A mantra to remember~~~

Hello My Diva Darlings,

Just a little short post...

I came across a note written to me years ago by my Father, he said that it makes for good wisdom in what to do to simplify ones life.

In his note he said we get caught up in material things, if we have too much we should share it, give what we don't need to others.

I'm not saying that my Father was a religious man, he only went to church just a few times of the year, frankly my Mother and I went to church more ofter.

But he had values which he felt should be passed on.

We had and have wealth but we never flaunted it, Father belived that it was important to not flaunt wealth but use it to help others. I myself had a car that was over 20 years old and would have kept it going until some boys stole it for a joy ride and wrecked it. Which forced me to buy a new car.

That is only one example---

So my Diva Darlings I want you to take what I'm going to post in Capital letters and I want you to enlarge it and frame it to remind you that many are blessed and many are not:

REMEMBER: FIX IT UP,
USE IT UP,
WEAR IT OUT,
MAKE IT DO
OR
DO WITHOUT.
SAVE WHAT YOU CAN,
SHARE WHAT YOU CAN,
MANY ARE BLESSED
AND
MANY ARE NOT.

Until anon Darlings

Updates so much to catch up with

Hello My Diva Darlings,

Yes, yes. Where HAVE I been, well pretty much all over, visiting family, traveling with my friend Michelle, repairs to my home and pretty much taking care of things.

So much so that I've really haven't had a time to blog. But I plan to post some things soon.

Did any of you catch the opening film video for the London Olympics'. The Queen herself as the latest James Bond girl. Who said she doesn't have a sense of humor. The Dear does, she just is not vulgar about it, but I think that this story premise did tickle her sense of humor.

After all the Darling did her duty during the War (WW II) her family never left London and stuck it out through the bombings. And that takes courage. Even in one movie the James Bond character says he does it for "Queen and Country".

Did you see Daniel Craig's (the latest James Bond) tiniest reactions---you seem to sense that even he can't believe it---he is acting a scene as the iconic 007 character with Her Majesty. I just love it and have saved it onto one of my flash drives. As they say "You Go, Old Girl!"

I've been putting together a number of posts and saving them onto my flash drives and will most likely post a lot of them at the same time.

Right now I've been watching the market with all its volatileness but only to see where the general trend is for long term investing.

With the corn crop an absolute disaster it is guaranteed that food prices will go up, right now I'm finding excellent deals on meat and poultry so Juanita and I are stocking up and dating the frozen foods, with the knowledge that when we re-stock it will be higher.

And because we use a certain amount of ethanol or corn additives I would not be surprised to see fuel prices going up.

Mitt Romeny's visit to Israel is a very interesting and calculating move, something that might gain him the vote from the Jewish voters if they view him as a friend but it also sends a message to Iran that he could have a "Hawkish" administration.

This election that is coming up is see-sawing, but frankly I'm not too hopeful about Obama, his administration has not been the best, but it is possible that we are focusing in the wrong areas to make a final determination. I wish to keep women's freedoms via the Democratic party but there are somethings that the republican party is promoting, so the question is which devil is the best, I really do wish we had a third candidate that was a combination of the best of these two, but I even don't see that.

All I can say Darlings is vote with your head and with logic, not with your emotions, I think we'll know better if they have a debate, and I hope that will happen, most likely in September or October. If they don't then we will have a problem of deciding.

Now about family and friends---my family is doing fine, one of my nieces is expecting a baby, which may arrive near Christmas, so we are all excited, my dear friends are all well, Kenneth is busy traveling for his company, and Keith has invested in purchasing a rental property that he is in the process of fixing up, one apartment unit at a time.

Keith has some very elderly renters who live in upper units and since there is no elevator he has approached his tenants about shifting around to accommodate the elderly, so far everyone seems to be comfortable with the idea, especially about making it as part of the rental agreement. He is looking into eventually installing an elevator which will be costly but he feels that it might help with the value of the property and he's looking into grants for it.

Ralph is comfortably ensconced in his new apartment. Juanita and her family are all doing well, her granddaughter is having fun with her side business and trying to go to school I've offered to help offset some of her schooling costs.

My Ladies who Lunch are all doing well, two of them managed to get better jobs and on the whole things are looking up for them, but as always it is a struggle, one has to fight for each penny.

Princess my little 4 legged Diva Darling just had her vet check up and is in excellent shape, she just visited the Doggie beauty shop yesterday and is all pretty.

Myself, well I am heir to all the plagues and fortunes that maturing age brings to me, but I keep active and interested in life which is important.

And right now my friends Betty and Bill are coming to pick me up we are going to our local Art and Wine Festival and see what items are up for sale and what wines are being offered, I may make a few selections.

And that is what all you Diva Darlings should do, enjoy life, you can do it even without spending a lot of money, look around see what is free or next to nothing in cost. Use your imagination and ingenuity and you can find life can be wonderful even in these difficult times.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

a few thoughts~~~

Darlings,

I am on the run today, but I just had to leave you with these few thoughts.

"When posing for the paparzzi, always stand on the right!" There is a reason for this, your angle for both face and body is always thinner also when they label the photo underneath it reads from left to right, so your name will be first, so when facing the photographer stand to the right of the group---your right.

"True Divas go by first names only" This is true if you are someone like Cher, Marylin, Madonna, and Dietrich, but with someone like Mae West, you need to use both names, because one cannot contain the full Divaness of her.

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." --- C.S. Lewis Never truer words spoken or written, our souls continue forever, we only borrow the body.

And now Darlings, I must be off, so much to do, not enough time to do it in.

Until Anon, Kisses.

Catching up~~~and Group Investing~~~

Hello My Darling Divas,

Busy, Busy, Busy is my only excuse, repair and remodeling on my home, working with my brothers on updating our financial portfolio's.

The tensions in Greece, Spain and Europe in general had us looking at our investments, and we've all made changes. No loss but no profit either, but that is at this time is what it should be.

Face book has proven to be a very poor investment choice and we were glad we did not take the plunge.

I've always been a "Mac and Cheese" investor, and now am looking more seriously at what people will need for children and for the elderly---one cannot get away from diapers, that is a given.

So I've been carefully shifting my portfolio. If anyone of you have been reading my earlier posts I've always recommended that it's wise to review it at least every 6 months and depending upon where you are age-wise.

And I have been taking my own advice. Part of it is to also always look at what people will always need. Again a type of "Mac and Cheese" investing.

