The Battle of Armageddon

My sweet darling Elli is as popular as she is adorable. Kids flock to her - they think she's a puppy, and when I tell them that she's 10 and won't ever get any bigger, they go ba-na-nas. She is not only a draw in person, she even gets mail.

When she gets one of these cards in the mail, I know it's time to take her in to see Dr Lizardo to get her medicine. This is what she takes

This is the only thing that kills her fleas. It is purported to be a delicious beefy chewable that doggy will love. Well, nobody told Elli that little nugget of info. It is HARD to get one down Elli's gullet. One time, we even got in a fight over it, with me trying to hold her tiny snout shut, and her thrashing in every direction, eyes bulging. And they cost $15 apiece, so if one is wasted during battle, no, no, no. Medicare should cover them - after all,she is 70 years old.

So I devised a sinister plot to get this month's dose into her. I went to the Dollar Tree and chose my weapon

A nice package of thinly sliced "Honey Ham and Water Product". Good enough. I took it home. When I entered the door, I waved the ham around in order for the scent to waft her way. Then I chopped the Comfortis into 3 pieces. Then I rolled out 6 thin strips of hamwaterproduct. This was Elli just before I deployed the first ham bomb.

The first two were decoys - no medicine. But that got her to open her mouth like a funnel. She has no teeth to get in the way. The third missile was loaded. Down it went. In between warheads 4 and 5, I dropped the 6th ham decoy. Worked like a charm. Then I gave her more ham as a reward. This is Elli after

Pure concentration, like a SWAT team sharpshooter. I will be repeating this successful military campaign again next month.

So this operation took a while. I had originally ironed the dress that matches my jacket, but when I put it on this morning, it was too baggy at the waist. So I made a game day substitution and went with this ivory knit that always looks great (since I was baggy at the waist yesterday). The dress is by Misook, and the jacket by Coldwater Creek. I guess I have a lot of CC stuff - you could have fooled me. But their designs are very classic, so they never go out of style. Also, I used to work two jobs, so a lot of my shoppping had to be online, and they were always sending out $10 gift cards. This dress will also work because I have to take my mom to the dentist today and then come back to work, so I want to be as wrinkle resistant as possible.

Here's a closeup of the embroidery on the jacket. It's very intricate and pretty. It looks machine done.

Onto my jewelry. I think I have something new to show you today - new in the sense that I haven't worn it for the blog yet. On my left arm,

The bangle is gold and diamond and I wear it alot because it matches everything. The ring is emerald and diamond. Doc got it for me a long time ago, and I have always loved it. You can really see the nail polish in this shot. On my right hand

I combined the KC bangles with two of the RJ Graziano rose gold bangles. Purty!!! The ring is an amethyst one that Doc had made for me for my birthday one year. He had a patient who couldn't pay their bill, so a barter was arranged (lucky me - he was a goldsmith). For my necklace,

This necklace is just a piece of plastic that has a mother of pearl quality to it. I always get a million compliments because it is pretty unusual. You can see the crochet edging on my dress here. And the whole reason for this getup?

So I could wear my new shoes!!!! So sparkly and cute!!! Even better, a steal at $10.85. I hope you enjoyed my little tale about Elli. And I hope you enjoyed my outfit as well. See you all later!!!

Pedal To The Metal, Then Nose To The Grindstone

Well, back to work after four glorious days off. Boo, hiss. I guess I shouldn't complain - I need the money to finance my shenanigans and sumptous lifestyle. (Wait, I'm laughing too hard to continue.) Anyway, I did a bit of pool floating in the King Kool, accompanied by my latest book and a giant Hawaiian Screw - that's a Screwdriver with pineapple juice added. So, obviously I got too much sun. Bad Rosie. The good part is that my skin is so olive toned, that I tan afterwards. Next time = Mega Sunscreen.

Since I crashed and burned early, no sun after Friday for me. On Saturday afternoon, Doc wanted to watch TV. I didn't, so I went shopping. I went to South Coast Plaza - that's a huge indoor mall a couple of cities south, in Costa Mesa. The anchor stores are Macy's, Bloomingdales, Saks, Sears, and Nordstrom. One wing is all high end designers - Chanel, Escada, Ferragamo, St John,etc, - and the rest is a mashup of different price point mall stores. This mall is actually a destination for many tourists. As I was parking, I realized that the place was packed. I figured that the lovely air conditioning had something to do with it. So I snuck down to a lot that only the locals go to, and parked. It's a little further away, but I don't mind walking. I went into Macy's and this was the scene in the shoe department

Complete and utter pandemonium. It was actually worse in person. Then I saw why. "ALL SHOES 75% OFF". What? I whipped over to the 8-8.5 rack, and found a couple of pairs. They were $14.75 each, and then 20% more if I used my Macys card. So I did, and that brought them down to $10.85 each. They were giving the stuff away. Here they are

This pair is by Chinese Laundry and it's called Kirstie. It is blush suede with little aurora borealis crystals. Here's a closeup :

I already want to construct a work outfit around them. It should be easy, since they look very versatile. I also got a pair for my upcoming annual summer visit to Las Vegas in 12 days. They are called Santana, and are made by Style and Co.

