Clue - Master Detective

Ok, how many people know this game??

See, I have a little sad story about this game. I LOVE it.

Some time in the early 90's, I think, I took some of my own money and bought a couple games. LOVE Clue. So this Master Detective game came out - more suspects, more rooms, more weapons! More more more. More everything. Pretty sure I bought it at the Toys R Us on South Street in Cerritos, before they redid the inside ... ah, memories.

I got this game for $20 and the Clue Master Detective VHS video game as well.

So this one random time, we have family friends that came over ... and my mom, as the hostess, felt that we should give them (the kids of the family friends) a present, to be hospitable. So, basically - and it's a Chinese thing - she doesn't have anything of her own likely appropriate for kids, so she asks ME what I HAVE that I could give them ...

And did I offer up this game? I have no idea. I know sometimes she would say (because it certainly happened more than once!!!), "Let's just give it to them now and I'll buy you a new one later."

Oh, guess how often I actually ended up with "a new one later"??? :)

Anyhoo, Master Detective was given away, it was never replaced, even when I (think) went back to Toys R Us to try to get another one ...

I've been bitter about it ever since. I'm talkin' years, people!! And it might not be completely off the wall to blame my somewhat compulsive spending habits on things like this that have happened.

Thusly, I think I'd been checking eBay over the past year or so to try to get another one in decent shape. I wasn't willing to pay more than $20 for it, even with inflation adjusted and everything.

Seriously, folks, any of you that thrift, or go to garage sales, or whatever? BUY THIS GAME.

This game sells for beaucoup bucks!!! I just did a quick search and the cheapest that sold in the last month was $15, with $15 shipping. That was missing the knife weapon piece, as well as having only photocopied detective sheets. There were several sets that sold for $45. Eeps!!

So the thing is, in my thrifting adventures in the last few months I actually DID come across this game, in semi-decent condition ... for $3.95. I was ecstatic the first time I found one, since it was a childhood trauma that needed not-a-little amelioration.

Since then, I've found a couple more, and it's worth it to open it up and check to see if it has all the cards and pieces and green dice and stuff. In general, the game board is pristine, sometime the pieces are missing, and sometimes there aren't that many pads of detective sheets left. But it's okay!! Spend $3.95 (potentially half price!) and sell it for $45+shipping on eBay???

Ugh. I also collected a couple other vintage Clue games in my thrifting hunts (for CHEAP - like, $2), and managed to snag a first edition Clue game off eBay too.

But you wanna know my HOLY GRAIL OF ALL CLUE GAMES???

It is freaking Clue on a ca. 1920's TRAIN. Do you see Istanbul/Constantinople in the distant scenery??

Heh. This is CLUEDO because that is the name of it in the U.K. ... limited run, generally goes for like, $70 or $90 ... and they have versions in French and Italian as well.

Ooh, greed.

But go out and buy Master Detective if you can. :) I just love that this one thrift store has gotten them in REGULARLY!!!!!!!!

Amy Winehouse

Ok, so I totally have mixed feelings about this chick.

I first saw her, and heard her, on her premiere on Dave Letterman.


Had no clue who she was, thought she was dressed WEIRDLY with that hair and makeup, and didn't quite get why she was singing such a retro song in that weird semi-ska register.

So, I was profoundly unimpressed with and disinterested in her.

Then, lately, especially this past week, there's been such a steady media stream of her well-nigh-unto-Britney-esque slow implosion. I've seen pics of her massive weight loss, attributed to her newfound addiction to working out ... but I kinda think all the drugs have a lot to do with it??

I think she looked really good and nice, about 4 years ago, without all those inky tats and before the chemical addictions. I certainly prefer her arms embellishment-free.

Anyway, so I just had the one experience with hearing that Rehab song (arrogant! geez) ... and thought I'd look her up on youtube and see what the big deal was, since her concerts were selling well and now they were all cancelled because she basically was stumbling around, unable to perform.

And I am in LOVE with her sultry singing style, such a great soulful sound! Some of her songs have whack lyrics, but for this week at least, it's been an all-Amy soundtrack and she is now one of my favorites. I can totally picture myself listening to her and dancing around during the day while I'm in Europe!! It's the kind of music I'd like to have with me, walking around, or soaking in the sights.

