My truly, seriously, terriffic, totally-almost-free $.69 Christmas...

This year, Mr. B and me (I know that's not "proper" English, but it sounds cuter than "Mr. B and I" ..work with me here...) decided, as we do most years, to not give each other Christmas gifts, because, well, Santa always brings something for each of us and with all that we have, it's more fun to be the give-r instead of the give-ee.

We usually "cheat" on this plan, just a teensy-weensy bit, buying some little trinket. Like this year, Mr. B didn't technically buy me a gift, but rather saved some cash so I can have a good time in New Jersey visiting Ella for her 5th. birthday..

And I got...well.....inventive...

Received a $50-off coupon for any purchase $50 or more from the furniture store we bought our living room stuff from..

I thought maybe, just maybe, I could find something for $50 for him...so I took the coupon, along with one for $10 off of a purchase of $10 or more from Penney's, and went to the stores on Christmas eve.

Now remember, credit cards, debit cards and check are my mortal enemies, so I fully depend on cash..my "self-imposed" allowance..

So going to the store, I figured I'd need money for the tax on a $50 "free" item...and the tax for the $10 item...

Hmmm..what do I have in my wallet...

Shut-Up! No bills?? Change... Just loose change??

Yeppers..a whopping $3.54 in ...change...

First stop - so far, nothing in the furniture store for $50 - and remember, I can't go over...

I spot a throw for $39.67 (why do they price things like that anyway?)....

...take it up to the counter - they say "No, it HAS to be $50 or... more..."

(Que the "fishing-for-bigger-sales" ploy here...)

I can't (or don't want to) explain I HAVE no cash for "over"...

They say I can get something else to add up to the $50...

GEESH! Now I have to do ...math!?

So here I am walking around with "stuff" (OK, this candle is $11.46....add to that, this frame for ...uh...$11.27..that makes...is it hot in here??...uh...)

Panic is starting to set in...eager sales people are asking me if I've found everything...I am adding up in my head as fast as I can..let's see..so far I have..uh...$39.67 for the throw..plus $11.46..that's ..uh..and then $11.27...

That's when I spotted "IT"...a cute canvas..slowly approaching it I see the price...$50. 65 ! What?! Can this be true?!

As I run through the store practically throwing the little oddly-priced items back where they came from..I'm thinking in my head..."OK, slow down...tax rate is something like 6.8%..Oh geesh..where's a calculator when I need one?? (I was told later by my lovely daughter, "Mom, you DO know you have a calculator in your phone, right??"...uh..really?? Oh yeah, I knew that..uh huh..)



So I purchased this cute canvas, and get this, they only charged me the tax on the $.65!


It looks like a metal sign, but it's on a canvas...and probably not really worth $50.65 ..really..

But I knew the colors were good, that Mr. B would have something to open and we could both enjoy this...

Which brings me to Penney's...ever try to find something at Penney's for a man, for $10?? Not easy.

Do you know underwear is like $14.00??

So I looked and looked and finally found 2 pair of good 'ol socks - normally $20 (for 2 pair? Can you imagine??) that was marked down to $9.99..

Oh crap...will it HAVE to be the "$10 or more" routine again??

Nope. They rang it up and said, "Well, this one's a freebee!"

I practically ran out of the store..thinking they had made a mistake and someone would be chasing me down for my expensive men's socks...

So, gift of canvas image.........$.69

Men's heavy duty socks.....$.00

The look on Mr. B's face.......Priceless!


(here's the receipt for the canvas.. Pity the poor saleswoman who had to claim commission on that one...)

Best part? I still have money left over! Yep, I have...uh...let's see..$3.54 minus $.69.....9 from 14, carry the one,or is it borrow the one...uh..no, that's not right...

Has anyone seen my phone??

Happy bargain-hunting in the New Year!!

-me

Just like that..ffttt..it's over...

Time well spent, but quickly gone...

A little snuggling before we have to say "good-bye"....

"Do we have it all?"
Getting warm for the trip...

Bye Emily...

Bye Chris - thanks for driving out...

Bye April...love you..be careful and call when you get home...

And, they're off....
..We miss you already...

-Mom, Dad, Grandma and Braxie & Lulu

A winter day in sunny Utah...

8-year olds & puppy kisses.....

A bright "Hello" from the Misters......


... and the "misses"...


But with icicles and ....

21 degrees....


...take the picture....we're FrEEZInG our KNEES!!


Happy Saturday from a balmy 21 degree Utah day!
-me

..not rain, not sleet, nor snow in the mountains...

..can keep a determined daughter, son-in-law and grand daughter away when they discover they have a 4 day week-end.

And am I glad! This is the first year my daughter has not has her son, Brian (in college in Arizona) for Christmas and this is the first year I haven't had Ella and Brandi with us for Christmas (I'm going to see them in January for Ella's 5th birthday)

So we two mopey-heads-feeling-sorry-for-ourselves mother-daughter team decided to make everyone happy (...uh...as least ourselves..) and for us two-mopey-heads-feeling-sorry-for-ourselves-mother-daughter-team to get together! But, we were'nt really thinking about ................................the weather..

One would think that one would think about the weather, she being from Colorado and me in Utah- where they tout the "greatest snow on earth" I would think...

But we didn't..and they definitely had the luck of the Irish, the company of guardian angels, good karma, the "Force" and a great driver of a son-in-law..'cos they got here safe and sound...

Thank you all the Forces, Karmas, Angels, and Lucky Irish that were with them...



April and Emily...watching the dogs...

