely true in my family. Anyway I spent yesterday evening putting parts together with my handy dandy roto tool and pvc glue and got her back up. She's not quite as straight as before but at least she's up. We'll see how she holds.

One casualty of the storm was the hand-beaded chandelier. The frame is intact though so I believe I can start over. Que Sera Sera. I don't know why but I must sing that when I say it. Maybe I need to watch Doris Day on Netflix today.

I was leaving for ballet this morning when I realized Rhi had taken my truck but not left me her car keys. Fortunately my mom was willing to pick me up and drive me over. Alas my ballet slippers were in the glove box of the truck. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Bonus, mom got to watch the ballet class. She said we looked like little fairies dancing across the floor. Gotta love your mom! She'll lie to you with a straight face when you need her to. I actually signed up for more ballet lessons with Marie. Next week is our last Ballroom class and I don't think I can do without some form of movement over spring break. I figure I'll work on flexibility first, then coordination, and then grace. This could take a very long time.

We're going to have Easter dinner with the parents this evening. Dad's been looking at recipes on line and is cooking a ham. He said something about a blow torch so Rhi and I decided to come home and go back over when it's done. Mom's rosebush is starting to bloom and the buds look really cute in the little vase Susan gave me.

How sweet is that!

I'm stretched out in my comfy chair with the front door open and my bare feet hanging out in the breeze. Think I'll watch a little Doris until dinner time maybe, Glass Bottom Boat, or Pillow Talk. Or maybe I'll take a little nap. My chair has that effect on me, sometimes it's just too cozy to resist curling up with my little fuzzy blanket and nodding off.

Like Sand Through the Hourglass...

I feel the precious moments of vacation time trickling away. I've done not much of anything for a week, I've read, I've lounged. I've put up a tent and hung out in said tent. I've weakened in my resolve in the dog free tent zone. I decided  I liked having one dog out in the tent with me when the others were inside so no one can sneak up on me. So this has become Lady's haven as well. She has spread herself across the lounge like the Queen of Sheba for most of the afternoon. I've been decorating a bit, still not exactly the palace I envision or that Seraphina the tent deserves but it's coming along.

As many of you know, I've been working on the chandelier for the tent. I've still got to add my light and I'm not sure I'm happy with the amount of bling yet, but it's coming along. I'll know it's finished when I lose the urge to fool with it anymore.

In a burst of energy today I sanded and painted my ugly little chest and have turned it into a Moroccan themed (loose interpretation) treasure. I'm pretty happy with the result in spite of the fact that I free handed most of it and it's not as crisp as it probably should be. Oh well. I'm mostly happy with it. Also I got to use some more of my Robin's egg blue paint - and I've still got some left. That can has more than paid for itself. I think I have enough to do one more bookcase when I get energetic again.

I've also brought the little gate leg table out (don't think I'm going to do anything to it just yet) and I've spray painted my little green chairs in champagne. They actually look more interesting in person than in the picture. They were originally green and I've lightly spray painted, so they have sort of a mottled pattern that I think is eye catching. Next for these is cushions. Oh and I'm still looking for rugs. The green air mattress under the table is temporary.

Of course I found the chaise a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to Teresa's eagle eyes. This fifteen dollar beauty has been the greatest find. My gosh this is comfy. Lady thinks so too! My make do on this piece is an old green striped twin sheet covered by the silky room divider that came with the tent.

I've also added my little fuzzy purple throw as a rug. Found the little table at Hobby Lobby and couldn't resist. A girl's gotta have a place to put her beverages you know.

I definitely need more pillows scattered throughout. I'm not normally an orange person but I've got my eye on some luscious silky material in a lovely orange with gold roses scattered on it. Also some very nice blues and purples at the material store.

Here are more pictures of the chest. Again think Moroccan inspired. 

Of course the gold is more shimmery in person than in the picture. I also turned the handles upside down when I put them back on. They look more like genie lamps that way. Ha! Those were all tarnished and ugly but a nice copper paint made them look like new.


