Love List

Maggie and I headed up to the mall for our weekly sister date this week. I wanted to go because my fav pair of boots need to be reheeled, and I'm desperate to be able to wear them again with the cold temps we've been experiencing. Once we'd dropped them off and received assurances from the hispanic cobbler that "[I] will be very, very happy with them!" :) we headed over to the food court for dinner, then took a leisurely stroll around the mall to see the sights. My Christmas shopping is all done, so it was nice to get to walk around without feeling pressure to hit so many stores in search of gifts. :)


We ended up at the jewelery section of one of my fav stores, Forever 21. It's hilarious that this is my fav store in the mall, because I don't think I could fit into any of the clothes there (at least, not yet)! :) But this place has the greatest jewelery - very unique stuff, stuff that looks like it was collected from around the world and brought back, and probably has a story to tell. It's inexpensive, so I don't mind picking up a few pieces whenever something catches my eye. And I always get compliments on their jewelery when I wear it. In fact, that night I was wearing my large owl pendant that I'd bought from them, and I'd been getting compliments on it all day - from the mommies at gymnastics, from the lady at the counter who took my dinner order, from random strangers on the street who stopped to tell me how much they liked it. :) Jewelery like that is priceless, folks! I love how a unique piece of jewelery attracts people - not neccesarily compliments, but just draws in people who have a similar eye or style, that you might not bump into otherwise. :)


There's pretty much every style of jewelery at Forever 21, from the softly sentimental...

To the holiday festive!

And if it weren't for the rhinestones, the little guy below would definitely have come home with me!!!

I loved this piece, love the layered chains and the big dragonfly pendant.

And have I mentioned I've been wanting a fish pendant for ages now? Well, I have! I especially like this dangly one, but they had several styles.

Of course, I'll admit it... the real draw for me is that Forever 21 has a seemingly unendless supply of owl necklaces. See?

The one above was in the store, and I came thisclose to bringing it home with me... I love it to pieces!

Speaking of owls, I was in Target yesterday and found this little guy! Isn't he cute?

I went through my purse this week and threw out a ton of old cosmetics... one of the victims was my hand cream. :( I needed a good replacement, so while we were at the mall, I ducked into Bath and Body Works and picked up a tube of the True Blue Cashmere Hand Cream on sale. Nice stuff! The ONLY bad thing I have to say about it is that it smells just like a freshly baked sugar cookie, and makes me hungry. :)

One last thing - a year ago this week I quit my job in retail to have a couple weeks off with the family before I began working as Abigail's nanny. I was glancing through the blog posts from that week and I thought y'all might enjoy comparing my life lately to my life a year ago. I have to say I think it's a big improvement! I'd sort of forgotten how miserable I was! Anyway, feel free to check it out - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

Black Friday

I'm one of the "crazies" - I love Black Friday shopping! I haven't gotten to do it much in the last few years since I usually had to work, but this year of course I have Friday off, and it just happened that my Christmas list was electronic and gadget-heavy, so my family compiled our list and made a plan and decided to go for it!

We all went to bed at various times last night... it was kind of a stressful holiday for some of us due to some conflict/tension in the family, so some of us took more time to unwind than others, lol. I think I was actually pretty much in the middle - I went to bed around 10 PM and my alarm went off at 1:30. I got up, got dressed, and went out only to discover that my dad's alarm clock HADN'T gone off, so I ran around getting everyone up and dressed. Maggie got up and brewed a pot of coffee and made peppermint lattes for everyone in to-go cups, so armed with our coffee, we left around 2 PM.

We arrived at the Target parking lot at 2:20 for a 4AM opening. Now, this particular strip mall has Target one on end, then a largish Dress Barn, a Hallmark store, a Bath & Body Works, a Hair cuttery, a now-empty space (used to be a dentist, I think), and then a large Giant. We figured we'd be good getting there 1 1/2 hours ahead of schedule. We ended up joining the line in front of Giant. :) I was starting to feel famished by now - that's one of the things that has changed in the last few months along with my waistline; it used to be that I was not a breakfast person at all, now I have to fuel my body or else it complains, lol - so Maggie and I took the van and went to the nearby Wawa's to get breakfast. Our plan was to get a bunch of Sizzli's and some drinks and dart back to the line. Turns out there were only two employees working that night and the wait time for anything from the deli was running 20 minutes, and they were refusing to make Sizzli's because they simply didn't have the manpower to do so.

We took a tour of the store instead, picked up some hummus, granola bites, trail mix, protein bars, and fruit, along with some juice, and headed back to the line.

Our wait passed really quickly - everyone was friendly and several of us had brought iPods and extra headphones. The only bad thing was that we were sandwiched between two smokers who insisted on blowing the smoke right in our faces. At one point my very non-confrontational-dad pulled out a sales flyer and began exaggeratedly fanning the smoke back to them. We were a little concerned about Ruthie getting set off in an asthma attack, so we kept sending her to stand away from us in the fresh(er) air, but all was well. It was a beautiful night, temperatures touching 60, so we didn't have to freeze.

While we were standing in line we had an organizational meeting where I shared my carefully crafted plan (lol): Maggie and Allen were one team - Maggie's job was to locate the items they were assigned, and Allen's job was to carry them or, if they ended up being too big or bulky to carry, to guard them until one of us could come help; Lizzie, Ruth, and I were making a run to another section to locate three more items (all pretty small in comparison), and Dad was making a run straight to electronics for his Christmas gift, a Garmin Nuvi GPS system, and, if possible, a Blueray player. Everyone was armed with a cell phone, and our plan was to meet up in front of the baby cribs. :)

We hit the store running like mad people and twenty minutes later had managed to snag EVERYTHING on our list. We rock, folks! I don't think I've ever managed to get everything on the list before! The folks at Target were totally on the ball - they were sufficiently staffed and the employees were very helpful and went out of their way to make it a pleasant experience for everyone. Even after we joined a checkout line that snaked all the way from the back of the store to the front, we were out of the store within an hour of coming in. Go Target! I have traditionally been a Wal-Mart Black Friday-er, but this has now changed. :)

We drove to the next shopping center so that Maggie, Allen, and Dad could go to Best Buy (which had a line just to get into the store, since they were over their occupancy limit) while Lizzie, Ruth, and I ducked into the peace and calm of Panera Bread to sit in the peace and get something to drink.

