Happy Friday!

Hey, everybody -

Just a quick post to tell you all to have a great weekend. 

I'm headed off to Raleigh on Saturday to check out Furbish and Hipsteria Modern and any other trouble I can get into.  I'm shopping for pillows and sit around stuff so it's untelling what will come home with me. 

On Sunday I'm going over to check out the 2010 Symphony Designer House sponsored by the The Symphony Guild of Charlotte.  And I'm going back to have brunch again at LuLu - because it was so much dern fun last weekend!

Oh - and somewhere in all this, I'm gonna clean the house, wash the clothes and try to squeeze in a nap.

So sit around on Sunday morning and drink an extra cup of coffee.

And I'll see you on Monday.   
Image:  Industrial Decay by Tricia McKellar.

West Elm

Last night my darling friend and I went over to a free decorating seminar sponsored by our local West Elm.  We had some time to shop around before hand and I found some wonderful stuff that I LOVE:

A bunch of PILLOWS!  Some of which may be showing up in This Charming House - including this one:  

And this one in gray:

And this one in amethyst:

And I love this desk, which I got for my work office and am in love with: 

 This lamp - and I have nowhere to put it: 

This vase because it's darling and because it's purple - obviously: 

And one more pillow because I'm addicted.  I would love to have 2 of these for the bed in my room: 

A Little Extra Pretty for the Weekend

Have you seen the Furla flags collection?  I fell in love with Furla when I went to Italy. 

These are super fun for the summer.  I know that some people have issues with the use of our flag for fashion, including scarves and what-not, but I think this is just fabulous and I would carry it with pride:

And the others are really cool, too:

The Weekly Bean

Miss Bean says "Hi".

Yesterday, she and Finn Doggie got picked up by Miss Beth from Wags in the City and taken off to playgroup for TWO WHOLE HOURS!  And a ride in the car.  You can see the pictures here if you scroll down to the bottom. 

Finn was naughty and tried to play rough with some Boston Terriers who he didn't understand.  He had to go on the leash for a while.

Then Lola followed his bad example.

They worked it all out in the end.

This is what I had last night, after they were able to hobble up the steps and take their dog aspirin (something their vet gives them for achy-ness.  PLEASE don't give your pets people drugs!!):

Finn sacked out in the new cheapy puppy bed from IKEA, which is beloved.  They still have no use for the designer one that I paid $150 for. 

Lola didn't even make it into the room -  just her snoot. 

And then there was lots and lots of heavy snoring.

The Shipping News

This is my favorite book.  Ever.

I love it.  I re-read it once a year and I never want it to end.  When I get to the end of it, I go back and re-read the last two or three chapters again because I don't want it to be over.

Now, having said this, I don't ever recommend it to anyone because everybody that I have recommended it to and who has read it, HATED IT.  And in all fairness, I hated it to for the first 100 pages.  I mean hated it and hated it.  I was just about to quit it and then it just.....sucked me in and then I couldn't put it down.

It's about a loser who blooms.  He just goes and puts one foot in front of the other (he has no goal) but he never quits and at the end, he's beautiful.  Or maybe he was beautiful all along and didn't know it.  I think that may be true for a lot of us.

This Charming House

I think the title of this post might more properly be called "This Charming Pig."

On Saturday, my darling friend and I went pig shopping.

That's right.

You remember that I posted about Hello Gorgeous' fabulous house pig a couple of weeks ago and I wanted one for Chateau Bee Charmer.   And I wanted an occupation for Saturday afternoon.

Thus, a plan was sprung. 

So on Saturday afternoon, fortified at lunch by a lovely Honig Sauvignon Blanc, we headed into the fray at Home Goods in Blakeney on a pig expedition.  We were in search of spray-paintable pork.

Home Goods in Blakeney is not for the faint of heart.  Don't go in there on an empty stomach.  And let me tell you, being about half-lit made it much more enjoyable. 

We shopped around for the longest time and at the end came up with a soap dish for the guest bathroom (me) and three new cat food bowls (darling friend).

But no pigs.

Damn! 

We were disheartened.

We decided to go ahead and get the stuff that we did find, but then we took one look at the line and decided that we didn't want the stuff that much.

It turns out that we made a fortuitous decision, because on the way to put the cat bowls back, we found the pigs!!

And they were gorgeous, fat little cast iron pigs.  They had 2, so we each got one.  The last two pigs in Home Goods captivity!  I could tell the other shoppers were jealous.....

Unfortunately, they were price-less pigs.  As in - no price tag.

Of course they were.

Undaunted, we got in the never ending line and worked our way up to the front, where we became those most beloved and anticipated Home Goods Shoppers - the ones who needed a price check on aisle 8.

