I don't think so....

Late last night, while in bed reading, I remembered something I had to do downstairs so I went. When I came back up, Jim asked if I brought him a cupcake.

What?? It's about 1:00 am and he wants a cupcake??

For real.

He then says that maybe he'll just 'split one' with me. Nope...I don't think so! Seriously, who 'splits' a cupcake? Not me!!

Anyway....

You know I went back down and brought one back up for both of us. And they were yummy! ;)

Another find...or two.

I've been on the hunt for a couple things. I don't normally find things that I'm looking for, especially if I go the thrifting route.

Oh, I find lots of other things, just not what I went for. I guess, though, that's the nature of the beast.

A couple days ago, I went on what was supposed to be a 'Return a few things to Target' trip. I take those often...I'm surprised my name isn't on some national data-base that tells retailers I'm not allowed to return things anymore. I can guarantee I'd be over the legal limit. If there was one. :)

It's a bad habit, the shopping and returning cycle.

OK, sorry. Get on with it, right?? So instead of going all the way to Target (there are only two in my area and both are at least 15-20 minutes away. Without traffic. And I can only take the freeway to one of them - the closer one - and it makes shopping at Target not seem so fun.) I went to the Goodwill (it's super close to my house!!). Not sure if that's bad or good. Best not to analyze it, though, right? Just let it be.

{side note} In California I lived within a 10 minute radius of FOUR Targets. FOUR!!! It was amazing...they were all huge and getting outfitted to be super-Targets too, adding in the produce and all that jazz. Starbucks in all but one, ya' know? FUN! No Starbucks in either of the ones here. That was the only place I even got Starbucks - and not every time, but sometimes. You can imagine how disappointed I was when we got here, but it's better for my wallet I guess. At least that's what I tell myself....

Yes, I know there are worse things that I could be experiencing, but I had to vent for a sec.

Anyway! Sidetrack City. Sorry.

I did my walk-through and saw this adorable coffee table just sitting there. Do you ever see cute things and wonder why everyone else is just walking past, like it isn't even there?? I understand not everyone's definition of cute is the same and probably other people aren't looking for whatever it is you're drooling over, but still, do you ever wonder? I do.

At first I noticed it's color was kinda what I was planning on painting whatever I found, then I saw it's cute corners...

It's chippyness isn't quite what I had in mind, but I could paint it again and chip it the way I want to. And then the cute detailing on both sides...

All of it's fun looking legs and the support that runs the length of it (please pardon my lack of furniture term knowledge!)..."hi, sad floppy brown pillow!" "hello..."

And then I sat on it. 'Cuz that's normal, right? VERY sturdy! YAY!!! I grabbed the ticket off the top $29.99 (a little pricier than I'm used to in this particular store, but it's so sturdy, I couldn't balk at it) and did another lap.

I went back and put the ticket back on top.

And I LEFT! As in went to my car and drove away to try again to make it to Target (I didn't make it). As I was getting some draft blocker things at Bed Bath and (friggin') Beyond (TV show, anyone??) instead, it occurred to me that I really wanted that table!

Suddenly I remembered the lady looking at it before I left. And I panicked. I think maybe I need to do something about the panicking in thrift stores...it could become a problem.

Obviously, I got there and it was still there. :)

I couldn't believe my luck. Usually things are long gone when I go back.

You better believe I snatched up that ticket and took that table straight to the checkout!! :)

****************

A few months ago, I found this little cutie at the Salvation Army. I WAS looking this time and was pleasantly surprised to find exactly what it was I wanted and in the right color!

This little drop-leaf number I wanted for the dining room was just what I was searching for. It's not staying 'decorated' like it is now, not everything on it at least, this is just some stuff I put on it to make it look more like it had a place in the room.

{please pardon the wires. and the mini blinds...we rent this house and for whatever reason, the owners put these hideous things up. in every room! ugh!! it makes no sense because they spent a pretty penny on tons of molding...every door face, every entry/exit to every room, beadboard, picture molding, eight inch baseboards, etc. and then had the nerve (it doesn't go at all!) to put up mini blinds!!

hopefully some cheap alternative comes along until maybe we find our own house... :) }

The runner was made by my great-grandma. I have other crocheted pieces she did, but can't quite find the right places to put them. This, however, was perfect for the size of the table. I'd love for it to look dressed for a buffet, but maybe that isn't totally practical.

But maybe who cares, right?

Cute is what I want it to be, darn it!

That's my thrifting story for this evening...and hopefully for a while. :) Any good finds for anyone else lately?

Little red sled

I shouldn't have been in there, but I can't help myself. When I have lots to do, I tend to want to go shopping. You know the saying right? It's so true for me, unfortunately.

'When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping!'

Not that I'm particularly tough, but you get the idea. So, I should be at home clearing all the Christmas stuff off of the dining room table....I moved it there to get it out of the living room. That makes sense right? Move it all from one room to the next in big messy piles. No rhyme or reason.

Wrong. It was way more stressful that way.

Anyway, I was at the Goodwill, mostly just to take my mind off the mess at home. I didn't intend to actually buy anything.