Our last trip was to Walmart. Totally different atmosphere - the employees were unhelpful, unpleasant, and generally looked like they hoped we'd all go away really, really soon. :) We toured the deals - of which there were many, amazingly, left - and ended up getting nothing but cat food we found on sale. :)

We met Anna, who was on her way to JoAnn Fabrics, out in the parking lot, and gave her Lizzie for company. The rest of us headed home to go back to sleep. :)

I got back to bed around 7:30 and got the best three hours of sleep in my life. :) I got up, wrapped some of my finds from that morning, and puttered around until Maggie woke up, and then we headed back out. :)

We stopped in at Gamestop and Best Buy again to see if we could locate a Wii game for one of the kids (no luck) then I went to the bank to deposit a check. We stopped in at Fashion Bug so I could try to find some clothes to round out my changing-body wardrobe (again, no luck - this is the dark side of weight loss, people! You don't know how to dress your body anymore, and not all parts of said body change the same way at the same rate. Very frustrating). By this time we were both hungry, so we ducked into our fav mexican restaurant for a late lunch/early dinnerish meal.

After dinner we both wanted a cup of kiwi green tea from our fav asian cafe, a few stores down, so we walked down, got tea, and walked back up to hit Marshalls. I picked up several gifts and finally found a gift for my new cousin. :)

We ran into the nearby dollar store to pick up gift bags and another roll of wrapping paper, then made one last trip to WalMart for a few oddly-sized gift bags and one. last. gift.

We came home, and I jumped on the computer to order my best friend's Christmas gift - I wish I could share, I'm super-excited about it!!! - and with that, folks, I am done shopping. I still have several packaged that have yet to arrive, but every gift is ordered and shipped, and at least 75% of them are already wrapped (go me!), and I'm actually excited. :) I can't wait to get into the non-shopping Christmas rituals, lol, like cookie baking and tree trimming and checking out the community events, and, of course, planning for my BFF's visit. :)

Christmas Awesomeness

Last week, on Monday, Abby and I came home, I put her down for a nap, and I jumped on the computer to order a Christmas gift. I ordered it around 1:30, maybe 2 PM. When I got home from work on Tuesday, there it was. I was pretty impressed!

Just to clarify, I did not pay for any next day or quick shipping (I mean, the whole point of shopping online is to SAVE money, not blow it on instant gratification shipping, lol). So, kudos to the postal service.

I did another round of online shopping yesterday (I am finding great deals and it's KILLING me to not be able to share, lol... be on the lookout for a big post-Christmas post) and today when I checked my email, two of the five items I'd ordered have already shipped. I have one more round of online shopping to do, and some stuff that I'm hoping to score on Black Friday (yeah, I'm one of those) and then I'm DONE. It's astounding to me that it's not even December yet and I'm using the word "done" in conjunction with Christmas shopping. I'm the one who picks up gifts on Christmas Eve! But actually, I'm kind of glad. I must be turning into a stuffy adult. :(

As for my WW update: down 1.6 pounds this week! I'm glad since I think this coming week is going to be a wash with Thanksgiving. I have been dreaming for weeks about two things: stuffing (or dressing, if you will, lol) and pecan pie. :)

What Happened To My Wednesday?!

Today has been a crazy day that just seems doomed to crash and burn, lol. Didn't get a good sleep last night due to 1) my airbed being out of commission and 2) the crazy windstorm we had last night... I woke up and honestly thought we were all going to get swept off to Oz, it was howling so badly. Woke up super achey (luckily, from my workout yesterday and not from the bed) wih dirty hair (thought I could make it work). After I took Abby to school, I tried to return the $100 airbed that my dad bought me last week (that didn't work) only to discover that Wal-Mart has an unposted and enforced rule that says they won't accept airbeds on return. !!! Went to Starbucks to get a skinny latte that cost almost $4 and was HORRIBLE.

So, basically... yeah. Just one of those days. At least I am still maintaining a sense of humor, albeit an extremely dry, British sort. :)

I indulged in a little online shopping this week for Christmas! I've always been the person who likes shopping in brick and mortar stores, bringing things home, smuggling them into the house, hiding them in my room, etc. But this year the idea of comparing prices online, pressing a button, and having them delivered to the house sounds GREAT! I've actually done most of my "shopping" and now I'm just spreading out the actual buying over a few paychecks. :) It's killing me to not be able to share my finds with you guys, but it seems like EVERYONE reads my blog these days. :)

But I can definitely share MY wishlist for Christmas... Yeah, can you tell I'm totally doing retail therapy today? :)

• A subscription to Weight Watchers Magazine. I love this magazine! It's part of what inspired me to start WW. I've been picking it up on the newsstands but it would be awesome not to have to hunt it down every month.
• A 1 liter Camelbak water bottle - This would make the PERFECT workout/walk water bottle... I drink a lot and most water bottles are too small, so a big huge one would be great. Plus it has a place for a carabine (read: I don't have to carry it!) and a built-in straw (LOVE it!). The only sad thing is that the 1 liter size doesn't come in orange. How lame is that?!?
• I'm way behind my Sanctuary watching, and the price of season one and two has suddenly made it high on my list. :)
• I just discovered the TimeRiders series by Alex Scarrow and LOVE IT! I'm stoked about reading the second book in the series!

What's on your Christmas wish lift or gift list this year?

So This Is What It Feels Like To Be In Love

I've fallen in love.

Seriously.

:)

Remember how I talked earlier about wanting/needing a new big handbag, but being unable to find anything I liked?

And do you remember this purse that I bought on vacation with Robin, that I totally love, that I ADORE, actually?

Today I walked in to Marshalls to kill some time before picking the Abster up from Mom's Morning Out, and staring back at me from the purse rack was a giant-ish size version of my zipper rosette bag!

I was stunned, but there it was. And it's totally just as awesome huge as it is tiny. And I've always looked at that bag after using it for a weekend or an outing and thought to myself regretfully, it just doesn't work as an everyday bag - it's my go to bag for those days when I don't want to lug a small suitcase around with me, but if it were bigger, I would totally never want another bag in my life. Cuz it's so adorable! It's a rosette, but it has edge. :)

I went home and googled the designer's website just to confirm that I love it as much at home as do in the store, and I completely fell in love with this line. Seriously - go check out olivia+joy. Their website is beautiful, too, and their designs are just fun. Obviously, I'm partial to Rose, but there are definitely some other styles I'll be keeping my eye out for, should they hit Marshall's or Ross's (Exposed, for instance, or Ruffled. Or Peekaboo, for that matter). Even the bags I don't neccessarily want to own I can appreciate.

