THIS AND THAT

\I have to say that so far....this week has been better than last week.  Whoa....there's a news flash for you.  Everyone said that each day gets a little better and y'all might be right.  Hate to admit that because....well you know...maybe I wanted to wallow in my self pity just a little longer. I don't think that is how life works.... I have been trying to catch up at work and have made

* This article was originally published here

My therapist's orders: Go on 35 first dates

My therapist was pushing me to date more, which is hard when you're a teacher and can't go out "on a school night." But I'm getting myself out there. L.A. traffic willing.

* This article was originally published here

For flowers that last, the answer is cut and dried

It’s easy to grow your own flowers to dry – an affordable and sustainable way to create beautiful arrangements at home

My first exposure to dried flowers was as dusty, pastel-shaded posies on doily-covered tables. So when my floristry-expert mate Chanel told me that dried flower arrangements were back in vogue, my reaction was a judgmental eye-roll.

However, in their latest incarnation, dried flowers are simple and structural, in displays often of a single species, celebrating the forms of nature. The look is more “wabi-sabi” (the Japanese aesthetic appreciation for age and imperfection) than “potpourri” tweeness. Lasting for at least a year before they need replacing, they are, of course, far more sustainable, more affordable, and frankly less faff than buying fresh-cut flowers. I am now fascinated by the concept, especially as many species are at their most beautiful in their dried form. While the majority are bought ready-cut, most of them are easy to grow and dry at home, providing a steady source of new material with which to express creativity.

Continue reading...

* This article was originally published here

* This article was originally published here

For flowers that last, the answer is cut and dried

It’s easy to grow your own flowers to dry – an affordable and sustainable way to create beautiful arrangements at home

My first exposure to dried flowers was as dusty, pastel-shaded posies on doily-covered tables. So when my floristry-expert mate Chanel told me that dried flower arrangements were back in vogue, my reaction was a judgmental eye-roll.

However, in their latest incarnation, dried flowers are simple and structural, in displays often of a single species, celebrating the forms of nature. The look is more “wabi-sabi” (the Japanese aesthetic appreciation for age and imperfection) than “potpourri” tweeness. Lasting for at least a year before they need replacing, they are, of course, far more sustainable, more affordable, and frankly less faff than buying fresh-cut flowers. I am now fascinated by the concept, especially as many species are at their most beautiful in their dried form. While the majority are bought ready-cut, most of them are easy to grow and dry at home, providing a steady source of new material with which to express creativity.

Continue reading...

* This article was originally published here

A unique housing solution in the tough L.A. market: Make her gym her home

Like any good fighter, kickboxer Kendra Smith figured out a way to tackle the insane L.A. housing market: Move into a storefront where she could live and work.

* This article was originally published here

Tomatomania starts earlier than ever, with sales kicking off this weekend

This is the earliest Tomatomania has started in its 30-year-plus history, with 11 sales events scheduled between Santa Barbara and San Diego counties.

* This article was originally published here

This is the definitive way to use self-checkout lanes

Try going slowly to make the process smoother. And watch that coat.

* This article was originally published here

* This article was originally published here