We marched up there, plopped our merchandise down and announced that our pigs were price-less, that we were on a pig mission and that we were there to negotiate for some pork.  They dispatched a helpful sales associate who came back shortly to report that the pigs were $9.99. 

Well don't just stand there, sugar honey baby cookie dumplin'!   Wrap 'em up. 

This is what my pig looked like when he got home, after a short stop off at Michael's to buy some chrome spray paint. 

Idn't he cute?  Look at his little tail!

And here he is now, all chromed up (notice the quuuu-hute tray)!  I'm telling anybody who asks me that he cost $400.00.

I just pulled that number completely out of my butt.

That is the end of the pig tale.  I must tell you that I had an enormous amount of fun shopping for him and if nothing else, he will remind me of a happy day spent with a darling friend.

Wednesday - Run Away Without Leaving Home

Just too beautiful for words,  no?
Image:  Anneliese Seubert , Paris, New York Times, 1996 by Lillian Bassman.

The "M" Word

Ever wanted to scare a guy?  Some overly helpful guy at work whose trying to tell you how to deal with your migraines without drugs because he knows more about it than your OB?  Or some guy at a bar that won't go away. 

Tell him that your starting to have symptoms of oncoming Menopause.  That's right.  Just throw it right out there, really matter of factly.

Men-O-Pause.

That'll shut him the fuck up.

The fact is that I'm over 40 and am entering the joys of perimenopause.  And I feel bad.  On several levels.

First, I don't want to do it.  I don't know why.  I guess in my head "menopause" is for old ladies.  You know, Bea Arthur.  I'm not Bea Arthur.  I'm still young and hot.  I shouldn't have to deal with this for another 20 years.  But you know it doesn't work that way.

Second, I feel bad because of the way I acted when I was younger.  When older women would talk about menopause, I'd give them this look.  You know.  The look that attempts to be sympathetic while you're thinking in your 26 year old brain "that will never be me."

I got that look a couple of months ago.  I've been having dizziness that I could not account for.  I just felt that my balance was off and given that my mother had just been diagnosed with a brain tumor I was feeling particularly hypochondriacal,  so I went straight to the internet.  I discovered that dizziness is a typical symptom of menopause.  When I mentioned this to the back up internist that I had to see because my real doctor was on vacation, her 26 year old, nubile little self gave me the look.

And I thought:  "Yeah, I know that look.  I've given that look.  You just wait.  You're gonna be wrong."

And then there is the fact that I feel bad.  Not all the time.  But I sleep with the air conditioning on 65 and there are nights that I wake up in the middle of the night and I'm just burning up.  Throwing off the covers and HOT.  I've never been hot in my life.  I sat through my brother's college graduation and it was 130 degrees in there and I was warm.  Friday night I vacuumed the living room with the air on 68 and I was sweating and hot.  I went and stood in front of the open refrigerator. 

And then we have migraines.  Not fun.  They are caused by the fact that my estrogen is now "plummeting" according to my OB.  She doesn't sugar coat this shit.  It makes me love and hate her.  

Then there is the insomnia.  It sucks.  I've developed a close, warm relationship with Ambien.  I don't like drugs.  I just wanna go to sleep.

And now I'm dizzy sometimes.

And it's only gonna get worse.

*Heavy Sigh*

At least my breasts are still spectacular.
Image:  Smoke 3 by C Lilly Photography.

On Being A Little Better

"Hating people because of their color is wrong.  And it doesn't matter which color does the hating.  It's just plain wrong."

Muhammad Ali 

Tuesday's Girl

"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone."

Coco Chanel

Jeff Buckley Grace

Is there anything more beautiful?

More brilliant?

More haunting?

More heartbreaking than Jeff Buckley? 

I just don't think that there is.  Not one bit.

Manzetti's

Manzetti's is closed, y'all!

My Manzetti's!  My place!  In my neighborhood! 

Closed!

And they didn't even say goodbye. 

Now what am I gonna do for a good steak in a place that I don't necessarily have to dress up for?  And I'll never get a decent crab cake again in Charlotte.

I am distraught!  Forlorn!  Bereft!  Disconsolate! 

I blame George W. Bush for this.

This Charming House

I'm having a tray thing over here.

I resisted them for a while, because I thought they were a bit pretentious.

Then I bit the bullet and bought one because it was on the after Christmas clearance at West Elm and lo and behold I LOVED the damn thing.

Since then, I've purchased several more, one of which will feature prominently in a post later this week.

On Sunday I purchased this little guy at IKEA and really didn't know what I'd do with it.

Turns out, it's perfect for my office and everything looks so much more organized with it.  And you know that organization makes my heart go pitter-pat.

Happy Monday!

I had a great weekend!  I hope you all did, too. 

I hung out with friends and shopped all weekend. 

