Friday, July 27, 2012

Friday Mishmash

You may have wondered about the note I recently put on my sidebar, just under my picture.  It's there because I got an email last weekend alerting me about a complete stranger who had randomly taken 70 pictures from my blog, and had created a "family album" on Facebook, claiming I was his sister.  Bizarre, to say the least - who DOES this???  Anyway, I reported him to Facebook and a few days later his page was gone, but how strange, right?  I grabbed some screen shots of my pictures, just in case.  Check out his caption:
Sorry Henredrick, but cute as this little guy is, my baby days are over!

Anyway, I didn't think I had to actually spell it out, and it probably won't stop anyone who is really determined, but I figured I should at least have something in place saying not to steal my stuff...just because I put it "out there" on the internet doesn't mean it's up for grabs.  Geez!

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I'm probably the last person on the planet to try these, but have you seen the nail polish strips that you peel and stick to your nails?  I was curious, but not enough to pay the $8 price for them; then I found a box discounted to $2 at Target - bingo!  My biggest surprise was that they smelled like nail polish when I opened the box - I really thought they were just stickers, but no, it's actually polish.  Anyway, they weren't too difficult to use, and I'll probably try them again when it gets closer to my half marathons - I get paranoid about having real pedicures because I'm afraid they'll do something that will make my feet hurt, so with these, I can still have pretty toes (and keep the damage that running does to the nails hidden).
So fun!  Of course, I probably should have taken a picture when I first put them on - this was taken over a week later and there's some chippage from wearing my running shoes.  

Oh - do you not LOVE my pink sandals?  I found them in the clearance section at TJ Maxx - $20!  They are BOC brand, and so comfortable.  Heh, based on the polish and the shoes, you might think I spend a lot of time in the clearance sections of stores.  You would be right.  I check them fairly often...you never know what bargains are out there!

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I came home from my trip with a lovely parting gift - an espresso machine!  You guys.  This thing is AWESOME.  I am becoming quite the barista, and in the process, am saving tons of money by making my own iced-venti-nonfat-lattes.  Sorry Starbucks, but I don't need to visit you nearly as often as I used to!  This is an old Krups machine - it belonged to Barbara's husband back before they were married, and was used on a daily basis.  We figure it has to be around 15 years old...he took great care of it, and it still works wonderfully.  He replaced it with a super-fancy Rancilio espresso maker, and now that I think about it, I need to put in for that machine in 15 years!  Oh, and another fun thing that came with making espresso at home?  I'm using a wedding present - the pretty blue and white espresso cups - for the first time.  Who knew that holding on to something for 28 years would finally pay off?
Thanks, Dave - this has been a real treat!

While I was in California, I bought some espresso coffee at Java Bob's, and I've liked it a lot.  I can order more, but I think I should buy some locally (and not pay shipping charges).  I bought a can of Illy espresso at World Market the other day (expensive! but at least I had a coupon), and I can buy some at Starbucks, too.  Any other brands that I should look for?  I like a dark roast, if that helps.

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One thing that I love seeing when I go to Santa Cruz is the beautiful landscapes.  The weather there is perfect for so many interesting flowers and plants - here's some that we saw as we walked around downtown Santa Cruz one evening:
 The hydrangeas - gorgeous.  And I love the tiny flower centers, too!
Succulents - I never was a fan of them back when we lived in California, but I can't get enough of their different shapes and colors now!


My favorite picture, though, is this one:
This is what 35 years of friendship looks like!


Have a great weekend!

35 comments:

  1. mannnny thoughts.
    I cant believe someone did that with your photos and yet recently Ive grown more...apprehensive about living my life so publicly and outloud online (and thats all Im saying about that :))

    and the espresso machine? I want to say I COVET I WANT but then I know the husband would remind me of my unflagging love for my CHEAP WALMART coffee maker which never fails me and goes off at 4a each morning.

    So I guess Ill just invite myself to your place for coffee ...

