The Weekly Bean

You're not gonna believe this!

On Tuesday night, we had a thunderstorm.

I was hiding under the bed upstairs on duty protecting the bedrooms from Hottentots, when Lola alerted me that our back yard was under attack!

I came running down the steps just in time to catch our arch-nemesis, Pepper the Cat, trying to break into our house through the French doors!!

Look at that!

Can you believe the gall?

We barked and growled and made "strange noises" (according to Mama - but she didn't understand we were speaking 'cat'.)

And even though we warned Pepper in no uncertain terms, he just kept sniffing around all over our patio!

We have never been so disrespected in our lives!

And THEN to add insult to injury, our Mama would not let us go outside and deal with the situation! 

Can you believe it?  

I mean, PEPPER'S Mama let him out to play attack us during the thunderstorm!

We told Mama that, too.

But Mama said she didn't care what Pepper's Mama does and she would not let us go out.

*heavy sigh*

We wonder if other corgi's Mamas are as mean and unreasonable as ours' is....

The Witches of East End

I ran into Barnes & Noble on Sunday to buy the latest issue of Elle Decor.

While I was there I decided to take a glance at the 'New Arrivals' table and this one caught my eye.  I read the blurb and thought it looked OK.   I was in the mood for a good 'beach read' so I wrote down the title in my little pink book and when I got home I checked out the reader reviews on Amazon.

They looked pretty good, so I downloaded it.

Y'all, this is such a fun book.

Now, don't get me wrong.  As books go, this was the literary equivalent of a bag of Cheetos.  And it goes down just as fast and easy as a bag of Cheetos and has about as much nutritional value.  But sometimes that's good thing.

It's a fantasy, a mystery and a romance novel all wrapped up in cute little chick lit dust jacket.   All the women are witches and all the men are HOT.

And you know there's some sort of evil in town.

Oh, dear! 

I could not put it down!

I read on Sunday evening until I absolutely had to go to sleep because of that tiresome little necessity I call a 'job' - and I knew I had to get up and go to it...

Then I took it to Court with me on Monday so I could read it while I waited.  I came home for my lunch hour so I could continue to read... and, I have to admit, I kept stealing 5 minutes here and there all afternoon so I could read it on my iPhone under my desk!

I just couldn't help it!  I was dying to find out what would happen.

The cool thing about it is its the first of a series - which I am now officially going to read - apparently.

I mean, what else am I supposed to do?

I've been SUCKED IN! 

If you're looking for a light, fun, entertaining 'beach' read, you may want to check this out.

I was VASTLY entertained.

This Charming Closet

Do you guys have ANY idea how much I think about handbags? 

Is is weird?  If it is, I don't care.  I love them so much. 

Here are a few current favorites - nothing exotic and they're all pretty similar....

First up - the Kate Spade Vanston Maryclare - very simple, very classic, very roomy.  It'll be beautiful forever.  And Kate Spade has good sales. 

Lately I'm loving Tory Burch more and more.  I have never purchased one of her handbags, but it's only a matter of time.  She has 2 that I'm currently in love with. 

First, the Robinson Tote - it couldn't be more perfect if it tried.  Sleek, beautiful, classic and in several delicious colors.  My only criticism (and why I really haven't bought one) is that its too big for my needs.  And I know she makes a smaller one but I want it in Poppy Red (to match my wallet) and I can't find one in captivity!!!!

And this one is new for fall, the Tory Burch Tallis Satchel.  Y'all, I've never met a satchel that I didn't love...

Then we have the first arrivals from Coach's Chelsea Collection - to be more fully introduced this fall.  I have been shopping for a Luggage colored bag for YEARS.  Years.  I'm heading over to check this one out as soon as possible because nobody does 'Luggage' like Coach.  This is their Chelsea Leather Satchel:

And finally, Rebecca Minkoff's new Cupid bag.   Kick ass leather and mouthwatering hardware.  This woman hits it out of the park!

