It's Me...Hi...I'm the Problem, It's Me

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I don't consider myself a Swiftie, but Taylor's lyric rings true for this blog. 

I'm the problem. It's Me. 

I wrote ONE stinking post last year. ONE. Was I so busy that I had absolutely zero time to write more? No. The answer is no.

I was "busy" being nosy on Instagram, getting a look into "celebrities" lives. Well, that problem is solved. I deleted my IG account. Buh bye.

I was "busy" scrolling Facebook- reading restaurant reviews, monitoring my small town's FB page for drama over trash & recycling, and so, yeah. Really "busy." 

I was "busy" watching cult/real-life drama documentaries- from The Program to The Vow. Extremely uplifting topics (NOT).

Will I do better this year? I hope so. I seem to have run out of depressing documentaries to watch. My IG account is disabled. It's Facebook that's the main time suck, although based on the crap they're surfacing in my feed, they might be pushing me out the door.

In the words of Aerosmith, "Same old story, same old song & dance"...

Now that we have that out of the way... 

• We're expecting a "big" snowstorm here in New England- 6-10". I hope everyone has their bread, milk, and eggs! I've agreed to get a lesson on the snowblower, so at the ripe old age of (almost) 53, I could run it if I had to. (But only if I really had to.)

• I cleaned out the spare bedroom closet. I may have a blanket/duvet/quilt addiction. I'd completely forgotten about some of the bed linens that were in there. I'm satisfied with blanket and cover on my bed, so I'm hoping I can put a stop to any near-term purchases in that realm.

• We did make some good recipes over the past year or so (I say "we" but really, I was the idea person and John executed). Here are a few:
• Goat Cheese Prosciutto Quiche
  
• Pepper Jelly Chicken Wings
  
• Easy Cherry Crisp
  
• Fancy Nancy Chicken Salad (Chicken Salad Chick Copycat)

• I went on a fabulous trip with my Mom- a river cruise on the Danube! Loved Budapest. Loved the people we met on the cruise. Had good food, good drink, and got to see parts of the world that I might not have otherwise had the opportunity to.

• We (again with the "we" 😉) re-did our main bathroom! It was a HUGE project and John orchestrated it all- doing some himself, working with contractors, and then dealing with my obsessing over which of the three shower curtains I bought would work. We make a good team! That deserves its own post- stay tuned!

Have a great long weekend!

A Surprisingly Productive Sunday

 

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I blogged not that long ago about Sunday Scaries and how I mourn the end of the weekend. This generally means I am NOT productive at all on Sundays. I tend to sleep late, do laundry, watch sports, and read (which in turn means napping.)

Not today!

I had a really busy day yesterday with several stops on my shopping trip, so I figured it'd be another lazy Sunday. While I did sleep in late, I've been productive since I got up!

I have the laundry train going, which is not unusual, but I've also cleaned almost all of the files off the hard drive of my old work computer (which has been haunting me for weeks.) I can finally bring the old laptop back to the office and stop being harangued by Help Desk! 😜

I worked on our living room, which has been the dumping ground for the yard sale that never happened due to COVID. (Yes, we've had piles in our living room for a year or so.) I've got things to donate and things which I'd like to try to get some money for at a yard sale or online.

I worked on the built-ins. I think I've said this before, but I have this issue where I want everything to be perfect so that essentially holds me back from decorating because, well, I'm waiting for the perfect picture frame or the perfect fake succulent. I am trying to push past that. I have three openings filled to my satisfaction (for the most part...LOL).

I also started organizing the unfinished portion of our basement. I need some serious "get up & go" to do that. I look at the towering piles of Rubbermaid buckets and think of all the paper that needs to be gone through, shredded, organized, etc... and I want to run. Hopefully we're not the only ones with some serious "stuff" in the basement.