I feel from what we've been seeing that the stock market is going to stall a bit, the Europe crisis is having people take a very hard look at things.

There is a oldish type of social gathering that ladies have been doing for a while and if you Divas have not been doing it then you should consider it.

An investment club---a group of people, mostly ladies, study the stock market and then pool their disposable money into investments---now this has to be a group decision based upon research. A book was written about this and once I find the title I will re-edit this post with it. Alright I've found out the name it was the "Beardstown Ladies Investment Group" both famous and infamous.

The reason that I say infamous is that they touted that they made more than the stock market SP. Which upon investigation proved to be incorrect. But this is what I'm trying to say....

Now some people think that is passe---but really it is a good social interaction and my late husband's partners re-marked to me the other day that they have seen a minor resurgence in this...they feel that woman are re-thinking and want to gain control again over their lives. One of the partners was asked to speak at one of these ladies weekend luncheons, he stressed in his talk that it is best to get educated as much as possible about how the stock market works, especially since it is so global for the 21st century.

He remarked to me how incisive and very deep thinking the ladies were with their questions, taking into account none of them had ever invested in the stock market before. He cautioned them about the type of schemes as done by Madloff.

My "Ladies who Lunch" and I have done this as well and still do it, although with changes in their individual lives we have had a few rotate off and new one's come on, each bringing their own outlook, but we've done well.

This is in addition to my own personal investments.

Now your choices may not do as well if you were with an investment firm but some people gamble playing the slots, poker, the horses. In that type of gambling, you'll lose your money and lose it quickly.

But what my late husband ex-partner remarked is that with careful monitoring, one does not have to lose all their money and can still salvage something. But it is something that if one is going to invest in should be for a long term investment not a quick turn over, and they should get together at least once a week, plus, with the use of the cell phone or smart phone each person in the club can stay in touch and can vote far more quickly than at standard meeting if something should suddenly come up.

So my Dear Divas, you might want to consider this as a social investment gathering with some profit in mind---so much better than going to a club for Mojito's and Chips.

On my repairs and remodeling---My dressing rooms are all done, painted, polished, new fixtures and beautiful, next is slowly putting in the clothes and while doing that weeding out things as well.

Juanita wants to buy a Sewing Machine, a good dependable Singer she says and she has one in mind, nothing too big, for her room. Her Grand Daughter who has a sewing business on the side is doing very well, especially with Prom Dresses, I asked Juanita if she is going into partnership with her Grand Daughter and she said no, but she'd like to have a machine to do repairs on her clothes and mine. And I thought that was a perfect idea, so we are going to leave in a few minutes and go Sewing Machine shopping.

And that Dear Divas is another good investment.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

Updates briefly~~~

Hello All my Diva Darlings,

Forgive me if I haven't been posting of late, so much to do, so little time to do it in. >p>I will be posting in the near future about my friend Ralph, I've had a few inquires about him, suffice to say he is now doing well and has a new apartment. But I'll go into that later.

Also the loss of Donna Summer has upset me, it seems another part of my life is gone. I will post a comment on her later. Just so sad, but a magnificent lady.

I have been getting inquiries about the stock options on "Facebook"---My Darlings, although it might be a good investment on the surface, I feel it will not be a sustatining one. My impression is that people will go in while the prices are affordable, and then allow it to build up to a point where when they sense another, better social network comes out, they will sell.

Remember I strongly believe in "Mac and Cheese" investing something that is not volitale and will stay for the long run, dispite its up's and down's. My ATT stock is a prime example, they have to be creative to stay for the long term. And I was in on the ground floor with Apple, because I felt it had "legs", but something as insubstantial as "facebook" ---well Darlings, I will pass. Some people may feel it's a mistake but I'll have no regrets.

Now I must run, I have a few errans to do and then this evening I and my friend Betty will have some fun at the Vintage Fashion Show.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

Oscars and Gasoline~~~

Hello All you wonderful Diva Darlings,

I hope you don't mind Darlings, but I had to just post this marvouls picture of a period pink bathroom, and I have to admit mine is pink too. Well why not? Certain shades of pink can be very flattering.

So did you enjoy the Oscar’s??? My friends and I certainly did, had a wonderfully marvelous party here, champagne, fingers crossed, wonderful finger food, and small plate food, pot luck as well as catered.

Yes My Dears, having an Oscar party is a wonder event to celebrate, to see all those lovely ladies in their elegant gowns. And you can dress up too just for the fun of it.

And especially since I’ve installed a huge plasma screen T.V.; did it just like the “executives” do in their homes, well it does help to have the funds to do it and I consider it an upgrade and improvement to my home.

I have this huge bookcase and right in the center is this plain blank wall created to hang paintings; well I had my contractor, who did all the work on my home before I moved in, to look at it and told him what I was interested in. The clever man knew exactly what I wanted, since I was planning on buying a new television and Juanita wanted my old one. (It has a larger screen).

So he very carefully removed the paneling and found the perfect recess for the screen, he finished it off, set up the mounts, and connectors for the screen. Then he installed a motor to raise and lower the panel on tracks so it retreats up into another alcove that actually holds the supports for my floor to ceiling book cases on one side and my floor to ceiling mirrors on the other, making sure that the vibration (if any, from either the motor or sliding) will not crack or loosen the mirrors. The motor is powerful enough to lift not only the panel but also any painting that I may choose to hang on it, up to a certain weight.

All was ready (after a number of test runs) so like a curtain rising on a theatre, up it went and we enjoyed the Oscars. I have to confess I did not see all of the films up for best picture but I was hoping that either “The Help” or “The Artist” would win and as I suspected “The Artist” won out, but just for the fact that “The Help” was even nominated told me how wonder a picture it is.

Of course we were “ooohhhing” and “Ahhhing” the clothes that the ladies wore, it was hard to say what was my favorite, but it was ‘sparkle, sparkle, sparkle”.

But sadly it all has to come to an end, and with much “air kissing” and “see you soon’s” it was over, I told Juanita that we would just put away any left over foods and drinks and leave the clean up for the next day. So with her and I working as a team we cleaned, washed and put away everything, and doing the usual “fluff and dust”. There are times when team work is very important. Fortunately it wasn’t all that much, you see Darlings, I do believe in paper and plastic, so the clean up was relatively easy, as long as you have hefty garbage bags.

And Juanita and I had enough food for two days, lunches and dinner, although we did have to be careful not to give Princess too much, as it can be not healthy for her tummy.

