I Was Just Thinking....

• BAG LADY: I have serious issues. In the past month I have bought/received 5 handbags. And not cheap ones. I have very expensive taste and once I get one I am on to the next one. Each one unique and expensive. My Guy is constantly telling me that he is going to sell my old, expensive handbags on Ebay and finance a trip around the world for BOTH of us. Like I said- I have serious issues.

• REAL EYES: Remember I told you about how blind I am? Well guess what? I got CONTACTS!!! Yes, me-I got contacts for what's called monovision. One contact is for distance and the other is for up close reading. So far so good! It's been 4 days and I haven't reached for my glasses once while I am at work, which is highly unusual for me. Most people comment on my FAB Tom Ford glasses, but the contacts are working great, so I don't need them for my day to day work duties. There is one small problem though-I am not the best at inserting them and removing them. They say this comes with practice and I really hope so because it took me over an hour the first day to put them in, 45 minutes the next two days, but today? 9 MINUTES TOTAL! This could be a good thing!

• PEACE YET SORROW: They found the wreckage in the ocean off Indonesia of the AirAsia plane that disappeared a few days ago.Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for the victims and families of the passengers on board. I am, however, grateful for a resolution to the tragedy for the loved ones. Unlike the Malaysian Airline plane that disappeared and was never recovered earlier this year. I cant help but think that those families must live in some kind of "Lost" fantasy from time to time.

• I WANNA BE A BILLIONAIRE: Saw "Guardians of The Galaxy" last night. What a terrific movie! I absolutely loved it. Here's the thing, I have seen this movie advertised on iTunes, On Demand, Apple TV and thought it looked stupid so I breezed over it a million times. My BFF, who sees every movie imaginable in the theaters, also commented that it was a great movie, but I still considered it  to be what looked like a dud. Then I saw an "Best movies of 2014" end of year list that had it at #1. It grossed over 1.8 BILLION dollars so far, so My Guy and I decided to watch it with reservations. Boy were we wrong! There are 1.8 billion reasons to love this movie. I highly recommend it.

• NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: Frick is BACK and we are going to NYC on Thursday to get her situated in her most beloved city. I am so happy that my baby is back on American terra firma and going back to the place she calls home. I miss the city too-I haven't been back since the summer. I love seeing her in her element. It warms a mother's heart.

A Very Merry Christmas From Candy's Daily Dandy

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through The Dandy,

Every creature was stirring,  not least of all Candy. 

The stockings were hung and the fake tree was trimmed, while the Christmas bling sparkled from each perfect little limb.

The Children weren't nestled, nor snug, nor in bed,

They were laughing and drinking and making merry instead!

Frick and Frack were adults, now living on their own while Candy and Her Guy kept the fires burning at home. With the college kids away for most of the year, the empty nesters adjusted but held the holidays dear. A full house was a joy to behold for a time. Is that so much to ask, or would the kids consider it a crime?

And Candy dressed in Gucci and her Guy  in Tom Ford,  while Frick regaled them  with stories from her time spent abroad. The crest on the sparkle of the new life they lead gave way to their happiness, no more worry or dread. Frack was so pleased living life in the South, and he told them of college adventures from his very own mouth! 

When out on the lawn Buddy was causing a clatter, Candy rose from her Manolo's to see what was the matter. Since Buddy was the lone dog left in the house, he was running and chasing things much bigger than a mouse. A deer? A turkey? A bird or a raccoon? Surely that dog was as crazy as a loon!

While the celebration went on, fun and joy was abound so Candy decided to reflect during some quiet time she had found. Another year, she thought,  she felt blessed and at peace,  such love to be part of, she hoped never would it cease. Content in this thought, Candy wondered what would her Christmas wish be, when she realized that really, she had everything she would ever need. 

So she wished for others the same joy that she felt, and she was grateful for another year under her belt. And I heard her exclaim to every person to hear,

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a Happy New Year!"

There's No Crying In Cooking..

Picture this:
Candy in the kitchen cooking all the family's holiday favorite foods on Sunday. Christmas music playing festively in the background and the family comfortably nestled around hearth and home. It's a beautiful holiday picture...until it came time to chop up the onions. The kids were horrified by mom's sudden red and tearing eyes and I was stifled by the pain and stinging.

I tried some of my best known tricks for stopping the torture while chopping onions

• Put a match stick between your teeth. (I tried both lit and not lit)
• Run the water while chopping.
• Light a candle.

None of them worked. I was crying like a little baby-and the stinging was so painful that I had to stop completely more than once. I even contemplated shorting the recipe of chopped onions because I seriously couldn't put myself through the agony for one more second.

