An Impasse Whilst Wicker Furniture Shopping + A Short Quiz

March 12, 2015January 26, 2016 / Ally Bean / 18 Comments

THE STORY:

Zen-Den and I have been researching online and shopping around town for wicker furniture to replace the sad stuff that’s in our screened-in porch now.

Currently, our furniture is a country look with a Band-aid beige wicker frame, tufted parchment-colored cushions + old floral pillows.

It’s ugly. It’s worn out. And its days are numbered.

So now in an effort to upgrade the furniture and to continue transforming this house into a home, we’re faced with yet another expensive decorating decision.

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Example of traditional country-style wicker furniture that we now have and may buy again. [source]

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THE CONVERSATIONS, MORE OR LESS:

HIS IDEA: “This may sound boring, but we could buy the exact same pieces of furniture again, only this time in dark brown wicker with off-white cushions.”

MY [1st] IDEA: “We could buy the same country-style furniture, but in different pieces, in a warm medium brownish wicker with subtly patterned cushions– coordinating floral and stripes, perhaps.”

HIS IDEA: “This may sound boring, but we could buy the exact same pieces of furniture again, only this time in dark brown wicker with off-white cushions.”

MY [2nd] IDEA: “We could replace the existing furniture with the same pieces, only this time get a light gray wicker frame with medium to dark-toned blue cushions that wouldn’t show the dirt.”

HIS IDEA: “This may sound boring, but we could buy the exact same pieces of furniture again, only this time in dark brown wicker with off-white cushions.”

MY [3rd] IDEA: “We could go with a completely different frame, one that is more modern & linear. Then we could get a nut-brown wicker with ecru + tan striped cushions. Plus two new matching end tables in the same wicker with glass on top.”

HIS IDEA: “This may sound boring, but we could buy the exact same pieces of furniture again, only this time in dark brown wicker with off-white cushions.”

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Example of more up-to-date, linear wicker furniture that we might buy this time. [source]

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THE QUIZ:

What do you think that Zen-Den wants the new furniture to look like?
Which of the two people involved in this decision has the most creative ideas?
If you were to place money on it, which person do you believe will make the final decision about the furniture that we buy?

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[Hello FTC! Please note that there’s no monetary &/or other compensation involved regarding our preference for this brand of furniture. Considering how pricey this furniture is, would that it were so, but that ain’t gonna happen. Hoping that all is well with you, FTC. Long time no see.]

The One About Kismet & Guidelines For A Contented Life

March 10, 2015March 10, 2015 / Ally Bean / 16 Comments

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OVER THE YEARS, like most introspective people who I know, I’ve adopted all sorts of different versions of what I call the rules of life.

And sometimes babbled about them on this blog.

WHILE I LIKE my rules of life and feel that they apply in general, I’m self-aware enough to know that I need something visual + succinct to encourage me to face each day with quiet resolve.

That’s where I believe practical guidance comes into the picture.

LATELY I’VE BEEN following the ideas that you see in the above photo; I call them guidelines for a contented life. I don’t know who wrote them, but when I first read them while browsing in T.J. Maxx, a discount store that I rarely go into, I liked them.

Now I ask you, what could be better than stumbling upon inspiration on sale?!

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Here’s A Thought: Healthy Meals, Happy Life

March 5, 2015January 28, 2021 / Ally Bean / 36 Comments

• I found an interesting infographic, from Cooks Smart, that talks about meal planning and the ways in which it can help a family live a better life.

It struck a chord with me because I’ve cooked more this winter than in the past three years combined. For reasons related to good health, boredom and a husband who’ll eat [without complaint] whatever I dream up, I’ve gone back into the kitchen.

And I’m loving it.

I grew up around parents and aunts who enjoyed making meals. Healthy meals. Fancy meals. Fast meals. Exotic meals. But meals created by using real ingredients and following recipes, written or oral, passed down through the family.

There was a sense of history associated with those shared recipes. Back then we connected through food.

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• However today I hesitate to even mention that I like to cook, here or in real life. Many women who I know see it as passé or pointless.

Most of the women really.

Better to eat a Lean Cuisine “like a normal person” one of them told me. Why waste time cooking?

Another told me she cooks on holidays only. That way she can use her fancy plates and silverware and glassware. Everyday [thankless] cooking is not for her, she said.

But I like the stress free everyday sort of cooking that I do. I follow some recipes [more or less]. Or I wing it to see what happens when I throw some ingredients together.

Either way, I believe, that with the right attitude cooking is creative fun that leads to healthy meals– and, maybe even, a happier life.

[Image sources here and here.]

Of Writing Prompts & Morning Walks

March 2, 2015January 28, 2021 / Ally Bean / 14 Comments

Here’s a fact about me: I read my horoscope once in a while, but not for the reasons that you might imagine.

No, I read my horoscope to get writing prompts.

On the days when I read my daily horoscope, I save the ones that I think will challenge me to think about my life in a new way. Then on a future day when I cannot think of what to say, I peruse my horoscopes and use one as a way to start writing.

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To wit, here’s a horoscope from who knows when that got me thinking over the weekend.

Use your energy wisely to work with the natural currents instead of trying to control them. It’s not your job to eliminate the clouds; the sky will clear on its own.

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What did I get thinking? I decided that even though I’ve almost always been a morning blogger, I’m going to change my posting schedule to the afternoon for the month of March.

You see, I’d like to use my energy in a different way. I want to go for a walk outside each day, and mornings around here have the least amount of vehicle traffic. [No sidewalks here.]

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So instead of plopping down in front of my computer, typing my morning away– I’m going to be propelling myself out the front door, trudging my morning away.

Which means that you, my gentle readers, will just have to wait until I’m done being healthy each morning, and [hopefully] regain enough energy thereafter to sit down and ~~pursue my passion for flapdoodle and twaddle~~ write my blog posts.

Guess we’ll see how this all works out together, won’t we?