Junkin' Day

Today was my big Junkin' Day with my friend. Our first stop was out in the country, I had gone to this place with my aunts in June. There was a bunch of cute stuff.

What I bought:

 The buttons are actually magnets, they were 50 cents each. The frog is some kind of jar? The top has holes and the bottom a little divot, we decided maybe it was for incense. I don't need a frog, but this one was unique enough, I had to buy it. I spent a total of $2.
Our next stop was a place I'd been to the first time I did this with my mom, I had bought a few things that time. This time we found stuff to be a bit pricey and very humid. I didn't buy anything.
Our next stop was to a winery, way out of the way from all the other stops. This one was very disappointing, not only was it not close to anything else, they had 4 vendors of newer handmade things. My friend looked at their flyer and they were supposed to have 13 vendors of vintage and handmade plus 3 food vendors. It was set up for a bunch of vendors and we thought maybe they were coming in Saturday and Sunday. I find that really rude, if you commit to something, you should commit to all the days. For some people (like me and my friend), we were only able to do it on Friday due to our schedule, so we got gypped out of all the vendors and the food vendors. We didn't see anything that promoted food at this stop, it didn't even have any signs saying it was for this jaunt, other places in the country had signs saying #5 on the jaunt. I won't be going back to this place for any reason.
I did find these cute guys there:

 The other vendors were a honey vendor, they had lotion and honey. Upstairs they had a bath bombs/soap stuff vendor and some wooden handmade stuff. I didn't buy anything.
Next up we went to a town that had 6 different stops. We found a garage sale on the way there. I found something there.

 A rubber duck dressed up for Halloween, a tiny little owl and a minions Valentine's mailbox. I spent $1.25 here.
Our next stop was gross, I couldn't even make it in the door, it smelled like mold and grossness. It looked like a horrible hoarder situation.
Next up was handmade booth, it was pretty cute with a lot of fabric stuff. Next was a place that was pretty cool, lots of new uses for old things. It had some landscape paintings that someone had added to. We thought it was a pretty cool way to reuse old paintings. I also found some beautiful velvet paintings there:

 And these:

 I don't have room for velvet paintings, but I love them.
Next up was another unfortunate place. In another beautiful building (or it was), but reeked of urine and covering up of cigarettes.
Next we went to a place that was fun and random. I found a few things:

 All the doodads were in the vase, I put them back in there when I got home. Total spent $2.
The next place had a bunch of cool stuff, just nothing I was interested in buying. I found this neat sign:

 And the cutest tiniest overalls:

 I bought my friend and I some lemonade, it was about 1pm at that point and we were getting pretty hungry.
The next place I had been to a couple times, it was a soap and other things shop.

 I picked up this vintage postcard for $2, normally I wouldn't pay $2 for a postcard, but it reminded me of my grandmother. She liked pansies and her birthday is in October, I want to find a cute frame and frame it. That was the last stop in this town, we headed to another town with a bunch of stops.
First up, was an old building that I think used to be a general store, the way it was still set up. Very big, and lots of stuff in it, including this cute guy:

 I didn't end up buying anything there, but I'd love to go back. Next door were some neat vendors, one had a bunch of Pyrex dishes. Next to that was the place I picked up my teeth in June, I found this cool window:

 And picked up a button:

 For 28 cents.
At that point we were getting very hungry, we headed to a place we saw on the way in, only to find they had soup and snacks as they were out of business and just having a small liquidation sale. We found a cute little cafe a little ways down and went there for lunch, it was a quarter after two at this point. I had a turkey, bacon, avocado wrap and a Mountain Dew, which wasn't very exciting, but it was good. I really wanted to find something that was a small town thing and different, but we didn't. We stopped at a thrift store, that I had been with another friend and found a few more things:

 birthday card, pom pom poufs, and some stickers. Total spent $1.50. I love the stickers because they're not something I think I'd find anywhere else, the card was too cute as were the pom pom things.
By that time, my friend said she had to get home as she had a prior dinner arrangement. We did stop at this random place on the way out of town. It had a bunch of hardware stuff, cooking stuff, kids stuff and collectibles. It was such a weird assortment of things, I'd like to go there again sometime.

