Shop Till You Drop ~ Black Friday Events

Are you shopped out?

Our most popular item at Winterfest was the Wine Bottle Necklace.

If you are interested in looking at one for a holiday gift,

 click here.

If you do not have an Etsy account and would like to purchase from me directly,

just leave a comment, or send me an email.

Were you out early yesterday?

Some stores opened at 3 am.

Well, Walmart is open 24/7...so some folks just didn't go to bed!

We left the house at 7 am and still got some awesome deals.

The guys met us for lunch.

We needed nourishment.

I can't show you what we all bought, cause that would spoil the surprise...

...but we certainly had a lot of fun.

Happy Shopping!

Take care,

~Natalie

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

We had tickets to go to a Minnesota Twins game.

I'm not sure who's the bigger fan...Hubby, or our Amy.

While the rest of us like the Twins...my Hubby and Amy know everything about them...their stats, their height and weight, where they went to high school, and the sports they played while in high school...

Breakfast...the most important meal of the day...

We were up and out early, as game time was 1:10...

We stayed out by the Mall of America and rode the lightrail downtown.

Tuesday's Tip of the Day here...

If you go to a Twins game, ride the lightrail downtown.

Then you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to park your vehicle.

And you all can have an 'adult beverage' at the game and not worry about who is going to drive back to the hotel.

The new Target Field...Wow...

And it was all decked out for Independence Day.

Check out this display of baseball caps.

Tuesday's Tip of the Day II

Always have your Sharpie handy in your purse...

...then there is no excuse for your favorite athletes to not sign your jersey.

Yes, that's Amy gathering signatures.

She was able to get three during their warm-up.

Meanwhile, Jake was receiving Birthday wishes from his family.

Hubby had scored 6 seats in...the...front...row...

Did you see us during the ESPN game highlights?!

Yes, that was us when that homerun ball bounced off the wall!!

There's no better way to spend Independence Day

than at a Baseball Game.

Now...it was not only Jake's birthday, but it was...

Jake's 21st birthday.

In keeping with the 'family friendly' theme of my blog...

And to Jake's mom, Becky, if you are reading this...

Well, to all mothers, actually...

You would be so proud of our young adults.

They are well behaved...

They are mature and responsible...

They make good choices...

Cheers!

Take care, everyone,

~Natalie

What's the Hurry?

It has been cold and crisp in the mornings here. When the alarm goes off...it is tough to think about getting up and out...I linger under my covers just a little too long. This morning was no different, so by the time I left the house, I was running 15 to 20 minutes late.


When I turned from 12th Avenue on to Dakota Street, I found myself in a long string of cars that was moving very slowly...I honestly didn't think it was possible to drive that slow. We were traveling at 5 - 7 mph. And just when I started to grumble to myself...a very familiar tune started to play on my radio...

Christmas Shoes

I have read the book...more than once.

I have seen the movie...more than once.

But today, that very slow driver was placed in front of me...

that very special song came on the radio...

I was given time to listen to the entire song from start to finish....

it certainly was a sign for me to slow down

and focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

Please take 5 minutes, click on the Christmas Shoes link and listen to the song...again.

Tuesday's Topics ~ Lucky Blog Girl and Cat Salad

It is raining so hard and for so long that we have a small pond in our back yard and a river running down the street in the front...The wind blew the patio furniture around breaking off some of our potted flowers...

So...those of you that follow my blog know that I have won more blog give aways than the average blogger. My hubby really wants to take me to Vegas to try my luck there. Anyway, I always just love the packages that come to me in the mail. It totally makes my day and hope that the packages that I send out also cheer someone else up...even just a little.

This delightful paperweight came a few weeks ago from Creations Anew. This has a special place on my desk. Please check out her web page. Robin's photography is beautiful.

Shortly after that, I won these adorable fabrics from Jane. I might have inherited the 'too pretty to use' syndrome from my mom...since I am not a quilter, I was not sure I could do these fabrics justice, so have entrusted them to a fellow South Dakota blogger and quilter...and I am anxious to see her wonderful creation. Please stop by to see both of these blogspots.

Another good blog friend and quilter, Mary, sent this perfect little pouch. It came in May...just when school was a bit stressful and I needed a pick-me-up. I use it in my purse to protect my camera.

At the end of May I won this book from Shauna. Perfect timing as school was out and I'm always looking for some good reads. This looks like something I will pass on to my daughters when I am finished.

I brought some of the broken-off flowers into the house and within less than a minute, Callie was right there.

She was relentless...Lucy, on the other hand...not interested...she's napping. The sweet flower, in its vase, is now in my bathroom, with the door closed.

An Old New Cook Book

We were cleaning the bookshelf at school the other day...getting rid of some outdated materials. This cookbook was going to go out in the trash, so I brought it home for a little trip down memory lane. The pictures and graphics are priceless; the tips are designed for a time when mom stayed home and prepared breakfast, lunch and supper for her family; and the recipes look pretty good too!

After I've had a good look at it...I am going to list it in my Etsy Supplies Shop...I'm sure someone will appreciate the vintage pages for a craft project of some sort...

Does this remind you of your favorite aunt's kitchen when you were growing up?

Things in My House Thursday III

My treasures...the items in our home are not expensive items...but have a wealth of sentimental value. My husband is a 'romantic'...while we were dating and first married, he surprised me with flowers many times. Sometimes fresh, sometimes silk. This arrangement was an anniveray gift

several years ago. The three books all bring a unique and special message. They coordinate in color despite the fact that they are gifts from three differnt individuals. 'The World according to Mister Rogers' is from one of my best friends, Lorie.

'Burnt Toast' is from my daughter.

'When I was a Girl' is from my Sister-In-Law.
All three were fun reads, and could be read over and over again!

The candle was also a gift from my dear husband.

"Families fill our lives with happiness and laughter....leaving us moments to treasure today and forever after."

Things In My House Thursday

My blog posts have been so random lately. I think now that school has started, I need to be a little more "organized". (If that's necessary in the blog world?!) Anyway, I like the "what's in my house" Thursday posts. I figure, I could do this every Thursday for 100 years and there would still be stuff to show you!!

This chest of drawers is in our dining room. On the left, candle holders from my aunt and uncle. He was in the airforce. They were living in Tehran, Iran for awhile and bought many lovely things. Both of them have since passed away. I miss my aunty Vivian very much! She was my favorite aunt on my dad's side of the family. She also treated my daughters as if they were her own grandchildren.

The vase was a wedding gift from one of my high school friends (so 27 years old). It has been broken and glued together (darn cats).

The little platter was given to us when the neighbors across the street moved away. They were native of India. Angels were a gift from dear friends when I had surgery two years ago. They sit atop of books that had belonged to my mother...one called 'Ideas and Ideals' and the other 'Heap O' Livin".

I want you to see the CooCoo Clock that hangs above. My mom traveled with friends to Europe several years ago...she had this shipped to us for a Christmas gift. It is such a treasure.