Funny Video Serious Tips on Women and Heart Attacks

Thanks Janice for sending me this. It's great.

Making Music By Swinging

This is a community project in Montreal. The swing set makes sounds as you swing. Together you can make melodies. How cool is that?

Anybody Need a Laugh?

I tivo most of my television programs so I don't see many commercials. Bumped into this one and love it. Hope you laugh today!

Amazing and Adorable! Five Year Old Prodigy

A Healthier Blueberry Cheesecake

Okay...I have been on Weight Watchers for awhile and am doing well (about a pound a week). But, I have been kind of hungry for a healthier cheesecake. I found this recipe online and am going to try it this weekend.

Flavored Ice Cubes

From Martha Stewart of course...
Get the Cucumber-Basil Puree
Get the Orange-Lime Mix
Get the Lemonade-Raspberry
Floral Ice Cubes
and more...

White House Kids State Dinner

Now this is just way cool. Michelle Obama had healthy recipes contest winners (all kids) at the white house for a State Luncheon. 

Winners and Recipes

Pictures of the Event

Beat the Heat

...with 23 Strategies from Real Simple
I particularly like the idea of putting a pan of ice in front of a fan. I remember my grandmother doing that when I was young.

Another good idea is to put a spray bottle of water in the refrigerator, so you can spritz yourself with cool water when the temperature rises!

What to Eat When It's too Hot to Cook

Ten recipes that are best served cold...
Watermelon and Feta Salad
Gazpacho Salad
Greek Pasta Salad
Feta and Chick Pea Salad
Italian Salad with Fresh Basil Vinaigrette
Meyer Lemon and Arugula Pesto
Creamy Caesar Gazpacho
Easy Summer Bruschetta
California Style Lemon Pepper Pasta Salad
Classic Tabbouleah Salad

Ten of the Most Spectacular Gardens of the World

Berlin's Botanical Garden
The other 9 Gardens...

Lady Gaga is On the Cover of Vogue

Read the story.

Lonny Magazine

Do you know Lonny Magazine? It is absolutely eye candy and full of decorating and fashion inspiration. You can see the latest complete issue here...

Growing Peonies

I love peonies, but never have had much luck growing them in California. I think the soil doesn't get cold enough at night or something. So I was thrilled when I ran across this Sunset Magazine article about peonies and tips for growing them. First tip is growing the right peonies...Since Sunset is the magazine about the western part of the U.S., I'm thinking if I find the right peony I will have more success.

Cynthia

Grape Recipes

Did you know that grapes get sweeter when roasted? This slide show has lots of ideas on how to use grapes in tarts, pies, ice-cream and more.

Think I am going to try the grilled goat cheese and honey roasted grape sandwich, the wine grape pie and the rosemary grape focaccia. Yummmm.
Cynthia

Marilyn Monroe's Iconic Hairstyle

Since I was a little girl there was a party of me that wanted to be blond with wavy soft girls. (Instead I was brunette with a thick straight pony tail.)

I guess I wasn't alone as so many women from Madonna to Gwen Stefani have worn the same style. I wonder... is it too late to go blond?
Cynthia


Slide show...here.

Salon Du Chocolat - Paris or New York City?

The Fabulous Salon du Chocolat...I want to go. The question is...
Paris Oct 31st through November 4th or New York November 9th - 11th? Decisions Decisions

Free Desktop Calendar from Brush Dance

Brush Dance is featuring my image in their free August desktop calendar. You can download it here!
Cynthia

San Francisco Fabulous Home with Hidden Garden

One thing I love about San Francisco homes are the small hidden gardens and courtyards. Check out the slide show in the San Francisco Gate of
this fabulous house in the Noe Valley area of San Francisco. I love the dark wood floors with all of the white.

Vanity Fair's 2012 International Best Dressed List

Princess Kate leads off Vanity Fair's best dressed list for 2012. I love this turquoise dress with the sheer cap sleeves and the delicate belt. (Gown by Jenny Packman)

Vanity Fair's list also includes...
Actress Jessica Chastain (Her dress was my favorite at the academy awards.)
Alicia Keys (musician)
Matt Lauer (co-anchor the Today Shoe)
What???? No Michelle Obama?

more...

Photos of the 2012 Olympics

The official Olympics site has lots of great pictures of all the wonderful things happening in London this week. Check it out here...

Outdoor Lighting

I just love wonderful outdoor lighting in the summer. There is something so special sitting outside, on the patio with friends...talking, drinking wine, and having the patio come alive as the sun sets and the garden turns sparkly with evening lights. Martha Stewart, of course, has some fabulous lighting ideas including covering voltives with sheets of vellum held together with chopsticks.

20 Ways to Update Your Kitchen

Some great ideas to update your kitchen without spending a fortune. I sure would love to have a new kitchen, but for now a few of these ideas should help update the kitchen's look. I especially like the idea of painting everything white and replacing the hardware. I also like that silver tray where you can add magnets for notes and recipes.

Upcycled and Recycled Jewelry

I love it when creative people recycle old things to make fabulous new items. Julia Vasic makes beautiful jewelry from discarded t-shirts and recycled metals. She also donates a portion of each purchase to the Endangered Species Coalition.

"Fashion is change and reinvention. Sustainability is just the next step.  Break the rhythm of fashion. March to a new drum."

#73 - A Year of Blogging and Journaling Ideas - Top Ten Favorite Songs

Here are 10 favorite songs that are guaranteed to get me dancing around the kitchen.

1.   I Heard it Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
2.   Mercy - by Duffy

3.   Feeling Alright by Joe Cocker 

4.   Shake Rattle and Roll by Joe Turner

5.   Koop Island Blues by Koop Island

6.   Say Hey - by Michael Franti

7.   Dancing With Myself by Nouvelle Vague

8.   Let the Good Times Roll by Buckwheat Zydeco

9.   Stuck on You by Elvis Presley

10. Respect by Aretha

You can download, for free, my entire ebook - A Year of Blogging and Journaling Ideas

Did You Know...