 frog bank, minion play set, and squishy frog. Total spent $9. There was a green frog bank, but I liked this one better. It's always a good day if I can find something minion, it's a pretty cute playset, too. Also, I like the porcupine ish frog toy.
I spent a total of about $30 today, but nothing was really so great. Nothing really stands out as a favorite purchase. I still want to go shopping at the mall tomorrow, and I might. I'm not sure, I also have to close tomorrow afternoon.
I think I'm over this jaunt, I've been on it so many times, it's just the same stuff it feels like. I'm not sure if I had more fun with my friend or with my aunts in June. I like that my aunts came and we did something together (even though my mom doesn't understand how we could have had quality time). We talked a lot in the car on the way to places, but also at lunch and also at the places we went to. They live a couple hours away, so I hate waiting for them to get here.
With my friend, she still had something in the morning, but we met up about 9:15, so that wasn't so bad, plus we get to talk and hang out, and shop. I think I need to find something new and different to do with her.
When I got home, I found a granted wish of sticker flakes in my mailbox:

I keep wondering where my Send Me Something edible that was mailed two weeks ago from the US is. I'm wondering if I should bother asking the admins about it, or not.

A visit to Tuesday Morning

What I have done this week?
It feels like work and making art.
Sunday: I went to brunch with my parents for Father's Day. And then I worked.
Monday: I finished a tag:

Opened a swap of Birthday Cards:

I love her use of the Happy Birthday die cuts.
Packaged up a bunch of swaps, and went to work. I picked up this book at work:

I grew up with this book, basically it has a lot of Mother Goose nursery rhymes but it also has the equivalent of those, the Father Gander ones, and some other nursery rhymes, the pictures look like they've made with colored pencils.
Tuesday: I finished a pocket letter:

Opened a couple more swaps of $5 mystery swap:

We had to buy five $1 items at a store and send them to a partner(s)
 glittery washi, glittery clothespins and some pinwheel stickers.

 Stickers, bling, ephemera kit, tape and labels.
This cute little card came with the above swap:

I love that paper and the shaker paperclip.
I also finished a loaded envelope:

And went to work, sadly I felt crappy at work, so I came back home and relaxed for the rest of the night.
Wednesday: I went to work, went to the post office and mailed off the tag, the pocket letter, the envelope, three destash swaps, a washi swap and a sticker swap, went to the grocery store and decided they needed to retrain their baggers. My bag guy put my gallon of milk in my bag along with a bagged item and a few small items. I learned how to view Youtube on my Bluray player and watched some movies.
Thursday: I plowed through some more movies
I opened my envelope flip book:

I love the paper pad she used.
and went to work.
Friday: I had the day off and had plans to go shopping with a friend.
We started off with a tour of her new house.

She gave me a bottle of homemade wine for my birthday:

 I'm not a huge wine drinker, I tasted this at her house, it's pretty good. I am a little afraid that I won't be able to finish the bottle.
I figured out there was a Tuesday morning right across the street from the Michael's we visit. After watching everyone's YouTube videos on their Tuesday Morning purchases, I was excited to visit it. It was a very small store but still had a craft aisle. I just didn't feel like looking through all the hooks of stickers, I like that craft stores have the same sticker on a hook and aren't mixed. I'm not a big 'digger' person, I have that issue at some garage sales as well.
I spent more money on food than crafty items:

 pastries, chocolate
I love food, and I love when stores have different food than what I find at the grocery store, I love going to the food aisle of TJ Maxx as well.
Deliza Pastry Cream, cream filled puff pastry for $1.99, 2 Mini croissants with vanilla custard for $0.99 each, Dark chocolate sea salt pretzels for $2.99, Guylian seahorses for $2.49, a box of Exquisite cookies with chocolate for $2.99, and Messori cone snack for $0.79.
Crafting supplies:

