The BOX - The suspense is killing me

I could barely cope with this. But the wait is over. Today I shall open the box!

Easy Feijoa Loaf

It makes sense that someone who doesn't actually like cooking should make a cooking video. But this is too yummy not to share.

Pink hair? Blonde hair?

Pink hair? Blonde hair? I have no idea - I haven't decided yet.

Chit Chat Chick - Kmart...again

Despite the bargains, I am NOT going near Kmart again...for a month...or so...

Chit Chat Chick Coffee Makeup and bad singing

And minions too...

Chit Chat Chick Sunday Part 2 - Kmart Haul

Because everybody loves Kmart!

Chit Chat Chick Impromptu Improv With Zena

So this is what happens when my daughter stops by.

Armageddon Manukau 2016

Really enjoyed getting out for the day and hanging with two of my children at this place.

Chit Chat Chick Precious Moments

FAIL - First Attempt In Learning.

Chit Chat Chick - Friday: Pushing the triple stroller like a BOSS

No babies' ears were damaged in the making of this video...

Chit Chat Chick - Rubbish Day, Shopping and Dog Poo

I stepped in dog poo today...

Up at the crack of a sparrow's f*rt

Okay, so THIS time I've uploaded the thing correctly, right?

Up before the crack of a sparrow's f*rt

In which I'm forced out of bed much to early and have to do a load of stuff. Popped in to visit my 89 year old Mum - she's always pleased to see me.

Chit Chat Chick Vlog 7 - A nosey inside my cupboards

Only a quirky person would open their cupboards to complete strangers.

Chit Chat Chick - Vlog 4

I kinda figure that vlogging is going to stop me from spending money on shopping websites. Maybe...Nah...probably not!

Who Is She?

So I was wandering through a second hand shop today, searching for some costume accessories (as you do) and not really feeling it. This particular shop isn't one of my favourites but it was on my way to where I was going anyway so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's a large and messy shop piled with...junk. Most of it is absolute rubbish. Then I noticed a heap of frames on the concrete floor (which could have used a sweep in my opinion!). Not wanting to look like someone who had just taken one look at the surroundings and was wanting to leave in disgust, I thought I'd feign some interest in the the frames before leaving...in disgust. But then I saw this:

I can't explain why but I just had to have her - as long as she didn't cost more than fifteen bucks. So I casually asked the assistant how much "it" was. You know, in a sort of nonchalant, I don't really think I'll buy it so you'd better make it cheap to see if you can tempt me kind of way. She shrugged her shoulders and suggested five bucks so I took her home - the little girl that is, not the assistant. I figured she might be better off staying behind to sweep her floor.

Now she's driving me cray cray! (see how hip and groovy I am with the latest catch phrases. Yup, I'm a real happening chick). So many questions:
Who is she?
Who knitted her cardi?
Who is Daniel?
Why did he have to slap his name on her pink cardi in such an in-your-face fashion?
Why didn't he put his last name and why didn't he put a date on it?

So the challenge is out there. Do YOU know the answers to any of these questions? Maybe she'd like to be reunited with herself!

Here's a clue; a sticker on the back that says:

Cirella Fine Art
8 Gayton Close 
Connah's Quay 
Deeside CLWYD CH4TG
Tel: (0244) 814780

Mr Google isn't giving away too much. According to him this is from Wales, which is the other side of the world. How did she get all the way from Wales to end up in a New Zealand junk shop? There's no reference to any "Cirella Fine Art" and if you google map the address, it just looks like a 2 up, 2 down residential property.

Of course, she could just simply be a figment of Danie's imagination and not, in reality, exist at all. So in the meantime, to help put my mind at rest, I shall name her Myfannwy. Incidentally, I wanted to name my youngest daughter Myfannwy and nobody would let me. Sad, eh?

Oh, and as for the costume thing...check out "Party Bods" on Twitter or my blog HERE and all will be revealed (or completely covered up if you happen to be one of my "bods"). And while you're on my Twitter page, feel free to retweet this young lady. As much as I adore her, I'd love to send her home if she wants to go back.

Let's just play it by ear

I've been thinking about ears lately. Partly because I've just gotten over an ear infection, but mostly because my very good friend happens to be an Ear Nurse and has just opened a brand new ear wax removal clinic in Takanini, South Auckland. It's an interesting connection really because I didn't really want my buddy to know about my infection in case he...examined me. I didn't manage to hide it for long and he did exactly that, using his flash $20,000 microscope. I was well impressed with his lovely bedside manner and shiny equipment (ooer!). Anyway, I'm all better and my Nursey friend has had a busy couple of weeks collecting enough ear wax to start his own wax works museum to give Madame Tussaude a run for her money.

