Friday Frustrations & Friday Funnies!

Boy do I have some frustrations for you today! Let's go!

1. I ordered a floral arrangement to be sent to a friend, Madelyn in a nursing home. Her daughter, Madelyn (yes, they both have the same name) sent me this picture telling my how happy she was to receive it. 

Here's the problem. This is a Thanksgiving arrangement and an ugly one at that. I immediately sent an email to the company I ordered from telling them that I was unhappy as what they sent looked like it was leftover AFTER Thanksgiving. 

This is what I ordered:

Isn't it beautiful and festive? And, it wasn't cheap! I sent this picture to my friend whose mother received the arrangement. She responded right away---"No, that wasn't what my mom received. That was the arrangement from her Thanksgiving meal at the "home!" She said she'd send me a picture the next day. Now, I've already sent a nasty email to the company and feeling pretty bad. Then, the next day, I got an email from the company that said, "The flowers are not guaranteed, but based upon availability!" They then said that they were sending my email of dissatisfaction to the floral provider. In the meantime, please accept this $15. coupon off your next arrangement. 

Then I got the picture of what was received. 

I am still not satisfied! This doesn't look anything like what I ordered. I've contacted the company again. I have never heard from the florist. About that $15.00 coupon: My thought is, "Are you kidding me? Why would I order another arrangement from you that I won't get?" The company is called "From You Flowers." I have posted all of this on Facebook too. This isn't the first time that I've had problems with flowers. I'll have to let you know how it turns out.

2. Next up is this. I had a Pampered Chef egg slicer for years---for years!!! Finally, a couple of the wires broke. So, I bought this one at the grocery store. It's from Everyday Living.

The very first time I used it, it broke. Okay, I'll just take it back. Well, I get my receipts via the Publix app. So, I go there to find the receipt and now it won't recognize my login info. I've tried every which way. I am so frustrated. I think I'll just carry it in. 

Okay wait, I need to stop right here. I've been bitching and carrying on about all of this---and you'll see what else as I get to it below. Butch just said, "Barb, I know you are a strong woman and will get this figured out!" I actually laughed out loud! Talk about trying to calm me down! Okay, it worked. I'm a little calmer now. But it won't last long.

Let me carry on.

3. I'm tying to make a purchase from Walmart. I bought these really cute runners:

Really cute and only $32.00 each. They are non-slip and stay put pretty well. They fold up nicely and not too bulky AND they are machine washable. So, I decided I wanted to buy a couple for when the holidays are over. I found what I wanted. When I went to check out, the website is not recognizing my login information. I've tried everything: copying and pasting my password, having a code sent to my email that never arrived---trying that three times and finally resetting my password. I can't do that either. I guess I'm going to have to call! There is nothing that makes me madder than not being able to spend money when I want to!!

4. So! When I was cooking for my luncheon on Tuesday, I had this bag of coconut. It had a "cut here" to re-seal the bag.

 I cut there. Apparently where I cut was wrong. 

Somehow I managed to cut in the wrong place. Now I've cut beyond where the self-seal is. I still have to use a clip. Okay, that's not the end of the world, but it is frustrating!

5. This really ticks me off and if I'm honest, it's my fault. I was making my most favorite cake for my luncheon--an Oatmeal Cake--It didn't rise. I was trying to figure out what went wrong. I haven't made this cake in a couple years. Anyway, I went through the recipe to see if I had left something out. Now, mind you, I am very methodical when I cook. I start with assembling all of the ingredients on the left of the mixing bowl. When I add something, I move it to the right. That way, I know I've put everything in. I still couldn't figure out what the problem could be. Then it hit me when I was in the shower. I don't know about you, but I do my best thinking in the shower. 

That's when it hit me. "Hmmm, I wonder if the baking powder is expired?" OMGosh, was it!

It expired in March of 2016!! Holy smokes, no telling when it actually died!! Okay, that's on me. Apparently I don't use baking powder very often!