The color is called Cajun Spice, and they have silver and gold studs, and a nice padded suede footbed. They will be good for pounding up and down the Strip.

So on Sunday morning, I went to play tennis. I wore my blue tennis skirt and a tiedye tank top. It was hot out, so we only played for an hour. You can see what I mean about the tan. I'm good for the rest of the year. Doc felt like an ass shooting the action shot in the front driveway. It's good for him, since he rarely goes outside. That white goop, along with the stripe across my shoulder, is poorly rubbed in sunscreen. At least I had enough on.

Then Doc and I went to Trader Joe's to get stuff for lunch. We got a Middle Eastern Feast - hummus, tabouleh, falafel and pita and two flatbread pizzas. One was ham and cheese (it had some fancy French name) and one was like a tamale pie with a masa crust. It was all tasty. Later on, we are going to take two of our grandsons for a walk, to give their parents a break. We'll take Elli, because that will constitute her walk for today. We also picked up a little present for them the other day. Mother's Little Helper always starts with a V. In the 60s, it was valium (according to the Stones). Now, it's Video.

I am continuing the sunshine theme with today's outfit. It's actually mango colored. The skirt was given to me by a friend. She had a gob of clothes she couldn't wear anymore, so she gave them to me. The top is I.N.C., from Macy's. I debated about wearing a belt with this top, but it's too hot for that today (wah). But upon seeing my photo, I probably should have.

The bling is mostly stuff you have seen, but a couple of things that I rarely wear. On my left hand

These are three of the bangles that I got in Kansas city. The ring is peridot. On my right hand

My ring is tourmaline and diamond and the bracelet is a plastic stretchy thing. My nail color is called Concrete evidence, and it's made by Ulta. My necklace is unusual - the pendant is something I got at Hobby Lobby. It has eight loops on the back - I guess you are supposed to sew it onto something. But I put a ring back there and hung it from the leather cord that I use to suspend lots of different pendants. It was something like $2.

It's not as heavy as it looks. For my shoes, what else, except my favorite, most comfy, mango sandals from Old Navy.

Today, I am participating in Monday Mingle with www.thebonbonrosegirls.com. They already have a ton of participants, so go on over and check it out!! See you all later!!!

Happy Birthday, America !!! Let Our Flag Wave, and Our Shoes Shine !!!!

Oh you guys, you just wait. I will fulfill the promise of my caption - I am SHINY. So the pool guy came and went - he did a good job, he was cute, and he gave me a $200 discount. (He said he was feeling generous on a holiday). So after he was done, I went over to the new Goodwill that opened up near here. I love to go to grand openings of thrift stores, because they get lots of donations from retailers. And the store is all fresh and clean and they put out the good stuff to hook us in. Behold, the purchase of the day, brand new with tags

Merona gold sparkly espies. I think that's a Target brand. They had several versions of new Target shoes, but this is the one I liked best. They were $6.99. Here is how they look with my chosen outfit of the evening.

So I guess you can figure out that I chose the olive Hue jeggings with the gold tunic. So what necklace did I pick? A Forever 21 classic.

It's a Y shape made of little gold leaves that tinkle as I move. For my rings, my Montana peridot and my Nordstrom green creepy ring.

So what else did I get at Goodwill? Well, I spent $23. I got the shoes, and then this dress for $5.49.

It's a sleeveless body con style, but it has a twist - it is entirely made of tiny ruffles of fabric alternating with mesh.

I also got 3 tops - they were $4.49 each. First, we have a silk J Crew metallic tank with a huge rosette on the front.

I also got a polyester top by Banana Republic that is cadet blue with a ruffle neckline.

The last piece is a polyester shell with a tiered lace overlay. There are 5 tiers, and the sleeves are see through lace. It's peachy pink, and it has an exposed gold zip up the back. It's by a brand called Leo Meets Virgo, which I have never heard of.

For some reason, it was half price. So I wore this to go to the movie and see Jersey Boys.

The movie was pretty good - I think I liked it better than the stage production, which was more musical theater than this. I had gelato - Wedding Cake and Mediterranean Sea Salt Caramel. Both were delicious.
So it's time again to play along with Shoe Shine Saturday with Sheila. I figured that shiny shoes would be good for this. (Duh). So cruise on over to www.sheilaephemera.blogspot.com and look at all the cool shoes!!!

Who loves ya, Pretty Baby

So, tomorrow is the 4th of July, and I have 4 days off!!! Today, I am waiting for the pool repair guy, since I have a leak. I hate waiting for sevice people. First, they give you a time range for arrival (9-11) and then, I'm never sure that they will actually show up, since I have been burned before. Well, let's hope that the lure of $1500 will bring them around.

Remember the rug I got the other day? Well, here it is in all it's glory, in the library/dressing room. Doc said that Elli loves laying on it.

