February 17, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Handira Blanket Winner and Things I’m Craving

The winner of the Anthropologie Handira Blanket is Melinda. Congratulations! I will ship it out to you on Tuesday.

I loved reading about each of your peaceful places. It was so wonderful to have that imagery in my head. Thank you for that! It made my week entirely better. You are all so awesome. I just appreciate you so much. I want to hug you right now!

Next month is my one year blog anniversary! I am very excited about it! So, tune in on the tenth of next month for that one! I cannot wait! I have tried to make it special. : )

Thank you for all of your support and kindness. You make each one of my days happier. Fuller. More complete.

Things I’m Craving:

This month, I spent so much money on the Lace Study Dress, that my budget was primarily used up. I told myself I could not purchase anything unless it was $20 or under. Unfortunately, I am great at finding $20 and under. I managed to score some excellent popbacks. I got the Corca sweater for $20, the Illusione Top for $10 and the Lace Peplum Hoodie for $20. Three pieces for less than $50! Retail price for all three was $384.

I found this jacket that looks incredibly similar to the jacket I coveted on Elsie from A Beautiful Mess in November. Except hers sold out at $66. I was really sad I missed out on it and have been thinking about it for months. Then I found it. Sort of. I found mine last week at Forever 21. Cost after 30% off sale? $21! I will post a picture with it styled soon. I may or may not hold my dog in the process, stand in my dining room, and have my hair in a messy bun atop my head. Is that too ~~stalkery~~ ~~creepy~~ awesome?

I am coveting nothing at Anthropologie right now. I do not know what is going on, but I am not in love with any of the spring items that have come out (except for the Lace Study Dress I caress nightly). Although, if I could afford it, this beautiful lamp from last year would be coming home to me.

I cannot afford this jacket from Free People, but I think it is rad (a word I seem to be using a lot lately).

What I have been lusting after our books. I bought “Fan Girl,” “The Magician’s Elephant,” and “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.” I finished the first two and I am halfway through the third.

Because I absolutely adored “The Magician’s Elephant,” I also purchased “Flora and Ulysses” to read to my family this week.

And “Attachments.” Although, I think this author is brilliant, I do not care for her abrupt endings in the other two books I have read by her. I am hoping this one is different.

On Valentine’s Day, I made these brown sugar cakes for my family from this recipe. I will not be creating a full post about them. But if you like macadamia nuts, you will like the cake. If not (like my kids and myself, you probably will not). My husband loves macadamia nuts and loved it. Which is why I made it for my Valentine. : )

I am kind of burnt out on shopping. I picked up some coated Paige Denim Pants for 81% off at Nordstrom Rack and a tribal maxi cardigan from Forever 21 for $17 recently. I also couponed my butt off on Saturday and saved over 50% at the grocery store and got two loaves of french bread for .45 cents each in the process! Stick a fork in me, I’m done.

Also, I had to share what I came across on Friday night. I was turning all of the lights off in the house. I am a night owl. I am always the last person to bed. I was on my way to my bedroom when I heard a loud snort. That snort could only be coming from one thing. Ollie. But I looked around the floor and could not see him. I turned on the lights. And there he was. In my Corrigan chair. He was so ashamed at being caught where he knew he was not supposed to be, he would not look at me. I called his name numerous times. Nope. If he can’t see me, I can’t see him. Right? After these pictures were taken, I had to move him. You can imagine the snorts of indignation this produced!

Poor guy.

What are you craving this month? Are you excited or nonchalant about the stores’ spring items trickling in? Do you just want to crawl into a chair and not be seen? I can kind of see the appeal in that.

Snort.

January 16, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

The Winner Of The Blog Giveaway and Stuff I’m Craving

The winner of my 10th Month Blog Anniversary (I feel like such a teenager sometimes celebrating monthly, but it is more fun that way) is Cynthia! I love Cynthia over at Marcy Very Much. She is just the nicest girl. I met her a couple of months ago through blogging and her blog always makes me smile and laugh. Congratulations Cynthia!