Ordinarily I would used Monday and Tuesday to go to my “office” but I instead decided to set it aside and use the time to go through my closet to see what needed to be repaired and spruced up by my shoemaker and labeling each one as to what need be done.

Currently going through my holdings, they are doing well, and I simply cannot see anything that I should be on the alert for, except I am watching the events as they unfold in Greece and other European Markets as well as the Middle East.

With the rising oil prices forcing the cost of gasoline to go up I am going to have to curb some of my driving excursions and plan my household trips a bit more carefully. I do use public transportation, bus, rapid transit, ferry to get to my office, since I have the luxury of having the bus stop only a few feet from my home, but other things cannot be frivolous.

As a matter of fact, talking with my “Ladies who Lunch”, the subject of gasoline prices came up. We all agreed that Jerry Brown’s statement in that we all have to use “green-cars” was ridiculous, there are people who cannot afford to purchase such cars, or are elderly and on a limited income. They cannot afford anything else, and then, as one of my ladies pointed out, the idiot in a “letters to the editors” column, stated everyone should use a bicycle, there are people who suffered from various health conditions such as sever asthma, heart troubles, rumitoid arthritis for who attempting to use a bicycle could either kill them or be extremely painful, it is even difficult for them to even walk to a bus stop or walk in general. Our general consensus was that the idiot was stupid to even make such a blanket statement like that.

And in the last 6 years or so, our public transit system has eliminated runs, discontinued stops that were needed, shifted others to area’s that are and difficult or dangerous to get to, raised the rates and generally has made the public transit system an impossible, useless joke. Especially with the Van Hoole buses that are so dangerous that an elderly person is in danger of falling down and in some cases cannot even climb up to the platform seats. Some elderly people have to use a walker or one of those rolling market baskets to carry their groceries and it is impossible to get them on board because of the design of the bus.

Definitely one of our Public Transit systems worse choices.

And some of our ladies have said that being environmentally concerned is fine except for the Environmental Nazis, we need to develop our own oil resources and cease to be dependent upon foreign oil and not sell our oil to other countries, “American First” is our war cry, enough with making people rich when the economy is hurting, even I no longer have any stocks in oil or auto manufacturing, with the exception of John Deer.

And with the “saber rattling” with Iran, and Israel has said they will attack on their own schedule and not even give the United States or any free country any warning of their military moves, this is serious Darlings.

So what can you do now?

First --- see if it’s possible that public transit can take you to work, you may have to plan on leaving from home sooner and get a transit card or pass that will help you pay your way without having to dig for change.

Second—if that is not possible see whom you can car pool with.

Third --- If you can take public transit to work, then plan your car trips very carefully to maximize travel with the least amount of gas, combine trips, make a route map so you will know where to go. Go to the Farthest out place first and also find out about each places’ hours. Then work in, in some cases you will see that you maybe working in a loop, if so and 2 or more places are close by, park your car at the best location and walk to the different stops.

For example, my shoe repair person and my tailor are within two blocks of each other so I park between the two and I take one thing to one, then walk past my car to pick up what I need to take to the other.

In a shopping mall that also has banking, and a grocery store, I will go to the bank first, and finish with the grocery store, in some case though you may have to re-park since many grocery stores now have shopping carts with locking wheels.

So plan your route and note where every place you need to go to is located and pick the best parking location.

Fourth---if you have no choice but to drive to work by car, consult with a seasoned, knowledgeable tax preparer about mileage and see if you can get a tax deduction for your car if used to get you to and from work or as part of your work routine, it is possible that you maybe entitled to a tax break of some sort. See also if your transit pass is also tax deductible as well. It will mean that you will have to do some bookkeeping but keeping a small notebook in your purse should not be difficult.

One of my Ladies does not use a gasoline credit card because she objects to the high interest rate, so she uses one of her lower interest rate credit cards (she keeps two) and goes to the one of the better grocery store gas stations where she frequently shops for groceries, just the other day, she received a 43 cent per gallon discount on her 20 gallon fill up, a savings of $8.60 or the cost of two gallons of gasoline at the current rate.

So Darlings NOW is a time when a Divalista must also think like a Frugalista.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

Bed side Reading~~~

Well Darlings, after all of that heavy work we need something a bit lighter.

Ordinarily Darlings, I don’t often recommend books to read unless its periodicals or books dealing with finance, but with such cold, cold weather and I do mean cold darlings, one really wants to just snuggle up in a nice warm blanket with a cup of hot coco, in front of a blazing fireplace, with good soft music, (I love Ella Fitzgerald myself) and a really good read.

Here are several that I found fascinating on the Non-fiction front.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson, what a frightening time for them.

Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic conversations of life with John F. Kenned; interview with Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., 1964 by Michael Beschloss, my goodness I love her thoughts, she was not a brainless twit as some people would try to paint her, and I would love to read Michelle Obama’s thoughts on paper as well, considering some of the looks that she delivers during certain moments.

Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard, amazing how events turned on this one horrible act.

And for spiritual uplifting reading “Heaven is for real” by Todd Burpo w/ Lynn Vincent, I found myself in tears reading this.

On the Fiction front well I have to confess Darlings I do have my favorites.

With the new Stephanie Plum movie coming out I am re-reading “One for the Money” as well as Janet Evanovich’s latest “Explosive Eighteen”, laughs, laughs and I wish it could be made for T.V. ala “Columbo” it would be a hit.

Sue Grafton never fails to entertain me with her “V is for Vengeance” she still has x, y, and z to go.

I’m including Sandra Brown’s “Lethal” and Lee Child’s “the Affair: a Reacher Novel, and I’ve always adored John Grisham and he does still do justice with “The Litigators, as does James Patterson’s two books with two different collaborators “The Christmas wedding” and “Kill me if you can”

Of course Kathryn Stockett’s book “The Help” is also a fun and eye opening read.

One book that I would recommend as very serious reading on the investment and financial front as well as American history is “That Used to be Us: How America fell behind in the world it invented and how we can come back” by Thomas L. Friedman & Michael Mandelbaum. Not for a cozy winter read but for serious reflection.

And when I say cold Darlings I do mean cold. Juanita and I worried about our small family of ducks that like to, on occasion nest under my plants, so I asked Manuel to build a small shelter and we put bedding hay for them, I was please to see that they took advantage of it ever since it started turning very cold and especially when the weather dropped to near freezing.

