Talk to Me - Invitations

I am looking for invitations for some things going on this summer.  I have checked a couple stores when I have been out shopping, but really haven't put a lot of work into looking for invitations and the places I have gone I haven't found what I am looking for. 

So I thought before I drove myself crazy searching for invitations I would check and see if any of you knew of a great place to get invitations...either online or in stores.  I am totally ok with making my own invitation or finding a place online where I can make them and get them delivered.  I just really want something easier and not too expensive.


Any tips/ideas?  Where do you get invitations for different events?

Our Version of Shopping

Oh hello there, sorry for my brief absence….I will now be catching up on posts and reading blogs!  As I mentioned, I had family in town for a nice long weekend and blogging was held to a minimum so I could spend time with the parental units!

So last year my mom, sister and I started a little mini-shopping weekend in early November to get all, or nearly all, of our shopping done for Christmas.  We have the weekend, as well as, Monday and Tuesday to do all of our shopping. It was such a hit last year, we continued it this year but made it with the entire family!  And for the record, I already have time off for next year as well.  It is fun to have a couple days off during the week to get our shopping done.

Now when I say we have a long weekend of shopping I think I may need to clarify exactly what I mean by this as it may be slightly different than what you may think of for a long weekend of shopping.   See, we don’t really shop for more than a few hours total during those 3-4 days but we do manage to get everything accomplished and buy for nearly everyone during those hours.  We are some of the most efficient shoppers around and do not just casually walk around the stores to peruse.  No!  We have a mission, we get it done, and we save a lot of money while doing so.

See while we enjoy shopping together, we only enjoy OUR version of shopping.  We do not enjoy crowds of people…nah we loathe them.  We want to shop and get out.  There is no just looking around for hours, if we cannot find something quickly then we move on to the next item and worry about that item another day.  This kind of shopping works for us and is actually very fun.  Actually, no other kind of shopping IS fun to us.  This is just how we roll.

So exactly how do we shop?  Well here are some of our rules for shopping.

1. Have a plan of attack.  This may be the most important rule.  We knew all the places before this trip that we wanted to shop and we knew what we wanted to get from all of those stores.  We also knew what stores would be busier on certain days and at certain times….and avoided them during those specified “bad” times. We divided up the shopping so we were only really shopping a couple hours each day and we were shopping in certain areas of town and not running all around.  Even our driving path is efficient, including very little or no backtracking.  We also mix the shopping up with doing other stuff that is fun like eating….we need our strength.  For instance: Sunday after a movie we hit The Andersons to do a little shopping and then had dinner. DONE.  Monday after slowly getting around and making sure to have coffee & breakfast we did some shopping locally in BG, then went to an early dinner near Fallen Timbers, and went to Barnes and Noble. DONE.  Tuesday we got up earlier (though not too early) and had our coffee then hit the Perrysburg area and shopped at Kohls, Best Buy, and Bed Bath & Beyond.  We grabbed lunch and were home by 3:00. DONE.  All 3 days we were not bothered by people, stores were not busy so we got through them quickly, and we got everything we wanted to get done efficiently and without getting annoyed.  See, if you have a plan of attack you do not get annoyed with shopping!

2. Online shop as much as possible.  This is HUGE in our house.  We love the online shopping, especially this time of year when there are so many sweet deals that usually include free shipping. Hello Amazon.  My mom and dad found some great online sales on items this year.  It is crazy what my mom has managed to save on items that K & I wanted from certain stores.  I am talking, like saving way more than was spent!  I mean, the stores were practically paying my parents to shop with them ;)  Suh-weeeet. And this past weekend they managed to save even more on Christmas gifts via online shopping.  Plus, online shopping allows us to sit at home in our sweats eating cookies and watching TV, thus avoiding going out in public or interacting with people all-together. The best way to shop if you ask me!

