Frugal Friday

A friend introduced me to this fabulous place that I have affectionately named "The Target Graveyard". If you like organized, non-digging shopping, then this is not the place for you. It's a bit like a thrift store, but the products are new. They buy stuff at pennies on the dollar and sell it in a warehouse setting. Most of what I have bought is Tar-jay stuff. They have it marked with the orange tags. If the item is under $10, then it is 50% off the tag. If the item is over $10, then it is 60% off the tag. Here's what I scored on my first visit:

1) Sandalwood potpourri with wicker balls I paid: $3.50 Currently in the store for $16.99
2) Eiffel Tower sculpture I paid: $2.50 Currently in the store for $39.99
3) Set of 2 Navy sailcloth window panels I paid: $2.50 Currently in the store for $29.99
4) Embroidered white window panel I paid: $2.50 Currently in the store for $19.99
5) Brown wrought iron branch candle holder I paid: $2.50 Currently in the store for $17.19
6) Leaves removable wall art I paid: $2.50 Something like it currently in the store for $24.99
7) Black wrought iron plant stand I paid: $5.00 Currently in the store for $15.99
8) Smooth away I paid: $5.00 (don't waste your money) Currently in the store for $9.99
9) Memory framed shadow box I paid: $2.50
10) Decorative bundle of sticks I paid: $2.50
11) Printer paper I paid: $1.60
12) Doggie tennis ball toy I paid: $2.44
13) Set of 18 bronze glittered bird ornaments (I will be making a bird's nest mini tree for Christmas) I paid: $2.16
14) Bamboo candle holder I paid: $5.00

These kind of bargains get me excited!! I have a use for each thing~ I didn't just buy things because they were inexpensive. I'll do a post later where I show you how I used each item. Have a good weekend!!

Doggie Surgery

My baby Ali had a cornea problem that was causing her lots of pain. Our vet thought she had been poked in the eye and scratched her cornea. After a month of treating her with drops, ointments and pain meds, our regular vet referred us to an opthamologist in Charlotte. As soon as the eye doc looked in her eye, he told us that she had an indolent ulcer and we had no choice but to operate~ the sooner the better since she could lose her sight. They took her into surgery right then.

Ashleigh didn't take her eyes off of the door where they took her sister.

She eventually laid down, but still had her eyes peeled on that door.

When they brought Ali out after surgery, she was so "drunk" that she sat down on top of my purse.

Check out her little catheter in her leg.

Daddy held Ali while she got bandaged up where the catheter had been. Like Father, like Daughter. He has a bandage too.

She was OUT on the drive home.

She started feeling better in a couple of days, and felt well enough to go on a car ride to Petsmart to get food and treats.

Look at that cute little thing riding in the buggy.

We just got home from her two week follow up appointment. The doctor thought she was doing great, and her vision is going to return to 100%. Hallelujah!!

Today was a better day!!

Thanks for all of the kind words that you wrote me after yesterday's post. Life goes on, and I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Today was a better day. I was over at www.chic-critique.com today talking about Tweezerman...you can really tweeze some hair, man!! Go check it out and leave me a comment to let me know you were there!!

I also thought I'd share something that makes me happy~ our plants and flowers.

These pillows for our front porch were pretty plain...you know that plain pillows don't really work for me.

Adding a little ric-rac makes them so much more fun!!

Cool bottlebrush tree...it's not doing so well though.

These are some of the different colors of hostas that we planted under our back porch.

I love a hanging basket.

See what I mean

I bought another firecracker bush~ ours thrived last year and the hummingbirds loved it.

Our dwarf Japanese maple filled out overnight.

The dwarf gardenias have been beautiful.

I can't believe how fast our sweet potato vine is growing.

We will be planting these daylilies in front of the garage.

The wave petunias are growing like crazy.

How can you not love a Kimberly Queen fern?

I decided to get another diplandia because the one we had last year was absolutely beautiful and vined around the porch. Supposed they will last through the winter if you bring them in. I will try to put it in my basement this year {before it gets too cold}, and let you know how it makes it.

Plants + Flowers = Happiness for me

I'm mad today...it doesn't seem fair.

I told you a couple of weeks ago that I had a lot on my mind, and you told me that it was okay to share it. I might regret pushing publish post after I finish what I have to say, but I can't seem to move along with my day, concentrate on work or post about any of the fun things that we have been doing. So here you go...

My husband and I have been trying to start a family for the last 3 1/2 years. I suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome {PCOS}, have miscarried, had an ectopic pregnancy {where I lost a tube} and have been seeing a reproductive endocrinologist {fertility specialist}. We have been keeping it quiet because I didn't want to have to explain anything, talk about it, or be disappointed when it didn't work out. What???? Like not talking about it was really going to keep me from being disappointed? I have prayed hard about this, but by talking about this maybe I can get other people to pray for us too? I don't know, maybe writing about it will make me feel better or maybe it will help someone else who is going through this? I might just be a mess because of all of the hormones they have pumped into my body. Another month with the big 'ole negative sign. I detest that negative sign. It is my nemesis.

Here's what I'm mad about. I went to get a PG test at CVS this morning because I thought that the ones that I took Friday night and Saturday morning just had to be wrong. In line in front of me were a young couple buying a box of PG tests who looked to be unmarried and unfit to be parents. Now, I know that I should not judge who should be parents, but they did not look like they had any business with a child. You just know that they went home and THEIR test was positive. I ,unfortunately, went home to a negative test. Bitter. Why does it seem that the people who have no business having children are the ones who can reproduce over and over again without any problems? It doesn't seem fair.

When I was talking to a friend about it this afternoon, she said that it seems like I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it does. She's right. I have a lot of things that have happened to me through the years. Way too many things for one post, but maybe my therapy is going to be to get it all off my chest. Right now, though, "I'm mad today...it doesn't seem fair" is all I have to say.