the theme of last night was "Pink Houses"

any guesses of who I saw sing last night? No time to download photos or write about it but let's just say it was me, some friends and "Jack & Diane"

Fun, really fun good mail I had to share.

This was actually self-induced good mail. I discovered this girl who sells these awesome tags. I was excited to get them in the mail so quickly - great service - and also with a handmade card for me to use as a thank you for my order. Check her out here.

My friend Chanel did an awesome book exchange with some of our friends daughters and when the girls got their books back it came with personalized book plates, book worms, flashlight to read in bed and a silver bookmark. Such a great idea. I think my Caroline ate that whole bag of worms in one night or else I will find them all hidden somewhere in a month. Thank Chanel the gift pack is awesome.

Kelly ent me this hand painted pineapple canvas! What? oh my! I am too lucky. It is really fab and will go in my sewing room. It is really wonderful a million thank yous!


everyone deserves to get a package in the mail with string on it. I have never done that before but just may try. The Canada post label says:" From Anywhere ... to anyone"
this is what was inside. Barb my Value Village buddy found this great pineapple napkin holder at her local store. I don't know if I love it because it is a pineapple or more so because it came from Value Village. It is now in my craft room holding recent good mail. Thanks I love it! oh ya, and look what it came in, pefect for earth day! reduce reuse and recycle.

Natasha strikes again with having the cutest stationary. Thanks I love it.
Anne is cracking me up. She sent this mail in an awesome silver padded envelope. Before I read the card I said to myself, "this will be so awesome to reuse again" then her card reads, "Since I know you reuse your padded envelopes thought I would send you a cute one"

in honor of earth day she sent some ribbon scraps that she thought I would make use of.. oh yes I will and already have a few of them. Thanks Anne!
this is a reminder to me how much cousins love cousin mail. These beautiful pieces of art our from our southern California cousins on the beach. Once Caroline found out which one was hers she would not let it go or let anyone "chuch" it.and this wonderful surprise came in the mail. remember my virtual $100... well some very nice, overly generous person sent this to me with a note that said, "Every girl deserves a new spring dress" We are doing a White House tour in a few weeks and I can't think of anything better to wear. Thanks so much!!

so now I have decided to just leave my clothes pins just in my tree at all times ready to come outside and take some photos.

darn!

I wish I would not have found these at the store. Like I could resist a banana taffy!
If I was in Massachusetts or Wisconsin I would take a day trip to the Necco plant.

Check out if there are any food plants or manufacturing companies in your town that give tours. They are so fun for kids and adults to visit.
these by the way, also made by Necco, are some of the cutest candy around. Pink and yellow swirl. After Caroline was born I put two boxes of these coming out of a terra cotta pot for the nurses on the maternity ward. There was a wholesale candy company in Tennessee where I could get these for $3.00 a box.

little blog "Catch-up"

Saturday was probably one of our favorite days of going downtown. The GW Parkway was beautiful. We parked at the Marina and biked/walked/jogged into Old Town Alexandria, VA. The weather was incredible. I am playing around with a new video program and making a video of the day, if I get it done I will post it.

We had a baby sitter for the night and got to go to the BYU Management Society Annual Gala Dinner. It was at the Marriott on Georgetown Campus. President Thomas S. Monson was the Public Service Leader recipient. His talk was incredible. He spoke all about how our church aids in world wide needs. I left there wanting to do more and make a difference. It was like General Conference only eating a stake dinner at the same time and being 30 feet from the speaker.
We ran into some friends from Utah, that now live in Virginia. We have not seen them in 10 years. That was such a treat and hopefully we will get down there and see them this summer. It was a fun reunion.

Sunday

Sunday was great because we got to see a friend from New Orleans and go to church with him. Having nice weather makes it so nice to drive downtown. Everything is blooming.
Eric came over for dinner and got to see our CRAZY kids. It brought back a lot of memories for me of living in New Orleans, which are always great memories. (can you believe I did not take a photo?)

Monday

Monday the girls and I spent the whole day outside. We walked to the park and did lots of "under dogs" on the swing set.
Walked to the library. While there we discovered this great room you check out for you family for the whole hour. It is a dream play land for kids. It was packed with great toys that really got the kids pretending. There was a dress-up section. Caroline was Belle the whole time we were in there. But can you believe this mask was part of the collection?

they always have used books people bring in that you can buy. If I wouldn't have been on foot i would have bought these and sent them to Jill to look through. I did see Gone with the Wind in there.we found the frog on the way home and have enjoyed him more than I could have imagined. We took him back last night and tried to catch a new one, but no luck. Hopefully this weekend we can get a new one to bring home for a few days.

Scratch 'N' Sniff

seriously scratch your computer screen, and see if it works

If you could smell the spring outside my door today it would be wonderful. I walked 20 steps from my front door step in three directions today and this is what I saw.

... and when did I used to have time to blog?

She Photographs on Tuesdays
Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

thifting is the reason why I have Purell on my key chain

I chose to focus on the Reuse aspect of today's challenge.
On my 100 list is says:

#4 - I would rather have something old and
sentimental than something shiny and new.

