Love Architecture and Need to Waste Away a Few Moments Today?

Architecture is one of my loves. I enjoy seeing beautiful buildings and well designed rooms. If these are things you enjoy as well I wanted to share a fun site that I check out from time to time: http://realestalker.blogspot.com/ It is like MTV cribs without you having to listen to the typical, "See what I have in my refrigerator" or "This is where the magic happens". On realestalker, the hilarious writer, Your Mama, takes you on a tour of homes that are being bought or sold by celebrities. This site is a case of the good the bad and the ugly. The decor in some of those homes will leave you shaking your head in dismay, but despite the ugly it is always a fun way to pass a few moments! Happy Monday!

Check out Kenny Chesney's new digs in Franklin, Tennessee! Franklin is a beautiful city and from the looks of it Mr. Chesney's house is just as amazing.

And Our Weekly Winner Is....

You will win the pair of earrings of your choice from Charitable Creations!

Thank you so much to Belinda and all of the other readers who entered! Thank you to Shelly for opening your shop up for the feature!

I Will Be So Glad When January Is Over...

because maybe in February I can pick up a magazine without hearing about how every single celebrity, I use the term celebrity loosely, is dieting for 2010. Is it too much to ask that I pick up US Weekly and read about where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt took their eighteen kids to eat out? Maybe Britney Spears had a date? Or George Clooney is on a secluded island by himself, oh along with a pesky paparazzi of course, otherwise we would have no picture. Right now Suri Cruise could be raising a havoc in nursery school and I would know none of it for all that is being crammed down my throat right now is diet nonsense!

Show me an Olympic athlete telling me how to get fit and eat right and I will lend an ear. Show me Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Lopez, the list goes on and I will close my ears and eyes! If I had my own meals delivered, my own chef, my own fitness trainer to follow me around the world and my very own plastic surgeon when none of that helped, I would be perfect as well! Until then I shall eat a cupcake and look forward to next month.

photo courtesy of clevercupcakes on flickr

Randomness

Sorry for the lack of updates the past few days. Windows 7 has been the bane of my existence this week. For some unknown reason, well actually it is known after a two hour phone call with the Microsoft help desk but trust me it is a long boring reason, my Windows 7 update was not allowing any of my photos to be downloaded. Basically I couldn't update my blog with any snazzy photos or do anything else with my pictures. Thanks to Gabe and the Microsoft help dude I am now back in action! I have several days of ramblings jotted down to add on my blog. If none of these things blend with the others, please excuse me!

• I am trying to think warm thoughts. Unfortunately Mother Nature is trying to tell me I am insane to daydream about beach umbrellas and boogie boards by bringing record breaking frosty temperatures to Texas. How many days until spring? Please hurry! And if that darn little groundhog sees his shadow I will hunt him down. I don't believe in animal cruelty, but a few more weeks of cold may cause me to change my mind!

• Does it mean my blog has finally gained appeal when I have people trying to gain free advertisement? Today I came home and noticed a lovely comment on my blog in Chinese. After going online to translate this message I found out that they were trying to sell dirty dirty things on my cute little blog here! Message to my dear anonymous poster, just because I have a Sex in the City trailer a few posts below does not mean that you can sell sex in my blog! Cut it out. Thank you kindly!

• What is up with Jay Leno trying to get his old time slot back? Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't he want to retire in the first place. Classic case of don't know what you've got until it is gone. I say, bow out gracefully Jay. It isn't fair to take the slot promised to Conan and Lord knows Jay has enough money to last his lifetime if he never works another day.

• There is so much static electricity in my house that I fear there is a high likelihood that I may spontaneously combust every time I turn on a light switch.

• Suze Orman is ruining my Anderson Cooper experience tonight. I love watching Anderson. I feel as if his show is the antidote for all of the reality crap I watch. My line of thinking is that if I know what is going on in Pakistan it is ok if I watch What Not to Wear. It is all about being well rounded, right? ;) Anyway, tonight while I was attempting to gain knowledge, Suze Orman did a segment and in usual Suze Orman form she is about to give me a panic attack. She is so forceful and she talks so fast and oh dear Lord help my brain. I once heard her on some show, Oprah I believe, making fun of a lady who was buying holiday decorations. Does not everyone deserve to live in a lovely home, Suze? Why am I bothering to go to school for interior design if Ms. Orman is trying to shame us in to living in ugly houses! She was focusing on credit card debt, which somehow ended up being likened to a cookie in the cookie jar. Now not only am feeling major guilt over the Christmas ornaments I bought, but I also want a darn cookie! Thanks Suze now I will need medication for anxiety and diet pills! Please look for my bill from Walgreens and send me reimbursement.

