June in Review, Part 2

I'm hoping to get this year reviewed before it's over!

So, although the best part of June was my birthday, there were other happenings in that month.

ART

My sister surprised me with one of my favorite paintings of hers as a gift for my birthday.  I love it so much - the colors, the textures, the words.  It's going to look perfect hanging on my craft room wall!

I bought another print for my library.  I'd been eyeing this one for a while on Etsy and finally decided it needed to be in my collection.

BOOKS

I bought a 1943 hardcover edition of my all-time favorite book (with my favorite book jacket).  It is absolutely beautiful and in amazing shape inside and out for being over 70 years old.

Where the Heart Is is one of my favorite movies and I thought I should read the book on which it was based.  I was a bit hesitant - I hate seeing differences between the two mediums - but ended up pleasantly surprised.  The movie followed the book quite closely and the differences weren't anything substantial enough to make me dislike the changes.  The book was just as great as the movie.

FOOD

My co-workers and I taste-tested the latest Oreo flavor.  Let me tell you, this one is in my top five favorites.  It tastes exactly like Fruity Pebbles cereal.  So delicious!

My mom gave me a jar of her amazing strawberry rhubarb jelly.  Lucky for me, Mitch doesn't like rhubarb so I didn't even have to share.  My favorite way to enjoy the jelly is on waffles.

THRIFTING

I fell in love with this beauty while out thrifting - I stood like a crazy person just staring at it for a minute or two while admiring all the details  - but I honestly couldn't think of anywhere to put it (it was quite large at probably close to five feet tall) so I had to leave it behind.  Thank goodness for photos!

I found a fabulous little hobnail milk glass lamp on a different thrifting trip and that came home with me  (there were actually two lamps and I do regret not buying the second one but at least I got one!).  It's perfect in my craft room!

TREES

Our apple tree decided to join the pear trees and started producing fruit.  It's so much fun watching our trees work their magic.

And the lilac tree in our front yard did not disappoint this year with it's beautiful, fragrant blossoms.

April in Review

Here I am again, writing a summary post because I didn't get my butt in gear and write during the month of April.  One of these months I'll stay on top of things.  Okay, we all know that's not true but it never hurts to dream, right?  So, here are some tidbits from April.

1.  My coworkers and I have tried every special flavor of Oreos that we've been able to get our hands on.  The latest flavor was Strawberry Shortcake: quite tasty!

2.  My dad gave my mom this library puzzle for Christmas and after seeing it completed, I thought it would look great hanging on the wall in my library.  I wanted to complete the puzzle myself, though, so I could take credit it for it (who doesn't want puzzle bragging rights?) and because I did have to admit it looked a little fun.  It took me a little less than two weeks and I was right - it was fun.  I know I said after doing my last puzzle that they aren't for me but I think I may have to retract that statement.  I think I may have enough patience to do one puzzle every winter.

When I start a puzzle, I always wonder which piece will be the last one; being the nerd that I am, I had to document it.  And since I knew you'd be wondering what piece it was, I figured I better share the photo here.  You're welcome.

Puzzle glue has been purchased and hopefully one of these days soon the gluing gets done and a frame purchased.  Then it will be on to hanging this and all the wonderful book prints I've purchased; it will be so much fun to have my library one step closer to being complete (and not quite the mess it currently is!).

3.  I have several vases and other containers like the one below that needed some filler so I took the plunge and joined the "I'm an old lady and decorate with fake flowers" club.  I'm not going to lie, I love my fake flowers and the pop of happiness they add to my spring decor.

We had quite a few dreary, rainy days in April but things remained cheerful inside thanks to these beauties.

4.  Occasionally you run across some true gems while thrifting but can't justify buying them.  This vintage lamp was certainly one of those gems.  It was so ridiculously pretty but for $50 (I suspect it was worth quite more based on age and condition) and no real good idea of where to put it, I had to take a photo and move on.  I do suspect it went to a good home.

5.  My coworkers and I got to talking one day about losing the ability to write with our dominant hand.  The discussion then turned into a little "write with your non-dominant hand" activity.  I'm in big trouble if there is ever a point when I can't use my right hand; this left-handed business isn't pretty.

6.  I know it's only mid May but The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin has the potential to be the best book I read this year.  I would venture to say it may even be one of the best books I've ever read.  I can't recommend this one enough.  Also, the cover is simply gorgeous!

