Sigh...

Sometimes, when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, the simplest things can divert your attention.  Even if it's only for a moment. 

The sounds of "Colonel Mustard in the library with a candlestick" or "You sunk my battleship" make you smile and think of simpler, easier times. 

Game Day at school is a welcome diversion.  I like hearing my kiddos say these phrases as it transports me to my childhood.  My sister and I wore those games out when we were little. 

Then a kiddo comes to me with a Twilight trivia question.  She wonders if I know the answer, since we've shared our love for the series with each other.  I can't believe I'm able to answer correctly, and she loves that I actually know the answer.

Finally, a few of my girls beckon me over to show me something......

Between that and hearing "It's always Mr. Green!" I think it'll be okay. 

Pinterest

It's Schlager's fault I'm addicted to two things she introduced me to.

One being Shuttercal.  Yep, I'm keeping up with the photo-a-day thing.  They are mostly mundane pictures of my day to day life, but as lame as they usually are, it's still going.

The second is new to me.  As of last night.  And in less than 24 hours, I've fallen into a deep obsession with it.

It is Pinterest.

I set up a Pinterest page last night, and I love it.  It is basically a spot to "pin" things you love.  A way to keep ideas from the web organized in one spot.

You see a room you love.  You pin it to your page.  You find a rug you love.  You pin it to your page.

I'm always bookmarking blogs or sites with pictures I like.  Or I'm saving them to my hard drive.  But not anymore!  Now, with Pinterest, I don't have to do all that bookmarking or downloading.  I simply pin it to my boards, and there it is, all organized and such, in one place.  I can even create my own categories of things to pin!

Brilliant, I say!

Check out my Pinterest page.  Make special note of my "wish list" board.  You should probably buy the chevron rug for me.  Any color will do.

Thanks in advance.


Just kidding!

Sort of.

Happy Easter!

A rainy Easter called for moving the festivities to the living room.

Hiding eggs.......

Hunting eggs.....

Mom made a mean lemon chiffon cake....

And you all know how I feel about cake.

Don't Judge Me

I'm not sure if I should admit this.  But I just have to tell someone because I'm so excited!

Warning:  To most frugal, practical, and thrifty folks, this will be an abomination.  To the wallet.

That's why you shouldn't judge me.  This is my one vice.

Let me have my one vice.  Please.

Ready????

I have made "Gold Card" status with Starbucks.

Do you hear the choirs of angels singing too?

Look at it glow.  

Like it was sent directly from heaven above.

You might be thinking, "Huh?  What?  How?"

Easy.....

• Get a Starbucks gift card.  
• Register it online.  
• Use it.  
• Reload it.  
• Use it.  
• Continue reloading it.  And using it. 

Next thing you know, you get an email stating you're getting a re-loadable Starbucks card.  In gold.  With your name on the front.

And then it arrives in the mail.  You do a little jig in the living room.  You make the mister take a picture of you holding it.  And then you take another picture of it.  Up close.  So everyone can see your name on it.

I wish it had arrived already loaded, but I can't wait to brandish it anyway at the Starbucks I go to often (almost daily).

I can hear that song from Cheers playing right now.

Only they don't know me by name.

They know me as "Grande Vanilla Latte."

Another Sir Story

Sir ELTON JOHN, that is!

Wait....

You were expecting another Sir Chester story, huh?

Since I'd hate to disappoint you, I will share one quick escapade he's been on recently.

Sir Chester has taken to finding, playing with, and accidentally killing snakes.  In our backyard.  The tally is up to four, with one narrowly escaping death.

Let me tell you, I don't like snakes.  Dead or alive.  So luckily, the mister has been dealing with all the carnage.

But back to Elton.

On Wednesday, I got a phone call from the brother-in-law.  He asked if I wanted my sister's Elton ticket.  She had other non-negotiable plans.

Um, YES!

So last night I spent three hours listening to a legend......all his greatest hits, back to back, from the luxury of a suite.  The man is a beast.  He sang and played for three hours straight......no intermission.......no wardrobe changes.  I was in awe of his talent......that voice........his skills on a piano.......his accent.....

You bet I got a t-shirt. 

And took some video of his best song ever.

A once in a lifetime opportunity.

Thank you sissy and Seth.

What's for dinner?

Do you ever find yourself with no food in the house?

Well, guess what?  Your problem is solved!

I stumbled across a site that can produce a recipe based on what is in your cabinet.

My Fridge Food has a spot for you to click on things that you do have on hand (perishable to pantry items), and it produces recipes using only the ingredients you submitted.

I'm intrigued by it.

And I might be a little scared by it.

But overall, I think it sounds like a fun experiment! 

Not tonight though.

Tonight is a fish stick/mac-n-cheese night.  But not because my cupboards are empty.

I'm lazy.

For good reason though!  The MAP test (our state achievement test) began this week, and golly, it drains kids and teachers.  First of all, teachers have to be super prepared.

For instance, apparel during testing is of the utmost importance.  You need to be comfortable.  You should probably find a friend, and plan to wear something identical.  And it would just be better if the identical article of clothing was a shirt that said something like "#2 is #1, if you're a pencil."