Yeah right! Who was I kidding??

Nobody, that's who. As I made my way to the back of the store (where the furniture is, as if that was what I needed), I see a lady unloading her cart (checking to see if she needs all she has in it, like I do when I'm in there) and next to her pile of stuff I see this little number...

I love everything about it: Red! Chippy! Old! $12.99!!

"Huh, say what??!"

I hope it's not hers. I hold my breath and walk away. I know a normal person would have just asked her if she was going to buy it. But I feel like that would make her look at it and want it just because I asked her.

I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to thrift stores.

So I take another lap, come back to it and just pick it up. No fear. And she doesn't say anything, doesn't tackle me for it, just continues to look over her loot.

As I go to pay, several people comment on it and I seriously wanted to hit them. I don't know why. It was a very weird feeling.

After I got home, my elation faded as I remembered my mess and was kinda bummed that Christmas was over since this little ditty would have made a super cute decoration on my porch!

Definitely next year!

I love it's chippyness! SO much...

And all it's tiny little nails. Even the wonky ones. Maybe especially the wonky ones. :)

Yep...

When I lived in California, not only would you NEVER see anything like this in the Goodwill, you'd certainly never see it at $12.99! Prices there were like an antiques store.

Slightly ridiculous to say the least.

Can't wait 'til next year to do something cute with this guy!! :)

Stubby likes the good stuff.

This is Stubby. My brother found him eight years ago and couldn't keep him, so we took him in. He was no bigger than my hand. He doesn't have a tail and that's why his name is Stubby. :) Sweet kitty, but odd. In a good way (I guess).

He's never clawed the furniture, only had one bathroom incident (but it was the first night we got him, so I can't complain), has never run away, never roams too far, really. I call him my grumpy old man.

He begs worse than a dog and likes pasta (no sauce), yogurt, strawberries and bananas. Sometimes raw meat, but he doesn't do so well after eating that. I don't indulge him often, but everyone needs a little treat now and again, right?

Anyway, on this particular day I needed a laugh and decided to get one at his expense.

Never a big fan of catnip, but it seemed interesting to him in a baggie....

"Oh brother. Maybe if I just sniff it a little, she'll go away!"...

"Not so bad."...

"There's some way down there....can't. quite. get. to. it."....

"Ooohhh...GOT IT! This is kinda good!"...

I got my laugh and promptly took the bag off his head as soon as he was done sneezing...and he was a little on the crazy side for a while.

Then he got the munchies and slept it off. Hopefully this doesn't become a habit!

I want this!

I saw this on the Pottery Barn website (I think...) and I L.O.V.E. it!!! I'm thinking it's something that would be doable in the DIY arena...don't you?

Aarrghhhh! Why won't Blogger let me do anything?? I can't change my text size, put any text under the pic on this post... WHY??!

It's all in the details

Or is it? I love me some details!! In stories told and read, on people, in decor, in nature, little ones, big ones, ones you may not think are important. I think they're pretty much all important.

That may be why it takes me so long to tell a story. Kinda drives my hubby and son crazy sometimes. Oops. But as I'm telling a story, it makes sense to me to tell everything that helps the story along, because how else is one to get the whole meaning of what I'm saying? How are they going to feel like they were there?!

So on that note, how wordy is too wordy for a blog post? When does the average reader just think "Oh my, get to the point already!" Or just stop reading all together? Even now as I write this post, I'm typing and deleting, typing and deleting trying to spit it out.

Maybe it doesn't matter how much I write as opposed to the quality? Simple idea, right?

ugh.

But It also comes through in how I decorate our home. How I shop for myself.

Visual clutter. Too many items (that I don't wear, but that I love...yipes!) It's starting to feel like too much all the time.

I look around our home (and in my closet and craft room) and get, at the same time, frazzled and comforted. How do you pare down? How do you know when the love is gone? ;)

The problem I'm coming across is this: how do I pare down the details? How do I know what counts and what doesn't?

I know that the true answer lies only with myself, and I need to do what's good for me.

I suppose a new year is a great way to start a new 'thing', right? I don't generally make resolutions since it's not in my makeup to see them through. :) I'm extremely in decisive and a bit emotional when it comes to making choices.

(Shopping with me would probably be miserable for most people...it's frustrating for me!)

I'm going to take this year and try a new path. One of clarity and purging. Forgetting and forgiving.

Forgiveness for me is a biggie! Boy, can I hold a grudge. I know that it's better to forgive and forget, but it's just SO hard for me.

In my life, there's a lot going on in the last couple years; the death of my grandpa and the subsequent falling apart of different parts of my family. I don't really want to get into it here, but it's weighing quite heavily on my present life and I can't seem to find a way out from under it. I'm working on it, but I can't do it alone and the other parties involved don't seem to see both sides of the situation.

Anyway.

A huge move for my little family from CA to WA and trying to adjust.

Yep, a new year is definitely what I need. What my family needs. What the world needs.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year to all of you!! :)

*pics taken by me at our local park, Manito Park, on Thursday. It's a gorgeous park with several gardens, duck pond and TONS of beautiful trees!