Sara Attali Design

One of the many things I wasn’t looking forward about chemo was losing my hair and having to wear scarves. I don’t have anything against scarves, I just can’t tie one! I have gone to many YouTube sites trying to learn. They are like put the scarf on your head and in 5 seconds flat, they have tied the thing and I am still trying to get the damn thing on my head!

Due to this, thought about who wore scarves and head coverings a lot. I know that some Jewish women wear head coverings all the time, I googled “modern Jewish head coverings”. I learned that they are called Tichels. Then I googled “modern, funky tichels” and came across Sara Attali Design Etsy page and my life as a bald woman has never been the same since. I really like her tichels. They are so pretty. They are works of art. I have bought five so far, so you could say I am addicted to them. DSC_0003 DSC_0004 DSC_0006 DSC_0007 DSC_0008

Here is a little about Sara from her Etsy page.

Art and design was always something that I was involved in.
In my childhood home the walls were covered with painting and drawings made by my mom, my aunt and my own.
As a child, I not only played with dolls but also designed clothes for them…
As a mother of four girls, I always enjoyed designing and sewing clothes for them.
Three of my daughters got married and during the wedding preparations we needed to pay attention to the costumes of religious women (brides, mother in laws and other relatives) with designed Head covers that are both beautiful, fashionable and made with high-quality materials.
First I started with my daughters, and by and by the request for more, by my daughters and their friends, began to flow. Demand grew, and so we decided to do it in a more professional way.
After a period in which I designed and sold clothing for women, I decided to focus on designing and manufacturing Head-Covers in a unique design and in a variety of sizes, colors and styles, while maintaining the best quality of fabrics and materials.
The collection in renewing constantly and adapting a variety of styles, that every woman can find the Head-cover to match her.
The Head-covers are a great fashion item that allows women to match them to their outfits and feel their best.
The Head-covers are homemade in my home in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City and no doubt it has been giving me a spiritual and creative inspiration.

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Doesn’t she sound like a great mom? The thing I love best about the tichels, is how easy they are to tie! Unfolded they look like an apron. In fact, she says you can use them as aprons (like I would ever get food near mine, as if!). I love how layered they look. She also sells clips for the tichels and some skirts that I have my eye on. Since I wear a prosthetic leg, I like longer skirts and her’s are very nice and fashionable.

These tichels have made a major negative about chemo so much easier for me. You really have no idea. The thought of losing my hair, which I had spent two years growing out, was a pretty big deal to me. But thanks to my tichels, I am not that sad about it. I mean, it will grow back. And can’t wait till it does! Look at her website and look how cool they look with the models who have hair! Can’t wait!

New scarf from Sara Attali Design

New scarf from Sara Attali Design

Head Covering by Sara Attali Desgin on Etsy

Head Covering by Sara Attali Desgin on Etsy

Head Covering by Sara Attali Desgin on Etsy

Head Covering by Sara Attali Desgin on Etsy

Paying for the tichels is done via Pay Pal and the shipping is fast. I have ordered two times now and I think I got each order in about a week. Shipping costs are pretty cheap but you do have to be home when the mail man delivers the package to sign for it since it is coming from Israel.

Who are these for?

Chemo patients definitely. Women growing their hair out and are in “that fugly stage”. Women with a bad hair day. Women who don’t want to get hat head. Women who don’t want to shower one day but still go out. Women who for religious reasons need to cover their hair.

Who are these for?

They are for women, period. Go get yourself one! And tell Sara I sent you!

Hotel Yorba Landscape Project

Earlier this Spring I told you how we got our pool renovated. It was a pretty easy, fast and Bob from AquaVision was very easy to work with. Even when we did have an issue, he was on it quick. The only real issue with the pool is that we can never use it since all it does is rain in the ATL. Total Bummer.

Our next big project is what we call the side yard. It is a mess and is usual Hotel Yorba style, has been for some time. We have been saying we needed to get it fixed but the hassle of meeting with people always got in the way. Well, since I am working from home, I can now meet with people for quotes. I went on a neighborhood social page and asked people for suggested landscapers. Well, one of the landscapers lives in the area and she contacted me. On a Sunday no less (via e-mail).