Here are all of our words for the year 2014. They gave me goosebumps as I typed them all in. I just want everyone to get their word this year. I also can’t help but think together with all of our words, we would be unstoppable:

Magic
Calm 2
Love
Healthy 5
Breathe
Still
Enthusiasm
Finish
Peaceful
Thankful 2
Grateful 3
Joyful
Bake
Bounty
Faith
Content 3
Productive
Intentional
Vibrant
Fulfillment
Strength
Forward 2
Reflection
Health 2
Patience
Happy
Try
Grace
Relax
Miley (her daughter’s name)
Discovery
Present
Pregnant
Adventure
Carefree
Appreciative
Enjoy
Pleasant
Successful 2
Memorable
Growth
Fabulous
Unoffended
Greatness
Self-sufficient
Revitalize
Optimism
Change
Stillness
Serene
Balance

I would love to be almost all of those words (Of course, I can’t be Keiko’s daughter, although that would be fun) and my pregnancy time is long past (but, oh, this one I am so hopeful about Becky!). I also think some of the words are hard for me and to read them made me realize that I need to work on that aspect of myself. Like “unoffended.” Great word. Although spell check doesn’t think so. And “carefree.” I find both of those words to be difficult to do. I would love to be “grateful” every day as well. That is a good word to put things into perspective.

I also agree with Liana. Sometimes I get superstitious and do not want to voice my good hopes in case the universe reads it wrong. : ). “Pleasant” is a pretty good safe word.

I really hope we can all succeed in making our words a reality this year. I am lucky I have this blog to share on, but if you don’t have that option, you can always email me. My email address is on my “About Me” page. And you could vent. Or share. It usually takes me more time to respond to an email than a comment, but I will respond.

Thank you guys for entering and opening yourselves up by sharing your word. It made me so grateful for each of you. And hopeful for the future.

On To My Cravings:

I purchased four pairs of pants during the super sale Anthropologie had. And even though all four pants ended up being just a little more ($19) than full price would have been for just one pair, and I used my last gift card towards them, I am done shopping for the month. Sigh. It is also because I scored the Cultivar Boots on a popback. And the Ombra Shift dress for $30 instead of $200! But it means my shopping is over for the month. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Unless something pops back for $10 and then I have to buy it. I mean it would be a crime not to…right? ; )

Ahem. How many days until February?

Although I have to be even better in February because we are going on a trip to Las Vegas in March. My clothing budget will be obsolete. I do not really have any “Vegas” dresses. I am hoping to score a holiday party dress marked down 80-90% off retail price for the trip… A girl can dream can’t she?

And I am going to be honest. I am not really in love with anything new at Anthropologie right now. Well, except for two or three pieces:

The Savant Dress. I bought this (and used a gift card towards the purchase in December) in the black and white striped version. I adore it. The sleeves… I have a feeling with how popular this dress has been, Anthropologie is going to recreate the sleeves next season on everything. As they do. Then I will get tired of it. But for now, I love it. Hopefully, I will be able to buy the grey version one day.

The Bavay Dress is calling my name. I am ignoring her. I need her to be on sale. But she is lovely.

And speaking of cravings. I rushed home after getting my hair done last night and made chocolate chip cookies… For dinner. With wine (Yep. Feeling better!). But I only had one stick of butter. Who runs out of butter? I guess I do. And I was out of vanilla extract. Who runs… Oh, you get it. I need to get to the store. So, I substituted half of the caviar from a vanilla bean for the extract and just halved my recipe. Um, yum. I will definitely do that again!

Purchases I made in January:

I purchased these MiH Petite Casablanca Flares for $45 during the additional 25% off sale (at 11:30 the night they got discounted more). If these pants popback in your size, I highly recommend them. They are the perfect length for me and I am 5’6″. The color is a deep grey-purple. They are a stretchy velvet. I wore them today (Wednesday) and love them.

And these Citizens of Humanity Avedon Velvet Leggings in Antique Pink. I also purchased these as soon as they got discounted further that night while the 25% sale was still in effect. I have all ready worn them three times since I got them on Friday.

The pants were purchased in my usual size 29. And they both fit exactly how I would want them to.

By the way, both pictures of the pants are modeled by Anthropologie models. Not me. I can see how the similarity of our thighs could confuse you.

But their thighs aren’t clapping.

Yes. That is the only way to tell us apart.

Here is a picture of my Embroidered Ombra Shift Dress that I bought for 85% off. Woot! Woot!

What are your cravings lately? Do you give in? Last night I gave into my craving for chocolate chip cookies and wine. Two each, thank you! And well worth it.

I guess January isn’t so bad after all (knock on wood). Now that I can breathe. And think. And smile.

And drink… Wait… I all ready said that when I said, “smile.”

