"I Told You So" and Paul Michael's

Went to Paul Michael's today...the Monroe, LA one. Here are some things I found..the books above are really the boxes that open...lots of black and cream was featured...still loving the roosters that were scaped with the books.

Now, prepare yourself...the hubster almost had a fit...

"Why?!" Why, indeed...

I can just see this old wooden pitchfork in an autumn setting...can't you?

And then I spied them...

all three of them sitting in Alley Cats

(which is the part of Paul Michael's where all the unloved stuff is sent)...

today things were reduced to 1/2 of 1/2....love it!!

These mercury glass candleholders are HUGE!

They are beautiful and will make a wonderful centerpiece.

I purchased all three for less than what one would normally cost!

NOW That's what I'm talking about!!

Switch gears here...a before and after from this week...

This old folding chair used to sit in my grandmother's hallway by her phone..it was dark brown and had a dark green leather seat.

I painted it white years ago and the paint had begun to flake off.

Out with the Rustoleum Hammered Brown and let me introduce you to Miss Polka Dot!

My new "makeup" chair!

This post is a little like herding cats...but on the way to Monroe, the hubster and I were very involved in a deep discussion concerning the difference in "opinion" and "advice".

The more we discussed, the more my "opinion" shifted.

Let me let you in on our thoughts. This is a summary of our discussion.

1. Everyone can have an opinion (duh)...even if it's wrong.

2. Opinion based on fact can be extremely useful when giving good advice.

Opinions based on feelings are a little trickier.

3. Opinions are your own...like noses...everybody has one.

4. Advice can be good or bad.

Some advice is given based on faulty advice originally given to the advisor.

5. You don't necessarily have to have experienced something first hand to be an expert but it probably gives you a broader perspective if you have indeed had experience. (Ex. a cancer doctor doesn't have to have "had" cancer to treat his cancer stricken patients.)

6. You can learn from people who have failed at something just like you learn from a successful person...sometimes even better.

What started this discussion was the fact that I was recently asked by a younger friend how I always had the right answer to questions. (I chose to believe that she was asking that sincerely and not sarcastically)...my answer was that the answers came from life's lessons learned.

I didn't get where I am today by NOT listening and learning. "WHAT?!" Exactly WHERE are you, Miss Know It All? (That's what you are thinking, I'm sure.) Unfluff those feathers...by virtue of the fact that I've lived over six decades makes me further down the road than most of those I work with everyday. Just living longer doesn't necessarily make you smarter (but it should). What makes you smarter is listening to others, continually learning and growing and being able to discern good advice from poor advice. Personally, I like my advice served with a side order of personal experience.

Nothing's worse than the sentence, "I told you so". The reason these words cut so deeply is because based on someone else's life experience...advice was offered....you didn't follow it because in your opinion, it wasn't good or it wasn't what you wanted to hear at the moment and you made a poor decision.

If you really want advice, let it marinate for a while before throwing it out. Sometimes following advice when you really don't want to is like taking bad tasting medicine...it's awful for a short while but the results are good long term.

(I didn't sleep well last night and I'm sort of grumpy...can you tell?)

That's all from the soapbox today,