I still luv butter and I still luv Paula Deen

Okay.....this might be a train wreck post.....but man.....all I can say is that Paula Deen told the truth....companies are dropping her like flies....and she could have lied but she told the truth.  And I for one...still have much luv for her.  FACT! I have never considered myself to be a Racist but realize that I am 52 years old and times have changed soooooooooooo much since I was a kid...but guess what?  I changed with them.
My niece Heather asked me today..."What did Gramma and Papa teach you?"( because I do have a lot of people who are a different color than me group of folks that come into the store and only want to deal with me and they have been doing that for years. ) And I don't think I was really taught anything about this except to look at the  situation and to move on past that and try to make a change.
I live in Bakersfield California....I live on the outskirts called "Oildale"....where there seriously as legend goes....used to be a sign on the bridge as you were crossing over that said something like "N" don't let the sun set on your butt...there are still groups here of "white supreme-ists" (sorry don't quite know how to spell that one even with a spell check.)  But finally in this day and age...Oildale is not a segregated area.
When I worked at the post office in the late 70's my best friend and confidante ....was "Rodger Dodger"...black as the ace of spades...and I even bowled on a bowling league with him back then called "The Black People's League" yep there were a few token white people on that league...but can you .. imagine for a minute... even at that time era if someone had started a bowling league called "The White People's League"....???????? Major Drama I would think.
Rodger used to come over to my house about twice a month and visit....and he would seriously actually "duck" every time a car drove by if we were standing out in the front yard...kind of as a joke....but it was real to me....and imagine my sadness and dismay a few years later when he was actually killed at a very young age in a drive-by shooting gangster style in his own neighborhood... where he was an innocent victim....in front of his home ?  My best friend was an innocent victim of violence. And violence does occur in every color of the rainbow.....it is what it is.

My hubby grew up on "the South Side" and has more friends that aren't exactly white..and the neighborhood that he grew up in as predominately "black" is now typically "brown" and to me....it's a bit  ironic about how many of the people still living there in that neighborhood  are hatin' on the brown town (that today they are suddenly in the middle of)

All I can say is that today  most of my customers in my day job seem to like me..they trust me... and I myself  am not a saint....yep..years ago I probably used the "N" word...the same way I used the "FAG" word..the "Retard" word etc.etc. It may have been in a joking manner..or a wrong manner..but yep....I did it and am not ashamed to admit it. Thank GAWD I won't have all of these companies no longer endorsing my products because of this :)

At the same time..today one of my long time customers brought in his Mother -in-law who just moved back to Bako.... they brought with them  the cutest little girl I had seen all day....I was talking to her....she was ignoring me like she was afraid to answer or talk to me and customer says "It's not just you....she ignores everyone even me when she is in one of her moods"..and I told her.."Come on girl...can't a silly old cracker like me at least get a hug?"...And at the end of it all....we became girlfriends :)

I know that there are indeed a lot of people out there who are still racist and (maybe we all have a bit of that instilled in us if we truly look inside.... )  but this is how I think....
In today's age..I would not look at certain people and call them the "N" word...but if it is truly an offense..(I think it is in my world at least) ---- In my opinion STOP! STILL using  that word with each other and think it is "okay" to use that word and keep using it. STOP!
I myself did not put anyone on a boat and ship them off to America to become slaves.   That wasn't me.  And I think this might be why so many people in this country get so upset about being "blamed" for what our ancestors have done.  And continue to keep on "hating " certain groups of people.
At the same time....many many of these people who tend to fall back on that "race card" are probably not aware that many many "crackers" view corporate America in the same way that they do.  We feel they are not on our team or our side....we feel that the "lobbyists" and the people with money control the country and the government and that "they" are against "us". We feel like we are getting "taxed" and "hosed" every time we turn around or bend over.

In my opinion and the reason I chose to post this post that may be unpopular with some---ThisTOPIC  has no "issue" or "color" story.  I come from a family of  "melting pot Americans"..we are all mixed something.  And once we get past that and stop trying to blame someone else for what happened all of those years ago....we might be able to overcome the fact that we all are a beautiful rainbow.