So it's funny I found this bag today, because (hopefully - crossing my fingers here!) I'll be reaching the ten-pounds-lost milestone this week, and I've been thinking that deserves a reward. I actually had my eye on another handbag, but now that I've seen this one I think it just has to be the one. :)

Rainy-Day Monday

I don't normally have Monday blues... I actually kind of like Mondays - they're the only day of the week where Abby and I have nothing on the agenda, and we make them low key recovery sort of days, filled with coloring and playdough and cuddling and whathaveyou, but today I woke up and it was rainy and I just couldn't take the rain anymore. It was cold earlier in the week, and then a heat wave struck and I was doing fine weathering the heat, but then the rain came and everything turned into a kind of mushy misty too-warm-for-sweaters-or-hoodies-but-not-warm-enough-for-shortsleeves and my hair frizzled up until I looked like an electrocuted porcupine, and I need a haircut, so that isn't helping matters any, and I just really wanted to crawl back into bed and declare a do-over. Unfortunately, that wasn't really an option, so I got up and brushed out my frizzled hair and went on with my day.

And it wasn't a bad day, really... it was just a rainy day Monday.

Natalie got home early today, so I went to Panera Bread to finish journaling for my class tomorrow. I know I haven't said a whole lot about this class lately, and it's because lately I'm dealing with more personal stuff that I don't really want to share with the whole world, but suffice to say it's doing me a lot of good. :) In fact, Robin texted me today asking how the class was going, and a minute later she told me that the class sounded like it was doing good things for me. Yes, indeed. :)

In other news... I lost five pounds last week, bringing my total weight loss to 9.4 pounds. EEE! Very exciting, especially since I feel like it's been really largely painless - confusing, sometimes, but definitely not as painful as I thought it would be. In fact, I'd braced myself for experiencing some of the "shrinking pains" that some of my weight-loss-blogging friends have experienced, but today really was the first day when I hit a bump in the road. And it wasn't really a big bump, and when I realized I was drifting and I was about to make some really bad decisions, I chose to regroup and reroute instead of saying, "Ah, I've already 'blown' today, so let me get it out of my system." And in the end I ended up going only 3 points over my daily allowance, and they came out of my weekly Flex Points (which I have yet to use all of yet) so I'm still on track. Funny how our mind plays tricks on us, right? If I had gone with my "other" voice, I definitely would have done more than 3 points damage even before dinner. I think I'm more proud of myself for handling today's hiccup than for the last three weeks of sticking perfectly to the plan. :)

After I went to Panera Bread, I went in search of long-sleeved shirts. I was shocked to learn that I only have one long-sleeved shirt from last year, and when I put it on today, I was like, how in the world did I ever wear this?! It's so sheer! I think being in storage may have killed it, as it's a kind of "fuzzy" material and the fuzz has worn off. Oh, well. A few long-sleeved shirts would be perfect right about now, when it's too warm for jackets and too cold for short sleeves. I went to every store in town that I shop at (except for JC Penney, and that's my last resort), and no dice. I finally stopped in at Wal-Mart and couldn't find a single long-sleeved plus-size T. I did, however, find a hoodie (which I've also been needing, so, yay!) and a pair of sneaker-shoes, which I also needed, both on sale. I bought shoes last year and I've tried walking in them several times in the last few weeks, but they rub in all the wrong places. These new ones are Dr. Scholl's, with a very low heel, and they're just so comfy. I'm excited about trying them out. :) I think I'm going to start going to the park and walking around the track while Abby is at Mom's Day Out.

I was reading one of the blogs on Weight Watchers Online today, and the girl was saying how she lost all her weight without becoming a gym rat. She practices yoga one day a week, she goes jogging one day a week, and she walks her dog. She admitted the weight didn't come off as quickly as it did for others, but it did come off. I'm totally an all-or-nothing kind of person when it comes to this sort of thing... I feel like I should be doing it seven days a week, and then when I miss a day I've "blown it" and I avoid it for awhile. When I read that, I thought, "I could do that!" I could get on the Wii Fit and do a workout once a week... I could walk laps once a week... I could do a yoga session once a week... and if I did all these things once a week, that would be at least three days of exercise! I don't know why, but three different kinds of exercise don't seem nearly as daunting as three days of the same exercise.

On The Hunt

So I need a purse. No, seriously, I have a real need of a new purse. I know it's hard to believe. :)



I have lots of purses, but they're all smallish to medium sized, and I am realizing now that unless my life changes drastically, I just need a big purse. Certain friend have teased me before about shopping for handbags in the luggage department, and it's almost true. But I have a lot to lug around! This is what's in my bag right now, for instance (this, by the way, is my favorite go-to bag for everyday... it's a beautiful burlap-type messenger, a gift from my best friend!):

• A ziploc of roasted chickpeas (my current WW snack)
• A bottle of ibuprofen (chronic back pain sufferer, here)
• A pile of receipts - admittedly, these could go
• A hair band
• A sippy cup and snack bowl (these are Abby's, but it was easier to throw them in my bag when we went to dinner with my Mom than it was to lug my own bag and the diaper bag)
• Lipstick and lip balm
• Eye rewetting drops
• Makeup case
• A six-sided nail file
• A pack of mint gum
• A small bottle of perfume (Butterfly Kisses by Bath and Body Works, my fav!)
• A small bottle of hand cream
• My wallet
• A pack of "React" gum
• A pack of fruity gum
• A nail buffer
• A small photo album (holding picts of my best friend and I, Khy, and Abby)
• A worn out nail file that Abby likes to play with
• A hair brush
• A bottle of sunscreen
• Hand sanitizer
• Contact fluid
• A small notepad (and I do have a pen in here somewhere)
• A small mirror
• And you can't see it, obviously, but my camera also lives in here, too!

And that's just what I carry at all times - most mornings, I drop a frozen meal in my purse, I often throw my netbook in a sleeve and throw it in; sometimes I drop a book I'm reading in there. And even as I look at my list I'm thinking of things I like to carry but am out of right now... facial cloths, moisturizer, etc. And I think as Abby gets older and potty trains, I'll end up throwing even more in there since I won't need the entire slew of diapers, wipes, etc.

So the last few weeks, I've been on the lookout for a new oversized bag. I thought about it and this is what I want:

• I want a bag with two-length straps, one for over the arm and one for over the shoulder. I have one purse like that now and I love it (but it's teeny!).
• I don't want a tote style, nor do I want anything too plain. Nothing too crazy, but something interesting - I'd love studs, extra straps, etc.
• I want a shiny patent finish. I love black but I'm open to a good interesting color - purple, teal, etc - but NOT RED!

So I went and checked all my normal shopping venues - Ross, JC Penney, Fashion Bug, online stores, etc - and found nothing. Either I found cute bags that were small, or big bags that were ugly.

Then today I went to Marshalls and found two bags I liked! One, not surprisingly, was by one of my fav brands, Nine West, and the other was a brand I don't remember now. The only downside is that one is in brown, and one is in black, so no interesting color. The only problem is that now I can't decide between them. I'm going to go back tonight and make a decision (and take picts of both of them!).