Grace & I started Buffalo Chicken Crockpot Dip for our dinner tonight (we are doing appetizers). We use a simple recipe- cream cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing. Heat on low for two hours. Put shredded rotisserie chicken in and heat on low for another hour. Voila.

AND I'm writing a blog post. I would definitely call this a surprisingly productive Sunday.

What are you up to on this Sunday?

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #17: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Summary: Second in the Flavia de Luce mystery series, a travelling puppet show arrives in the sleepy village of Bishop's Lacey - and a shocking murder takes place. For eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, the crime will test her precocious powers of deduction to the limit - particularly when she discovers that the murder echoes a tragedy which occurred many years before...

Rating: A+. I LOVE this series. I thought maybe the first book in the series might be a fluke success, but nope- this is great. Flavia is endearing, funny, smart- you name it!

Book #18: Census by Jesse Ball

Summary: A father and son who are census takers journey across a nameless country from the town of A to the town of Z in the wake of the father's fatal diagnosis. Knowing that his time is menacingly short, the father takes his son, who has a disability and requires close and constant adult guidance, on this trip of indefinite length. Their feelings for each other are challenged and bolstered as they move in and out of a variety of homes, meeting a variety of different people. Census is about the ways in which people react to the son's condition, to the son as a person in the world. It is about discrimination and acceptance, kindness and art, education and love. 

Rating: B. I was interested in this book because the author based this fictional account on his personal life. He had a brother with Down syndrome who passed away at a young age, but he had all of these feelings about that relationship that he wanted to share and this was his venue. The census taking part was a bit weird, however (actually marking people's bodies as part of it), so while I liked it, I didn't love it.

Book #19: The Betel Nut Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Summary: The second novel in Ovidia Yu's delightfully charming crime series set in 1930s Singapore, featuring amateur sleuth Su Lin. Singapore is agog with the news of King Edward VIII's abdication to marry American heiress Wallis Simpson. Chen Su Lin, now Chief Inspector Le Froy's secretarial assistant in Singapore's newly formed detective unit, still dreams of becoming a journalist and hopes to cover the story when the Hon Victor Glossop announces he is marrying an American widow of his own, Mrs Nicole Covington, in the Colony. But things go horribly wrong when Victor Glossop is found dead, his body covered in bizarre symbols and soaked in betel nut juice.

Rating: A-. Similar to the Flavia de Luce series mentioned above, this is a mystery series with a young female main character and I love it. Su Lin is sharp and Yu's writing style makes me want to read all I can about her life in Singapore. The Betel Nut juice is an odd-ish thing (maybe just to Americans.)

Book #20: Frontier Follies by Ree Drummond

Summary: This is an essay collection covering Ree's life from marriage to motherhood to stardom as The Pioneer Woman.

Rating: B. I've enjoyed Ree's previous memoirs but this I found to be somewhat bland. I did enjoy the story she shared when tourists got lost on the ranch and ended up at Ree's house instead of the lodge where filming takes place. She was alone in the house taking a bath. And the tourists walked into the house. 😂

Book #21: Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

Summary: In 1892, Bombay is the center of British India. Nearby, Captain Jim Agnihotri lies in Poona military hospital recovering from a skirmish on the wild northern frontier, with little to do but re-read the tales of his idol, Sherlock Holmes, and browse the daily papers. The case that catches Captain Jim's attention is being called the crime of the century: Two women fell from the busy university’s clock tower in broad daylight. Moved by Adi, the widower of one of the victims — his certainty that his wife and sister did not commit suicide — Captain Jim approaches the Parsee family and is hired to investigate what happened that terrible afternoon. But in a land of divided loyalties, asking questions is dangerous. Captain Jim's investigation disturbs the shadows that seem to follow the Framji family and triggers an ominous chain of events. And when lively Lady Diana Framji joins the hunt for her sisters’ attackers, Captain Jim’s heart isn’t safe, either.

Rating: C+. I REALLY wanted to like this book more. I love this time period/geographic location, so had very high hopes for it. It was too long. Too much minutiae. Blah.