Because you know you can't use mechanical pencils. 

And really, it's just funny.  Good ole test humor.  It lightens the mood.

Also, hula-ing at a MAP assembly really takes it out of ya.......

I was pretty much out of breath after our little number.

So, no food experiments tonight.

But I do need to coordinate next week's MAP outfits.

Dedicated to Sarah and Ashley

I'm going to start reading a new book series.

I've resisted long enough.

If you hound me about something for a certain length of time, I might give in.  It's been known to happen.

Stupid peer pressure.

Just like Twilight.

You think your resolve is strong.  Then you end up with a snow day.  And you happen to have a borrowed copy.  You blow the dust off the cover.  Open it.  And suddenly you're on Team Jacob.

So let the reading commence......

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!

So......

I made my first sale in my Relics booth. 

Yessssssss!

It was a large basket.  I had retrieved it from my storage unit last weekend and took it to the booth last Sunday.

Actually, I had two matching baskets......

I'm so glad I'm a hoarder!

There's still one more over there, I think!!!!  It could be yours.  Imagine vintage umbrellas peeking out the top.  Or placing it on your hearth.  Or in an entry next to a cute table.

Hmmm.....wait.......maybe I need it!

*   *   *   *

What else?

Last night I ran out to a crazy antique sale.

And I mean CAAAA-RAZY.  

CRAZY GOOD, that is!

It's called Pheona's Vintage Market, and it's in the small town of Billings, MO......

This cute little house (and yard) is filled to the brim with outstanding vintage treasures.......

Becoming a monster would have been easy.  But it was so packed inside the house, that maneuvering with things tucked under the chin and arms would have been impossible.  So I remained calm and walked away with only two things.  

Even though I wanted half the contents of the house.  And yard.  Which is where I found my treasures:  an old ladder and wire shelf.....

Both of which are going in my booth. 

But not to sell. 

Yes, you'll see "not for sale" tags hanging from both.  I want them for display purposes.

The mister thinks everything I buy should be going to the booth and actually be for sale.

I don't think I'll tell him.

Be Impressed

I would never, by any stretch of the imagination, call myself thrifty.  Nor would any of my friends or family.  But the more I read about clipping coupons, the more I wanna be that girl.

I do already make homemade laundry detergent, so I figure I'm on the verge of a financial revolution when it comes to grocery store trips.  I even stumbled upon a recipe for dishwasher detergent, which I'm thinking about trying.

Recently, I also started hunting down the Sunday paper and have acquired a nice little stockpile of coupons.  So a few days ago, I decided to hit up the store to see what bargains could be had.  I went with no real goal in mind.  Just use coupons to get cheap stuff.  And I think I did pretty darn good!!  I got all this for just $10.83...........

The Hamburger Helper was on sale for $1.00 a box, and I had a .75 off coupon.  Four boxes ended up being $3.25.

Don't judge me for making Hamburger Helper for dinner.  Or Tuna Helper.  They are both quick and tasty.

So there.

Next came cereal.  I had two .50 coupons.  One for Chex and the other for Total.  Both were already on sale for $2.00 a box.  Pricecutter doubled those coupons, so I ended up with two boxes of cereal for $2.00.  $1.00 each!!!!

The Texas Toast was on sale for $2.50, and I had a doubled forty cent coupon for it......so that was $1.70.

I had coupons for those other items too!  They doubled all the coupons that were fifty cents or less.  So with sales and coupons, I got those nine items for $10.83.

I was feeling pretty smug about that purchase.  But I know there are techniques and tricks to the trade that I've never heard of.  So enlighten me, folks.  Tell me your secrets!!!

And just so you know, my "helper" dinners are for those nights that I'm lazy.

Tonight, however, I tackled our fave tilapia recipe with fresh green beans and new potatoes!

I was pretty much channeling Betty Crocker.

Monster

That's me.

A monster.

I've created one.  In myself.

This having a booth at an antique shop has me completely obsessed.  And with beautiful weather this weekend, the beast was unleashed.

First, I went on a rummaging frenzy at home.  My attic and special room yielded quite a few items that were priced and taken to Relics.  A vintage suitcase and an old Cream of Wheat ad, to name a few.

Next, unexpectedly finding an estate sale in my neighborhood sent me over the edge.

I became a raving lunatic, scooping up vintage this and that!  All marked with a quarter or one dollar.  Vintage linens were tucked under my chin, and vintage picnic paraphernalia dangled from each hand.  I didn't know I could carry that much.

I made out like a fat cat.  Yes I did.

And I'm pretty sure I had a crazed look in my eye the whole time I was there.  Especially when someone approached my pile, which I'd just put down so I could pay for it all.

I was very nice when I said that pile was spoken for.

I promise.

Finally, a trip to Red Rack closed out the impulsive shopping whirlwind.  And more was found which could be added to the inventory.  I was supposed to be going to the storage unit to hunt for more hoarded treasures, but got sidetracked along the way.

Yes, I have a storage unit.  

Just be quiet.

Anyway, the finds of the day were incredible.  Feast your eyes.......

 

All of this could be yours......

If I can part with it.