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    1. Carla, it's definitely more work, making espresso, than a pot of coffee...but oh, it's worth it! :)

      Stop on by for a cup, though!

      Delete
  2. Yes, what Carla said, when are you having us over for coffee?

    I cannot believe someone would steal your pictures and do that with them. Oh my goodness. I cannot even imagine that sickness. And how did someone run across them in the vast sea of FB? Does your "brother" live close?

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  3. Okay, I just took a closer look at the FB page you published. Hmm, I take back my sickness comment. I'm thinking troller with nefarious intentions. Looks like the fake profiles that used to appear on dating sites -

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    1. You are correct - this guy was trying to date a woman, and her daughter and future son-in-law did some investigating on him and found the fake FB account. So bizarre!

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  4. Love the pictures...I've always loved succulents...I'm hoping they are hard to kill b/c once we have a house, I would love to get some. As for espresso...Whole Foods actually carries some really nice coffee so I would try what they have (if you have a WF there). I drink a lot of local coffee, which probably doesn't help you out, but if you see anything by Counter Culture, snap it up. It's awesome.

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    1. We don't have a WF here, but I'll keep a lookout for the brand you mentioned.

      I wonder if the succulents would freeze here? I'm tempted to plant a little spot with them - they are so cool, right?

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  5. What a moron stealing your photos! I guess that's one of the hazards of social media but still how stupid!

    Hydrangeas are one of my favorites and my goodness those are gorgeous. I actually want to move the azalea that's supposed to be hiding our electric meter and replace it with a hydrangea.

    I just love that photo of you and Barbara. How wonderful to have a friend like that!

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    1. You should absolutely plant some hydrangeas, and enjoy them for me, as it's too hot here to sustain them (even though they show up in the plant sections of Lowes every spring...silly).

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  6. I have gotten cautious about posting photos. The last few I posted I put watermarks on, so if someone DID copy them, at least that showed. Too bad there are people like that out there. The reality is that so many of us "borrow" images from sources online without thinking, not typically personal photos, but still. I have a blogger friend who is a lawyer and it drives her crazy to see all the images imbedded in blogs that she knows are in violation of copyright law.

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    1. I've thought about watermarks, but really, who would want my pictures?? Guess THAT question was answered, lol.

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  7. That is so creepy that someone would do that?! Glad that page is down. Ha, my baby days are over too! :D

    Hooray for your own espresso machine! I know that if you spend more than $25, everything on Amazon ships for free, you might want to check that out.

    Have a great weekend Shelley!

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    1. Hehe, I am well aware of Amazon's free shipping policy! Never thought about checking them for coffee, though - thanks for the suggestion! :)

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  8. Laughing at Carla's comment, because I started daydreaming about getting an espresso machine when I read your post, but really, I never order espressos or latte's. I just like good coffee.

    And yes, so creepy on the stolen identity. Just to think there are weirdos out there trying to date women. Ick.

    I love your pink sandals, especially with the lime green gingham toes! And I love your close-up photos, especially the centers of the hydrangeas. Best of all I love the CAPTION under you and Barbara.

    Coffee on, girlfriend!

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  9. unreal! Some people have way too much time on their hands! Glad you were able to get it take taken down!
    You got some great finds there Shelley, love the sandals.

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    1. Syl, I thought of you, Fran and Helen when I saw the pink sandals!

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  10. I had to laugh out loud out of shock at how WEIRD some people are. a) what a waste of time to steal strangers' pictures and b) makes me more cautious about what I myself put out there on the internet. I'm getting better about not posting every.little.thought on Facebook. I definitely learned my lesson on that one. Now, trying to do my best not to abuse my blog by venting. It's a continuous lesson in patience and self-control!

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    1. I know - I'm careful about what I put on FB (I don't "check in" anywhere, and I don't put where I'm going to be running *unless it's a race with tons of people* beforehand) - but I guess there are weirdos who will take what they want. Freaky.

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  11. Whoa, that seems totally bizarre. It's like buying new photo frames and pretending the people that come with the frame are your family - just tons creepier!

