Rainy Days and Shopping

Buying something on sale is a very special feeling. In fact, the less I pay for something, the more it is worth to me. I have a dress that I paid so little for that I am afraid to wear it. I could spill something on it, and then how would I replace it for that amount of money? ~Rita Rudner

L-O-O-O-O-N-G day yesterday, made longer by the rainy, cold weather. It's incredible how quickly we get used to temps in the 80s, and yesterday it plunged down into the 40s and 50s and -- BRRRRRRRRRRR.

Aside from massive amounts of housecleaning, I went shopping.

I've been trying to find DD a swimsuit. This shouldn't have been such an ordeal, but she wanted a tankini (WAY easier for potty purposes), she wears women's sizes now (but only just barely ... she's in a 4/6, and there aren't many places that carry that size), but she's not "developed" really, and most of the women's suits come with preformed cups. Additionally, I'd like her to be at least a little modest, and nowadays that is a tough thing in and of itself.

We'd already tried the cheap places, to no avail. So I was headed out to Macys yesterday, when I realized I hadn't tried the L.L. Bean outlet yet and we were going to pass it en route.

Good move on my part.

Not only did we find a really cute tankini (in aqua with a little skirt and a sporty top that doesn't plunge to her navel, with cups appropriate for someone who is a size 4), but their skirts were half off, so DD picked up another cute denim one (she loves to wear skirts) and I found some croc-like clogs for only $8.99! I've been wearing my Target gardening clogs for three years -- they are SO comfy I can take long walks in them, but they're finally beginning to wear out and Target isn't carrying them this year (I was distraught).

Being me, I didn't want to shell out $40+ for Crocs, but I also was determined to get something that I could wear for hours at a time, and during my walks and if that meant Crocs, then so be it.

These L.L. Bean clogs are regularly priced $24.95, but they were so much cheaper at the outlet. DH thinks it's because of the color (HOT PINK!). I'm hardly a walking fashion statement, so I didn't care. And after I take a nice long walk in them and see if they'll work for that, I'm going back and buying every pair they have in my size.

:-)

I love a bargain.

Today is supposed to be sunnier, though not much warmer. Aside from the work I have to do on the LASR/WC site, I plan on getting outside and clearing more of the woods. DH is home today, so maybe he'll help with the heavy lifting this time. We'd like to move our two apricot trees (hopefully this won't kill them, but the apple trees behind them are getting so big, that the apricots aren't doing well anyway) and plant the peach tree. We're going to buy one more apple tree, and our orchard will be complete. I really REALLY wanted a cherry tree, but that is a favorite snack of Japanese beetles, and I decided I wasn't up for the battle.

What are you doing this weekend? Anything fun or interesting?

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You Are Imaginative and Idealistic

You are popular and well liked. You know how to please a crowd and work a room. You rely on yourself and yourself alone to figure out what's best. In your experience, the "experts" are almost always wrong. You have an optimistic take on life. Things are always a lot better than they seem at first. Spending time alone makes you more optimistic and ready to take on the world. You like to recharge.

The Movie Theater Test

That's fairly close, especially the last part.

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Just Rambling...

Thrift is not an affair of the pocket, but an affair of character. ~S.W. Straus

I hate wasting time. Drives me nuts. Yesterday I wasted three hours looking for shoes/boots for my DH. He has weird feet, VERY high arches which make him bust through most shoes unless they are very well made.

So, I went looking for decently made boots at a reasonable price. And, I came home empty.

We've tried brands like L.L. Bean -- but the clasps that hold the laces broke in only a few days (thankfully, they'll take stuff back when that happens). We've gone cheap (KMart special) which have oddly enough lasted longer than the more expensive brands. Even so, they don't last very long.

Yesterday I tried Tractor Supply Company (a very cool store that I can putz around in for an hour, but they didn't have the kind of boot I was looking for) and finally ended up at Bob's Stores. I had a coupon (as it turns out, though, it was expired), and after much looking and poking and bending, I found a pair of boots that were a little pricey, but appeared well made. However, when I discovered my coupon was expired, it put them out of my price range and I had to leave them behind. Thankfully, Bob's typically has a coupon in the Sunday paper, so I'll grab that and go back and hope they still have a boot in his size.

We won't talk about looking for sneakers for DD. When did prices get so high? Sheesh...

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I didn't do a lot of actual writing yesterday, but I did do scene cards for the scene ideas I'd had pop into my head, and then brainstormed some more. I'll most likely continue to do that until I have a very sketchy plot outline before I start to write. And, heck, if it takes me into November, I'll use it for my version of NaNo (I'm challenging myself to write 500 words a day ... not the 1500 that NaNo requires, but I have to be realistic).

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Today? I'm building next week's pages for LASR/WC for the website and stacking wood -- the chore that won't go away. I may also finally pull up the last of my veggie garden. I can't believe we haven't had a frost yet!!

The leaves are getting gorgeous up here, and further north, they're probably at their peak for leaf-peeping. I imagine ours will be peak in another week or so. The colors are incredible.

Have a great weekend!

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