And I only wish that the person I will go to my grave "knowing" as my best friend "Rodger Dodger"..was still here to hold my hand and tell me that "no matter what happens...we can get thru this together"

Crazy Cat Lady and the tuna trunk bump

Peace Forks and morning glories

I just got a dozen of these peace forks in from Zulilly...I stuck a few out in the yard and a few in the house

I took some pics this morning of the morning glories... I pulled a bunch of them up when they first started to bloom....I really like them but they will spread out all over the place if I don't stay on top of them.....which is the complete opposite of my arse....it will spread all over the place if I
don't stay off of it :)

 

#spreading #morning glories #peace fork

Anyone can be meaner than someone else if they work at it and try to be :)

So a couple of days ago someone starts this train wreck thread in the Etsy Forums saying something like "Regretsy should be shut down".  And she was saying some strange stuff about the threats they were supposedly making to her ....and I was like "Wow.....has it gotten that bad?"

Regretsy has made me laugh so many times...I fell in love with the site the first time I ever entered.  I used to go there 2- 3 times a week...mostly lurking....I commented in the forums a few times...but was never part of any crowd that frequently hangs out there.  I have some friends there and I have some frenemies there and I don't know a lot of the other people there.
 For me...visiting Regretsy 2-3 times a week eventually turned into once a week and then once a month towards the end....there just didn't seem to be a whole lot going on and then one day I looked and saw that April had shut the site down. 

Okay..so having been one who drove a train wreck thread on Etsy.....I simply had to go and see what this gal was talking about over there on the dark side.  When I went to the forums it had been so long since I signed in that I forgot the name I used the last time I signed in there.  And it turned out that someone must be sprinkling some crack in the gals Cheerios...cuz there wasn't any type of threats going on in that thread about her.  Some really funny stuff tho and I ended up having a weird dream about a handy clown. :)

And that's the deal I guess.  Humor always seems to be at the expense of someone else.  You're making fun of someone or something...and sometimes it's lighthearted and sometimes it's just down right mean.  And certainly it is hurtful to the one being talked about regardless of whether they are thick skinned or sensitive. 

So when I was over there I started reading some of the "reseller" threads...and hey!  There I was in one of them.  I remembered this gal Andrea who had some sort of a boner against me and kind of evident in the thread she started.  Back when my train wreck thread happened.. for a couple of weeks I was going back and forth with some of the people who had said things about me and then it finally just got old.  The only thing you end up proving is that yah anyone can say mean things about someone.

So last night I was like..."Okay Andrea....it's a free country....you said what you thought about me and here's what I think about you". And I posted and  did it prove anything or make me feel better?  Nope of course not.  Will she maybe think twice before saying mean crap about someone she doesn't even know?  Maybe. I took the post down pretty much because there wasn't any point to make.  Someone named "potato" or tater spuds or something like that came over from the Regretsy forums and said something like..."You haven't been a lurker...you only came to the forums 2 days ago"  or something like that....and there again....proof that anyone can say whatever they want but it doesn't make it a fact.  Fact is that no one really knows what anyone is doing all of the time.  Fact is that someone could sign in under 3 or 4 different "names" in that forum and other forums and talk back and forth to themselves in the same thread.   

Bottom line....I know how much fun it is to poke fun at other things.  I also know what it feels like to be in a train wreck thread where you are the one steering the damn thing crashing into the boonies.  You get caught up in the heat of the moment and say stupid things.  Sometimes people misinterpret what you are trying to say and sometimes you can just be dead wrong about what you are saying.   Fact is we all make mistakes.  Fact is we all get our feelings hurt at one point or another.  And the fact is that the Regretsy forums are still pretty dad-gum entertaining.  If there is something there that someone wrote about me and I don't like it..... I don't have to read it right?   No one is forcing me to "click on it" right?  And I don't have to be all "Bischhhh you said that about me...well here's what I think about you".   right????

Heck I could be doing much more positive productive things like making more crap that someone might buy and if not....someone might get it for Christmas hee-hee.  After spending 2 years going back and forth with a certain gal who stalks my blog...she says something...I say something back kind of thing.....and finally....I was able to do a pretty good job of keeping her on ignore LOL!  I should have probably already learned a lesson that at the end of the day....you don't really win when you answer to what someone else is saying.  All it does is validate that you might care what they are saying. And I don't know this Andrea chick and don't really know why she picked a boner with me.....but at the end of the day...why should I care what she thinks and why should she care what I think when we don't even know each other and will never be friends? 

As long as I am able to get my arse out of bed each morning and keep driving my train....and manage to keep it on track most days.....then I'm doing pretty good. :)  In my world at least...and speaking of my world.....damn it's hot today.  I need to go find a block of ice to shove down my bra or something.