7.  For our April gathering, my girlfriends and I decided to try out a new "attraction" here in town, a real-life room escape game.  You're taken into a room with your team, the door is locked behind you, and you have an hour to find clues and solve puzzles that will help you escape the room.  We chose Pirate Cove:

"The media has been in a frenzy lately, reporting on the latest antics from America's self-made billionaire, prankster, and eccentric philanthropist, John Buckingham.  Buckingham, who has been known to share his wealth in outrageous publicity stunts (like the time he rented the Goodyear Blimp and dropped millions of dollars over neighborhoods of Los Angeles), has lately taken to dressing, acting, and talking like a pirate.  In a press release, Buckingham claims to have hidden "possibly the most valuable treasure ever," in an old clipper ship that he has permanently docked near his ocean side mansion.  Residents have flocked to take a turn at discovering Buckingham's Billions, but so far, none have succeeded.  Today, you and your crew are going to have 60 minutes to search for the elusive treasure."

This scavenger hunt puzzle was quite challenging but a lot of fun.  It was pretty cool once you could see the clues coming together and leading other places.  I wish we'd had a little more time in the room, though, because it took a bit of time just to get oriented and figure out how to get started.  Unfortunately, we ran out of time and didn't escape the room but we were close and the game master explained the remainder of the puzzle we had left which was nice.  I'm glad we got to see how it all played out.

There is another version of this game available - a blackmailing boss! - and I think it would be fun to try it now that we have some experience with this type of activity.

8.  And because it's hard not to share photos of Crickett, here are a couple from April that just crack me up.  Our little girl is such a character.

Thursday 13: February & March in Review

I never wrote much in February and March (who's surprised?) so I thought a good Thursday 13 would be to share a few random tidbits from those two months.

1.  JJ Watt, need I say more?  As often as football is on in our house during the season, I can't believe I'd never seen him before February!  I may have to start paying more attention to this sport!  (Just kidding, if I need to see Mr. Watt there's this wonderful thing called Google.)

2.   A February girls' night with a delicious dinner - salad with homemade dressing, garlic bread and pasta - and this amazing almond cake for dessert.  Seriously, my friends can cook and bake!  We also played more Tenzi and I'll say it again: I HIGHLY recommend this game.

3.  Mitch hosted a Super Bowl party in which he was the only one invited, just the way he wanted it.

And while Mitch watched the "big game," Crickett and I watched the PuppyBowl.  For a few minutes anyway, until I was tired of listening to my silly little girl growling and barking at the television.

4.  During one of my thrfiting lunch breaks in February, I stumbled upon this little guy.  I could barely contain my excitement; he's so ridiculously cute and I love having him in my library!

5.  I was introduced to a new game called Codenames.  It is a lot of fun; I highly recommend this game as well.

6.  While bowling in a law enforcement charity event, I scored over 50 points each game!  It was probably one of the best days I've ever had bowling.  I mean, look at these scores: 78,77, 82, and 89!  I think it's time for me to join a league.

7.  The glorious time of year when Girl Scout cookies arrive.  Yum, yum, yum!

8.  During one of my thrifting lunch breaks in March (yes, I spend a lot of my lunch breaks thrifting), I found this cutie.  Another great addition to my library!  It's such a thrill to find these book related knick knacks that I can take home and display in my favorite room.

9.  Some of my sister's amazing art work is being displayed at a local pub and I joined my parents and a girlfriend to help her celebrate her opening evening. It was a nice evening; great company and beautiful surroundings.

10.  Mitch and I got a new computer.  I must say, I sure do love the keyboard - it's quite fun to type on.  Strange how different keyboards can be, isn't it?  We also made the switch to Windows 10 which I like.  I think this is the first time I've been excited about upgrading and updating our technological devices and services!  Progress!

11.  I love tasting the new flavors that companies develop and while it has generally been the different Oreos that I've tried, I was quite excited when I heard (and eventually found) the Strawberry Shortcake M&Ms.  They were fabulous!

12.  Crickett's highlight of the month:  One of her favorite toys had a bit of surgery done by Mitch and my mom (Mitch did the cutting open and removal of the broken sound ball, my mom added extra stuffing and did the stitching up) and now Mr. Raccoon is getting even more love and attention than he used to receive!  So much cuteness!

13.  I finally read The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis (it's been on my list forever) and while I didn't particularly care for the book (not much substance paired with poor writing), there was a paragraph that I loved and thought described my feelings perfectly:

"She liked to document her life.  Every trip, every family vacation, she was the one with the camera.  It was a way of remembering the fun, prolonging the experience.  And sharing the photos with people was like giving a gift."

Thankful Days 5 & 6

Thankful Day 5:  Today I'm thankful for music.  I love that I can always find something to listen to no matter what mood I'm in.  Music truly is magical.  (And, yes, I know I'm old school, burning CDs for my car.)

Thankful Day 6:  Today I'm thankful for thrift stores where other people's trash becomes my treasure.  So many fun items you can't find just anywhere.  Why yes, I would love a dog wearing glasses, reading a book in a shoe for my library!

