Breakfast with the pups

Whether we're at my house or his, every Sunday we cook a big breakfast...

with a large audience.

Of course, Bubba has the best view in the house...

until it's time to sit down and eat.

At that point, he's down underneath the table begging ;)

I feel a lot like Mini looks right here.

But, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

;)

xo

rue

A dark secret

In this adorable cottage there was a very dark secret...

BWAHAHAHA...

Just kidding.

It's just my closet.

Although it was scary in there

See...

Yes, I know you've probably seen scarier closets, but to me, this was a nightmare.

I'm a tad OCD, so it was driving me nuts. Especially after seeing so many bloggers posting all their brilliant closet makeovers.

Now, before you get excited, this isn't going to be that 333 project or some glamour shoot with a chandelier.

One:

I wear vintage dresses most of the time, so there's really no mixing and matching and when you wear something you just throw on with some shoes, you tend to want to wear more than just four things.

Want to have an easy wardrobe?

Wear dresses.

Cold?

Put on some tights and a sweater and/or jacket.

It's that easy.

Two:

As much as I would love to turn my closet into one of those beautiful wallpapered, chandelier type looks, it's really just a functional, tiny, walk-in space, that I had built in my dressing room, with clothes. 

And really, who has the money to invest into a closet that no one else sees.

Can you imagine... 

"Hey! Come see my beautiful closet!"

No. 

No one cares.

Sorry.

I can't promise you that I won't do something more with it, just for me, but for now, I'm a happy camper and I can find everything, so.... YAY! :)

Anywho...

This is is part way through the cleaning.

This is the atrocious amount of shoes I had to go through.

Seriously?

I wear saddle shoes and Keds most of the time, unless I'm going out (I wear heels then) or it's winter and some of them were 30 something years old.

Enough already!

The giveaway pile kept growing.

So did the vintage clothes I need to sell or repair.

I tried every. single. thing. on.

It took FOREVER.

But finally, after 3 or 4, maybe 5 hours... I was done.

On this side I have a multitude of belts, a few skirts, and dresses.

On the opposite side I have... jeans, pajamas, robes, slips and coats.

I have my purses on one side, going around to the middle....

and heels on the other side.

Straight ahead, I have... tank tops, blouses, t-shirts and one scarf.

I didn't separate seasonal, because I use quite a few things in all of the seasons.

Most of the so called "normal clothes", like modern skirt suits and fancy dresses went into another closet.

I'm not about to count everything, because I don't really want to, honestly, but I will wear all of it, I love all of it, and I can find all of it.

And that's what really matters to me.

The hardest for me is that I have to live two separate lives.

Vintage and not vintage (or normal clothes, as I call them).

Some people my family (my kids excluded) and strangers think the way I dress is odd, so I have to conform on certain occasions.

If it was up to me, I'd only have vintage dresses and a few jeans and t-shirts to work in the yard, but such is life.

Funny, people can walk around in what is basically tights and a bra or pajamas in public and it's okay, but wearing a dress that's from the 40s or 50s is wrong somehow.

Anyway, enough of that...

my closet is finished and hooray for me!

:)

xo

rue

Manchester

When they target our children...

I try not to talk politics, but as a mother, this time I'm really struggling, so I will just say that my prayers and thoughts are with the families that lost their loved ones in Manchester.

God bless and help us all.

Love

rue

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A trip to the fair

I love going to the fair.

Big, small, it doesn't matter.

I've been to the local one in each place I've lived, but I think my favorite one so far is The Pima County Fair, here in Arizona.

Via google images

I went there a few weeks ago and had a great time.

It was HOT, but so worth it.

We had fun looking at antique farm equipment:

checking out all the animals and feeding some goats...

and of course, there was lots of eating!

No pictures of that though.

I don't think you needed a picture of us stuffing our faces ;)

Of course, we went there for all those things, but mostly we went to see country music star Josh Turner.

The concert was free to all those that paid to get in, so we just settled ourselves on the lawn, in front of the stage and enjoyed the show.

If he happens to come to your town, and you like country music, I highly recommend going to see him.

xo

rue

PS

Thank you so much for all your sweet words on my last post. 

You all are the best :)

On judging

As bad as it is, I think it's human nature to judge other people.

Judging Bubba is judging.

By their clothes.

Their manner of speaking.

Their homes.

Their jobs.

Their friends or family.

Their posts on social media or in blogging.

The color of their skin or ethnicity.

Their politics.

With one look, one word, or even a feeling, we can hate or love someone immediately.

As much as we don't want to behave that way, we do.

We all have opinions.

Some we share, some we don't, and some that we're too ashamed to admit, even to ourselves.

Do I think it's right?

No.

But...

we all do it.

I'm certainly guilty of it.

As much as I try to listen to all opinions and viewpoints, my own tend to get in the way.

For instance,

I was Judgey McJudgerson the other day.

But later, I thought...

who am I to judge what people portray to the world on their blogs?

In the grand scheme of things, I'm just some silly broad with a little blog blabbering away about this and that.

Is it nice to know that I helped some of my friends and readers, by telling them how I feel?

Yes.

Was it fair?

Probably not.

Would I do it again?

If I'm being honest...

Yes.