 Art C embellishment pack for $0.99, black and white maritime tags for $0.99, Halloween goblet stickers for $0.99 and some mint green washi tape for $0.99.
I love that no one thing I bought was more than $3 and that I didn't spend more than $20. I didn't pick up any crafting supply that was more than $1.00. I did see the a few Downton Abbey paper pads and dies, I also saw some Martha Stewart products. Mainly I like stickers and ephemera and washi. I don't have a die cutting machine, I'm not big on punches, I'm not great at using stamps. I just didn't feel like looking through all the stickers, most of them did not interest me.
Next we went across the street to Michaels, I spent less than $10 there:

 Two sticker books for $1 each, Recollections vintage cards and envelopes for $0.79, Recollections sticker book for $2.79 and some pink trim for $1.49. I'm not really in the mood to buy crafting stuff lately because I have so much. I actually thought I'd buy way more because I haven't been to a Michaels since March, but the prices just didn't work for me.
Last stop of the day was Sam's Club, again, I love their food selection. I picked up these:

 They are soo good, and phenomenal if I warm it up for a 15 seconds in the microwave.
I got back about 7pm and watched movies the rest of the night. Somewhere during the week I figured out how to watch YouTube videos on my TV through my BluRay player, and I'm loving that.
Saturday: I went garage saleing. I didn't feel that motivated to walk a ton, or spend money, but I made myself go.

 I found some mugs for my friends' favors for my birthday. Those pipe cleaner things are supposed to be bunnies, I kinda think they look like some creepy rodent. I picked up some button covers and some trim.
My birthday is next weekend and I'm putting some favors together for my friends, I thought I'd put the items in some mugs for them, I feel I'll be keeping that owl mug, so I think might be going to Dollar Tree this week to find a third one, I do have to go for something else anyway.
I watched a bunch of movies yesterday to finish out the day.
I also got a washi swap in the mail:

We were to send each other samples of Christmas washi.

Lunch and shopping

Today, I went to Younkers, JCPenney, and Walmart to see if they had any cute dresses or skirts, and maybe pick up a new pair of pants. I wound up spending a little over $80, which as you will remember I spent on this day, for more than 2 dresses.
I bought this cute (cheap) bandana. I need something to keep my hair out of my eyes when I'm working, since it's not quite long enough for a pony tail.
I found this really cute nightgown

And I bought this outfit (see the bandana?) as well on sale.

I also bought a pair of jeans and a new bra. Like I said I spent about $80, is it just me or do you think that $80 is a bit much for two dresses.

I also went to lunch with a new friend from work, we ended up going to Walmart, a bookstore, Kmart and Borders. I'm so excited I found someone outside of work that I agree a lot with on things. It's so fun to spend time with people outside of work too.

Tomorrow, I have a garage sale I'm going to, and then 4 I might go to on Friday, I'm excited about those, I will share with you what I got.

There goes my hero, watch him as he goes

Some people will do anything to get out of things.
I recently learned a friend of mine had to retire early from the police department because some woman hit him while he was directing traffic during RAGBRAI last year. She's claiming post traumatic stress disorder from an incident with the police here in 2006. I think that's a load of crap.
I'm very bummed that my friend had to retire, he's one of the ones that loved his job and would have worked it until forced retirement. And, unfortunately, now he has been, but way too early in his career.

"I truly love my job, and so it's very hard to just come to this realization that I can't do this anymore," Schultz said. "It wasn't something where I was going to a call that I know there might be a rist of injury. This never should have had to happend."

Officer hit by car during RAGBRAI retires
Ames Officer talks about RAGBRAI crash
Taylor breaks down; judge declares mistrial
Norma Taylor judged incompetent to stand trial

Any police officers read this have any comments?

I smell like fish

My hands smell like fish :( I just spent the last 45 minutes washing and taking out bones from some bluegill. It wasn't gross, not like I figured it'd be, but now my hands smell like fish, and I already washed them with some extra-strength soap.
Kevin was fishing yesterday and caught himself a lot of bluegill. His buddy took some pictures of the ones he caught, and he had one that was as long as a Vault 20 oz bottle. He kept telling it was really big, since I don't know much about fish and he's never caught any that he's kept when I've been with him fishing, I really don't know if that's big, but I do believe him.
Yesterday, I went to the Hardin County fair to judge the small animals show. Unfortunately, no one showed up. 5 people had signed up, they told us earlier on that 3 of them weren't going to show up, and the other 2 never did either. My friend, Loretta, is the pet superintendent for the fair, and it's her job to find a judge, so she asked me. I was pretty nervous, but I was pretty interested and excited to do it too. It bummed me out I didn't get to judge.

