Good News, Gracie!
 

I am so glad to hear this wonderful news! I hope the next couple of weeks go by very quickly for you so that before you know it, you'll be back again in Paradise! You ALL will feel so much better being back in the sunshine and warmth again! Kiss the Cinci grey skies good bye! Sunshine and good wishes to Gretchen for a very speedy recovery! :pepper2:

rshoffer, what are you doing in Girls Talk!! :throwtomatoes: This is where we talk about underwear, bikini waxes, and other unmentionables!

When we started this topic two years ago, the guys (feeling instantly competitive as guys do) started a "Guys Talk" thread. Sadly, it only lasted about five minutes! Apparently there isn't a lot to be said about cars, sports and hunting! :1rotfl:

I just love Girl Talk. Women instinctively enjoy and support each other. And like to trade secrets. We find each other's thoughts genuinely interesting. Girls Rule! :highfive:

A long story about the life-changing powers of Invisible Fence
 

Hi Barefoot,

About that Invisible Fence....I think our Invisible Fence probably saved Annie's life -- or lifestyle, for sure. (Yes, she is still here beside me, sleeping at my feet, and probably dreaming about what she would like to have for her 16th birthday, coming sometime in April -- we think.)

Annie showed up at our back door one day in early September of 1994. We tried to find her owner. We put the "Found Dog" notices in mailboxes and on phone poles and in the newspaper.

And then, after a few days of all that trying to do the right thing, we got worried that somebody might claim her....she was our dog -- we knew.

She came to us housebroken, calm, sweet, loved kids, and knew what a refrigerator was. Annie was somebody else's dog first. But she had run away from them. How? Why? We never found out for sure. But we soon developed a theory.

(There was a line in the play Sylvia where the dog says to the man who finds her when she is lost, "There are some things about me that you will just never know." -- and that is what Annie said to us.)

We named her Annie because she was an orphan when she arrived.

As we got to know Annie better, she soon revealed her secret vice. Even though she never got bigger than about 35 pounds, she has always had big ideas. Annie chased deer. Herds of deer. Bucks and does and fawns. Whatever. She chased them.

And at that time, we lived on a few acres with a woods in the back. And Annie knew the deer's schedule and she waited and watched and ran after them. Mr. Boomer would chase after her. We were all a lot younger then.

One day, Mr. B, in pursuit, was in a clearing just to the north of our woods, when out of those trees came a thundering herd of whitetail deer. Nine of them. The herd split, 4 on one side, 5 on the other, ran right around Mr. Boomer. Geez! And following behind, in hot pursuit, was Annie. Running like a deer herself. She could not catch any of those deer, though she was barking threats of what she would do to them if she did.

Finally, Mr. Boomer caught her when she quite simply ran out of steam -- for that chase anyway.

That was when we decided to spend the money to fence an acre with Invisible Fence.

Had Annie lost her first home because of her vice of chasing deer -- for who knows how many miles? Well, she won't tell us for sure. But we do know that we would have lost her eventually. And that she might have ended up dead or with somebody who would not take good care of her.

And so Annie spent a lot of years, watching for those deer. And if she was in the yard, she would chase after them and threaten them, shouting, "If I did not have this :censored::censored: collar with this :censored: battery around my neck, I would come after you and I would kick your :censored::censored: asses, every last one!"

Now, we have downsized to our geezer ranch-style house with the small yard. And we put in Invisible Fence again.

And Annie is old, really old. She sniffs the trail where maybe a whitetaill has passed through in the night But she does not run anymore. Not much anyway. But she still wears that collar with the battery pack. She wears it proudly. And I think I hear her, every once in a while, out there in the yard, shouting, "If I did not have to wear this :censored: collar with the battery, I would chase you :censored: deer and I would so kick your :censored: asses!"

(That Invisible Fence gave us all these years with Annie. I just know it.)

Boomer

OMG, wasn't that a wonderful play? We saw it many years ago when our own version of Sylvia (Ranger, a very large collie) was many years old. It still gives me warm feelings.

Hi Barfoot:
We don't have an invisible fence for our Shih Tzu Poodle but my husband's parents have one for their Goldens. I don't know if this is common, but my in laws do not even have to put the battery in the collars any more. The dogs were trained within a week. And, yes, you are correct that the "shock" is not as bad as we all would imagine. Our son decided to put the collar around his leg and walk through the invisible fence. He definetly felt it, but claimed it was "no big deal".
How is the new house?

Hi Linda,

I know. I love that play. When we saw the production at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park several years ago, I kept the program because the drawing of the dog on the front looked like Annie. If I were not so inept with pictures, I would scan it and put it here along with a picture of young Annie and a repeat posting of old Annie.

That play would be so perfect for a community theater group in TV to do. A good production of that one could run forever there. There would have to be rotating casts probably because the performers would need a night off once in a while.