There's no "Holly Jolly Christmas" without everybody's favorite foods-so what am I to do? What do you do? Because seriously-I'm considering using the scuba mask like my friend in the picture above. Legend has it that as the onions grow under the ground absorb the sulfurs from the earth that cause the painful gasses to emit when chopping. 

A quick internet search shows several tried and true ways to stop the tearing. I'm ready and willing to try anything at this point:

• Cut an onion under the vent-put a cutting board on the stove top and turn on the vent overhead. The ventilation fan is supposed to redirect the fumes away from your eyes. 
• Wear goggles-you can purchase specifically designed goggles for onion cutting, but everything that I read says swimming goggles work just as well.
• Freeze the onion-put the onion in the freezer 15 minutes before chopping. Theory is that the cold inhibits the onion's release of the painful gasses.  
• Put a piece of bread in your mouth-probably the easiest and most effective. The thinking here is that the bread absorbs all the bad stuff, but users of this method report that your mouth will water while chopping causing one soggy piece if bread in the end. 

All in all-I don't care which one causes what as long as it works! Because a Christmas without onions is like the year without a Santa Claus!

Wondrous Wordless Wednesday-"Santa! I Know Him!!"

Just Cause

I am a person who hates an injustice.

Recently I have discovered that it has been a theme in my life. I always fight for justice. Justice in myself and justice for others, I tend to stand up for the injustice of it all. So it was recently that I remembered that I was not always just in my life.

The memory came to me upon reflection. I was in 6th grade and I remembered bullying a young red headed girl in my school. I'm not proud nor am I exactly sure why it happened, but I definitely singled her out for whatever reason. She probably pushed some of my buttons, so I decided to make her a target of my anger.

I called her ugly. Daily.
I preyed on her because I considered her to be weak.
I intimidated her with physical threats like my brother had intimidated me, and I was good at it because he was a pro at terrorizing me.

As I reflected on this memory, I remembered her face. Scared and red from crying, she tried her best to let me know she wasn't going to take it lying down. But I knew she was and I wanted it that way. And I used it against her. It didn't go on for very long, as our parents were called and discussions took place between me and my parents and it was swiftly put to an end. And again, I'm not sure why I had chosen this innocent girl to unleash my special kind of terror.

Maybe I knew I was stronger.
Maybe I decided that she would be my target because I was sick of being his.
Yet I can't get the image of her frightened face out of my mind today.

So I want to say to you, Michelle, I am deeply sorry for any pain I caused you back in 6th grade, on the play grounds of the Sheehan school. I'm sure I was sorry then, but I am certain I am very sorry now. My hope is that you have forgiven me for my adolescent angst against you and that it may bring you some perspective to share with your own children.Maybe even a nugget of wisdom.

Because there must be some justice in that...

Today's Special: Top Five Beauty Must Haves

With the last week of the holiday's upon us, I decided to give you my Top 5 Beauty "Must Haves", so that your and yours can have a merry little, beautiful Christmas now!

Topping my list:

1. Eve Lom Cleanser-Voted by Vogue Magazine "probably the best cleanser in the world", this balm cleanser is no short of a beauty wonder. Created by the legendary, world renound esthetician Eve Lom, the award winning cleanser is the basis of her international, best selling line of skin care. Expertly balanced for all types of skin and skin concerns, it deep cleanses, exfoliates and leaves skin radiant and hydrated. Applied with a dry hand to a dry face, it emulsifies into a sleek oil that removes all traces of dirt and makeup. Using the warm, dampened muslin cloth (that comes in the box) to swipe away impurities, your skin is left with an amazing ENVIOUS glow that your more often than not will be asked to explain. In 3 sizes, it starts at $50.00 for 50 ML of gorgeous skin. You won't believe your complexion, or the fact that you just cleansed it with a gorgeous aromatherapy oil that won't clog pores! PURCHASE HERE.

2. Skin An Apothecary Soy Body Whip-If the previous product is the best in it's category, then this body moisturizer tops all the others for hydrating your body and leaves the competition in the dust! This fluffy, soy based cream is enriched with Vitamin C and Paraben free. The whipped cream soaks into the skin leaving it virtually grease less and amazingly soft. It's like nothing I've ever tried. It literally transforms dry, dull skin into supple, soft glowing skin. It's a Candy Bar best seller and can be PURCHASED HERE.

3. Nest Candles and Diffusers-Nest candles are a long time favorite of mine. These gorgeous scented candles permeate the entire perimeter of your home! My recommendation for this time of the year? Nest Holiday candle in the 3-wick jar is not only long lasting and gorgeous, but will give you the happy scent of the holidays for your friends and family to enjoy. Expertly blended with pomegranate, Mandarin Orange, pine, clove , cinnamon and a hint of vanilla and amber, even Santa will appreciate the joyful scent of the holidays in your home. PURCHASE HERE. 

4. Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara-The Candy Bar's #1 selling product! This tubular formula actually wraps around your lashes creating little tubes that adhere to your own lashes, which allow you to create length and volume with out clumping. It won't smear, smudge or dot onto the eye area and comes off easily with soap and water. This is a stocking stuffer that's sure to please and it only comes in one color-black-so the decision of color is already made for you! PURCHASED HERE.

5. UNO de50 Jewelry-You can never go wrong with a gorgeous gift of jewelry. UNO de50, Spain's premier jeweler has the most unique, distinctive and discriminating designs, perfect for the woman who wants to stand out among the crowd. Sterling silver, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces so remarkable, the toughest decision will be choosing just one! Shop the world of UNO de50! PURCHASE HERE.


Happy shopping bloggers! 10 days and counting!!

2 Weeks Till C-Day

Hey Bloggers! It's just about 2 weeks and counting till the day that Santa lets us all know if we have been naughty or nice! Judging by these photos, there's going to be a lot of coal passed around, Just sayin...

Not sure if this dude is serious or not, but in a very small way the suit is kinda bad ass..scratch that-it's just bad!

The funny thing here is that Dad find absolutely nothing wrong with this picture. I can just hear him, in response to his daughters horrror, "What?"

The modern Addams family. Hey, they like to spread the Xmas cheer too! 

Oh my...What the? Uhhh, I guess I will reserve judgement here. I'm all for flying your freak flag. Right? 

But this?This is just too creepy for words. Well there are two words that come to mind: "Jazz Hands!"

After the previous two, this somehow seems normal....

Nice! Bad Granny here is workin it! You go girl!!! I love it when people poke fun in the face of Christmas.

And speaking of poking fun in the face of Christmas...This one needs no explanation.


Happy Friday Bloggers! And I hope you have a very jolly weekend!

This Is Exactly Why I Don't Discuss Politics In Mixed Company-Again..

My Grandmother, God rest her soul, had many words of wisdom. One of my favorites that she always said was, "never tell ages or wages or discuss politics in mixed company." Boy she wasn't kidding. There is a notorious reason why I will never discuss politics in mixed company and I wrote about it in a four part series on the Daily Dandy HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. Feel free to check these out at your leisure-it's a doozy of a story. Of course it proves this theory nicely, because sure as sh*t, it happened yet again the other night.

Now it wasn't even close to what had happened before, but you can bet it got, shall we say, awkward? My Guy had arranged a fabulous birthday dinner for his wife (me) at our home with 8 guests. My nephew is an amazing chef and he cooked us a spectacular 4 course meal that was scrumptious! My parents were in attendance, some dear friends of ours and another couple we socialize with quite frequently. Interestingly enough, the latter couple are in the same age demographic as my parents, so the mix of generations couldn't have been more perfect!

Happily enjoying pre-dinner drinks and some fantastic appetizers, the group was getting on swimmingly until someone brought up politics. I will preface this with a disclaimer: Candy's Daily Dandy and it's management do not endorse any political party, organization or politician publicly. Whether or not I personally agree or disagree with what transpired is completely irrelevant to the story. So in the spirit of story telling, I will continue.

Someone decided to bring up the "O" word. I say that because suddenly the happy and smiling faces became blank and sullen. Someone said something disparaging about our President and immediately someone else defended our President. Political banter was exchanged and some not so nice faces were being made in one direction towards the other. Being the hostess, I jumped to action immediately and brought my dear Grandmother's words to everyone's attention. I then went on to tell a witty story about my Irish, swearing, sports loving, gambling Grandmother to which I had everyone's rapt attention.

I'm not sure if it was the spirit of my Grandma, the story about her I told or the fact that they got my message loud and clear-but the conversation ceased and merry was made for the rest of the evening. The two parties that had earlier disagreed even sat next to each other at dinner, laughing and enjoying the night. It actually turned out to be one of my favorite evenings I've had in a long time.

And to Grandma I say, thank you! I know somehow we dodged a bullet on that one.

The Great Christmas Tree Debate

I grew up in a "fake" Christmas tree household. As long as I can remember, I never had a real Christmas tree when I was growing up. Not that it really was a huge deal, but the second I had my own home, I vowed to never have a fake tree again....until now.

That's probably 20 Christmases, with my own family, that we have bought real Christmas trees. We have had huge ones, skinny ones, weirdly shaped ones, gorgeous ones, and ones that were uniquely ours in every way. And I have loved them all. They have fallen and smashed ornaments, not once but twice, they have smelled heavenly and they have brought us lots of joy and Christmas cheer. They have also created huge messes. Pine needles everywhere, water stains from spilling, scratches on the ceiling and doors and become an all over big pain in the rump. Especially when they are a complete fire hazard around the 4th or 5th of January.  I used to love to tour the Xmas tree lot, spying that perfect specimen to bring home and lovingly adorn with my Christmas memories. But now?

