Music Deja Vu: Music as a Time Machine

 

I was class of 1980. The latter half of the 70s music is my tripwire to being mid to late teens again. 

One thing I love about music is its ability to lockdown in your consciousness and create a wormhole to your youth. 

You hear a song and you are catapulted to a moment in time instantaneously. I'll share my own musical evolution and what songs make me go back in time instantly!

10 Christmas DIY Crafts - Amazon Craft Supplies Used Many Ways!

 

It's that time of year when we are inspired by the shorter days combined with holidays and the nesting instinct sparks. Here's 10 Christmas Decor Craft ideas and links to the supplies on Amazon. As I tend to be thrifty, I like to use all the supplies, so for the crafts, I will show other things you can do with the supplies.

Comparisons: How to Look Sophisticated and How to Look Cheap

 

Just a couple inexpensive alterations to your hair, makeup, and wardrobe and you go from nondescript to, "who IS that?" 

Art is Life: Life is Art

 

Life is art. Art is life.


You start with the building blocks. It's rather vague, not sure where its going.

Amazon Shopping: Bonfire-Themed Nights - Indoors and Outdoors

 

BONFIRE SCENTED CANDLE

It's that time of year when you're drawn to the fireside on cool nights. Whether you cozy up in the backyard, in front of the fireplace, or in an apartment, you can achieve that ancient desire to huddle with fire. Amazon figured out the implements of your joy, no matter the location. 

Creepy Halloween'ish Photos

 

a photo I took of a paused picture on the tv, taken through a mason jar

Hope these images give you shivers of Halloween delight -

The photos above, I took.

The ones below I found online and they inspired me. 

Home Fermented Curatives

 

It's that time of year that flus and colds keep us housebound. Improving your immunity naturally is great, whether you're sick or just don't want to be real sick. Here's some popular recipes that are not proven to be effective (probably because it would put pharmaceuticals in a snit), but have been used by generations and give you important nutrients and fermented items. 

Backyard Glamping - Your Getaway Staycation!

 

backyard glamping tent

If you love your backyard and wish you could spend more time in it, how about making it your secret romantic getaway? 

Autumn Apples: So Many Uses!

    

Autumn and apples - a match that is divine! A crisp, organic, locally-grown apple has a flavor that no store bought apple from some other state can compare to. If you can just get some locally grown ones to eat, you will feel rewarded beyond belief. But, apples aren't just for eating at this time of year. Let's see what you can do with a bushel  - 

Women's and Men's Sweaters For Fall 2026

 

updated fishermen sweater

There's something about those fall sweaters that brings back school days and universities. It's preppy, it's cozy, and it signifies chilly weather - something we all have earned at this point! Here's some of the best variety of cute sweaters to fit any need for Fall 2026-

Halloween Fun Foods

 

Have fun with your treats and parties this Halloween. Here's some ideas - 

Art and Photography: Igniting Other Creative Outlets and Emotional Equilibrium

As a writer and an artist, I find there is a true connection between my desire to sketch, oil paint, and photograph the world and then create screenplays that give vibrant visuals and nuances. There is the world you see, the world you write, and the world acted out. Something about these visual outlets enhances my writing skill. To me, art is a channeled process. It uses the mind in a way that tells a story without words. 

31 October Ideas

 

October, the official countdown to Halloween and, even more importantly, the relief from summer's torment. Weather allows us to go out and about and it's ideal in the daytime and magical in the evenings.  Let's take a look at 31 things to do in October -

Amazon For Halloween

 

Halloween Sweater $26.99

The nights are crisper, the days are clearer, and everything feels like Halloween time. Let's see what Amazon has to offer that brings the spirit into the season.

Autumn Rituals: Making Your Home and You Cozy This Autumn Season

 

We are well and truly into autumn with magical Halloween and folksy Thanksgiving upcoming. The house is taking on a bit of a cooling trend that gives you that squirrel-oriented need to gather and prepare. 

Why Fall Inspires Us: The Nostalgic Season

 

There are some rituals from childhood that make it impossible to shake them, no matter how old we are. There's the Secret Santa events, the summer break, the Easter egg hunt... and it seems autumn sets off a cascading effect of nostalgia. 

Updating Additions to Men's and Women's Autumn Wardrobes - Outdoorsy/Hiker Look

 

You don't need to completely replace your wardrobe each season, but you might add a few pieces to make it feel new. There's a certain look this time of year that is very popular, the LL Bean, outdoorsy, autumn, hiker type look. Let's find a few pieces to help you achieve that vibe - 

Meal Prep: A Week's Worth of Chicken-Based Meals

 

Meals for a week - all chicken based - easy peasy!