Juanita and I covered the more delicate plants with blankets for protection and I threw an old rug on top of the shelter for more insulation. For the last few extremely cold weeks I saw them taking advantage of its protection all snuggled together and Juanita and I put out duck chow for them in large plastic bowls that they partook of. I had to keep Princess in so as to not disturb them.

And Princess my little 4 legged Diva Darling, was so cold even with her sweater on that she begged me to come to my bed, so with a special flannel blanket for her she slept with “Mommy”. Even as I write this I have a heating pad on her chair, set on low so she will not take a chill.

With the weather taking such a freezing dip our walks have not been very long, just a quick dash down about a block and then back. She did learn that we have those special doggie pads on the garage floor all she has to do is just scratch the door, go there quickly and do her business on them. I have a special bin to put the used pad into to dispose of.

And bit by bit we are learning more about drafts and doing some work to eliminate them.

It’s times like these where it is soooo much better to fall back on using flannel pajamas as well as flannel sheets and pillow case and thick warm fuzzy wuzzy slippers. I know darlings, not glamouriest or divaiest, but you’ll be at your warmest.

And speaking of warm, well Darlings, I did run out of the Pumpkin spice liquid creamer but I still have my Pumpkin Spice tea, and it feels so good going down into my tummy (sorry Darling I know that sounds so too-too). But it is the feel good thing I’m going for, and at night when it is fine to use the fireplace I still burn candles for a sense of feeling warm, there is something so cozy about it.

In a few days when Juanita and I go shopping I’m going to get the Hazelnut liquid creamer as we head slowly into spring, which I can hardly wait for.

Until Anon Darlings, Kisses.

Important Papers Review 2012

Once again Dahlings it is time to review what to keep and what to throw away and I am going to be posting from several wonderful sources.

Oprah’s financial guru David Bach has a wonderful list in Chapter 2 of his book “Start Over, Finish Rich” I do recommend that you get and read his entire book which goes into things in depth.

Now he states that “except in cases involving fraud, the statute of
limitations on income-tax returns is only three years, so the Internal
Revenue Service does not expect you to hang on to tax records and receipts
for any longer than that. The main exceptions to this are if you've
underreported your income (in which case you should keep your records for
six years) or have claimed a loss from worthless securities (seven years).

(Personally Darlings I recommend 10 years---I never could trust the I.R.S.)

You should keep records documenting the cost basis of your home
and all your other taxable investments for as long as you own them. The
same goes for the basic documents concerning your retirement accounts and
insurance policies, not to mention all loans and mortgages.”

(This goes without saying and again as long as you own them and for at least 10 years after But consult with a very good Tax attorney about this)

This is Bach’s list of
items you should consider throwing away (or shredding if the documents
contain personal information):


Outdated warranties
Outdated instruction manuals
Outdated wills or trusts (provided you created a new one)
Canceled insurance policies
Credit card statements for closed tax years
Canceled checks for closed tax years
Old brokerage statements for closed tax years (unless they have
cost-basis information you might eventually need)
Old annual reports from stocks and/or mutual funds
Old investment newsletters (some people keep these things for years
because they paid for them—let them go)

Now one person posted this suggestion and it is I consider a very worthy thought

“If you are sorting papers for an elderly person who might need to apply for Medicaid you should know that the Medicaid office will want to see the paper trail,
all documentation for any transaction over $1000. Since there is a five
year look-back period, save all bank statements, brokerage statements,
large receipts for five years, otherwise you'll be spending a lot to get
the bank or broker to reproduce them for you.”

Again I still recommend 7 to 10 years back trail

Now Mr. Bach does have a file organization system that does work wonders but we haven’t covered other papers that you should keep---so let’s take a look at those----

Now I have copied this next bit of information for your personal information it is no longer in print but you can find a copy of it on the internet---and it is vital for your organization.

Keeping Family/Household Records Return to Publications.USA.gov
KEEPING FAMILY/HOUSEHOLD RECORDS
This brochure is no longer available in print. It is based on a chapter
from the U. S. Department of Agriculture's 1973 Yearbook of Agriculture
and has been adapted for use online by the Federal Citizen Information
Center of the General Services Administration as a public service. The
chapter on which this brochure is based was originally prepared by
Constance Burgess, a retired Cooperative Extension consumer education
specialist from the University of California. The information is in the
public domain and you are welcome to reference or copy it for educational
purposes.
What to Discard

When was the last time you couldn't find an important paper you knew you
had carefully put away someplace? How much time do you spend trying to
straighten out your household business affairs, especially at income tax
time?

How, in fact, do people decide what records are important to keep and what
they can discard? How do they decide where to store and keep such records
and papers?

Even though each family or household must work out its own system, some
general guidelines can be helpful. As a starter, ask yourself a few
questions:

How easy or difficult would it be for other members of your household to
figure out your record system? Or…do you even have a system?

Who besides you knows where to turn for necessary information about the
family household assets and obligations?
Do you have a listing of people
who are important contacts, such as tax counselors, attorneys, bankers,
brokers, insurance representatives, employers, creditors, and debtors?

Are you sure titles to property and possessions are held in the best way
for all concerned?
If not, you may want to ask an estate attorney or a
trust officer at your bank for professional assistance.

A good record system will provide a bird's-eye view of what happens to
property after you die or when a member of your household dies.
Other
changes can alter plans too---for example, divorce or separation,
children reaching legal age, a long illness, a lawsuit, a natural
disaster, loss of a job, and retirement.

What happens if the place where you live is burglarized or there's a
fire and records are destroyed?
What do you do when you lose track of
important paper.
Which can be replaced, and how do you go about that?

Which ones cannot be replaced, and what do you do about those?


Papers to Keep in Safe Deposit Boxes
Every family household has some important records. Each of us should have
a birth certificate or an acceptable substitute. Since there are many
occasions when the information on your birth certificate will be needed,
it is important that you keep it in a safe place, preferably in a safe
deposit box.

If you have lost or misplaced birth certificates, consider applying for
replacements now, before there is a pressing need. Otherwise, you may have
to wait for one you need quickly.

State registration of births has been mandatory since 1920, and you can
contact your State agency to get a copy. The Bureau of the Census also
will search its files for proof of age.

By the same token, there will be death certificate for every person
someday. These will be needed occasionally and also are best kept in a
safe deposit box.

If you need to obtain these kinds of records, the publication,
Where to
Write for Vital Records is available for viewing or purchase from the
Federal Citizen Information Center, Pueblo, Colorado 81009.