• Last night I made a trip to the hospital. A friend is making a very courageous fight against cancer and several of us went to visit her. I have said it before and I will say it again, you only have one chance at life and it is up to you to make it wonderful. All of the petty stuff that people throw at us on a day to day basis is so not important when you see someone having to fight to get healthy. Overlook the negativity and live your life with the goal of extreme happiness. Unless you believe in reincarnation this is your one shot!

• I don't want to end on a sad note, so in happy news I received the results back from Barkley's biopsy. He is fine and dandy. No disease and most importantly to him, no more cone! Gabe wanted to buy him the Snuggie for dogs since he has had a hard week. :) I told Gabe that I could not in good conscious buy something that I so publicly said was ridiculous. The Snuggie stayed at the store and my pride came home!

I warned you they were random thoughts!

So do you all have any exciting plans for the weekend? We were going to go see A Chorus Line, but the thought of wearing a dress to the theater in freezing weather does not sound like a fun Saturday night! I think I would rather stay home with lots o' layers and Redbox rentals!

Have You Seen This Etsy Shop?

Are you looking for custom silver and copper jewelry? Does it make you feel better about shopping for yourself if you know you are also doing a good deed at the same time? Well if these things sound pleasing, I have found a perfect shop for you: Charitable Creations.

Our Etsy shop this week is owned and operated by Shelly Medeiros from Massachusetts. Shelly loves creating high quality custom designs. Specializing in handmade silver jewelry, Charitable Creations offers hand stamped items that are made to order. Whether you are looking for a gift for a baby shower, Valentine's Day, birthday or just a present to remind yourself how awesome you are, there is something for you in Shelly's shop.

A portion of every item you purchase will go to a charity of your choice. Whether it be St. Jude's, ASPCA or a different organization, 10% of your money spent will go to a great cause. Of course you all know I love retail therapy, but it is even better to know you are helping out someone who really needs it! Thanks Shelly for doing great things with your shop!


What is in store for us at Charitable Creations? Let's go see:

Silver Turquoise Ring

Hand formed to a perfect custom fit, this sterling silver and turquoise stone ring will be a go to classic for many years to come.

Silver and Briolette Necklace - Touch of Fall

This necklace is stunning with the contrasting colors of the peridot facet, amethyst and crystal. Focused around an 18 inch sterling silver flat cable chain this is a piece that can be worn long after the fall has passed.

All about Family- Copper Necklace

This copper necklace includes an antiqued copper leaf, a cranberry glass bead, family disk and a pure copper square bar. After purchasing this item, the copper square will be customized with the names of your choice.

You have seen great jewelry that you can give as a gift. You have discovered that by shopping at Charitable Creations you can help out others. Now we must do the rundown of what

Joy De Vivre and Charitable Creations can do for you my wonderful blog readers!

Shelly wanted to let you know that one of the lucky readers this week will win a pair of earrings of their choice! Will it be the pair featured below or one of the many others? You decide!

Enter by:

Checking out Charitable Creations. Come back here and comment on your favorite item in the shop for one entry.

You also get a bonus entry for being/becoming a follower of Joy De Vivre.

Best of luck everyone! I will be doing the drawing on Saturday so be sure to check back in!

My Least Favorite Day

Monday is the suckiest day of the week. Not cute sucky like these colorful lollipops, but drag yourself out of the bed while dreadfully needing another hour, or three, of sleep awfulness. They are especially bad when you have had two glorious weeks of vacation.

To all of you feeling the same way I am today, hope this day is a good one for you!

Photo courtesy of Dragan*'s photostream on flickr

And Our Winner Is...

Congratulations Camille! You are the weekly winner! You have won the bottle cozy of your choice from B Doodles!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest this week.

Thank you to Dorothy and Brandi from B Doodles. It was really fun getting to know your eclectic shop!