Something new! OpenSky

I was sent an invitation, via Good Housekeeping, to join OpenSky. This is how they got me: "Good Housekeeping Exclusive: OpenSky presents Christian Louboutin Giveaway."

Pretty good "hook" -- no? So, of course, I joined. Hey, somebody's got to be the winner! :)
Although I am still figuring out who to "follow" on this site (I'll explain below), I was happy to see a lot of celebs that I do know and like, from Bobby Flay to Bradley Bayou. I also liked the fact that they say that our happiness is guaranteed. Our purchase is backed by their 90-day guarantee.

What is OpenSky? A shopping network.
A social network of shoppers, OpenSky taps you into exclusive food, style, healthy living, and home design sales that are handpicked by a bevy of curators you choose to follow. Each week, your arbiters single out the item they fancy the most & give you first dibs to purchase it up to 60% off.
Like picking your circle of friends, you edit what products you see by choosing the curators you want to hear from. Plus finds don’t just disappear at midnight; purchase items in your curator’s collection for happiness guaranteed without the time crunch.

I like the fact that celebrities/well-known people are involved as curators, with discounts on their products! Here's a bit more of an explanation from the OpenSky website:

The nuts and bolts:
Sign up with your email and password Your account with us is free and you can cancel anytime.
Find great products that your favorite celebrities and experts love (we call them curators) by clicking the follow button next to their names.
Check your inbox for deals on your curators’ favorite products.
Visit OpenSky.com to shop all your curators’ items at any time.
Find new curators whenever you want by clicking on the manage curators link in the upper right-hand curator bar.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about this new website and if you decide to join, I'd appreciate it if you'd use my link below. Thank you!

Here's my link to join... click HERE.

Thanks again and have a wonderful weekend,

Gloria

Note: Graphics provided by OpenSky.

Pinterest!

Yes, I have to admit it: I am now addicted to Pinterest!

When I first heard of Pinterest on different blogs, I said, "Oh, that sounds silly." Yes, I really did. And now, I am a slave to it. When I get on there, I can easily be on for an hour or two, seriously. If my son is home and I am sitting on the couch, quietly, not bothering him, he will say: "Are you on that Pinterest thing again??!!"

It's so much fun though. There are pretty rooms to look at, funny posters that make me laugh, beautiful outside photos, lovely 'inspirational' quotes... Oh, and the FOOD! Great food photos and links to the recipes. It's kind-of like going shopping and "buying" all of these little photos for your boards! You can also post your OWN photos on there, which I have done too.

I love it so much and there are SO many pretty things that people "pin," such as photos like this one below...

UPDATE: The Pinterest owner of the above photo is: Originally pinned by Shelley Berendt onto Halloween. From maddycakesmuse.blogspot.com

Here's another example: Of the FUNNY things that you'll see on there. Isn't this hysterical??!UPDATE: The Pinterest owner of the above photo is: Originally pinned by SusieBru onto anne taintor or 'ish. From: theberry.com

Anyway, if you haven't joined yet, please do. You'll love it. And FOLLOW ME if you'd like to! My button is on my right-hand side bar.

And if you have joined already, let me know your favorite things to "pin!" Oh, and please tell me your link and I will follow you!

Best, Gloria

UPDATE: The Pinterest owner of the top photo/upper left is: Originally pinned by Anna Davis onto Quotes. (From: Original location not listed.)

DIY Website

Did you ever hear of this website? DoItYourself.com

I saw it mentioned on another blog. It looks like a great website! I haven't had time to check it out fully, but I thought I'd share this with all of you, in case you are getting ready for some of your own DIY projects and might like to look up some tips. Enjoy!

Click here ---> Do It Yourself

Best,

Gloria

Note: logo from website

Happy First Day of Autumn!

