Love my Chico's

I love my Chico's, and so does the mother of the best swimmer of the world! I found the following in USA TODAY. We have tons of beautiful Chico's at a faction of the cost. Come and see our winning selection at www.less4luxury.com. Have a great weekend, Victoria

By Laura Petrecca, USA TODAY
Michael Phelps' sponsors, such as Speedo and Visa, have gotten their money's worth in rub-off glory from his record eight gold medals. But an unexpected brand, not a paid sponsor, also has gotten buoyancy from his performance in Beijing: women's clothing retailer Chico's (CHS) .
That's because Phelps' mother, Debbie — a loyal Chico's customer, but not an official endorser — has worn its garb throughout the Games. Every time she's been seen in print, online and TV coverage in her Chico's attire, the chain has gotten free exposure.
OLYMPICS: Coverage of the Beijing Games
It's also been swamped with demand to buy Debbie's fashions, brand President Michele Cloutier says.
"Customers have been coming in and asking for what she's wearing," she says. "They're saying, 'I want that jacket,' and they can describe it perfectly."

Ride the rides? Think twice.

Ride the rides, think twice before you trust a stranger to tuck in your precious little one.

We have beautiful fair grounds here in Grass Valley, California. People come from miles around to eat the favorite treat on Treat Street at the Job's Daughters corn dog. The lines are huge (for Grass Valley) and they sell 10,000 to 15,000 battered dogs during the 5 day run. Fair has games, with hopes to win the big prize. Lots of rides to ride, how about seeing who has the largest hog. And working all year to enter their handcrafted items hoping to win the blue medal under our tall pines.

But what I'm about to tell you could happen anywhere.

My daughter took her little girls, ages 9 and 6, with a young friend age 8, for a fun filled day with all of the usual county fair expectations. The three little ladies, proceeded on a large, colossal ride that throws you from side to side, up and down....lets just say that you wouldn't catch me on it. The containers would only hold two, so the two sister got in one and the extra girl in another. My girls were strapped in. My daughter noticed a look of panic on their young friend's face and realized that she didn't get strapped in!

The young mother flew over to the operator of the ride and reminded him that the little girl was not strapped in yet. He brushed her off as if to shoe away a fly as he walked away to set the ride in motion. She came to find out that he couldn't speak ENGLISH. Terrified that he wasn't taking her seriously, she began jumping up and down, waving her arms like a distressed bird, she then finally got him to understand.

I'm horrified to imagine what would have happen if she had been looking the other way.

to be continued tomorrow......

Good by Bernie Mac

I was shocked to wake up to the news that comedian Bernie Mac has passed away. My heart goes out to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

CHICAGO - Bernie Mac, the actor and comedian who teamed up in the casino heist caper "Ocean's Eleven" and gained a prestigious Peabody Award for his sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show," died Saturday at age 50.

"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.
The comedian suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Olympics Opening Ceremony

Whatever your political views on the Olympics being held in Beijing, you can't argue that the opening presentation was amazing!!

I wanted to find out more on the designer of the extraordinary design of the Bird nest. I was quite surprised or should I say, not surprised at all on what I found.

A Conversation with Ai Weiwei, the Disappointed "Bird's Nest" Designer

Following up on yesterday's story of Beijing's "Bird's Nest" stadium designer Ai Weiwei complaining about the Chinese government's handling of the upcoming Olympics, we ran into this interview with the designer in the NY Times, talking about both the construction of the National Stadium (its proper name) and much, much more on his political views.

Here's a bit:

Q: Are you going to the opening ceremony?
Ai: I'm not attending the opening ceremony, I'm not interested in it, and I haven't received any invitation. If I need to be more clear on why I'm not willing to be part of the ceremony, it's that I think it's too far from the spirit of freedom. I've always thought of this ceremony as a product of government bureaucracy, rather than a natural celebration and expression generated among free citizens. I feel that there are too many regrets in this ceremony, which could make me unhappy.

Over the top fun!

Universal Studio's "Mama Mia".....Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters and Pierce Brosnan lead a Greek chorus in the musical romantic comedy. Sophie's mother Donna (Streep) freaks out when she learns that the men she'd loved and lost are back, and an already chaotic time gets even crazier.

This chic flick is exuberant, delightful, and walked out of the theater singing! Time to dig out my ABBA CD's.

I'm not going to give it away, but, be sure not to leave before you see all of the credits. "MAMA MIA!"

Going on a road trip

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Heading down to my old stomping grounds in the Bay Area to see my Sister. Packing my travelers pants and jackets, wrinkle free, no worries here. My Sister, Mother and I will be going to Nantucket's for dinner, and taking in a movie "Mama Mia". Should be a lot of fun.

Cool off with food

Speaking of watermelon. It's a great diet food too! Now that sounds like fun. I just had to pass this along. Dr. Liz always has something good to say.

Health Notes from Dr. Liz:

Cool Off with Food
Stay hydrated and cool during these dog days of summer with some refreshing foods. Your fluid needs can increase several cups daily with the sweltering heat. Besides drinking more fluids, you can hydrate and cool off with food. Nutrition scientists calculate that 20 percent of your daily fluids come from the foods you eat.

Hydrating foods such as fruits and vegetables are at least 80 percent water by weight, and in fact, watermelon is 95 percent water (hence the name!).
During cooler months, you should average 4 ½ cups or more of fruits and veggies daily, and now with summer full swing, tack on another 1 to 2 cups. Not only do you stay hydrated, but you get a wealth of key antioxidants vital for immune health and fending off age-related ailments.

Here’s a day’s worth of hydrating foods to include with your meals:
Breakfast: 1 cup berries and a sliced banana with yogurt
Lunch: 1 cup carrot, celery, and cucumber slices; 1 peach
Snack: Topical smoothie blended with 1 ½ cup total of mango, pineapple, and melon
Dinner: 2 cups spring salad mix topped with tomatoes, green onions and snap peas, 1 ½ cups fruit salad with shaved chocolate
—Liz Applegate, Ph.D.