Walmart is scary!

I know I'm being lazy and not posting like a should. Most of what I want to write about is off-limits, though (family rules). In the meantime, you have to see this. I am a victim of a Walmart exclusive town. There is literally not another choice. This video graphically shows you their frightening expansion:

Natalie Dee is Funny!

Next time I'm in Columbus, I want to hang with this girl! Go check her out here and buy something!

Let the testing begin....

I broke the news to my daughter today that she's not allowed to bring her money on an outing downtown today because she's not allowed to buy anything else until it's time to Christmas shop. She came back with, "Well you go shopping all the time and buy whatever you want!" I calmly told her that the shopping moratorium will apply to me as well and that I will refrain from buying anything but the basic necessities from now until the holidays. I also told her that we're going to Kings Dominion tomorrow but that we will not be buying a SINGLE souvenir. This pretty much floored her and she disappeared for awhile. Later, she asked me to go to my bedroom where she left something for me (pictured above). It says, "Sorry for calling you a person that shoppes to much!" and it has a pile of money on top (she has some tens and twenties in her money stache so she isn't that sorry, is she?). I don't mean to say that any amount of money can erase the damage of saying something hurtful. She thinks this will weaken my resolve. I will not crack, though. In fact, I foolishly threatened during dinner that, if I hear even one request for a stuffed animal during our outing, she will be banished to the car for the remainder of the day. Yeah right! That was not a threat that was well thought out, was it? On the car drive there, I think I'll alter it to - you will not ride any more rides for the rest of the day.

I see more tests in the future.....

"Screen savers" .... they're not what you think!

I was shopping at Kellie's again. Her shop is so much fun (mostly because Kellie is there and she is one of my favorite people)! I bought an awesome purse which coming from me, says a lot. I do not change my purse depending on my outfit and put functionality before style. This purse is functional and I could totally someone like Paris Hilton or J Lo carrying it too. I will add a picture of it to this post soon.

Here's what I want to show you though. They're little double sided magnets for your screens. They come in dragon flies, suns, butterflies, frogs, and I can't remember what else. One part goes on the inside and one on the outside. Aren't they awesome? I bought ten but may have to go back and get more.....

The Derby is about to start so, I'll add to this post soon!

A Musical Discovery

We saw Jessy Lynn perform on Saturday. My friend, Kellie, had a little festival with booths, hot dogs and live country music at her shop in Fairfield. It was a lot of fun! My daughter and her best friend got to meet this up-and-coming country singer and picked her a bunch of dandelions. Jessy Lynn is twenty-one years old and a newlywed (I had to tell her about my brother in Hawaii). She thought the girls were so sweet. She autographed her CD for them and, after she comes back from Nashville as a famous country music singer, it'll be worth millions! We listened to it all the way home. She doesn't seem to have an internet presence yet. If I was more savvy with blogging and computer stuff, I'd rip a song or two off of her CD and put a link to it here...... Is that illegal????

This is Kellie!

Doesn't she look fun? If you ever get a chance to meet her, you'll know she totally is - and so is her shop! It's called Kellie's Gift Boutique and it's in Fairfield, Virginia. Her personality definitely comes through in her shop and this woman has creative ideas out the wazoo! If you're a vendor of unique items in the Southwest Virginia area, you definitely need to talk to her about business opportunities!

I had lunch with her there yesterday and snapped these photos in between bites of the best sandwiches from Blue Sky Bakery.

I can't go into her shop without getting something! Check out my cool shades and the necklace and earrings! I snapped up a couple of Lil'Kinz for Valentine's Day (50% off). My favorite purchase yesterday, these fun shoelaces from Little Missmatched. Check 'em out!

I think my daughter's birthday party is going to have a mismatched theme. The possibilities are endless!

She also carries jewelry, purses, home decor accessories, candles from Beanpod Candles, yummy chocolates, I could go on and on but instead, let me just show you a few displays I snapped:

I'm cleaning dah-ling!

I bought these fabulous rubber gloves the other day at The Paisley Palmetto gift website. My friend, Alicia, runs it from Hawaii. She has gathered a collection of very cool, unique gifts that you have to check out. She was the first mom I met in the MOMS Club who wore stilettos, and in this small town, that takes guts! I KNEW, when she announced she was opening a shop, that it would ooze style! I have three pairs of these gloves now (two for friends and one for me) because, if you have to clean the toilet, why not make it feel a little more glamorous? It's my first purchase from her site but I know there will be more. On top of the one-of-a-kind gifts she offers, her customer service and follow up are unmatched! You go Alecia!

Nintendo DS overload

I went shopping yesterday with a Nintendo DS on the list of things to buy. Little did I know the Pandora's box I was opening. Walmart (yes, I was there again but don't criticize me until you've lived in a town where this is your only retail option without driving sixty miles) was sold out of them so I had to go on-line to buy it.

First I had to figure out what a "Lite" version was. Instead of meaning a simpler watered down version with less features as I intuitively guessed, I find that it has MORE features and that "lite" refers to its reduced weight. OK. I'm getting the "Lite."

Now I have to pick the color. My choices are gold (limited edition), crimson & black, coral pink, onyx black, metallic rose (also limited and my favorite) and polar white. Why does it matter what color it is when what you're looking it at is on the LCD?! Do kids really care? Is my nine year old going to say, "I need my metallic rose Nintendo today to match the pink iridescent lip gloss that I'm wearing." This one I was buying was not for her but for a boy so I went with the black onyx. Very macho looking...

Of course you have to get a game with it or what use will it be? There are about a gazillion of those which I have neither time or space to list here. You wouldn't believe all the advice I' got from adults on which ones are good, user-friendly, or so complicated that an adult can't figure it out. Am I the only one on the planet that hasn't played with a Nintendo DS?! Luckily the boy who is getting this one listed two specific games so I could tune out all the other options.

Scott has purchased one of these evil gadgets for our children as well this Christmas. I now live in dread of Christmas morning when my kids will turn into video game junkies who stare hypnotically at a tiny screen all day and lose all social skills.

Shopping....

I spent a good portion of yesterday shopping. Here's all the goodies I gathered. I hit Target and the mall before I ran out of time. The crowds were totally manageable, thank goodness! My favorite is this Yoda ornament. It's SO beautifully ugly!!!

I have a few ornament gift exchanges and I'm so tempted to wrap it and use it just to see the reaction of whoever gets it! They'll be all nice and polite but they won't be able to hide the reaction on their face. In their head they'll be thinking, "Oh my God! What loser bought this and thought anyone would like it!?" I know I won't be able to keep a straight face and I'll totally give myself away. My husbands says everyone will know it's me right away. If I chicken out, I can always give it to my brother, the ultimate Star Wars fan. (Notice on the bed - I bought two so I can keep one for myself. It'll go perfect with my Spock in the transporter room ornament and my Roswell UFO one.)

Other finds, the new David Sedaris' Christmas book (one for me and one for my boss), Knuffle Bunny Too for my son, Toss Across (I loved that game growing up!), Sweet Tart paste that comes in a toothpaste tube and you squirt in your mouth, ugly Christmas cards (sorry everyone) and lots and lots of clothes from Limited Too, and Old Navy!

Awesome hand lotion

'Tis the season for my hands to morph into those of a 90 year old and I must tell you about my Naked Bee hand lotion! I love it! It's not too greasy, it smells awesome, and my hands look slightly better to boot! I've found it in a couple of gift shops in town and I've bought the candles too, which also smell great but don't last very long. Their products would make great stocking stuffers. Don't forget to pick up some for yourself too! :)