Week 8 of 2021: Catching Up On Book Reviews

I have fallen behind already and it's only the eighth week of the year. Womp womp.

Before I dive into catching up on that, some GREAT news here. The built-ins are DONE! I will devote an entire post to them, as they deserve one (and more!) My husband is a genius, let's just say that. I can't wait to fill them up with books, photos, and knickknacks! 

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #7: The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig

Summary: Veteran governess Laura Grey joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling adventures in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of André Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte's minister of police. At first the job is as lively as Latin, but Laura begins to notice Jaouen's increasingly strange behavior. As Laura edges closer to her employer, she is surprised to learn that she has much in common with him. And Jaouen finds he's hired more than he's bargained for...

Rating: A. This is the eighth book in Willig's Pink Carnation historical fiction series and this was a GREAT one. I loved the Laura Grey character and following her through her first "spy" job.

Book #8: Mandarin Plaid by S.J. Rozan

Summary: It's a long way from the cramped, dreary sweatshops where Lydia Chin's mother once sewed for the heady world of fashion. But in New York City, worlds collide. And a petite, Chinese-American P.I. can still rub shoulders with the rich, the poor, the beautiful, and the depraved. Elegant, porcelain-skinned Genna Jing is sure her latest designs are worth a fortune. That's why she is willing to pay the fifty grand being demanded by the person who stole her design book. But when Lydia--backed by her partner Bill Smith--makes the drop, everything goes wrong. Soon a simple case of high-fashion extortion leads Lydia and Bill from Chinatown to Park Avenue, and from murder to more money: a million dollars in exchange for a missing man's life...

Rating: B-. This is book three in Rozan's Lydia Chin/Bill Smith mystery series. While I've loved these characters in the previous two books, this was one was just average. However, I will keep pushing and read the next in the series.

Book #9: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

Summary: It all began with a correspondence between two quite different women: 28-year-old Sara from Haninge, Sweden, and 65-year-old Amy from the small town of Broken Wheel, Iowa. After years of exchanging books, letters and thoughts on the meaning of literature and life, Sara, mousy, disheveled, who has never been anywhere in her life--has really lived only for her work in a beloved bookshop, which has just closed its doors for the last time--bravely decides to accept her unknown friend's invitation to visit. But when she arrives, she finds her house empty, the funeral guests just heading home. . .

Rating: C-. I really enjoyed this book at the beginning. I loved the "pen pal" letters between Sara & Amy as they showed the progression of their friendship. However, once Sara got to Broken Wheel, the characters were a little too wacky for me.

Book #10: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Summary: When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers-all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother's strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother?

Rating: A. I LOVED this book almost as much as I loved the Netflix movie based on the book series. It's nice every once in a while to read a young adult book and escape "adult" fiction. The Enola Holmes character is already a favorite in my book.

Book #11: Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyle

Summary: Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle: she blesses hearts and takes names. She carries her Sig 9 in her Kate Spade handbag, and her golden retriever, Rhett, rides shotgun in her hybrid Escape. When her grandmother is murdered, Liz high-tails it back to her South Carolina island home to find the killer. She’s fit to be tied when her police-chief brother shuts her out of the investigation, so she opens her own. Then her long-dead best friend pops in and things really get complicated. 

Rating: B. This is the first in Boyer's Lowcountry mystery series. I liked getting to know Talbot and Boyer's (not so) subtle hints at Talbot's OCD. While it wasn't superb, I will give the second book in the series a try.

Book #12: Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey

Summary: India, 1922. A curse seems to have fallen upon the royal family of Satapur, a princely kingdom tucked away in the lush Sahyadari mountains, where both the maharaja and his teenage son have met with untimely deaths. The state is now ruled by an agent of the British Raj on behalf of Satapur's two maharanis, the dowager queen and her daughter-in-law. When a dispute arises between the royal ladies over the education of the young crown prince, a lawyer's counsel is required to settle the matter. Since the maharanis live in purdah, the one person who can help is Perveen Mistry, Bombay's only female lawyer. But Perveen arrives to find that the Satapur Palace is full of cold-blooded power play and ancient vendettas. Too late she realizes she has walked into a trap. But whose? And how can she protect the royal children from the palace's deadly curse?