3. Coupons, Discounts, & Sales – OH MY!  It is rare that we buy something without some sort of discount….even just 10% off or free shipping.  Chances are if it is not on sale, we will wait till it is.  All the places we shopped, both in the stores or online, had huge sales. Saving money is cool!  At Kohl’s mom and I both managed to save 40% on our total orders. HOLLA!  It is so fun seeing that you saved XX amount and only had to spend XX.  Granted, I am sure they bump up prices anyway so they have more room to discount…but whatever.  I was going to buy the item no matter what, so it is nice to think I got a big deal on it!  So we make sure we know what the sales are and have all our coupons in hand.  And if you think to buy something last minute while you are out and there is no coupon, do like I did and take your parents phone and check sales on the internet to see where the best deal is!

4.  No dilly-dallying.  Now I am not saying we run into a store and don’t look around a bit, but we keep the browsing to a minimum.  We pretty much know what we want to get people for Christmas, so there is no need to just look at everything in the store.  We are not shopping for ourselves, we are getting stuff for others and we have a list and a budget and shop with that in mind.  And don't really shop if we don't know what people want.  We do skim items and see if anything catches our eyes but if not then we move on….and quickly.  We got through Kohl’s, Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond in just under 2 hours and had a bunch of bags and bought everything we wanted. Quick shopping = Good shopping.

So that is how we shop.  It may not be for everyone, but it works for us! And it is not that we don’t enjoy shopping, it is we just don’t browse much as we already know what we want or like. Get in, get out, and save....that is our motto!

How do you shop?  Are you like us? Do you like to spend all day shopping?  Somewhere in the middle?  Do you have your Christmas shopping done?!?!  

I love to get my done early....preferably before Thanksgiving.

The Wonder That is a New Purse. A Story by WK

So I do believe I am not alone when I talk about the feelings one gets when you buy yourself a new purse. Up until a few weeks ago I had not bought a new purse in a couple years, but when you find one you love it can change your life. (A slight exaggeration? Possibly.) This is the story of my new purse. This is a Dramatization. (aka, I have an overactive imagination, nothing to blog about, and too much time on my hands.)



A few weeks ago I was at the store looking for a few gifts for friends. Now typically I loathe shopping, but this day was a little different. I was in a good mood, the store was nearly empty, I had a gift card that I was anxiously awaiting to use, and because of this there seemed to be a slight skip in my step (mainly due to the fact that I had tripped coming down the steps earlier that day) and so I decided at that moment I would do a little looking for myself. Now shopping for myself can always be a bit of a risk if I am not in the right mood because if I am shopping for something particular and do not find it or find it but it doesn’t fit I get in a funk, but looking is just when I do a quick once around the store and if I do not see anything I like I leave and I never feel disappointed. It works for me.

So as I was looking I started with the things that always seem to fit me best, jewelry and hats. After perusing that section for no more than 2 minutes (seriously that is how long my attention span is when shopping or looking) I found myself walking past the purses. As I made my way through the purses I giggled at some of the ridiculous styles of purses available and tried to imagine the type of person who would actually buy that purse. Of course imagining that person made me LQTMS* just a little more. After a good chuckle I started to head out of that section as I didn’t want to stay too long and risk the possibility of running into another individual in the store. Seriously, being around another person when at the store is a total buzz kill. However, as I began to leave something caught my attention. I glanced over and saw a purse sitting on the shelf behind a bedazzled clutch and metallic hobo bag. I walked closer, intrigued by what appeared to be an awesome purse, but skeptical that this could be the purse I have been looking for. I grabbed the purse, being careful to hide it from potential onlookers because I did not want them to see the gem I may have just found until I had a chance to look it over. Upon further inspection I become giddy inside thinking that the purse was, infact, everything I have wanted and absolutely perfect. It was the perfect style, the perfect color, it hung off my shoulder like it was designed for me and me alone, and I knew that this is the purse I was destined to be with forever (or until trends change in 2011).