I've been following this guy on Facebook and Twitter and am somewhat amused by his choice of cartoons that he's popped up for our entertainment. Little gems such as this:

and this:

Paddington Bear Movie Trailer
Be sure to check out the website: South Auckland Ears and do a search for "South Auckland Ears" on Facebook and Twitter. Like it, follow it and "keep your ear to the ground" for his latest updates.

So I guess there's no need for us to go life being (wait for it) "ear"itable with a build up of wax after all.

My Derma Wand Review - Warts and All (mostly mine)

I am very easily influenced so perhaps watching infomercials before going to sleep wasn't the best idea. I still remember the first infomercial I ever saw. It was a flower preserver and after half an hour of watching, I wanted that flower preserver more than anything in the world. Sadly I didn't have a credit card back then...or should I say, "thankfully". On reflection, I am the first to admit that the "flower preserver" was nothing more than a box of sand. So...I was understandably skeptical when I saw the infomercial for the Derma Wand. If I was 23 I would have ignored it completely but I've got a number of decades tucked under my belt now. I have children older than 23. I would tell you my age, but let's just say...I'm 23 plus tax. A LOT of tax.

Well these days I do have a carefully managed credit card - I am a grown up after all. So I did it. And, just in case anyone looking at this might be tempted, I figured you might like an honest opinion from someone who paid the big bucks without being paid any bucks at all.

So, here I am 6 weeks ago:

I never noticed before, but my face is not at all symmetrical and my right eye is actually lower than my left. Is this normal? Am I mutated? As far as wrinkles go I have a few, which is probably quite reasonable for a person "around my age". One thing that has always been a pain is the occasional blemish that appears and does nothing but look mean and angry. In my photo (and I really hate pointing this out!), I actually have two on my chin that had stuck around for well over a week before the photo was taken, trying to make me look poxy.

And six weeks later:

IT TURNED MY HAIR PINK!!! Nah, just joshing. I did that. I'm always changing my hair colour, just because I can. I refuse to lay down and be old and boring. Old maybe, but never boring. Anyway, there isn't a miracle face lift and I think my right eye is still a bit lower, BUT...
My skin does feel more toned, some of the lines seem ever so slightly diminished and best of all, this baby zaps zits like a BOSS! I have cheated and put a little mascara on, but other than that, no makeup (I think I have mascara in the first pic too)

I think I'll do a pros and cons paragraph now:

CONS:
COST: This thing cost me just over $200 NZ. That hurt! (I think that's around $100 US but I'm only guessing). The "$60 instructional DVD" and the "$30 purse" included for free is a bit of a crock but...I got a TWO FOR ONE special! So I've generously given one to my daughter. She's in her 20s so I'll have to watch she doesn't turn the clock back too far or she might turn into a foetus!

TIME: I'll be honest, this takes more than 3 minutes a day. I use it twice a day and it probably takes about 7 minutes each time (give or take a few secs).

NO SHORT CUTS: You still have to use moisturizer so you won't save on your regular skin care regime. You need the moisturizer to help the wand glide over your skin. Mind you, I've always used pretty cheap products so it's not really a biggie for me.

ALSO: Some people might not like the slight smell it emits, the noise it makes or the feel of it if you lift it slightly off your skin (it zaps a little). I don't mind any of this at all.

It's not going to work miracles! If you're 50, you're not likely to look like a 25 year old a couple of months later.

PROS:
SKIN TONE: My skin feels nice. I can feel that *something* is feeling right. Also, I think it has given my saggy eye a *very slight* lift.

WRINKLES: Just ever so slightly diminished. In my case I think it's helped around my mouth and under my eyes.

BLEMISHES: Now this is where I feel I'm getting my money's worth! If I feel one of those nasty zits approaching, I turn the dial up, follow the instructions on the DVD and, just for good measure, I give it a little extra zap by hovering the wand over it, just off the skin. I do that 3 or 4 times a day if I can. By the next day it goes all shy and embarrassed and is usually gone a couple of days later.

SHARE THE CARE: About once or twice a week I treat my bestie (and sometimes her husband!) to a zap session. It's just nice to be able to pamper someone with something a little different.

SPECIAL DEALS: Watch out for the Two for One deal.

