Got $20 in My Pocket

Sorry about the earworm. But I just couldn’t resist.

Yesterday I went to the local thrift stores. My mom liked the little cupcake stands I made for my friend’s birthday party, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to go check out the treasure troves in search of a candlestick to use, since I have oodles of dessert plates and saucers. In fact, I just found a couple of antique acid-etched saucers in the top shelf of the cabinet. Those I am going to use for another project. Besides, she wants something for serving cheeses as well so I have to use a dessert plate. Whatever makes her happy, right?? I had in mind using a Desert Rose by Franciscan™ dessert plate I bought at the flea market. But I was dissuaded when I went thrifting.

And boy howdy, did I score!

Yes, to many of you that’s just a bunch of junk. But see those pink plates? Those are Majolica from Portugal. And that’s an antique Ball™ blue mason jar. And the cup and saucer is Noritake™. And the little white frame is wrought iron from Italy. If you’re unfamiliar with all the names I just dropped, let me just explain that the plates alone are about $30 each. And out of my $20 bill, I had enough to buy lunch at the local chicken joint. And still have change left over!!

So today I shall be showing my mom her new cheese stand and maybe getting a few orders for more. After all, she has a lot of friends 😀

Here We Go, Again

Well, summer for most of us means vacation time and kids driving you insane. But for military families, it also means it’s a time to see friends move to other duty stations. And though we in the military have mastered the gift of “staying-in-touch”, it can still be difficult to say “See ya” to close friends.

Our close friend Flower Girl will be moving this summer, and Hubby and I wish to give her a nice going away gift. And this is the difficult part. Usually Hubby just asks me to get something for someone because let’s face it: shopping is something I do quite well. But this time he wants to help pick out a gift, because she was his protegé, and he her mentor. And I want to pick it out because she and I are like sisters.

And that means what HE thinks is a great gift is not necessarily what I think is a great gift. My suggestions of artwork, Le Creuset (she has been wanting a good sized casserole), Texas themed jewelry and such, have been met with reluctance. His suggestions of a fossil display, or some medical themed display have been met with a “Huh??” I think we are at cross purposes because he wants to give her something she can hang or display in her office, and I want to give her something she can have in her home. So, I think it’s best if we each get her something different. He can give her a nice office gift, and I will give her a small gift for her home.

Unless we find an antique pathology knife. She can use that at work and at home 😉

Why I Never Bother With Plans

It’s Sunday. A day to relax and putter around and just enjoy before the craziness of the coming week takes hold. It’s a no brainer day, right? I mean, you can choose to do stuff, or choose to do nothing.

Such a simple, blessed day.

Why is it that I can never enjoy it??

Last week, a friend asked me to attend an acquaintance’s baby shower, to which I said yes. I figured it would be nice to hang out with gals bitching about motherhood talking about similar interests. Then my sister called to invite me to her anniversary BBQ. And in my family, you 1) celebrate milestones, and 2) never turn down BBQ. And…..both scheduled for roughly the same time. But I can manage to make an appearance at the shower and then attend my sister’s BBQ, right? So far, so good.

And now Little One wants to go dress shopping for her awards ceremony this week. Because hey, MOM IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TODAY!!

Fine…. FINE!!! We shall go shopping.

At least that’s something I do rather well 😀

Best Mom Day, EVAH!!

So, yesterday was Mother’s Day, and the kids and Hubby surprised me with bling and a new Lolita™ wine glass. I think I am getting to be a bit predictable. Anyway, after gratuitous amounts of loving hugs and coffee, we decided to go to the outlet mall to shop for Little One since she had outgrown a ton of clothes, for which Goodwill is grateful. It was a nice day, and I find shopping therapeutic and relaxing.

I do NOT find traffic relaxing, which is why Hubby drove.

