That Was Easy!

Dang! It really has been a week since my last post, so I'll back date this one to fill in a bit. It's really monday. But I had a string of things that just worked out like magic over the weekend and I want to capture the burst of happiness that came along with it.

Aside from the clumsy brouhaha with the sliding door, friday and saturday turned out really well. After an Outback Special with a Sam's Summer Ale to wash down the workweek and the dread birthday, I decided to head over to the Home Goods and see if there were any goods worth impulse buying. Had I still needed a freestanding toilet paper holder, I would have been in heaven. I've never seen so many functiona and attractive designs of t.p. holders before in my life, and trust me, there was a time when I was looking. They might even supply my next bathroom mirror or medicine cabinet.

I hit the jackpot right away. My saturday plans included a princess themed birthday for a colleague's 1 year old. Similar to the plush books I've been picking up at art fairs for friends' children, I found a Gund version of a princess story kit. It had a princess, a magic wand, a kissable frog, and for some reason a sleeping bag with teddy bear. It's a style that I like and a friend just let me know was, in fact, useful for story props, and it was Princess themed to satisfy mom and dad's princess. Could there be a more appropriate gift? Much better than the other generic gift I'd had in mind from my stash. I personalized it a little with some ink and stamps, and sewed all the loose parts on to connecting ribbons.

At the party in the park, the day was lovely if a tad muggy (not a common state of affairs around here making it worth a mention). I knew some others of the friends and relatives so it was socially comfortable. It was a fairly international party with grandpa over from Europe and a family friend in from South America. I got an invite to stop by their place in Quito should I find myself in town or on my way to the Galapagos, after I mentioned that I'd wanted to see the Galapagos islands since I was about 12. (Natl. Geographic World was giving away trips to there and Easter Island. I can't remember if I talked myself out of entering the contest or if I just didn't win.) It was kind of funny to be thinking about tortoises then see a bunch of them in the art at the Getty a couple days later.

After the party, I hit the car wash and another birthday gift jackpot. I had a gift idea in mind for another quickly approaching birthday but didn't know if I'd be able to find what I was looking for. I'd almost decided to try making something myself when I found exactly the right thing - at the car wash of all places.

Lastly, I hit the dollar store that mom found because they sell tasty brand-name fruit beverages two for a dollar. They also sell stainless steel sieves of the correct mesh for a dollar. I'm going to see how the dollar store sieve stacks up to my not-remotely-dollar-store (but flimsier than I wanted nonetheless) sieve from Willams Sonoma. If the mesh or frame rusts out, I'm only out a dollar. If it doesn't, I might be able to return the pricey one that I don't love.

Turns out I also hit the jackpot at the Getty store. They have some wonderful board books with good text and quality pictures and some other funky drawing stuff for kids. I was able to restock my kid-gift stash a bit.

Now to make a list of what I actually need for myself in office supplies so I don't impulse buy too badly at the back to school sales.