    I love the sandals, but does the material on top "give" a little? I'm afraid they would rub blisters for me, but I love the hot pink sandals and the mountain dew green toe combination.

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    1. The material doesn't bother the top of my foot - it's actually got a lining underneath the pink. I have really high arches and have trouble with shoes that cover the top, but these work for me.

      Your photo frame/standard picture analogy is spot on. Creepy.

      Delete
  12. O man, the facebook thing is so scary!

    I love the nail polish strips - I use them all the time. I get them on ebay, where you can usually buy a pack of 3 for $10. I have them on my nails right now! Your toes still look awesome - I couldn't see a chip anywhere.

    Also, we have an espresso machine and it changed our lives. The coffee is so hot and fresh - it is hard to go back to regular coffee after.

    So all in all, I'm with you in every way this Friday, Shelley. If you watch the Olympic opening ceremony tonight, we'll really by in-sync! : )

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    1. ::cue Twilight Zone music:: I've got the DVR all set for the Olympics, and will be watching the opening ceremony tonight!!!

      Thanks for the tip about ebay and the nail strips - I'll have to check it out!

      Delete
  13. Love the toes! I am the same with pedicures and running, don't want to take a chance. I will have to give these a try.

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    1. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who is paranoid about pedicures when it comes to running! I like that these are instantly dry, and as I'm really clumsy when it comes to polishing my own toes, the strips work really well for me. Hope you like them!

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  14. How incredibly creepy about the photos! Uggh. Glad you found it and got it taken down.

    Ahhh coffee... I could discourse for quite a bit about it :D
    You can make espresso with any type of coffee, so play around. It's the grind that is more important than the roast - although you probably will enjoy darker roasts more as espresso. Looks like you have a steamer wand, too - so frothy lattes in cold weather! If it ever really gets cold in Texas...

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    1. That's what Java Bob said - it's the grind. I need to see if there's a local coffee roaster/grinder here in town - just think it would be fun to try different types out. And I practiced with the steamer wand in Cali; was successful once, and boiled over the milk the second time, so apparently there is a learning curve that I need to work on. But heck yeah, a warm latte in, um, December will be wonderful!

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  15. OK, that picture thing is freakin' creepy!!!!! Weird, weird, weird!!!!! On a brighter note, LOVE the toes, REALLY love the espresso cups and YAY for Krups! We got our Krups machine as a wedding present nearly 7 years ago...we use it ALL the time and just love it. The hydrangas are gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as the pic of you and Barbara! Cheers to long lasting friendships!!!

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  16. Whoa, creepy Hendrick snagging your photos and using them in a fake sense. Not sure how/what blog setting it that alerted you to the photo snagging, but so lucky it was there.

    Have an urge for espresso now, thanks!

    -Patrick
    http://responsibility199.wordpress.com

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  17. Thirty five years of friendship. Very cool...

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  18. That is straight up terrifying that someone would steal your photos like that! I'm probably the only other person who hasn't tried those nail polish stickers, I gotta get some! :)

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  19. Wow, Henredrick is one weird dude.

    Loved the pics, especially the one
    of you & your longtime friend. (didn't
    want to say OLD friend.) Beautiful.

    Have a lovely weekend, gf.

    Chrissy

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  20. OMG what a weirdo!! I had a couple of people email me creepy bondage photos on Flickr for a while (I think my close-up necklace shots were showing too much boobage and it gave them the wrong idea) but I switched so all of those are set to private so no one sees them unless I post them on my blog.

    The pink sandals are so cute! I am jealous.

    Lovely flower pictures too. I love succulents.

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  21. What a weirdo! I can't believe that people do that, get a life I would say.

    Love the sandals sweety and the nailpolish stickers: brilliant.

    We have an espresso machine for years now and there's nothing better than espresso in our opinion. We have tried different beans but found the perfect one pretty soon and never switched beans. I buy them online and it's more expensive than regular coffee but worth it.

    I love the pic of you and Barbara!

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