101 in 1001, Round 2 - 100 Happy Days, Days 73 Through 81

Days 73 Through 81 of the 100 Happy Days Challenge!  (Descriptions left to right, top to bottom.)

Day 73:  My favorite thrift store's Halloween shop is open!  Had the little shop to myself today and scored 23 items for $35.  So much fun!  (Stay tuned for photos.  I'm super excited to share my great finds!)

Day 74:  Air conditioning on ridiculously hot days like today makes me so comfortably happy.

Day 75:  Waking up to this face.  The best way to start the day.

Day 76:  Facebook's 'On This Day' feature.  I shared this photo and caption a year ago today:
"Had to take a break from my reading this evening to get a photo with the hubs."

Day 77:  Not being able to decide what to read next (because too many books sound good!).  It's one of the best "problems" to have.

Day 78:  Lunch at my parent's house with mom's homemade peach pie for dessert.  So delicious!

Day 79:  The dictionary app on my phone.  Words are wonderful.

Day 80:  A little girl's night out with some wonderful ladies.

Day 81:  A super fun mail day!  Doesn't get much better than a book of quotes and a couple of gnome prints for my library!

101 in 1001, Round 2 - 100 Happy Days, Days 64 Through 72

Days 64 Through 72 of the 100 Happy Days Challenge!  (Descriptions left to right, top to bottom.)

Day 64:  A few months ago I found some 2007 confetti at a thrift store.  This morning after Mitch went to work, I sprinkled it all over his stuff to say "Happy 8th Anniversary!" in my own obnoxious way.  When I got home from work I discovered the confetti sprinkled all over my stuff instead.  I think a new tradition has been started!

Day 65:  I love this sentiment!  My favorite season is just around the corner!

Day 66:  A new modem.  Fast internet again, yay!

Day 67:  The street signs for my library have arrived!  I'm so giddy!  (Purchased from Etsy.)

Day 68:  Getting the bed to myself for the next seven nights while Mitch is gone.  Okay, maybe I will have to (happily) share some of the space with a ridiculously adorable little girl.

Day 69:  Law & Order: Special Victims Unit marathons.  I love this show, could watch it all day.  Oh wait, I did!

Day 70:  Reading on the deck on this beautiful summer evening.

Day 71:  An impromptu cleaning session in my disaster of a craft room.  One of these days I'll actually get to use it to craft.

Day 72:  Finding the perfect little gift for my sister.  At the time I could only show a portion of the gift because my sister was going to see my post but now that she has the frame in her possession I can share a photo of the whole thing.

It's almost as if this frame was made for my sister; she crochets and sews, appreciates the awesomeness of buttons.  There was absolutely no way I could leave this little gem at the thrift store.  I knew no one could possibly appreciate it like my sister and it filled my heart with happiness to have found it for her.

101 in 1001, Round 2 - 100 Happy Days, Days 55 Through 63

I've been meaning to get around to posting something other than a 100 Happy Days updates but as you can see that hasn't happened yet.  Oh well, you can't be too disappointed with happy photos and snippets, right?!

Days 55 Through 63 of the 100 Happy Days Challenge!  (Descriptions left to right, top to bottom.)

Day 55:  Rediscovering my fun photo frame collection that has been boxed up since our move in 2008!

Day 56:  When a co-worker finds Oreos you've never seen before (which is a big deal since I consider myself an Oreo expert!).  These were quite tasty!

Day 57:  The calculator shortcut key on my keyboard at work.  It makes the number nerd in me giddy!

Day 58:  Found this little lady at the thrift store today.  She has a few dings and cracks but for $1.00 I couldn't not bring her home to my library.

Day 59:  Spending my lunch break at Barnes and Noble.

Day 60:  A fun find from my thrifting adventures today.  Kind of hokey but I couldn't pass it up for $1.00.

Day 61:  Weekly Saturday morning diner breakfasts with my parents and husband.

Day 62:  Spending time with my husband's extended family to celebrate his grandma's upcoming 80th birthday.  I married into a wonderful family.

Day 63:  My bird feeder has finally been hung up in the backyard!

101 in 1001, Round 2 - 100 Happy Days, Days 28 Through 36

Days 28 Through 36 of the 100 Happy Days Challenge!  (Descriptions left to right, top to bottom.)

Day 28:  Burgers and onion rings (plus the super yummy onion ring dip) for dinner.  Hit the spot!

Day 29:  Beads of water on the deck from afternoon rains.  I will never tire of looking at water droplets.

Day 30:  Christmas in July at the thrift store!

Day 31:  Watching this pretty little guy - I believe he's an American Goldfinch - fly around the backyard.  I wish I would have had my good camera ready to capture his beauty.

Day 32:  Prints ordered for my library!  I love Etsy!

Day 33:  Spending the holiday with family.

