Canton!

Yesterday my friend Becky and I went to Canton Texas which is an hour and half away from our places (she's also my next door neighbor). I had never been to canton before! They have what is called First Monday. It's like a gigantic flea market on hundreds of acres in tons of tents and pavillions on the weekends right before the first Monday of every month.

It was 40 degrees and I wore 5 shirts, gloves, long underwear, lip saver from Aveda, and a good pair of shoes.

Becky and I were on a mission. We did not want to stay all day, and I knew exactly what I was looking for. My list included a storage cabinet or buffet for my dining room, a chandelier, 2 vintage chairs to mismatch with my others at our dining table, writing desk, and any other treasure I thought I might "need"..... The whole place smelled like fair food, bad coffee, moth balls, and old people. I don't know how many people we saw on scooters pulling their carts behind them just in case of finding treasures. Some people go to Canton and stay the whole weekend because of all the shopping there is to do there. We saw motor homes, trailers, vans, trucks and any other big vehicle to carry things home in. So the people that bring the big vehicles and stay all weekend don't walk very fast. I mean they have 3 days to choose and gather and shop and eat! Becky and I on the other hand walked like Black Friday shoppers, weaving in a out of all the other people.

We found some amazing things! I didn't come home with my chandelier or any other thing that wasn't on the list in my mind, which is probably a good thing. I don't mind to wait for the perfect thing.

Also, these items I don't even need to rebuild or sand down or paint! There are a few changes I will make to the hutch I bought but I will keep you up to date on how that project is going, when I decide to start it.

There's nothing better than finding a good deal! And making an even better deal by negotiating! (which I'm still learning to do with my friend's help ;)

I think I spent around $200 for everything! My most favorite purchase was 2 magenta chairs! "When in doubt pick magenta!"

Becky

Espen added his chair on the table for the pic :)

color shot...color phase

my favorite thing about these is the magenta part

This is the before shot of the hutch...an after is soon to come!

you can tell the color better here :)

as is. Not going to have to paint it. Love that.

good thing Becky brought their truck! It all fit perfectly.

She found the cutest Green dresser for Saige! The little one in her tummy.

All in a daze...

First Idea shot

My little love...Who still calls me babe

Pulled our tree in through the window... it worked!

"Eppen's Chee"

Decorating the Tree

Love these little hands

A little black Friday purchase, excited about Advent

up to some trouble.... notice the lines on the dishwasher...

Found Markings here and inside a cabinet a little more major than this...

And here!

He told me "E bus!" "E-S-P-E-N-R-2-9" so thats his

name there written on the bus

(still haven't found the cap)

This bus has been through so much cream cheese!

It's weird when it dries. I've been wiping off the bus, the floor,

the wall, toes, hands and a little face.

Play the game

So I've been playing a game. It's called the Grocery Game. It was started by this woman named Teri Gault. Ryan and I saw her on the Donny Deutsch show when were were living in Houston...I thought it was cool then but didn't participate in it or learn anything more about it. It's just been recently that my friend, and now next door neighbor Becky, told me about it. She saves so much freaking money! She is teaching me the ins and outs of it all and I've been simply picking up a sunday paper full of great coupons which I date and file away, only to pull on them when its time to grocery shop. You go on to thegrocerygame.com and set up an account for a small fee every 2 months, put in your zip code, and in return, Teri gives you the participating stores in your area, and all of their deals and specials going on. You have to check it out!

Ryan is fully amazed and pretty much thinks i'm a super woman. Well thats what I feel like at least when I stand at the register and see my bill rack up to around $120, hand over my kroger card and it falls down to around $65 and then give a few coupons (which took me like 10 min to clip, because you only clip the ones Teri tells you to clip, hence, the small fee you pay for convenience) and ends at about $50. Thats what happened today. And that also included a 20 lb. turkey!

Some deals in the last few weeks have been so great!

- I bought a package of bacon, and with it came a dozen large eggs, box of bfast sausages, fruit cup, and english muffins all came free.

- Buy one get one free Wheat bread

- Evaporated Milk (for baking) free!

- Free Downy fabric softener

- Ghirardelli supreme brownie mix .99

...on and on! All name brand items, all great food! My friend Becky last week bought a gallon of milk for a dollar!!

In the words of Ryan "That's pretty awesome!! just sayin"

testing one, two

Found this pic, have no idea where we're going.

(my friend Aina just showed me how to use blogger.

Just trying it out this way)

Espen is 2!

October 31st Espen turned two years old. I hardly remember him being a little baby! now he's a big boy saying sentences, learning to share with his little friends, brushing his teeth, eating new foods...etc. I LOVE this age! Espen is very polite and uses his manners well. How can a little wicked heart be so polite? :) So many friends came out for his birthday party which was held in the courtyard outside of our place. Sunny and 70! Perfect. Most came in costume, I think more would have come in costume if we had actually included it on the invite. The invites are another issue. Anyway, such a great long day on Saturday! We are so grateful for our family and our friends!

Can't wait to show you pics and videos!

Fo Reals!

Back to blogging for reals this time! It could be the faster router that has made me feel excited again! Stay tuned as I learn how and what to do....

A little Question and Concern

This is where I need to tell the truth. I have no idea how to keep this blog alive or make it cool. I don't know how to really follow blogs, or put all the cool little things on my blog. I admit a very large portion of me doesn't want to take the time to do this. Yes I'm overwhelmed. I can't just continue to keep up pretenses. I can type. Got that going for me. I can barely upload photos, i wish i could upload photos like my friend Aina on her blog, but I have no clue how to do it and always forget to ask her.
I'm a perfectionist sometimes and i don't always want to publish something I've written unless its been edited a hundred times. I'm just getting back to the purpose of this blog and why it exists. I have many ideas for it...topics, pics, recipes (only 1 really), the way it should look....but now i beg the question--to myself, "Are you willing? Willing to stay with it and do what it takes?"
My writer side says YES! my transient side says "nah, whats the next thing?" My Artsy side says "maybe this should just be a photo blog" My Designer says "make it a fashion blog" .... see, very conflicting.
And. When I blog/post, who should i be writing to? Now i'm so confused! Am I writing to myself? To friends? Family? To the people who I wish read my blog? who would that be anyway?

Contemplating some very heavy things right now....