Hebrew Eye Chart

I found this at Savers for 2.99. I'm embarrassed to say that I immediately texted my sister-in-law to ask her if it was Mandarin. When I didn't get a response, I googled and found that it was Hebrew. My sister-in-law eventually texted back that my brother said it was Hebrew. Thanks to Google, I already knew this, but I knew that my brother didn't need to google, he just knew, and I doubt he got it confused with Mandarin.

Language ignorances aside, I'm a sucker for word art. This bad boy was sitting on the top shelf so I initially didn't notice it and was toting around (okay my husband was doing the toting) a painteed wood picture of a guy carrying a surfboard and it said: "California Summer". I knew it would be at home in my bathroom, which, believe it or not, is devoid of any Savers artwork.

Something didn't feel right. I walked back to the artwork and put it back and that's when I saw it! A framed eye chart in another language. Thank goodness I'm learning to listen to my instincts, that and artwork calling to me...

I haven't found this exact eye chart on internet land, but some similar.

Try Amazon, Etsy, Houzz, Cascadilla Press on Cafe Press...or your local thrift store, not mine though.

Christmas in July...and August and the other 10 months.

I found 4 of these Saguaro glasses at Savers. I bought them with the Christmas season in mind, however we use them year-round. Sometimes I think they should go in the Christmas closet and come out only for Christmas season (October-February). However, after thinking about it, I've decided that sometimes Christmas decor needs to be year-round. These glasses are one of those exceptions.

*An aside: I've decided that cats photo-bombing my item shots are going to be my new trademark.*

Why are they an exception, you ask. Well, for starters, I picture Christmas drink-ware being more muggish (of or pertaining to resembling mugs). These glasses are perfect for ice-cold water. Believe it or not, even in the desert we drink hot beverages, when it gets below 76 degrees (outside). So, for 9 months out of the year, these bad boys are the right choice.

Also, they just make me happy. And isn't happiness the main rule of item non-discardis.

And how can you not just adore Saguaros? They are the most welcoming plant, with piercingly sharp injection-like spines, out there. Their cacti arms extend outward as if saying: "Welcome to Arizona, but don't get too close or I'll stab you right in the cornea."

Anyone having grown up in AZ has Cacti-run-in stories. And anyone having grown up in AZ should own glasses like these and use them year-round.

I feel like I can say that and show my bias outright, especially in this political day and age where one is allowed to say anything without repercussions.

I hope I have persuaded you to go buy Saguaro, Christmas glasses and use them year-round, even at the cost of peer pressure or ridicule at committing, out-of-season-household-heresy. Sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe.

Penny-Shoe-Boxes

I've been trying to clean my house. I tell myself that picking up one small thing is better than just staring in overwhelm-ment at a huge mountain of what-do-I-do-with-all-this-crap, some of which is sentimental.  I guess I need to read the tidying up book again.

So, this morning, after walking past these tiny shoes and  tiny boxes for weeks, and just shrugging my internal shoulders at the huge hurdle (watching the Olympics) of decision making these tiny pieces of material culture apparently are to my brain, I decided to make a decision.

First, I validated myself over the immenseness of the hurdle facing me. After all, miniature things are my Achilles heel, thus throwing the tiny boxes and tiny shoes away wouldn't be my first instinct.

Second, I admitted that the hallway counter-ledge-space was not where these tiny items belonged. (I've found that stating the ovbious increases my chances of making some type of movement).

Third, I determined that the tiny items were sitting here for a reason, that being, my toddler can't reach them and choke on them.

Next, I decided they were so cute that before throwing them away, (and by that I mean, throwing them into a dresser drawer and pretending I threw them away) I would blog about them.

I  might end up really throwing the shoes away, but I'm not ready to part with these chokable, colorful, Russian-doll, boxes from the Container Store.  The non-chokable boxes are in the play room, because what is more fun for humans than colorful, stacking boxes. I think my child will be a genius after playing with these.

For now, I need to decide what use these boxes will have in my dresser drawer. If I was 4, they would be the perfect tooth fairy-tooth-holder. If I was 10,  they would be the perfect eraser holders. If I was 12, they would hold folded up notes and/or stickers, which I would have previously spent an hour and a half cutting up into a hundred perfectly cut, individual stickers. If I was 20 they would be decorative on my dresser and/or ring holders. I'm almost 36, which of course means I will go on Pinterest and search for uses for miniature boxes, pin several ideas to my "craft" board, daydream about completing the pins, and then never do them.