Long Weekend

I realized that this weekend is a long weekend because all my blogger friends are rejoicing.

Every weekend for me is a three-day weekend (until I convince Chris to let me work on Natalie's working Fridays) but these next two weeks are really long weekends... not only do I have Friday off, I get two Mondays off in a row (one for Labor Day and one because Abby and her 'rents are going on a beach trip). Luckily I have plans for both of these weekends, otherwise I think I'd go stark raving mad missing my pumpkin. :) This weekend involves lots of downtime after a really busy Summer and an especially busy August, then a picnic on Monday, and next weekend involves a camping/canoeing trip on the Shenandoah. Yay! I haven't seen "my river" for a few years now and I'm soo excited. Plus, I didn't get to do any camping this spring or summer, and I missed my annual camping trip with friends. I thought I didn't miss it, but I thought wrong - I walked down the camping aisle at WalMart with my dad today and wanted to drive straight home, pack up my truck, and spend the weekend in a tent.

My old phone - the one I just got working on Wednesday - was driving me NUTS (apparently I've become more accustomed to my Samsung than I'd like to admit), so today I caved and went and bought a new phone. I've been usingTracfone ever since I got my first phone, but today I made the switch to Straight Talk, which I feel secure about since it is, after all, owned by Tracfone. I got the Samsung T104G and a month's "All You Need" plan for starters. If I need to upgrade to an unlimited plan, well, it's still cheaper than the average contract phone. I love having video and the MP3 player... quite an upgrade from my cheapo old Samsung! I AM hoping that my old phone springs back to life enough to pull everything off of it, but so far, no luck.

So, last night Maggie and I had so much fun. :) We started off the night at our regular booth at Ruby Tuesday, with a round of Watermelon Spritzers, made perfectly (shaken, not stirred, lol). It's become a little bit of a joke with Maggie and I that we care who the bartender is - neither of us drink, but the bartender is responsible for making all the specialty fruited iced teas/zero proof beverages, and some of them make them better than others.

After dinner, we headed over to Ross, where I was determined to find some cute shoes. I need a pair of sturdy cute shoes, but I have wide feet (I'm practically a hobbit!) which makes it nearly impossible to find cute shoes unless I order them in a size which makes them look like a small pair of boats. I thought I might have scored because the larger size rack was full, but I tried on shoes for about 15 minutes and no luck.

So we proceeded to Catos, tried some clothes on, didn't like any of them, and wandered over to the shoe section... where I found the most awesome. pair. of shoes.

Seriously. Awesome.

Ok, just look already.

Aren't they seriously awesome?!? I've been wanting a pair of sturdy but cute shoes lately, and these definitely fit the bill. Just a little more edgy than my normal style, but sooo fun. And sooo comfy - they were actually comfier than the flip-flops I was wearing that night, so I wore them out of the store and when we got home after going to Wal-Mart, my feet were still happy. Peep-toe, but not so much I have to stress over my ugly toes. And a nice heel! High, which makes my back happy (am I the only one who has way better posture on heels?) but very solid.

After doing a big cleanout of my closet this week, I'm remembering (again!) that it's better to have a few things you really love and feel good about than a bunch of things you feel so-so about. These shoes definitely fall into the first category, along with my favorite silver pumps, and my adorable gladiator sandals I found for a steal ($12) AND in a wide-width and are sooo comfy. And my studded black tank-top. Oh yes, and this purse that I bought on vacation. :)

Isn't it cute? I saw the zipper rosette and flipped with happiness (I'm a little obsessed with zippers lately. Zippers and owls). I also lovelovelove the double handles. It's a little small for everyday use - I practically shop for handbags in the luggage department, lol - but it's a piece that has lots of good memories attaches to it (bought it while shopping with my best friend and her sister and Khy) and makes me happy every time I see it.

My dad and I went to the local WalMart today to pick up some things we needed, and while

I wandered the produce section in search of garlic, lemons, and green cabbage, I ran across some fresh artichokes and knew I absolutely had to have them. I've been craving them ever since I read an article in one of Chris' foodie magazines about artichokes with lemon-garlic aioli. I bought two, brought them home, pulled up a recipe for aioli, and got busy.

If you've never cooked an artichoke, there are some good directions here. I'm a bit lazy, so I usually just chop off the stem until the artichoke will sit upright, stick it in a pot with an inch of so of water, bring it to a boil, and keep adding water as it steams off. When I can pull a leaf out easily, I declare it done.

Well, the aioli flopped. Completely. Maggie even went at it and tried to render it into something edible, and even she couldn't do anything with it. Then I tried to make some garlic butter using the same garlic we'd used for the aioli, and that was inedible, too - I think maybe the garlic was bitter? In the end I melted some butter with a dash of smoked paprika and everybody loved it. I consider it a small victory that the kids cluster around me excitedly to eat artichoke. :)

Two artichokes don't go very far among seven people, though (Anna is the lone holdout in not liking artichoke) so I ended up scrambling some eggs for an egg and goat cheese burrito for my dinner. I also sliced up some peaches I got last night and threw them into a sort of makeshift cobbler, which I'm about to rescue from the oven and share. :)

Second Childhood

Once upon a time, when there was major snow on the ground, Abby and I used to meet my family up the street to hit my fav thrift store and then go to Burger King to let the kids play on the indoor playground. We haven't done it in awhile, and today most of my family was off on one task or another, but I need a new bedframe since my mattress switch and was looking for a smallish table or bookcase and a basket, so Abby and I picked up Maggie and off we went.

No bedframe, but we did make some major scores!

This is my favorite thrift store - I often find stashes of clothing in my size, nice brands, still with tags, and I bought my old bedframe here, as well as tons of DVD's, VHS tapes, CD's (I have scored some great CD's here for a few bucks apiece!), etc. It's recently undergone a renovation, so we walked around the perimeter to admire it, and on the wall was this "Hunny" pot! Maggie and I shrieked with delight when we found it, and we brought it down and Abby saw it and went nuts too! One of her latest words has been "honey." She pronounces it the way Pooh-bear does - "Huh-nee" - and it's sooo adorable. It was marked $1, and Abby loves buckets, backpacks, purses, etc - loves putting things in and taking them out and carrying them around - so it was definitely coming home with us.

Not three feet away was this ball, in need of a little inflation but otherwise in great condition. Abby uses these balls at gymnastics and loves them. It was also marked $1.

By now I realized that it was a thrifty kind of day, so we swung by the VHS tapes and scored again - twice! A new Pooh Bear video and a Richard Scarry Glow Worm and Gold Bug tape. Each was $1.

I also scored a toy for Khy - a Pooh Bear toy with wire and beads to slide along, with sound effects. It was marked $2.

