Peace on Earth! GOODWILL to Men!

Did you know that today is Christmas Adam? When I was little, one year on December 23rd I confidently and excitedly wished my Dad a Merry Christmas Adam. He fell right into my little trap and inquired, "What is Christmas Adam?" I gleefully exclaimed, "Today is Christmas Adam because Adam came before Eve!" Bah-dum-ching!

Can you believe Christmas is almost here?! This year has flown by. I love Christmas. I love to think about Christmas, plan for Christmas, get in the Christmas spirit and just soak it all in.

When I shared an office I could NEVER listen to music because it "distracted" my office-mate (insert major eye roll), but now that I have my own private office I can listen to whatever I want, whenever I want. Even if it's Christmas music in June. Nothing lifts my spirits like my holiday collection on a hot Summer day.

And a hot Summer day is the perfect time to shop for your holiday decorations. I am always on the lookout for Christmas decorations. The best deals are found in the first half of the year when the dregs of holiday decor are shoved into an endcap at Target or stuffed into a basket at the back of Pottery Barn. But did you know that you can find scads of Christmas decor at Goodwill? (gasp).

The Goodwills around here stock Christmas decor year round. I'm sure people are doing their Spring cleaning and haul their unused items to the Goodwill drop off. The selection is actually pretty good in the first part of the year because most of the public is sick of Santa and garland. And that's when you can score the deals.

Here are some of my favorite Goodwill purchases of 2009.

A pretty wreath for my front door.

Can you believe this was only $3.00? Wreaths are expensive nowadays! The good ones can easily be in the triple digits. Three dollars is more my style. I love the texture.

And with the contrasting colors this wreath looks good up close and from the street. Plus, the size is just right for my door.

If you've been to my house and I've offered you a drink, chances are, my husband has interjected some sort of smart remark about the multitude of glasses from which you have to choose. He believes we have waaaaaay too many glasses. I disagree. So our collection is growing.

Here is the latest addition: snowflake tumblers.

These were 75 cents a piece at Goodwill. I passed them up once and could NOT get them off my mind. A set of six. Dishwasher safe. Perfect for iced tea, milk, Coke, ANYTHING. Why did I leave them on that shelf?

It was half price day at Goodwill (*more on that later) and I knew they would be gone, but I had to see with my own eyes. I rushed over on my lunch break and fought the crowds back to the housewares section and they were still there! All of them! I scooped them up and held them tight as I did a quick run through the store. I held them close to my chest (literally) because ALL the carts and baskets were in use. The place was a zoo.

$2.25 for six of these

Cute, right? I had to smile to myself when I brought Tim a drink in one of these glasses and he said casually, "Oh, this is a nice glass." That it is. That it is.

* OK, let me tell you about half price day at Goodwill (the 3rd Wednesday of the month at my Goodwill). This day is only for pros. It is an absolute mad house. People are pushing one cart that is overflowing while dragging a second that is filled to the brim. You can barely navigate through the aisles and half the merchandise (aka junk) is strewn across the floor. Good luck getting a cart or hand-held basket unless you arrive before the doors open. It is a stressful place to be.

Last time I was there, there was a two-year-old (who looked like he was on his death bed) being pushed around in a cart by his distracted Mom. I was tempted to tap her on the shoulder and point out that her little guy sounded like he was about to cough up his right lung and suggest that they head home. I could have even given her a dollar to make up for the savings she'd be forfeiting by going home. People go cuh-razy to save 50% at Goodwill.

Back to my purchases.

Crate & Barrel has cute kitchen accessories every year. This year they have the Snow Pup.

The spatula is $9.95.

Over the Summer I bought my sister the reindeer spatula from a previous holiday season. It was at the Goodwill by my parents' house just waiting for me with the Crate & Barrel tag on it.

But Goodwill priced it at 50 cents.

Um, I'll take it.

And I'll also take the snowflake spatula for myself.

But I will only pay 50 cents and not Crate & Barrel's price of $6.95. Really? Sold.