I totally bummed myself out today. Kevin and I went to Boone, and I picked up a magazine about Okoboji, IA. I was reading it at work, and remembering things, and totally bummed myself out. When I was about 5 or maybe younger, my parents started taking my brother and I up to my grandparents condo on Lake Okoboji, I have so many memories of the 6 of us up there. I've seen so many pictures with my grandparents and I having fun. I remember one year, sometime after my grandparents stopped going, most of my extended family on my mother's side came up and stayed at a hotel/resort very near to our condo. I remember they had everyone in one room, people were sleeping on the floor, the beds, the patio, everywhere they could fit someone. I think, they surprised us, but I really don't know. Kevin and I went up there, the first year we were dating, we usually have a week, but both of us had to work on Tuesday, so we got there Saturday night/afternoon, and left Tuesday morning. I showed him as much of my childhood hangouts as I could stuff in those few days, and I'd love to go back with him. I told him last weekend, it would be really great if some year his parents, his brother and sister-in-law, nephew and Kevin and I went up there. I'm pretty sure they would all enjoy it, and there's something for everyone. From fishing and swimming in the lake, to the various restaurants, to the amusement park, to the mini golf places, to the places to shop. And most everything is within walking distance of our condo. I miss it so much when I can't go.

OK, now I'm getting a little nauseous, I sure hope it's not because of leaning over a sink washing fish for 45 minutes. I sure don't need to be sick tonight.

You're busted

It doesn't feel like Monday, and it wasn't a very nice weekend. I had a friend's (Amanda's) baby shower to go to on Sunday, so Saturday I made a survival kit for new mom's and a card. Check them out here. That took pretty much all day on Saturday. Sunday I woke up to go out and mow the lawn, took my pig out to enjoy the weather while I ate my lunch. After that, I took a shower and spent way too much time figuring out what to wear. I decided on a cute little skirt Kevin bought me a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I opted to not wear anything under the skirt, so I felt rather self-conscious and on the way inside for the baby shower, the wind was blowing, so I was having a hard time not flashing anything to anyone.
The baby shower was fun, only I knew Amanda and one other person there and there were at least 15 people there. But, it was fun seeing what other people got her and eating extremely good lemon cake.
The mine decided Kevin had to work yesterday night, so he slept all day yesterday, I got to chat with him for a couple minutes while he was getting ready to go to work, and then he went off to work. Today, I didn't really know what to do. I thought I'd try recreating the "bag" I made for Amanda, but then I ran out of double-stick tape. I was thinking if I made and decorated a whole bunch of them and put them up on my etsy store, maybe they'd sell, we'll see.
Also, Kevin might be working next weekend (that is the 4th of July). I'm really hating his bosses right now. We were planning to go back to his parents house sometime Saturday and stay until Monday afternoon. But, looks like that won't be happening now. I'm really hoping they don't end up working, they already ruined one weekend for me, I don't need 2 crappy weekends in a row.

My birthday's on Thursday, I'll be 26, but I won't be doing anything really fun. My parents and I are going out to supper on Wednesday, since I'm working Thursday night. The plan is to go to The Spice, a Thai food restaurant, for supper and Hickory Park for ice cream. Sunday, mom suggested we do something actually on my birthday, like it really matters, and we might be going to Legend's for lunch. She also wants to do something on the 4th of July. She has been really clingy lately, she wants to spend all this time with me, I don't know why, I'm pretty sure she has some other motive than just hanging out, and I'm pretty sure it's to talk about crap I don't want to talk about. She made such a big deal about doing something on my birthday and about doing something on July 4th. Maybe she can sense I'm rather bummed about Kevin not being able to get together with me, I don't know.

