Paint yer Wagon, or T-Shirt

IMAG1204, a photo by Another Good Thing on Flickr.

In Daytona Beach, there's a famous airbrush shirt shop, run by very old, grumpy people who will screw up your order, not refund your money and them screw up your order again.

Do not give them your money.
Go across the street to GEORGE, whose motto is: "You say, I spray it."

He will make you laugh and will be certain your shirt , or shoe or license plate or wagon is EXACTLY what you want.

He might also point out that from his doorway, the name of the crappy place across the street reads: SHI-T SHACK.

This is my part of helping the little guy... until the old people die.

Today, we shop.

Rising early with money in the pocket, an idea in the back of my mind, a carload of gal pals and the directions to the nearest HOMEGOODS store = perfect Saturday. Whatever will you be doing today?

Custom Made Jeans, Under $50. YEP!

I was telling some friends about this last week, when it was 93 degrees in Atlanta. Today, as I tug on my own jeans in the 50 degree weather, I remembered.

Get your custom jeans today- fit your booty just the way you want- not the way Mr. Levi wants.

And order quick, because the world's ending in a few days you know.

MAKEYOUROWNJEANS.COM

You know it's time for a new bed when...

I have been asking for a larger bed for sixteen years. You know the drill, your family grows, you grow, your dog decides the foot of your bed is much more comfortable than his crate, you add more pillows, a puffier duvet, and pretty soon you end  with more "stuff" than mattress and sleeping area. 

Part of my hesitation one buying another bed was the memories attached to this one.
...read more.

A new bed. Is bigger better?

It's going to mean larger, more expensive sheets and more pillows. But it may also mean sleeping through the night.

 Of course, I am second guessing my selection. Don't we all do this in making large furniture decisions? And I mean that in two ways: large dollar decisions, and large pieces you'll have to live with for a long time.
 I found a site that allowed me to mix and match base and headboard, in effect creating my own style of bed.
 I felt, at first like I was bathing suit shopping, and wondered if I wanted my bottom to be bigger than my top, or ...

Because I am inherently cheap. I thought about making my own headboard and just buying the base. Especially when I saw these:

Hey, I could do all of those. I had already mastered the trompe l'oeil look at another house, and the picket fence one and even the screen behind the raised mattress one.
Building, no prob. Painting, upholstering, also, fun and easy.
 I even found this designer who walks you through a whole DIY headboard under $100 project. Here.

The only thing I'm battling right now, is time.
so, I went with a store bought combo, and will receive it on Thursday. But since today is trash day... I'll be sleeping on a mattress on the floor for a few nights and imagining what I can do to the room to meld old and new.

Shoe store Attraction, or I'm a Magnet, still.

It's probably happened to you. You were just shopping in that brand name department store, maybe bent over a rack of designer tees, trying to find that elusive size large... when someone said, "Do you work here?"

And you turned around, cell phone to ear, purse in hand, wearing no name tag, no where near the  I stand 11 hours a day kind of comfortable shoes... and yet?

 You looked like you belonged there, or they were so desperate for help, they were willing to ask a stranger.

This happens to me a lot.

People don't just ask me for help. They ask me for advice. ( They have no idea they picked the worst candidate possible.)

In the produce section, I get: "Excuse me, but which tomato is best?"

Seriously, dude? I have no clue. Buy the biggest reddest one.

In the home improvement store, I've been asked to weigh in on paint color choices.

White. You can never go wrong with white. Or off- white, more of a cream, really. Anything that has the word "wheat" in it. Yep. That's the one.

And always, always, I am asked for my opinion in the shoe store. I swear.. cross my heart and all of that.

 Every single time I step into ANY shoe store, I will be approached no less than two times by absolute strangers who think I am their answer.

Well, I am.

Last night, shopping with a gal pal, I was approached by a young girl who started the conversation with, "This is going to sound strange, but I..."

 I almost held up my hand to stop her there, but I let her continue.