Several trays were purchased, along with cute melamine bowls, a sheepskin rug (with which Finn has developed a jealously adversarial relationship - I think he thinks it's a big, fuzzy rawhide and in any event has attacked it twice when he thought I wasn't watching), flowered beach towels, a garden hose and a precious, petite and priceless pig!  You'll have to wait until later in the week for the full story on the great Bee Charmer pig expedition of 2010.  But I'll just tell you, he's one charming pig!   

I also had brunch at Lulu on Sunday, which made me extremely happy.  It included Creme Brulee french toast, really good coffee and a peach Bellini.  Nothing makes a girl happier than champagne brunch on Sunday.  Nothing. 

I hope to have a better week at work this week than last.  The week after you get back from vacation is particularly brutal when you're a lawyer.  The Law Gods don't like people who take vacations and we are punished when we return.  I think that I may have crested the top of the mess on Friday afternoon and I hope to continue to make headway this week. 

Wish me luck!
Image:  Sparkling Gerbera by Davita Photography by Jamie L. McCoy.

Random Pretty Man

In honor of the upcoming release of Sex and the City 2, Mr. John Corbett has graciously agreed to appear as this week's  Random Pretty Man, here at The Bee Charmer.  

Mr. Corbett is a fellow West Virginian and I am bound to support him in all of his endeavors.  His talent, gorgeousness and grace make that really, really easy.  

Join me in sending out the big smoochies to John!!

The Must Haves

Oh!

My one true love. 

I could not live without you......

Happy Friday!

Hi everyone!

I just want to thank you all for dropping by and especially leaving comments, which makes me so happy.  I appreciate the time you spend here.

So have a good weekend.

And I'll see you on Monday.
Image:  Late for the Party by The Light Fantastic. 

A Little Pretty for the Weekend

Sigh by Suzanne McClelland. 

I think she's my new art crush. 

Just sayin'.

The Usual Suspects

The Weekly Bean

"I'm just happy to be here, hope that I can help the ball club."

Finn, doing lines from Bull Durham.

May Vogue

I love Sarah Jessica Parker!

There, I said it.

I love that she didn't change her face.

I love that she works for a living.

I wish she'd gain 10 pounds, but I recognize and accept that I can't have everything I want.

I am also very excited to see SATC2!

That's right.  I've bought into the whole enchilada.  It makes me happy.   The clothes!  The houses!  The girls!  The bags!  The shoes - My GOD the SHOES!

And the boys!!

My fellow West Virginian, John Corbett.  And then we have Chris Noth, whom I would so snog.

What's not to love?

Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum

On our one day of 'tourism' in Key West we stopped by the Hemingway House.  I'm kind of in love with it.

Before I went there, I expected a large mansion, what I found was a small and charming island house.  And I could imagine myself living there.

I snapped a few shots.

Here is the dining room.  I especially love the arched windows, the periwinkle paint and the Murano glass chandelier.  The architectural details throughout the house are quite beautiful and the floors are creaky. 

The door through to the kitchen.

This is a shot of the turned bed in the master bedroom, complete with sleeping 6 toed cat.  They have the run of the place.

A long shot of the upstairs hall, looking back toward the study.

A view of the grounds from the upstairs porch. 

This is Hemingway's typewriter, in the study above the pool house.  Again with the cool blue paint.

And this is the lovely, lovely pool, which is my favorite place on the grounds.  I can imagine myself getting up in the morning and having coffee by the pool, underneath the palm trees. 

New Species

Dozens of new species have been discovered in Borneo, including this muddy little guy.

Cool!

Happy Earth Day!!

The Bee Charmer's Closet

I ordered these for myself from Jamison Rae.

I love little silver stack rings.  I just have trouble finding what I want in my size -  five. 

I had a delicate little one for years (a gift from an old friend) and it literally broke into two pieces on my way home from work the other day.  Just broke in two, in the car, on the way home from work. 

*Aw, man!*

Since I know from past experience that I will never be able to find what I want in Charlotte, I thought that maybe Key West would provide a shopping opportunity. 

No dice.  From what I could gather, the average Key West shopper isn't into delicate. 

So I ordered these on Etsy (made to size) and I'm hoping that they will fit the bill.  And the ring finger on my right hand!

Wednesday - Run Away Without Leaving Home

I had such a good time in Key West last week. 

And I love sea urchins.  I brought some home with me.  They're so delicate and beautiful.
Image:  Urchin by Alicia Bock.

Random Pretty Man

Mr. Boreanaz is back!

Don't you just wanna smooch him?

I know I do.

Grief

I cried on Monday night.

We're talking wracked with sobs.  It kind of hit me out of nowhere and I cried and got all swollen and snotty and couldn't stop so I just sat and sobbed for a while.