So here's what I've been listening to non-stop for the last two days. That's how I get, in obsessive spurts - listen to a song compulsively for a week or so and then find something else. It happened with Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am" (in essence, the Old Navy sweater song) and Cansei Ser Sexy's "Music is My Hot Hot Sex." (Dang, but they are kinda weird people, yo.)

Enjoy!

You Know That I'm No Good - I LOVE THIS REMIX!!!!!

And for some reason, I don't know WHY, I am SO totally mesmerized by Linda Ronstadt's background singer with the huge pile of hair, in the high-waisted yellow pantsuit. Her cute little pumpkin face caught my eye, then I kept watching the video, and seeing her rock out is totally hilarious. I want to know who this woman is!!

Stronger Than Me - Live

I think she looks completely awesome here, and this rendition is all sassy and fulfilling. Too bad I get occasional irate fits of irritation when I happen to think abot how completely grammatically INcorrect "stronger than ME" totally is.

He Can Only Hold Her/That Thing (Lauren Hill)

This one looks so fun. I especially like how she quickly leans down to get a drink before the first line of the song and half stumblers/staggers but makes it on cue. It's just stinkin' hilarious.

And her backup singers!!! Oh my. They are pretty awesome. The hug at the end is cute also. :)

In case you are interested, other nice cuts are Back to Black and Valerie, a cover of the Zutons (sooooo many covers on youtube ... and most not that good, hmm). She has exceptional vocals on Valerie, in my opinion. I also think her studio versions in general sound the best, but she has had some seriously awesome live performances also.

It's too bad she seems to be taking the rock'n'roll fast-track to accelerated self-destruction. I hope she's okay, but she sounds like she has moooondo problems.

In the meantime ... dang. What talent at such a young age.

Rachel Ashwell

I guess the universe is also dispensing of some Rachel Ashwell goods, along with Classic Winnie from Target (I can't STAND those "popping" brightly colored Winnie things, I find them garish. Actually, the use of the word "pop" in describing colors and elements in interior design sorta chafes on my last throbbing nerve ALSO. It seems ... gauche ... unwieldy ... trying too hard?? "Tap-tap-tappin' on mah last NURVE 'bouta BREAKIT!" ~ Michaela, age 8.)

So, twice in the past week, I have found Rachel Ashwell TREASURES stuff (her super duper expensive designer line). At the thrift store. Um, who buys this stuff and then gives it away to the thrift store??? Weird.

Since I actually only know her Target stuff, I don't know any of her other patterns, yet both times it was the colors/patterns (yes, roses on striped ticking - hm) that caught my eye and made me fumble around for that TAG.

Yay!!

So one was a darkish blue stripe, with little pink roses scattered all over it, and it was a flat sheet. Yesterday I found a full fitted sheet - purple ticking stripes with purple roses on it. I have a feeling these were her early patterns or something, because I can't find anything close to these on the net now. The longer I held the fitted sheet, the nicer it felt - it was some really nice soft cotton.

I'll take pics later today to show the pattern. The flat sheet I got mostly for quilting, and the fitted sheet ... well, I like fitted sheets. :)

I honestly think flat sheets are a great thrift store find for making quilts. It's bedding, it's cheap fabric, and you can get some awesome patterns. It's just a matter of having enough fabric to make whatever pattern you have in mind.

At the same thrift store, at the same time, I found a little decorator pillow in this old-time pattern:

I mean, I like it okay, but don't much care for brown. Was debating for a while before I took a closer look and found a bleached yellow spot on it. Uck, gross. It was only $1.95 though.

So then, a couple weeks ago, also found Ashwell's book The Shabby Chic Home sitting on top of a pile of other books at the thrift store - $1.91.

I am also ASTOUNDED that THIS: can be found on eBay as a Buy It Now for $49.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's ridiculous. It was $19.99 at most last year at Target, sheesh. The most I paid for mine (I might even have two!) was $4.98. It's possible I even managed to snag one at $1.99. Christmas stuff goes 90% off! They didn't have many stockings, I think, last year, and they have loads of Shabby Chic stockings this year, but no skirt! At least, that I have seen. Anyone who would care to correct me may do so freely.

Baby quilts!

