Some Help Here, Please

Dear Readers and Writers,



Are you sick of seeing folks who don’t deserve to win, always win? Me too. But now we have a chance to change that.

I’m asking you to help out someone who actually deserves to win something. It’s JM over at The New Australian, and she’s in the running for The Bloggers Guide challenge for the region of Australasia. She won, but the competition isn't over, so I'm asking for your help.

There were six regional winners (including JM) and now those winners are going head to head to become the 'world champion' TBG.

How? With a combination of blogging posts and voting, each of the six will accumulate points - or kudos - in their total. The person with the most votes by the end of the voting period wins. You don't have to sign up to vote. If, for some weird reason, it says you do have to sign up, then you don't need to.

JM’s honestly is one of the nicest people you’ll ever want to meet, in real life or on net, and is one of the hardest workers around. She also really, seriously is someone who damn-well deserves something good. Plus, it’d mean more to her than you’ll ever know. That's why I’m asking.

For details (and about one minute of your time with no need to join or sign up for anything and no spam mail to follow, etc., etc. - I swear), please hurry over to:

The New Australian - Lend a Hand? - Sticky Post

Come on, Dear Readers, let's help this gal out.

Thank you so much!
Hawke

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Had an ultrasound today for issues completely unrelated to the car accident I haven’t told you about yet but will a little later. About this latest though. When I find out, I promise to tell you… which should be around March 31.

So let's see... That's the car accident I didn't cause and the three hour blackout which both happened on Friday the 13th, and now this. Yep, that's three bad lucks. Hopefully it'll stay as three and not as the family usual — clusters of threes.


('Blooming In The Rain' graphic by dryicons.com)

The Perfect Pain...t

Are you a renovation idiot who watches those crazy home shows and wonders what the heck color of paint it is that’s so damn popular it’s seen literally everywhere? Yeah, so am I. And since it was driving me nuts, and since I’m going to renovate in the spring (if it ever comes), and since I’m a research junkie, I kept at it until I found it. Well, I found the right ballpark, anyway. And even better, I’m willing to share.

Are you sitting down?

The darkest is Tobacco Road. One shade lighter than that is Plantation Beige. Two shades lighter than that is Sandy Lane. And they all can be found at your friendly neighborhood Sherwin Williams store. (Those colors apparently used to be available at Duron, but SW can make them for you.)

I know, I know — I’m fabulous.

Though they are colors, they’re considered warm neutrals, so with white ceilings, white trim and white doors, the above paints, in combinations or not, they'll look gorgeous in any home and go with any decor. Cool, no? I’m going to use the Sandy Lane to lighten the darker areas as well as in both bathrooms, the Plantation Beige pretty much everywhere else, and the Tobacco Road for accent walls.

Yep, baby, it’s gonna look great!

Oh yes. And are you also looking for the perfect little kitchen plant? Something that will look adorable on your counter or island when small (they can grow to 24” but take a long while to do it)? Something super easy to take care of and doesn’t need to be near a window to live? Something even a person like me — someone who’s so bad with plants that my family says I kill the plastic variety — won’t kill? Something inexpensive but looks like a million bucks and is disease and bug resistant? Then get yourself a Peace Lily. You can purchase them pretty cheap at your local grocery/florist store (I got mine at Safeway) or be taken for a boat ride at a fancy flouriest shop. Just water the livin’ hell out of it whenever the pot feels light, place it where there isn’t direct sunlight but enough that you could read a paperback book if you were sitting where it is sitting without additional light, and viola! Trust me, you’ll love it.

Now, if Spring would only come...