I looked at the price tag knowing full well that the tag would be the only thing that would keep me and this purse apart. As I turned it over and glanced at the numbers I was filled with disappointment as I could not pay that much for a purse, even if it IS the best purse ever. Sadness filled my body as I reluctantly started to put the purse back on the shelf….but wait. This is Kohls. Kohl’s always has a sale and never sells anything at full price. What was I thinking? So I began to look around for the sale sign that will subconsciously say to me “hey, you deserve that purse so let me give you and only you a sweet deal.” And there it was, the deal I was looking for – 60% off …..SWEET!!! I could justify the purchase as not only was it on sale, but I also rationalized that this purse will be an investment and not just an accessory because I would use it forever-ish. I took the purse to the register smiling the whole way and looking at what I was about to purchase in absolute disbelief that this would soon be mine. I proudly displayed the purse on the counter so that the associate could see the purse in all of its beauty and then waited. I waited for them to acknowledge this wonderful item because even though I liked the purse I must also have the approval of a complete stranger to help validate this purchase. And then I heard those magic words “wow, what a cute purse” and internally I was exploding with joy. I nonchalantly talked about my new “investment” for the 2 minutes it took to seal the deal and as I finished and walked away I hoped that the girl at the register thought to herself, “what great style she has”.

As I drove home I thought about all the great things I was about to do with my new purse and how I could not get home soon enough to start this journey together. I got excited thinking about cleaning out my old purse and organizing my new one, I thought about the first time I would take my purse to work and all the compliments I would get, I thought about how much money I saved which means I could stop and get a latte and a scone on my way home, I thought about how I will never have to buy another purse again as this one is so perfect (well at least one in this style and color), and I thought about the conversation I would have with Terry when he would see the new purse:

T: “Another purse, don’t you have enough of those?”
Me: “Well having enough of anything is relative so I guess it depends on what “enough” really is?”
T: “Well you can’t argue with that logic. Enjoy your new purse it is beautiful.”
Me: “I will thank you!”
T: “No thank you for being so awesome. Would you like me to rub your back and play with your hair? I also made dinner and did all the dishes for you while you were gone.”

........Or something like that.


Anyways, it was a good day and I am very happy with my new purse. I have a feeling she will be around for a long time or at least a long time in purse years!

Here She Is!

Here she is doing the dishes.

Here she is getting ready to vacuum.

Here we are watching TV.

Yes, I understand I have way too much time on my hands. Terry was in Cincinnati, I blame him for leaving me alone with a camera and the interweb.

If interested, feel free to read my other purse posts HERE and HERE….don’t worry not as long as this one.

*Laughing Quietly to My Self.

In Case You Were Wondering...

I will return to my regular blogging later this week, however at the moment I have been spending the past few days shopping and hanging out with my sister and mom!

Life is good :)

I Want That!

Have you ever seen the show, I Want That! on Fine Living Network?

"See how new technologies keep you connected and entertained, while others can improve your house's energy efficiency, saving money and resources. Whether you're actually in the market or just daydreaming, I Want That! is your guide to the unique innovations, high-tech gadgets, and newest design trends that make your home more stylish, fun, and efficient!"

T & I LOVE watching this show. We like seeing the completely ridiculous items out there people buy (like THIS) and the completely awesome things we want. Here are some Featured Items from the show. There are some great gift ideas, we actually have a few ideas for Christmas this year. There is also I Want That! Kitchens, I Want That! Baths, and I Want That! Tech Toys.

Watch this. I guarantee you will say I Want That at least once.

Attention Holiday Shoppers....

I posted something about this last year, but as a reminder if you are one of those crazy...I mean brave (I kid) day after Thanksgiving shoppers, this is the website for you!

Click here.

It has tons of ads for what will be going on sale for Black Friday shopping and sales that stores may have leading up to the big shopping day.

Reason #78 why I love Amazon…..

They like to surprise me!

So about a month ago I placed an order for some pre-order items on Amazon.com. We ordered 4 different items that all had four different release dates. Since we got free shipping and handling on everything we ordered we decided to be patient and take the option where you ship everything together, instead of the option where you ship things as they become available but pay S&H on each order.

Our entire order was suppose to ship on May 13 but to my surprise about a week ago I got an email saying that one of my items was available and they were going to ship it for no extra charge! YAY!! Then today I got an email that said another one of our items was available and they wanted to ship THAT one as well to us free of charge – double bonus!!


Oh Amazon, you just keep on surprising me even after all these years!

A Great & Cool Craft Project!