Other important documents to be kept in your safe deposit box include
marriage certificates, divorce or other legal papers regarding dissolution
of marriage, adoption papers, citizenship records, service papers, and any
other document that is either government or court recorded.

The original
copy of a will, in most cases, is kept in the safe of the attorney who
prepared it.
This is highly desirable, since it may save complications
later.
The client receives two carbon copies, one of which may be put into
his or her own safe deposit box.
However, there could be a legal delay in
getting this copy at his or her death.
The third copy, therefore, should
be kept at home where it is readily accessible.

Some of your important papers, such as investments, are of a business or
financial nature.
Certificates for securities are nonnegotiable (can't be
sold or legally transferred) until they are signed by the owner.

Nevertheless, such certificates can be lost or stolen, and the signature
can be forged.
In either case replacement involves both cost and delay.

Such certificates then, when not left with the broker, should be kept in
the owner's safe deposit box.

Government bonds can be replaced without cost, but there will be a delay
of several months. So it is best to keep these in the box also.

Among other investment-type documents that require safekeeping are papers
that serve as proof of ownership, such as deeds for real estate, other
mortgage papers, contracts, automobile titles (if this applies in your
State), leases, notes, and such special papers as patents and copyrights.

Renting Safe Deposit Boxes
If you don't have a safe deposit box, then consider getting one. The
yearly rental, at your bank or savings and loan company, is inexpensive.
Often the smallest size is adequate, though larger sizes are available at
slightly higher charges.
If you do have a safe deposit box, ask yourself if it is large enough to
hold everything that should be in it-and small enough to keep out things
that don't need to be there. If you store documents from investment
properties or securities, the rental can be claimed as a deduction for
income tax purposes. The box should not be used as a catchall for
souvenirs and unimportant papers.



What Goes In And What Stays Out
A guideline as to what goes in and what stays out of your safe deposit box
might be: Put it in if you can't replace it or if it would be costly or
troublesome to replace.

Many items can be replaced rather easily. Copies of insurance policies can
be obtained from your insurance companies. Copies of cancelled checks are
usually available at your bank. Generally speaking, you do not need to
keep the following in a safe deposit box: income tax returns, education
records, employment records, bankbooks, social security cards, guarantees,
and burial instructions.



Keeping Tax Records
How long should you keep tax records? The Internal Revenue Service has 3
years in which to audit Federal income tax returns.
However, this limit
does not apply in unusual cases. If you failed to report more than 25
percent of your gross income, the Government has 6 years to collect the
tax or to start legal proceedings. Also, there are no time limitations if
you filed a fraudulent return or if you failed to file a return.

But you don't have to keep everything for tax purposes. You can lighten
your record load by discarding certain checks and bills once they have
served their purpose. For example, you can throw away weekly or monthly
salary statements---assuming you are paid in that way---after you check
them against your annual W-2 Form.
But save cancelled checks that relate
directly to an entry on your tax return, and keep all medical bills for 3
years to back up your cancelled checks.

The IRS generally keeps records for 6 years. You can obtain a copy of your
tax return by writing to the IRS center to which your return was sent.
Make sure you include your social security number and a notarized
signature.



Making Household Inventory Records
Among your important papers keep a household inventory. If there is a fire
or burglary in your home, this record will help you remember what has to
be replaced and how much each item is worth. An inventory also may show
that you need to increase your insurance because your possessions are
worth more than you thought.

The best way to go about compiling a household inventory is to start with
a sheet of paper for each room in the house, apartment, etc. Forms on
which to record items are available from several places, sometimes from
your county Extension office.

When you make your inventory, start at one point in the room and go all
the way around, listing everything. For each item, list what it is, how
much it cost, when it was purchased, and what it would cost to replace it.

Include the model number, brand name, dealer's name, and a general
description. If you take pictures of the rooms and your household
possessions, it will make identification or replacement, easier. Arrange
expensive collections, silver, and jewelry separately and take close-up
pictures.

When you have finished all the rooms, including the basement, garage, and
attic, add up the total replacement cost. That figure will represent what
your household is worth and is what your insurance should cover.

Update your inventory every 6 months or so by adding new purchases and
adjusting replacement costs.

Organizing A Home Filing System
A system for personal records is a necessity. No matter how modest your
home facilities might be, you need a special place to keep your papers.

That could be as elaborate as a room or home office or as simple as a
corner of the kitchen, bedroom, or hall.

Records, regardless of the filing system used, should be reviewed at least
once a year to discard items no longer needed. January is a good time for
an overhaul, since it's just before you begin to work on taxes.

The equipment you will need doesn't have to be elaborate. Think about a
filing cabinet before you think about a desk. The two-drawer type can be
covered with paint or wallpaper. A wooden slab or hollow-core door
stretched across the top of two cabinets can make a practical home office
desk.

If you don't have space for a small cabinet, buy accordion folders, a
storage chest that fits under the bed, or get sturdy cardboard boxes of an
appropriate size.

A home computer or portable typewriter and a pocket calculator can be
handy, but they are not essential. The essential thing is to know where
everything is.

Two Home Files
You should keep two home files, in addition to your safe deposit box at
the bank. These two files are your active file and your dead storage file.

Your active file will hold:
1) unpaid bills until paid,
2) paid bill receipts,
3) current bank statements,
4) current cancelled checks,
5) income tax working papers. After 3 years, move these items to your dead
storage file. --- Be sure to hold to for 10 years.

There are other items which should always be kept in your active file.
These include:
1) employment records, such as resumes, recommendation
letters, health benefit information;
2) credit card information, including
the number of each card, by company name;
3) insurance policies;
4) copies of wills;
5) family health records;
6) appliance manuals and warranties;
7) education information, such as transcripts, diplomas, etc.;
8) Social Security information on benefits and regulations;
9) an inventory of what's in your safe deposit box (you might store a key in the inventory
folder).

Finally, keep a record book of the whereabouts of your important papers.
If you use a loose-leaf binder, you will be able to change papers easily
or copy a page or two.

The book should contain a list of all your savings and checking accounts.

This way you won't become one of the missing depositors who have forgotten
their accounts or who have died without telling relatives about them.

Also, include the name and branch of the bank where you keep your safe
deposit box.

The book also should have all of the family members' social security
numbers, and all of the insurance policy information.
It's a good idea to
keep a copy of your household inventory here as well.
Don't forget to
record all your household improvements.