Day 34:  The sign my father-in-law put in his front yard.  SO.APPROPRIATE.

Day 35:  My cousin's wedding invite came in the mail.  Hands down the  most unique and fun invitation I've ever received!  I could think of a more perfect way for these two writers to do this!

Day 36:  My dad received the "Safe Helmet Award" for having his helmet on when he hit a deer on his motorcycle going 70 mph back in April. So proud he takes safety seriously!

101 in 1001, Round 2 - 100 Happy Days, Days 10 Through 18

Days 10 Through 18 of the 100 Happy Days Challenge!  (Descriptions left to right, top to bottom.)

Day 10:  The beginnings of fruit on our pear and apple trees.

Day 11:  Having a visitor while reading in my library.

Day 12:  Relay for Life.  Words can't describe how awful cancer is but this event is so incredibly beautiful.

Day 13:  Crickett adopted the ottoman in my library as her own.  I was hoping she'd start laying on there while I read; so excited she decided to start doing that!

Day 14:  A visit to the library to pick up my next book club read.

Day 15:  Buttery popcorn, so ridiculously yummy.

Day 16:  Lunch break with my parents and sister at a local cafe.  Good company and good food.

Day 17:  Thrifting date with sissy.

Day 18:  Hearing MmmBop by Hanson on the radio's "Old School Drive at 5."  I still think that song is pretty darn fun!

2015 Catching Up: January Tidbits

I realize I didn't write much about January (or February . . . or March) so I thought I'd do a little catching up series now while it's still the current year of the tidbit.  I have enough posts I want to write about events that happened years ago and didn't feel I needed to add more to that list!

So, onto (random, semi-insignificant, super-ridiculous) tidbits from the first month of the year!

I had New Year's Day off from work and the weather was somewhat decent (about 20 degrees with little wind) so Crickett and I went for a walk.  It's so hard to get walks in during the winter; even if it's not bitterly cold or snowing there is very little daylight left by the time we get home from work.

In November I turned over my existing Instagram account to Crickett and at the beginning of this year I decided to start a "personal" account.  It's not nearly as popular as Crickett's - seriously, she has 950 followers and I have like 75! - but it's a fun little space for me to post snapshots (of things like gorgeous sunsets!) and tidbits and find other people who do the same.  Instagram is like mini-blogging to me and I think that's why I enjoy it so much; documentation is taking place but in a super short and sweet manner.  Speaking of blogging and Instagram, I hope to revamp my blog in the near future (I'm not really sure what my definition of "near" is!) and get one of those fancy widget-thingys that allows you direct access to my Instagram account.  Don't hold your breath; it's going to be a while.  I'm not tech savvy.

On January 8th, my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and Mitch and I celebrated Christmas.  It's kind of fun having one late celebration because it spreads out the magic of the season just a little bit longer.  Plus, you have the opportunity to find some great after-Christmas deals!  (I may give this Christmas celebration it's own recap post in December when I want to do Christmasy posts!)

I work within about two blocks of two different thrift stores.  It's quite wonderful and I've spent many lunch hours perusing the items these places have to offer.  In January, I learned that the Christmas store in the lower level of my favorite thrift store has a massive "purging" sale at the end of every Christmas season.  I got a whole grocery bag of Christmas and winter knick-knacks for $1.00!  You can bet this event is going to be added to my calendar every year like the used book sale.  (Again, I will share my $1.00 bag of finds in December when I feel like doing Christmasy posts!)  The lovely guy below was just a random item I saw during one of my visits; I did not buy him but he made me laugh and wonder why on earth anyone had owned him in the first place.

While putting away my manger scene, I dropped one of the cute little sheep and his leg broke off; Mitch glued it back on but the little guy will never be the same.  I'm trying to embrace my word of the year and accept the fact that these things happen and that the scar will give the sheep some character!  That or I can always put him towards the back of the scene with his bum leg facing away from viewers. ;)

I had my annual gynecological visit and had to laugh when I saw the covers the clinic had put on the stirrups; I guess they were excited about Valentine's Day coming up! I then had a series of thoughts:  Do they decorate for other holidays?  Do other clinics have festive stirrup covers?  Where do you buy stirrup covers - is there a company that specializes in them?  Who picks the stirrup covers out?  Okay, I think that's about all I can say about this topic. ;)

One night at dinner I asked Mitch what I thought was a simple question about football; my suspicions were confirmed and there is absolutely nothing simple about football.  Mitch grabbed a pen and paper (that's when you know you're really in trouble) and started writing and pointing at locations and names.  I lost interest after about five seconds but took this photo because it gave me something to do while he was talking.

There you have it: some of my completely random, semi-insignificant, and super-ridiculous tidbits from January!  Stay tuned for the February installment!