Need gravel and ground cover

Need gravel and ground cover

One big mud slide waiting to happen

One big mud slide waiting to happen

I met with Molly Welch of WDesigns Landscape yesterday. Points in her favor:

1. She was on time.

2. She liked Timber (he did the tour with us) and is also a cat person.

3. She is a woman who runs who own business.

4. I liked her.

Need more stone, rocks and cleaned up.

Need more stone, rocks and cleaned up.

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We walked around the whole yard, me with my list of different projects I want quotes on and she with her note pad. We then came in and I saw her portfolio of work. She worked a lot of huge houses in Sandy Springs. I have no idea how much this kind of thing costs. I have a meeting with another firm tomorrow and want to meet with a least one more, see their suggestions and get their quotes before we make a decision. I plan to do before, during and after pictures of the project.

Grass won't grow and Timber likes the area too much.

Grass won’t grow and Timber likes the area too much.

All that green stuff is weeds. This area gets no light and grass won’t grow. I had some mint growing to one side of it until the lawn maintenance crew weed wacked it all away. Just so happens I am looking for a new lawn maintenance crew too.

Death trap stairs.

Death trap stairs.

On the left we talked about putting in some blue berry bushes. I learned something new (or was reminded of it), you must have at least two blue berry bushes for them to grow. They are like an old married couple.

Does it need to go?

Does it need to go?

We had this tree looked at a few months ago and they said it was injured a while back and would need to be taken down in a few years. Molly is going to have a company she works with and uses to give us a second option. That thing falls and there goes the guest room. She is also going to give us a quote for a new fence. I think the one we have was built back with the house in 1982. There are a few other areas that need work but I won’t bore you with the pictures….yet.

It has been a busy morning working.

My workmate...so tired.

My workmate…so tired.

Reader’s! It is overcast and grey here in the ATL. Looks like rain. Hope the sun is shinning where you are. And if it isn’t, make you own sun shine!!

Succulents…I like saying that word.

Good Day Y’all!

I hope you had a wonderful Sunday. I did. I went out and about to Lowe’s, TJ’s and Peri 1. First stop was Lowe’s. A few months ago my friend Chad made me a planter with some succulents in it as a gift. He makes the planter in his wood shop and then I his mom adds the succulents. I saw one when we went to dinner one night at his and Kristin’s home and told him how much I loved it and how it reminds me of my Honey (grandmother); she always had succulents. Well, I loved the one he gave and guess what? So did Panny!!! I think she ate one of the plants and then one died. I wanted to replace the missing plants, so I got two plants and did my best to replant them in the planter. I was VERY messy but it rained and cleaned up my mess.

Planter By Chad Elley

Planter By Chad Elley

I also got some baby mums to plant in a planter, a bag of daffodil bulbs, a lamp shade that turns out not to fit the base we have and a few other things.

Mums!

Mums!

I then went to Peir 1 to order a cushion. It had been out of stock on the website but they were able to get it for me. Woot! Then is was off to Trader Joe’s to get some food. When I got home I ate lunch and took a nice long rest. I needed it!

After my workout on Saturday went so well, I realized I needed to get back to doing my yoga. I am planning on going to a class on Wednesday at noon. It is a Yin/Restorative Yoga class at the club. Yin/Restorative Yoga is a deep tissue stretching form of yoga. You hold the poses for a long time but the are mainly poses where you are sitting down or on your back. Great class for beginners. I have taken it a few times and loved it. Last night I did some of Vinyasa and Yin/Restorative Yoga. I practiced for about 35 minutes and it felt good. This morning I did a short practice but was pretty tired and sore from Saturday’s workout and last nights yoga. While I was finishing up, laying on my carpet floor, I thought about our side room. It had my exercise bike in it but has really been a place we put crap in and then shut the doors! I decided to make it my yoga room!