It was one of those times that my husband/boyfriend (if I had one) would have thought that the world had ended.

And then I didn't sleep and woke up and spent the day as if sand had been poured in my eyes.

Here is why I cried:

Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing, which absolutely and completely broke my heart.  Broke.  It.

I can't believe that an American did that.  I couldn't believe it then and I still cannot comprehend it.  In my mind, it's worse than 9/11.

I watched a clip on CNN about the 6 children who survived and they are all teenagers and young adults now.  The father of Chris Nguyen (who was 5 at the time) said that after he heard about the bombing and as he was driving to the site he stopped at a convenience store and bought large plastic bags because he thought he was driving there to pick up his son's body.  He just BROKE my heart.  I know that I keep saying that but I don't know any other way to describe it.  He was so quiet, so dignified, an immigrant who came her to be free, who loves this country and he just broke my heart.  Thankfully Chris is fine and in college now and has such purpose.  There are so many parents who weren't so blessed that day. 

The whole thing was such a waste.  An attack on innocent people carried out by a young man who was so full of hatred and he took so much from so many people.  Timothy McVeigh's execution was (in my opinion) just, but it was all such a waste. 

And then I cried because I read about Dixie Carter's funeral.  Apparently, she had a horrible stroke and was paralyzed and unable to speak.  She had control of her left hand and part of her arm and at her funeral, her daughter said that at night, in the dark, in the hospital, when she thought they were sleeping. that her mother would lie awake and exercise the one part of her body that she could move.

And I cried because she was so full of life and she wanted to live and she never gave up.  For so long, I wanted to die and now I want to live - so much.  I hope that I will always fight like that.

Ms. Carter was such a lady.  Her daughter said she was "so substantial".  What a wonderful thing to say.  So I cried for her Monday night.  I hope she rests in peace. 

So that's my sob story for Wednesday.  And sometimes you just need to cry.
Image:  Paris Cafe in the Rain by Rebecca Plotnick.

Ben & Jerry and The Bee Charmer

I only eat this for the calcium.

Swear to God.

Tuesday's Girl

"Yes, you can give him a message. You do take shorthand, don't you? Good, we take it in the South too. Anyway, just tell him that I have been a Southerner all my life, and I can vouch for the fact the we do eat a lot of things down here........ and we've certainly all had our share of grits and biscuits and gravy, and I myself have probably eaten enough fried chicken to feed a third world country ---- not to mention barbecue, cornbread, watermelon, fried pies, okra, and ...........yes.........if I were being perfectly candid, I would have to admit we have also eaten our share of crow, and for all I know --- during the darkest, leanest years of the Civil War, some of us may have had a Yankee or two for breakfast. But........... speaking for myself and hundreds of thousands of my Southern ancestors who have evolved through many decades of poverty, strife, and turmoil, I would like for Mr. Weaks to know that we have surely eaten many things in the past, and we will surely eat many things in the future, but --- God as my witness - -- we have never, I repeat, NEVER EATEN DIRT!!!"

Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker in Designing Women

The Cafe Marquesa

The Cafe Marquesa is my favorite place to eat in Key West. 

The food is great.  The waitstaff is excellent.  They gave me perfect french martinis (in fact I think they started my whole french martini thing).

But the actual restaurant.  The space.  The light!  My God, the light. 

I don't know how if happened or if they did it on purpose but the light is so sublimely beautiful to me.  It just radiates through the windows and the whole place seems to glow.  I was so happy just to sit there and sip my drink.  I think it's what restaurants in Heaven should be like. 

I just loved it (again) and I'm so happy that  I got to go.  

The End of the Innocence

I am a huge Don Henley fan.  The Eagles, too, but that would be a whole other post.....

Despite my fan-hood, I haven't really listened to Don much in a while.  I'm not sure why.

Then, last week in Key West, I asked myself the question of "What shall I listen to?" and the answer was - Don Henley.

Oh, how I had missed him!  It was like bumping into an old friend and suddenly realizing how your soul had been craving his company.  So I soaked him up like a sponge.

It was nice to visit with him for the week.

This Charming House

"The home should be the treasure chest of living."

Le Corbusier

Happy Monday!

Oh My God.  I'm so happy to be home!  The only thing that makes me happier than going on vacation is coming home!  I am SO happy! 

Joyous!  Out of my mind! 

What I am, y'all, is exhausted!  And broke - I'm also completely broke.  But that's another story, isn't it? 

I really am unable to say more than that.  There are things I want to say but I haven't the energy to type them right now. 

I promise I will be more articulate on Wednesday. 

Right now, I have to nap. 

Happy Monday to everyone.  Here's hoping we all have a great week. 
Image:  Glass by Darla Dear Photography.