This year I feel differently. My "fake" Christmas tree moratorium has been lifted. I have been to friends homes recently and seen some gorgeous trees! When they told me they were fake I could hardly believe it so I did a bunch of research on the new fangled fake trees out there. They come with lights already on them?? OMG, this is truly a bonus, and there are so many shapes and sizes to choose from I could hardly decide. And they are beautiful! You can choose what kind of tree you want, like what the actual branches look like and if you want that realistic look, you can get ones that are snow covered and have pine cones. My Guy and I chose ours online, and are picking it up this afternoon and I can't wait to see it. We are thrilled and I couldn't wait to share the good news with Frick and Frack!

Big mistake..

Frick and Frack who both live in other states most of the year are not happy with this Christmas tree development. "No mom! That's disgusting!" Frick said. Disgusting I thought? That's a wee bit extreme. (God bless my baby girl, she is an actor after all.) Frack doesn't love the idea either, so I asked them if they wanted to be the ones to remove the tree from the house and clean up the mess...

Radio silence...

Just what I expected.

In any case, a fake tree it is in this house and I'm looking forward to meeting the new addition to our family. In the meantime I told my kids what every good, loving and caring parent tells their children to avoid disappointment. I said, "I'll buy you some pine tree scented spray. It will be fine."

My Grown Up Christmas List

Something for Frick.
Something for Frack.
My Guy is next. Check off the list, that.

What to do about the family swap? A $75.00 gift for a man or a woman whom never seem to stop.
Shopping online? Better do it now.
Not going to get caught wondering when it will get here and how.

Do I have enough bows, wrapping paper, ribbons and tape?
Where are the tags to put on the wrapped presents we make?
Sales here, sales there, the retailers are swarming.
Prices are dropping because the competition is warming.

Gotta make the homemade ravioli that my Grandmother made.
The sauce, turkey, fixings, cookies, cakes, and the Christmas treats I'd never trade.
Frick wants sausage and cinnamon rolls to eat.
Frack doesn't care, he's happy with every food he meets.

Bones for the dog and put up the tree.
It sounds like a lot, but it gives us all glee.
Christmas is a feeling more than a wrapped up gift,
and these "things" give us numerous memories through which to sift.

Making a list gives me the direction which gives me a push and a shove,
because through it all, everything I do is done with much love.

Go Shorty...It's Your Birthday!

It's the one day of the year that is yours and yours alone...so I guess it's my day!

It's "the day of larger than life". According to December 2 Birthday Astrology:


"The mysterious Sagittarius men and women born on December 2 are big on image. They are romantic and talented; their talents often relate to the arts. They sometimes use their talent to shelter themselves from the world. They seem strong but are vulnerable to emotional pressures. They seldom show their wounds, putting a positive spin on difficult events."

Sounds familiar.

Lucky are the ones I love:

"Few people display the loyalty and affection that December 2 men and women show. December 2 people love on an epic scale. They often fall in love unwisely, but there is no doubt of their sincerity. Learning to live with their romantic choices can be difficult, but these resilient people are up to the task."

Up to the task? I guess so considering I've loved and lost and loved and won.

Traits of this day..Dec 2 "Larger than life".

DYNAMIC
LUCID
HUMAN
TEMPERAMENTAL
JUDGMENTAL
MANIPULATIVE

Oh hey! Who threw in manipulative? But I can be influential. Or is it magical?

"Those born on December 2 are possessed of tremendous spirit. No matter how small their physical frame, they will exert an influence on their surroundings far beyond what one might expect on first meeting them. It is only when seen in action that they really shine. So magical is their effect that those involved with them may sometimes feel as if they’ve been hit with a bolo punch."

And now it's calling me out. OK, so you've got me here:

"The December 2 judgmental aspect is very expansive, for better or for worse. On the one hand, those born on this day are keen evaluators, true judges of honesty and integrity, but on the other hand they are capable of harboring grudges and taking their often furious tempers out on those who have transgressed."

As a gift to me here are some words to live by. Advice for those born on this day: 

Watch your temper.

Regardless of what people say, winning isn’t everything.

Real self-assurance will minimize your need to be appreciated.

Try to be less judgmental and condemning.

To improve, one must first acknowledge weaknesses and faults.

On the whole not a bad gig. I'd have to admit to the accuracy. Me and Brittney Spears, Lucy Lu-we are all born on this day. And I'll make my birthday wishes- because there is magic in your birthday wish-
World peace, honesty, integrity, my daughter home safe, health, success and protection for my family. 

That's not asking too much, is it?