The Musings of MissFifi

Amazing what a little wine, relaxation and chatting can do for one's psyche.Upon further discussion, it seems the husband and I are very much on the same page. We both hate having projects completed half assed or not at all. More so, he dislikes doing a project and then finding out it was only 90% there. Maybe he missed a step that he was unaware of or used the wrong paint. Trial and error frustrates us both, I think him more actually, but we also hate that things take time and we have to learn to live with that. One does not go and blow savings on decorating and renovating the house. Especially now in this economy. Unless you have it of course and then you can get some great deals on appliances, contractors, etc. I really need to get my butt over to Home Goods and see if I can find a table or something for the newly rearranged living room. The one table that used to be there is now in the guest room as a side table and the night table that was there is now in the green room downst…

*Picasso
Ever have one of those days where you sort of fall to the wayside and cannot get back up? I am having that and it sucks. It is in my nature to be over sensitive and take things personally and I have struggled with it for a long time. I was much much much worse when I was in my twenties and there are many who could vouch. Of course, as we age, we do our best to improve, but when a stumbling block hits you, you spiral back, becoming that over defensive, insulted twenty five year old all over again.
I covered an old Ikea chair and I gathered the material on the sides. Thought it looked good and brought it down to the living room, all proud if how I wielded a heavy duty stapler. At first my husband liked it until he saw the sides and said, "You did not cut all the material?" In a snit, I swooped it up and brought it back up to the office, aggravated and pissed. Now I have to decide if I am going to rip it out and start over. Immediately I go to the bratty line of thinking…

Just found some new blogs and had to share!

The Steampunk Home - as a fan of unusual designs, gothic mixed with modern or victorian mixed with cottage style, I love this site.
Slim Paley - Let us discuss how much I want that antique toaster.
Freshome - interior design and architecture. Really cool modernist ideas. I am sure I will be getting lost on this site for awhile.
Coco+Kelley - yeah, if only I could afford to hire a good interior designer.
Design*Sponge - another place for great ideas and fun.
Enjoy it all.
Cheers! MissFifi

Yesterday I watched the BBC mini-series North and South. Good Lord it was wonderful! I cried, a few times mind you. I loved it. The acting was excellent and I have a new heartthrob in Richard Armitage. Nomnomnomnom. A very intriguing story by Elizabeth Gaskell about the Hale family that moves to Milton in the North of England. An industrialized town, filled with mills. The Hales come from the South of England and their daughter Margaret sympathizes with the workers and butts head with the owner of the local cotton mill, John Thornton. I insist that everyone read this or watch it, it is a fantastic story. The BBC has taken Gaskells' novels, North and South, Cranford and Wives and Daughters and turned them in to miniseries. I have seen them all and was impressed with how ahead of their time they must have been.
Keeping with all things English, I have begun reading Wait for Me! Memoirs by Deborah Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire. Her style is dry and witty and her incomparable life is f…

My tenure as fill in nanny has ended, which makes me sad. First off, it is a tough job caring for multiples. You truly get no time to really breath or shower or just sit. This is not about me, it is about the parents. My friend was able to do laundry and put Christmas decorations away because I was an extra set of hands, but if all had a meltdown at once, he had to stop what he was doing to assist. The girls were and are quite delightful and it is clear that Sidney will be the Brain. She is always thinking, contemplating, considering our deaths a la Stewie from Family Guy. She will be the child I wished I had. Her sisters are charming, delightful and quick to cuddle and play. Sidney's twin, Aria, is very zen like which is really cool. A mini Gandhi if you will. Vivian is just this sweet smiling gal, ready for love and being made to laugh. You gotta love watching their individual personalities come to light. What I enjoy most is knowing they will evolve from their current incarnati…

Whew! Between watching the little gals, having a massage client (yeah money!) and trying to write and keep house, it has been a crazy week. Invigorating and insane, but also lots of fun and filled with good times.
Keeping with insanity, HGTV's Dream House is in play. The location is Stowe, Vermont and it is lovely. A friend remarked that they make these house too damn big and I have to agree. A ski dorm that sleeps eight is useless unless we have lots and lots of company. See? I am gonna win that is why I have been thinking about this. Not that we would not let people use it and enjoy it as much as possible. What would be the point if having such a home if you are going to keep the darn thing shuttered up most of the time. My favorite not really necessary appliance in the house is the towel drawer warmer. It also heats up lotion. Yeah, we can all get through life without it, but what a darling luxury. Considering our upstairs bathroom lacks any insulation, yes it is cold as Hades …

Forgive my lack of posts, but I have the honor of helping out dear friends while their nanny is away for two weeks. I am assisting with three very lovely and sassy triplets. These gals are awesome and at three months all have their own little personalities. How any parent does this without having a flask permanently attached to their hip is beyond me. All kidding aside, their journey was even more incredible because these little ones were born via surrogates in India. Now, I know some folks are against the idea, but please, read the story before getting all judgmental. These three girls are seriously adored by their families and all their parents friends so no bad karma okay?
I love painted floors. Adore them actually and this post on Apartment Therapy about blue floors made me drool.
Believe it or not, I am still reading the J.D. Robb "In Death" series. I know, shocking right? I am about to start book number 5 called "Ceremony in Death". I admit that I have figured…

In a post by the wonderful SB Sarah at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, she pointed out how after all the tragedies of the day (AZ shooting, floods in Queensland, our own personal struggles that are not public) we need to remember how we are all connected and sometimes share more common ground then we know. She shared this incredible video by Symphony of Science called "We Are All Connected". It is a beautiful, musical, scientific reminder of how we have deeper connections to one another. Not just as children of God, no matter your faith, but as simple cogs in the universe. Peace.


Cheers! MissFifi

We saw the movie The Fighter yesterday and it was absolutely fantastic! Christian Bale and Melissa Leo totally deserve Oscar nods. Keep in mind, all the performances were stellar, but those two actors really stood out and that was not easy considering the cast. Let me tell you, I was on the edge of my seat during the fight scenes and I have not gotten that excited during a film in a very long time. I love it when Hollywood delivers, thanks to Mark Wahlberg's persistence. Yes, we have a very fine film out there people, oh we sure do.
My query letter has just been sent to another agent. It is sort of a weird process. I look at who the agency has published then review the photos and backgrounds of the agents and hope I choose right. I may work on making the letter more concise depending on the response I get. Apparently I have a two week window if she is even interested. I can appreciate that and I believe agents get back to you quicker then HR departments and normal business correspo…