#about some train wrecks #lurkers #train wreck threads #I gots no Regretsies #mistakes I've made a few #I did it my way

CF4L sniffin foo

lurkin and sniffin  tail waggin foo.......


So when I got this tote some people were giving it some not so great reviews.... I had to go in and add a 5 star review :)

         

"CF4L LOVE Lub Luv Toten taller now 4L"

Reviewed by rhonda hood morrell 7/11/2012

Product Quality: Excellent
Print Quality: Excellent

Recommended: Yes
Recommended for: Myself

Shipped on time: Yes

About the product:

I was amaaaazzzzzeeed balzzzzzzz at the quality and durability of this fabulous item........I was clustered and flustered all at the same time... seriously ranks on my top ten list (right behind best orgasm ever) .....the great price..the great product.....I immediately wanted to stuff it full of wonderful things and just carry it around and never let go of it! CF4L bissssssccccchhhheeeeessss...you got that right! You see me with this tote....you see how I roll and how I tote with a taller stride in my step now that I have this tote to tote????? Hollah! I want one in every color.

About the print:

C above 4L C above 4L C above 4L CF4L

Baconnzzzz

It's supposed to be a sizzlin 107 here in Bako today.  Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

glass pendant necklace made from an old vintage playing card

I love Lucy Peanuts vintage recycle one of a kind rainbow colorful hearts necklace

 

An old vintage playing card featuring Lucy from Peanuts was the starting point for this necklace. I made a 1" glass pendant from the playing card and then added a mix of vintage and new pieces in a rainbow of colors. There is a vintage heart locket and a vintage heart charm as well as some flower charms made out of new beads. The pendant is 5" tall and I placed it on a recycled vintage 23" antique gold tone chain.
Thanks for looking! Spanky Luvs vintage and Spanky Luvs Lucy :)

Momma's little Blankie still keeps rockin' those babies :)

My momma always crocheted blankets and blankies for everyone, and needless to say I can't remember ever going to bed at night being cold. In my minds' eye I will never forget my son Kevin when he would lay down and drink his bottle and he would run his fingers all over and through the holes in his "blankies" and he was kind of like Linus I guess because he loved my momma's blankies and man...he was so happy and content with that bottle and one of her blankies :)
I remember taking his bottle away pretty early and he just seemed so unhappy at bed and nap time.  And he wasn't crying or throwing fits but after about 4 days I told my Mom "To Hell with it...they are only little kids once....why not let him enjoy something awhile longer??....life is tough enough when you get older.....I'm gonna give him back his little slice of heaven for awhile...."  And yep....I had a 2 year old who drank a bottle until he was about 2 1/2...but he didn't run around with a binkie in his mouth....he had a bottle at nap and bedtime....and then Kevin himself put his little bottles in the trash and he said that "the momma birds were going to come and get them for all of the little baby birds in the world who were hungry"....yep this kid wanted me to read to him and tell him stories all of the time and he developed a pretty good imagination at a very young age.  And he didn't end up buck tooth over his bottle drinking love thang LOL!
Here's a pic of him back then drinking his bottle and rubbing on one of those blankies....and sportin' his cowboy boots because back then.....his heroes always wore cowboy boots:)

Momma used end pieces of her yarn to make him those mini blankies...and Kevin used them for his stuffed animals and super heroes and capes and you name it....they all got put to good use. And gosh! I just realized that he is on one of the little "mini sofas" that dad and I made back in the day when we were manufacturing sofas and love seats :)
So A few days ago hubby and I were going through some things in the garage and I found this little blankie that Mom had made for Kevin and what better person to give it to than the Grandbaby Chloe?
They came over for a little barbeque this eve and I told Chloe  "Hey I found a little blankie that Kevin's Grandma made for him would you like to see it ? "  And she grabs my hand and said "Yes!"  We went and got it and also pulled out a couple of old dolls that I have in a box for some altered art projects..(they close their eyes when they lay down)....so Chloe puts them under the blankie and tells me "SHSSSSHHHHH!" and instructs me to turn out the lights :)  
(We had to keep Brownie back though....that little buggar grabs stuffed animals and dolls...and when I am making sock monkeys....he jumps up while I am sewing to try and nab the tails....)
here is a pic of my Chloe girl puttin her babies to rest....