IMG_2686 IMG_2687 IMG_2688 IMG_2689I moved all the crap into another room where I can shut the door! Are you wondering about the sub-flooring? It is that way in our closet too. A few years after we moved in our cats Tommy and Simon had a pee fight. They peed in our closets, they peed in the side room. Pee! Pee! Pee! So much so, we ripped the carpet out. That stopped it but that was like six years ago! I kid you not. However now I am happy! It is perfect for my yoga mat. I should pop up the tacking that runs the perimeter of the room…maybe.

Shout Outs!

Angie H. & Dora M.- Thank you ladies! I love my goody box! You two are soooo sweet!

Sara Attali Design- I don’t know this woman. I have never met her or spoken to her. In fact, I send her money and she sends me things. But the things she sends me! So lovely! If you are looking or know someone who is looking for a head covering, check her website on Esty out!

New scarf from Sara Attali Design

New scarf from Sara Attali Design

Readers!!! I need your help. I would love to get my average daily views up to 150. Right now I am around 110 and have been as high as over 400. How can you help? If you come via Facebook, share the link with your friends. Retweet if you are on Twitter. You can subscribe too! I really want to share My Hotel Yorba with everyone. Hopefully they will enjoy it! Now get out there and rock your day!

I workout….

Life Time!

Life Time!

Yesterday I had my first appointment back with my trainer Sara Kate (I call her SK in the blog) since June. To be honest I really thought just walking up the stairs to the 2nd level would have worn me out that there would not have been much for us to do. However, I got up the stairs (winded) and made it to a treadmill where I walked for about 8 minutes at a slow pace.

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At Lifetime Fitness, they have a ton of treadmills, some with TV’s and some that have games like solitaire on them. That is what I usually do, I walk and play solitaire! But not today, I needed to focus on not falling down, plus SK found me and came over to catch up. It had been awhile since we had seen each other. She came to visit me in the hospital during my first round of chemo and brought me an orchid that I am trying not to kill and am failing at.

Me and SK

Me and SK

SK is in her early 20’s and had been training at Lifetime for almost a year. She became my trainer when my pervious one up and left. I had really wanted a female trainer because I don’t like strange men touching me in a personal way a trainer sometimes has to do. (See the leg stretch picture below). I was never able to fully relax with my previous one. And some of the “trusting” moves …don’t get me started.

Problem was that there were not many female trainers at the time who could fit my work schedule (or that I got a good vibe from). Then came along SK! She is a lot of fun and does push me hard. She is able to work around the whole missing my left leg thing and there for balance “issues”. I tend to forget that I am almost twice her age…until we talk about music and well, I scream rockin’ 40-year-old woman. But That is ok, my music is better! The stuff kids listen to these days…

My leg getting stretched by SK

My leg getting stretched by SK

Stretching was first on order. In the past I have been pretty limber and I was  fearful that I had tighten up a lot. I would say I was 75% where I use to be. There were some points where I almost fell off the table but overall I felt pretty good about limberness (not a word but hey, it’s my blog).

We first focused on some resistance work by doing squats and work with bands (really I have no idea what they are called but look at the pictures).

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Pulllllll!!!!!!

Pulllllll!!!!!!

Next we worked on my legs by using three different machines. The burn in my thighs hurt so good! I had missed that feeling. SK had me do 10 reps, three times. I was able to do more weight then I had when I first started working out which made me feel better. I had not turned to total jello while in my Sloth State.

Had to throw this in!

Had to throw this in!

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Next we worked on my arms, which by they way I am having a hard time lifting this morning. I guess that means that it is working! I did four different exercises on three machines.  I did 10 reps, three times each.

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On to the abs! Our hour was almost over, so I did only 10 reps, two times each. I did the crutch machine and the back extender (not sure if that is the name but it is my favorite).

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Workin' it

Workin’ it

After that we did more stretching! My favorite part!

All Done!

All Done!

