a creative and cynical mother, photographer and counselor
I was perusing the ole’ Kmart website because I was actually looking for a particular pair of boots one of my coworkers has that I absolutely fell in love with when I saw her wearing hers. She went to buy me some but no one knew my shoe size. 
Oh well.
So I was looking online to see if I could find them and didn’t. But I did find this:
I’d be all kinds of radtastic.
I read this article over at Baby Cheapskate (who is awesome) and I am so angry now. What a way to figure out how to get us to stop buying and selling second hand baby clothes and toys so that we HAVE to get back into stores doing our shopping.
This is such bullshit!
Aidan and I ventured out to the thrift store today. We found some really cute stuff and some things we could really use (like new interior doors – ours are the cheap wooden ones). I didn’t really take the time to dig through stuff. Since becoming a super-busy mom, I don’t spend a lot of time out. I’m always, “GO GO GO!!”
He’s napping. GO! Shower! GO! Do some web design! He’s in bed. GO! Give hubs cuddle time. GO! Back on the computer!
So when I go into stores, I usually have my shopping list in hand and I’m driving around like a mad woman. I don’t even bring the diaper bag in because I know we won’t be in there long.
It’s the story of my life.
I do need to slow down and breathe.
I used to stay out because it would put Aidan to sleep. Now I hurry so I don’t cut into his nap time/my free time. Sad, huh?
Anyways.
Back to Habitat for Humanity. I looked at the sewing machines and wandered around the entire furniture section (which has grown since I was last there). I found a cute brown chair, probably from the 60s that was in pretty good shape. It didn’t really grab me so I kept going.
Once I got to the back, there it was!!! A cute little velour, green chair that has a ruffley skirt around the bottom. It looked as though it was meant for young kids – say 6 or 7. Or little people.
It used to be a St. Patricks Day green, but since it has aging and has had many butts put up on it, it has faded. But not bad. It’s still so lovely. I plan to use it in photo shoots for babies and young kids. I CAN. NOT. WAIT!
Sorayah, Sadie gets first dibs!
I’ve got to get a background for it. I plan to get some kind of wallpaper type background that will look like Victorian style wallpaper: you know, with the raised velvet prints? Love it. I hope I find the perfect background that I envision!! Hobby Lobby, here I come!
After that, we went to Walmart to pick up some groceries and I found a toy for Aidan that is so cute! It’s drums for the bathtub! How have I missed these all this time?!
He thoroughly enjoyed them tonight while taking his first big boy bath. We took away the blow-up duckie tub.
I have pictures, so I’ll post them later.
Right now I have to
GO! Do some web design.
just so I could buy this. I received a Walmart ad in the paper yesterday and in it it had a baby bedding set that I absolutely fell in love with!! That and the furniture. I want it all!
I just saw a commercial on TV with two women walking through a wedding set-up and wondering where the items came from. Martha Stewart meets up with them and says, “Wal-Mart” and she smiles coyly.
Did she abandon K-Mart, or is she with both corporations?
A spice rack, that is. Mike and I were talking about chicken over the phone while I was at work this weekend and he was telling me some marinades that he saw at Wal-Mart. He mentioned lemon pepper and I told him we had the seasoning. Then it got me to thinking how over the summer we love grilling chicken and steaks (although we can’t afford it lately). Both of us love trying new marinades, sauces and seasonings.
I LOVE to cook. In case you didn’t know. He loves to grill.
I could really use a nice little organized spice rack to put all of my lovely spices in oh so neatly on my kitchen counter. It would make room for more cans in my cabinet and it would be neat. I could have even more of a selection as well, to look at while I’m not grilling the expensive steaks and chicken we won’t be cooking up anytime soon.
Nothing would make me happier right now, just to have it. My birthday is coming up on September 2nd if anyone is feeling generous!!
I’d love a Williams-Sonoma one:
I’d even settle for a Wal-Mart one:
or:
Yesterday I was watching TV when a commercial came on for a new designer for Target. His name is Sami HAyek, and immediately I wondered if he is related to Selma Hayek. The answer is yes, although I can’t find specifically if the name is the same as the Target guy, but I’m betting it is. Her father’s name was the same. Her brother is younger. The Target guy looks of the same nationality as her, so we’ll go with yes!