I've been having some pretty decent luck in the last month with quilts, and this past week or so especially with Classic Winnie!!!! I love Winnie the Pooh - Classic Winnie, especially from Target. I love pale, muted, pastel colors; it's so soothing! So I sort of have a little collection going on just because I like the stuff, but should the ticking time bomb of my dessicating, shuddering, shriveling ovaries *le gasp* suddenly go off, I suppose I could give a great big basket o' goodies to my sister. Who might be married by next year. But we'll see. It was nice to find out that she would choose me as her maid of honor (I was kinda doubting that, yo, since she has SUCH good friends, but then I was pleased as punch! Good thing for her I am also SO creative and generous and at this point VICARIOUS).

Thrift store find!!!!!! Winnie the Pooh crib quilt:

Price: $1.92+ tax

Headboard and crib bumper:

Price: $1.92 for the two.

Earlier this week I ended up getting another of the Pooh quilts for $2.95 just because it was so soft and cute after I washed it. This second one might need a bit of bleaching - can't tell if it's part of the print or not, how weird is that? - but it's always nice to have a spare. Especially a dumpy one that can get messed up. The store also had TWO of the headboard bumpers and another crib bumper, and EACH was $2.95 (this was a different thrift store, not the nice $1.92 one!), but I passed on those.

On eBay these used sets are selling for over $20 before shipping. I've seen some crib sheets and things too, but I'm gonna hold off on getting those for now. Honestly, though, I was thinking - even if I don't use it as a bumper, the fabric would be nice to play around with somehow, with my NEW SEWING MACHINE (that I haven't tried yet ...)!!!

And on eBay!!
Embroidered baby quilt, blue redwork, aka bluework, with pictures of nursery rhymes. Each patch is also outlined in a pink featherstitch. The only damage is a faded spot at the upper right, but I thought the colors and embroidery were so charming!!

Price: $22.75 after shipping.

Vets Stadium find!!!! And you guys wonder why this is so addictive ....

This is also hand-embroidered, appliqued, and hand-quilted. The lady said "Somebody really loved a lot," meaning - old, worn, faded. But that's what drew me to it! The colors are totally faded, and the binding is certainly threadbare, but there's nothing like old, worn, soft, washed cotton! It's so sweet. I also don't generally care for ANYTHING circus-related, such as dang elephants, but I got over it. I wonder if it originally had much brighter colors and faded like this. It looks like it's been bleached before. I don't care, it's supersoft!

Price: Half off of $6 - $3. Whee!!!!

Honesty.

Dang, it tries my patience sometimes.

On Wednesday, I went to the thrift store that seems to have severely overpriced furniture, but also has cool stuff like the blue glass cake plate and the aqua Pyrex, with weekly markdowns.

So I got this:

I remember when I first saw it for $29.92. I loved it, picked it up, tapped it, and it sounded great. Yay. But not for $30.

I think last week it was down to the $14.91 price. However, I saw the $6.96 on Wednesday and HAD to get it! No chips or anything on the lid, but the gold has worn a bit around the rim of the lid. AND it's Austrian. Pretty. (I tried to find the pattern on Replacements.com, and think I found it - $117.95. A same dish by this maker, just with a different floral pattern, is $155.95!!!! Yikes. I'll have to investigate further.)

So, I go to pay, and had also gotten a book about Victorian customs $2.92, I believe), a 60¢ Mary Engelbreit mug, and was thinking about this aqua vase. I asked the lady to ring up everything except the vase first because all I had on me was $10 and they only take cash.

I get frustrated with this place because it's at the end of my thrift store "rounds" and it closes at 6 - SO early, and they only take cash. So half the time I'm all rushed there.

Anyway, I ask her if she knows what color tag will go 50% off ... they do that on Fridays. There was a neato Grandma's Flower Garden quilt top I was looking at $14.xx, so I wanted to wait for 50% off. Actually, it wasn't there anymore when I checked on Wednesday (it was there Saturday, maybe), but I just wanted to know.

She says she thinks it will be 50% off, she's wrapping the dish in newspaper, and she goes to give me the total, and I'm like - "Did you ring it up?" She totally didn't!! Dang. I could have afforded the the vase if I'd let her do that. Ha! So she realizes she didn't, thinks about unwrapping it to check the price, then asks me, and I tell her, and she says "I trust you!"