After my workout I went down to the cafe and SK told me to get the Mocha Madness smoothie with almond milk and a scoop of peanut butter! OMG. Dam thing tasted like a Reese Peanut Butter cup! So Good. She sat with me for a bit and we shot the shit. I wanted to make sure I was ok to make the drive home and appreciated her hanging out with me. Her next client had canceled due to the fact the has a sink hole his is front yard. Pickels!

I did not take this picture. No credit here.

I did not take this picture. No credit here.

After 45 minutes I got in the car and headed home a happy camper. I am feeling my workout this morning. Arms, legs, butt. It is good to have that feeling back! I had missed it! Today, I plan to either do some yoga or ride the exercise bike for a min of 20 min.

The Club

The Club

Readers!!! I hope you all go out and push yourself a bit today! If not today when?!?!

The fresh air is blowing in…

Last night was a chill night at the Hotel Yorba. We stayed in, we relaxed, The Boys played Xbox, while drinking beer/soda and eating pizza out of the box. I was playing Words w/friends & Scrabble, ordered some new cushions to replace the 9+ years old ones on the screened in porch, ordered a patio storage container (been wanting to do that for three years), had a little wine and a wonderful night. My Man later joined me and we were out there till about 10:40pm. The weather was cool and perfect.

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Early on in the night.

Panny on table

Panny on table

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In the left corner, a stare down.

In the left corner, a stare down.

The Boys rockin' the Xbox

The Boys rockin’ the Xbox

Timber

Timber

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Getting darker.

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Panny to the left

Panny to the left

The Boy has been saying he wants to grow his hair out and we gave in, as long has he gets it trimmed up every so often. So we took him to his first grown-up salon experience at Van Micheal’s Salon. A little $$$ for a kids haircut you might say? Look at this way, it will be at least a year + till I drop any cash on a hair cut and six months till My Man does. So what the hell! My Boy IS NOT going to have mullet. When we got there the place was packed with Sandy Springs Mom’s getting their hair done. The Boy was offered a drink and I had force him to ask for a soda. I told him this one of the few times I would allow it so go for it!

The Boy with his new stylist Sal.

The Boy with his new stylist Sal.

The Boy’s stylist was Sal and we were very happy with him. He talked to The Boy like he was his client but knowing he had to make Mom and Dad happy. Plus he washed The Boy’s hair, which is his favorite part.

Two bald people at a hair salon.

Two bald people at a hair salon; sounds like the start of a joke.

New Do!

New Do!

His hair looks MUCH better (not the best picture) and smells minty fresh!

While waiting for The Boy I went to Breadwinner and got three of their salads and a pint of turkey chili. I ate part of the salads for lunch and will eat the rest and some chili for dinner tonight. Soon we are dropping The Boy off at his BFF’s, Corey, house for a spend the night. Awesome Mom Rebecca is taking them bowling later today. Tomorrow he will head to Saint Anne’s for church with them. This will be is second time to their church. Last time Summer (little sister) said The Boy did the best when asking for the blessing. Welcome home…. :)

I am going to be THE GYM later today. Oh YEAH! I told SK to plan my workout as if I was a 300+ pound, 80-year-old woman, who had never worked out before. Yep…Stretching, I see lots of stretching in my future. I am planning on posting about it tomorrow.

Readers! The window’s have been opened here at Hotel Yorba. The fresh air is blowing in. I hope where ever you are, you are having your best day!

I’ve Got Friends…

Hey Y’all!

I hope you have been having a great day. Here in the ATL is feels like an overcast October day and I love it! The temp is in the low 70’s and it is not that muggy. It would have been nice for some sun but who cares. I woke up bright and early to get The Boy ready for school. After he and My Man left, I did not have to lay in the fetal position due to the nausea for to long today. Woot! Making progress! I was able to come down around 7:30am and do a little work. I wanted to get an early start since I had a “date” with some ladies for lunch. Rebecca was kind enough to come pick me up and we meet Amy and Devra for a quick-lunch at Mirko. It was very yummy and I ate too much. Towards the end I was getting kinda tired and I am very happy Rebecca drove me home (as is everyone driving on Riverside Drive). I was pretty tired afterwards but it was really nice to get out and feel normal. Thanks Ladies!!!!