December 16, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

The Winner of The Giveaway and Gift Ideas

The Winner of the $25 e-gift card to Anthropologie is Kate B. (the first person to enter!). Congratulations! I hope you get something fabulous!

All of your comments were so sweet. And there were so many of them! So fun! I was going to do a reply to each, but being that I desperately need to actually accomplish some housework today, I am going to generalize. Sorry. I hope you forgive me! Thank you everyone who entered! You guys are the best. Most of you are looking forward to seeing family and friends and spending the next few weeks enjoying the season. I hope it turns out to be everything you wish it to be.

This blog is my only creative outlet. I had not written anything in thirteen years when I started it. It was incredibly scary (still is). And, as I find my way, I am so grateful to all of you who read my blog. Either every day or once in a while.

Thank you!

Doing the giveaways is my favorite part of the blog. I love to spread some of the joy that is given to me through your comments and views each month. So, thank you so much for entering. January 10th, there will be a new one!

With the holiday season here and the pressure mounting, I thought I would share some items I think are great for the kiddos and the men and women in your lives.

Here are some of my ideas:

For the little boy:

The Zombie Slayer Z Curve Bow. My son got this for his birthday in August. He uses it every single day. I have never seen him play with a toy more. When we take him to the park, the foam arrows actually make a whooshing noise through the air. So cool! The brand also carries other models. I know I paid $25 for the bow in August. Prices go up and down on Amazon, so you might want to shop around.

I have something to say you might not want to hear. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back. And Lego is making some pretty coveted sets starring these guys. Definitely on my son’s wishlist this year.

This Lego Minifigure Book is not only sneaky in that it gets your little guy reading, it also provides hours of entertainment. Kids love staring at the pictures of older minifigures and trying to recreate them at home.

For the little girl:

My daughter loved The Dork Diaries when she was in elementary school. They now sell the books in sets. The link will take you to Amazon, but Costco might have them even cheaper.

We bought this for one of our nieces at Costco. She is very into Monster High. She can change the heads and create her own monster. In fact, the set is called, Create A Monster Skultimate Set. I like that it is imaginative and looks like it could provide hours of play vs. a standard doll.

For our other niece (with an older brother), we also shopped at Costco for her, but we got her the Nerf Rebelle Guardian Crossbow. I wish they would have carried these fashionable pink toys when my daughter was little.

Speaking of which, on to the teenager:

Oh. The teenager. There is never such a hard person to buy for. Since my teenager reads my blog, I will not be posting what I actually purchased her. You know, not ruining Christmas, and all of that. But I do have some ideas, besides the obvious gift cards.

I recently found and ordered from (and received my order) an online store called Jinx. They sell apparel and accessories from video games. They have World of War Craft, Minecraft, Call of Duty, etc. I pretty much know anything I order from this website will be well received in the teenage world.

For the girl who doesn’t play video games, Sephora has really cute make up sets. I know I would be happy with any of them, too. Last year, this eyeliner kit was a huge success.

The mom in me had to include this. Who doesn’t like to give books? The Maze Runner series is my daughter’s very favorite. I have read it, too, and I thought it was good. In fact, she is trying to get my son to read it. This is a highly recommended read from a teenager.

For all kids big and small:

Finally, Target. Hidden amongst the aisles, and never at the checkout, Target has a little secret. They have the most fabulous gift card holders or kits that come free with your gift card when you load money onto it. This year, I snatched up some of these Pez dispensers. Not only are you giving a gift card, but also a (free) treat.

And they even had Hex Pup Gift Cards. All you pay for is the amount loaded onto the gift card. The Hex Pup is a bonus. Did I ever tell you I love you, Target? ‘Cause I do.

The man:

Did I say the teenager was hard to buy for? Cross that out. Enter the man. He doesn’t want anything. He doesn’t need anything. Don’t get him anything. Heard that before? Ugh! So frustrating! It makes Christmas shopping a zillion times harder. Because there are a million ways this can go wrong.

My husband had a big career move fifteen years ago and I had no idea what to get him. “I don’t need anything,” he said. So, I went to a card shop. And there on the shelves was a glass globe. And sitting in the glass globe were those angelic ~~freaky~~ little children. I knew. I just knew that that is what I should get him. I gingerly held the globe in my hand.

What’s this?

It plays music, too.

Oh, yes it did.

It played, “I will always love you.”

I bought it.

I gave it to him.

Oh my gosh, the look on his face. Priceless. It still makes me cry…with laughter, every single time I think about it.

