Home Goods Haul

$85.25

15 mile yard sale.  Getting up at 5:45, picking up a friend in what feels like the middle of the night, driving through the fog, dodging the deer running across the road... spending almost all day shopping at yard sales. Dragging my tired self in at the end of the day..... It was  all totally worth it.

The damage:

Boyd's Bears figurine. $3. It was in its original box with its "official" papers. Seems like this little one is a collectible. I just wanted him because I thought he (she?) was cute.

Purse. $3 (this one )

Wooden tray: $3

Glass full size mirror: $2

Little red stool: $2

I

Diary from 1910: $7

I started reading it and could not put it down. A diary from 1910. A woman in New Hampshire wrote this diary in 1910 . She talks about the weather a lot. I wish her handwriting was a little better. It is a chore reading it. But its fascinating.

Crystal dish with lid $5. This might be the best purchase of the day. This crystal bowl is still being sold at Dillards right now. This one was still in the box and still had the tag on it. It was $25 originally. Its going to sit in my bathroom holding cotton pads. 

Ina Garten cookbook, Family Style Meals $4

River Roads Cookbook IV, Warm Welcome $5

Thanksgiving magazine 2016: $.25 (I collect the Thanksgiving and Christmas ones)

Christmas present: new makeup bag for my friend Julie: $1

Oriental rug runner: $25, probably the second best purchase of the day. This is so thick and looks brand new.
Small wooden 3 leg table $5. Both of these have been situated in the upstairs hallway.

makeup organization, part 2b

The best laid plans....

my beautiful makeup organizational system was lost in the flood and  makeup organization part 2 didn't work. 

I've been forced to abandoned my plan of the makeup living in the Target silverware drawers that fit perfectly in the drawer and look so uniform and nice.

Makeup organization part 2b involves looking through the trash for sturdy small boxes. I've resorted to the not so fancy, temporary,  but better system of using the shallow top of random boxes, situated every which a way to hold each category. It has a lot of good points. It actually works, but.... there are still some issues. 

I've also accepted the fact, I need more space and commandeered a large deep drawer that is also scheduled for a makeup makeover.

The system, like so many other things in the house, is a work in progress. We are just not where we need to be. but... we are closer

72 hours in Miramar Beach, Florida

I have a little sunburn in October and I am quite happy about it.

to

Its hard to believe, but there are actually people who do not enjoy travelling for work. I am not one of those people. I consider a work trip to Florida one of the best perks of the job and a guaranteed stress-less three day weekend. I grabbed a girlfriend and off we went. 

There was a lot of beach sitting, shopping, snacking, napping, sitting on the balcony, playing in the water, coffee-ing, and more shopping, more snacking and general restful weekend-ing. 

makeup organization part 2

Two plastic silverware dividers from Target that costs $7.99 each fit perfectly, side by side, in the new makeup drawer in the new bathroom.

Not quite as nice as the makeup organization I had going on, but I'm excited to start.  (and yes, everything you see in that picture was lost in the flood)

ipsy

 

 

Like a guy that just don't get the hint, and wont go away (and you have to end up being rude and mean to him to make him stop calling).... I thought I had broken up with Ipsy. 

 

 

I honestly thought I had cancelled this, but here it is again and to my surprise,  I love it! Which has not happened for quite a few months.  I am excited about each thing!

 



 

 

 

 

 

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window:

Is it going to rain every single day this summer? It appears so. I am not a fan. But it does make for some pretty spectacular sunsets, of which I am a fan.

I am looking forward to:

Living downstairs again. Its been over 11 months and it is really starting to grate on my very.     last.     nerve.

I am looking forward to, part 2:

Four slabs of  white thunder granite with my name on it is making its way to my house now. Its last known location was New Orleans (allegedly). Its suppose to arrive "this week". (which is a special code my contract talks in where time does not mean what you think it means.... I haven't deciphered it yet.... "this week" means maybe next month? who knows? 2 weeks? cross your fingers? I'm beginning to think "New Orleans" is code as well.... it could mean Savannah? Dallas? New Delhi? who really knows....)

