GREAT FALLS THRIFT STORE JUNKIE

I'm still a little sweater obsessed. I haven't been lately to any of the second hand stores here in Bozeman, partially because they're a little expensive and I'm afraid I'll find a perfect sweater that's marked at $9 and won't be able to help but buy it.

Over the weekend we went to Great Falls. I haven't been since Thanksgiving, when I went on my first thrift shopping outing. I've had the itch to go back and right away Saturday morning went to check them out. There's 3 that I know how to get to and have a TON of stuff.

Salvation Army Bargains and Treasures
Scored 8 sweaters for less than $5!! Typically they're about $3/each, but I hit it just right with the time that I got a couple of really good deals : )

Goodwill
Found the most "fashionable" sweaters here. .. meaning ones with more of a pattern, which are what I really like to make my mittens out of. They're just a little more fun that way.

St Vincent de Paul
Didn't have so much luck here with great deals or finding many sweaters mostly made of wool. I did find a wool sweater dress! And an old men's jacket that I'm gonna tear apart for a bag or a hat. .. we'll see.

Also am going to try make some fun hats with any extra pieces!

LIST 2: NO THANK YOU . . . I'LL PASS

(Also known as things that I will not eat)

I am a very plain girl when it comes to food. There are many, many, many things that I will not eat and really gross me out that so many other people absolutely love. If you ever invite me to dinner, do not be offended that my plate will look like it belongs to a bird or worry that I got enough to eat . . . I'm just really, really picky.

1 - Pickles: If you had pickles yesterday, I'll smell it . . .

2 - Peanut Butter: Just a jelly bread for me please . . .

3 - Spaghetti Sauce: With butter and parmesan only . . .

4 - Hot Dogs and Burgers: I'll just take the bun . . .

5 - Coffee: Gross, gross, gross . . .

6 - Beer: This makes me an expensive date . . .

7 - Seafood/Sushi: I grew up in Alaska and do not eat fish . . .

8 - Eggs: Really . .no thank you . ..

9 - Flavored Chips: Just plain chips . . .

10 - Ranch Dressing: Or any other condiments for that matter . . .

11 - Yogurt: Tastes funny. . .

12 - Sandwiches: I will eat a grilled cheese . . .

13 - Cooked Vegetables: I don't like mushy food . . .

14 - Fancy Pizza: But Pepperoni rocks my world . . .

15 - Bananas: Again, the mushy thing. . .

16 - Soup: Mixing things together and letting them get soggy is just not smart. . .

MY FIRST KNIT HAT

I've known how to crochet for years, but just in the last year learned to knit. I'd been given Hats, Mittens, and Scarves: 25 Cool and Cozy Projects before knowing how and was very excited after a few basic scarves to try my first hat.

It was made over a weekend trip, Thanksgiving maybe?, in Great Falls, for one of the little boys I watch. I love how it turned out and was very glad that it fits him. He's not much of a hat boy right now, but he does keep it on while we are outside during trips in and out of buildings and vehicles. He loves letting me put it on his head, just to take it off and laugh and do it all over again.

PERFECT RECIPE BOX

I have many cookbooks. How often do I use them? Rarely.

Every now and then when I'm looking to make something for the first time, but so often it's a cookie recipe I got from my mom or something I tore from a magazine or something scrawled on the back of an envelope. All these lonely and random recipes needed a home. I was not having much luck finding a recipe box and figured it wouldn't be that difficult to make my own.

I decided that I did not want it to have a top and that it would be something to keep out. I found a 5x5?? box at Micheal's . . painted the inside. . .mod podged some paper to the outside . . .created some dividers for different types of recipes . .. and ta da! . . .perfect recipe box : )

And it looks great next to my pear colored Kitchen-Aid . . .

LIST 1: THE THINGS IN MY BAG

After reading a few other blogs that have emptied their own bags for their 52 List projects I feel like the stuff in my bag is a little lame in comparison. Nothing too quirky. And really not that much. But at the same time a lot of it is stuff I have for a few "just in case" moments.

1 - Keys: a must

2 - Phone: most of the time on silent mode, unless I need to use it to make a call, I won't know that you've tried calling

3 - Planner: If you don't know what's going on, I do. As before mentioned I'm a big planner. There's little things that are okay.. .but if you're planning a camping trip and tell me the day before, I'll be opposed to going just on the basis of the short notice.

4 - Notebook: There's room in my planner for notes, but for all the random things I've got this. . .sometimes several notebooks. There's wish lists and a list of blog posts I mean to do. There's vacation plans. There's books I want to read. There's decorating ideas. There's a lot of really random stuff too.

5 - Lots of Pens: preferably from MacKenzie River Pizza and in blue ink

6 - Checkbook: I made it .. if you'd like one too, let me know : )

7 - Wallet: Love the hard case wallets, I have a few

8 - Business Card Case: I have some personal cards I've made, to give out for someone that needs a babysitter, or wants me to make something . .. and a few of Chad's, because he never has his own on him when he needs one!