AND NOW...for your entertainment (considering I'm not wearing any makeup in these extreme close up photos), and mostly for your perusal to make your own judgement, here are some more before and after photos:

Before:









6 Weeks Later:

 

Is it me or is my skin just a little less saggy six weeks later. 

 Before

6 Weeks

Oh gosh, I wish I'd plucked those stray hairs before I took these photos!








I also figured it might be interesting to try it on just one hand:

"Control" Hand

"Derma" Hand

So...my personal verdict is that I'm glad I bought it. I like using it. The price hurt but I did get two for that price. Oh, and just one final word of advice: it works better if you take the cap off before use. Just sayin'...

Epiphany

I've been watching a bit of "Star Trek Enterprise" recently (thanks to my son and daughter for the birthday gift). I've always been a bit of a Trekker. I even had a brief crush on De Forrest Kelly. While everyone else went weak for James T Kirk and his wooden style of speech, I was all a flutter for McCoy's "I'm a doctor Jim, not a bricklayer". And when he fixed Spock with that steely gaze and asked him if he was out of his Vulcan mind, my knees turned to jelly.

But I digress...
When I watched Star Trek as a kid I was flabbergasted by all the cool technology stuff (oops! My thoughts are straying back to Doctor McCoy and his salt and pepper shaker medical instruments). Oh yes, the techno stuff. The touch screen tablets and Skype convos that Jim used decades before they were invented.  That was mind blowing stuff. Then the yuppy bricks (aka mobile phones) came out in the 90s and I knew I'd arrived. I was living in the future - and that was 20 years ago!

So the other night I was watching "Enterprise" and realized that much of their cool toys are quite normal by today's standards. That's when I had my Epiphany. I might not have moved as quickly as Marty McFly and admittedly it has taken me 51 years to get here but (are you ready for this?) I AM A TIME TRAVELER! 

And to think that I get car sick driving to the next suburb.

And here's another thought that might just make your head implode. I mentioned this to our boarder, Miss Giggles and she told me that, according to my logic, EVERYBODY is a time traveler!

Now if I could just work out how to go back a week and take this weeks Lotto numbers with me this could really be useful.

When stuff looks like other stuff

I rather like the word "doppelganger". Actually, I discovered the word "proclivity" last night and just can't wait to slip that one into conversation in the very near future. So if I'm engaged in conversation with you anytime soon, listen out for it.

But I digress. Doppelganger threw me at first. Mostly because I didn't know how to spell it, and also because I had no idea what it meant. "Doppelganger" popped up on Facebook a few times and, just to show that I got it, I like the post anyway. Eventually I turned to Mr Google for help and he explained that a doppelganger is "a ghostly double of a living person that haunts its living counterpart." To be honest, I only found out the ghostly bit today because that's when "eventually" turned out to be. All this time I'd been under the impression that a doppelganger is a lookalike so for the sake of this post, I'll stick with that.

Okay, this is cool, I've just said "doppelganger" 6 times so far in this post. I wonder how many times I can slip "proclivity" into conversation tomorrow. Anyway, back to the doppelganger (that's 7!), I wonder if I have one out there somewhere?

On a similar vein, I often find myself gazing at things that look like other things. Happens all the time. Here are some examples:

Above is some bird poop that mysteriously landed on the windscreen of my car (see previous blog: http://quirkyisokay.blogspot.co.nz/2011/09/really-crappy-post.html for further details). I can clearly make out three faces. The middle face (an ancient Mayan) doesn't look too friendly (or perhaps he's unwell, but wouldn't you be if you'd just come out of a sparrow's butt?) but the face on the right is quite obviously Chewbacca from Star Wars.

Here's a picture of the For Sale sign outside my friend's house:

See the puppy? Over there on the right? It's unmistakable really considering that he takes up half of the sign. He has two big eyes and his mouth is open because he's happy to see me..

Ooooh, I nearly forgot this one! This was taken in a seedy motel in Matakana. Check out the bottom right corner of the top left blue tile:

It's ALICE COOPER!!! (or maybe Ozzie Osbourne with a bat in his mouth. Without his glasses)

Meanwhile, in other news...
I've had younger fosties lately and made the decision to "retire" from my job as a teacher aide at the local high school (stop laughing Smiley! Congratulating me on my retirement in my leaving letter was a misprint I tell you. A MISPRINT!). I'll miss the laughs those kids gave me but at least I have this as a momento:

Pure gold!

Over time I got used to having teen fosties in the house but I think I'll be a pro with the littlies too. As long as I can work Facebook with my toes I know I'll be okay:

On Facebook Chat with R while feeding a baby. Look, no hands!