Anyways. He’s an amazing designer. I love his work because he uses lots of bold colors. Although I’m not into the style as part of how I’d decorate my house, I do love the look. I can appreciate great work. Here are a few of his things: 
I LOVE the piggy bank!!! I may actually get Aidan the dark grey and red one even though he already has one that actually matches his room.
Yesterday I took out a loan to pay off Toyota at 50% of what I really owed. They wanted to loan me an 00 amount so I rounded it up. This gave us an extra $90 almost.
I went to get my book I had ordered from BAM, but they didn’t have it anywhere. So I perused the computers section for something else and found an awesome photography book specifically focusing on weddings.
I flipped through it and really liked the information in it. I think I’ll be able to use it to help me tweak up my work insome areas as far as settings on my camera. I’ve been studying a lot lately on the settings and the different, fun things I can do. Last week at McKays, I picked up a book called Understanding Exposure that has some great info in it as well.
I really can’t wait to read through them some more. I’m glad that I got them instead of the web design book I had ordered, even though I still really want it.
I went online to BigLots.com and discovered that the Jennifer Farrell Collection is on sale at 25% off!! I am stoked because the grass type vase I want for my bedroom is part of that collection so that means it is now only $30!!! I don’t know if I have that now or not.
We’ll see!
While I was at work this week, I looked through the Sunday paper (as I regularly do) and saw some really cute things for very low prices at Target. As you read yesterday, I wanted to go last night and this was why.
Mike didn’t work today, so we ventured out for a little family outing. We went to Target first so I would have all the time in the world to spend in there.
those of you who join me in my love for Target know about the $1/$2.50 bins when you first walk in. I found the perfect card for Mike for Father’s Day and was looking for flip-flops. My Victoria’s Secret ones (that I stole from mom) are so tattered. I’ve had them for about 7 years and, well, they’ve lived up to their price. And I love them. I hate to part.
Anyhoo. I came across some jellies in the bins and tried them on and they were actually cute. I haven’t owned a pair of jellies since I was about 7 years old. Mike insisted that I buy them.
I wondered through the clothing section in search of the kick ass sales I saw on some Mossimo tanks and shorts. They weren’t really what I wanted. I did find some Converse pants (in case you didn’t know, they carry Converse everything now people!!!!) that were too long. I have a problem ALL THE TIME not being able to find pants that actually stop at my ankles or heels, not half a foot past them. Some other shorts I tried on just weren’t fitting. And of course you’ll never find anything in your size when it’s on sale, right?! I guess every woman in Cleveland is a size 8-10.
I did not buy any clothes.
I bought a little chair for Aidan to lounge in when he’s watching cartoons. It’s SO cute! He loves it, see:
It was only $35, too.
I always find so much stuff that I want at Target, in every section of the store. I have to contain myself. I’ve already started thinking about getting one of their Target credit cards. That’s probably a big no-no for me. But I can use it to build my credit back up since returning my Toyota. I haven’t checked on my credit score since that, but I’m sure it is not pretty. My score has always been in the mid-700s, so you can imagine what kind of blow that was to my pride.
After Target we went to Wal-Mart and got groceries. We found some really cool fake tropical floral leaves and so I bought one to see what it would look like in our room (yes, I just walked in there and held it up and judged with the rest of my bedroom in the background). I’m not sure what kind of arrangement I’ll make but it will look very good in there. I need more brown, though. I’m going to buy chocolate brown curtains…I think. That, or sheer curtains with dark brown matchstick blinds behind them. What do you guys think would look better based on the picture in my post? I really like the thought of sheer, or thin linen style curtains because it’s very clean and crisp looking as well as beachy looking. Target has some really cute ones. And the blinds are cheap at K-Mart.
I need to get something soon. It sucks not having anything up on my windows. The neighbors probably think I’m an exhibitionist.
If you haven’t firgured it out, I have a fetish with expensive italian leather purses…and Betsey Johnson!!! If you’ve read my blog for a while, you’ll know my sad story about my Louis Vuitton purse that I had since 7th grade.
Here is the one like it:
I will be replacing it soon. (And hopefully – if I’m lucky – I’ll find it in my mother’s shed one day)
This is the purse I hope to get for mother’s day:
I’m not sure if I want the purple one or the white one. The white one has gold that matches my gold BJ purse. I think I want the purple one.