 I also got a huge kick tonight out of Chloe measuring things.   My Buddy Barb from AllAboutTheButtons on Zibbet has these awesome tape measures and I have purchased several of them.  Tonight Chloe grabbed this one and kept saying she had to "measure" and she said it was her "tape" so of course I sent it home with her LOL!  I kept asking her......how big is it?   And she kept saying "It's 3.....I'm 2 but it's 3"   and I tell ya...life just doesn't get much better than this!
 Here is the tape measure that Chloe fell in love with and took home tonight :)
and here is the link to Barbs' shop

 http://www.zibbet.com/AllAboutTheButtons

Hope ya'll had a Super Sunday!

#measuring#moms blankies#puttin dollies to sleep #Shssshhh turn out the lights #all about the buttons#tape measures #I'm 2 but it's 3

Recycled Old Oak now--new mellow yellow table thanks to the Graphics Fairy and Omni Transfer :)

I have had these old oak end tables out in my garage for many years....they were buried underneath some junk until hubby and I came across them the other day. 

Today I used some yellow home made chalk paint and then used a loofah sponge to add some "Martha Stewart" gold paint and then brushed on some flat black enamel as well.  Then I added a couple of fab old images thanks to Karen @ The Graphics Fairy (If you haven't seen her blog....you should check it out!).....and here is the new old table...

 #recycled #homemade chalk paint #omni gel #Fairy Graphics #I love the Graphics Fairy

Shake your money maker Norma Jean Baker recycled table

Here's another project I made today.....I took this little old pink wicker table that I bought at the Rose Bowl Swap Meet in Pasadena....

 Then I shot it with some flat black paint and then rubbed it a bit with sandpaper.  Then I took a picture frame and did a paper transfer with Omni Gel to the top of the glass on the picture frame and added some striped paper underneath and then bonded the frame to the top of the table.   I think Norma Jean Baker is looking like she could sure shake her money maker here:)

#recycle #Marilyn #Norma Jean #pink and black #Rosebowl Pasadena stuff # Omni Gel Transfer

Recycled stools bottle caps and vintage buttons

Several years ago I saw a "coffee table" that was made from a couple of barstools and old buttons and bottle caps.   I knew when I saw it that day... that in the future...I had to make something sort of like it :)
I bought these old rickety stools at the Pasadena Swap meet.... they are the ones on top of the stack :)

 Today I mixed up some  home made chalk paint and then added some old buttons and bottle caps to the top.....(for the pics I used a few small pieces of glass that I have at home just to give you the idea of what the finished piece looks like)...but when I take it to the furniture store....I have a big piece of glass that will be placed on top and the stools can be spread out more under the glass....I'm thinking maybe old coins and many many other possibilities could be used on this recycle project :)

I love old buttons and what better kitschy way to spread a little button luv than this?

#for the love of buttons #button table #recycled #reclaimed #bottle caps table #kitschy

My Little succulent Sity a.k.a. City

Here's a few more pics of the succulents out in the yard. This little metal stand is one of the things I got at the Rose Bowl Swap Meet...I remember my Mamaw having a cart kind of like this one..so I knew I had to have it hee-hee!

I also got this old toolbox at the Rose Bowl Swap Meet  and I knew I was going to plant something in it but this was before I bought all of the succulents :)

Here's an old swan planter that I stuck on the porch

This old juice pitcher probably should have gone back into the cupboard but I figured I liked it so much why not also have it one display with a few plants in it instead of only taking it out every now and then?

And here are a couple more pics....the two black "planters" are the top and bottom of an old roasting pan

 I filled up a few bird houses with some small succulents....the wasps always tend to build their dadgum nests in these type of thangs....so I bet they won't be gettin' jiggy with it any time soon  in these :)

I hope this has inspired some of ya'll to think outside of the planter.....if you love gardening....why not consider planting something into other things you love that are simply tucked away and you don't look at them very often?  Succulent city-ville kind of deal :)
Hope ya'll are having a great week!

