A Couple Of Firsts

I think I've eaten my way through Arizona this trip and have even experienced a couple of firsts this time around. Needless to say, I'll be dieting big time when I get home tomorrow.

Saturday we started the day off great with our first ever meal here...


I was so excited. I've read about the good food and the cute little store at Cracker Barrel so I was anxious to experience it for myself. It did not disappoint. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits. I don't think I've ever had a better biscuit, anywhere! It was melt in your mouth delicious! I enjoyed the store too and bought a few cute gifts. I bet they have fun, unique items during the holidays!

Courtney is a nanny a few days a week for a professor at ASU and she and her husband invited us over for brunch on Sunday, and again, the food was great. Courtney has told us so much about them that I couldn't wait to finally meet them. They were absolutely darling and such warm, hospitable hosts. Being with them warmed my heart because you could tell that they truly love my daughter. They could not say enough nice things about her and the kids gravitated to her like a magnet. I made sure to express to them how thankful I am that they are looking out for Courtney and taking such good care of her and they let us know how thankful they are to have her in their lives as well. They said that having Courtney around has been the perfect fit and knew she was the one right off the bat. It's turned out to be a win win situation for everyone and I know Courtney will be in contact with them for the rest of her life. Luckily, they feel like family to me now too!

For dinner last night we went to one of our favorite rib places and the girls talked us into an appetizer that I had never thought of eating before...


Fried pickles! I was a sport and gave them a try but once was enough for me. Not a fan of eating warm pickles. Have you ever tried fried pickles before?

Today we hit the mall and lets just say Courtney and I can do some serious damage when we're together...but hey, it's not like we have the opportunity all the time right! Ann Taylor's Loft and Nordstrom were having great sales so we found some seriously cute stuff at some seriously reasonable prices. Again, a win win situation!

We had dinner tonight at a place the girls suggested, The Big Fat Greek Restaurant, and yes, with an appetizer that I hadn't ever had before...



Flaming cheese and pita bread! It was a first but this I liked!

We've had such an enjoyable, relaxing time and these 2 beautiful, sweet girls have been a pleasure to be around...


Courtney and her close friend Janell. This trip was the first time we were able to meet Janell and guess what, she feels like family now too!

Janell just graduated and is now looking for and applying for different teaching positions. Can you believe that adorable thing wants to teach high school math! I say good for you and God bless you Janell! It won't be easy but she's got spunk. I just know she's gonna be accused of being a student more times than she can count!

My Kitchen Shelf Metamorphosis

Around this time every year I get motivated to do little projects around the house. I'll get alot done from now until early summer. After that, it's just to darn hot so not much gets accomplished. Then it's the holidays and before you know it, the cycle begins again.

For the first time since November, I went thrifting Tuesday afternoon. I've learned it's either feast or famine when thrifting but Tuesday I was finding things at every turn. More often than not, I go home empty handed but Tuesday was my lucky day!

About 5 months ago I bought this tiered shelf for my kitchen. I had been looking for a few years but could never find exactly what I wanted. I ended up buying this beauty from a man back East who makes them and sells them on Ebay.


I had envisioned big plans for these shelves but truthfully they've pretty much been empty the whole time. I had 5 beautiful green plates displayed on the second shelf but that was about it. It just never seemed to come together, until Tuesday night!

While thrifting I found 3 white plates, a small white creamer, a white medium sized pitcher, and greenery in a planter that perfectly matched the plates I had on the shelf. It was all starting to come together in my mind so as soon as I got home, I got busy accessorizing and pulling out things I already had such as silver and blue and white items. It looked awesome! The shelves looked so beautiful that my husband commented on it first thing yesterday morning, something that he doesn't do very often.

I also bought a new lampshade for the living room. Have you noticed that round lampshades are all the rage right now. Just something as simple as changing a lampshade can make a big difference and freshen up the decor. Although I am sold on the round lampshade idea, I'm not sure if I'm sold on the particular one that I bought. I bought it at Tuesday Morning and it was the only one they had. I think it's just a little to white for me. Most of my lampshades are more of an off white or creamier color. Here is the lamp with it's original shade and then with the new round lampshade, still in it's clear plastic covering. I haven't taken it off yet because I'm not sure it's staying. So tell me, which one of the lampshades do you prefer?



While I was busy in the living room yesterday afternoon mulling over lampshades, I heard the biggest, loudest noise of all time. I ran into the kitchen knowing full well what had just happened. Yes, my beautifully decorated shelf, with all of it's new accessories, had come crashing down off the wall. All of my perfectly placed treasures were in a million pieces, scattered everywhere. After already picking up alot of the mess, I saw my camera on the table and took a picture of the aftermath. I had my camera close by because I had wanted to show you the metamorphosis that had taken place. Unfortunately, I was just a little too late!