Rating: A. This is a mystery series that I do in fact LOVE. Perveen Mistry, Bombay's first female lawyer in the 1920's is a GREAT character. Her budding relationship with Colin Sandringham in this installment brought a new dimension to her character. Can't wait for the next one!

Week 3 of 2021: A Picture-a-Day

Monday: It was MLK Day (no work), so John & I went for a walk in the afternoon. We walk by this each time we take a walk and each time, what do I think those grassy mops in the water look like?

Cousin Itt from the Addams Family!

Tuesday: Progress, progress, progress on the built in bookcases in our living room. I married a talented man!

Wednesday: While working on the built ins, John was watching the inauguration on his phone. There were a lot of great moments in the ceremony, but the poetry reading by Amanda Gorman, was amazing. It gave me great hope for the future.

Thursday: For the Boston Bruins home opener, the team honored a 40+ year season ticket holder who passed away from COVID-19 two weeks prior. The anthem was sung outside of his house with his family packed on his porch. A nice tribute.

Friday: Friday was a sing along kind of day. I went from Foreigner to Fleetwood Mac and then to the Pointer Sisters. Listening to this I was thrown back to junior high. We had a talent show and my friends & I did a routine to "I'm So Excited." The big controversy was that we wanted to throw glitter at the end and our principal was against it. Yeah, we went to Catholic school. Apparently glitter is sacrilegious. 😎

Saturday: Woke up to this. Even though it was only an inch or so, it was not welcome.

Sunday: The puzzle is DONE! This was one was tougher than it looks, but it was enjoyable.

BOOK REVIEWS 2021

Book #5: We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall

Summary: Set at the iconic 1939 New York World’s Fair, Susie Orman Schnall's We Came Here to Shine is historical fiction featuring two bold and ambitious women who navigate a world of possibility and find out what they're truly made of during a glorious summer of spectacle and potential.

Rating: B+. I specifically gave a short summary to entice you. This is a fast/simple read but the backdrop of the 1939 World's Fair was fascinating- slighty more fascinating to me than the actual characters. It's a fun read.

Book #6: Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

Summary: The ultimate playbook for developing brave leaders and courageous cultures. Daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100% teachable. It’s learning and practice that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with our whole hearts.

Rating: B-. Admittedly this was not a "for pleasure" read. My supervisor recommended it and I decided to give it a shot. Brown is hilarious and her wit and humor helped me to get through the book. Admittedly, I did take a lot of notes (stickies galore) and want to document them here:

• (page xviii): "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better." WOW- right off the bat this book was speaking to me & my personal experiences.
• (page 8): "Rather than spending a reasonable amount of time proactively acknowledging and addressing the fears and feelings that show up during change & upheaval, we spend an unreasonable amount of time managing problematic behaviors." This is cited as one of the 10 reasons that get in our way of leading bravely. Agree!
• (page 20): In relation to the first bullet above, Brown refers to critics as "cheap-seats feedback." She constantly reminds the reader to avoid the cheap-seats feedback. (I need to work on this!)
• (page 21): "Cruelty is cheap, easy, and chickenshit." Hilarious, but oh so true..
• (page 38): "What does support from me look like?" I really like the way this is framed and will try to use this going forward.
• (page 63): "I am a traveler, not a mapmaker. I am going down this path same as and with you." This is brillliant.
• (page 214): Brown talk a lot about assuming positive intent. I have some work to do this in this area, but I am glad Brown continued to hammer this principle.
• (page 256): Box breathing/tactical breathing- strategies for reckoning with emotion.
• Inhale deeply through your nose; expanding your stomach, for a count of four.
• Hold in that breath for a count of four
• Slowly exhale all the air through your mouth, contracting your stomach, for a count of four.
• Hold the empty break for a count of four
• (page 258): I am going to write these out and put them on my computer monitors:
1. Do I have enough information to freak out about this situation?
2. If I do have enough data, will freaking out help?