Kind of a weird little aside here -- imagine that -- While I was typing that story about Annie's deer-running younger days, I let her outside. When she came back in, she started running like a maniac-dog, through this room, through the family room, into the kitchen, spun around, ran back in here. Ran! I tell you. She ran! Maybe she had been reading over my shoulder and was re-living those younger days??? She hardly ever runs anymore. But she sure did...just now.

Boomer

Great story
 

Boomer, that was a wonderful story. I had tears in my eyes reading (may be my menapausal emotions contributed). Seriously, what a wonderful storyteller. I could visualize the entire story. What a way with words. I had an Australian Shepherd for some 17 years. I trained him to know his borders within my property. I contemplated an invisible fence when he was a puppy but the cost was too much. He lived to run along side the real fence and chase the cows someone pastured in a field behind my house in the country. He's gone now and I'm sure he's in doggie heaven running after cows trying to avoid a swift kick from a protective mommy. B.K.

Boomer, thanks so much for your tender story about Orphan Annie. You are so funny! Annie is very lucky to have found you for a mum. I feel much better about the invisible fence thing now, after reading your comments. And other comments from Halle and annie2.

I loved the play Sylvia. And it would be just perfect for The Villages. I'd line up to see it again.

I was peeking.

wella
 

I go to Urban Hair Studio on 466 and they use wella.

A year ago, I spent quite a while on Girl Talk, boring everyone senseless, raving about my first try at artificial nails ... "Pink and Whites". :blahblahblah: How I loved those little darlings. Well, "pride goes before a fall", or so my mother used to say.

Sadly, I'm now cursed with fingernail fungus. And I had my nails done at reputable TV salons, or so I thought. Now, instead of pretty pink and whites, I have the ugliest little stubs for nails imaginable. Lesson learned.
:cryin2:

Barefoot
 

I had a friend years ago who got the same type of nail fungus. She went to the pharmacy and asked, you have to ask; they keep it behind the counter, for colorless or clear iodine. (Since it has no color, it could be dangerous since iodine is poisonous) Anyway, apply that to your nails and it will get rid of the fungus.

I went to a place (don't say it out loud but it was in The Villages) while we were on our LSV in December and had acrylics put on. There were things that happened to the application of color to the nails that have never been seen before by me or the others in the salon. Some weird film kept appearing. We deduced the nail polish was contaminated. As I sat there, I thought the place was dirty but was so far into my nail job I just sat there.

My nail salon back home keeps everything that touches my nails in a box with my number on the box. When I go there, the utensils for my nails are sanitized and used ONLY on me.

Thanks BK for the tip about the iodine. I've also been told to soak my fingers in listerine and also in vinegar. I also put drops on each night, probably the iodine product.

I definitely should have been more careful about the salon I used. But it is an extremely popular place here in TV and I guess I'm naive.

I have two nails that are very discoloured from the fungus. Of course the rest are tissue-paper thin from having had solar nails.

I'm wondering .. does anyone know how long it takes to fix fungus?

Hair Dye Hell and Heaven!
 

I need therapy when it comes to dying hair! What a nightmare I have been through! I have long hair that is naturally dark brown and after dying my own roots for 18 years with Natural Instincts, it coated my hair and turned it black! Nothing would get it out! (Don't use Natural Instincts to cover grey roots if you don't want it to coat your hair FOREVER!) Since I have vitiligo and have a white face with no pigment, the black hair looked hideous! (I looked like a DEAD WITCH!) The black hair had to go even if it meant I would have to go to a short spiked hairdo! After 6 1/2 months of nightmare, peroxide and bleach washes, color removers and a born blonde lighteners, the black is gone, FOREVER!!! Hallaluia! My hair is a pretty red and I get lots of complements and I am HAPPY! It damaged my hair, but I managed to keep it conditioned heavily in between lightening, and it's still long! Some fell out, but I wear hair extentions to fill it out, but don't have to and it stills prevails!
Oh, yes, I found out that cheap Revlon Colorsilk (strawberry blonde and light auburn) lighten my roots beautifully after spending many bucks at Sally's trying all their many red colors that looked too red. My hair looks natural!!
Happy days are here again!!

Do you know which eye makeup and lipstick line does not have perfumes and is safe for sensitive skin?

Those little fungi are there, almost everywhere.
 

Hey Bare.:wave:

It is very possible that the fungus was just hanging out waiting to reproduce itself in a warm dark place with little oxygen. We all have all kinds of little living things sitting on our skin at all times. Usually a nail fungus requires an oral antifungal. The only down side is that you cannot drink alcohol when you take it.

Type in Oral antifungal for nail fungus.

I think this happens to a lot of people and the cleanliness of the salon is maybe not the reason...but I could be wrong.

