Have Tote, Will Travel

I have been on the lookout for the perfect tote bag for about ….. 22 years. Most women look at a tote and think, “Oh, I like the (fill in the blank here)”, and are done with it.

Not me. The prettiness is secondary to the functionality. It must have three pockets. It must be just wide enough for a laptop. It must have a 12 inch drop, no more, no less. It must be east-west (wider than taller). It must accommodate schoolbooks (in case one of the girls needs it).

And I think I have found it!

I have resisted Vera Bradley for a long time, mostly because their patterns are a bit too busy for me. But they just came out with a pattern that screamed my name.

It’s called Camellia, which is 1) one of my favorite flowers, and 2) one of my favorite names. And black?? With slate blue accenting?? The only thing missing is me, at the store. So I’m going Yorling™ today, and before Hubby freaks out, don’t worry. I am getting rid of a lot of crap in my closet to compensate 😀

Short Story Challenge

I have been asked to extend the challenge date by a few days. It seems that some of you prefer to write a more in-depth story than *ahem* some of us. I think mine was going to be three paragraphs, tops. Possibly four, if the wine is good.

If you want to post it on Monday, that’s fine. But those who need longer can just post any time this week. And since this is a short post, I might as well show you what I almost bought today.

That sound you hear is Hubby sighing in relief.

Have fun writing!

Ice Cream to Eskimos

I worked retail for a long time. Weirdly, I totally enjoyed it, even on bad days when customers would complain about store policies, or when someone tried to shoplift, or even when a complaint was filed against me for being “too friendly”. No, I’m not kidding. Apparently, the customer felt “threatened” and complained that I was shadowing her as if she were a thief. Things like that seldom happened, though. After years of being out of the workforce, I found I still have the gift.

I was shopping at Target™ last week, looking to see if I could find a gift for Son. I am woefully illiterate on videogames, but I can figure out which ones he owns by the cover graphics. I was perusing the whole Assassin’s Creed to the Brotherhood of Infinity Times Chuck Norris, when I noticed a gentleman looking at the e-readers. Now, I’m not an expert, but I have been wanting one for a while, and have been reading up on them so I can FINALLY, ONE DAY come to a decision.

Anyway, he was muttering to himself, indecisive over which to get for his wife’s Christmas present. And being the nosy busybody that I am, I asked him what she uses her computer for. He went on to say what she liked facebook, and watching movies, and TV shows, and reading, etc. So I explained that either the Nook Tablet or the Kindle Fire were his best options, and the pros and cons of each. He thanked me and asked the employee, who had been hovering over us that he would like to take the Nook Tablet, and I skilfully told him to add a cover for it, and an SD card. After the sale, when I walked up to the register with my purchases, the young man thanked me for my help, explaining that the gentleman had been coming in every day for a week, trying to decide, and that he had never seen someone sell like that before. I joked with him hoping he learned something, and walked away smiling.

Until I recalled that I still didn’t have a Nook Tablet or a Kindle Fire.

Apparently, I can sell ice cream to Eskimos, but not to myself 😉

Because It’s So Much Fun to Wait Until the Last Minute

I have a lot to do today. It’s Sunday before Christmas, and though I am almost done with wrapping, I have given up all hope of even going to the post office to mail stuff out. I reconcile myself with the thought that the recipients will be so thrilled to get presents after Christmas so that they can celebrate it again. It’s a weak excuse, but it helps to salve my conscience.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m usually done shopping for Christmas the February before. It’s the boxing up, and addressing, and actually dealing with the post office that’s a big sciatic pain. And having had several bad experiences with damaged items, I am loathe to go. But I will go, once the rush is over.

For now, I have to gather the kidlets and take them to the deserted mall. Afterwards I’ll take myself to the wine cabinet 😉

No Coal For YOU!

Well, it’s that time of year again. The time when people everywhere are scrambling around to get their Christmas gift shopping done before the inevitable “What did you get me??” moment sets in. There is nothing attractive about someone with a deer-in-the-headlights look on their face. Especially when it’s your significant other who should know better by now.

Moving on (before a tirade sets in), here is a gift guide for the holiday that will hopefully make things easy….well, easier….ok, not get anyone in trouble.

As a general rule, women hate getting clothing for Christmas, unless they get to pick it out themselves. Sometimes our significant others tend to buy the wrong size. This is a losing situation for them: too small, and we cry about needing a bigger size, or too big, and we cry because they think we are fat. But PJs are different!! The only thing men have to remember is what kind to get. Trust me, you do not want to get a hankie with straps at Victoria’s Secret when your beloved prefers 7 oz weight flannel.

Or vice versa.

Anyway, you can’t go wrong with a PajamaGram. They have beautiful PJs in different styles, and all of them come in a sweet hatbox. You can even have the PJs personalized.

Comfy and cute! And warm…very warm!! And you can wear these all day. Total win!!

Another good gift to give is the gift of scent. Trust me when I say that a woman is more apt to be impressed by a bottle of perfume than by a car deodorizer, ok? However, a man can’t just pick something willy-nilly and think he’s going to get kudos. Tresór by Lancôme may be the second best selling perfume in the world, but that doesn’t mean it will smell like it on her skin. Perusing her vanity table and paying attention to what she wears is crucial here. If that isn’t a possibility, then go out of this world to get her something special!