...a Third of Emmy Nominees are Over 50? They include...

Julianne Moore, 51, "Game Change"
Michael J. Fox, 51, "The Good Wife"
Loretta Devine, 62, "Grey's Anatomy"
Giancarlo Esposito, 54, "Breaking Bad"
Christine Baranski, 60, "The Good Wife"
Maggie Smith, 77, "Downton Abbey"
Glenn Close, 65, "Damages"
 more...

Wish I had the shoulders and arms (and waist and hips and neck) to wear this Dior outfit. I love the 50s retro feel. I'm not totally sure I like the pops of red...what do you think?

For more "best dressed" celebrities from this week go to Harper's Bazaar.

30 Reasons Being a Woman is Awesome

Saw this post about why women are awesome. I especially liked...
#4 Nancy Drew was a chick
#6 Women are more likely to remember where they left their keys
#11 Women are better leaders
more...
To these I would add...Women are fabulous bloggers and women wear cuter sandals.
What would be on your list?

Ten Life Lessons I Learned From My Garage Sale

1.  Smiles are contagious - One little boy had a smile from ear to ear when he gave my dog Lola a treat and she put up her paw to shake. He beamed! And so did I.
2.  People don't care if I crazily spent $425 several years ago on a super duper large paper cutter. They only want to spend $25.
3.  If you want to find out some good books to read. Sell books. Book lovers love to talk about their favorite books when browsing yours.
4.  If you place the tables along the path in your flower garden, people linger longer. And only a few people will cut across the plants instead of walk on the path.
5.  Everyone has stories and they like to share them.
6.  It pays to be generous and kind.
7.  Ask a child if they want to have a bake sale/lemonade stand at the same time. People appreciate the snack and cold drink. Last year my friend's daughter sold scones and lemonade to help raise money for her laptop. This year people were disappointed that she wasn't there.
8.  Give something away. I had a bunch of hand fans that I made a while back and gave them away to the people who looked hot.
9.  Wear a hat and sunscreen. I have a sunburn today and probably more wrinkles by tomorrow!
10.The best moments of joy are the little moments. I had the most marvelous time negotiating a price with a 5 year old boy for two large boxes of art pencils - one for him and one for his 3 year old sister. I started to just give them the pencils, but realized that the negotiating was important to this little boy. They carried those boxes out to the car like they were absolute treasures. The five year old was so proud and my heart just spilled over with their joy.

Flirting after 40

I have quite a few friends who are out there in the dating world again. I saw this article which has some tips if you are out of practice in the flirting area.

Ellen Burstyn Stars on Political Animal

In “Political Animals,” the USA Network series event, Ellen Burstyn stars as Margaret Barrish, part of a Clinton-esque political clan. A straight-shooting, one-time Vegas showgirl, Margaret is the mother of Elaine Barrish Hammond (Sigourney Weaver), a former First Lady who subsequently divorces her philandering husband and is named Secretary of State. The six-part series premieres July 15. More.

I have my tivo set. Are you going to watch Political Animals?

Before and After Yard Ideas

Need some inspiration for your patio/yard? Sunset has a terrific series of before and after photos with small ideas that make a huge difference.

27 Things to do with Fresh Corn

I love corn on the cob. I've never was much for cutting the corn off the cob (except for when my sister was a teenager and wore braces!). However my friend Lois makes a fabulous scorched corn off the cob. I came across this article in Sunset for 27 ways to do fresh corn - on and off the cobb. Yummmmm.

Cynthia

Versailles Commuter Train Designed In Homage To French Palace

Now this is a fabulous idea for commuter trains. Why can't we do this for all commuter trains? There could be the Picasso train, the Chagall train, the Rembrandt train...

Cold Summer Soups

7 Summer Soups including...
Gingery Carrot Soup

Gaspacho

Nectarine and Tomato Soup

Moroccan Vegetable Soup

Asparagus Soup with Turkey and Tomato Tarts

Fresh Tomato Soup

Chilled Carrot-Ginger Soup

Read more: Cold Soups - Summer Recipes - Woman's Day 

How To Make Wine

Love the graphics at Visual News.

Happy 4th of July

Hope everyone has a fabulous 4th of July with lots of dramatic fire works!

Margarita Watermelon Pops

Oh Yeah!!!! I think these should be a 4th of July tradition....starting right now!!!!

THE BEST OF FALL 2012 COUTURE

The most glamorous 2012 fashions from Paris runways.

How To Make Lighted Wine Bottles

I love this DIY from Fresh Home. Wouldn't this make a great gift for a wine enthusiast!

13 Summer Coctails to Serve at your 4th of July Party

From HGTV.

Nutritious Pizza

A cheesy slice of pizza doesn't tend to come top of dieter's list, but it soon could be if Scottish food experts have their way, as they’ve invented (what they claim to be) the first nutritionally sound pizza.

10 Iconic Pony Tails

I have been wearing pony tails since I was about three. I think I am probably getting too old for a pony tail but the moment it gets warm, or I am working in the garden or dancing around the kitchen, out comes my little brown stretchy band and up goes the hair into a sloppy ponytail.

Harpers has a slide show of pony tails from Sandra Dee to Lady Gaga.

Cynthia

Supreme Court Rules on Obamacare

You can see the details here.

Michelle looks fabulous again.

I just love this dress and the belt.

Fun With Adult Children

If you don't know about Commonplace Crazy, be sure to check out her blog. She's hilarious and a grammar teacher. I have learned the correct use of who/whom and lie/lay from her. Love this post about texting with her adult daughter. Every post has me LOL!!!