"Anyway, We're Married Now"

 

“Yeah, Emma mentioned it. You’re here stag?”

“Yeah.” Del smiled slowly. “You never know, do you? Check out the blonde in the blue dress. Those are some nice pins she’s got.”

“Yeah. I always thought Laurel had great legs.”

Del choked on his beer. “That’s not … Oh,” he managed when she turned, laughed, and he got a better look. “Not used to seeing her in a dress, I guess.”

Bed of Roses

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Rachel Samanyi from Seattle.WA, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

People Are Sharing The Exact Moment Their Friend Accidentally Turned Them On, And What Happened Next

BuzzFeed via YAHOO!

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Earlier Jack and I were standing around, and I was scoping the crowd, the way you do.”

“The way you do.”

“Okay. I spot this blue dress with a great pair of legs and …” He made a vague gesture that gave her a clear picture of the and. “I thought, nice, very nice indeed, and made some mention of same to Jack. He pointed out that the legs and the rest I happened to be scoping were yours. It gave me a hell of a jolt, I admit.” He gauged her reaction, judged surprise led the way. “In the interest of full disclosure, I also admit it wasn’t the first time. So whether or not it was the right thing to say, it was accurate.”

Savor the Moment

Kitchen Sink Soup

“It can’t be more or less. It’s not like cooking up a kitchen-sink soup.”

Blood Magick

_________________

 At home I often make a variation called Kitchen Sink Soup, where everything but the kitchen sink goes into the pot to simmer away. What doesn’t seem like much to begin with can add up to something quite satisfying.

Healthy Families BC

_________________

On impulse, she got out a pot. Then minced, chopped, poured, tossed in cubes of herbs

she’d frozen the summer before. With a kettle of soup simmering, she went back up to

finish her orders.

An hour later, she came down to stir, then glanced toward the window as she heard a

car. Surprised, pleased, she hurried to the door to greet Jack.

“Well, hi.”

“I had a meeting, and managed to wrap it up early. I left my jacket here again, so I

thought I’d swing by on my way … You’re cooking?”

“I took a walk, and it started cooling off, which put me in the mood for kitchen sink

soup. There’s plenty, if you’re interested.”

Bed of Roses

Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

“I’m not as tidy as you.”
“Tidy’s such a fussy word, don’t you think?” He gave her an easy smile. 
“The sort that makes you think of your great-aunt Margaret and her tea cozies.”
“I don’t have a great-aunt Margaret.”
“If you did, she’d probably be a tidy sort with a tea cozy. I prefer the word organized.”


Vision in White

_____________________

You might recognize her name from her highly-popular book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. See how she will help clients “spark joy” as they declutter and organize their homes.

Better Homes & Gardens

_____________________

“Confused by closet organizers, I figured why not consult an architect?”
“You want an architect—a man—Jack—to organize your closet?”
“No, to give me a vision of what to use to organize it.”
Emma gave Mac a dubious look. “You’ve now entered Parker territory.”
“Maybe, but have you seen her closet? It’s like a layout in a magazine. It’s like 
what the Queen of England probably has. Without all the odd hats. 
Jack! Just the man I wanted to see.”
He stood in the doorway, tall, clad in jeans, work shirt, and boots—and very male. 
“I don’t want to come in there. You’re not supposed to touch anything at a crime scene.”
“The only crime here is that.” She pointed at her closet. 
“An empty closet with one stupid bar and shelf. You have to help me.”
“I told you we needed to design the closet when we altered the space.”
“I was in a hurry back then. Now I’m not. I know I need at least two bars, right—a lower one. 
And more shelves. Maybe some drawers.”
He glanced around. “You’re going to need a bigger boat.”
“I’m purging. Don’t start with me.”
He walked in, hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “Roomy.”
“Yes, which is part of the problem. All that room, I’ve felt obliged to fill it. 
You can make it better.”
“Sure I can make it better. A kit from Home Depot would make it better.”
“I’ve looked at them. I want something more . . . More.”


Vision in White

What Car Mechanics Really Think of You

“When’s the last time you had this serviced?”

“I don’t know. Some time.”

He glanced back at her, a dry look out of smoky gray eyes. “Some time looks to have been the other side of never. Your battery cables are corroded.” 

Bed of Roses

_____________________

Public Domain, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2740201

"People will come in here bent all out of shape, angry at the car instead of themselves. They won’t be honest about what happened."

POPULAR MECHANICS

_____________________

“You think all it takes is a key and a driver’s license?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your battery cables were covered with corrosion, your oil was sludge. Your tires were low and your brake pads damn near shot. I bet you slather yourself with some fancy cream every day of your life.”

“Excuse me?”