It's the first day of Fall, and in my area, it is raining. I'm looking forward to the change in color of the leaves on the trees. Until then, here's a pretty photo from the internet... I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Best,

Gloria

Note: Photo from Google/youngwinosofla.com

10th Anniversary of 9/11

Dear All: I wanted to do a post in memory of 9/11, on this 10th anniversary. I have been watching the different shows today (especially those on PBS) and have been crying my eyes out. I'm sure there are many of you doing the same.
One story that I think is so touching relates to the photo below...
In Bryant Park in NYC, they have set up 2,753 empty chairs, honoring those that perished in the 9/11 tragedy. The exhibit was created by artist Sheryl Oring.
Bryant Park is located between 40th and 42nd Street on Sixth Avenue, in back of the 42nd Street Library in Manhattan. In the 80's, I worked on 40th Street, across from Bryant Park in the American Standard Building (which is now a hotel). Since the time I worked there, the city has cleaned it up, and it is now a wonderful, safe park.
I think this photo is very moving, and says a lot... it shows all of the precious lives lost, and relays in this humble way that they have not been forgotten...
As one lady, who lost a brother, is quoted in the article: "It is a simple and touching memorial..."
If you'd like to read the article, please click HERE.

I did a post last year on the anniversary of 9/11. If you'd like to read it, please click HERE. It also includes a personal story of a friend's NYC firefighter husband, who was there on 9/11. I hope you might have a minute to read it.

Best,
Gloria

P.S. I've turned comments off for this post. Note: Photo of Bryant Park courtesy of msn.com/Sophia Hall, WCBS 880

PHOTOS of Hurricane Irene

FINALLY! I know, I know, anyone reading this is saying, "Gloria is finally posting hurricane photos NOW? It took her long enough!"
I am sorry for the delay and hope you are still interested in seeing them! My son took these photos when he went on the following day after Hurrican Irene. Let's see, the hurricane was on Sunday, September 28th, and he took most of these the following day. We were so lucky that not one tree or branch came down on our property. The good Lord was REALLY protecting us.
We were without power for five days... from Sunday through Thursday (we got our power back Thurs night). Believe it or not, parts of the power outage were fun... we did everything outside, grilling our food, and we played Monopoly and Jenga and Poker too!! We had fun and it was great quality time with my son. Very, very special...
Well, for four days, that is. I will be totally honest to let you know that on the fifth day, things started to get stressful and we were REALLY getting on each others' nerves!! LOL! So much for bonding time. Now I know: four days, GREAT; five days, UH-OH. Keep that in mind for any black-outs you may experience in the future. ;)

Well, let me show the photos now...
I wanted to show this one -- of our cat, Little Buddy, relaxing and taking a nap in my son's room... Isn't she cute?

The day after the hurricane, my son went in to Burger King in the next town to get us something and when he saw the loooooong line, he said forget it! Do you believe that line??

A couple more of the next town over from us...

And here starts the photos of the downed trees and downed wires in our town...

This is the shopping center in our town, not bad at all, only one tree...

More of our town...

This is our town's Senior Center. My son just drove in there to see how it fared, and it fared very well!

More of the downed trees and wires in our town...

And here is a bright spot: this is a little bush/tree I bought this Spring in honor of my mother (she passed away almost six years ago) because it is supposed to have blue-ish flowers (her favorite color) and after the hurricane, I was SHOCKED to see its first little flower! I think it was a sign from my Mom that she was protecting us the whole time during the hurricane. :)

And this was the best part of the "black out" that we had after the hurricane: my son would go in the morning to the next town and get us coffee and delicious, soft, fresh, buttered sesame bagels from Dunkin Donuts!

And, when our lights came back on, we celebrated with a few fireworks...

Thank you for visting and, again, thanks to all of you who worried about my son and I and left such nice comments on my previous two posts. I appreciate all of you!!! xxoo

Best,

Gloria

We made it through Hurricane Irene!

Thank you all for your comments in my previous post! You are all so nice and I appreciate it!
Well, I wanted to just do a short post to let you all know that my son and I are OK. We just got our power back late last night. Trust me, being without electricity for five days really STINKS.
I will be back in a day or so and post all the photos we took of the downed trees on the roads near us. My son and I were VERY LUCKY that there weren't any trees that came down on our property. Thank you, God.
Take care everyone and I will post soon, and I will start visiting all of YOU soon again too! I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend also.
Best,
Gloria

Bracing for Hurricane Irene!