Wednesday - Run Away Without Leaving Home

I hope to go on a safari before I die.....

Of course, I realize that my current idea of 'roughing it' is having to share a room at the Hyatt and I am unable to withstand the mosquito assault on my patio.  I will definitely have to toughen up...

But I can still dream about it.
Image from here.

Single Girl Handbag Wisdom

Although I have no empirical evidence to prove this, I have long suspected that civilization as we know it would come to a screeching end if women stopped carrying handbags....

Random Pretty Man

I had a dream the other night that I was married to Jon Tenney.

I woke up happy and was happy all day!

Charming Words

Law-yer [law-yer; loi-er]

- noun
 
A person whose profession is to represent clients in a court of law or to advise or act for clients in other legal matters.
Image from here.

Tuesday's Girl

"I want you to believe in yourself, imagine good things and moisturize."

Patrick Swayze as Ms. Vida Boheme in 'To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything.  Julie Newmar."

The Pretender

Jackson Browne....

Those eyes.

That chin.

Those lips.

The beautiful words that come out of his lips...

This Charming House

So I bought a piece of art a couple of weeks ago.

From Jen Ramos over at Cocoa and Hearts.

It's called Colors 13 and I am in love with it!

I look at art all the time and as acquisitions go, this was pretty inexpensive.  But I just loved it as soon as I saw it - and the way I know this is that all of her paintings are a bit similar but when I go to her website, I can always pick 'mine' out of a crowd. 

I love the color combination and I just think it's girly and fun and yet it has a sophistication to it, at least to me. 

It arrived last week and immediately found it's home on my mantle - where it provides a perfect little pop of color.  I haven't had it framed yet because I can't bear to part with it long enough to take it in!

Here is is in Chateau Bee Charmer:

Happy Monday

Here is what happened here this weekend:

Sleeping late.

Downloading episodes of 'The Closer' on iTunes.

Light dusting and vacuuming.

Laundry.

Great dinner with good friends on Saturday night.

Napping.

Hanging out on the patio.

Target, West Elm, Barnes & Noble and the Teeter.

Bean walks, Bean smoochies and Bean snuggles.

Hot baths with bath salts and lots of bubbles.  

Some Nutella was involved.  

Started a great, fun, summer time book.  

How's that?  

We're heading into a long weekend, my darlings!  Just in time!

xoxox-  Tonya 

Image:  Groove Is In The Heart by Sparks of Fire.

A Little Extra William Faulkner

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it."

William Faulkner

Image from here.

Sunday Afternoon

Did you ever wonder what this Bean does while I read on the couch in the sun room?

She snoozes on the floor by the couch in the sun room. 

It's so hard for her - what with having to babysit me all the time.

The Bee Charmer Loves Paris

One of my favorite pictures from my trip.  Probably because I was so in love the the Luxembourg Gardens.

Happy Friday

Hi, everybody!

Have a GREAT weekend. 

Sleep late, eat well, soak up some sun....

And I'll see you on Monday.

xoxo

Tonya
Image from here.

The Weekly Bean

Incognito.....

The Old Man and The Sea

I'm not a Hemingway fan.

There.  I typed it out loud.

I love, love, love 'The Sun Also Rises' but that is the extent of my ability to make it through Ernest Hemingway unless you count 'A Moveable Feast' - which is kinda different so I don't count it....

Anyway -

Since I've been to Key West and visited the Hemingway House on 2 separate occasions, I've grown a little nostalgic for Hemingway's work.

I had especially thought that I might want to read 'The Old Man and The Sea' because - I don't know - I thought it might remind me of Key West or Cuba (to which I've never been, obviously (we're not allowed to go there) but where I'd love to visit in this life).  I thought it might evoke the islands in a way that I would like. 

So I was over at Barnes & Noble browsing around the other night and 'The Old Man and the Sea' was on the 'Summer Reads' table.