Finally, make sure someone else knows and understands the family
record-keeping system.

Some things not covered in this list is a durable power of attorney and a medical power of attorney and a medical directive, this should be in your safe deposit box, a copy in your active file, a copy with a trusted blood relative as well as your spouse/significant other.
And directions for your funeral arrangements.


Preparing A Net Worth Statement
Have you tried filling out a net worth statement as a means of keeping
tabs on yourself and your family possessions? Such a record provides a
good overall picture and can be prepared in an hour or less. If you do it
annually, you can see quickly whether you are getting ahead financially or
falling behind and, in either case, how fast.

An accurate net worth statement can serve as a point of departure for the
year ahead. If you're not making as much progress financially as you had
expected to, you can decide whether to stay on course or to change
directions for the coming year.
Where are you going to find a net worth
form that will meet your needs? Try your county Cooperative Extension
Service office. Or ask at your bank. Better yet, perhaps you can make one
to fit your family.
All you do is list your assets, list your obligations,
and subtract the debts from the assets. Hopefully the plus side of the
ledger will get larger each year and the minus side smaller. But there may
be good reasons why you'll fall behind sometimes, such as when you buy a
new home or when other expenses are heavier than usual.



THINGS TO REMEMBER
Use the checklist chart below to remind yourself what to keep and what you
can discard.
Safe Deposit Box
Birth Certificates
Citizenship Papers
Marriage Certificates
Adoption Papers
Divorce Decrees
Wills
Death Certificates
Deeds
Titles to Automobiles
Household Inventory
Veteran's Papers
Bonds and Stock Certificates
Important Contracts
Active File
Tax Receipts
Unpaid Bills
Paid Bill Receipts
Current Bank Statements
Current Cancelled Checks
Income Tax Working Papers
Employment Records
Health Benefit Information
Credit Card Information
Insurance Policies
Copies of Wills
Family Health Records
Appliance Manuals and Warranties
Receipts of Items Under Warranty
Education Information
Inventory of Safe Deposit Box (and key)
Loan Statements
Loan Payment Books
Receipts of Expensive Items Not Yet Paid For
Dead Storage
All Active File Papers Over 3 Years Old
Items To Discard
Salary Statements (after checking on W-2 Form)
Cancelled Checks for Cash or Nondeductible Expenses
Expired Warranties
Coupons After Expiration Date
Other Records No Longer Needed see further above.

Julia Morgenstern in Oprah’s magazine for Sept 2004 gave this general guide of what to keep and for how long---

"How long should I keep certain papers?" It is
imperative that you check with your accountant and/or lawyer before throwing out
any financial or legal papers, because they know most about your individual
situation.

Here's a general guide of what to keep and for how long.


What to Keep and For How Long

Automobile records (titles, registration, repairs)—As long as you own the
vehicle(s)

Appointment books—1 to 10 years, depending on your comfort level

ATM slips—Maximum six years if needed for tax purposes

Bank statements—Maximum six years if needed for tax purposes

Credit card statements—Maximum six years if tax-related purchases on statements;
otherwise, until annual interest statement is issued by company

Calendars (past)—According to your comfort level and whether you use them for
reference or memorabilia

Catalogs and magazines—Until the next issue

Dividend payment records—Until an annual statement is supplied by company, then
just only annual statements

Household inventory and appraisal—As long as current, review at least once a year.

Insurance policies (auto, homeowners, liability)—As long as the statute of
limitations runs in the event of late claims

Insurance policies (disability, medical, life, personal property, umbrella)—As
long as you own it

Investments (purchase records)—As long as you own them

Investments (sales records)—Maximum six years for tax purposes could strech
to 10 years

Mortgage or loan discharge—As long as you own, or six years after discharge or 10

Receipts
Appliances—As long as you own the item

Art, antiques, collectibles—As long as you own the item

Clothing—For the length of the returns period, unless tracking your household
budget

Credit card slips—Until your statement comes and you can match purchases

Furniture—As long as you own the item in case repair is needed

Home improvements—As long as you own your home, or six years after sale

Household repairs—For life of warranty, or longer to reference reliability
record of service people and their rates

Major purchases—For the life of the item

Medical and tax-related—Maximum of six years to 10

Rent—Your canceled check is sufficient unless you make the mistake of paying
cash then it's best to switch to using a U.S. Postal Money Order and label it "Rent"
and get a receipt no matter what, demand it.

Utility bills—Your current bill and one previous year's to check billing
patterns

Warranties and instructions—For the life of warranty or the item. Stick label
with warranty expiration date and service repair number on bottom of appliance.
If something breaks down, you've got an easy way to check if the item's still
covered without even having to go to your file drawer.

Property bill of purchase—As long as you own the property

Résumé—As long as it's current

Safe Deposit Box key and inventory—As long as it's current

Tax records (bank statements and canceled checks, certificates of deposit,
contracts, charitable contributions, credit statements, income tax returns,
lease and loan agreements, loan payment books, pension plan records, pay
stubs)—The current year, plus six prior years to 10

Vital Records (Adoption papers, birth & death certificates, citizenship papers,
copyrights/patents, marriage certificate, divorce decree, letter of "Last
Instructions" to executor or heirs, medical illness and vaccination records,
passports, Power of Attorney, Social Security records, Wills)—Permanently

Now that you know how long to hang on to important papers, set up a file folder
system that works for you!

And every year you should do this---prepare a----

NET WORTH STATEMENT as of ________________
(update annually)



Assets
Cash on Hand$______________
Bank accounts (checking and savings)$______________
Credit Union account$______________
Savings & loan accounts$______________
Any other savings accounts$______________
House, market value$______________
Other real estate, value$______________
Household furnishings, value$______________
Automobile(s), blue book value$______________
Life insurance, cash value$______________
Stocks and bonds, today's value$______________
Profit-sharing or retirement plans$______________
U.S. Savings Bonds$______________
Money owed you$______________
Other assets or investments$______________
Personal property$______________
Total Assets$______________



Obligations
Mortgages, balance due$______________
Other loans (bank, credit union)$______________
Installment debts, balance due$______________
Credit cards, balance due$______________
Charge accounts, owed$______________
Other debts, total owed$______________
Insurance premiums due$______________
Taxes owed$______________
Other current bills$______________
Total Debts$______________


Net Worth (assets minus debts)$______________

Now a friend of mine has her active and inactive files in two 2 drawer cabinets, but she also invested in a 4 drawer cabinet because of her children’s information again label the cabinet drawers to cover each child.