I still can't believe what happened. My husband and I are extremely careful when hanging things and we checked and double checked to make certain it was sturdy on the wall. Turns out the hooks that were sent with the shelf weren't strong enough and they bent with the weight, allowing the whole shelf to come crashing down.

The disaster has been cleaned up but guaranteed, we'll be picking up pieces of glass for weeks to come! I immediately brought out the touch-up paint for the wall and chair rail and we'll be hanging the shelf again soon, but with much heavier, stronger hooks, thanks to a trip to Lowe's. I'll be starting my shelf metamorphosis all over again, but at least I now have a vision of what I'm looking for. And truthfully, I'm thankful. Other than broken plates and such, not much was damaged on the walls, chair rail, floor, or shelf. It could have been much worse!

(Although I don't have any pictures of my thrifty finds this week (since they're in the trash can, boo hoo!), I decided to go ahead and link up with Leigh today for Thrifty Thursday. Thank you Leigh for hosting Thrifty Thursday each week. Hopefully next time I join in, I'll have pictures! To join in the fun or to visit other Thrifty Thursday participants, click here.)

Zapped Of Energy

It's after 10:00am and I'm still in my pajamas! Do you ever have days like this?

The past 5 days were busy, exciting, and definitely fun-filled so coming home to our quiet house, void of energetic, vibrant, college girls is a tad bit depressing. Plus the fact that we had to say good-by to our sweet Courtney. It'll take me a day or two to get re-adjusted to home.

We arrived in Phoenix late Thursday night and it was HOT. I still think Arizona never gets below 90 degrees, EVER, even though I've been told differently. Friday night a group of us went out to dinner at Oregano's. It's a fun, happening place and a favorite of the girls. Look at these beautiful girls. The nice thing is that they are just as sweet and smart as they are beautiful. They are an absolute pleasure to be around.

Courtney, Macey, Jordie, and Mackenzie

Saturday night was the ASU football game. Howard and I always enjoy going to the football game during parents weekend. I love seeing the kids with their parents and families and I love the support that the community shows to ASU football. Tempe really supports their hometown team. It was a really good game, close, but good. Thankfully ASU won!






Parents weekend is never short on shopping and this trip was no exception. We got some shopping time in on Friday and Saturday and I was even able to visit my favorite store...Hobby Lobby! I picked up a few Fall/Halloween goodies that I'll share with you soon.

Howard and I are lucky in that we were able to stay until Tuesday whereas most parents go home on Sunday. We love spending the extra time with Courtney and her roommates and even managed to get them together for one last dinner on Monday night. They had gone to classes and even worked that day but met us for a good-by dinner at P.F. Changs. Again, P.F. Changs did not disappoint.


I left straight from P.F. Changs and headed to Cheesecake Factory...no lie! More about that tomorrow!

I Was Not Disappointed!

Tai Pan Trading rocks!

Leigh Anne summed it up perfectly when she said "Tai Pan is like Disneyland for Home Decor"...and I now also have to agree with Tammy who said "I heart Tai Pan" because after my Friday afternoon visit, I heart Tai Pan too! I was not disappointed!

To make this little shopping excursion even sweeter, another favorite store of mine was located right next door. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the signs Tai Pan Trading and The Alley right next to each other. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. The only thing that would have been better was if you had been there with me!

Like I mentioned, this was my first time ever shopping at Tai Pan. I had heard about them but none were located in California...until this summer. I knew I'd make the stop sooner or later and Friday was the day. This store is a decorator's dream. It's stocked with beautiful artificial flowers, greenery, dishes, prints, mirrors, pottery, some furniture, and much much more.

I browsed Tai Pan for about 2 hours, taking it all in. They had tons and tons of Easter accessories out already too. Everything was so beautiful. I can only imagine this place at Christmas!

Here's a picture of some of the things I bought...


I bought the artificial palm to go here. I've spent so much on real palms and they die in no time at all. This artificial one looks as close to real as they come.


I'd been looking for these green topiary balls for awhile now so I was thrilled when both stores had a good selection. I took my candles off of the candle holders in my living room and stuck them on top...just for a different look.



I brought home 2 of these which I just love. I put one in the spare bedroom and placed an urn/plant on top of it. I need to find something to go on this second one.


Also picked up this plant (again artificial). I'm thinking I'll put it in a container or on a plate and display it here.


In the first picture you can see the beautiful bunny picture, straw carrots, and silver hearts I bought. I picked up some other Easter items too and I'll try and show you them in a day or two. I just quickly snapped these pictures tonight before it got to late.

All in all it was a great weekend. Fun times with RV buddies and a fun time shopping. Literally, I was a happy camper!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: Have any of you ever been to the store Tai Pan? I'll be stopping by one today on my way to our campout this weekend. I always ask my husband to stop but he usually just wants to get to our destination, then when we come home on Sunday they're closed. Today I'll be driving my own car and can stop anyplace my little heart desires!