Did you know that it's only 50 pages long?  I had no idea!  I thought I must be looking at it the wrong way and it was actually the Cliff Notes or something.  I mean it won a PULITZER.   Fifty pages and a PULITZER?

But it is.  It's only 50 pages.  (Note to my high school English teacher, Mrs. Owens:  Why couldn't you have assigned this instead of "The Scarlet Letter'?)

So I thought 'Well, this must be a hell of a book'. 

And I also figured that I could take 50 pages of anything and then I can say "Yes.  I read The Old Man and The Sea."

Mission accomplished, charming readers.

Are you envious?  I thought so.

Anywhooo...

It's about an old man, the sea, and this gigantic marlin he catches (it takes him 2 days).  And the whole time I'm reading it, as he's fighting the fish and it's pulling him further and further out to sea, the West Virginian in me is thinking:

"That's great, Santiago.  But just how do you think yer gonna git that thang home?"

Seriously.  He'd been fishing all his life and that little problem never crossed his mind?  

Well, he caught the fish but he had a big problem on the way home.  With sharks.  Not good.  Bless his heart.  I felt so sorry for him.  All that work and then the sharks ate it.  So he sails home with the fish's carcass strapped to his little boat.  He's exhausted and disgusted and just goes to bed to recover and all the other men admire him for catching it to begin with.

*blink*  *blink*

I didn't think it was the least bit remarkable.

I know its an allegory and I read a critical review which argued that the work must be read in tandem with Hemingway's other books - after which it becomes the decisive step in elevating Hemingway's 'philosophy' on Manhood to the level of a religion.....

What?

Between us, I sometime wonder if Ernest had some issues in his pants, if you know what I mean...

I just think that if you have to struggle SO hard to find meaning and enlightenment in 50 pages, it was never there to begin with.

So, I'm still not a Hemingway fan.

But now I can say "I read it."

And that actually makes me happy.

This Charming House

So here's a little update on the powder room...

It occurred to me that I don't think I've ever posted pictures of it. So here's a snap:

It looks a little orange in this picture (due to my limited photography skills) but it's actually hot pink.

Or it was.

When I first bought this place, I wanted this room to make a statement because the rest of my house is so neutral.  And I'm happy that I gave the pink a shot.  But it was too overpowering for that little space and it just didn't work.

It was sort of like being in an oven.  Or a phone booth in hell. 

Either way, not the ambiance I was hoping for....

But changing it proved difficult because I didn't know what I wanted to do. 

Several people suggested wallpaper but I didn't want to make that kind of investment in there.

So I agonized about paint.

Then I saw these pictures in House Beautiful:

The color is called 'Driftscape Tan' by Benjamin Moore.  It's tan on the chip but it has 'amethyst' undertones.  I fell in love with it from the moment I saw it.  

The upshot is that I've always wanted to paint the powder room purple - without, you know - painting it purple....

This is why I'm hoping the Driftscape Tan will work.

Here's a shot of the paint chip:

As you can see, it's not 'purple' on the chip but from what I read, it looks purple on the wall.  In a 'complex color' sort of way.

Yes.  I know.  I think way, way too much about paint....

But  I'm hoping this color will get it done.  I figure at worse it'll just look 'tan'.

And the really, really cool thing I'm excited about is this rug I just picked up for in there from One King's Lane:

$22.00 y'all!  That's not a typo.  Twenty-two dollars!

I'm super excited about it.

I think that in order to get this paint to pull purple I need to put some purple accessories around it.

The painter is coming today.  Keep your fingers crossed for me?  Please???

Wednesday - Run Away Without Leaving Home

I'm lusting for Charleston. 

Just so ya know.

When I win the lottery I am SO buying a Pied a` Terre down there!
Image from here.

A Little Extra Wardrobe Lust

So -

I know that everyone is talking about Huma Abedin because of her husband's (Congressman Anthony Weiner - in case you live under a rock) almost certainly ill advised behavior of late. 

I'm not here to talk about him.

