Monday confessional - the blue glove

I'm sorry, it's another old picture of me. Say hello to my former, 17 year old, softball-playing self. 

(Why am I in the basketball gym you ask? That is a good question, and I have no explanation.)

When I joined the softball team it was really for the fun and social aspect of the sport, not because I was in any way athletically gifted or experienced (quite the opposite actually). To put it bluntly: I was clueless and without an ounce of natural talent. But as I went to a small school and the team needed numbers to play, I joined up with my best friend and ventured into the world of high school fast-pitch softball with enthusiasm.

The first step was to get me the proper gear, so my parents took me to a sports store to pick out a glove. In a very unfortunate turn of events that day, there was one glove in particular that was on a special sale, $20 cheaper than the other gloves, and it was bright blue. And of course my very frugal parents forced me to get it, instead of the black one that I wanted, and in my teenage opinion, RUINED MY LIFE. 

All I saw ahead of me was laughter and ridicule for not having a brown or black glove like all the other players, and I'm pretty sure I wanted to quit the team right then and there. 

There was much coercing and reassuring however, and I braved the first practice with my bright blue glove and found that I was the only one that really cared after all (those darn parents that are always right!).

I was still embarrassed about it though... enough so that when it was announced at school one day that the girls softball team would be practicing at an away field with the boys baseball team that afternoon I felt the need to get out of practice pronto. I didn't want boys to see my glove!

So I lied. I made up a story about it being "my time of the month" and having terrible cramps and not being able to barely walk, and I skipped practice. Because of my blue glove.

I am a dork. Little did I know that we would be traveling with the boys to away games quite often and not only would they see my glove but also my inability to catch a ball in the outfield or slide into base.

Turns out I had bigger problems to be embarrassed of than the color of my mitt.

Weekend report

This picture is hanging on our fridge right now, drawn by Cooper, for his older sister Kendall. 

"I like my sister because she never gives up and always is nice! & will play with every one no matter wat! and always plays fair"

Before you get all "awww, how sweet", you should know that Cooper was MADE to draw this picture to illustrate something he liked about Kendall, by me, his mother, after I found another story he wrote about a robot that he invented to kick his sister's butt and smack her face. It was illustrated. Classy.

I then had him give the new story and drawing to his sister, who loved it so much that she put it on the fridge herself and spelled out the magnet words above and below to hold it in place.

Note to self: don't tell daughter the background story to this drawing, obviously she was quite tickled by it.

In other news, I was alerted to the fact that my kids may have been listening to the song "Dynamite" a little too much when my daughter started singing "I throw my hands up in the air sometimes" and my almost 3 year old piped in, "singing aye-o, singing aye-o".

2nd note to self: give a refresher course on innocent & sweet nursery rhymes.  

Finally, guess what is back in the stores again?

That's right, my favorite seasonal treat. AND THE HEAVENS REJOICE!

Well I rejoice, I've had 3!

She's crafty!

Sarah, aka Bobbi Villa

When we arrived at the beach last weekend and got settled into our house, Sarah surprised us all with gifts: hand made totes and chocolate. Girlfriend knows the way to my heart - she bought me white chocolate truffles!

(No, of course they didn't make it back home with me, silly.)

Please note the bag: Sarah used a belt, skirt, and window valance, all from the Goodwill! I looove it.

Then Sarah proceeded to spend the next 48 hours making approximately 30 of these, in all different colors and textures, using material from old clothing, clearance tees from Old Navy, and fabric samples.

I wanted them ALL. But I'm a little fixated on yellow right now so this one won out.

Finally Sarah made this for her daughter... without any pattern at all.

I'm telling you, she is amazing! And this is just the tip of the iceberg, lately she has been building herself scrapbook tables, art for her walls and benches, and room decor. Oh and redoing her upstairs hallway!

It's crazy.

Dear Sarah: 

Thank you for the fun getaway 

and the super fun (and yum) gifts.

You are talented, my friend!

In a disgusting it comes so easy for you kind of way.

But the good kind of disgusting :)

Love Jodi

aka shopping partner-in-crime, aka non crafter,
aka forgetful photo packet misplacer ;)

p.s. let's not dwell on that fine moment of mine however.
You know, the one where I made everyone search
for my missing photos until you figured out
that I had just SCRAPBOOKED THEM ALL.

*Cringe* 

What I Wore Wednesday

I'm a little late to the party this week (due to blogger informing me that I've filled up my picasa web album's free space and would I like to purchase some more? What? No! Wait... do I have to? I don't know what to do! Help!) 