So, in regards to my husband, I could never get him a better gift than that snowglobe. Every present since then has been a struggle.

I set the bar too high.

Since he does my links, I cannot post what I actually bought him. But I can post what I got him last year. That still counts, right? He loves his Google Nexus from last year. There is a new version this year, but since he didn’t need it, he didn’t get it. Seriously though, he uses this every day.

The Jambox. This wireless little speaker punches a sound. My husband loves to hook his nexus up to it.

If all else fails, get him something ~~you~~ he has always wanted. Is it your fault he wants to remain a mystery? Take this gorgeous ice cream maker as an example. I know it has been on my his wishlist for years. So, this year I finally bought me him one. I cannot wait to see his face when he opens it! Just kidding. I am terrible at keeping secrets. Especially big, funny ones. He actually wrapped this for me himself. It was too heavy for me to wield.

He really is the best.

And, thankfully, he likes ice cream.

For the woman:

A vest. I don’t care what vest. Vests are in. Every woman wants one. Anthropologie has a huge selection of them. My favorite right now is the Ruffled Hem Sweater Vest. I get compliments every single time I wear it. It is easy to throw on and actually look pulled together. However, there are many comments in its reviews that state this vest is not as long as shown in the pictures. I decided to do an experiment. I can see from the embarrassing picture above that that is in fact true. The vest is much longer on the model. I can’t tell if it is because of my hips. I am wearing the largest size it comes in for reference.

Jewelry. Yes. Even if she says she doesn’t want it, she does. Okay, scratch that. Not all jewelry. Not dog collar jewelry. And that is my last word on that.

I love the Anthropologie Bird of Happiness Necklace. I think it is lovely. The price tag is nice. Love it! Hint. Hint.

I love Anthology Magazine. A subscription to this periodical is always appreciated.

For anyone:

The gift of feeding someone else. Heifer International is a wonderful organization that provides impoverished families with livestock to raise. I think what they do is amazing. They have a gift book on their site that includes gifts of chickens all the way up to gifting a woman empowerment through a herd of goats or an education in creating a business. Chills. I love this organization.

A television series on DVD. I bought three seasons of Downton Abbey for my husband and myself. We just finished watched season one last night. I love giving the gift of entertainment.

I hope this helps! And if not, just show your gift recipient what they could have been gifted (ie: a snowglobe). They will never complain again!

Trust me…

I know.

P.S. I actually like snowglobes. There is something romantic about them. Just maybe not the best gift. For a man. Getting a promotion.

Do you have any gift suggestions? Who do you think is the hardest to buy for?

November 16, 2013 by gn0mel0ver

The Winner of The Clinique Set and Items To Drool Over

The winner of my 8th blog giveaway is Danielle! Congratulations! I hope you love it! Have a lovely weekend!

Warning: This post is LONG! You might not be able to read it on your phone. Sorry I was so wordy!:

I have been taking to posting items I am interested in on these posts in previous months. Here is the situation: I am kind of burnt out on shopping. And I have only been making extreme sale purchases. I am being boring. It is the holidays and I just find it hard to purchase for myself during this time.

I yearn to stay inside, put something in the oven to bake, and crawl under the covers to read a good book.

I will, however, show you some stuff I think is cool right now and share with you my best deal lately.

Our book club book this month is “The Storyteller” by Jodi Piccoult. I usually do not read her books, but this one was very good. Maybe one of the best books I have read in a very long time. I have a book review coming up, but since we have not met for book club yet, I do not want to spoil it. If you have the chance to read it, we can discuss it in a few weeks. That would be fun!

I got this sweater last week for $9.95 as a popback from Anthropologie. I was worried about the condition it would arrive in (because it was last year’s item) but it is perfect. It even has the original tags. It was called the Lace Cables Pullover. It retailed for $148. Score!

Okay. I was set on buying this. I wanted it. Elsie looks incredibly lovely in this jacket on A Beautiful Mess. It is The Beckett Jacket from Shop Sosie. It was $66, which is perfect for my budget right now. I have a rule going on with myself that I will not consider any article of clothing right now unless: the item has to be full price for under $75 and at least 50% off on sale. It has actually been a fun little game. I have been able to stretch my budget and I have been enjoying my sale pieces immensely! Unfortunately, I debated too long (three hours) on what size to order and the jacket sold out. So sad!