Or to talk about what I think she should do with him. 

I have bigger fish to fry.  

I am here to talk about her accessories. 

Basically, I would like to own her necklace, her earrings, her sunglasses and the dress she is wearing.  I would also like to have her hair (and if I were being totally honest her lips but then we'd maybe be getting into a weird area).

And I'd be willing to take just about anything else I've ever seen her wearing - in case she's looking to clean out her closet. 

Just sayin'. 

Random Pretty Man

This is Jared Followill.

He plays the bass for Kings of Leon.

He is 12 years old.

Well, not 12.

But I am literally (pronounce it like the Brits 'litrally') old enough to be his mother.

I don't care.

He is of age and I want to chew his ears off.

Oh - I'm following him on Twitter....

Charming Words

Gloam-ing [gloh-ming]

- noun

twilight; dusk
Image from here.

Tuesday's Girl

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself.  Aloud."

Coco Chanel

Pickup Truck

My current favorite song.

I can't get enough of it and it's on a never ending loop here.  

This Charming Handbag

So remember the Coach wallet I blogged about last week?

Well, that's out.

When the store didn't have one in stock and I had to order it, there was nothing for me to do while I waited for the mail but to continue shopping.

FYI to Coach:  I like immediate gratification....

Anywho, my search led me up the mall to Tory Burch and the Robinson Envelope Wallet in Poppy Red. 

Y'all - I fell in love. 

Love I tell you.

But no love is ever completely perfect and I have to tell you that I think the credit card slots are not in an optimal location in this wallet.

So I went back and forth for a few days.  Comparing. 

And then I decided on the Coach.  It came in the mail, I put all my stuff in it and I carried it to work.

But I kept thinking about the Tory Burch and every time I did, my heart leaped in my chest.

And that's how I knew it was the one for me.

That is my hint when dealing with small leather goods:  Go with the one that makes your heart go pitter pat. 

Now it is happy settled in the bag.  The poppy red coordinates with the coral stripe on my Kate Spade makeup bag.

Yes.  I worry about stuff like that.

Deal with it.

Happy Monday

Hi, everybody.

How was your weekend?  I hope all went well. 

I hung out with some friends, got my nails done, looked at houses with The New Mrs. Barr and made a peach/raspberry crisp.  Fun, huh? 

I also spent a good deal of time plotting a beach escape.  I'm hoping to be a little closer - very soon!

Did y'all know that this week is the North Carolina Judge's conference?  Well, it is.  The upshot of that for little ol' me is that there is no court this week. 

Oh, yeah!

It's gonna be a fun week.  The powder room painter is coming on Thursday.  Start wishing me a good outcome.  It's gonna take a miracle.

xo - Tonya
Image:  Purple Sea Urchin by Seashell Supply.

Charlotte and Coffee

So I started a little Tumblr page called Charlotte and Coffee.

I did it for two reasons.

First, I thought it would be fund to sort of capture the little moments in my life but mostly I did it to -

Play with my iPhone and Instagram....

Seriously, Instagram so freakin' cool.  And I had such a fun time taking pictures in Paris that I'm trying to keep up the feeling while I'm at home.

Did you know that one of the secrets to creating a charmed life is to be a tourist in your home town?

Well it is.  And this is my way of attempting to do it. 

If you want to check out Charlotte and Coffee you can go here. 

Or you can follow my Charlotte and Coffee posts on Twitter.

Saturday Afternoon

Stormy weekend!!

The Bee Charmer Loves Paris

I'm so in love with Little Brown Pen's work these days. 

Just in love with it and her blog is a little piece of happy for me everyday.
Image from Little Brown Pen.

Happy Friday!

Hi!

Have a great weekend everyone!

And I'll see you on Monday.

xoxo- Tonya

Image:  Purple Blossom by Judy Stalus Photography.

The Weekly Bean

Lola Bean via Instagram....

Or, you know, InstaBean.