That is such interesting information about Natural Instincts and Revlon Colorsilk. I'm surprised that Natural Instincts would coat your hair ... I thought it was a temporary "wash-out" product. I love hearing feedback about cosmetic and hair products.

Hey GG, thanks for the info about an oral antifungal. That never occurred to me. I think the drops I'm putting on my nails nightly are working. The discolored portions of my nails seems to be turning white. Or maybe that's not a good thing.

Bare...

Sounds crazy, but it works!! At bedtime, rub Vicks Vaporub and wear cotton gloves to bed and in about two weeks your nails will be like new.

Another solution is to soak nails in Listerine mouth wash daily morning and night or whenever convenient for about half hour; works fine as well.

Much better than ingesting medications....barb

Natural Instincts
 

Mary,
I thought I was the only one who had trouble with Natural Instincts. I used it maybe a couple of times (3 or 4?) and I found exactly the same thing - it "coated" my hair to the point it felt like I had gobs of conditioner on it. I washed it a couple of times a day and it still didn't help. It wouldn't hold any curl and kinda felt dirty. Ick! I quit using it and sucked it up and started going to a hairdresser. Now I have to go every 3 weeks to get these dang roots done, and she doesn't always pull the color all the way through, just colors the roots, which is fine with me. I'm still debating about going back to my natural grey this summer. It sure is a heck of a lot easier............:shrug:

I thought I was doing my hair good by using a temp color (Natural Instincts) for 18 years! Now I know that it just kept coating my hair and keeping it yucky! I use a permanent color now, Colorsilk, and I am so happy with the price, the color and the outcome. I only dye my roots and I will continue to because I love the natural red color I have, and my hair is long. I use hair extentions to add more hair. It's easier to lighten my dark hair without using bleach because the grey blends the color in nicely!

OK, I'm curious. Can you tell me about hair extensions .. where you get them, how much they cost, etc.

I'd also like to hear from anyone who has tried permanent makeup in TV .. eyebrows, eyelashes, etc.

P.S. My nail fungus is almost gone. The doctor said to use a topical fungus solution. Not oral. Too hard on the liver.

I'm not sure I'll ever get artificial nails again. I love the look for sure. But they are so time consuming, and the fungus was disgusting.

I bought hair extentions years ago before anyone knew about them. Recently,
I get them from U.N.I. beauty supply in Ocala and at Holly's beauty Supply in Leesburg, but I buy the hair wefts, they come on a line 5 feet long, I cut them to length and sew them together to create the length and volume I want. I use elastic I removed from old wigs to sew the lines of hair together. The extentions you can buy on line can vary, you never know what you are getting, so I do not buy them on line any longer. Matching your own color, texture and curl is very difficult. I always color my extentions to match my hair. Buying bulk hair is the most inexpensive way to go. Extentions are the same hair with clips sewed on them. They charge extravagant amounts of money just for the sewing, which I do myself. Both beauty supply stores sell the clips. It takes patience to do this, but it's so worth it for me. I get alot of compliments on my hair, and noone can tell I am wearing extentions. I blend them into my long hair by parting my hair and simply clamping downs the small clips. I don't even know I am wearing them. I hope this helps someone!!!

I have a friend who just got "permanent" eyebrows. She loves them. She is thinking of getting the eye liner.

Has anyone out there tried it? I would be worried about getting an eye infection from the tattoo dye. And also I would think it hurts, although my friends says no.

Anyone out there have any experience or recommendations?

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

I see we have some new icons to play with.
:boom::what::sing:

Are the "permanent" eyebrows the same as "permanent" hair color? I mean, it it the same mixture, just put on the eyebrows?

Permanent eyeliner would save time in the mornings for sure! Bare, your friends who say it doesn't hurt-- have they done it themselves, or just heard? If they have, how long ago? Any complications? Just curious. I love the idea, but don't think I'd do it. Seems risky.

Permanent eyeliner and eyebrows is cosmetic tattooing, right?

My daughter-in-law turned me on to "sculpted" nails about 10 years ago. For me, it was an answer to my prayers because my nails were SO soft and were always splitting. I never had nice nails so I appreciated the look and the strength they gave me.

However, I HATE spending the time (and money) at a salon. I would let them go for about 3-4 weeks and they looked horrible towards the end. I know that the nail ladies were always talking about me behind their masks in Korean! :o Don't ask me how I knew....I just knew!

Now my DIL tells me that she no longer gets her nails done...she now uses "Hollywood" nails.

I looked for Hollywood nails at Walgreens and they had none, so I purchased "Kiss Everlasting French" nails...and I LOVE them!!

They look great (very natural) and I've had lots of compliments. They are not as strong as a sculpted nail, but they give me the added strength that I need and they make me feel good about my hands again! I have had a couple come off when I was using them strenuously (planting, scraping a pan) but you get extras in the box, so you just glue on another one!