 "... I have the same tights that you're wearing, and I want to see which of these shoes ( she holds up two black stillettos; one with a lace-up front, one traditional pump), would look better with them, would you mind..."

"Not a problem," I say and follow the girl back to where she and her friend have made a mess of the shoe aisle.. I then try on both pair, trot around in them, suggest the lace up ones, they agree and box up the others. I make my way back to my row.

 Within three minutes, a man wearing two different boots comes around the corner. A woman is sitting in front of a few open shoe boxes, texting on her phone. She barely looks up.

 The guy is tall, attractive and has that sort of good boy gone bad cowboyish adorable quality.

 "Excuse me, may I ask your opinion. I'm trying to decide..."

 He lifts his pant legs to show the mismatched boots.

 "Which one do you like better?"

The woman glances at me, the boots, the guy, then motions with her phone, and says,"The dark one-" just as I say, "The lighter one."

He smiles at me.

 I say, "Are you wearing them with jeans mostly?"

"Yeah."

"Turn around." I look at his ass.

He turns back around.

"Yeah, definitely," I say. "The lighter ones. I like the toe." (and then, shamelessly borrowing from Paris Hilton I add, "They're hot."

 He breaks out into a grin. "Thanks."

Moments later I see him at the checkout counter and think, "Man, they should hire me."

( see my pics of the shoes I bought on FACEBOOK.)

The headline said: Literary Porn. Of course I clicked on it.

It was a collection of a shop of stuff for the book lover, the reader, the writer, the man who wants to make his date believe he is one of the above.
 and I thought cool...
 until I looked at some of the prices.
 Fancy book markers made with imported crystals, reading glasses with real gold embellishments... automated page turners with a 4 figure price tag...what was this? Literary porn from SkyMall?
 I skimmed down a few pages, drawn to this:

okay. Nice back, but it was the caddy I liked- a solution to my I wanna soak, but I gotta write dilemma.
Look closely, it's a piece of WOOD. A few planks nailed together and laid across a pretty darn expensive tub.
 I looked at the price tag.   $100, plus $20 shipping...
 for a piece of wood?? I have a sheet of plywood under my workbench I could rip and sand. I have a shelf sized leftover piece of MDF that would be exactly the right size, and could be painted to match my Venetian/ hotel style whirlpool tub.
 So, uh, yeah, thanks for the "wooden caddy" idea. But I think I'll send my money on a bottle of wine to drink IN the tub.

 

This is How I'm Shopping Now

Wow.
 I just spent hours this weekend pawing through racks at discount stores to find a decent pair of well made, great fitting jeans, and then even more time trying on and rejecting said jeans in the fitting rooms of said discount stores.
 Right. I'm cheap. It's not a bad thing. And I like choices. maybe that was the problem?

 But look what I found today on my internet-- from good old  JCPenney.
 This is the coolest way to shop.

 check out what you can make the models do.
 turn. stand. look sexy. now... pretend it's you in those jeans

Regrets for the shoe I didn't buy that day

IMG00474
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

One day- at band camp..
I mean, at the shoe store...I had an opportunity to try something different. I had to make a choice, and I was unsure. It wasn't that I didn't like the shoe, it was that I wasn't sure we were compatible. I mean the first thing I thought of, red, suede, can't go out in the rain, and then I realized it was more than that- now I'd have to shop for a dress to match, and that is never a good thing to be thinking-
I mean, you're just dipping your toe in and not ready to truly commit, the last thing you want to be thinking about is the future, will this go with that and will something end up giving me more pain than the moment of pleasure I'm feeling right now gazing at he gold lining...and then there's the idea that, a single slip, a tiny mispurchase and you may be in for a whole new dress, another decision, another possible thing to regret.

wait. we're still talking about shoes, right?

Don't I know you?

