Holiday Musings

I haven't written in awhile because life has been throwing snowballs at me! Some have been fluffy and wet and fun...a few have been filled with sharp rocks. But either way, it's been a heck of a sled ride the past few weeks. During the past month, though, there are many, many moments of warmth and cheer. The lovely evening at my friend Nancy's house, drinking yummy chocolate martini's with her and Paula, watching the flames in the fireplace, as we sat in a beautifully (and tastefully, I might add) decorated home. Nancy's Christmas decorations are stunning. She should have her house on one of those Holiday Tours!! Made me want to simplify all my frippery.

Spending the evening with Paula and niece Natalie at our traditional Crown Shop Holiday Open House, I pushed through the crowds and sampled the food, and looked at everything many times over as we swept back and forth through the store. And nothing like a nice glass of wine or two (or three?) to make you enjoy being jostled as you try not to knock over any of the displays with your purse. Winning a door prize didn't lessen my enjoyment ;0) And then the pinnacle of the weekend - Holiday House! Talk about sensory overload! You leave exhausted to the tip of your toes, but what a trip to get there. A few of my favorite moments? Sharing a sandwich with Paula as we scratched off our lottery tickets, getting lost in the aisles (are you sure we didn't go down that one?), getting Christmas glassware for a steal, sampling cherry salsa, cherry jelly, cherry candy, and having Sarah join us in her cowboy boots! Many comments about them from strangers.

Oh, oh, oh - I forgot about our 'mini' Black Friday on Saturday :) It started with the Belk Charity Sale, and that day was like a whirlwind of unexpected excitement and joy. Panera in the morning, followed by the great bargains at Belk, a trip to the shiny new Chic-Fil-A with a free entree thrown in, over to June's Hallmark where I ended up with a big bag full of complimentary goodies, ending with a foray through Fresh Market for a feast of Thanksgiving samples. What a blast! Brunch and lunch for free, a bag of exceptionally nice goodies (for free, of course)....my kind of fun. Do I sound cheap? You wouldn't think so if you've seen all the money I've spent. Businesses spend a good deal of money on R&D, figuring out how to suck in people like me. I would say they've been quite successful in their endeavor.

Christmas was momentarily set aside as we readied ourselves for Thanksgiving. Allison came home early, which was a real treat. Watching her try to peel potatoes was my laugh of the week. She helped with the pie, too. I tried to use my food processor for the crust, but I've got to experiment abit more with it. Still, it was such a relief this year to cook yet clean the kitchen as I went along so it wouldn't be horrible when I got home after the big meal. What I learned from this holiday? Paula Deen's Lemon Fluff Cake is not that good even though it takes a long time to make, Fresh Market cranberry sauce is heavenly, it's good to shop early for Thanksgiving groceries, and there's no reason to make homemade bread when you can buy Mrs. Shubert's dinner rolls. I can eat the whole pan by myself.

After the family meal, Paula and I poured through the advertisements and the internet until our eyes were crossed. It sounds rather grueling, but actually it's a good time. As I'm always fond of saying, planning IS part of the experience. We make lists and check them twice, and then check on them again with Stephen, looking for not only the best deal but ways to have the the most fun! After we'd gone through our ads we set up our morning schedule, parted company, and went to bed early, eager for the 3 a.m. wake up call!

We were at the doors of Belk at 4 a.m. Natalie went with us again and Sarah met us there. Of course, they eventually had to go off on their own (secrets, secrets) but we met them through out the day at McDonald's for breakfast, on and off at the mall, and at Purple Cow for mimosas and lunch. Here's the places we visited and the moments that stand out. (Remember, we are the gurus of Black Friday.)
Belk - everyone running to grab the black boots for $19.99. I had to grab a pair, too. Didn't even try them on. Target 5 a.m. - the longer than long line to get in - OMG. I've never been at the END of one of those. But we didn't wait long to get in. And the security was so good that I filled out the online survey and told them so. Bargain? The $3.99 DVD's and my $9.99 Dirt Devil. Office Depot at 6 a.m. Totally messed up on what I saw in the advertisement. But still ended up with a good deal. Michaels - 25% off entire order including my candles and stocking stuffers. Walgreens - Buy one porch tree, get one free - fab! But I did have to throw in a really cute red and white soft scarf for myself! Who can resist at $3.49? Then we headed for Kohls. There wasn't a mad rush, but there were crowds. I had to wait at the register for a cart. It was nice taking a little time to actually shop. Best bargain? A mattress pad for $19.99. (It's the little things that bring me joy :) After a quick jog through Starbucks, we headed to the mall. It was too early for the majority of the teenage sleepyheads, so it was particularly nice. The Limited (free scarf), Natalie's Candy Store (free gummy bears), Bath & Body Works (no free stuff - boo) and the Hallmark Crown Shop (40% off one item, buy one-get one free socks and mug, 20% off another item, etc.) were our only stops, then it was off to lunch. A few more places after that - including Home Depot. We made it back to the house about 3 p.m. Whew!!! It's been 2 days and I'm still tired.

The things that stand out? Paula driving like a NYC cabbie - getting us there fast and in one piece, waiting in a short checkout line at the Electronics department at Target. Most people waited nearly an hour to get OUT of the store. Pouring over our lists at McDonald's, eating sample candies at the mall, and drinking mimosas while Sarah gave her Aunt Paula the cute little mouse (which doesn't sing or dance or shake or even squeal!) she had been admiring at Hallmark. Getting a call from a friend who got me the great bargain at Kohls, since I couldn't be at two places at 4 a.m. The funnest deals? The boots which I wore the next day, the 10 poinsettia's for $.99 apiece and the way my Dirt Devil vacuums up the leaves at the back door.

To Be Continued.....