I've also ran my extension cord from the garage to the tent so when it was so hot the other day, I had my fan going and was still able to enjoy my retreat. It's getting harder to leave the tent and come in.

Seraphina Has Arrived from Pakistan...

Seraphina arrived around 2:00 today in all her 62 lb tent glory. She has wheels. Rhi says we're not naming the tent. Too late! I was very anxious to get her all set up but so much to do today. Had to go to core abs where I had an excellent workout. Can't have that mood getting out of whack from lack of exercise during the vacay. Worked on my chandelier for the tent until the wee hours last night. Just putting the finishing touches on it, so no pictures yet. Went to Waffle House for cheesy eggs and bacon for lunch - yum. Went to Walmart to get tent sealer and ran by Big Lots to look at tent lights. Got home just in time to relax for a few minutes before my 3:30 massage. I know  - right. The luck of the draw had me with Frank today. I was a tad nervous about a male masseuse but sucked it up and just relaxed into it. Now I'm glad I did. He made me feel very safe and comfortable and wow did he work all those little tense muscles in my neck and shoulders. I tend to lead with my neck when I'm doing ab stuff. Anyway I felt like I was in a wonderful altered state when I was finished and kind of floated back home. I emptied out the little tent and it was time to take off again. Rhi wanted me to go to the Nature Center before she ran out of light to take photos. We actually ended up going to check out Ingram Mill Park instead. I think they still have some work to do on it but it's really coming along. There's a nice woodsy trail around the lake with some really cool bridges that they've put in and lots of nice scenery. We headed back home with just enough light to get the little tent down and the big tent up. Rhi did most of the work. She figured out where all the multitudes of tent poles went and got it staked down for me. We finished up just after dark so not much rearranging and decorating yet. I can hardly wait. Seraphina has two, count them, two closets and a little three tier hanging shelf for the corner. There's also a cute little battery operated light that is velcroed to the ceiling, not to mention four great big windows. Rhi has banned me from running an extension cord from her bedroom but I think I can make the garage work. The tent is supposed to have a port for electrical but it was too dark to find it tonight. I can hardly wait to get started in the morning. I think I'll start out with a nice relaxing lounge in the morning and then figure out how I'm going to arrange the furniture in the tent. Then I may run off to the thrift stores to look for textiles. Ah we'll just have to see what the day brings.

Let the vacationing begin...

Mrrrwhaaaha, yes this is me, vacationing, in the tent, in my new ballet slippers. Which by the way I had to fight my way through a screaming hoard of tiny ballerinas for. They only have little girl items on display in the front of the store. The crazy big people stuff is hidden away far in the back room. I think I saw her blow dust off the box. Many questions were asked, what type of shoe are you looking for? Do you want cloth or leather? Standard answer, duh I don't know. What do you have in a gargantuan size 10. Width, um maybe medium. Anyway I tried on three pair to discover that I wear a size 7C in a ballet slipper. Laaaa! I have the petite princess feet in ballet. Shut up, all of you, I hear you laughing. I also looked at ballroom slippers, they were pretty cute too but I didn't want to spend the $40 bucks for them. Besides, Marie said I could wear my ballet slippers in ballroom too. Woohoo.

Good news when I checked my emails tonight. My 16x12 Olympic Cottage has shipped. I could be putting that baby up in the next day or two. So that's part of the plan for the vacation. Am I gonna stay up till I feel like it - are you kidding? Am I gonna sleep as late as I possibly can in the mornings - you know it. I'm also going to read, and surf the net, and play and relax and craft; or I'm going to lounge in my chair and do nothing. We'll see how the mood strikes me. By the way, this is a freakin' comfortable lounge chair. I can just see the last bit of pink in the western sky from my chair through the tent flap. The neighbor's dog and I are going to be come best buddies this summer. Just as soon as I stop freaking her out. Well time for a little cat nap and then I'm off to Hobby Lobby to look for tissue paper for the making of paper flowers. If I make it outta the chair of course.