Zen perfume was synthesized from the scent of roses that were sent up to the space station. Turns out, the scent of roses change when in zero gravity. Yes, I want to grow roses in zero gravity now. What??

Of course, some of y’all will just be too terrified about picking the wrong thing, be it clothing or perfume. In this case I say, go for the bling. Jewelry never fails, as long as it’s not a gangster emblem hanging from a huge chain. That’s just tacky. Necklaces and bracelets are always a safe bet, because you don’t need to know sizes for rings, or if she has pierced ears (you should know these things by now, but I will cut you some slack here). A very popular trend right now is the charm bracelet. Some, like Pandora™ and Trollbeads™, tend to be very pricey, but there are other options that are more affordable, like Brighton. They have a huge selection of charms, which makes making a unique personalized bracelet very easy.

Just remember to pay attention to her favorite things, and you can’t go wrong!

Hope you enjoyed shopping with Aggie. The next installment will be Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Also known as Valentine’s Day 😉

Things I Learned This Thanksgiving

No Thanksgiving is ever the same in our family. But here are some things I learned this time around:

1. My family prefers apple pies over cherry or pumpkin. They are heretics.
2. Baking the turkey in an oven bag is a lifesaver.
3. A turkey STILL only has two drumsticks, so do a lottery next time to determine who gets them.
4. Avoiding the “What the hell is that supposed to mean??” question will make for a very peaceful day.
5. It is perfectly acceptable to lay about in a comatose state. It is also acceptable to rise from comatose state to get more food to further enhance the comatose state.

I hope y’all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now I am off to the mall with the girls.

Prayers are welcome 😉

Checking It Twice

I know, I know…. it’s still early for Christmas. But not too early to make the Christmas List™!! It used to be rather simple to write down the names and pick a random toy to go along with it. But kids are teens and young adults now, and adults are the ones wanting the toys. And of course, there’s always that someone that’s always difficult to shop for. So, I tend to start early in the year to figure out what to get everyone, but I don’t sit down and do the actual list until the week of Thanksgiving. That way I have a bit of leeway in case I change my mind, or if someone drops a hint.

They always drop a hint…

Hubby claims to have a very, very hard time trying to give me a Christmas gift. He usually ends up telling me to get what I want, which leaves the whole surprise out of the equation.

Honestly, I don’t know what is so hard about gifting me knives or ordnance.

Or bling 😉

It’s the Little Things

Last night I had to make an emergency run to the grocery store because I had just run out of milk. I don’t know what it is with the kids, but lately they have been drinking milk like it’s going out of style. I had also run out of creamer for my coffee this morning, but since I use milk when I’m out, I hadn’t thought to get more. Well, that was shot, so of course I had to go to the store for sure! Anyway, after fighting with the fridge rack to let go of the last bottle of non-fat hazelnut (I give up fats, not sugars. I’m not stupid), I start walking to the front of the store to pay for my foodstuffs when I saw this:

I do ♥ me some Shiner, and I do enjoy their seasonals. Well, it is October, so I figure this is a sign. Beer is food, right? I thought so. So, I grab a six pack, and finally come to the register to check out, and surprisingly, the gentleman asks to see my ID. Well, ok… I show him my ID, and he proceeds to ring up the rest of the groceries. And then I see this:

Did you read that?? “Appearing under the age of 40″!!!! He carded me because I LOOK YOUNGER THAN 40!!!!

WINNING!!!!

El-Oh-El-Ay, LOLA!!

As some of y’all may know by now, I love Lolita glasses. For those who don’t know, they are whimsical hand-painted drinkware, and serveware. I collect the wine and martini glasses. Lolita makes glasses for every season, and Halloween is no different. Last year, she had several designs, including “Bloodshot”, “Pumpkin Potion”, and “Witches Party” glasses. I like my glasses to be seasonal, but subtle enough to be used year round. Last year I got the “Masquerade Too”, which is very pretty, but not as pretty as this year’s:

“Masquerade 3” is done in deep dark shades of red and burgundy, almost maroon!!! Now you may ask… why would I get this glass, when I have a Masquerade one already?

When Patience Pays Off

I’m not a vain person by any stretch. Well, everyone has vanities. And so do I. But most people that know me know I am a very patient person. I really don’t mind waiting for something, as long as it’s not a life-or-death situation.

Then I would get hasty.

Anyway, back when we were at our first duty station (which was in Hawaii, and I regret not enjoying it as much as I should have, because I missed being away from family <–disclaimer for Hubby), I had wanted a set of dishes from Williams Sonoma. I love that store. Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but sometimes they have really good sales. Anyway, the dishes were from the Brasserie Collection, and had red bands on the rim. And they never went on sale…

Fast forward to September 13th, 2011. Hubby and I were looking for some champagne flutes for my mom at the outlet mall, which also has a Pottery Barn outlet, which is owned by Williams Sonoma. My mother-in-law also had asked that I look for a special saute pan there, so we went in, and guess what they had on clearance??

ZOMG!!! MY DISHES!!!

And I bought eight six-piece place settings, for the price of two four-piece place settings!!! Not bad for a 16 year wait, huh? They also had some beautiful water goblets that complimented them rather well, but I don’t think I’ll be waiting 16 years for those. I’ll just make do with regular, run-of-the-mill glasses.

For now 😉