Anyway, we decided to have lunch first at a restaurant conveniently located next to Williams-Sonoma™, which is close to kryptonite for me as y’all well know. I had finished eating and figured it couldn’t do any harm to just go look. So off I went, feeling Hubby’s eyes roll as I meandered into the store. Mind you, I wasn’t planning on getting anything, until I rounded the corner and found this:

I had been looking for that size for a while, but was reluctant to pay the $$$ price tag. Seriously, three figures for that small saucepan? No way. So I checked inside for the price in case it was on sale.

$29.97???

Wha……….??

I check everywhere on that pan to see if there is another price tag. Nope, just the $29.97 one. ZOMG!!!! I run over to the checkout and ask if this is the right price and the manager says that usually the current stuff that’s returned to the outlet is priced to move, so yes. AWESOME!!! But if that wasn’t enough, it was an additional 30% off, plus 10% off for military. So my little saucepan cost $20 and change.

And no, this doesn’t mean my Le Creuset™ bargain hunting is over. It just means that I really, really have to downsize a bit more 😉

How I Took Home a Chef

Well, as y’all may recall, this past Saturday I went to see Chef Curtis Stone, the original Take Home Chef, cook and be all dreamy. Hubby, our friend Flower Girl and I headed out early to get a good parking spot. I had no hopes of getting good seating, but the stars, they were aligning. As usual, I’m getting ahead of myself.

We get to the outlet mall, and find a close parking space to the enormous tent. There is no line to purchase the book, so Flower Girl and I make our purchases, and proceed to enter the tent. People are milling about, and there is a KitchenAid™ demonstration going on, as well as several local restaurants and wineries showcasing their wares and providing samples. Between bites of Caprese salad in a wonderful vinaigrette and a few swigs of Riesling, we encountered a photo booth. AWESOME!! My friend and I hurry over to have our photos taken, and because we are the first to try out the Photo Toaster® (yes, that’s the name of it), the videographer asks if he can also take our photos for the event. Sure!! I wore makeup in case I would ever get the chance to get close to Curtis Stone. I can dream.

By this time people are starting to be seated, so we go back in the tent and get seats middle right. After what seemed like forever but in reality was about fifteen minutes, Curtis Stone came onstage.

Saturday Sithy

I am getting ready to spend an afternoon at the outlet mall. The screaming, battling, punching, and shoving will be epic, I’m sure. I just hope I don’t hurt anyone too badly.

Or get arrested.

So here’s a Sithy for y’all.

Clicky to embiggenify!

Y’all have a great Saturday 😀

When Excuses Become Reasons

One of the most awesome things about my German friend is the fact that she loves, LOVES to cook. I mean it. The woman is a marvel in the kitchen. But one drawback is that we have nine people in the house, of which four eat like eight, which means cooking large amounts of food.

And that, my friends, is a reason to buy a bigger pot.

Yes, meine Freunde, I have the opportunity– nay, the obligation, to purchase a new Le Creuset™ dutch oven. Besides, it was my anniversary this past week, so there’s another reason to get it.

How many excuses is that now?

Doesn’t matter. I’m off the get my new pot, because my friend is in need of it like RIGHT NOW!! And who am I to impede her culinary artistry?? 😉

I Don’t Need an Adventure, Since I Shop at Wal-Mart™

Last night after dinner, the girls asked if we could stop at Wal-Mart™ for cotton swabs. I figured it would be a quick trip since we were on that side of the highway already. The first thing I did was check my clothes. I don’t want anyone taking my pic for the “People of Walmart” site. Then I checked my teeth for the same reason.

We went in and suddenly, Eldest had to check Electronics for a CD and Little One had to get cookies for her after school practice. One heads north, the other west, and I head east to the far side of the store to get what we came to get, cotton swabs.

Only I took a slight detour and ended in the floral section, where they had burlap ribbon. In my defense, it was still on the way to the baby section. Oh, and the moss was on clearance, so I got that, too. As I was leaving the aisle, a man turns to me to ask my opinion on candle scents. He was trying to choose between a floral and a spice. I asked him where he was going to burn it, and he said (no joke) his car. I told him to go with the spice. I figured it would make the smouldering heap that will soon be his car smell better.