I think I am in the mood to shop today! hehe

I think these vintage record bowls are SO fantastic! T&I love records and have a few record players. I am very into vintage things and just think these are WAY cool! And I am always up for a fun new craft project!

T & I have been searching for some cheap records so that I can make a bunch of these bowls. I have a few records; I would have more however my husband (the anal record collector he is) only wants me to use certain types of records to make these bowls, says some just won't work right. Whatev!

Here is how you can make these (like the pic above) however, if you just want to buy them done and perfect (bottom pic - $26) click here!!

1. Get some cheap and useless vinyl records. (Unless you are married to my husband)
2. Preheat your oven to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Place your record on the center of an upside down pot or metal bowl. Put this onto a baking sheet.
4. Put this into the oven. Keep a close watch because each vinyl starts to "flop" at a different time. It usually takes 4-8 minutes.
5. Take the whole thing out of the oven (wearing oven mitts, of course) once you notice some real "flopping" going on.
6. Put your record into another bowl and shape it around that, or you can hand mold it. Sometimes, you might like the way it looks right as you take it out of the oven; if so, skip the molding.
7. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
8. Flip it over.

9. Put your bowl to use!

Way Cute!

I think these retro aprons are WAY cute! I really want to order one!

The website is bellapamella (Click here). They are $40.

I saw them in a magazine, and I just think they are totally cute! And as I do cook and enjoy cooking (yes I do dad - hehe) I think it would be cool to own an apron, though this may just be my special occasion apron to wear. Like I put it on before I serve dinner to look cute - I wouldn't want to get it dirty ;-)

For Those Non-Shoppers Who Like to Shop!

Ok, for all those people who do like to shop but do not necessarily like to leave the house, fight the crowds, or get up up early (you are probably an on-line shopper) but want to partake in the great deals of Black Friday here is the way to get the best of both worlds through online shopping!

We all know about Black Friday but apparently there is also something called cyber Monday which is the big kick off to the holiday online shopping. Online shopping is my FAVORITE!!! I LOVE it!

This coming Monday (following the black Friday deals) online stores will be having a bunch of online sales of their own!! Great deals, free shipping, you name it!!!

Here is a website you can go to. http://www.cybermonday.com/

I think you can shop through them, or just click on the stores and shop through the stores. Not exactly sure how their site works, but if anything it is a great link to a plethora of deals!

Just wanted to pass on to my fellow online shoppers...Monday is a great day to go shopping (from your house)!!

SAVE SAVE SAVE!!!!

So I can not remember if I mentioned this last year around the holidays, but I am doing it again!

For those who like to save a little money (and who doesn't) I have a website you HAVE to visit!

http://bfads.net/

This is the Black Friday Ad website (aka the shopping day after thanksgiving)

This site has a bunch of stores and shows you BEFORE regular ads come out to us what will be on sale, how much, if it is early bird, ratings of the product, if there are rebates and could even have pictures!

If you go and sign up (put your email in) it will email you ads! Also, this isn't JUST for the day after Thanksgiving, they are already showing where to get stuff now!

Amazon.com is Amazing!

So last night (Thursday, September 20, 2007) at approximately 5:45 p.m. eastern standard time I placed an order on Amazon.com.

I ordered two DVD's for my husbands birthday which were in stock. I went with two day shipping on the order which would make the estimated delivery date Monday, September 24, 2007.

At 9:57 a.m. on Friday, September 21, 2007 I got a knock on the door. A UPS man was dropping off a package on our front step. (Now, I am expecting something else in the mail so I thought it was that.) However, to my absolute amazement, sitting on our front step was an Amazon.com box!!

Seriously...16 hours later I have exactly what I ordered on my front steps!

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!?!?!

I have always liked to order stuff from Amazon and have always been happy with their delivery, but this is ridiculous!!! It is like they knew what I was going to order before I ordered it and had it ready!

I am by NO means complaining - but just completely amazed by how quick they sent me my package. On the package it says next day UPS but they didn't charge me for that. :-) It is this little surprise that totally made my day!!!

I love you Amazon! Thank you for your exceptional service! I will continue to be a loyal customer!!!