 Around the house:

I have to admit. It is starting to  kind of look like a real house again. The progress:

The built in china hutch in the breakfast nook. The carpet choice (last one on second row named Music Center) for the second stairs and upstairs room. The kitchen cabinets are painted (!!) and the view from the kitchen to the living room.

I am listening to:

Peaceful piano playlist on Spotify:  I read (here) that listening to instrumental music helps when you are on your very last nerve while working and increases productivity and focus. I need more of that. So far, I give it a big thumbs up.

I listening to, part 2:

Loyal Books. I just discovered it. Its free classic audio books. I have a goal to read more classics. So far I've read, The Great Gatsby (written in 1922) and Jane Eyre (written in 1847).

I am watching:

Netflix and not much else. I'm both patting myself on the back for having some TV to watch and ashamed of myself for wasting so much time on Netflix.  So far, I've watched every episode of the crown and the tudors and started watching the British Baking Show. My current obsession problem downfall interest is watching 90210, the old show I watched when I was in high school that they made a remake years later...  I am sucked in. I usually watch 2-3 episodes at a time (no commercials so it takes less than 2 hours to watch three shows), but sometimes I slip into a coma and stay up until midnight watching 4 or 5 back to back and then wonder where all my time went and why I'm so sleepy every morning. I've watched more movies in the last month than I have in the last year (like this one). Its pretty convenient to put it on the laptop while I crawl into bed but then, suddenly its two (or five) hours later... and refer to above comment.

I am reading:
 

I try not to start two Bible studies at the same time, but sometimes it just can not be helped.... but it is hard to keep up with. Thursday night Bible study at church, Fervent by Priscilla Shirer  and Saturday morning Bible study at church, 5 habits of a woman who doesn't quit by Nicki Koziarz. I am the one who chose the 5 habits book, so I have no one to blame but myself.  I read very little fiction, but just finished the The Lost Letter and I loved it.

I am cooking:

I am sure I have forgotten how to cook. See the state of the kitchen above.....

Quote to share:

I am linked at Simple Woman Daybook here

walmart box

 

 

Walmart  Beauty Box.

First, its $5. So its pretty darn good for that reason alone.

Second, there are always 7 products in it, so that's also a big plus.

Third, there are always useful things .... like a miniature deodorant. I put that in my desk at work.

Some of these things went straight into my suitcase- perfect little  travel size (makeup removers and dry shampoo).

This might be my favorite subscription beauty box.

A few things Im loving right now

 

Thomasville wood cream

I have no idea what this stuff is (furniture cream? like a moisturizer? for wood?) but it is amazing. You can imagine what a 1930s wood dresser looks like after sitting in five feet of muddy flood water for three days.... never mind..... You can not imagine what it would look like and you wouldn't believe me unless you saw it for yourself. But it was bad.The wood turned grey and the mud would not come off. So bad that the owner of a furniture restoration company told me to throw it away, there was nothing he could do for me. Instead I sat it in the garage. Periodically, I'd wash it down and try and clean some of the mud off. It took many serious washings sometimes with a scrub brush and wool, but it was finally free of mud but still looked bad. Really bad. Even in its condition, I decided it would be the vanity area in my guest bath.  It fit perfectly and  I planned to pass it off as very rustic, and shabby chic, heavy on the shabby. As a last ditch effort, I found this furniture cream at..... where else? TJ Maxx. I literally put half a bottle on it and let it soak in. My thinking: cant hurt anything now. The wood just soaked it in and it made the wood look 100 times better. It no longer looks old and cracked and brittle and grey. Its still old and wobbly and looks like it went through a flood, but it does look a lot better. I never thought I'd see the wood clean again! But here it is..... thanks Thomasville. Complaints.... none.

Maybelline lasting drama eyeliners

They are so smooth and creamy and  go on so easy and slick and wear forever.  I put it on about 7:30a and its still there at 9:30p when it take it off. I like them better than Loreal infallible. I like them so much I went back and got three more. Here is a youtube review (starts at 4:15). Complaints.... its hard to take off and I more often than not wake up with a little left on from yesterday. Its also so creamy you have to go slow and be careful when applying. It can get everywhere quick.