So she puts it in and gives me the total, and it's $11.34 after tax. Crud. I ask her to take off the Engelbreit mug, then. She's looking at the register, then starts digging in her pocket, and I'm like, what? Is she going for a key to the register or something?

She ends up throwing in the extra buck for me (I had 34¢) just to not have to do an override. She asked if I was there often, and I said at least once a week, and I thanked her and told her I'd pay her back next time I was in.

So there it is. An Austrian covered dish for $7, A TOTALLY REPRESENTATIVE SYMBOL of my unquenchable habit of being honest. Urgh. I think that's worth at least $7.

That's what I'm gonna think about every time I look at it. That's not so bad.

I also stopped by last night on my way home from work to try to give her $1 (even though I only had $20 coming straight from the ATM!), but they had just closed, the door was shut, they didn't want to let me in, and couldn't understand what I was yelling through the glass door since they didn't feel like opening it!! So I left. Will try again next time.

While I was taking pics, though, I found a HUGE chip on the bottom of the dish, another with another smaller chip on the inside lip of the bottom. Boo hoo. I will have to be careful because the big chip flaked a little bit, too.

I think it's a pretty good deal, though, and at least the chips are where I can't see them.

That's the bummer about that place, they have nice stuff, but sometimes when you wait for it to go lower, it's been all dinged up and whacked about in the meantime. Like that set of Japanese teacups and saucers, with the teacups all broken now, in the bad! Tragedy.

But hey! I'm honest.

1,000! Whee, attention.

Yay, a milestone. I woke up yesterday to see "1,001" and that was nice. Thank you all for coming and I hope I'm not boring the dreck out of you!! And thank you to all who have left comments. :)

Cupcake frenzy!!!

I am totally on a cupcake kick because I am apparently a huge follower. I see other bloggers' posts on adorableness thingies and I seem to develop a hankering as well.

So lately, it's cupcakes. And candy. It all started with a picture of a cupcake candle, and then I found one at Target. And now ...

Like, look here, at this Christmas display I took a picture of in Target:

I saw it and decided it was going to be my new favorite Christmas theme for the tree. Even though I already have tons of decorations, actually.

I decided I totally loved these gumdrop ornaments AND THE LITTLE KNITTED SWEATERS!!! The blue is my favorite because it has the most sequins, but the pink is nice too. If the tree is green I think there is no need for green ORNAMENTS. I say that because they have the knitted sweaters in a lime green.

Here are the cupcake ornaments that I was SALIVATING over and finally got a few of!!! I'm pretty sure they are all sold out in the stores now, actually. I think I got 2 of the white and a half dozen of the pink. Mmm, pink. Pink pink pink.

So the new tree theme I have is white/glass, light blue/aqua, pink, and GLITTERY!! Will take pictures of the tree when I put it up. Dang, I'm behind on a lot of decorating stuff.

In my hunt to FINALLY find a picture of the darn stuffed cupcake from Target, along with the PINK cupcake candle (that I missed out on!!!), I found THIS from Hallmark:

It was pretty pricey, probably something like $24.99. Oy. I will look, but not touch.

However!! Since I got the sewing machine from Target for $65 over the weekend, I can now indulge my craftiness and start in on the quilting stuffs (been buying up old flat sheets at the thrift store for nice, worn in, recyclable material!!) as well as the cupcaking creating.

I found gorgeous pictures and ideas on other sites so here they are!

This is from eBay. I can TOTALLY make this.

Betz White is apparently totally famous, with her own book, and on Martha Stewart, and she makes stuff like this:

She also sells kits where she has coordinated the sweaters and fabrics and you put it together. They are so sweet and adorable!! There are several sites with directions for how to knit your own cupcake pincushion but I love the idea of recycling sweaters into something adorablemente like this.

Lastly, these girls are totally diehard!! I am swooning over their Gymboree find of cupcake-themed children's clothing and accessories. So! Stinking! Cute!!

Sugar high - over.

I got a bit lucky, Pt. the 2nd

1. The Estate Sale.

Here are some pics of the craigstlist listing that got me hooked. I still have some of the Christmas ornaments that I've been meaning to take pictures of ... bummer I didn't pick those up the other pink ones that were at this sale, because they are selling like hotcakes on eBay - just regular, pink, vintage, Shiny Brite glass ornaments! I did see another lady swoop down on those things and grab a half dozen boxes, though. However, I like my clear glass with white and silver glitter, etc. ones better. I picked out all the more fancy pink ones that I could find, too.

