I was talking to someone later in the day who described her hair as “simple hair” and I liked the sound of that. I used to wear my hair very short which required more frequent haircuts and – I believe – a more skilled stylist. Now, with this longer hair that is just blunt cut all around, Hairmasters suits me just fine.

I had my husband take these photos and I realized that I never see my hair from behind. It’s still quite brown in the back which surprised me; the top has gotten very very gray, and I constantly struggle with “to color or not to color”. I suspect that if I were the normal 50+ mom with kids going off to college I wouldn’t care about the gray, but when you’re 50+ with a second-grader, it’s a whole other story – and that, dear readers, is a whole other post!

Be sure to stop by Mel’s place to see what the others are showing and telling this week.

When I discovered this wonderful shop on Etsy, I was completely charmed. From Hot Cross Buns to soft-boiled egg in a cup, there are lots of delicious memories to enjoy. The artist hand-crafts these lovelies using recycled felted wool. I think the details are just amazing!

And if you’re so inclined, please visit my Etsy shop, lilyolil, where I’ve listed some fun new items this week, including this chipboard album, which I like quite a lot!

On Sunday, as it was still just heating up, Vintage Girl, Vintage Dad and I headed to the lake for a swim. My husband, thank goodness, is a fearless person, or so it seems, at least when it comes to physical challenges. He does a lot of things effortlessly that scare me to death, including jumping off a dock into cold, dark water – quickly followed by Vintage Girl!

But me? I tried and tried and couldn’t do it! And that is why I bought these super-cool, super-yellow water shoes. Now I can wade into the water like an old lady – an old lady with super-cool shoes, that is.

And those pink shoes? Those pink shoes that look like they’re almost the same size as mine? Those belong to Vintage Girl, age 7-3/4.

Don’t forget to head over to Mel’s place to see what the rest of the class is sharing.

I should have explained in the original post that the photo isn’t Vintage Girl. I’ve always been reluctant to post photos of her online, though I’m not sure why.

But because the real Vintage Girl is so darned cute, here you are:

I couldn’t find one of her with her cranky morning face, so these sweet pics will have to do.

And in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that mornings are getting easier. We seem to have fewer meltdowns these days, but the dilly-dallying . . . oh my Lord, the dilly-dallying!

On those rare days when I’m not in charge, I get to watch the scene unfold. I know it’s unkind- silly and immature even! – but it’s amusing to watch someone else match wits with Vintage Girl in pursuit of getting to school or camp on time.

Sometimes I actually go to another part of the house where I can laugh in private. If I can’t control myself and laugh in front of dear Vintage Dad, he is not amused . . . I’m sure he hates me at that moment – which makes it even funnier, poor man!

I’m giggling a little bit right now, just thinking about it . . .

Head over to Mel’s place to see what the others are sharing this week.

Whether you’re an over-the-top cat person, just someone who loves their cat – or are someone who loves someone who loves their cat, today I present: Kitty Baby Love.

Aside from the fact that these are so adorable, the candles and crayons are made in the San Francisco area by Sara and Ben, a married couple with a young child who are striving to be work-at-home parents. I like the idea of supporting them as much as I like their stuff.

You can find Etsy Expos 1-4 here.

If you’d like to take a peek at my Etsy shop, you’ll find me here.

Her books are beautiful, understated and classic – and the craftsmanship is astonishing, as you can see. If you’re looking for a journal or a photo album for really special photos, Quinn’s shop may have just the right book for you.

Meanwhile, Christmas in July at Etsy continues for another week, including in my Etsy shop.

A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo of the gigantic paper pile-up I was dealing with.

I’m often dealing with piles of paper; it drives me nuts but I can’t seem to get on top of it. You can read about my efforts to get organized here, at One Bag Nation, my first blog. I did manage to get that pile up off the floor and deal with most of what was there. I was planning to post a photo of the empty floor, but that seemed silly, so instead I present my office, which is looking pretty tidy tonight. (I’ve cleverly hidden what remains of the “to file” pile.

Please note that Mel’s blog is on the screen and please ignore that wine glass next to the laptop . . .

You can head over to Mel’s to check out what the rest of the class is sharing this week. And if you’re interested, you can visit my Etsy shop, where Christmas in July is underway!

For those of you are early holiday shoppers, this sale is definitely worth a look!

As I’ve mentioned on previous Etsy Expos, it’s simply amazing to me how many clever and talented folks are making and selling truly beautiful works of art – and many of them will be participating in the sale.

Some of the shops I love who will have things on sale are:

Shalom’s Cottage Home papercrafts

JanetLily jewelry

Madbird knitted & crocheted items

NewHopeBeading jewelry

Yellena drawings & paintings

SendingLoveGallery jewelry

At my shop, I’ll be featuring mostly lily-o-lil PhotoFolders. As a child of a “mixed marriage” (that’s what they called it in the 50’s), I celebrated – and still celebrate – the Jewish holidays as well as Christmas, so I have a combination of traditional Christmas items as well as some that are “winter/seasonal”.

I’m relatively new at this whole Etsy thing, and still trying to get my shop established. If you feel so inclined, I’d love to have you take a look!

I’m a new follower of her blog, but apparently many of her readers had joined in and chosen a word also, and many of them commented about their own progress over the past six months, living with their word as a sort of compass.

I decided that I would choose a word for the remaining six months of 2009, and the word I’ve chosen is EQUILIBRIUM. I thought about the word “balance” – that’s what came to mind first – but it feels so worn out. Every blogger and his monkey’s uncle seems to be writing about balance, and though I understand why, I’m tired of that word!

For me, EQUILIBRIUM goes deeper, it’s more spiritual and not about making lists and keeping all the plates spinning – though I do plenty of that! It’s about feeling content and fulfilled, and finding inner peace – even if the dishes are piling up and there’s laundry to do.

I explored some of this on my other blog last year, though there my focus was on finding serenity and peace of mind through getting myself organized – and that’s still important to me. But for these six months, I will strive for EQUILIBRIUM on a deeper level, using it as a mantra when I start to feel jangled and anxious – which unfortunately I often do.

Is there a word you’d like to live by for the rest of 2009? Please share!