I'd Know You Anywhere

This book - I'd Know You Anywhere - was our book club's latest selection.

Here's what Publisher's Weekly has to say about it:

Near the start of this outstanding novel of psychological suspense from Edgar-winner Lippman (Life Sentences), Eliza Benedict, a 38-year-old married mother of two living in suburban Maryland, receives a letter from Walter Bowman, the man who kidnapped her the summer she was 15 and is now on death row. The narrative shifts between the present and that long ago summer, when Eliza involuntarily became a part of Walter's endless road trip, including the fateful night when he picked up another teenage girl, Holly Tackett. Soon after Walter killed Holly, Eliza was rescued and taken home. Eliza must now balance a need for closure with a desire to protect herself emotionally. Walter wants something specific from her, but she has no idea what, and she's not sure that she wants to know. All the relationships, from the sometimes contentious one between Eliza and her sister, Vonnie, to the significantly stranger one between Walter and Barbara LaFortuny, an advocate for prisoners, provide depth and breadth to this absorbing story.

Overall, I liked the book and it was an entertaining read.  It definitely held my interest, although it's definitely 'ripped from the headlines'.  I sort of felt like I was reading an article in Glamour magazine or watching an episode of Law and Order.  It certainly made for a great book club discussion and it seemed like our members mostly enjoyed it. 

This book did make me think about the nature of our selves.  The things I didn't like about Eliza - her acquiescence, her seeming malleability, her reactive personality - were ultimately the aspects of her personality that kept her alive.  They served her well during her ordeal but I found myself wondering if they had continued to serve her in her life.

Pondering this idea made the book really worthwhile to me.

Random Pretty Man

Yay!

My sweet baby, Jesse L. Martin, is back this week!

I wish he'd get a new TV show.  I miss him.

All the pretty....

This Charming Closet

Y'all - I am in love with Michael Kors right now.

Specifically, I want:

The Shiny Golden Watch (love the name)

The Gia Satchel in Elephant....

It's a little pricey but gorgeous.

And -

The Jet Set iPad Case in red.

It's times like this that I wish I was one of Charlie's Angels.  They'd get to have all this cool stuff.  I'm pretty sure.  

Wednesday - Run Away Without Leaving Home

I am SO missing my yearly trip to Key West right now. 

Like pitifully and desperately.  If you are inclined to lay around (which I am) then it is a really nice place to be.

Image from here.

Lion v. Baby

This is baby Trent.

Or as the lion called him - after dinner snacks....

These people are strangely amused that this lion is trying to eat their baby.

Hope For Love One Day

You know me.  You don't mind waiting.

You just can't show me, but God I'm praying.

That you'll find me and that you'll see me,

That you'll run and never tire.

Image:  Tickled Pink by Katie Rose. 
Song Lyrics:  Desire by Ryan Adams.

Charming Words

Eve - ning [eev-ning]

- noun

the latter part of the day and the early part of the night
Image from here.

Tuesday's Girl

"People say everything happens for a reason.

These people are usually women.

And these women are usually sorting through a breakup.

It seems that men can get out of relationship without even a goodbye.

But apparently women have to either get married or learn something. "

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw

All This Time

This is my favorite Sting song.

And he was prettier back then....

This Charming Handbag

So one thing that I totally crapped out on in Paris was my search for a new wallet.

I had hoped to love the Salvatore Ferragamo that I found on line, but when I actually did find it in Paris - I didn't love it.

Back to the drawing board....

I swung by Coach a couple of weeks ago while shopping with The New Mrs. Barr and I discovered that I rather like their new Kristin Slim Envelope wallet.  I like the size and I'm kind of in love with the leather and the hardware.

So I got one. 

Problem was, I got home and the leather had a flaw (or rather was sewn wrong)...  So it had to go back.  And the only other one they had was the floor model and it looked worn.

So two weeks later - I've ordered one.  Hopefully, it'll be here soon.

If nothing else, it will look great with my Kristin Leather Hobo!