These are NOT your old "press on nails". They have greatly improved and I am so glad I found them!:pepper2:

Yes, it is cosmetic tattooing. It is not like hair dye at all. It is very permanent. My friend had her eyebrows done about three months ago. It looks good and she loves it. She is thinking of having eye liner done. She says that it doesn't hurt. The beautician deadens the area with a topical cream first.

I'm just afraid of anything around the eye area. :22yikes: But I think tons of women have done it successfully.

I know we should all treasure our good health and our many blessings. I know this. And we should forget about vanity. But it is tough getting to look more like your grandmother as the years go by.

That is extremely interesting. I've never considered Walgreen nails. Perhaps I'll experiment. I am not eager to repeat the artificial nail process ... so much time and grinding to look good. I always hated wasting two hours every two weeks at a nail salon.

And yet, I look at my stubby little fingernails, and :sigh:sigh, I remember how pretty my pink and whites used to be.

I have some questions:

Do you wear them all the time? Are they hard to apply? (I find false eyelashes incredibly hard to attach). Do you need to "cut the nails provided to size"? Can you put these nails on for a special occasion (I have a wedding to attend.) How hard is it to remove the nails?

Karen Scott apparel
 

Figured I'd try the feminine forum for my question. Back north (Indiana) I used to be able to purchase Karen Scott blouses and tees at L.S. Ayres.

Would love to find this good clothing line down here. Anyone know who might carry it? Have tried finding them via the computer, but no luck. Any suggestions?

Karen Scott at Macy's in Ocala

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/index....00000008326581

Well...I have been wearing them all the time, even though the packaging says "7 day wear". I had two of them come off due to usage and they were broken, but you get 24 nails of different sizes, so I just replaced them. It includes a file if you need to file them down to fit...I didn't...the sizes fit great. They were not at all hard to put on. You get a little bottle of glue with the kit. You just put glue on the fake nail and your own nail, press and hold for 5 seconds and, viola', an instant nail! These would be great for a special occasion. I bought the "real short" length (but they're not that short, the perfect length for me). They have so many sizes and lengths...there was a whole section in Walgreens for nails. As far as removing them, I also bought the "Kiss All or One Nail Remover". This is like a tub of nail polish remover that you can soak your nails in, making them easier to remove. The box says to "trim and file the surface to break through the protective topcoat and then use the remover to wipe off the softened plastic and glue". It's really easier than it sounds...I was afraid to try them at first...now I'm glad I did! Let me know if you try and like them! Oh yeah...they also have them for toes...I'm debating!!!;)

Karen Scott is a Macys brand.
 

L.S. Ayres became part of Federated Department Stores(now called all stores and corporate renamed Macys) in 2005 I beleive.

Karen Scott is a name of Macys midline of goods. Alfani being their top line and Charter Club their budget. All Macys carry some Karen Scott the larger stores will have the full line. What is available year to year varies alot as they are direct imports and if they switch from one supplier to another the fit can change so always try on. This is true of most clothing lines today. The goods are designed and put out for bid by various factories the company has agreements with (in some cases they own a factory but not usually).

Information overload sorry

Trudy
formally of Macys Northwest Purchasing Planning Dept. (Was the Bon Marche before the name change)

karen scott
 

Thanks for the info. I just never seem to get to Macy's when in Ocala, and will look there next visit to the mall. Your help is appreciated.

I'm looking for a place to dispose of used clothing. I need to clean out my closets and I find it much easier to give clothes to the needy, rather than throw them in the garbage. Some things have never been worn. They aren't worthy of consignment, but I hate to throw them out.

Up north, there are bins in every plaza from Salvation Army, Good Will, etc., to collect clothes and small knick knacks.

Does anyone know of handy place in The Villages that takes used clothing?

St. Timothy's Church the last Thursday of each month takes them.

Bare -
I take mine (clothing, furniture, etc.) to Habitat for Humanity which is where I always took them before moving here.

Habitat for Humanity of Lake County: Leesburg Thrift Store
www.habitat.org
200 North Lone Oak Drive
Leesburg, FL 34748-4715
(352) 728-6366

There is a Good Will semi parked daily north of the Villages west of 27/441.
It is a little behind the Office Depot store. Also, The Haven will taked used clothing and the many thrift shops around. I'm with you, if it's still usable, recycle it. I think about the consignment shops, but never do get there.

Where is St. Timothy's Church located?

I am located near Southern Trace Plaza. I often have just a few articles of clothes or household knickknacks to donate.

Previously, I donated clothes to Women's Shelters. I find it so strange with the enormous population of TV and the inexpensive shops (like Bealls) around, that there aren't convenient drop off bins within TV for donations.

Mrs. Ohio
 

Question from someone totally new: does anyone know of a hair salon in TV that uses frameisi hair color? (not sure of the spelling, think it is an Italian hair coloring product)...any input greatly appreciated!