Look at what my sweet mom sent me in the mail last week (along with my nightly facial wipes).She is always sending me new mascaras to try. This Bobbi Brown one is so natural. I love it. Thank you, Mom! I love you!

I desperately need a new pair of black boots, but I keep buying brown. Black just does not seem to make it to sale and there is no way I am paying full price. In a dream world, these Empire Boots would stay in stock in my size and I could snag them (this one’s for you, Kirsten) for 1/2 off. I want the red ones, too. Awww, to dream.

And this Fern Forest Platter from Anthropologie. It is so beautiful. I am incredibly sad, because I waited and waited for the grey cake stand to go on sale. It did. I ordered it immediately. They cancelled the order a few days later. Since I will be waiting for this to go on sale, as well, I fear the same sad circumstance will occur. But, isn’t it pretty?

I did purchase the Petalblush Sweater Dress yesterday during Anthropologie’s new sale. I have been patiently waiting for this. And I love this dress minus the pink fluff. But I am willing to overlook that with this new price. Fingers crossed it ships!

And that is it for my wants this month. I have scooped up some fantastic finds on sale: two of them being the Elise Army Jacket for $20 and the Wisened Pullover for $50 (love! Photo coming up on Monday’s Reader Outfits on Effortless Anthropologie).

All of your comments on the giveaway post were so sweet. I decided to respond to them all here, because I just loved them all. They made me happy thoughout the week. Thank you! And my goodness, a lot of you are giving me baby fever! I had many a tug in my heart from your stories of little ones and pregnancy. I am responding to them here, because it would be too confusing during the giveaway.:

Keiko: Thank you! You are so sweet! I loved your story! Your daughter is so cute! I love that she posed herself AND her doll. So adorable. She will be raiding your closet in no time.

Bronzi: I love your description of the little boy. I could picture it. It was so sweet. You are right. Kids bring the most smiles.

Brynne Poore: first, thank you. You are always so kind to me.

Wow! That is an amazing patient! Seriously, Brynne, much better than me! I wonder if her twin was as sweet and calm? I loved your share. It made me happy. And want to be braver at the dentist. ; )

Jennifer: Thank you! It was definitely not spam at all! I had a lovely laugh in the morning. A few days later my friend told me she shared your video with her husband. She loved it so much! Thank you for sharing! And for the laughter!

Noelle: Thank you! I love your story of your son. Twenty two??!! Wow! I think it is so sweet that that is what he wanted for his birthday. I agree boys never do grow up. : ). We have a didgeridoo here. Does he want to start a band?

Jackeline: thank you! My friends and I were just talking about hot yoga classes today. I heard they are really hard! And you did two?! Wow! Good job! That is definitely a smile moment!

Alicia F.: that is so darling! It makes me yearn for the age of three again! Savor it and enjoy this “comfy” time. That was my favorite age! So precious!

Sam: Another friend was talking about this today. She said it is amazing. Good for you! I have not had that feeling in a very long time. ; )

Terry: Thank you so much! You are so lovely! Thank you for your kind words. And your daughter, too. Wow! Thanks!

I also love your attitude. I love that you are enjoying the customers and the holiday spirit. So many people get overwhelmed. I love that you are embracing it. And soaking in the joy. That makes me so happy!

Sarah: How delightful! Hanging out with friends is the best! Thank you for following! I hope this weekend is equally perfect!

Kara: thank you! You are busy! I loved the first birthday. The cake (that they never can understand) and the joy. And when are you due? I love that they will be so close together. I think that makes very close siblings. You made me smile with your blessings. Thank you!

Loraine: Hi! Thank you so much! 50th birthday! How fun! Did you guys do anything exciting for it? Tell him “Happy Birthday!” for me. I heard that that is the birthday that you feel truly at peace with yourself.

Jenny: First, that is awful for your real birthday! Oh my goodness! How scary! But what a sweet husband you have. I love that he surprised you. The last time my husband surprised me I was pregnant with my son. He is ten now. Needless to say, I am very jealous of you! I hope your make up birthday was wonderful. And happy belated birthday!

Jasberrie: thank you! That is wonderful, incredible news! I am so very happy for you! That is definitely reason to smile! I hope you see him soon!

Sawan Tate: thank your for following! I love that story. Being stuck is quite possibly one of the worst things. And that the baby was giggling and not crying is wonderful and so sweet. I love that such a little thing brought so much joy and lightened the mood! Thank you for sharing! : )

Danielle: First, congratulations! And thank you for following! And I love surprise phone calls from friends! I am so glad you received one. And I am glad it made you smile!