No bedframe - just assorted headboards and footboards - no squarish basket, no tables or bookcases. We did find an ADORABLE solid wood little vanity in mind condition for $20... if I were a vanity type person, or had a little girl, I would totally have bought it. :)

The best part about it was that when we got to the checkout line and I paid, I glanced at the receipt and realized that everything cost $4. So obviously I was not charged full price, which is not uncommon for me since I'm in there all the time and all the clerks know me.

One of the things I feel like I'm gaining from being Abigail's nanny is that I'm getting to think about a lot of parenting issues before I have my own kids. :) I've always been a big thrift-store fan, and now that I look at things with a 2 year old in mind, I'm convinced that when I do have kids, I'll still be thrifting. My best friend Robin, who just had a baby in February, was sharing with me that used makes even more sense with a baby, because they outgrow things so fast that you're "over" clothes and toys before they've been worn out. A lot of Abigail's clothes are passed down from a relative with a slightly older child, and you can't tell - she has an adorable wardrobe! Anyway, I figure I am practicing for the future. :)

After our thrifting adventures, we went to get sushi at a place nearby. I thought I was craving it. The thought of it was terrific. When it arrived, not so much. The california roll was excellent -very fresh tashing and yummy - but the pieces were so large, it felt impossible to eat. We got an order of salmon roll, too, and I just didn't like it. I had one piece, pulled the salmon out of the second piece, and let Maggie eat the rest. We both got an egg roll, so at least there was something familiar to eat.

I feel sad in that I think I may have found something that I'm not comfortable eating. And I consider myself a fairly adventurous eater. I love trying new things, and I generally appreciate new flavors and tastes. And I have enjoyed sushi in the past, even though it's been a sort of hit or miss thing (depending on where the sushi came from, how fresh it appeared, etc). But today - not having it.

Look At Me!

It was kind of cool to get up this morning and see my daily grind featured over at Gretchen's Fashionably Modest Patterns blog. Fun! Zip on over and check it out - while you're there, check out her modest swimsuit pattern. Yes, I know some folks feel like there is no such thing, but even they might change their mind after seeing this beautiful pattern featuring a longer skirted bottom (with attached shorts or panty), higher neckline in front AND back, and SLEEVES! Hallelujah! And no, I promise I'm not getting paid to plug. I just think it's a great design. :)

On to other odds and ends...

I got to go out with some younger friends from church last night, and we had a blast. :) We did a whole bunch of shopping for the church musicals (last minute costume rush, as usual, lol) and then got dinner at a local Mexican place and spent more than an hour talking and laughing. Love it. I always think of myself as someone who is happier relaxing at home, but I've been going out with friends a lot lately and I've loved every minute. Maybe I was lonely and didn't even realize it? Looking back, while I've had a really fun summer, it's been kind of devoid of my friends (except for that week I got to spend with Robin, and really, a week is NOT that long when we're apart the other 51 weeks per year). Hmm. Note to self: make time to spend with people. :)

I got my first Ebates check this week! For those of you who don't know about Ebates, this is the deal: You sign up - it really DOES only take two minutes, if that, and only requires your name, address, and email address. When you want to shop online - let's say at Target.com, or Wal-Mart.com, or Drugstore.com, etc - you go to Ebates, sign in, type in the retailer you want to shop (Wal-mart, Target, etc) or the product you're looking for (skirts, hotel rooms, makeup, etc), and Ebates finds what you're looking for and displays coupon codes. Click on the link, and Ebates takes you straight to the website. Make your purchase (maybe using those coupon codes?) and - this is the cool part - earn anywhere between 1%-10% back. Four times a year, they mail you a real honest to goodness check which you can cash and put in the bank.

I started using Ebates in May, so I've made $15 in three months just by buying things that I was already going to have to buy. I got this $15 by: booking hotel rooms for our family trip to HEAV through Orbitz (I also bought two plane tickets, one for my weekend trip to AL and one for my week-long vacation in July), redeeming a gift certificate for Borders, buying herbal supplies for Ruth through Puritan's Pride, and buying filters for the pool through Ace Hardware. Nothing glamorous, nothing extravagant - like I said, things my family or I were going to have to buy anyway.

If you want in on the action, go join Ebates!

New Computer!

As many of you know, I have been in the market for a new computer for awhile. I originally wanted to replace my faithful Dell 15" Inspiron, which I love but have outgrown in terms of memory and storage. I wanted something smaller, with a considerable storage upgrade (I had 30 G's of hard drive space in the Inspiron and wanted at least 160). I looked at netbooks but changed my mind when I found out none of them had CD/DVD drives, since I did a lot of movie-watching and music-playing on my machine. But I didn't love the price or models of any full-size laptops, either, so I was kind of stymied. I had the money to get a new machine, but I didn't like anything, so I quit looking.

Well, right after I quit looking I was given a TV and a DVD player, so I quit watching movies on my computer. A little later, I upgraded to a new Sansa Fuze which had enough memory to hold most, if not all of my music collection, and bought a pair of speakers to sync with it. After a few weeks, I realized I hadn't pulled out my computer to do any DVD-watching or music playing in awhile, and I started to reconsider the idea of a netbook.

I love my Dell, so when I went computer shopping my first stop was the Dell website, and my first consideration was the Dell Mini10. I will say I think it's a great machine for the price ($250) and has great features, but when I went to Best Buy to see one in person, I hated it. I hated the design, I hated the way the keyboard was arranged, the feel of it, etc. The funny part was I didn't want to hate it- I wanted to love it! I kept trying to talk myself into it - it was a great price, I'd adjust, etc - but I knew that that wasn't the computer I wanted.

Then a few days ago I walked into Wal-Mart to see their new netbooks, and the HP Mini210 netbook was there, and I fell totally in love with it. I loved the design, I loved the features (3 USB ports! And a card reader! AND I found an older model that still ran Windows XP, which is what I wanted!). I brought it home, set it up, and voila! I am in love.

It runs like a dream. It's super-fast compared to my old machine, and the idea of having 160 gigs to fill up with good stuff - let's just say I'm loving it! Best of all, I love that when I want to go places, all I have to do is drop it into my purse, not lug around a whole other laptop bag.

I'll still be holding onto my Inspiron, at least for now. It'll be useful for ripping and burning CD's, writing marathons (bigger keyboard), and as a "portable desktop". But I'm pretty thrilled with my new machine! :)

On And On And On...