Is there anything in particular I should be looking for while I'm there?

I can't wait! I hope I'm not disappointed.

Just Call Me Mrs. Gadget

I'm really not a "gadget" person by any stretch of the imagination but I did find two nifty items this week that make life a whole lot easier...well one of them does anyway.

I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to look for a lampshade for my new reindeer lamp (I didn't find one by the way) but I came across a gadget that I had to have. You may have seen these already but they were new to me. Remote controls for your Christmas lights outside/inside. It came with two separate plug-ins that you put right into an outlet, then you plug your lights directly into that. There was one for outside use and one for inside the house. We put the outside adapter plug on the side of the house so that we don't have to go into the backyard, late at night, with a flashlight, to unplug Christmas lights. We just use the remote and it works like a charm. Believe it or not, we can stand in our bedroom and aim it towards the plug outside and it shuts the lights off! Howard and I just laughed and laughed over that one...after all these years of traipsing into the backyard to unplug lights! We can even turn them off while we're in the bathroom for pete's sake!

The other adapter plug I'm using for the Christmas tree lights. You can't beat it. Here's a picture of what the package looks like in case your interested in picking some up for yourself...


And here's the cute little remote that is now our new best friend...


The other gadget didn't work good for what I intended to use it for but it still works excellent on other things. Take a look at what this looks like...


It's a dual magnetic wreath holder. My thought was to use these on my front doors to hold my wreaths but it didn't work well on the doors for some reason. The idea is to place one part of the magnetic wreath holder outside on your front door and then on the inside of the door you match up the other magnetic piece so that both magnets are attracting each other. It didn't work so good on my doors but it works great on glass. You could use these on glass doors or windows easily. I used it to hang a wreath from one of the glass panes of my china cabinet. Easy as pie.

Have you ever seen either of these gadgets before? Do you have them?

Thanksgiving Weekend Recap - Part 2

We didn't buy much at the Craft Fair but I'm always able to find a few new ornaments each year to add to my collection. I was thrilled to find just the right ornament for an ornament swap that I'm in and some ornaments for a small Christmas tree that I want to put in my kitchen. I think a kitchen ornament themed tree is a cute idea and I plan on doing it this year. Here are the ornaments I picked up to put on the kitchen tree...


I'll be putting this cute one on there too...


After the craft fair, we girls went thrifting. Thrift shopping is new to Courtney and I but Debbie and Bette Jo are seasoned experts. It was fun to watch them in action. As soon as we'd enter a store, they'd disappear, each having areas that they hit first. We went to one thrift store that was having a 1/2 off sale on all Christmas items that day. Courtney sat on a chair and guarded the "piles" while we bigger girls shopped...and the piles just kept getting bigger and bigger. Our seasoned thrifters took it seriously as the back of our car demonstrated. It was packed! Oh I wish I would have taken pictures of this fun outing, especially the jam packed car!

Nights were very relaxing. We did crafts, talked, watched tv, snacked, played on the computer, and just generally enjoyed each others company. It's nice because the dining room table and the family room are right next to each other so even though each person may be doing something different, you're all right there together. Debbie and Steve's vacation home is cozy, warm, and has the feel of being tucked far away in the mountains although it actually isn't. The house is located in a "neighborhood" so to speak but take a look at the backyard. It's open, beautiful, and one never tires of listening to the sounds of the creek that's located at the base of the yard...


Debbie and Steve are the ultimate hosts. They make each guest feel welcomed, cared for, and they spoil you rotten. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we owe it all to them!

The drive home was long but we didn't hit much holiday traffic which was a hugh relief. We were tired and didn't get the mail until Monday but I RECEIVED SOME GOOD MAIL...my first Christmas gift of the season...and I love it!

I'll share my good mail with you tomorrow and also show you what my hubby's been up to while I was busy at work on Monday and Tuesday. Until then, have a great day!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: Next Friday is the biggest shopping day of the entire year...aka "Black Friday."

Will you be out there shopping on Friday too?

Do you get up at the crack of dawn to stand in line at Wal-Mart for their unbeatable deals or will you spend hours at the mall and Target getting all of your Christmas shopping done?

No malls or Target for me on Friday, I'll be at the CRAP fair...I mean CRAFT fair! Every year that we spend Thanksgiving with my sister up in Northern CA, we head to the craft fair at the fairgrounds on Friday. Although we affectionately call it the "crap" fair, we love it just the same and look forward to it again this year. It's become a family tradition!

I Hit The Mother Load!

On the way home from work the other night I thought I'd swing by the Goodwill to look for a used stroller. Normally I would have never thought of going to the Goodwill but I've seen some of the great finds that fellow bloggers have found second hand so I thought I'd give it a try too.