Deborah: Awww. Thank you! And what a fantastic mother you are! I love that you took your kids to the beach. Isn’t that the best type of tired? The happy satiated kind. I am glad you had a wonderful time and the kids will have the memory of their awesome mommy taking them to the beach!

Gwen: Thank you! Oh my gosh you made me smile and cringe with that story. For some reason, the inside of dogs ears give me the heebee jeebees. The thought of that little girl sticking her finger in that poor dog’s ear. Aaaahhh! Chills! I am glad you corrected her. Oh my goodness!

Sarah: Thank you for following! Yum! I want soup for days! Your comment immediately had me craving every kind of soup I know how to make. And then I could not decide on which to make. So I made none. This is reminding me to make a decision! I hope your soup for days was delicious! Thanks for the inspiration!

Tam: Thank you! And congratulations! I am so happy for you! That sounds wonderful. And I love love love your description of “fuzzy” boys! It puts an instant jovial picture in my head. I hope you love your new job! What an exciting time in your life!

Maggie: thank you! Of course I remember! And third trimester? Oh my goodness! How exciting! When are you due? And I love that you are looking at the positives. I was sick every single day up until three day before I gave birth to my daughter (tell me how I gained over seventy pounds?). It was miserable, but feeling the baby kick was enchanting. I love that you feel the same way! Congratulations! Hang in there! What an exciting holiday season you are going to have! : )

Jean: Thank you so much! The redwoods! Oh! How amazing! We wanted to go there desperately next year with our children, but decided it might cost too much with gas. You are making me rethink that. Was it beautiful? I love that you took your son! Good mommy!

Amy G.: Wow! Thank you so much! I very much appreciate that. You made me blush and smile at once. Sarah was incredibly sweet and generous to add my link to her post. I am so glad to have met you! Your comments were very much appreciated. I hope your holiday season is peaceful and happy!

Robyn: Thank you! Oh! And your story was amazing! I can picture him writing his name for his family. I got happy chills. Thank you for sharing! You and your story are inspiring!

On a side note, we must talk Disneyland soon! I am a fanatic!

Thatdamngreendress: Hi Sarah! You are so sweet! Thank you! I was surprised and touched by all of the wonderful memories shared here. I am glad that they made your week as happy as they have made mine. I, too, read them and they brought me joy when I was sad. I am glad you feel the same way! And thank you for the compliment! : )

Amy: that is so wonderful! I loved your story. And I also just loved how enthusiastically happy you are for your friend. That must have been a true Friendsgiving. I am just so glad that there are friendships in the world like yours. You make me want to have my own Friendsgiving!

Katie: thank you! And I love that you were able to spend the weekend with your grandparents. Your story made me smile and tear up. And I just love that you appreciate the time you have with them. I wish I had more time. I agree with you. A full life. And just so very many stories to tell! Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed your comment.

Vanessa: Thank you for following! Oh my goodness! You had me rolling! I love the things kids say. And you know, the belly button makes sense. I can see where she is coming from. That is so cute! Thank you for the smile!

Holli: Thank you! I do not even know what disc golf is, but it sounds like so much fun. I love spontaneous outings. I love that you guys just “did it!” And it definitely has been the perfect weather for it! I am glad you got to spend time with your husband and children! What a lovely day! Thank you for sharing! And now I want to play disc golf. As long as it is not strenuous (like opening a door).

Christina Carhart: thank you so much! I want you to know that your comment has stayed with me all week. It just reinstated my belief in the goodness in people. Because, you, Christina, are a good person. You brought tears to my eyes and goosebumps raised on my arms. I loved your story. Thank you so much for sharing. It is the little things. And I hope it comes back ten fold to you. Sweet girl!

Cynthia: Thank you! You are always so nice! I love surprise run ins with people I love! It is so unexpected. Truly a gift. I am glad that that brought you so much joy that day. Today I heard from my best friend and that made me smile. I know the feeling.

Lyn: Thank you for following! Oh my goodness. Too often I see people walk right by the Salvation Army people. I love that you are teaching your daughter kindness at a young age. Taking your seventy year old neighbor shopping is so kind. I am giving you a virtual hug. Having a two year old is tough, and you are thinking of others at the same time. Wow! I like you! You are inspiring.