We walked through the driveway which was lined with the bigger furniture pieces, to the garage which had the bulk of the stuff. This was the view into the back of the garage. Lots of people were just digging through the piles of Christmas storage on the floor - in the middle here. All the boxes at the bottom of the picture, in the middle, were full of Christmas things. The umbrellas I neglected to look through were on one of the back shelves! The also had some vintage fruit crates with original labels, but they were in such sad, horrible condition - totally grease-stained and everything, and looked like they had been stacked up in the garage for makeshift shelves of greasy greasecans.

Here, they had set up a row of shelves about in the middle of the garage. Can you see the Pfaltzgraff canisters in the upper right??? :) There was some Pyrex, too, but I passed on that and a lady walked off with it shortly thereafter.

Here is the covered patio area that had the more "valuable" small stuff. I just picked up 4 Glasbake mugs, though they did have some pretty, white, milk glass.
The Glasbake mugs were on the table on the left, though I know you can't hardly see what's on these tables here. It was nice browsing, though, and much less crowded in here.

And here is the beautiful picture from The Hunt for Vintage which inspired my eye for vintage Christmas ornaments. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite blogs, and I love her pictures, and she has SUCH a good eye AND gets amazing prices!!!

I love this display and think it's such a good idea. I've been collecting quite a lot of candy jars, and covered jars - from England and Italy, incidentally. Mini-ornaments in a jar or glass bowl would look nice. I also got a GIANT Italian blown glass jar filled to the brim with various old wine corks (no way on earth I would EVER drink that much wine, sheesh) which I have been playing around with for display. There has to be over 200 corks in there.

Christmas and other catchy-uppy posts next. :)

I got a bit lucky.

I ran into a spot of what I would call "luck" last week out hitting the estate sales, and thrift stores, and the Vets Stadium Antique Market!! I am so addicted. It'd be nice to have a hunting buddy but it's cool to also just wander by myself.

Alright, I'll keep it to 3 excursions:

1. Estate Sale.
This one was from craigslist, I believe, and there were lots of people there bright and early!! I got lost on the way there, even though I had looked up the directions. (That is why I will be looking for a dang GPS on Black Friday!!!) They advertised it as an 80-year-old collection of items. While I was there, I believe I heard that it was a couple of spinster aunties that lived there!!! Never married, and they kept EVERYTHING.

I love love love love love the vintage glass Christmas ornaments that I got, thanks to inspiration from another blogger (link to be added, and pics, when I get back to my apartment and computer!), but I was MOST pleased with this set of canisters:

I saw the set, liked the country feel, and noticed that they were Pfaltzgraff. I asked about them, the nice, nice, nice jolly man running the front said $15 for the set of 5 (I actually have a salt one instead of the Cookies one in this picture), though I wanted $10, and he went to go ask his associates to run it by them!! The sugar one even had a big old bag of sugar in it! In the end, after I dug through 4 boxes of old ornaments, I went to another more supervised area - got 4 Glasbake mugs (one green, one blue, two pink - all pastels!) for $4 - to check out, and she counted the set of canisters as $7. Um, I didn't correct her.

It was at the end of this sale that I walked out and saw a young teenage girl with a red umbrella WITH A STRIPED CANDYCANE HANDLE. I was suffused, awash, with regret, because I remember seeing a stack of a half-dozen umbrellas in the garage when I had been digging through, and ignored them. It is the HANDLE that did it for me. Yowza. It honestly even looked like Bakelite, darn it. However, despite its cuteness, the pattern of stripeyness was a bit smushed and marred around the curve and bend of the umbrella, making it look like a measled zebra. It would have been $1. I asked the guy. So I keep telling myself about its perceived flaws because I'm a bit sad I missed out on it. I did get another browny and pink vintage umbrella fro 50¢ later at another sale, though.

