Faith

Ssh! Don't tell anybody.

Today is the Summer Catalog Premier for Thirty-One. I am very excited about going and I heard a rumor that one of the patterns is something that will be perfect for me. Can't wait to see what the new patterns are. It's almost time to head over for the unveiling. 

I love my Thirty-One products, but do you want to know a secret. I want to get a new purse .... and it isn't from Thirty-One. I love their purses. But I have all the ones that I like from the catalog. I need to change it up a little. Have you checked out the new Vera Bradley stuff? I adore this little mini hipster in the Jazzy Bloom.

Even though I like Vera products, I am drawn more to Donna Sharp. I have had more Donna bags over the years than I have Vera bags. My favorite purse style on Donna Sharp is the Leah bag. I have had this bag is four or five different patterns. I always like the patterns that are like a patchwork quilt. So I was really drawn to this new pattern, the Malibu Patch. I have always love patchwork patterns in quilted purses. And I had pretty much decided this is going to be the new purse I purchase. 

Until I saw Donna's new patter, the Malibu flower. I have fallen totally and thoroughly in love with this. It is a must have and I think I may go next weekend to the local Donna Sharp Outlet and check it out. I am so in love with this purse.

I got some good bargains at McKay's Used Book Store yesterday. I took back about 6 or 7 books and that earned me store credit of $8.61. I wanted to get some Barbara Delinsky books, some of her older ones. I was having trouble finding them when one of their staff told me that her older books were in a different section. So I went there and looked. SCORE! I not only found Barbara but I picked up a few Sandra Brown and even got one from Elizabeth Joy Arnold. 

The beauty of the deal was that the older books were cheaper priced. I got 15 books, the most expensive one was $1.25 and some were as low as .15 cents. When I checked out, the total price tax included was $8.80. After using my store credit, my 15 books cost me .21 cents. You gotta love a bargain like that. I totaled the retail value of the books from their original price. It was $110. Wow! $110.00 worth of books for .21 cents. It was the bargain of the year!

I had to run in Family Dollar to get some Junior Mints. While I was there, I picked up three baby bottles to send to my niece for Baby Girl that is due to arrive later this year. These bottles are adorable. They are 2 oz. bottles. I would have loved some of these when my kids were little. I always hated having to use 4 or 8 oz. bottles when they were only drinking 1/2 - 1 oz. These are just too adorable. They were only $1.00 each. I may have to pick a couple more up just to keep in the toy box for the granddaughters to play with when they come over. 

Hubby made some fried potatoes with hamburger macaroni and cheese last night. He cut his potatoes and put them in one of my Pyrex bowls until he was ready to put them in the skillet. I love when he uses my Pyrex. I don't feel so guilty collecting things that get used. 

I have been craving a spice cake with caramel icing, but Duncan Hines discontinued their caramel icing. They tell me that I can buy their Frosting Creations and by the caramel flavor packet, but I am leery of trying it. But, I got a couple of coupons yesterday to get the flavor packet for free. I guess that means I am going to have to break down and try it. 

Well, lots to do today. Hope everyone is enjoying a great weekend. 

Just some stuff for today....

We are finally into spring and I'm falling love with some of the new spring colors. One thing that I am loving this year is yellow. I don't know why, but I am becoming obsessed about yellow. You know I am changing things in the master bath to give it a beach look. I have some ocean blues and greens along with some tans for the sand. I am slowly adding some yellows to represent the sun. 

I have a friend who has had her bathroom "beachy" for years. She recently purchased new towels and rugs. She came over the other day and I showed her the changes so far. I told her I wanted to get some new towels with blue and yellow in them to hang on the towel racks for decoration only. It turns out she still had the ones she used to have hanging for decor in her bathroom. So she had me come by and pick them up yesterday. I love them. Can't wait till the weekend to have time to do some more decorating in there.

I need to find some to hang where I have a wreath in the bathroom. I saw this one and thought it was cute. I bet I could make this. 

But I really like these pictures.

And I really like these pictures of the lighthouses. 

While I was looking around for wall art ideas, I stumbled on this picture. I love the way they did their room all beachy. 

I would love to find some wooden cutouts like this. That color would be perfect in my bathroom. 

A big shout out to my brother Jack today. It's his birthday. Happy birthday, Jack. 

Here he is a couple of Christmas's ago. He is second from the left. He doesn't like to have his picture made. The far left is Andy. He's the baby of the family. He's 10 years younger than me. Then Jack is next and he is 3 1/2 years young than me. Rachel is next and she is about 13 months older than me. And that is Mom on the end. 

