Nails...Short, Long, Real, Fake

I hope everyone has had a great Monday, I had a little episode with my allergies (my eyes swelled! Eek!!) Other than that I had a pretty good one. I have been wanting to do a post like this for awhile, but kept putting it off, but not today! I love pampering myself, and I believe there should be at least one thing all of us do to make us feel pretty while also relaxing us. I do this by getting my nails done, I go to a local Nail Salon every 2 weeks to get a fill in and a pedicure (which is to die for!) I have been wearing tips for a very long time, I always had a bad habit of biting my nails (uck!) that is why I had them put on. Now I am not really into some of the funky shades I have seen out, I am more into the neutral, reds, mauve, light pink shades. One of my all time favorite colors is OPI Bubble Bath. It is very clean and neutral, and it goes with every thing. And you can wear it all year round!

I have really short hands, so I think a short/medium length looks better on me. I also like the Squoval shape for my nails. I have tried to round shape and I don't really care for it on me, but I love it on everyone I have seen it on. Of course you have to give your nails a break from the acrylic every now and then, and that is when I have my set soaked off and I have Shellac CND put on. Shellac is fast, last for 14 days, and you can not chip it, which is exactly what I need. I type all the time so when I would paint my own nails it would chip, not with this stuff. Seriously 14 days after I had it put on it was still shiny as the day it was put on. I had it first done in Manassas at PR and Partners a spa that my sister works at. I then came back to SW VA and I could not find anyone who could do it right. But then I found The Olive Branch Spa in Clintwood, VA and they did a great job, just like I had done in Manassas! My favorite color when I have the Shellac done is negligee.

See short and stubby....told ya!

As for right now I am wearing Pink and White, which is the french tip but it is done with pink and white powders. I had grown out of the whole French Tip look, because it seems that is what everyone else dose and I like to stand out. But I love the classy look of it, and so I also had my manicure done in french style.

Some of my other favorite colors are; OPI Cajun Shrimp, Essie Eternal Optimist, OPI I'm Really Not a Waitress, Essie Watermelon, Essie Raspberry, and OPI Red. What are some of your favorite nail colors, and shapes?

Time to Catch Up!!

Hey ya'll! It's been awhile hasn't it? I am so glad to get back into my normal routine of things, I'm telling you moving can just about drive a person crazy! How have all of you been? I am having a great weekend!! I finally went to see Harry Potter "The Deathly Hallows Part 2," and it was EPIC! I know some of you are thinking to yourselves, "Harry Potter, really?" but yes this is one of the many types of books/movies I love.

My family also had its 49th annual Meade Reunion yesterday. It was great to see everyone, now I for one am so blessed to come from such a great lineage as the one that I do. Hard workers, that were determined to rely on God, and live life to the fullest, is how I describe the Mead's. It was bittersweet though, we lost a couple of family members last year, and a few people did not get to come in this year. But next year, we will have them plus a couple of new ones to join us! I have two cousins that are expecting, and I am so excited to meet these little ones! This great family all started with two people that fell in love,  John and Winnie (Stanley) Meade) aka: Mommie & Poppie. Here is a photo of the day they were married.

And here is all of the children they had, except one, Joseph passed away before this photo was taken. In all there were 5 boys and 5 girls. There are only 4 remaining as of today.

We usually always have our reunions at the Flat Gap Community Center in Pound, VA.

 There is always good food, and great memories that are made each year at the Meade Reunion! So do any of your families have reunions? If not, you should! It is a great way to catch up and keep in touch with your family, because you never know when they will be gone and everyone needs to know where they come from!

I hope that everyone has a great rest of the weekend, and great Monday morning! See ya tomorrow!!

Im still here!

Hey everyone, I know it has been over a week since my last post but I am still in the processes of moving from my house. I think I will be done in one more day, (I hope!) I can not stress how much I HATE to move!! Like I said I am hoping to be moved in by tomorrow night, because Friday night starts the weekend of my family reunion. Between working, moving, and decorating I am stressed to the max! I can not wait to get back into the swing of things, I am not good with change it messes everything up for me! Love y'all and thanks for hanging in there with me!!

Going through some rough patches...

As the title shows, I am going through some rough patches with my personal life. I will be back on Monday, hopefully everything will be somewhat better by then! Prayers are requested and appreciated!! This song has really spoken to me on so many levels recently and I wanted all of you to hear it! I hope it becomes one of your favorites, as it has became mine.

"Blessings"

 We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

By: Laura Story

Monograms Oh How I love Thee!

Ya'll I'm so sorry for not having a new post for the past couple of days, it has been CRAZY around here! Shew!! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July, I know I did! My family had a really nice picnic, and Talena and I went to a local town to watch their fireworks (which were great this year!)

Now if most of you are like me, you LOVE monograms! I would have almost everything monogrammed if I could. Of all the styles of monogramming, I love the interlocking monograms. Everything that I have monogrammed is in this style. 