Jen: So sweet! Hug her tight! How old is she? I make it a point to hug and kiss my daughter good night every night. It is easy for me to forget. Love is so important! Thank you for sharing!

Whatjesslikes: fun! What did you end up selecting? I love kitchen tile! Especially backsplashes! I think it is the easiest way to make a kitchen pop! Good luck on your project!

Katie: Thank you so much! Your story of your daughter and her teddy bear gave me new wrinkles around my eyes, because I smiled so hard. ; ). That is so cute! In kindergarten, both of my children had to bring home the stuffed gingerbread baby. Every child in the class got one night with him. Then the kids had to write a story. It was hilarious to read how many baths gingerbread baby got! It was amazing how in tact he still was by the end of it. And how clean. Thank you for your story and for the memories!

Beth: Oh! Thank you so much! I very much appreciate it! I love that you enjoy your students! And I agree, sometimes it is the older kids who say the funniest things. I am sure you could write a book with all that you hear. And your dog! Yes, my dogs give me joy every day, too. I understand! And white chocolate covered oreos?! Yum! I have never had these, but you make me want to try them now! What happy times! Thank you for sharing!

Puppyloveprincess: thank you for following! I LOVED your conversation with your preschool student. What an amazing fun job! I bet you hear the greatest things all day! I can only imagine. And that student is right. They are weird to not have noses! ; )

I have never heard of the blue jam color. The name is intriguing. I must go look it up. For all the good it will do me now.

Lisa Sommers: Thank you so much Lisa! I am glad you found me! : ). I love that you foster kittens. That is so sweet. Cynthia of the blog Marcy Very Much also does this. I bet you would enjoy her blog. It centers around her funny cat. You can click on it on the right. I hope your kitten finds a wonderful home. You are a beautiful human being to do what you do.

Ellie Johnson: How fun! I love that you are excited for your older brother! You are a great little sister! Thank you for sharing! : )

Christinad: Thank you for following! I really appreciate it. Your story made me so happy. I love that your sister did that for you. That is really sweet. I have a younger sister and I love her to pieces. There is nothing like the bond between sisters. Thank you so much for sharing your lovely story. And I hope you are feeling better!

ckaren09: Thank you for following! What your nephew said made me laugh. That is so cute. And that is the ultimate compliment. Nobody compares to mommy! So he really must think you are pretty! I love it! My sister is much prettier than me so that is not something I will ever hear. Thank you for sharing and for my grin!

Biancarogoveanu: Thank you so much for following my blog! You are right. We all should be smiling now. There is so much to be grateful for. I often overlook the smell of oranges and I am glad you reminded me. It is one of my favorites and not one I often associate with the holidays. Thank you for that visual. This is my favorite time of the year!

Kindra: Thank you so so much! That is kind of you! Your story is so cool. It gave me goosebumps. I love that you randomly saw each other. What a wonderful occurrence. And what a beautiful new memory. And the part about the security guard was just the icing on the cake. Thank you for the smile today! I appreciate it! I hope you guys keep in touch!

I hope everybody has a beautiful weekend! After Patrick Rothfuss’ blog entry yesterday, I am thinking his is probably going to be the best. I just love that man! Congratulations to him!

And congratulations again to you, Danielle!

I had an amazing week. And I wanted to thank some people for that.:

Thank you to Linda for tweeting my post yesterday! That was so sweet of you. I have no idea how to reply to you on Twitter, so I am doing that here! Thank you!

And thank you to Sarah from the SHUbox for including me in her blog post on Sunday. I love your pregnancy posts! I appreciate your blog and the beautiful effort you put into it. Thank you so much!

Also, Young House Love was incredibly kind yesterday when they featured one of my forum posts in their “Forum Foursome.” Thank you so very, very much! I am incredibly grateful!

Without Roxy at Effortless Anthropologie, I would never have had the courage to start a blog. Thank you Roxy!

Thank you everyone who stops by and reads my little blog. It still astounds me that anyone is reading what I am writing. Thank you for filling my life with joy!

Sorry for my rambling post! If you got to the end of this, you deserve a reward (not that this qualifies as one. But, hey! It’s all I’ve got! Maybe it will make you smile). Here is an incredibly unflattering, but funny picture of an outtake from yesterday’s Sean Astin post. May your weekend be filled with not making faces like this one!

Jenni

P.S. I have a batch of Anthropologie reviews going up tomorrow!

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

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