“But you can’t bother to get your car serviced. Lady, this car was a disgrace. You probably spent more on those shoes than you have on maintaining it.” 

Bed of Roses

To fall asleep

She fell asleep like a stone dropped in a pond. Up and moving one minute,

submerged the next. He was a drifter, with the movie reel of the day’s events 

and the previews of the next running through his mind 

as his body settled down. 

Bed of Roses

__________________

Evelyn De Morgan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

How do you fall asleep? It might happen to us every night 

- and maybe sometimes more often - 

but it's still a deeply mysterious process.

BBC

People Who Hate Working Out Are More Intelligent

"I guess the bastard elliptical is doing its job. How do you keep in shape?"

"I use the gym three or four times a week, play basketball, that sort of thing."

She sent him a slitted-eye, accusatory stare. "I bet you like it. The gym."

"Yeah, I do."

"So does Parker. I think you're both sick."

"Keeping in shape is sick?"

"No, liking what goes into keeping in shape is sick. I get doing it, but it should be considered a chore, a duty, a necessary evil."

Bed of Roses 

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By Gesundheitshuette - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16548001

Those with a steadfast commitment to the couch potato lifestyle may be onto something after all. According to a new study published in the Sage Journal of Health Psychology, people who will find any excuse to skip the gym have higher levels of a trait called “need for cognition,” or a “tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive endeavors,” according to the researchers. In other words, those who lack any sort of athletic ability may make up for it in intelligence and a general love for deep thinking.

MY DOMAINE

______________

They'd passed mile three with Del taking the lead when Mac dragged herself in.

“There it is.” She bared her teeth at the Bowflex. “The enemy.” 

She scowled at Parker, who finished up her session with basic yoga poses to stretch out. 

“You're already finished, aren't you? I can tell by that smug look on your face.”

Savor the Moment

Just Give Me A Reason

"I think, to get the light back, you have to give her a reason. What you say is
one part, but what you do, that's the big one. I think."


Bed of Roses

__________

Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars

Best Relationships Start as Friendships

"I don't know. I need to think. It's complicated. He's a friend. Our friend. And he's Del's best friend. Del's your brother," she said to Parker, "and the next thing to a brother to the rest of us. And we're all friends, and business partners. Del's our lawyer, and Jack helps out when we need him. Plus he's designing the remodeling. We have all these connections, and they're all tangled up."

"And nothing tangles up the tangles like sex," Mac put in.

"Exactly. What if we end up having this thing, then the thing goes south. Then we're awkward with each other, and that makes the rest of us awkward with the rest of us. We have a kind of balance, don't we? Sex isn't worth upsetting the balance."

"You wouldn't be doing it right then," Mrs. Grady commented, and shook her head. "Youth thinks

too damn much. I'm going to start the wash."

Emma sulked over her pancakes. "She thinks I'm being an idiot, but I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Then set the ground rules going in. What you each expect from each other, and how you'll handle any complications."

"What kind of ground rules?"

Parker shrugged. "That's for you to decide, Em."

Bed of Roses

__________________

By Nina from Australia (Friendship) [CC BY 2.0 

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The big fear about falling in love with a friend is that if the relationship goes bad, you're down both a boyfriend and a friend who might have comforted you through the breakup. It's a big risk, but when it goes right, it pays off big time. Falling in love with a best friend can be the best thing in the world. We all know the best boyfriends are the ones that feel like best friends you get to kiss, anyway.

YAHOO!

__________________

Resigned, Emma let out a sigh and decided she wouldn't wait for Jack to have a glass of wine. The trouble with friends, she thought as she went to the kitchen, was they knew you too well. Sex date, foreplay music, sexing underwear. No secrets among…
She stopped with the bottle in hand. Jack was a friend. Jack knew her very well. Wouldn't he…?
What if he…? "Oh, shit!"
She poured a very large glass of wine. Before she could take the first sip, she heard the knock on her door.
"Too late," she murmured. "Too late to change a thing. Time to see what happens, and deal with it."
She set the wine down, went to the door.
He'd changed, too, she noted. Khakis instead of jeans, a crisp shirt instead of a chambray. He carried a large take-out bag from her favorite Chinese restaurant, and a bottle of her preferred cabernet.
Sweet, Emma thought. And certainly another advantage of being friends.


Bed of Roses

How to Get Your Groom Excited About Wedding Planning

“But speaking of Emma and me, you'll do the best man thing, right?”

“Sure. Wouldn't have it any other way.”

“Good. That's about the only thing I have to do. Mostly, I just have to smile and say that's great when she tells me what they've come up with for the wedding. Parker told me my deal's the honeymoon, then gave me the contact for a travel agent she says is the best—and an entire packet on Bora Bora because she says it's somewhere Emma's always wanted to go, plus it's exotic and romantic. So I guess that's where we're going.”