2. Thrift store.
I have a mad obsession with Pyrex. It started out with the clear glass stuff, like what I used in chem class, and especially what I prefer to use for storing leftovers in the fridge. Also, Anne's nice mommy gave Jen a pink gooseberry mixing bowl for her wedding shower, which I've seen Jen using, and now I absolutely love pink glass. I've been fortunate enough to find a few sets of cups, and bowls, too, in the pink. So I definitely keep an eye out for this stuff when I'm out and about, and on Friday, I found this:

It was not sold as a set, but they were priced individually. It is not my favorite patern, but I love the color because it will go with my strawberry stuff!! (whee, aqua and red, just like in this picture, incidentally!) The large was marked $8.98, the medium $6.98 or $4.98, and the smallest was $2.98. Not great prices, by any means, but cheaper than eBay, in good condition, and it was okay.

When I got up to the counter to check out, I had them stacked together so that I could carry them properly. The lady took a look and only entered the price for the large one. Yikes! Stuff like this has happened before at this place so I should watch it. I pointed out to her that the other bowls had prices too, so she picked up the smallest one, rang in the price, thanked me for being very honest, and then wrapped it up.

She never did enter the price for the medium one. Oops. So it was a good deal (at least, in this area) for that set.

3. Vets Stadium.
This one is sooooooooo cool. I had to rush to church so I didn't even go through half of it, this time, when I usually do prefer to browse as long as possible, and there were some really awesome things and deals this month. (I still am meaning to post about last month, when it was completely surreal with the Santa Ana winds blowing through like the dang Sahara desert ... it was sad and pitiful to see all the broken and smashed glass and pottery all over the lot! I fully regretted not having my camera with me.)

I found a wonderful linens seller that I don't recall seeing before ... her aprons are what caught my eye (Nov. 21 was National "Tie One 'Round" Day, did you know?). Then I saw her table runners, and hand embroidered napkins, handkerchiefs, and pillowcase. THE PRICES ARE GREAT!! $4 for a tablerunner, $10 for matching pair of pillowcases. Everything clearly washed.

The most amazing thing I found was a giant, like, king-size, redwork embroidered flat sheet. I really must take a picture of it, it is just stunning and compelling. It was tagged $25, which I thought was a steal for the sheer effort.

Well, I was digging through the table runners, to make sure I had a good look at everything, and the lady running the booth saw me with this sheet, which I had set on the table, and she picked it up and it looked like she was going to take it away. I told her that I did want it, and she asked if I knew how much it was. Her nice, nice, nice, NICE husband said that we had just been chatting and the price hadn't even come up yet. I said, "Well, I saw the tag for $25." She stopped, looked at me, and said, "Oh no, no no, this is $35. You go anywhere else here and they will charge you at least $65, $70, this is all hand done." I felt very very mild irritation but told her I still wanted it anyway, while I continued looking.

I'd found a gorgeous delicate appliqued table runner (pic coming as well), along with another embroidered table runner that was ALL FRENCH KNOTS. She told me her table runners were all $4, "even all this, look at this, mija, this is all hand done! for you - $4," but I did notice that the french knot table runner was marked $12.

Anyway, I got everything together, folded it nicely (folded the $12 price tag inside the runner), and told myself that I would just let her have a look at the pile and if she saw the price tag and wanted to charge me that price, I'd probably go along with it because they were JUST that nice. She looked through everything, didn't open anything up, charged me $4 for each price tag, went down on the price of the pillowcase pair, threw in a free apron, basically ... but still said the embroidered flat sheet was $35.

So I bought it. And honestly, when I post a picture, you will seeeeeeeeeeee ... stinkin' price tag was CHANGED! From $25 to $35, I think it's pretty obvious. Grrr. Anyway, I think I don't care because it is definitely worth at least $35. Totally. And the table runners themselves are beautemous. She said there were originally pillowcases to go with the sheet, but we never found them, and then she said she thought she was arranging at home and they were shams, and she had pulled all the shams out. I said I was definitely interested in the shams, for the set, and asked if she could call me if she did find it, just so I would know to come the next month. "Oh, no, I can't, I'm so busy, I'm working 40 hours a week ..." Hmm. I guess she does this as a hobby???

The husband was nice enough to inform me that they got all the items from a rag distributor, and they are usually in sad, horrible, awful condition, but she washes and bleaches them and spruces them up. I CANNOT BELIEVE what some people use for rags. Yeesh. She also had a nice pink tulip quilt but wanted $75 or $65 for it. Le sigh. Quilts are dang expensive.