I started off my month of shoe blogging with some new shoes I recently purchased, some have made it out of the closet.. and some are still unsure of their sexuality. Remember this shoe ?
She had a lot of issues, and now I think she may be the evil twin to this shoe.

"Ah-hah!" You say. "Oooh," I say, noting the purple 60% off sticker. "Hmm," you add scratching your size 10 foot, wondering if they might run a bit on the large side.
SLAM! That's the sound of my door closing as I run out to see if the black twin is still on the racks.
And speaking of racks, which sounds a bit like rackets.. here's an idea that might actually work for me, as I actually have experience selling shoes. It would be just another something for me to do, I mean, if there were another five hours in a day, I could.
Imagine, me- making money- reselling shoes. This gal did.

Yes, I know that it would mean I have to give away shoes. But I could do it for men, or for ladies with tiny feet. Like a charitable thing. Right?

Purple Shoe, I think I love you.

I have nothing to wear with you, and even though you appear to be less than retail cost, I am not willing to part with 70 bucks today.
I will go home and think about you, and like the lovers before you, may decide you are too pretty and vapid, or that your boxy exterior may cramp my style.
On the other hand, if I go home and can't get you out of my mind, if I imagine places I could take you and skirts I could buy to woo your attention, then.. oh yes, then I'll be back and I promise, you'll ride in the passenger seat, not the trunk.

We used to call them wedgies.

We used to call them wedgies.
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

Before little boys discovered the laugh riot of yanking someone's underwear up into their butt crack.
So now, the fashion world calls this kind of shoe a platform with wedge heel.

The big players do it up in style:


Dolce and Gabbana $695

Prada $284

Pedro Garcia $395

Miu Miu $565

me. I just look on the racks at the discount stores and find the same thing- or cooler, for a lot less. ( $40) Then I store my pennies in a jar under the bed and save it for a rainy day in Belize.

Peep Toe Bootie, Zipper Up the Back

Peep Toe Bootie, Zipper Up the Back
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

Am thinking I should have put my foot in one of these to give the correct effect. My foot fetish men would enjoy the bright red big toe poking out the tip.

..and that sounded a heck of a lot more sexy than I intended...
Back to the footwear.

I found them in one of those cheesy trend- only all-imported and made with child labor mall stores that have ZERO class.

( After years of retail, on both sides of the counter- I can say this).

What you should know:
A good store has bi-lingual, pretty staff that is helpful, humorous and likeable.
You want to buy from them, And you will.
The store should have perfect lighting, great music- not blaring- and well thought out aisles/ sections. It's set up to pull you in, and keep you there- color, flooring, upscale materials... all a plus for the finicky buyer. After all- we have a crapload of choices. Make us want to chose you.

That said, this store was none of that-

so I went in , grabbed these off the shelf, slipped one on then high tailed it out of there, stuffing my receipt into my pocket.
I love them.

They're black suede, with a wrinkled/pleated front and zipper back- and a pretty tall stiletto heel that will put me over 6'. I like that.
Great looks, decent price at under $50, and they are surprisingly comfortable... but...I have yet to wear these out of the bedroom.


Okay, that didn't sound right either.

Good Girls Don't

Good Girls Don't
Originally uploaded by Another Good Thing

This is the first pair of flats that I might actually be able to wear. I haven't yet, but that doesn't mean I wont. They are Calvin Klein after all. And he and I see pretty much the same fashion wise- if you haven't taken a sneak peak at his Spring 2010 RTW line- that I hope to shop from- you must.
But back to the shoe. I have high arches and most flats just don't cut it- for fit or comfort, dd in some very shortened calf muscles from years of retail, modeling and high heel dance nights... well, let's just say I do bare feet better.
But these have a little tiny heel and a build up under the sole, and are cut smoothly across the foot with a very very soft Italian leather...Worst case scenario, I'll dress like a Pilgrim this Thanksgiving and let my half price Nordstrom Rack $49 deal complete the outfit...then give them to my Mom.

Shopping Advice, Ladies.