Rimmel Provolips

Everyone is wild about Lipscense ( review here). But its really expensive, and I heard this stuff was almost as good and literally lasts all day and it costs about $7.  It REALLY does last all day. You have to reapply the gloss but the color literally last all day. I always have it on when I go to take my makeup off at night, and sometimes, I even find  a little left on in the morning. We wont discuss the level of chemicals this things must have or that I'm shortening my life span, but this stuff works. I like it better than my old favorite. Complaints.... you have to go super slow when putting it on because once it is on, it is not coming off. Also, after 12 hours or so, you can really tell you have on long wearing lipstick. It is not as fresh looking. And last complaint, you have to really want to take this off and actually use makeup remover on your lips. I use this.

Ipsy and Sephora monthly box for June

Am I excited about anything? No. In fact, Ipsy just got itself cancelled....  how many black eyeliners and blue nail polish and very small samples of benefit blush or bronzer can one girl handle?   Me and Ipsy are on a break.

As far as Sephora, although I was not initially excited, I have since used the Tarte tinted moisturizer and LOVED it.  Nothing else was very exciting and I actually gave a few things away already.

tj maxx

Why did I go into TJ Maxx Wednesday night after church?

 

um.... I cant recall....

 

It was suppose to be a quick trip but ended up being over an hour and spending over... well, never mind.  It was more than I planned to spend but I justify it by saying I literally lost everything on the first floor of my house, surely I am entitled to a little joy and can go to TJ Maxx and get a few things every now and again! Its not like I was running wild at Macys or Nordstrom's for crying out loud! 

 

The flood has been very convenient to blame things on, cant sleep?  Eating too much junk? Shopping like crazy? PTSD from the flood.... We all medicate differently. Mine happens to be shopping. I could have worse habits.

 

What did I end up getting?

 

A nightgown, an expensive Lucky brand one very similar to this in a pink and about half the price. It is so comfortable. I really like it. I might go back and see if they have more of the same brand, because why? I lost all my night clothes in the flood...

 

 

 

Chloe perfume. I admit. I need no perfume. But it was on clearance and I love Chloe and I love it when I find a gift set with perfume and lotion. It was literally too cheap to pass up. I've ben wearing it everyday.

Natural deodorant, lens wipes for purse, and honey lotion all for no other reason than I needed them and they looked like good ones to try.

The same can be said of the bath bombs and the gift bag.  It was a co-workers birthday, I needed a little gift and there it was.

Electric hair brush. I actually thought I was buying a hair dryer shaped like a hairbrush but when I got it home, it was just an electric hairbrush straighter.  I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. I don't hate it enough to take it back. It was $14. I feel I can give it a try.

I took myself North



A three day weekend turned into a five day weekend turned into seeing three states. Because why not? Still not much can be done at my house right now, and this has turned into my year of travelling, as I have dubbed it.  I was in Vermont in late February, in Gulf Shores the first weekend in May. And I was in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts for the last weekend in May.  (I will be in Dallas and upstate NY later this year.)

I love Kennebunkport!  It is seriously my new favorite place and I cant wait to go back.  But it was cold. I never thought Id be bundled up in a wool coat on Memorial Day weekend. My nose was cold, my feet were cold, and I should have brought a hat!

Did some shopping.  That antique glass door knob is going on my bathroom door. The last time I was in Plymouth, MA, I went to the same antique store. I love having a regular shopping spot in Plymouth!! I collect the black toile trays  (here) and will add this to my collection. I actually bought two and they were so big I couldn't fit them in my suitcase! I had to mail them to myself. Is that a sign of a serious shopper or what? They were also a lot cheaper  and more plentiful than I find them around here.

A lot of eating. A lot of sightseeing.  (My feet were cold).

Spent some time sitting in a swing on my friend's front porch and sitting on her back deck staring out in the backyard flowers and pool.

Lets be honest, I haven't given New Hampshire much thought and wasn't sure what to expect... but I didn't expect it to look like this. Gorgeous. There are beaches in New Hampshire? Who knew? The cities at the beach look like they are still in the 1950s. They are charming.

Does my friend know me or what?! Even I was impressed to find my favorite lotion on the nightstand and an electric heater waiting in the guest room for her always cold Southern friend.  Sometime in the early hours every morning, she put her dog, Charlie Duncan, in my bed. He was excellent company.