But here's my "What I Wore" post, linked to The Pleated Poppy once again.

Wednesday: grocery shopping
dress: Target
tee: Shade
cardigan: Old Navy - yard sale
leggings: Walmart
boots: Costco
belt: yard sale
necklace: thrifted

 
Thursday: Left for four nights at the coast with some girl friends for a scrapbooking getaway!
sweater: had for a while, Kohl's maybe?
cami: Diviine Modestee
jeans: Levi's - Kohl's
necklace: Payless
bracelets: Walmart

purple shoes: Plato's Closet - $6.00
bought yesterday while grocery shopping (shhhh)

 
Friday: day #1 of our girls getaway (yay for comfy sweats to craft in!)
I'm pretty sure no one will be interested in the outfit details of this one...

Saturday: day #2 of our girls getaway, shopping at the outlet mall
denim tunic: Charlotte Russe
cardigan: Old Navy - yard sale
leggings and boots: Walmart
necklace: Plato's Closet

The outlets did not disappoint this year! I bought $319.00 worth of clothing for $80.00!

Sunday: day 3 of our girls getaway, back to the outlets for more shopping! (I couldn't help myself)
 new plaid tunic: Dress barn outlet - clearance for $9.99
 new green cardy: Old Navy outlet - sale for $11.70
skinny jeans: Target
boots: Walmart
earrings: gift

 

 Monday: final day of our getaway, out to lunch on the way home
tunic: Kmart
new cream cardigan: Old Navy outlet: clearance for $7.49
belt, shoes and Gap jeans: Goodwill

flower pin: made by my friend Sarah on our getaway 
(she was a crafting MANIAC this weekend!)

Tuesday: bible study
cream tee: Shade
new cardigan: Old Navy outlet
jeans: Target
boots: Costco
scarf: gift
earrings: from my hubby

I'm looking forward to styling the rest of my shopping finds this coming week.

And laughing at myself for using the word "styling" now instead of just "wearing". But there is actually a difference I have found!

Fun at the Oregon coast

Yesterday I got back from a trip with my sister Kelly, my sister-in-law Tricia, and my good friends Sarah and Laura. I find it interesting that last year none of us were bloggers and now 4 out of the 5 of us are. Weird huh? Bloggers unite! 

I should preface this recap to say that while I was at the Oregon coast, I never actually went down to the beach. Oh no, that was not the purpose of this trip. This was a scrapbooking getaway, people, and if you have ever been to a scrapbooking getaway you know that it is ALL about the HOUSE. 

The living room

Ours was sweet. New, roomy, nicely furnished, and within view of the ocean, with the one downside being that the main living area was on the second floor of the three story home and we had to lug four 6 foot tables and all our scrapbooking gear up a precariously steep and narrow staircase to reach it. 

That's a lot of scrapbooking gear!

This was actually a major downside. If we didn't know we were going to be there for a whole 4 days we might have thrown our hands up in the air and decided to keep our gear in the car and watch movies all weekend long. As it was, by the time we finished loading in our stuff we were winded and sweating. And ready to letter a strongly worded note to the homeowner for nondisclosure. Instead we took ourselves out to dinner and then headed back to the house to get into comfy sweats and not emerge for 3 more days. It was wonderful. 

our setup

Laura, Kelly and Sarah in the kitchen, where there was MUCH eating of delicious food.

Except I did dress for a trip to the outlet mall on Saturday with Sarah. Out of the 5 of us we are definitely the shopaholics of the group and the others knew they would tire loooong before we ever did. Very wise. I decided to not buy anything that was not on clearance or super sale, and that is how I emerged from the outlets with $261.00 worth of merchandise for only $55.00. That's right, I was a shopping SUPER-STAR. 

Sarah and I high on shopping success

Trip #1 haul

The next day Tricia and Laura decided to go on a quick run to the outlets themselves and I could not help myself, I had to go back. I emerged with $58.00 worth of clothing for only $22.00 that time. It was epic. 

Me, Tricia and Laura after shopping trip #2

But that is how I spent all my money at the coast and then had to have my sister buy my lunch at Red Robin on the way home on Monday. And then I realized that I'd forgot to give Tricia gas money on the way down and had accidentally spent it on myself instead. BUDGETING FAIL. 

But did I tell you that I now have 10 new clothing items for $80.00? And that I saved a grand total of $242.00? TRIP SUCCESS.   

(But I owe ya Trish!)