Remember Darlings, you are the C.E.O. of your life and should you get married, of your family’s life.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

Time to start the new year~~~

Well Dahlings, once again it’s Tax Time---how awful and how boring, but it must be done.

The first thing I do recommend to all you wonderful Diva’s is always get a very good tax preparer, it really is worth it to have someone do the taxes for you, and it saves you the head ache and worry about putting things off, then racing at the last minute to do it.

Now if you are starting out in life to make the Diva bucks, if you are buying stocks, bonds, mutual funds etc. and are receiving some dividends from them either profit or loss, then you may want to consider someone with more experience than H. & R. Block.

But, if right now you are working to earn the money to invest, then H & R Block is just fine to start with. If you are renting, even sharing an apartment you still must make sure that you know exactly where your deductions are. Even if you think all you can fill out is a 1040 EZ form, it doesn’t hurt to discover what deductions you can take. You maybe surprised.

Each year the tax laws change either a little or a lot, so it pays to keep up with any possible changes and ask your tax preparer about them if they would apply to you.

Barron’s January 9, 2012 issue is well worth a very serious read about Mutual funds and how to keep your cash safe and still earn a return.

It also mentions one of my favorite investment funds, Sequoia Fund (ticker: SEQUX) it has been thriving in this depressed market, and when they shifted into pharmaceuticals I realized they were operating the way I liked. I mean Darlings everyone needs medicine.

For an interesting read about the future of office work read the January 16, 2012 issue of Fortune, is shows the way how in the future technology, energy, banking, offices, education etc. will operate, and read it very, very carefully darlings for what you should consider as future investments, I think I would not be amiss in suggesting Bio-fuels.

The AARP magazine (yes Darlings I am of an age) for Dec. 2011/Jan. 2012 includes an excellent article about how to boost your retirement nest egg, one that I think all Diva’s should take to heart.

I’ve been enjoying reading the Jan/Feb. 2012 issue of Money magazine, the investor’s guide issue. One thing they do talk about is how to set up your portfolio for retirement, the article is titled “The easy way to stay on track.”

Darlings it is always wise to see if your investment portfolio is doing what you want it to do, especially in these roller coaster times.

But this issue includes not only retirement but good and bad ideas for home remodeling, health and other issues in one’s life. Definitely something to read cover to cover and keep on file for reference.

Now another thing I’m going to mention is this, insurance, I’m not talking about car, house, rental or medical insurance although all of those are very, very important. I’m going to briefly mention life insurance, yes Darlings, Life Insurance. Look for an insurance plan that will cover you both alive and dead and do not look into a Term Life Insurance even though they sound good and inexpensive, part of that problem is that if you need to cash it out early, you can’t…it is money lost, and it’s only for a limited amount of time, in most cases only up to the age of 80. But with the milestones they are making in health care, and you take very, very good care of yourself you could easily live till your 100 or beyond and still be having a Diva Life, but a term life insurance will not go past the age of 80.

Look for an insurance that will be for your full life time and that will pay you back should you need to cash it out, it may cost more, but it’s like money in the bank.

And if you get it while you are young and healthy it is so much cheaper.

Until Annon, Kisses Darlings.

A home office

Hello All you Diva Darlings!

Are you ready to start the New Year including Chinese New Year?? I hope so. It’s going to be a very interesting one with all the political fencing that we are simply going to be bored to death with.

Frankly among the early republican hopefuls there is not a single good person among them at all. Where is Ronald Regan when you need him??!!

Alright Darlings, not everyone was enamored by Ronnie, I’ll concede that, but still……

Now Darlings, I have been a busy little bee writing up various posts and I have been during our cold, rainy days---although we do need the rain---writing a lot of posts. But I have broken them down as to what they should cover.

Some of my Diva’s in training have asked me how to set up a “home office”, even if it’s only for their personal use.

(Thank you Jennifer, Dianna, Nancy, Lynda, Becky) I didn’t post their comments because the questions were pretty much the same.

Well first Darlings, you need to set aside a space that you have to say is your “Office”, whether it’s a corner in the kitchen or you have a room to outfit. Second, this desk or office area is off-limits to other family members, no touching at all.

I know of one lady who simply raged that her husband and children would not keep their hands off of her desk, computer etc. while she went to take care of other things, only to come back and find everything including important bills and papers, completely dis-organized, so much so that she had to spend a considerable amount of time putting it back in order.

She was so angry about it that she threatened divorce and told her husband he could keep the kiddies and then he’d learn what it was like to deal with them.

Fortunately her hubby was not dense, after all he had his “man-cave” and the children (3 boys) could invade there especially during the games. But the children simply thought that anything that was Mom’s was theirs---not so when it comes to bill paying or anything, even Mom’s purse is off limits.

Her hubby realized she needed what in Victorian times would have been called “The Morning Room”, they had a good size garden and part of it was under underutilized (aka weedy), so instead of giving her diamonds, he had built for her “A Room of Her Own”, complete with electricity, phone, and computer connections, now the room was bare, no carpets, not painted, not furnished, but she envisioned what it should look like and where the connections and outlets should be and it was so.

Then he let her choose what she wanted in it, oh and did I forget, but he also made sure that it was properly done so she could run a space heater without blowing out anything.

And she has the key---kiddies not allowed, unless the house is burning down.

But lets say that you have in your home a spare room, maybe a room that is too small to be a bed room or a man-cave, or you have an over large kitchen with a convenient corner.

Asses the space to figure out what will fit, and that will require taking photos and measurements, and doing a grid.

Then you need to find a good desk that will fit the space that you have in mind, now some people will have an “L” shaped desk, one side to hold the computer and the other for a flat space to write out or sort things.

Then you need to have at least a 2 drawer file cabinet, it helps if it’s a locking file cabinet.

The cheapest way to create a desk is to get two 2 drawer file cabinets and put on top of them a standard hollow core door, with one cabinet for active files and the other for dead files.

I also suggest a fire proof safe to hold things like insurance papers, mortgage papers, social security cards, birth certificates and that is just for starters.

You need to assess the types of office supply materials you’ll need.