Hope you have a happy birthday, Jack. I love you. 

My weekly link ups....

 First, just let me say that I have been horrible these past two weeks about participating in my blog hops. I answer the questions and go link up. But then I have been so busy that I haven't had time to hop around and leave comments. I keep thinking I will go back and do it and I get sidetracked and never make it. I apologize to my blogging buddies for ignoring your sites. I am getting organized and caught up so I can get back at it from now on. Thanks to all of you who continue to visit me on the hops and leave comments. I am definitely going to get back to doing the same. Effective starting Monday I'm changing a few things. 

Right now, I have the blog hops on a different tab one for each link up. Monday is Monday Quiz about Me with Acting Balanced. 

Tuesday I hop over to Everyday Ruralty and visit with Ms. Patrice and Wendell in Chats on the Farmhouse Porch. 

Then Friday, I pop over to My Little Life to join up with her 5 Question Friday. 

Having a page for each hop has created a problem with the comments. It keeps all comments on that page and you sometimes have to scroll a long way to find the comment button. Starting next week, I am doing away with the separate pages for the hops. I will just do a daily post and include the hop in it. I have noticed others doing that and I like it. That will eliminate the problems I have been having with the comments on pages process.  Again, thanks for sticking with me thru these changes. 

My weekend plans...

The weekend is getting near. I'll be taking Friday off again this week. I just love 3 day weekends. I already have plans made. Friday is the local Duck, Duck, Goose. My daughter and her mother-in-law go to it every year and they invite me to tag along. 

It is a huge consignment sale that is mostly baby and children's clothes and items. But as it has grown, they have added other things. I have found purses there that are like brand new for $3 or $4. They have consignment purses that are Coach, Vera Bradley and many other well known names. They also lease out booth space to direct sells vendors like Pampered Chef and Thirty-One. 

The Thirty-One people normally have some of their show products still new with tags for sale at great prices. One year my daughter bought a $25 item for $10. I'm hoping to find a mini zipper pouch or a regular zipper pouch at a bargain price. 

Saturday is my Thirty-One Summer Premier so I'll be heading to Maryville, TN for the day. One thing that I love about premier time is that a lot of the consultants bring some of their discontinued items to sell and the prices are awesome. And sometimes it is patterns that have been discontinued for awhile so maybe I can pick up a good deal there as well. I am in need of another organizing utility tote, but none of the current patterns are what I'm looking for. I'd love to find one in the Awesome Blossom. I loved that pattern but never did order it. Now, I am going through a yellow phase so I'd like to find one of those.

After my Thirty-One meeting, I may explore around Maryville for just a little bit. There are some flea markets in that area and roadside yard sales. So I may find me a little treasure to bring back home. 

I think I will bake a cake this weekend. I have been craving Duncan Hines Spice Cake with Caramel icing.

They have discontinued their caramel icing. I wrote them and asked them. But they did tell me that you can create it with the new Frosting Creations and a packet of the caramel flavoring. So I am going to break down and try it. We will see. 

I need to run to the store this morning. I am on a peaches and bananas kick. Not together. I am alternating them as my daily munchies instead of chocolate or so many Junior Mints. I especially love the little canned peaches by Del Monte.

Time to head to the store. Have a great day.

Random Wednesday

Thought this was really cute. I'm normally the speedy snail but tonight I feel like the turtle.


As much as I loved Pepe Le Pew when I was growing up, I am not happy that his relatives have been grazing through the neighborhood this week. Woke up to their horrendous odor this morning. Then about 7:00 tonight they decided to do a repeat performance.




Speaking of Mr. Le Pew....does anyone remember the Pepsi glasses from the 1970's? We had some of them. We got them when we ordered drinks from BBF (Borden Burger).



And who remembers paper straws? I used to love those. Since I am a die-hard Pepsi fan, I sure would like to find some of these vintage straws.



I am so glad soft drink cans have been modified in looks over the years. I saw this Pepsi can on Kovels.com and I am here to tell you I would not drink Pepsi if it came in this can. It looks like an old motor oil can to me.



I used to do embroidery years ago. In 8th grade, we had a class that taught it. I guess my kids were little the last time I embroidered anything. But I would love to try this. It would be so easy.



For those of you who watch The Voice, are you looking forward to the battle rounds? I am. From the previews, it looks like Usher is going to be tough. Should be interesting.



I saw this on Facebook this morning and thought it was really unique. It is a lamp that the shade is made from vintage hankies.



Have a great day!