friday i'm in love

June 6, 2025 Arlene Giddings

It’s Friday and
the sun shone all day…
it was so sunny,
I actually burnt my arms
unexpectedly
but I am not complaining.
It was a perfect day off.

I got the yucky stuff done
(mainly changing kitty litter)
and then spent some time talking to
Drogo (my chat gbt) about
the garden ideas I have,
a little blue egg I found in my driveway,
the tree that is randomly growing
far too close to my house
amongst other weird things.

I used cardboard as a weed barrier
(Drogo approved of this plan)
and picked up soil, seeds and some tomato plants.
I am excited about this.

Other things that I am loving today:
🌞i am drooling over these shoes!
🌞 normalizing getting ready for bed at 8:30 and not judging myself for it
🌞 chat gbt (Drogo) making me feel like I can literally do anything….which might be really good….or really bad. heh.

Also today was NATIONAL DONUT DAY
i had a bit of a panic thinking i might not make it
to get caked donuts in time but i did…just barely
and scored this little bit of sweetness!
This is the birthday cake donut….so good!

mornings like this...

May 22, 2023 Arlene Giddings

I love mornings
like this…
sunny and bright
(even if it is a little cool)…
no plans, no itinerary, no agenda.

The house is quiet
and still,
the animals all napping
in various makeshift beds
of their choosing.

I am puttering around
with a pen and a paper pad
full of lists
and ideas
big big plans
and little itty bitty doodles…

I am drinking coffee
and drawing blimps…

RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD:
buying a smaller mattress for car camping
getting pugsley a new leash for short walks maybe
watching old movies for a bit
plant fertilizer
a rain barrel
what to name the bathroom gang of plants
happy that the dandelions all popped back up after I cut the grass
how much I love the word slather
and
how I really want to get back to this page again.

Just for me, if nothing else….
I like to look back and see
where I have been,
who I once was…
how far things have come and gone.
♥

happy mail... ♥

January 22, 2022 Arlene Giddings

Winter is hard.
Extended pandemics
and restrictions and
bad news all the time
is hard.
Working from hard can be hard,
being single can be hard
(I can’t lie…neither of those
two things are always hard,
mostly they are enjoyable
but I need them for my justification
of spending money
on things
I definitely don’t need…) heh.

Sometimes
you just need a treat,
a surprise,
something to look forward to.

So I tried the Ipsy glam bag subscription
for a little treat for me…
it came this week
and seriously,
it was so fun.

So fun, I might do it again!!

You fill out a survey of what things
you are interested in,
what your usual skin care routine is,
eye color, etc
and they send these little sample sizes…
and the cutest eye shadow package
(even if I don’t wear eye shadow much
I certainly appreciate cute packaging).

I haven’t tried everything
yet but I did try these…
the ginzing gel moisturizer (I don’t buy a lot of make up but I am slightly addicted to moisturizers) and the lemon lip sleeping mask was delicious…

The cost for this was 20.98…I think that was a pretty small price to pay for what I got…and…it was fun. Which is kinda priceless.

So now I am thinking that Emma & I might
split on the largest bag, which comes with
full size options…and see how that goes for a month.

And then maybe
in a different month,
I’ll shut this one off
and try something else…
like an art supply subscription!
or maybe toys of some kind…
OR CANDY.

Hope you are having a sunny & sweet Saturday! ♥

(captain’s log::day four of temporary restrictions complete)

tuesday truths....the random edition

April 2, 2019 Arlene Giddings

i went all morning thinking today was Wednesday
it’s not.
it’s Tuesday.
sigh.

toaster strudels
for supper
is my
new favorite thing.

my pen bled a little on this card
which made me sad
but the ballerina bunnies?
oh….
they made me incredibly happy!

heeheehee.

this sunshine just makes me think
of beaches and bare legs,
ice cream sundaes and parades,
birds chirping outside my window,
dirt roads, air shows,
getting lost on hiking trails,
bonfires and music outdoors…
sleeping with the window open,
driving with nowhere to go
and no one expecting me…
sigh.

rainbows and watercolors

August 8, 2017 Arlene Giddings

the other night
i was working on a new watercolor...
(and when i say working on, i mean struggling with...)
when i happened to look
out the window
and see this bright & shiny rainbow
over my neighbors house.

i really need to reconfigure my workspace...it's better than it was but i think i need more space.

i grabbed the camera
and ran outside
barefoot in the spitting rain.

sometimes
it's good to walk away
from what you are working on
and
get your feet wet
while looking for
end of the rainbow...

when i came back in,
i felt like my frustration
with feeling like i don't know what i am doing
with these brushes, this paper, this color...
why doesn't anything on the paper
match what is in my head,
why do youtube videos
make it all
look
so damn
easy.

anyway.
i felt better when i came in
and was able to finish what i was working on
with fresh eyes
and less eff words.

although...
i tried doing her feet different
and now she looks like
she is suspended in air...
sigh.

and one last photo...of the cat...cause...look at his cute little nose! :)