Probably doesn't need to be said, but for the record: ROSS has some of the cutest and some of the nicest sundresses I've seen for under $15.

At my local stores (2) I scored a cart full of dresses for me and my daughter, 5 pairs of sandals for her, and at least 4 pairs of shorts and 3 tees for the picky teen boy. All items are well made and nothing cost more than $14.99. The most expensive maxi dress was only $12.99 and most of the shoes were $8.99, with more markdowns on the way.

It appears the recession is good for some of us.
Check it out and tell them Linda sent you.

Living a Dimmer Life

I have this thing about lighting.
I think it is the most important piece of ambiance one can master. Think of the moods set by bright sunshine, by soft candlelight, by the foggy gloom of a rainy day...

I used to be into the whole candle thing, but wax drippings and the black smoke marks and all the fire hazards... well, now I leave the candlelit moments up to long baths, outdoor lanterns and special dinner celebrations.

Now, I create my candlelit atmosphere with dimmer switches on every possible lamp in my house. I have been known to unscrew bulbs in people's chandeliers hanging over a card table so the people across from me look softer, so I don't have to squint, so I can feel more at ease.

I have even given dimmer switch installation sets as house warming gifts.

So, yesterday when I went out to buy some replacement bulbs I was surprised to see my regular fix had changed.
No longer are we offered traditional incandescent bulbs of 40 watt, 60 watt 75 watt or 100 watt bulbs.
Now, it's wattage like this: 34/52/67/90

or for the really dim... 200 watts.

How odd is that?
Even saying it sounds stupid. "I need a 67 watt bulb, please."
And if you're shopping at WalMart, like I was, you might want to learn how to say it in Spanish.

I know, the whole incandescent bulb thing is going the way of the cost effective, yet ugly fluorescent bulbs which make everything look worse and have a high pitched whine to them that bothers me and the neighborhood dogs.
sigh
what's a girl to do--- besides stockpile all the old fashioned bulbs she can find?
Bulbs she will one day sell on E- Bay.

Shoe Math

If Linda goes to DSW with:
One coupon for 30% off
a birthday reward of $5 off
and a purchase return- without a receipt- one pair of unworn too tight metallic peep toes
(original price 59.99 on sale for 30%off)

What will it cost her to buy the $80 ( compare at $105) Italian leather stiletto bootie pumps?

ANSWER:
-9.52

Yes, that's right. They owed her money.

So, of course, she brought her daughter back later, gave her the 20% off friend coupon and the store credit, and the little bunny scored a new spring shoe for under 20 bucks.

sweetness.

For Shoe Lovers: A Gift of THE MAN

When Did Christmas Cheer Become Mandatory?

I can do all the things that need to be done for this holiday with my eyes closed.. and without being particularly cheerful.

Baking for child's school bake sale. Done. Even though I used VERY expired baking soda in the cookie dough.Purchased,wrapped and mailed all out of town gifts including one unique gift certificate substitute:without complaining about the cost or time spent or traffic. Done.

Attended relatively tame p-ornament exchange party and a quiet bunko Christmas party where I managed to not piss anyone off or get thrown out of anyplace. Pretty much a first, and no, that's nothing to be cheerful about. *yawn*

Seeing as I had to select and then help my husband buy my Christmas gifts... I am not expecting any surprises this year... and after a ho-hum tree and house decorating weekend, I can't help but feel a little like... Is this it?

The only thing that is saving me from hanging up my stocking for good is my church.
Every year they open my heart to giving in a new and special way. I only hope that I find a way to do that for someone else this season.
And that's nothing to yawn about.

You say Ibiza. I say Shoes.

I could tell you all about the crazy time I had on the island of Ibiza. I could regale you with tales of dancing, drinking and oh-so-typical Linda behavior... but then you might hate me.
Instead, I give you my pink pointy Spanish shoes... just another thing we sucky unoriginal Americans can steal.