I love to go to thrift stores. I love to dig through good trash and pull something out that still has life left in it. (the wooden high chair I have used for three kids, I pulled out of someones trash in New Orleans) I love to make something new out of something old. I have a hard time throwing things away. My heart jumps when I see a garage sale sign. I make photo galleries of things I have bought at thrift stores & garage sales.

I buy used items to give away as gifts. I recently gave a baby gift to someone that I got at a consignment sale, she loved it and I even admitted it was used.

I bought these silver serving spoons at Goodwill for $.29 cents each. I polished them up and gave them to my sister in law for her birthday.
from the left over brown felt from my Easter Cards, and ribbon from Kacey, I made a holder for them

I also reuse any salvageable mailing envelope. It is a good way of keeping the good mail circle going. I also save all my cereal boxes to ship packages. they are bright and cheery and FREE!

So today I made a goodwill stop to celebrate earth day. (what a new great tradition eh?)
I made a great discovery. I enjoy finding the items as much as buying them. Taking photos of items I wanted to buy, but didn't' were just as fun as buying them. I also thought this would be a good way to promote thrift store shopping, you never know what you will find.
So here is a list of what I wanted to buy but was trying to be thrifty and didn't.

What I wanted to buy

this awesome fabric. It was 4 curtain panels for $2.00

large curtain of lime green, raw silk fabric for $1.00.

brown and white eyelet fabric for $1.00

the lime green and this fabric would have made darling dresses for the girls.

remember the Avon perfume that came in shaped bottles. This find was fun to find.

These little dishes were great, i took a photo, turned away and then came back and a lady picked them up. She thought if they were worth photographing then they were worth buying. Rats!this was so cool. It was a crewel embroidery of a jungle theme. it needed to be reframed, but would have been darling in a little boys room! $3.99
I loved these salt and pepper shakers, but they were too big. 5" tall. $.59 cents each

this talking Ed Grimley would have been so fun to send to my brother Bevan,
but I resisted the $1.99


So what did I buy?
this total 80's Nancy Reagan look alike dress. I am going to cut the top off and put red and white ribbon ties on it to make a 4th of July sundress for Annie Kate.

this great dress up for Caroline and Sally Jane. $3.00darling little tea set. $3.00. They had two. I bought both.
I thought one would make a great gift.

My Thrifting tips:

1. everything that comes home goes straight to the wash with bleach
2. I usually walk through the store twice, there are somethings I miss the first time around
3. when the employees bring out a rack of clothes or anything to put away... follow them, it will be the best stuff in the store.
4. ask the employees what is the best time of day or day of the week to come
5. make friends with employees. let them know what things you are looking for. In TN when one of the girls in Goodwill saw me walk in, she would always say, "I have some girls clothes in the back you might like"
6. anything can be repainted, re-framed, re-sewn or polished. Don't get distracted by the fact it stinks or is dirty.

there it is my love of thrifting in photos and words. I love it!

** What is the best used item you have ever bought? **

Toad Hat

Until I play blog catch up, this is what we found on our walk today by the lake. Sally Jane was going ga-ga over this toad. We brought him home and now will provide hours of entertainment for sure.

don't miss Chanel's great home pet story!

bird hat

running in the door from a great day walking down the George Washington Parkway to old town Alexandria and running out the door. I just had to post one photo from a beautiful spring day here. Sally Jane got to wear a bird for a hat. She stood perfectly still with the bird man put it on her head.

the rest of the day...

Wow, this week has brought some fun, springy good mail. I am loving that yesterday proved to give good weather to do some photos on my good mail tree.

Elizabeth, our Hawaii friend, just sent some awesome royal mail. I loved the stamps on the front, pineapple stickers everywhere and when I opened it all these silk flowers slide out. I loved it.


she put in these great flowers, that I will find a use for. I love that the reminded me of the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Amanda shared some of her creativity. With a fairy spring card.

It has this great poem on the back of this handmade bookmark/card. Thanks Amanda. Have you seen the amazing birthday box she put together for Chelsea's birthday.
Andrea, the shoe queen did a fast turn around. I am almost wondering if she drove it down here. Thanks for the yummy cheetah candy bar and shoe card, OK so how do you thank a thank you for a thank you....
Magazine subscriptions make the best gifts. my friends holly and Emily gave me "Food Everyday" for my birthday. Every month when i get it i think of them. Thanks again.
My cousin, Laurie M, sent this great card with an awesome envelope too. I love the string closure on envelopes.
Heather sent her baby announcements already, on the ball, wow! I loved that she used the Happy Birthday stamp, perfect way to announce a baby. They are great cards from tiny prints! love that site.
Jenny sent some great pink playing cards. I hope these bring me good luck so I can beat my husband in any card game we play. Yummy candy bars came too along with a great talk on Sacrifice and the Sacrament. Thanks. ( the candy bars were not available for the photo)

these fun pineapple socks and pink and green baking cups came from my mom, with a great card about not running faster than I have strength, oh how well does she know me. yikes.
i had ordered a bunch of stamps recently and these came the same day only in a different envelope. I threw the packaging away and think someone might have sent them to me! but I don't know who, because I know I didn't order them. So thank you to whomever did.

... and how in love am i with the graphic of the kids dancing around the tree!