And for that you need these essentials:
Comfortable desk chair
Desk lamp (those with the movable head)
Holder to hold incoming mail,
Shredder,
Scissors
Waste basket
Calculator,
magnifying glass,
stapler/staples,
scotch tape and dispenser,
pens/pencils,
envelopes legal size,
letter size paper,
letter opener,
12 inch/18 inch ruler, 1 yard stick (36 inches),
cheap note pad to do calculations,
Stamps,
Rubber bands
File to hold seasonal or special occasion cards (birthdays, anniversaries etc.)
Files to hold paid bills, these will go into the file cabinet.

Cash book---now this is important---I use a cash book and write down monthly what bills need to come in and when, I check off if they have arrived, then check off if they have been paid

Large calendar, and have it so you can see three months ahead, write on it when and what bills should be paid and when it should be mailed, I also use the calendar to note when I will be getting deposits into my various accounts, then I call to check to see what has been deposited and note my balance. This calendar should include medical/dental appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, any upcoming events like when school lets out for the Summer, etc.

Special holder to hold outgoing bills/letters/cards that you are mailing,

You will need a magazine file holder to hold the current catalogues that you get, mark on them when received and rotate them out when the next one comes in,

File to hold menus for take out in case you don’t feel like cooking; rotate those once a year to update prices.

Rack to hold Labled spare keys (this to be mounted on the wall)

Printer for computer
Scanner for Computer
A table to hold both printer and scanner.

Now you may not need all of this but in time you will discover what is very handy.

I also have a check file to hold my duplicate carbons for my checks as well as the check registers and I keep clipped together all my receipts, especially when I use my debt card and credit card, I do not get rid of them until I have resolved my statements, some receipts you need to hold onto in case you have to return an item or gift, so mark those receipts as such and some maybe be needed for income tax purposes.

Now how often should you reconcile your checkbook, well Darlings I maybe paranoid but I do it every other day, I also list what is pending and what is outstanding, this is especially important during the holidays or if you are heavy into using your debt card to pay for everything, you don’t want to over draft your account.

Another reason is that of late thieves are very big into “skimming” cards at Grocery stores, gas stations, ATM’s etc. so by checking every other day you’d be quick to catch any unauthorized spending, also it does pay to use your debt card as a credit card or to use your credit card as you have a better chance of reversing unauthorized transactions.

Now a new list has come out on paperwork that you will need to keep, and one of the most important questions that is asked is----

"How long should I keep certain papers?"

It is imperative that you check with your accountant and/or lawyer before throwing out any financial or legal papers, because they know most about your individual situation.

Because each person’s situation is unique there are times when it is important to hold older files in a 4 drawer file cabinet. And if you have children that information will also be important to hold on to.

I will be posting what papers to keep and for how long, and when to shift things from an active file to a dead one.

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings

Etta James & Haute Couture

Darlings, I am Devastated after hearing about Etta James, one of the world’s most wonderful Jazz and R & B singers passing away; her song “At Last” is just so iconic, so perfectly rendered that no one else can come close to duplicating it.

I am so glad that I encouraged my great-niece to buy a CD of her songs which included that one; she e-mailed me this morning and said she is going to hunt for every CD that has ever been produced of her singing. I told her to not forget Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Dina Washington and Julie London; we could all learn from them their singing style, just so wonderful on cold, rainy nights.

I am going to have to go over my collection and see what I need to do to update it.

But still one more voice now gone, first Elizabeth and now Etta, well the best thing I can do is simply “pound out” more posts.

And I have been a busy “Little Bee”.

I had a chance to see what the Haute-Couture Fashion is coming out of Paris and all I can say is that I was bored, bored, bored, with the exception of some promising numbers from Dior and a couple from the house of Channel there was nothing that was exciting.

Even the clothing styles created for the T.V. program “Mad Men” were far more exciting than what walked down the runways. One of my friends who is an editor for a Fashion magazine had asked if I care to come with her for Fashion week, and although I would have loved seeing Paris again (I have not been there for nearly 6 years), I decided to pass on it and sent my regrets, but she promised to keep me up to date on what looked promising.

Even she had a hard time getting excited about what trotted out.

Lagerfeld did have some inspiration perhaps from the possibility of the Television program Pan-Am but frankly there were a lot of styles from the 1960’s that were not the best. And shades of blue, Darlings are we all going to be stewardesses?

My friend said she would have loved to see some of the garments in other colors, to get a true feel of what they would be.

Versache went with off-white silver and acid green, but Halston could have done better if he was alive and still designing.

What I have to laugh about is how the fashion reporters give such glowing reports on stuff that are such tripe. I could do better by going into my closet and digging out garments from 20 years ago that I still fit into. Even the vintage items from the Art Deco shows are far better than what walked down the run ways this spring season.

Sorry Darlings, I just could not get excited, and the clothing styles out of Berlin…Unbelievable, I think there was only one thing that I saw among them that was of interest.

But the year is still young, we’ll just have to wait and see what crops up. Or is it going to be Talbots and Jessica London with their basic sensible designs?

However something very interesting has developed, Constance's second oldest daughter, Bella has discovered the clothes that I gave to her mother, she became very interested in dress design and such and look classes in sewing, she sewed her own prom dresses as well as several for her friends and got paid for it.

Well when she came over this last weekend with her mother and the baby, such a sweet little thing, she asked me about vintage designs, so I showed her my closets and we talked, and talked she didn't want to leave, so Juanita, Constance and the Baby went to do their errands and Bella and I looked at the clothes, talked about fashion, and we went over the patterns offered by Vogue, Butterick and McCalls.

She has a sewing machine a good sturdy Singer, so I am going to "bankroll" her, she wants to get into tailoring and designing, her Mother is concerned about her making her way in the world, and I have to admit the world of fashion design is highly competitive, and I encouraged her to look at taking business classes so she would understand what a cut-throat business she'd be getting into, she also saw my Besame cosmetics, and so I showed her a web site "Lulu's at the Belle Kay".

Oh the sweet dear became ecstatic!

I told her about the Art Deco Societies and the concept of all the retro programs such as Pan Am, Mad Men and some of the movies. So I have told her she needs to develop a plan and get an idea of what she wants to do.

So calling Constance on her cell phone I told her that we were going to a fabric store that I knew and buy Patterns, and that Constance better be prepared to have a at home business in her house and said to come back to my house and we'd all go out to dinner, baby in tow.

So that evening we did and explained what I was going to do for Bella, but Bella had to promise that she would go to college and study business and marketing as well as fashion design, it's exciting to be able to help launch a career, and to encourage her dreams.

And now I have other postings to prepare.

Until anon Darlings, Kisses

Until Anon, Kisses Darlings