Mentioning Hickory Park reminded me of a guy I had come into the store a couple weeks ago. He said someone told him about a really good BBQ place but he couldn't remember the name. I asked if it was Battle's. He said no, and replied that they had ice cream. I asked if it was Hickory Park, he said, yes it was. Now, if you're from around here, and have gone to Hickory Park, it's not something I would call a BBQ place. It has all different foods from hamburgers to smoked meats to salads and tons of really great ice cream sundaes. It does have BBQ, but it's not a huge thing on their menu. It has five different BBQ things on it's menu (I looked, I don't have it memorized), so it was lucky for the guy that I knew they had BBQ and ice cream.

UGH!! Ok, one more thing, just because it's bothering me as I sit here and type this. If you know me, I can't breathe cigarette smoke. Lucky me, my place of work sits between 2 businesses where the employees smoke, and since you can't smoke inside businesses anymore, they smoke outside, and on a day like today, when it's nice outside and the door is open. I have to shut it. On one side, there is a pizza joint, some of the delivery drivers smoke, they sit on the little railing on the ramp to the place next door to them and smoke away, so I get smoke from the south. On the other side is a check cashing place, and the lady apparently can't leave the premises, so she stands right outside the door and smokes away, so I get smoke from the north. I can't win. If I ever had to use a check cashing place (and I really hope I don't have to, because with what they charge, I would get into so much more debt), I would be so turned off to see this lady standing, basically in the doorway smoking. I'm sure that really keeps the cigarette smoke out of your business too.
I had a guy one time, almost walk into the store with his cigarette in his hand still lit. I gave him one hell of a look. He got the message, apologized and wandered off. I can't stand it when smokers come in, they all have this cloud of smoke hanging around them, and I can smell it no matter where they are in the store. Granted it's not a very big store, but it's not that massively small either, if you're in the back of the store, I shouldn't be able to smell you in the front. That's just nasty. I'm done rambling now. :)

Hope you all had a good weekend.

It's a hope ticket

Only really big news is that we have a SuperWalmart now. I swear everytime I go in it, (I've been there 2 times in the last week) it feels like I'm in Cedar Rapids, not here. Guess it's time we realize we're finally becoming a big city. Next thing you know we'll have a new mall, and if we're lucky the guy that owns the other mall will get in gear and make that one much better.
Let's see, other interesting stuff about me....My w's turned 4 last week. Karli had her 24th birthday, which we celebrated (her, me, Kevin, and 4 other of her friends) at Okoboji Grill (can you believe there's not an Okoboji Grill in Okoboji?) with food and a drink, then 5 of us continued on to Brewer's (a smokeless bar in Somerset) and had another drink, you can really taste the alcohol in those drinks. I had one drink there, and it felt like the time I drank on an empty stomach (my stomach was full this time). And then the next day, I got to go work the last basketball game of the season, that was bumming, cause now I have no regular work. I hate that I'm going through this all again this year, so much for graduating college and having a guaranteed high-paying job. I don't think I'll last til May this year, my tax refund helped, but I'm pretty sure I won't last til May. Course last year, when I was at my wit's end I found a job, I'm really hoping that's what will happen this year, course I don't want to be at my wit's end, but.... I'm also trying to sell some of my artwork online, it's not working, but when you choose to put it on a site where there's thousands of other sellers, you just hope your stuff will catch someone's eye.
I'm trying to think if there's anything else new, but I decided if I have to think this long, there's probably not.
Hope all my loyal readers and one time passers by are having a good day and life. Enjoy it.

New Link

Alright people, check out the new link, I stuck on the sidebar.
Honeyridge Puppies is my co-worker's site. She breeds Bichons and she's got a few she's trying to sell. Even if you're not interested in buying a puppy, it's fun to see how they grow between pictures. And if you're curious, they're really cute and adorable in person too, I've seen them and wish I could take one home.

Way to go, girl!

I just wanna extend a big CONGRATULATIONS to my friend Carrie. I found out today, she's engaged. I'm really happy for her.