When I went to Kansas City, I left a pile of my dirty laundry on the floor near the hamper for Elli to lay on. She loves to climb on the laundry while it's waiting for the washing machine - she must like to smell our scent. Well, she chose the rug over the laundry pile today. Baby steps toward not being a gross dog. Speaking of gross dogs, here's a picture of my other two pets - Kenni and Jackpot.

Kenni is my min pin (miniature pinscher) and Jackpot is my 15 year old dalmatian/lab mix. Kenni is, and has always been, a royal pain. He lives here because he went through three homes, and he would have been put down if not for us. He is totally hyper and has zero impulse control. But he does okay out in the yard with Pot. Jackpot turned 15 on St Patrick's day. She is still going, although she has bad arthritis and can't see or hear too well. But she is Kenni's constant companion. I try not to bug her by taking tons of pictures of her.

So tonight, I am going to go see Jersey Boys. I saw the stage show in Las Vegas last summer, so it will be interesting to compare the two. I have assembled two casual outfits, but haven't decided which one will be the winner. First, we have a pair of pleather leggings, which i paired with the tank from Stacy's Closet that I got the other day. For cover, a satin jacket made by Fire LA. The leggings are from Nordstrom.

The other option is also a pair of leggings from Nordstrom. They are olive green with gold embossing, and are made by Hue.

I think I got them at the same time, during one of the Half Yearly sales (which begin again next week). For a top for this look, I went with a gold tunic that I got at Salvation Armani some time. I will need to wear a gold tank under it.

I haven't decided yet. Tomorrow, you will get the see the winner, all ironed and accesorized up. I usually do better with work clothes. When casual time comes around, I most likely just grab a pair of shorts and a top. But seeing as how I never go to the theater, I figured that I would give it my best shot for a change. I wasn't a particular fan of the outfit I had on yesterday, but it got a LOT of compliments, so I guess the beauty was in the eye of the beholder, for sure. Well,stay tuned for the big reveal!! P.S. Today, I am linking to www.vodkainfusedlemonade.com for Tres Chic Thursday. I am not really tres chic, but I guess I will try anyway. Go on over and find some cute new blogs !!!

Good Things Come in Small Packages, and Small Things Like Good Packages

So I told you yesterday that I was going to drop off my shoes to be repaired, and that right next door is Stacy's Closet, and I wouldn't be able to resist. I didn't. Oh, the shame. So I go in and look around a little bit and suddenly, I notice that there are racks and racks marked $3. You see, the entire mall got remodeled, and some stores left, and Stacy moved to a smaller corner spot, so she had to liquidate a bunch of stuff. And in the midst of this, the prize.....

Brand new, unworn Betsey Johnson shoes. They are platform loafers, with leather tops and rubber soles. And look at this...

The undisputed evidence. Here's how they look on my feet:

These will be so great for next fall. I also got a flowy double layer tank top for $3. The top layer is kinda tie dye, and the under layer black mesh with gold lurex.

This has happened before - I have gone into Stacy's Closet and they were reducing inventory and I snagged a few amazing things. That's why I keep going back. So there I was, giddy with excitement from success at the hunt. I pull up to Casa de Holtzman, and look what my husband or someone put on the living room floor.

An Ebay box!!!! Yay!!!! Double dog dirty Yay!!! So Elli and I checked it out.

We cut it open with a knife, and.............

OOOOOOHHHH!!! It's our new black sheepskin rug!!! We have a small one - 3 x 4, but it was getting gamey, so I bought a 5 x 8. It's so soft and thick. And Elli gets the old one to put in her bed. She has a lot of possessions for someone who weighs 5 pounds. But the important part is that the rug has the Elli seal of approval.

So, to celebrate, Elli and I went for a walk over to the Target mall, since that's her favorite. When we returned, a half hour later, this was the scene on our porch.

Ugh. It's the replacement cable box. I HATE EVERYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH HOOKING UP ELECTRONICS BECAUSE I AM A TOOL WHEN IT COMES TO ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE. Caps intended, I am web-screaming. So much cussing and throwing crap and calling everyone names and Elli hiding from fear and Kenni howling at my screaming, it was successfully installed. Thank you, Rosie. Let's move on and forget this nasty little episode. So what am I wearing today???

This colorful clown suit is something I picked up in La Jolla last year. It's polyester, not silk, so it can go into the washing machine. I got it at a little consignment shop while I was going to hang at the cove. The pants are quite large, but they are a super comfy palazzo style. The top has lovely beaded detail at the yoke.

I wore a tan silk shell under it, because the last time I wore it, it seemed to slip down. The Beatriz necklace is a perfect complement to the top. On my arms,

The usual suspects - my RJ Graziano bangles and Swarovski Nirvana. The shoes are ones I don't wear often. They look like they came from the closet of the Mummy.

Mummy booties!!! But wanna see some adorable shoes that my suite mate is wearing today?

I die a thousand deaths. So stinkin' cute.

Well, that's about it for today. Stay tuned for lots more shenanigans !! Oh, and once again, I am playing along with www.thepleatedpoppy.com for What I Wore Wednesday. Check it out !!!