We are all getting ready here in the New England area for Hurricane Irene!

I, for one, will admit that I am nervous. I live in the 'country' -- a rural area -- and I am always worried about falling trees for a regular storm, nevermind a HURRICANE! I have had numerous trees fall on my property over the years during a storm, some small, some HUGE. So I have been praying and praying that no large trees fall during this hurricane -- specifically on my HOUSE. I don't mind if they fall on the property and I have to have someone come with a chain saw to take them away.... but, please Lord, don't let them fall on the house! It is supposed to hit us on Sunday. The news in my area say it will start to hit Saturday around Midnight (which officially will be Sunday the 28th); with the brunt of it coming on Sunday late morning/afternoon. That's the latest news anyway, as of Friday night.

So I wanted to do this post to say: I hope anyone who is in Hurricane Irene's path stays safe! May the good Lord be with you!

I heard on the news that NYC is even suspending the subways on Saturday/Sunday! WOW! As many of you know from reading my blog (and are tired of hearing me say!) -- I am originally from Brooklyn, and I can tell you that I NEVER remember them stopping the trains for ANYTHING! Even if it was the worst snowstorm, the subway would still be running! So that just goes to show how seriously the Tri-State/New England area is taking this.

I have some 'hurricane' tips that I got from the internet -- but I am TOO LAZY to post them here now. (See, I have TOLD YOU in previous posts that I am lazy!!)

BUT: If anyone out there wants to know what I've discovered, please leave a comment here and I will email you with my findings or update my post. BUT, I think that anyone who will be affected by Hurricane Irene might have already investigated on their own with what they should be doing. But if you are like me and are saying, "Well, what do YOU know? Do you know something I don't know??!" -- then please feel free to let me know, and I will share. Email me or leave a comment. I just don't want to BORE people here with "tips" you might already know.

Well, I hope that all involved with Hurricane Irene will be safe. Now I have to concentrate on completing my list: the first item on my list for Saturday afternoon is "securing/storing away" all of my stuff outside (chairs, table, umbrella, hanging plants, flower pots, etc.) and do a lot of other stuff to get ready! (Yes, I am a "last minute" type of person with doing stuff.)

Although the hurricane will only last a day, our problem is then having to deal with a power outage. Hence, the other items on my list: fill some containers with water, get non-perishable foods together, flashlights ready, etc. I did go shopping today with my son and there was not ONE jar of peanut butter left (no kidding), nor individual water bottles (although we were able to get gallon jugs of water (Poland Spring brand, our favorite). The bread shelf was pretty bare, as well as the paper plates shelf, plus very few BATTERIES! I was not able to get extra "D" batteries that I wanted to have on hand. And, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, the cans of tuna were all gone! We prefer Bumble Bee, and there was literally not ONE CAN LEFT of that brand! That was one thing that really surprised me. ALL brands of tuna were gone, except for a few straggler cans.

But don't worry about us, as we were able to purchase: Devil Dogs, potato chips, Cheese Doodles, soda, Ritz crackers, Saltines, Nutella, chocolate chip cookies, peanuts, and I have an opened Reduced-Fat Skippy Peanut Butter (my favorite! -- remember: I couldn't get any "new" jar of peanut butter!) and an assortment of other non-perishables. HEY! Please don't judge my son and I that we think "non-perishables" are GOODY type products. ;)

In my defense, I DID buy a can of Chicken of the Sea tuna (there were only a handful left!), PLUS a couple of cans of green beans and one can of B&M Bakes Beans -- that's 'canned goods' in my opinion. :)

And so, to end, I hope everyone in the path of Hurricane Irene is as ready as I am... or, FINISH getting ready on Saturday, as I will. :)

Best,

Gloria

P.S. I mentioned A LOT of my favorite brand-named products in this post. But please know, I certainly am NOT getting any compensation from these companies! These are just my favorites.