I want this.......

Holy smokes folks!!! I got so super excited when I was looking at the Target website and came across this awesome little treasure!!!

It is called the Sweet Machine and it is a small candy dispenser that works like those crane games!!! SO COOL!!!

"Keeping candy on your desk is more fun with this carnival-inspired treat dispenser. Plastic construction. Turn carnival music off or on; use levers to control crane to pick up candy."

AWESOME!!!! Click here

It is only available online and is only $33!!! sweet!

Who knows how great the machine works, but I love fun stuff like this and it would totally be worth my money to have this on my desk!!! It will entertain me AND make those greedy candy eating people work for their candy! love it! :)

I'll Take Them!

So I came across these online today. They are called FitFlops and if they do what they claim to do, they could be every woman’s dream shoe!

“They are UK’s hottest new fitness shoe! Every step you take in the FitFlop helps tone and trim your legs. Half sexy streamlining, half muscle-toning trainer, the FitFlop is the shoe to have this summer. FitFlops load your leg muscles more so you get a workout while you walk.

Every step you take while wearing FitFlops helps tone and trim your thighs, calves and glutes via a uniquely built multi-density midsole. In fact, they’re engineered to absorb shock, lessen joint strain and recreate the gait of barefoot walking with a powerful new built-in micro-wobbleboard workout-enhancing effect.”

So basically what I am hearing is you put these flip flops on, walk and these little wonders will help tone your thighs, calves and butt?!?!?!

Um – hell yeah I want a pair!

So currently they are sold at select Bath & Body Work stores and pre-order at Bliss.com. They seem to be about $45 for a pair. I don’t know folks….I may like a pair of these!!!


(So do you believe these shoes can do what they claim?)

This Sounds Fun!

T & I saw this at the store the other day. Hasbro has a new product called Tooth Tunes! Basically they are toothbrushes that play a 2 minute song (the minimum time you should brush your teeth) but they supposedly play the music through your teeth! It says on the website that you touch the toothbrush to your teeth and the bristles send music through your teeth into your head! AWESOME!

Click Here for the website.

The product is $10 and plays songs from bands like Black Eyed Peas, Beach Boys, the song from Napoleon Dynamite, KISS, Queen...and my personal fav. YMCA by the Village People! HAHA Who wouldn't want to brush their teeth for at least 4 minutes each day while listening to the YMCA playing in your head?!?! (that wouldn't drive you crazy at all)

Anyways, I may just go and buy one to try it out. It just sounds interesting! I may go with the Napoleon Dynamite one - FUN! I actually think this is a very fun idea for kids! I will let you know how it works!!

Other tooth tune suggestions: Book in a toothbrush, News in a toothbrush, encouragement in a toothbrush, or Recipes in a toothbrush. 2 minute clips of these would be awesome!!! ;-)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE These!!!!!

So my friend A (her blog here) emailed me these pics of rainboots from target yesterday! (How nice was that!!!)

Let me tell you folks – I am in love!!! First off target just has some amazing shoes in general right now! But their rainboots are all SO cute! There are so many pairs I would like to buy! However, the hearts and skulls and the skulls and swords are by FAR my favorite ones!!! I am on buying probation since my birthday is this month so I guarantee as soon as my birthday is over I am going to be up at target buying at least one (if not both) of these rainboots!

Thanks again A., you totally made my day!

I think She is Addicted Now....

This past Friday after work my sister and I decided to spend some quality time together and head up to Toledo to go shopping! She had never experienced the wonderfulness that is Target so we decided to go there and Best Buy.

I have to say it was SO nice to spend time with my sister! We were out and about for nearly 3 hours and I had a blast! Neither of us our much of shoppers....we don't really like to browse or fight crowds. However, Target wasn't at all crowded and it was just nice to walk around casually looking at whatever we could find! We were in the store for about an hour and enjoyed EVERY moment of it! We also got some kick-ass deals! yesssss I think she is addicted now! I am SO glad she came up to school here, I really am enjoying spending time with her! (now if we can just get our parents up here...right K?!?! hehe)

Seriously..... Target Rocks!

See the matching shoes we got!