And summer just keeps coming! :)

My family went away for a few days this past weekend, leaving me home with the animals. They got a neighbor's daughter to deal with the chickens, because their care involves a lot of lifting and hefting which I'm just not able to do right now, so I only had to take care of the dog, the cat, the five bunnies, and the two goats. I was looking forward to the time alone, especially since Maggie went down a day later so I only had to spend one night alone in the house. :)

I started off the weekend by bringing home a whole stack of movies from the local RedBox unit, so I had a sort of homemade film festival all weekend. I had forgotten how much I love film - how much I love to analyze it, enjoy the storylines, the cinematography, etc - so it was fun to indulge my hobby for a little while.

I also went to the local bookstore to pick up a book I've been wantingto read... I intended to read it in the pool, but our pool was pretty grimy since Allen (the caretaker) had been gone, so I ended up reading it one night before bedtime.

I also ducked into Old Navy hoping to find a nice layering tank (ribbed, high neckline, etc). I bought two of their "perfect tanks" - one in purple, one in white - on a sale, but I've pretty much decided they're not exactly what I'm looking for - the neckline isn't high enough to make it a good layering style, and the material is just a little too sheer for any other use, but they're perfect sleep tanks, so in that sense it was worth it. Oh, well. I'll keep looking around.

I'm also on the hunt for a new swimsuit. Last year, as I was getting out of class one night, I stopped in at the Target up there and found my current swimsuit on clearance. It fit perfectly, was pretty modest and flattering, and I even thought to myself "I should buy two for when this one falls apart." Of course I didn't, and this week the strap broke and I wish I had. I can fix the strap, but it just kind of made me think it's time I started looking for a new one. *sigh* At least now that I have founda flattering style, I know what to look for, which should help expedite the process.

It's been a really cool and mild week, but it looks like this coming week will be right back to normal - HOT! I'm not gonna lie, I'm not looking forward to it, but it also makes me grateful for my truck's AC unit, which continues to work like a refrigerator - thanks again, Rob!

I hope everyone is staying cool and having fun. Happy Fourth!

Thrift Store Fun

We've had way too much snow this winter... we had a huge snowstorm earlier in the season with over 20" of snow, and I enjoyed it a lot. Mostly because I had just quit my old job and I hadn't started my new one, and I had nothing to do but sit by the fire and crochet. Now it's a little different; I have places to be, and the snow is quite a bit less magical.

On Monday, my uncle and grandfather arranged for me to be picked up and delivered to work, then home again that afternoon. Last night my uncle called to tell me that they thought the road would be passable, but since we were supposed to get even more snow that night, if I had any qualms in the morning, I could call my grandfather and get a ride.

I was dreading the ride in this morning, but it wasn't bad despite the fresh snowfall. The snow was the best kind - crunchy and wet - and even though I was a bit freaked out by it, it didn't give me any issues.

My view this morning.

Today was the first day I struggled with cabin fever... I was cooped up all weekend because the roads were impassable, and I'm going a little stir-crazy. Abigail was wakeful and cheery, so I thought we'd take a little field trip, and we drove up to meet Mom and the kids at our local thrift store.

I LOVE thrift stores! They're a great way to spice up a wardrobe on the cheap. Today's find was a silver star anklet (not pictured) and this incredible yellow studded bag.

I've never liked studs before, but I've seen so many neat studded pieces over the last few months, and they've begun to grow on me. I'm also coming around to this mustard-yellow color... I detested it mightily when I first saw it, but I'm slowly coming around.

Check out this stud action!

After our shopping, Mom and I took all the kids to Burger King - don't worry, hamburgers for the kids but apple dippers for Abigail! :) - to play on the indoor playplace. It was a nice way to chase the winter blues away!

Treasure Hunting at WalMart!

Don't forget... the giveaway ends on Monday!

So yesterday Anna and I ducked into WalMart after homeschool co-op... we (ok, I) came in looking for fabric to make a new duvet cover/pillow shams, and we ended up finding lots of good stuff, mostly on clearance!

I've been looking for a gym-type bag that I can stash my yucky workout clothes in (we don't have a dryer, so things can take a few days to dry, and I don't have enough clothes to wear a new outfit each day... and I figure I'm showering after working out anyway, so whatever. Gross, I know). I saw this bag at WalMart, it called to me, I looked at the label, and it was on clearance for $5. I slipped the super-wide strap over my shoulder and fell in love. Gym bag, yeah right. I have a soft spot in my heart for mind-blowingly big bags. Today I shoved my computer, Bible, camera, etc in it and added the contents of my purse. I'm in love!

Anna, the incurable tomboy, was walking through the aisles and suddenly exclaimed "OH! I LOVE this purse!" I was expecting some camouflage monstrocity, but instead I like it. Sporty but adorable. It was full price but only $10 so I bought it for her just to be able to say I found a purse we both liked.

Lastly, my sister Maggie bought 10,000 bees and two hives last year and has been a little bee crazy ever since (we were outside enjoying the nice weather yesterday when a bee buzzed up... the rest of us backed away; Maggie crooned sweetly, "Well, hel-LO there!"). For Christmas this year, the kids and I found her a little silver bee pendant on a chain; naturally when I found this wallet (by No Boundaries, $5) I had to pick it up for her birthday!

Review - Wii Fit Plus

Before I begin this post... don't forget to enter my giveaway and support Threads of Compassion! If you've already entered, thanks for the support! You rock! :)

So last week I had a mind-numbingly boring, agonizing exercise session on the treadmill where I seriously considered dying to avoid having to finish the session. Realizing that any ideas I'd cherished about making this the year of a healthier me were going to die unless I came up with a new strategy, I posted a Facebook status update asking if I could borrow someone's Wii Fit for a week; a few seconds later, my incredible friend Krista wrote back saying that she'd lend me hers. She brought it on Sunday and I brought it home and plugged it in... and I've been hooked ever since. Not that self-discipline isn't great, but making an otherwise dreaded task fun is never a bad idea!

I had never used a Fit before, but I found the interface pretty consistent with the rest of the Wii games - nice for a non-gamer like me. I did think the "set up process" was a little ridiculously long - I mean, does anyone actually read those little info blurbs all the way through? I know I was skimming and pressing "A" the whole time. I also wish there was a "privacy mode" where you could take the balance test without having your weight or BMI displayed, since I often play with others around (or watching).

Let me just take a moment to review the actual balance board, the hardware which makes the whole Wii Fit concept possible. I have always wondered how well a plastic balance board would work for someone curvy and heavy (like me!) and I can now say I feel completely confident in it. Yes, it's rated for over 300 pounds, so no worries really, but it feels sturdy and doesn't warp under your feet. Nice. I have been thinking that if I were going to design a system like the Fit, I'd have made it a neoprene-type mat that lay flat on the floor, since that would allow for different stances (and make tripping over it less of an issue). Also, you could roll up a mat, making it more mobile, and dropping it wouldn't be a problem (since I'm told people like to travel with their boards... I can't see this, personally, but ok).