Santa must have left just ONE more present for Emily..naw.. just kiddin'..it was from Grandpa and me...
Oh, and Mr. B 2.0 sent these great T-shirts for the pups from San Diego ...Braxton didn't seem to mind too much..

OK, so the pictures are out of sync...Blogger and I don't always see "eye-to-screen" if you know what I mean... So this is Son-in-Law great driver, Chris..

OK, now back to the T-shirts...from San Diego..and Mr. B 2.0 ..

Braxton was like "OK, whatever, just as long as I get to sit on Mommy's lap..."


Lulu, on the other hand, was, well..less tolerant..."I'm so not happy with this ..."


"G.E.T. this O.F.F. me ...N.O.W."


But, oh how could you get angry at that beautiful face?? And, sitting like such a lady...??

Be careful out there and for those who've asked about the backgrounds..if you'll look at the top left on my screen you'll see a link to "Cutest Blog on the Block"..they have many, many FREE!

Have a Fun-day the day before Sunday and we have to go back to work on Monday..

Oh, sometimes I am just too much for me...

-me

All we are saying is....

Hahahahahahaa! And yes, all I think about is FOOD! :-)

Merry Christmas everyone!
-me

It's almost time...

..and last night was no different...did I ever tell you I work well under pressure? Well..sort of..


Made gifts for the girls at the office - gave the guys those little cakettes, but the girls are all watching their weight (oh, BTW, I lost another 3 lbs. last night..well, not last night exactly, but last week...) So, I made them little dry-erase boards for their desks...

...and these little monthly calendars that you set on your desk on a CD case as the easel..

This one is for Kim - lover of horses and a self-proclaimed "tom-boy"...

This is for our "Girly-Girl" Lindsy..She LoVEs shoes!

Braxie, on the other hand, handles pressure a little differently...ZZzzzzzz...warm & cuddly..

Merry, Merry, Safe Christmas to all my great Blogging-buddies.
You mean so much to me....
Thank you for a great year!

-me

Well, we just got a neat Christmas present at work...

They told us we didn't havta come in on Friday..the day after Christmas, and unlike so many other folks, we will be paid for that day and not have to use a holiday! And we will have a job to go to in the New Year...

I am very blessed...and very thankful.

I found some vintage Christmas images for you to use in your artwork - just right click and save them to your files. Hope you can use them -


A gentler time...does anyone remember muffs?? I had one. And a coat with a black fake-fur collar and cuffs that matched the muff. I think the coat was a green wool...I must've been about 4 or 5...in Chicago..
This one above reminds me of the kind of cards my Mother used to send out..
I like this one but I'm not fond of shortening "Christmas" to Xmas...



Awwww...kissy, kissy!
These little angels look waaay too serious - but I'll bet as soon as the photo was taken, they giggled and ran out of the studio and probably threw snowballs all the way home!...uh...you know...to Heaven..

Be careful out there. Drive cautiously on the black ice. Keep a blanket and a jar of peanut butter in the trunk (peanut butter won't freeze and you'll have protein) and a bag of kitty litter...no..not for that..for traction under your tires, silly!

Now, for my Arizona friends. Be careful out there. Drive cautiously on the hot pavement. Keep a bathing suit and bottle of water in the trunk (hopefully, the water won't boil and you'll not die of dehydration) Keep a bag of sun-block, a visor, sunglasses and the latest People magazine...not for the gossip, for the great articles, silly!

And have a joyful Tuesday!
-me

Recipe for a great Sunday afternoon...

A Good Right-before-Christmas-Sunday Afternoon

Serves: 4 Neighbor Houses
12 Office Gifts
12 Mr. B Co-Workers Gifts

Ingredients:

36 Pineapple Cakettes
36 Brown Lunch Sacks
36 Plastic Forks
36 Festive Napkins
36 Pieces of Torn Fabric
24 Gift Messages (English)
12 Gift Messages (Spanish)
1 Pair of Scallop Scissors
4 Gift Bukets for kiddos
(filled with candy, cookies, fruit and Wal-Mart gift cards)

Add:
1 "Muppets Christmas Carol" (for "packaging department" to watch)
1 C. Cuppa Chi Tea
1 Long craft table
1 Lg. Trash Bag (to score hoops when tossing trash into "-she shoots- she SCORES!"
1 Patient Hubby

Mix: with One "Delivery-Person" Mother-in-Law

Yield:
4 Happy neighbor houses
1 very happy (and satisfied) Main Street house
1 PRE-CHRISTMAS SUNDAY AFTERNOON OF FUN!

Have a great Monday - hi ho hi ho, it's off to work I go!!!

-me

Where, or where does the time go??

OK, so I know it was just Halloween...I still have the walker in patio.

And Thanksgiving? Just a speeding eat-feast in my mind..

And now, I feel sorta like these kids...


Tired, whinny, having to sit with a big guy in a red suit...no wait, that's Mr. B..sorry Hunny...

This guy looks like he's telling her something awful..like.."So you think you're getting a pony? Well NO. So there. You think I'm made of money or something..do you have any idea how much work a pony is?? Are you going to be the one cleaning horse-biscuits from the yard?? and did you just PEE on me???? Oh, no blondie, no pony for you!! And DO NOT kick me!"

Do they even SCREEN these guys??? This one looks like the Godfather incognito..
"Hey, Vinnie, see da kid on my lap? Nice bambino, and he's taking over the family business one day...so watch out for dis one.."

So, it's the hap, hap, happiest times of the year, huh...

Youbetcha !

hahahahaha!
-me