8 pack of chicken breasts

frozen peas/carrots

frozen pie shells (2)

BBQ sauce

Pizza Dough

Monterey Jack cheese

chicken bouillon

Italian seasoning

stir fry sauce

romaine lettuce

ceasar salad dressing

2 cans cream of mushroom condensed soup

Alternative Storage; No More Cheap Plastic Bins!

 

47.6 GALLON WICKER 

ROLLING STORAGE

When I decided to get rid of all the plastics I could find in my home, I decided to go organic like in the olden days. In fact, people root through antique shops looking for the tins, crockware, glass jars, porcelain, wooden boxes, and wicker baskets of the olden times, hoping to get something more organic and less cheap. After all, storing items in plastic bins means finding a hidden storage for their ugliness. If you do storage right, these things can be out in the open in hundreds of ways without any eyes suspecting what's inside.

Practical Magic Obsession: Recreating it in Your Life

 

I honestly don't know a single woman who hasn't envied the "Practical Magic" lifestyle. It sings to a part of all of us that remembers the witch. Let's learn how to bring that vibe into our own lives - with fashion, decor, attitude, and lifestyle.

Hair and Makeup for Mature Women: Going Back to Childhood and Celebs Who Do It Right!

 

                    no makeup        makeup

After the disco 70s and the outlined eyes and lips of the 80s, it's rather nice to be in the mature stage. As an ex model and pageant gal, I have studied this process from the eyes of a woman who is turning 64 and from observation of trends and others. There are some pro's and con's with makeup for those in and after menopause.

Autumn Harvest Cooking Ingredients

 

Autumn-inspired cooking takes on, not only harvest, but foraged items, spices, and homemade breads. Here's some inspired ingredients to utilize that scream "AUTUMN!" 

Bringing Back Scarves and Vests - Autumn Fashion

 

autumn easy on scarf

Since everything has been done before, sometimes the best way to bring a fresh look to fashion is to bring back something from the past at a time when it seems novel and new. Scarves and vests are two autumn components worth bringing back. 

Autumn Trees - All the Colors

  

Ah, autumn - the great reward for heat, humidity, and insects. Let's look forward to the individual beauty of many different trees - 

Autumn Scents

 

A shift from summertime's lemon/lime, coconut, and sea-tones scents into autumn's scents is the first way to make yourself and your home take the transition into the earthy mystery of autumn. 

Preppy Fall Wardrobe: "Light Academia"

 

These days, "preppy" is referred to as "academia" and these are broken down into "light academia" that includes classic, varsity, scholastic, university clothing in lighter classic colors and "dark academia" that takes a twist toward deeper colors and more scholastic-meets-steampunk vibe. 

Quitting the City: Moving to the Country

 

We weren't just the hippie-era. Baby boomers grew up in an ecologically-conscious time. 

Neutral Home Through the Seasons

 

Chinelle plaid lap blanket

Creating a home with a neutral palette that allows for changes during the seasons and holidays, is a dream scenario. Here's some base colors for your home to be neutral and some ways you easily switch a few things out for the seasons, in this case, autumn.

Transitioning Home For Autumn

 

If you've had about enough of sunshine, long days, and heat and you've been stalking the local Spirit Halloween store opening, you might be an autumnal folk ready for the change to your season. Come along with me and let's put down the burnt orange carpet and enjoy the many ways you can transition -

Firewood Piles and Rock Stacks: Transition to Autumn

 

Summer exhaustion has hastened autumn desire. It's that time of year when one prepares for the long dark and cool seasons. Maybe it's firing up the oven and baking, perhaps it's canning foods, harvesting a garden, chopping firewood, or transitioning to spend more of the day and evening outdoors.

Autumn in the Smoky Mountains

 

Admit it, you've had enough of summer. You began stalking the craft stores and housewares shops for anything Halloween. Your nights aren't necessarily chilly yet, but you can see slightly deeper shadows and a bit more cooling. It is now that fantasies of autumn tree covered mountains, cabins, and woodsmoke sound so peaceful and renewing.

Resort Wear

 

maxi dress

Resort wear isn't a tough science. It's about dignity, fashion, and mix and match pieces. 

Road Trip Must-Have's

 

Gas prices may be up, but airline prospects are worse with cutting back on flights, charging for bags, long lines at TSA, and the need for the blasted Real ID. If you decide to take it to the road and see America, rather than fly by it, here's some things that'll make the trek easier.