I have a wider stance, and the balance board sometimes feels unnatural to me since it requires my feet to be placed closer together than I prefer, thus throwing off my center of balance. I also notice that the board is much less sensitive towards the outside than it is in the center, which can create issues when playing games like Step, where you really need to pound on the board to get it to register your footstep. However, it does remarkably well overall - it recognized "jumps" in the Obstacle Course, subtle shifts in skiing and skateboarding games, etc, and my sibs and I were impressed.

The Fit features a nice little "toaster" (I'm sure it's a screen or counter of some sort, but for the life of me it reminds me of nothing so much as a toaster over) which keeps track of your actual workout time (in other words, time spent moving, not time spent perusing the menus, switching between games, etc) and calories burned (based on your actual height/weight). When you read 30 minutes of exercise, it does a little happy dance and dings gratifyingly. :) The Fit will also prompt you periodically to stop, catch your breath, and drink some water.

One of the things I wondered about was if the Wii Fit was actually capable of providing a good workout. I can't speak for the avid fitness expert, but for the beginner/recreational person like me, the answer is definitely yes. I am sweating, my heart rate is up, I can feel a satisfying soreness in my muscles. My younger sister, who is slim and athletic, said after one session on the Fit that it had worked muscles she didn't know she had. However, unlike other workout videos, the Fit seems to find the perfect balance of challenge and achievability. Is it just my imagination, or do the yoga poses last exactly as long as I can handle? Nice!

Speaking of yoga... this is the feature I was most excited about when I heard about the Fit, and It's totally lived up to my expectations (or rather, it has well exceded my dubiousness). When you select a pose, the trainer will demonstrate the pose at a slower pace, allowing you to try it out in slow-motion, then take you through it at a normal pace. If you're struggling, the trainer will offer you tips; if you're doing well, the trainer can tell this too and offers praise! Best of all, you can string together yoga moves in the My Workout mode and create your own routine.

The aerobics games are great! The Basic Step can be a little strange at first (tip: it's easier to watch your fellow Mii's then the floor at first) but once you master a few moves it's a blast! Coincidentally, this is possibly the most group-friendly activity... My sibs and I will do this activity in groups, with one person using the board and the rest using the floor. Advanced step is possibly even more fun!

Basic Run has taken my treadmill on and won. Essentially performing the same function as a treadmill (you run in place all over a scenic island), but with the encouragement of a fellow runner and some beautiful scenery. The chance to "race" other runners in itself is motivational.

There are many more games included, but I'll leave you something to discover yourself!

We have enjoyed our time on the Fit so much that the kids and I have decided to chip in together and get ourselves our own Fit when we return this one!

Adventures in Yarn

I learned to crochet when I was little - maybe eight or nine? - and my mother taught me to chain red, green, and white yarn to make "ribbon" for wrapping gifts one Christmas. A few years later, I was at a homeschool meeting and an older friend taught me how to single crochet a square. I went home and tried to do one on my own, and I ended up with a triangle (I didn't know you counted stitches). Eventually I figured out the basics by trail and error. Yet a few years later, Robin and I were signed up for free crochet lessons offered at the local WalMart where we learned to granny square and double crochet and generally become decently adept at the art.

Fast forward to 2008: I am stressed beyond all belief, working almost full time and carrying an eighteen credit courseload. I need something to do that lets me turn my brain off; my little sister was learning to crochet in a class offered through out church's homeschool co-op; I pick up some yarn to demonstrate a stitch and - viola! - I am literally "hooked." I buy some yarn, reteach myself the granny square, and I create a giant orange loose-weave throw for my bed. This leads to a camouflage throw for Allen's bed. I am running out of yarn so my next project is smaller - an orange and cappuchino-colored scarf which I wear happily.

I pick up a simple doily pattern and stitch one up in pink wool. When we set the teapot on it for the first time, the heat and moisture knits the fibers together, and I have discovered felting. I buy more yarn, this time in wool, and proceed to felt everything. A friend receives a crocheted camera case with a crocheted-and-felted flower decoration.

For Christmas of 2009, I receive a beautiful set of handmade bamboo hooks. I spend one particularly stressed-out afternoon figuring out how to do a modified granny square wool cap.

I attempt to make a baby cap for soon-to-arrive Khy and fail miserably, even though I have the correct gauge, hook size, and yarn weight. My first attempt is huge, my second too small. I give up and unravel my yarn and use it to edge a fleece blanket.

I teach myself to read patterns using this pattern from Crochet Magazine. The first time I misread the pattern and I end up with a long skinny scarf instead; the second time around, it turns out beautifully. The third time around I eliminate the weird (read: UGLY!) fringe. Then I modify the pattern so the rows are worked side-to-side instead of end-to-end.

Then I run out of yarn... :)

I was doing some wishful shopping yesterday and I discovered this website: BrainsBarn Handcrafted Wooden Crochet Hooks.

I was looking for another set of wooden hooks in a hard wood (oak, maybe) and instead wandered onto this page.

These are not handcrafted in the same sense of the word, folks! These are museum-worthy works of art. They run upwards of $50 (and are worth every penny!) so they're not my idea of an everyday use needle, but wouldn't one of these beauties make a great addition to a set of hooks that could then be passed down from mother to daughter and possibly even longer?

Speaking of heirloom-worthy crochet accessories... won't you need a beautiful case to keep your hooks in? :) What about this beautiful handmade one from Etsy ($18)? I love the sturdiness and simplicity of this design... my only concern is that it only holds ten hooks!

You gotta love the roominess and fun factor of this design ($20)!


And considering my owl-obsessed-ness of late, you really can't blame me for falling in love with this sweet piece ($22), now can you?!

I am excited about this year partly because one of my resolutions is to crochet one new pattern a month. I have already completed this month's pattern (more to come of that later - just one word now: giveaway!) and I had a blast (and learned a lot). I can't wait to share my others projects with you... in the meantime, does anyone have any good patterns they'd like to recommend?

A Little Virtual Window-Shopping Break

So I'm feeling a bit bummed right now because my family intends to take a late-night shopping trip up to the mall, which I lovelovelove doing, but I can't go because I have to be at work by 4 AM and I'd be a zombie (again) if I stayed out late. I'm sorta tempted to go anyway and just caffeinate myself in the morning, since I'm only working for six hours, but I'm a little afraid of what the consequences would be. Pooh. Being a responsible adult is no fun. :(

Instead, I've been indulging in a little virtual window-shopping... you know, the "What would I buy if I had $100?"-type scenario. It all started with a giveaway on one of my fav blogs, Between Laundry Days; Clare is giving away a $20 gift certificate to Maurices (a store that I'd never heard of before! Imagine that!) and in order to enter, I had to post a comment saying what I'd buy with $20, so I hit up the website and found this beauty.