Ealier this week I think I mentioned a soup my mom had made for me that I loved. It was a Cold Cucumber and Avocado soup from the cookbook I got from my friends Chad & Kristen.

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Well, I ate that up in a day and a half and have been wanting to make some more ever since. We still had some of the avocados that my FIL had sent us and they were going bad fast. I decided to go all though them and pick out the good parts to see if I have enough to make the soup. I have enclosed the ingredients and directions for anyone who loves cold soup. I kinda went off the reservation when I made my batch. I didn’t make enough for six (or maybe I did) but I added more avocados, salt, lime, cayenne pepper, etc. to mine. I blended and tasted as I went. I plan on having it for lunch tomorrow!

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What am I listening to?

Manchester Orchestra

Manchester Orchestra

I am listening to the Feb Rock Mix I made The Boy

The Boys “Rock” playlist

Forest Whitaker-Bad Books
Back Against The Wall-Cage The Elephant
Virgin-Manchester Orchestra
Crawling-Linkin Park
Ball & Biscuit-The White Stripes
I’ve Got Friends-Manchester Orchestra
Son’s Gonna Rise-Citizen Cope & Santana
April Fool- Manchester Orchestra
Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground-The White Stripes
Gigantic-Pixies
Hotel Yorba-The White Stripes
Shake It Out-Manchester Orchestra
The Hardest Button to Button-The White Stripes

I have listened to it two or three times, while making my soup and writing this post. Gets me   in a rockin’ mood.

Shout Outs-

Jennifer S.- I LOVED the veggie lasagna and salad! That dressing was very yummy and even The Boy ate the lasagna!

Gerri T.- Love me that soup! Going to have some for dinner tonight. Thanks for hanging out a bit. Someday you will have to come to my house when it is clean!

The ‘Rents Rock!

The ‘Rents Rocks!

Some of you have met my dad and know he is an active guy. I know he like likes to come visit but if he didn’t have his bike or computer, the man would go insane. So when he does come visit I always try to plan on having something for him to help me out with. A win win, right? He has helped me paint The Baby aka The Boy’s room, an office, a few walls, put a chicken coop together, re-do a bath room, the list goes on. Well, during his most recent visits, I am no help but I still wanted him to have a few projects to he would stay sane. We have a screen in porch and the door to the outside has been needing fixing/replacing for a while now. Plus, Simon, the wonder cat, has been able to get out of it, even though it was “locked”. I can’t tell you how many times that has happened. So, when my parents came in town this visit, I told my dad I wanted a Red Door. Why red? Hotel Yorba= Red, White and Black. It’s true, look it up.

Bad Door

Bad Door

The bad icky, non Simon proof door. To the trash!!

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I won’t tell you how long we lived with it like this…sad

Red Door!

Red Door!

My Red Door!! Isn’t awesome??? I love it! It screams Hotel Yorba!

Top Lock

Top Lock

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Simon Lock!

Simon Lock!

And the locks! Ha Simon! Try to get through that you little awesome, scare me to death, fuzzy escape artist! Not only did my Dad rock the red door, he fixed three “running” toilettes and replaced two old gross (embarrassed to admit) moldy registers in our bathroom. Those look so nice. Next time, I might have him replace a few more!

Now, don’t go thinking I forgot my mom. She was playing ball with Timber, keeping the three fur kids fed, keeping The Girl’s fed, cleaning my bathroom, cleaning the fur off the floors (!), cleaning the rec room (next time we both hit the storage containers), washing dishes, keeping the boy dressed and feed and don’t forget the laundry! So much laundry!

I like to think I was a pretty easy kid growing up. Never got into drugs or drinking, didn’t stay out late or dated too big of assholes. I did have a mouth on me but really that was my mom’s own fault. :)  Over the past ten years though, I have put my parents through a lot of shit and I can’t say enough to express how much what they do and have done for me and my family means to me. So I will just say this… Thank You.