Intrigued, Del studied Jack over his sparkling water. “Do you want to go to Bora Bora?”

“You know, I do. As soon as I looked at the packet, I thought, hey, this is it. Your sister's a little scary, Del.”

“She can be.”

“Carter got a packet on Tuscany, which included those "Learn Italian" discs for both of them.”

He had to laugh. “I guess that's taken care of.”

Savor the Moment

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By Mreasystart - http://www.bestmantoastsspeeches.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13883950

I have yet to walk down the aisle myself but when that time comes I want my Groom to be as excited about the wedding planning process as I am. Admittedly,  I hope he has a “Yes, dear” attitude towards certain details (peonies are a non-negotiable), but I plan on getting him involved and on board using these 14 brilliant tricks from SMP’s just-married editors.

SMP

_________________

“Yes, you do, but I'm—” 

“Trust me. It's going to be perfect and beautiful and the happiest day of your life.” 

“I'm being a pain in the ass.” 

“No, honey, you're being a bride. Now go take a nice, warm bath. You've got an hour.” 

“Carter isn't nervous.” Mac narrowed her eyes in a scowl. “I could hate him for that.” 

“Mackensie.” Parker turned from the computer. “I was in the kitchen this morning when Mrs. G made him sit down and eat some breakfast. He put maple syrup in his coffee.” 

“He did?” She threw up her arms in a cheer.“He is nervous. I feel better. I want him to be nervous, too, and I want his ears to blush the way they do, and I want . . . Since I'm the bride it can be all about what I want, right?” 

“Absolutely.” 

Happy Ever After

Cinco de Mayo

He sipped his beer and watched some of the guests dance to the trio of guitars and marimbas.

Beside him, Del took a pull on his own beer. "Hell of a party."

"They pull out all the stops."

Bed of Roses

_________________

Exotic, Elegant Dinner Party

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with a table scheme that goes south of the border

TRADITIONAL HOME

_________________

"Negra Modelo, right?" Phillip offered one.

"Yeah, thanks. Great party, as always."

"My favorite of the year."

Bed of Roses

What Your Coffee Order Says About You

He glanced up at the waitress. “Morphine. A double.”
“Ha-ha,” she said.
“Try the tea,” Carter suggested.
“I’m not quite that bad. Yet. Coffee, regular.”

Bed of Roses

________________________

 CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=689573



Are you searing hot with a dollop of syrup?
Or are you more on the frothy side with lots of whip?

We're talking coffee orders, naturally. 

Coffee-shop stops are a must when anyone goes on the road, so we got a little curious about what kinds of signals you give out when you order your freshly ground with Haribo peach gummy (yes, it's a thing).

YAHOO!

________________________

 “I didn’t ask how you take your coffee.”

 “Oh. I don’t suppose you have two percent milk.”

 “I often wonder why anybody does.”

 With an easy laugh that shot straight to his bloodstream, she wandered over to study the view outside the glass doors that led—as she’d suspected—to the rear portion of the circling deck. “Which also means you probably don’t have any fake sugar. Those little pink, blue, or yellow packets?”

 “Fresh out. I could offer you actual milk and actual sugar.”

Blood Brothers

RIP Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and Die Hard actor, dies aged 69

------------------------------------

"What I do is…" She poured bubbling wine into his glass. "First, I'll take a big glass of wine up to

my bedroom, then I'll light candles. I'll put on something soft and comfortable, something that makes me feel relaxed. Feel… female. Then I get into bed with all the pillows arranged just so, because I'm about to take a journey just for myself. And when I'm ready… When I'm just sinking in… I watch my DVD of Truly, Madly, Deeply."

"You watch porn?"

"It's not porn." Laughing, she gave his arm a quick slap. "It's an amazing love story. Juliet Stevenson is devastated when the man she loves, Alan Rickman, dies. She's overwhelmed with grief. Oh, it's painful to watch." Eyes radiating emotion, she laid a hand just under her throat. "I cry buckets. Then he comes back as a ghost. He loves her so much. It rips your heart out, and it makes you laugh."

"Rips out your heart and makes you laugh?"

"Yes. Men never get that. I'm not going to tell you the whole thing, just that it's wrenching and

charming and sad and affirming. It's unspeakably romantic."

"And that's what you do, secretly, in your bed at night, when you're alone."

"It is. Hundreds of times. I've had to replace the DVD twice."

Obviously baffled, he studied her as he drank champagne. "A dead guy's romantic?"

"Hello? Alan Rickman"

Bed of Roses