Miss Scarlet – In the Bedroom – With Antibiotics.

Hi There! Happy Almost 2008! Where have I been, you ask?
I usually manage to come down with a little bit of post-holiday malaise every year, a little cold or something. Just as an earthly reminder that I need to slow the heck down and take it easy for a few days.

This year, however, I simply set the bar a bit higher, and for your amusement and reading pleasure, I’ve managed to conjure up a nice case of… are you ready for this… Scarlet Fever.
Yes, you read that correctly. Scarlet Fever.

What the hell!?!?

Scarlet Fever, or Scarlatina, is a variant of the humble strep throat bacteria. Widely perceived by many (me included, before now!) to be a thing of the past, and a malady that usually plagues babies and children. Not so much!

Of course all my mental images of scarlet fever had to do with characters in the books I read as a child, particularly Mary Ingalls in the “Little House” books, and Beth March in “Little Women”. In case you don’t remember, these were NOT good outcomes, y’all!

Somehow I managed to get my nearly 40 year old self infected, and it does seem to be flourishing. I am a swollen, sore, blotchy train wreck of a thing right now. I am certainly no delicate languid flower of a literary heroine, swooning upon the divan in a gossamer dressing gown. For me it’s flannel pajamas with a coffee and donut print, a mismatched tee shirt and quite a bit of unladylike whining, swearing and complaining. And drugs, LOTS of drugs. (Oh yes, bring on the drugs!)

Although “Scarlet Fever” sounds WAY more dramatic than plain ol’ “strep throat” it’s just a bit more annoying and I should be back to my old self soon. (I have WAY too much to do to be sick for long!)
My prince charming is taking very good care of me, bringing me ginger ale and Haagen Dazs and warm blankies. My Hero!
I’m off to the couch with the tv remote, some advil and a long-neglected knitting project that I’ve resurrected for the occasion. Back soon! *mwah*






12.30.07 @ 08:53 PM PST [link] |

Holiday Rambler

Hi everyone!

Oh, my poor, neglected blog. I am amazed it's still here, waiting so patiently for me to resurface!

The holiday season is upon us here at Chez Christine. The halls are decked, and it's looking VERY Christmassy around here. For some reason, I got the urge to go all out this year with the decorating, something I don't always do.
I have put up my regular (big!) green tree, my much adored vintage tinsel tree (Thanks, Nana!) and a bunch of other decorations. Indoors of course. Hubby and Stepson are in charge of the outdoor lights, which are a subject for another post altogether!

I got an early start this year and I had a few weeks of the annual, semi-crazed "Making Of The Gifts".
To hell with all those people who say that a handmade gift is in bad taste. Those are the people who are trying to convince us that credit card debt is GOOD! I just cringe at the commercials I've seen recently, implying that paying with cash makes the world screech to a halt and urging people to use their Visa cards, oh I hate those commercials with a passion!

Uh, anyhow, back to the homemade gifts... yeah.
I am in the home stretch as far as those things go, with only one pillowcase to finish embroidering/crocheting, and two pairs of flannel pajama pants to sew for the children. I have made a few handbags, crocheted some scarves. My handmade gifts are mostly small things tailored to the recipients, and I do think they will be appreciated.

I haven't wrapped a single gift yet, nor have I managed to get my Christmas cards in the mail. Overall, I am strangely calm about things. Let's hope it lasts.

Hubby and I have agreed to have a low key sort of holiday as far as the gift-giving between us goes. We'll do fun stocking stuffers for one another (which I love!) and we'll lay low on other gift giving.
Recent financial bumps in the road (my ability to kill vehicles at an alarming rate being foremost among those!) have made that a necessity, but I have to confess that it is sort of a relief as well. Does that make me a grinch??

I love giving gifts, but sometimes the pressure of finding the PERFECT thing, on a deadline, is something that fills me with trepidation! Especially when it comes to my husband, who is notoriously difficult to buy for, and not forthcoming with many helpful ideas! :)
Some years it just seems like the gift giving ideas come so easily and naturally, and some years it's like pulling teeth to think of something to give! We give gifts to the children, of course. I did pretty well with those. We definitely don't go overboard on the kid gifts. They also have Christmas celebrations at the homes of their dad and grandparents, which makes for plenty of holiday joy and overload for them!

It has been nice to focus on other seasonal joyous things. Watching favorite holiday movies with the children, until we all know the dialogue by heart. Going a little nuts with the decorating, a lot of using what we have, (eight zillion cookie cutters, anyone?!) and reminding ourselves that we truly DO have a lot.

Back soon! XOXO

12.13.07 @ 08:27 AM PST [link] |

The Neon Boneyard

I LOVED the tour of the neon boneyard in Las Vegas! I have been trying to get on the tour for the last three years I've visited, and this year, finally, I was able to go. Leaving hubby safely ensconced in the Fitzgerald casino in downtown, I took a cab to the boneyard. It is just a short distance from downtown. The old signs are scattered around two huge lots, surrounded by chain link fencing. Everywhere you look there is so much color and detail, and all the signs are gloriously shabby and faded and peeling and SO interesting. I snapped as many photos as I could in such a short time. I wish I had a bit more time to compose some shots, but I daresay a few of mine turned out well.

The red sign in the left of this photo is from the wedding chapel that we were married in! The chapel is gone now but the sign was saved!

The Nugget... it looked a bit different when we stayed there!

Fallen star

Show me the money!

Peeking

Shabby swirls

Black Jack!

Sorry for the image heavy post, back soon with more! xox

11.25.07 @ 08:49 AM PST [link] |

Live Blogging - Las Vegas!
Good morning and hello from Las Vegas! Hubby and I are having coffee and donuts on the outdoor patio of the Krispy Kreme donut shop on Fremont street. Hot donuts and free internet access, I'm a happy camper!
Our hotel, the Golden Nugget, is just lovely, but they want to charge me 12 bucks a day for internet. I'd much rather put that money in a slot machine, so thanks, Krispy Kreme, for the innernet!

It's been a lovely trip so far, we've been low-rolling it all through downtown and parts of the Strip, and just having a good time relaxing. Penny slot machines are my friends, and we have found some fun ones.

Tonight is my nighttime picture-taking safari. There are some newly restored vintage neon signs here in Downtown that are calling my name. Tomorrow we have booked a trip to the neon boneyard, where all the old neon signs go to live. Google it and you will see why I am so excited to go there and take some photos, after three years of trying to get in, Yippee!

Today we will be headed to the Stratosphere and the Sahara, two of our regular stops, and then to Wynn, where I left without cashing in my redemption ticket, duh me!

I'll be back soon! xoxox
11.20.07 @ 08:29 AM PST [link] |