#succulents #succulent city #outside the planter # green thumbs  #gardening #my leetle garden


 

You Is What You Is Flip That Page Live Breathe Love

Do we talk to the hand
or do we hand to the talk???
do we stand where we stand
or stray from the walk????
If I did 
what I could
and you could 
what you did--
were we mice
in the maze...
simply....
lost in the haze?
one step forward
and
ten steps back
circles and circles
got us back
off track-----
(where we always
were.)
HEAVY SIGH...
live
breathe
love......
leave
the ones
who are not
on the same page
Book
Novel
Library?
nope !
same page
would be nice
if not.....
turn that page!
sometimes it
R-E-A-L-L-Y
is what it is
and ain't
no talkin'
no walkin'
no nothing
will change
that strange..
flip that page
flip that page
This is your
new age
your growth
you is what you is
and you are fine with
that.
LIVE
LOVE
BREATHE
LIVE
BREATHE
LOVE
Spanky Luvs Had A Dream 2013

#livelovebreathe #flip that page #you is what you is #proud to be a diamond in the ruff

Container Succulents I recently planted

So I talked a bit about the great deal on succulents that I scored at the Pasadena Swap Meet recently and have finally finished planting them all. (Can I get a Whoo hooo green thumb got er done hollah! ) I had several containers with succulents out in the garden already and ended up moving most of them to a little display area in the front of the yard to mix in with all of the new plantleengs :)   I'll get some pics of those tomorrow and post them.
The best thing about succulents is that they multiply quite easily and don't need a lot of care. To me the worst thing about them is that I tend to water and hubby tends to help me water and sometimes...we simply water these thangs waaaaaaay tooooo much.  Good thing is you can just dig one up and easily replace it with another one :)
I have been seeing a lot of the succulent container and terrarium pics on Pinterest...and I really love them!  Monday....I made a few for inside the house and also one to give away.....some of the pics are a bit blurry.....I didn't have the macro on in several of the pics but alas! I am too lazy to take more pics right now LOL!   I used containers that I had around the house and yes...I did empty buttons out of one of them....and actually sorted them by color into smaller containers.....
this is the one that had a bunch of old buttons in it before I decided that succulents would look pretty decent inside...... 

This is a smaller container that I sat on top of the fridge....

Also on top of the fridge is this one I made from a vintage tea cup stacked on top of an old silver candle stick holder

I was almost reluctant to use this vintage cobalt blue vase to plant something in....but decided that having it out and on display was much better than having it tucked away somewhere :)

Here are a couple more that I haven't actually placed anywhere yet :)

And last but not least :)...I found this little vintage baby bootie a couple of weeks ago (thanks to another hot tip from my C-sta in-law).... and thought it would be a perfect little gift for my Niece Heather.   She has her "baby reveal" next week (Whoo hooo exciting! hollah!) so we do not know yet if her baby is going to be a boy or a girl....but I figured that since it is blue with some pink trim.....that she would still enjoy ...it boy or girl :)

Hope ya'll are having a great week! 

#succulents #succulent containers #succulent plantings #inside succulents

 

A Father's Day Surprise That I was Very Happy To Be A Part Of

So I had this magazine in my Zibbet shop for awhile and then had a sold message and a note from the buyer and it really made me smile.  It is just another one of those stories of why I enjoy selling online as a hobby in my spare time:) 

It turns out that this young lady had been searching for this magazine because her Father once had a copy of it and it had been lost throughout the decades but this is a very special magazine to him because his mother is the author of one of the stories inside and she said he had recently been thinking about it wistfully........

What a great Father's Day Surprise :)   And I was very happy to play a part in it :)

Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine September 1970

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Vintage 1970 Alfred Hitchcock the master of suspense magazine. This has 160 pages. The outside has a few scuffs but the pages are all intact.
* International buyers please message me for a shipping quote:)
Thanks for looking!

Tags: mystery, mystery magazine, alfred hitchcock, master of suspense, vintage magazine, 1970, hitchcock

Status: sold

#HappyFather'sDay#spreadtheluv#SpankyluvsVintage

Happy Fathers Day POPs!!!

A tribute to my dad

Happy Father's Day dad.....pops...pappa...you always had that uncanny ability to put your wife your children and your grand kids and family first.....it wasn't something you were taught....you just had it in you and you always made it your mission to instill that in all of us. I think I have been a pretty lucky person in my life long journey....but the luckiest thing that ever happened to me was to be blessed with such wonderful parents! You are my rock star dad.....and I think my only regret in life is that I wish I would have learned a helluva lot sooner that you are right and always have been at least 99.9% of the time. LMAO!!!!!!!
You and moms made me what I am today.....and I thank you for that and love you so very very much for always putting your kids and your family first!