Who Knew Doors Could Be So Difficult?

I can't believe it's already October! 

Here in New England, the leaves are turning and there's a chill in the air- happy fall y'all! (I'm not really Southern, I just wanted to imitate my door sign.) Isn't it cute?

And yes, that's our newly painted front door. The general consensus is that it might be too bright. We wanted a pop of color (the house is gray with black shutters), but not sure this red is working.

It's Behr's Daredevil and I happened upon it after searching Pinterest several times for "gray house black shutters what color door." A result surfaced with this picture from The Little Pink House blog. 

I thought- "GREAT! This is exactly our color scheme." (And oddly enough, the house in the blog used to be pink. If you've been following along with our story, you may remember that the previous owners of our house LOVED pink- pink shutters, pink rugs, pink walls, Pepto Bismol overload.) I thought great- another thing in common.

We got a sample of that and HGTV/Sherwin Williams Tanager Red and to be honest, they looked exactly the same side by side on the door.

Neither John nor I are 100% sold on the Daredevil.

I am now looking at other colors altogether. Currently interested in the following:

Yellow: HGTV/Sherwin Williams Dutch Tulip 

Yellow: Sherwin Williams Sunflower

Teal: Sherwin Williams Still Water (this was actually our original choice, but the more I looked at the house and saw that the gray was somewhat dark, the more I was concerned it wouldn't pop and be washed out.) This was another Pinterest find on the Kylie M. Interiors blog.

Orange: Sherwin Williams Yam (don't think I can get John onboard with that one)

Here's the front of the house freshly painted (two angles)-

(I will also say that the door doesn't look quite so bright in these pictures, as the screen door is in front of it.)

What's your vote? We are open to any & all suggestions (except maybe neons...)

 Book #43- The Polygamist's Daughter by Anna LeBaron

Summary: This is the haunting memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. Ervil’s criminal activity kept Anna and her siblings constantly on the run from the FBI. Often starving, the children lived in a perpetual state of fear―and despite their numbers, Anna always felt alone.

Rating: B-. I found The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner, another polygamist memoir, to be more interesting (maybe because it was the first one I read?) However, this is story is pretty amazing- from being shipped off to Mexico at a young age (without her mother), having only met her father a few times, to dumpster diving for food and raiding donation bins for clothes. LeBaron had an amazing life and has risen above it all.

Book #44- American Pie by Michael Lee West

Summary: The lives of the three McBroom sisters of Tallulah, Tennessee, were tangled before the eldest, Eleanor, discovered their mother hanging from the Venetian blinds—and the years have done little to comb out the knots. Now a drunken encounter with the midnight train has left brash, much-married Jo-Nell near death, compelling agoraphobic Eleanor to summon marine biologist Freddie home from California—where she fled after being expelled from med school following a daring gall bladder heist. At last the McBroom sisters are together again, to face old fears and new catastrophes as they cheerfully deflect every flaming arrow that outrageous fortune fires their way.

Rating: C-. I've read a handful of West's books and I'm pretty sure each time I review one, I mention how the book is going along just fine, making me laugh, etc..., and then WHAM! Out of nowhere this really weird randomness happens. This time, one of the McBroom sisters looks back on her tough childhood and how a family member (stepmother?) insisted on giving her enemas as a matter of course. Um, what? Yeah, I think I'm done with West's books. 

Still Here

Ugh...it's been four months since my last post. I think that's the longest hiatus I've had.