And then this. I hate having an odd number of things, but I have a 6th frustration this week and actually a 7th!

6. I was on Instagram the day before yesterday. I was zipping along, liking this and that, commenting here and there. Then I got this message:

In case you can't read it, I was banned, locked out or whatever you want to call it for commenting too much! I didn't even know that was a thing! I sent this picture to the girls. Mindy explained: "If you don't post regularly and then all of a sudden start posting, Instagram thinks you are a "bot." I don't really know what "bots" are but I do know they are responsible for scooping up thousands of concert tickets. 

Somehow, I've gotten myself mixed up with them. All because my life doesn't revolve around social media. I check Facebook twice a day--morning and evening and Instagram when I think about it--maybe every other day. I guess I have to be more diligent in checking that out more often. I guess you'll have to call me "Barb the Bot!"

7. So. We made a purchase through Amazon of some nutritional supplements that Butch was told to get from an orthopedist. We ordered them, but never received them. Amazon says I need to contact the seller. I do. The seller says I need to contact Amazon. I'm caught in a ring of hell now!

****Update: Just got a notice that the flower company is refunding me 30% of what I paid. Well, it's something, but not enough!! Oh well, I need to let that go.

Okay, that's enough negativity for one post. Now on to a few funnies.

Five Things Thursday

First of all, Happy birthday to Mindy! We celebrated last night with dinner and tickets to see The Transiberian Orchestra. So good! Unbelievable the difference 22 years make. The best theatrical production at a concert we've seen this year! That's my opinion. I loved P!NK, but I thought this was better. The girls disagreed.

I have collected some beautiful pictures of porches and outdoor spaces. I seriously would love for my porch to look like these. But, I'm not sure I want to go to the trouble. It's not like you can really sit outside in the winter.

Okay, that's only four pictures. When I posted the fifth, I realized it was just a different view of the same porch. Oh well. Here's something else beautiful:

I have a story to tell you about this gorgeous arrangement that I ordered for a friend in a nursing home. But that will be on Friday. Here's a hint--it falls under "Friday Frustrations!"

What I Buy Wednesday

I was meeting my high school friend, Cathy for lunch last week and was about a half hour early. I had time to run by Hot Pink---a cute gift shop. I like to stop in during the holidays because they always have fun stuff. Stuff I don't need. But "need" has nothing to do with it. When I saw these, I knew I "needed" them for my collection!!

The one with the pink stem is so delicate! I'm excited to be using them on Tuesday. I'm having a Christmas luncheon for my friends. I'll be starting us off with Wassail and then going to champagne or mimosas. 

I have Christmas finished and wrapped now, so that's out of the way. I'll start with putting my Christmas grocery list together and getting all of the non-perishables. So basically, my upcoming purchases will be more like the normal everyday stuff. 

This falls under the category of what I didn't buy! Rather it was a surprise waiting for me when we got home from Thanksgiving. 

It's an Advent calendar. I cannot remember the last time I had an Advent calendar.

It's for a tea lover. Right up my alley (or as the Brits say, "right up my street!"

It's from my friend, Gren from Nottingham.

And it's from my favorite store in London! This was such a thoughtful gift. 

Who doesn't love surprises in the mail? Here's another surprise that came over the weekend:

My favorite cousin, Chrissy sent me the cute Kate Spade pens. She knows me very well!

Okay, that's it for this week.

Travel Tuesday

Our travels this week just took us around the corner to Richland Country Club for their very first Christmas tree lighting. I made reservations for dinner at 5:30 with the lighting starting at 7 p.m.

We stopped on the top of the hill so I could get this picture. 

There were tons of kids running around. There was hot chocolate spilled everywhere and dropped cookies. But we managed to find some chairs around one of the fire pits. We had such a good time that we're going to make it an annual event! Especially since it's in our own backyard!

Me on Monday

I was very happy to pick up my needlepoint pillow last week.

I love how it's turned out. 