Now for some people who do not know about monograms, there are rules about the placement of the letters. For example, recently Neil Patrick Harris has been featured in several Xfinity ads from Comcast. In one, he comes down a hallway toward the camera. On a paneled wall behind him is a large 3-letter monogram, the type that has two smaller letters flanking a large one in the middle, and it is WRONG!! I was taught that with such an arrangement, the large center letter is the surname initial. Thus Harris’s monogram should be nHp, with the H notably larger. Yet in the ad it is nPh, with a large P in the middle. Like this:

But it should look like this:

I have been doing some research into monograms though and I had came upon some interesting tidbits.

Historically, a monogram was used as a royal signature. Romans and Greeks used them on coins to identify their rulers. Then, in the Middle Ages, artisans began to use them to sign their work. Victorian-period high-class persons adapted the monogram for personal use as a symbol of their place in society.
In the Victorian era, rules for monograms were quite simple and few.*Female monograms had the first initial on the left, middle initial on the right, and last initial embroidered larger in the middle. First of all, monograms with three initials are generally in the Victorian format of first initial, large last initial, middle initial. Married monograms usually consist of the bride’s first initial on the left, the groom’s first initial on the right, and the joint last name initial larger in the center. A married woman would use her first name initial on the left, maiden initial on the right, then new last initial larger in the center.*  Interesting eh?

But now my favorite monogram of all is.....drum roll please...............

Louis Vuitton!! This is my LV Speedy 40. I can't get enough of this monogram

See.....Told ya! My boetie wallet!

I hope that everyone's day was good, mine was hectic. First of the month at the pharmacy is CRAZY!!! I hope to hear from you all soon, I love meeting new people. Also thank you all so much for all the sweet comments that you have left, and those of you have followed me!!!

My Hope Chest Part 2

So yesterday I spoke about some of the pieces that I have in my hope chest already, so today I going to show you some of the things that I want! Except the Lenox Christmas China from yesterday, that should be on this list! First thing I am looking forward to having one day is some silver flatware, my pattern in this is the Wallace International "Grand Baroque." Now according to some things that I have read, each silver pattern a lady picks tells what type of personality she has. I am apparently Dramatic and literary bent, and yes I can see myself in this definition. This is the Grand Baroque pattern.

Waterford Crystal is by far my favorite crystal company, although I also like Vera Wang's crystal. I would love to have my memaw's hutch to show all of the china and crystal that I might have someday.

Along with all of these beautiful things I also want recipes, old pictures, Christmas ornaments, and maybe my  family bible. Those are things you can not buy, and those are the most important to me! I did have somethings for my future kitchen put away, but when I became the caretaker of my nannies home after she went into a nursing home, I brought them out. My mom makes fun of me for my choice in decorations...it's roosters! I love them!! I have rugs, towels, figurines, etc. of them. You can find some really cute rooster decorations around that do not look completely ridiculous. It is all in how you choose other pieces to go with the rooster motif, mix it up a bit.

I know there will be more things I will add to my hope chest through out the years until I find the one God has made for me. When that day comes I am sure that I will be able to make our House a Home with all of the treasures that I have collected in anticipation for "us." I hope everyones weekends are going well, and stay safe out there with the holiday on Monday!! 


Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Proverbs 31:10

**I have been having a problem trying to find my blog on the search engines. Sorry for the problem hopefully it will be resolved soon.**

My Hope Chest Part 1

According to Wikipedia a hope chest, dowry chest, cedar chest, or glory box is a chest used to collect items of clothing or household linen, by unmarried young women in anticipation of married life. The term "hope chest" or "cedar chest" may be used primarily by Midwestern and Southern U.S. women, while "glory box" is used by women in the United Kingdom and Australia.

I do not have a so called "chest" to put my collection of things in, but over the years I have inherited and collected things that I call my "Hope Chest" I have them here and there, but each thing means so much to me. I know things are material and can be replaced,  but there are somethings to me that could not be. For instance all of the things my memaw has made or given to me. She is 90 and has dementia now, so all of the quilts, doilies, she has gave me could never be replaced. She always made quilts and gave them to everyone, but there is one that she gave me that means more to me than gold. It is her yo-yo quilt. She made it while living in California, she worked at a sewing mill and collected scraps of fabric that were to be thrown away. I had been wanting one so badly, but she told my mom in secret that she could no longer do those types of things and that she wanted me to have that one. The day she gave me that quilt will forever be embedded in my memory. Here's a piece of it!

And here are a couple more that she has made me.

                                         And here is my memaw (on the left,) along with two of her brothers!

I have also bought some china, my pattern is Royal Albert Old Country Roses. I love this pattern, I have every since I laid my eyes on it. My aunt Jayne also share the same fondness for this pattern. What can I say, good taste runs in the family! I would also love to get the Lenox Christmas pattern someday in the future. I also love old cut, depression, and milk glass. I would love to find a deviled egg dish and puch bowel in one of those one day! My mom has a punch bowel in the Broken Arches pattern, it is beautiful! I also love to collect tea cups and pots. I have one tea pot from Russia that is to die for! Here it is.

What are/were some of your items in your Hope Chests?  I hope that your Friday and first of the month has been a good one! Come back tomorrow for part 2 of My Hope Chest!!!