I spent the next five minutes wandering back to the Electronics, to find that both girls are looking at videogames. “I thought you were looking for a CD?” I inquired. Eldest replied that they didn’t have it, so they were looking for other stuff.

At that point I did exclaim, “GAH!!!”

We make our way to the baby section, and get cotton swabs, when suddenly they both exclaim, “WE NEED SHAMPOO!!!” Fine…shampoo is one aisle over. Then they proceed to look over every single brand to determine which would make their hair look like a Pantene™ commercial. We all know the answer is “none”, but still they want to pick something new. And it can’t be the same brand, either. As I wait, I overhear a lady further down the aisle telling her daughter to hurry up and pick something.

I’m glad to see it wasn’t just me.

Finally, they pick out their miracle formulas, and we head out to pay. And suddenly, AGAIN, they remember razors. Back we go, get razors, and go all the way down to the self-checkout lane, where out of fifteen lanes, only three are in operating order. Sigh…. Finally we get to a lane, and proceed to check out, taking far longer due to the fact that the bags were not co-operating and the guy manning the stations kept having to unlock me out because the scanner was insisting I had an unauthorized item in my bag, which was impossible since the bags were not co-operating.

So, what was supposed to take maybe 15 minutes turned into a 45 minute ordeal and cost $60. All because we needed cotton swabs. And guess what? I get to do it all over again, because I forgot to get Hubby’s razor blades.

It’s not a job. It’s an adventure 😉

Shopping Isn’t What It Used to Be

I went not once, but twice to the outlet mall this past weekend. And the sales had nothing to do with it.

I have a gift card to a barn and pottery place and went to search for my wineglass chandelier. Alas, they didn’t have it, but they did have a lot of their lighting on sale for an additional 25% off the redline, so I got myself…. a cord kit. Lamps were pretty, but I want to make a ceiling light fixture that speaks to me. Then I went to get some *ahem* supportive wear (not that I need much, but I still hadn’t replaced the one the trauma team scissored off), and after that, went to see what manner of handbags Vera Bradley™ had on sale. The answer is none, but at least they had a tote bag for Little One to use at school.

Anyway, as I was returning home, I was trying to talk myself out of the chandelier. I really, REALLY want it, but I also want a pair of cowboy boots. And in the greater scheme of things, boots are needed far more than chandeliers. So, I was mentally tallying up how many wineglasses I would need to purchase, along with the cost of the iron base. And my heart sank as I realized it would be a pretty penny.

Until I realized the gift card had most of the money still “in it”.

And that I had enough cheap wineglasses to fill it.

Math may not be my friend, but the total cost of the iron base would be $40, with tax. WINNING!!!

So what did I do?

Damn skippy 😉

It’s a Heartache

No, I’m not talking about drama. I’m talking about Valentine’s Day. It’s not my favorite day of the year, but I figured I would give y’all yet another shopping guide. I’m magnanimous that way.

Jewelry is always good. But sometimes men don’t pay too close attention to significant details like ring size, or even whether or not their significant others have pierced ears. No matter. That’s why the Good Lord gave us necks.

The Loveheart Pendant from Swarovski™. Very affordable, and you’ll be gifting her your heart all over again! Or a reasonable facsimile, I guess.

Sometimes you wish to give a gift that says, “I care about you and wish to protect you always”. And since not everyone can afford to get a permanent security detail for their sweetheart, there is always an alternative.

A pink 6.8 million volt stun gun!! Let’s face it: not all women feel comfortable carrying a gun, but NONE have a  problem frying a perp. And did I mention it’s 6.8 MILLION volts? Yeah, it’s cute AND effective!!

Of course, no post of mine would be complete without the obligatory Lolita™ glass.

The Pink Panties Martini Glass!!

There is nothing I can add to that.

So, she can look stunning, while stunning someone, and getting stunned on vodka. I hope you have enjoyed this instalment of Shopping with Aggie™.  Hope it helps! If not just remember: these are guidelines, not rules 😉