Here's a close-up so you can see the different stitches. I enjoyed stitching it, but it took me longer than normal. I got tired of it. Finally, I just pushed through and finished. I'm glad I did. 

I finished a small ornament and have one more to go.

Next up:

Yes, that's right. I've done this one before. In fact, this is mine. I gave it to Sandy before Thanksgiving so she would have it for the fall season. I enjoyed this project so much--probably one of my most favorite ones. Well, I bought another! My sil, Chris had one that she was never going to be able to do. She offered it to me awhile back. I didn't want to take it on then as I felt like she might still be able to do it. Now, I think I would like to do it again. So, I paid her for it. Once I finish the little ornament, I'll get started on this. It will take me a year at least since I don't stitch as avidly as I used to. Mostly because I love using a floor stand, but don't like seeing it out. That means I put it away pretty regularly and then don't get it out as often.

We'll see how it goes. 

I could go in to my saga about scrapbooking with my sewing machine. That never goes well. I am 150% inept when it comes to sewing. But, I'll save that story for "Frustration Friday!!"

And that's it for Me on Monday!

Something for Sunday

Christmas is in the house! This post is photo heavy. The pictures are all mixed up, but you'll get the idea.

When I was at Morgan's over Thanksgiving, she introduced me to this Swiss Miss peppermint hot chocolate. Now I'm hooked. I'm leaving my Christmas mugs out. I bought the nutcracker one on the left in Quebec City, Canada last December. The one on the right is from London--a Christmas scene of the Tower Bridge.

Stephanie made this cute little Christmas tree for me years ago. 

You can see my champagne glass collection in the background. The Scrooge teapot is one of my most favorite Fitz and Floyd pieces. Over 25 years old.

This mantle scarf automatically makes everything Christmasy. Most of the stuff on the mantle is my regular stuff---vintage books, antique binoculars, camera, swing frames and scale. All I added was the big santa on the left, little sitting santa and some white glittery pinecones. There's an ornament of Highclere Castle--home of the Downton Abbey show--on top of the scale. Actually, that stays out year-round.

I think it was about 35 years ago that I started collecting these Murano glass Christmas trees. I bought one every year--half price after Christmas. They were around $400-$600, so the only way I could justify them was half price. 

Just a hodgepodge of random stuff with lots of glitter.

Sandy made the counted-cross-stitch Christmas house for me before Mitchell was born--so that's about 28 years old. It stays up permanently--not just at Christmas. The angel is another one of Morgan's childhood creations. The tree is made out of Christmas pins. That football shaped santa is a dimensional needlepoint piece. It has four panels. The poinsettia is a porcelain piece that my mother gave me.

These little vintage angels are some of my favorites. I can remember that we had something similar when I was little. The white tree is another Murano glass piece.

This needlepoint piece is from 2009. It was a class that Connie and I took at Nashville Needlepoint. When I was laid up, helped to finish hers. 

I love layering this vintage tablecloth every year. I really love vintage Christmas stuff. I don't have a lot, but a few things.

The dining room table is just a collage of things. 

These antique Christmas trees are a couple of my very favorite things. I bought them when we were on our Danube river cruise. I'm really hoping to snag a couple more when we take our Rhine river cruise this summer. We'll be visiting a German Christmas market--surely they'll have some. When I bought these two, there were dozens to choose from. It was hard to pick. They are from the 1920's--made with Swarovski crystals.

The ceramic Christmas tree was a Christmas present from a friend, Greta in the 1980's. I bought the little trees and the others you see here and there from her sister who made the big tree. The little manger scene was made by Morgan when she was in kindergarten. The little tree on the left with the ornaments came from one of our trips to Italy.

Okay, I guess that's enough. I have to admit, I really like how everything looks when it's done. But, I don't really enjoy doing it anymore. It's a lot of work. The whole time I'm putting it out, I'm already dreading the "take-down."

Every year I say I'm going to pare down. Next year for sure!