A stroller you might ask!?! For a lady whose got no kiddos around, no grandkids, nothing! Yep, I was looking for a stroller for my little Jake. He has to be completely immobile for another 5-6 weeks so I thought a stroller would be a good way for me to take him from room to room with me. He's kept in a crate and we tote it from place to place which is fine but I thought something on wheels might be a little easier.

Unfortunately, there were no strollers to be found but wait until you see what I did find. I'll tellin' ya, I hit the mother load. Here is the before picture of my new treasures...


Five pieces of heavy duty, beautiful silver. They were pretty dirty and tarnished but it was nothing that I couldn't clean up. I've been wanting to redo my china cabinet to include some silver and a few of these will work perfectly.

I scrubbed and scrubbed with tarnish remover and they shined up so nicely. Here is what the silver pieces look like now, all spiffied up...


The best part about this was the price. I got all 5 pieces of silver for $19.00 which was incredible. With the help of the Internet, I'm going to do some research. Each piece of silver is stamped with the manufacturer's name and a number. I wonder how much these would have been originally? Needless to say, I'm now a Goodwill shopper convert!

Busy as Bees

We headed off to Ikea today. The other mom cancelled out on me so hubby, Courtney, and I went by ourselves. Since none of the other roommates were with us we just picked up things for Courtney such as pans, cooking utensils, bowls, etc. We were on the lookout for a computer chair and found the perfect one there. Courtney's color scheme for her room is black and white with a touch of red. Take a look at this cute computer chair. Not only does it look good but it's comfortable too.


This is what her bedding looks like.


The bathroom is done in black, white, and red also.


We bought a black bookcase at Ikea, very sleek looking with glass doors. She set her TV on top and then has the shelves for storage. Storage space is extremely limited in this room. As you can see, this room is SMALL but thankfully it's all decorated now and Little Sis is happy with everything, and truly, that's what makes me happy. Now she can just concentrate on the task at hand...starting school on Monday.

Late afternoon the girls and us parents headed out to Target looking for curtains, curtain rods, rugs, and stuff to make the apartment look lived in. We picked up a few things and I'll be hanging up the curtain rods and curtains tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be an emotional day for Mackenzie as her dad, sister, and boyfriend will be heading home early in the morning. Courtney and I both have already had tears over the thought of us leaving. It's not easy on anyone, the student or the parents. Everyone's just a ball of emotions.

The Clock is Ticking

But not fast enough for our daughter...aka Little Sis.

When she goes back to school in Arizona next month, she and 3 other girls will be sharing an apartment. To say that these 4 girls are EXCITED would be a hugh understatement. They're literally counting down the days.

Not counting down the days for school to start, or of leaving family at home, but counting down the days until apartment time. And really, can you blame them!?!

I hope the apartment will turn out to be a good idea. Each girl has her own bedroom and bath with a shared living room, dining room, and kitchen. They have a washer and dryer in the apartment also. Each girl signed her own contract with the apartment complex and is responsible to them for getting their rent in on time. Just this fact alone made it ok with hubby and I. Now they just have to worry about splitting up the utilities which hopefully won't be any big deal.

Did I mention they're EXCITED!

We've been doing a little shopping the last few days. We've purchased everything from silverware to sheets to salt & pepper shakers. Here's a sampling of what we've been storing in our guest room and what we have to haul back to AZ next month...


Speaking of our guest room, I wanted to leave you with this. I bought a picture holder and I use it to hold all of my "good mail" I receive from by blogging friends. If you've ever sent me a note or a card, it's here, in our guest room for all to see. I display them proudly!

Summer Sale

TRUST ME... this is one sale you won't want to miss!

I love Bath and Body Works and they have so many fragrances that I like...and many of them are on sale right now. I take advantage of these sales because you can really get alot for your money. I spent $60.00 and walked away with exactly 20 items. I just did a quick calculation and estimate the original cost of these 20 items to be around $235.00...now I'd say that's quite a savings.

Not only do I like Bath and Body Works for myself, but I stock up on these things to give away as little gifts too. I bought body lotions, bath soaps, body sprays, bubble baths, and plug-in air-freshners and refills. Now who wouldn't enjoy a little treat like these!?! Seriously though, you never know when you might need to throw something together real quick for a gift so I like to have these types of things on hand.

I'm not sure when the sale ends but I do know you've still got time...so go check it out for yourself.

Retail Therapy

My daughter (little sis) and I felt like doing some shopping today...it has been a very long time since we have done any shopping together with her being away at college and all. We started off our day with a self portrait.


As usual, we had a fun time together...and as you can see, she and I can do some serious damage to the checkbook in a very short time! Her Dad was a bit concerned when he saw all of the packages...but it was worth it!!


Hope you had a fun Friday too!