Seriously, is this not the most gorgeous thing you've seen in awhile?!? And only $10! I have a golden key necklace that I think I got at Forever 21 that would go so well with this piece!

Anyway, I began thinking about how I almost never buy jewelery online even though there are some great deals and styles out there. I'm not sure why. So I decided to check out some of the retailers I like to check out when I'm at the mall (roughly, I don't know, twice a year?) and see if I could find anything I loved (be forewarned: I am obsessed with stars. It shows).

Isn't this star charm bracelet from Torrid cute ($12)? Again, I have a star necklace that would match perfectly.

Speaking of that golden key necklace... I love it, but I love silver even more, and this would make a nice silver version! (Again, Torrid, $14)

Alright, moving on from Torrids...

One of the places that always has neat and interesting (my sister would say "weird") jewelery is Forever 21. Like this bird - dare I say flamingo? - pin, below. Too much fun!

Another thing I love about Forever 21 is all their owl jewelery. Yes, you heard me right - owls. I love owls. I don't know why. But they've certainly got enough owls to make the whole world wise up! (All necklaces above $5 and under) I actually saw the most adorable HUGE owl pendant there last year but through some huge stupid foresight I actually walked away without it and regretted it - right up until I thrifted the same pendant a year later for $1! Guess God knew how much I wanted it.

I was looking at another retailer's version of this necklace a few days ago... it looks a little odd in one dimension but is actually quite beautiful (Forever 21, $15.80). There is also a gold version.

I don't know why the anchor motif I saw everywhere on my last trip to Forever 21 appeals to me so much... maybe because my dad was in the Navy while I was growing up?

I'm not obsessed or anything... but how about this cute lil guy from Target? ($9.99)

What I Love (And Hate!) About Christmas Shopping In A Recession

What I Love
1. Prices and sales. 'Nuff said. If your financial situation hasn't changed much this year (and mine hasn't), chances are you can afford more or better with the same money you spent last year.

2. You rarely have to go off hunting for a salesperson - they come to you. And they're actually friendly! Last year I knew I owed my dad a special present, big-time. It had been a rough year, and he'd gone out of his way to be super-supportive. I wanted to buy him the end-all MP3 player, but I was pretty sure the iPod wasn't going be it. I wandered into Best Buy one day to window shop, and a salesman came over, brought out a few different working models for me to play with, and - get this - when I had questions that the little info slip couldn't answer, she went out and hunted up another employee who owned that particular player to come and talk with me. Even though I intended to buy the player online or through Amazon, I ended up buying it at Best Buy and felt good about it!

3. I finally have a good excuse to give homemade creations, thrifted fab finds, or good-thing-in-small-package gifts... I'm not being cheap, apparently, I'm just with the times!

What I Hate

1. Stores are cutting back, so not as many salespeople, cashiers, etc = long lines.

2. Stores seem to be cutting back on brands, models, etc... This does not make me happy. I know some folks say we'd be happier with fewer choices, but that's not me!

3. Is it just me, or does merchandise feel more cheaply made lately?!?! Would anyone else rather pay more to keep quality?

Finding Treasure!

I love thrift shopping. :) I used to say this a little quietly, only to people I was sure also indulged, but I've noticed that some of the gals on some of my fav fashion blogs are listing "thrifted" next to their outfits, so I thought I'd join the proud and the thrifty!

Today I hit my favorite thrift shop, "Hooks & Hangars" in Charlotte Hall. I found quite a cache of finds! (Pardon the poor quality of these photos... I broke my camera this summer so I am relying on my phone, which doesn't quite compare).

I found a peasant-top dress which is really gorgeous (no picture, it can't even begin to show the beautiful autumn colors and print). This will be a great dress to wear with tights when I'm feeling a little lazy. :)

Destined for a care package to my friend Becka is this adorable little makeup case with the motto, "When the going gets tough, the tough get waterproof mascara." :)


Of course, no trip to the thrift store would be complete without books. If this had been a sale day when books are ten cents apiece, I would have come home with many more, but as regular prices applied (fifty cents for a hardcover, twenty-five for a softcover) I limited myself and left behind "Eight Verses Or Less: A Study in Poetry" and a hardcover copy of Lewis' "The Great Divorce" (which would have been my third copy :)). I did, however, pick up this small stack.

I finally have a copy of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, a book about C. S. Lewis entitled The Narnia, a new book entitled Praise Her in the Gates, and Among the Hidden and Among the Imposters, both by Margaret Peterson Haddix.


I am excited about this book about Lewis - he is my favorite author and definitely one of my "spiritual parents." I think every Christian (and every non-Christian too!) should have to read Mere Christianity.


I picked up Praise Her in the Gates out of curiousity and began to skim through it this afternoon. I'm impressed! It seems Biblically accurate and is written in a very encouraging tone. If you want this book after I'm done with it, leave me a comment and I'll be glad to send it along!


Ok... I swore this post would not be about books, but one last comment... has anyone read this new series by Margaret Peterson Haddix? I started to read one of these books years ago, but never finished it... rereading it today was jaw-dropping. The storyline revolves around Luke, a "third child" who is a modern-day Moses in a society where only two children are permitted per family. It's a really insightful critique of the direction our culture is headed, but geared for adolescents. I'll definitely be adding this to my "suggested reads" list.

Other things I've found include this awesome pair of leather boots...



...and purses. Lots and lots of purses! :)



One of the most encouraging things I've learned from the thrift store is that there is really no excuse for not dressing modestly and adorably. I found racks and racks of modest, sturdy, and absolutely adorable skirts in a variety of colors, styles, and materials... cardigans in every color... lots of button downs... dresses and jumpers... all for a fraction of the price you'd pay in a store, and lots of higher-end brands. Especially if you are new to dressing femininely or modestly, I'd encourage you to check out the treasures to be found!

And now, just for kicks, is a funny picture of me with my hair all damp and mussed up from my shower, showing off a pair of $5 multi-colored hippie-inspired oversized sunglasses that I bought on a whim while vacationing with my best friend. They make me smile, so I thought I'd pass along the sunshine. :)




In a little while I'm off for a weekend away with my mother's side of the family - I'm just waiting for my fabulous boss to call so I can drop off the kitten on my way out of town. It was the last workday of the week for three of us at the store today... as you can imagine, we were all a bit antsy and ready to let the weekend commence. Lots to get done before next week, but I'm determined to just lay it aside and enjoy the next few days (and the beautiful weather!). Have a great weekend everybody!