Same ole' story- when I have an idea for a blog post, the thought of sitting down and writing it seems onerous. I want it to be grammatically correct. I want my thoughts to be well formed. I want it to be perfect. (In case I haven't revealed that prior, I am a perfectionist.)

So, here I am writing a "catch up" post where I can touch on a number of subjects and not necessarily form one perfect narrative.

Let's see...

It's May 29th and it's not even 50 degrees here in Massachusetts. Awesome. Not. I think the weather has seriously been affecting my mood. I need sun!

One of my new fave drinks over the past few months has been bringing me a little sunshine, however:

It's ah-mazing! I've been looking for a flavored iced decaf tea and I found it! I found it at my local Target. I'm hoping it will help to draw me away from soda completely (a goal far off into the future).

I've been back & forth to Florida twice since I last blogged. The first was a planned visit to my parents and the second was a visit to help take care of my Mom after she had a leg/ankle fracture. It was nice & sunny there. On my last day of my second visit, I headed to the pool for some relaxation.

Oh, and side note? The book in the picture above- The Japanese Lover- was REALLY good!

I turned 45.

OK- moving right along.

I undertook a DIY project and it actually came out decently! I wanted a bulletin board for above my desk in my corner of the newly renovated basement and I wanted something prettier than a typical bulletin board. So, I found a pattern, I went to Jo-Ann Fabric (I must've looked like a deer in headlights in there), I used a glue gun for the first time and I made something. Something I actually liked enough to hang up. I'll try to do a post dedicated to the project. Here's the finished product:

John & I took a trip to Foxwoods & Mohegan Sun (casinos in Connecticut.) We won ZERO.

Moving on...

I watched Sweet Home Alabama (probably more than once since I last blogged!)

(Oh, and is it obvious yet that I'm scrolling through the camera roll on my phone to remind me of what's happened over the past four months? Sad. (See "turning 45" above.)

On April 12th, John & I celebrated our 20 year date anniversary! We had a tiramisu for two:

Going on that date was the best thing I've ever done!

My Mom came into town a few weeks ago and we had a nice visit. Part of that nice visit is having her make me a Cosmo!

My Dad came into town, as well, which was neat (they're usually not here at the same time) and we were all together on Mother's Day. We had lobsters! I also received many beautiful cards and gifts and these flowers.

They're still beautiful today.

Lastly- we JUST (a few hours ago) finished watching The Keepers on Netflix. This seven part series about abuse, corruption, and murder related to the Catholic church in Baltimore is horrifying. Disgusting. I'm still reeling from it. If you get a chance- watch it.

I'll try to write a new post...before October. o_O

No One Likes to Come Back from Vacation

Unless he or she comes home to this!

Houston: We have walls!

Some "before" pics:

They're somewhat jumbled, but I think you get the gist. We live in a split-level and our lower level used to be a garage (the pink area you see above -- and yes, former owners painted EVERYTHING pink) and pretty much just one big area in front of it (the picture you see directly above with the dehumidifier in the middle of the room.)

We decided to take the wall down between the garage and that room to make one large family room (see top two pics -- the first one shows it the best, I think.) We put in bow windows and it's very light. We're thrilled to have real walls!!!

Next up? Flooring!

Retail Therapy

Knowing that John was going to be working a good part of this long holiday weekend, I decided it was the perfect opportunity for some retail therapy.

To level set expectations (how do you like that newfangled corporate terminology? ::sigh::), the term "retail therapy" means shopping to make one feel better. In my case, it's generally an "alone" shopping trip.

I can take as long as I want.

I can try on something three times if I feel like it.

I can look through a clearance rack of what others might think is "crap" and be totally OK with that.

I'm no stranger to shopping/retail therapy.

Legend has it that when I was five or six, I blurted out to my Nana, "My Mom says CHARGE IT!"

So, yeah, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Over the past few years, my love for shopping changed. While I still loved going to stores and browsing, it was mostly looking for things for the house, for G., or John. I'd gained weight and I didn't like the way that any clothes looked on me, not to mention that I was in a size range I'd never seen before.