I know, I shouldn't say or write some of the things I do, but well, sometimes I get a bee in my bonnet and I need to let it out.

Was I too harsh?

Maybe, but I didn't think so when I wrote it.

After all, if I'm poking fun at myself too, they can't be mad, right?

I thought by laughing at myself it would soften the blow.

Maybe it did.

Maybe it didn't.

Was I trying to hurt anyone's feelings?

NO.

Absolutely not.

I hate to see anyone upset or angry.

It causes me anxiety and a stomachache.

Although, when someone confronts me on what I've had to say and I think I'm right...

I lash out.

 Of course afterwards, I feel like a giant ass and regret every word that came spewing out of my mouth.

And believe me, I do go on.

Blah, blah, blah... until I'm sure their ears are bleeding.

And then there it is..

regret.

The kind that keeps you up at night questioning yourself.

Ugh.

Anyway, my point is...

I'm a flawed human being, but I truly mean well.

I just need to remember that unless we're in someone else's shoes, we really don't know or understand why they are the way they are.

And maybe those bloggers really do live in a perfect bubble.

I'm happy for them, if they do.

Personally though, 

I'd rather live my messy, imperfect life.

Dog hair and all ;)

xo

rue

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope you have a beautiful, relaxing, day....

 filled with love and joy.

Whether your children happen to be the human kind, 

a dog...

or a cat...

;)

xo

rue

I know better

Yep.

I do.

I've been blogging for a very long time and definitely long enough to know that what you see on a blog isn't always real.

Not reality. (also an old picture)

But for some unexplainable reason, when I went to take some pictures of my home the other day, they didn't seem good enough.

I felt inadequate.

Again.

Then, a few days later, I came across a group of bloggers that did a behind the scenes of what their home actually looks like, when they take those gorgeous photos.

And once again, I realized how stupid gullible I was.

Turns out, not everyone is as crazy as I am and feels the need to clean their entire house, before they take a picture.

They just shove stuff to the side.

And their ethereal pictures, where it looks like a glowing light is coming through the window and shining upon whatever it is they're showcasing?

Photo editors.

Here's a good example of what I'm talking about.

Can you believe it?

Yeah....

I know damn well that blogging is a game of smoke and mirrors, but for a brief moment...

I forgot.

Back in the old days, I used to rally against those perfect blogs, because it made me and everyone else feel like they weren't good enough and I knew they purposely weren't telling the truth.

Oh wait... I still do that ;)

Anyway, it's nice to know that more bloggers are showing what truly goes on behind the scenes, instead of pretending that they live in pristine homes with perfect lives and that they have unreal photography skills.

I give them credit.

And I think they're really brave.

You know me though...

I'm still going to do things like make fun of tease the bloggers that have "accidentally" gathered flowers in their sink and act like they didn't do it on purpose.

You know as well as I do that they went to the grocery store, bought a bouquet wrapped in plastic, took the plastic off, shoved aside the dirty dishes, artfully arranged said flowers in their "farmhouse" sink and photo edited the crap out of it ;)

Close-up of plastic wrapped bouquets.

What?

You know it's true.

Pffft...

My house looks like a bomb went off, when I bring home groceries and I'll bet yours does too.

Reality.

Just like you put your pants on one leg at a time.

So do they.

Remember that, next time you fall into the trap.

I know better 

and 

so do you.

Yes, I know we like to look at all the pretty pictures of beautiful homes and dream of a world without dog hair and dust.

But...

sometimes it's nice to see a dose of reality.

Of course, I'm not talking about myself.

 My home is always perfect.

;)

xo

rue

Lowell life

When I went on a trip to Bisbee, I had another surprise waiting for me around the corner.

Literally.

You see, if you keep driving through Bisbee...

you'll see a mining operation....

then you'll go through a tunnel...

and an old town appears out of nowhere.

The town of Lowell.

"Lowell was at one time a sizable mining town located just to the southeast of Old Bisbee. The majority of the original townsite was consumed by the excavation of the Lavender Pit mine during the 1950s. All that is left today is a small portion of Erie Street, along with Evergreen Cemetery, Saginaw subdivision and Lowell Middle School. These days Lowell is considered by most of the local residents to be more of a place name than an actual community." via Western Mining History

It's a sad story, but fascinating at the same time.

You really feel as though you've stepped back in time, but all the residents vanished.

Well, except for some random tourists and bikers.

All the cars on the street are sitting there like someone just abandoned them.

I half expected Rod Serling to walk out.

Or perhaps Barney Fife.

Of course, you know I'd be happy as a little clam living there.

It just needs a little clean-up ;)

Going farther out, there's a neighborhood, where there's some rather large old homes overlooking some much smaller ones.

I'm guessing they're the ones that made all the dough (aka money) at the mines.

After that it was time to head home, back through Bisbee.

What a wonderful, quirky place :)

Oh and lastly, here's a picture of me and my son, Alex, while he was here visiting this past weekend.

Thank you for all the sweet words about his visit.

We had a great time :)

xo

rue

PS

Edited to add: The cars are owned by a man that owns a few of the buildings. The town is a project for him and some of his friends and they're fixing it up to be a sort of museum. There's only one business (that I know of) and it's a breakfast place. But yes, it's basically abandoned.