I hope they have the shams next month!! And I am GLAD I hid that stupid price tag, what with her changing the price on me.

Pics to come when I get back, and once again, happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving - and Black Friday.

Hello, peeps.

Happy Thanksgiving!! It's such a nice holiday. I have been looking forward to it all month, and especially, WEEK. It's been hectic having parent conferences, the kids have been totally wired, and I just need a break!!! We had a good day, though, I had the kids bring soups, veggies, crackers, chips, drinks, etc., for our "Thanksgiving Feast" and we made "Friendship Stew" for lunch. They all seemed to really like it, and I admit it didn't taste too bad. Basically we dumped everything in the crockpot and stirred it together. I tied in themes of hygiene (washing hands, preparing food, cleaning up after a meal), nutrition (veggies, portions, balanced diet), table manners and etiquette (table settings, waiting until everyone has been served, saying "please" and "thank you"), and social studies - celebrating Thanksgiving. I have pics, and I will post this weekend!!

What I REALLY wanted to do after school today was to go home, relax, turn on the computer, and post about all my latest forays into the secondhand business. I have a billion crazy things going on upstairs all jumbled up.

But no. After a fairly wonderful day - and it was quite fun, even if I spend SO much of the majority of my time coralling these dang heathens - I decided to hit the shops. I hit a couple little thrift stores that I usually love, and only got a bag of about 6 big candles (including a sweet pea scented White Barn Candle Co. jar - new!!!, a flowered glass candle, cinnamon, etc.) for $1.91 and a set of 3 shot glasses, also for $1.91. They go with the other set I bought at an antique dealer's yard sale a few weeks back. Oh yes, I also wandered into two "antique/furniture" stores in little dumpy places ... I might go back, might not, but you never know what you can find!!! And before I went to Target (2, and it was nearly 3!!), I hit another thrift store that I usually don't find much at, and spied some very pretty blue and white plates - they were Pier 1, and I ended up passing on them for $1.51 each - but looooooove the red plates that just jumped out at me from the shelf. They were red, and look stoneware, and when I turned them over, they are German, but produced in Spain. They just have this LOOK. They are a bit too bricky/slight tinge of orange to go with the aqua/red theme I'd like to get going some time, but they would work for Christmas. I'll have to pull them out and put them next to some other pieces to see how they go.

And then!! Mad Target shopping! Pretty much all I got were Christmas ornaments. There is a new line of ornaments out (perhaps it was around last year, and I did not notice, since I was focused on other things) that I love - pink, and sugarplum-themed, and all that goodness. I looked at the stuff when it first came out, after the big Halloween clearance, and loved it!! And they have pink stuffed cupcakes! I admit I took pictures in the store because I loved the display so much. Anyway, I anticipate that after Black Friday they will have their typical 15% off Christmas things this next week and I will just go get a price adjustment. Hee.

I am looking forward to Black Friday and should have prepared more, since I could have gotten the things at Target and just gone in Friday or Saturday to have the price adjusted, but I kind of like the feeling of walking into the store very early and joining in the fray. Last year was fairly calm in Target, and they were very well-stocked. Circuit City was another crazy store, and I mistakenly let a 2G SD card slip through my hands ... $2!!! I haven't seen anything like that this year, I'm afraid.

Anyhoo, I then REALLY need to clean because my stuffs are taking up my LIFE!

Tomorrow we are having dinner with middle sis' bf's family who flew in from Texas, up at the apartment in El Segundo that he shares with our cousin. I met his sister last Saturday and think it will be fun to meet the rest of the family. It's interesting to hear what she has to say about his family dynamics and compare it with our own. It's also quite likely that they will be engaged soon and possibly get married next year, so we need to all meet and see where this is going! I think it was very nice of them to fly out for Thanksgiving. And his mom already has the tree up at their home because they won't be back until next week.

Food!! Sis was making cheesecake brownies earlier and will make a few other dishes in the morning. I am in charge of salad and drinks so those will be quite easy to whip up. I should make my lists of what to bring, Miss Scatterbrained!!

Ok, and because Miss Wendy requested it, I will cut this long post off now because I'd like to talk about something else and am switching topics. :)