After doing Weight Watchers and keeping the weight (or most of it) off for a while and going back down to what I consider a comfortable size, I started to reacquire my love for clothes shopping. Having been super busy, I haven't had much time to devote to the art. (Yes, clothes shopping is an art in my book.)

Back to the beginning of this post -- John was going to be busy, so I was going to be busy, too-- shopping!

I started on Friday night by going to our local TJ Maxx. You know - that place where you get the maxx for the minimum and you're a Maxxionista for shopping there?

I got a few things for G.'s birthday (which I won't post here should she be lurking) and then I got myself what I consider to be two "hip" tops. (Probably calling them that is making some of you shudder.) They're "young-looking." (in my book). When I was heavier, I just wanted something to cover me. Now I'm OK with my arms showing!

Here's shirt #1 (excuse the wrinkles/bad lighting):

It's a bit light, so I'll probably need a white tank top to go underneath (unless you fashionistas out there have other suggestions!)

Here's shirt #2 (again excuse the wrinkles/bad lighting):

In case you can't tell, it's navy. Navy blue is really my color. I'll plan to wear this with white capris/shorts. This one's a bit sheer, as well, so I'm undecided on what to wear underneath. Do I try to find a navy tank? Help!

I had to bring my car in for service on Saturday morning and I got a free loaner car. Coincidentally, the dealership where it was being serviced is right near a strip mall with Special Thoughts Outlet Store (smaller scale Big Lots) and HomeGoods. Ahhh...HomeGoods...my safe place...lol.

I bought G. some stuff at Special Thoughts for her birthday and then wandered into HomeGoods, grabbed a carriage, and spent almost two hours in there. There's so much to see in there -- even two hours is not enough!

I'm always on the look out in HomeGoods in the girls' room section for purple stuff for G.'s room. Her hamper broke a week or so ago and I'd been thinking I'd have to order a new one from eBay because I can never find a purple one in stores. Wrong!

It's much more adult than her last hamper (this one screams "teen" to me, while the other screamed, "little kid.")

The other purchase was something I'd wanted for a while. At our nephew's fiancee's bridal shower, they had various drinks in glass urns/beverage dispensers with spigots and I LOVED the way they looked. When we have holidays at our house, we use a punch bowl and while I know it's tradition, it's not my fave. So, I figured if I could find a dispenser I liked, we could alternate. I got this for $24.99 (and I had a $25 gift card, so free!)

After HomeGoods, I headed to Stop & Shop for a few "luxury" grocery items. We generally shop at Market Basket (a super duper discount grocery store) and so often we don't have a lot of variety when it comes to brands, flavors, etc... I browsed Stop & Shop just like I would any store! I picked up some funky flavored powdered drink mixes, some salad dressings, and some cheese sticks that we can't get at Market Basket. (I know how to live, don't I?)

I went home for a short break after this and waited until my car was done. I brought my freaky loaner car back and then decided since I was close to Danvers (shopping mecca around here), I'd do some more!

I headed to Burlington Coat Factory and spent a good hour there.

Again, more stuff for G. (although I did try on a ton of stuff.) I only left there with these for me:

These may look like your ordinary run of the mill flip flops, but these are Clarks. Clarks make super comfortable shoes (although not always at the "height" of fashion) and when I found these flip flops I knew I had to try them on. As we all know, flip flops aren't generally super comfortable, but these are! I might even go back and get another pair in another color! Not bad for $19.99!

Next I headed to TJ Maxx (a different one than Friday night) for my last purchases. They were the icing on the shopping trip cake!

My photo will not do it justice. In fact, my photo sucks.

It's a dress (I rarely wear dresses!) with blueish/navyish stripes and a cute pair of navy sandals with a little fake bling.

I love them.

So, take a lesson from my book -- retail therapy is the BEST therapy!