9 - Pill Box: Rarely used, but the day I don't have it in my bag is the day I'll need some Advil

10 - Emergency Candy: A job lifesaver! The perfect bribe for a 3 and 5 year old to behave and get in return later . . . or to pacify an 18 month old having a cranky pants moment at a very imperfect time.

11 - Hair ties/Bobby Pins/Barrette: I wear my hair up a lot (Bert, if you ever read this, you were right), so there's a smattering of hair ties and bobby pins and a barrette I made in high school, which is one of my favorite things.

12 - Nail File: If I don't have it, I'll need it!

13 - Aveeno Chapstick: Discovered this a couple years ago at Target. It's a little more than some other kinds, but so worth it!

14 - Roll on Perfume/Lotion: Falling In Love by philosophy

15 - Emergency Make-Up: The kids don't care what I look like and I am not a morning person, most of the time I won't have anything on. If I do, it's because we went out the night before somewhere and I didn't take it off before bed. For all those last minute events that don't allow for me to go home and clean up I got this. It's a great little compact from Mark/Avon, which eyeshadow, blush, lip gloss and a mirror. Also a mini mascara/lip liner. It's an effort to embrace spontaneity and has done a pretty decent job is keeping me from freaking out too much at the last minute stuff.

CLUTCH LOVE

1. Old Navy Floral Bloom Clutch . . . is what started my so far "mild" clutch obsession. I needed an Old Navy fix the other day, it really had been at least 2 months, and found this clutch. I'd seen a tote bag in Real Simple with similar flowers and thought I may end up leaving with it. .. but it wasn't that awesome in person. The clutch I want. I'm trying to wait to see if it will go on sale, it's $19.50 regularly, but we'll see how long that lasts! I had a hard time finding it online, it isn't listed on Old Navy's website, but I somehow stumbled across it on a promotional site. While I was searching for it, I found these other clutches and the obsession begins.

2. Big Buddha Cosmopolitan Clutch
Love the offset closure! Would go with so many things, but would be more functional as a wallet, since it's so thin . . no room for my keys or phone : (

3. Fort Worth Flower Clutch
Super fun clutch! Seems a little bit small, but the colors are very spring!

4. Big Buddha Sasha Clutch
Would someone please buy this for me? Really. It's gorgeous!

5 SENSES FRIDAY* - BATHTIME EDITION

[SEE]
I love my bathtub . . . I love that there's a gazillion different lights in the bathroom so that I can light a couple candles and leave the dim light on just enough that I don't feel like I'm sitting in the dark. I just came across the fruit stand at World Market (on clearance!) and bought a few little dishes to keep all my little goodies in so nothing seems cluttered. The ledge around the tub is perfect for a glass of wine.

[SMELL]
Recently purchased Scentsy pot. Had an oil burner, but this works so much better. Cute little pot with a light bulb inside, melts little blocks of scented wax. I'm amazed as how well it works and that the smell isn't too overpowering. Right now it's filled with French Lavender.

[HEAR]
Borrowed speakers from my roommate. Should buy my own ..any one know of good ones? Either hooked up to a playlist on my IPod, or recently to Chad's ITouch that will let me log in to Pandora. Recently, a lot of Dave Matthews.

[TASTE]
Typically whatever bottle of wine that has a glass or two left in it from having friends over. I've had a few malbecs, this one is good, Layer Cake .. .and it comes with a screw cap! Smoking Loon Cabernet is also great.

[TOUCH/FEEL]
Bath and Body Works Lavender Chamomile. Bubble bath. Sugar scrub. Body lotion. Love it . . . especially right before crawling into clean sheets!

[*inspired by Curious Girl and Abby]

NEW FEATURES??

One of the wonderful things about nap time is the quiet time I get. Sometimes I bring a project to work on (that doesn't require lugging a bunch of stuff over) or a book to read. Occasionally I'll end up with nothing to do and while I'm kicking myself for not having something around, I end up checking out how creative other people are. I've had a list going of a few that I've been enjoying and just added them to my addiction of blogs.

There's so many things I see that other people have done that re-inspire me in a variety of ways. A few of them I've actually started doing . . . and hopefully can get it in gear enough to blog on as well!

Here's a few things I'm really into:
-- 52 Lists: by Hula Seventy (also seen on other blogs), like me she's a list-maker, and for 2010 is making a new list every week, on random things. .. like "Clothes I Loved Wearing As A Kid". Don't know that I'll keep up with this one weekly, but when I'm clever enough to come up with something that's list-worthy I'll try work something out

-- 5 Senses Friday: by Curious Girl and Abby, is really just what it implies . . . see, hear, smell, taste, feel . . . Have done a few 5 THINGS posts, but I like this better.

-- Interviews: Have seen on all kinds of blogs, right now I'm thinking it would be fun to have the kids I watch interview me. We'll see on this one. . .

-- Inspired by: Have posted a quote for this one already! Is really just a general topic for anything that I think just "clicks" with me. Blog posts from my favorite reads, a song, a photo, an anything.

Stay tuned!

INSPIRED BY . . . .