That same trip I also bought some pre-lit garland still taped up in its original box. I paid $4.99 and am enjoying it in my dining room. I'd like to show you how pretty it looks at night.

Wait, that picture was not very clear.

And that one was worse.

And this is the worst. Note to self: pull out camera manual and at least skim it. The point is, I like my pre-lit garland for under five bucks.

One year I even found Tim's Christmas card sweater at Goodwill. We used to have a Goodwill Outlet near us when we lived in our old house. (Yes, that is a real place and it's as bad as you think.) Adult clothes were $1 and kids clothes were 50 cents. The store was pretty rough. I had to be in the right mood to venture in there. But occasionally it paid off.

In 2004, as Tim was preparing to deploy to Iraq (explanation for his lack of hair), the $1 Ralph Lauren sweater from the Goodwill Outlet made it into our Christmas card.

Kidding. That one did not make the cut. This was the winner that year.

He still wears this sweater. I know I could buy more for $98 on RalphLauren.com

But I think I'll just be on the lookout for more colors under $10.

I didn't buy any "Christmas clothes" at Goodwill this year, but I still have a few days to go!

So when 2010 rolls around and the rest of the world has moved away from Christmas, keep your eyes peeled for those steals!

Well, maybe you can start getting used to this

Some friends of ours took us to a Mavericks game several months ago. They have tickets through his work and since Tim's in the same line of business they took us and we mixed business and pleasure. It was my first time at a Mavericks game and my first time in the American Airlines Center.

Um, let's just say this game is what sparked my love of sports. After being wanded and politely searched we went up multiple escalators to a magical place called the Platinum level. I didn't see one painted face or foam finger. We enjoyed a delicious and leisurely dinner at The Platinum Club where I had tomato basil soup, ceasar salad, fettuccini alfredo and various cheeses and fruits and Tim and I shared a humongous piece of s'mores cake. We probably only finished about a third of the mammoth slice. Oh how I was wishing for a doggie bag.

I don't even remember who the Mavericks played at that game, but I had a great time. The people watching and shoe and handbag spotting were enough entertainment for me. After the game I told Tim that I had a lot of fun and would like to do that again. He laughed and said I had been ruined. He informed me that we would not be doing that again unless our friends invited us again for a real work reason.

Well, fast forward to last week when they GAVE us 4 tickets, 2 Platinum parking passes and $120 in Platinum Club gift cards for us to use however we chose.

Tim and I invited our Dads to the game. My Dad loves all things sports. He likes to watch sports, read about sports, talk about sports, think about sports and, while I haven't asked him, I would guess that he dreams about sports. It was really fun to go the game with him. He and I went early and had dinner on the Platinum level. I'm glad we asked someone to take our picture before the game started.

(By the way, I'm crazy about my Dad. He's a wonderful man and I'm glad I get to be his daughter. And to think I used to ask him to drop me off behind the school sometimes and give instructions on what he could and could not say when my friends or boyfriends would come over. Oh boy.)

Tim and his Dad came a little into the second quarter. It was an exciting game with plenty to eat. (I had stashed an emergency US Weekly in my purse and I didn't have to break it out once.)

Ice cream

Bottomless popcorn

(Not pictured are the bottomless Cokes, the s'mores dippers and peanut butter cookie. Don't judge. We took the peanut butter cookie home to eat on Saturday ... morning.)

I wore one of my favorite winter tops to the game.

It's a fine gauge, wool sweater from Ann Taylor. It was $98 on sale for $29.99. I loooove all the folds in the neck.

And it goes great with my favorite winter scarf.

Let's not review the retail and sale price on this Burberry giant check scarf. It was full price and it was expensive. The real fabulous find here is this guy.

He said he wanted to buy me this scarf (that I'd admired for years) when he got an unexpected bonus at work. He was in a really stressful job at the time and said the bonus was really for me because he couldn't do the job without my support. Isn't that sweet? I think of that time in our lives almost every time I wear the scarf. (I'd better change the subject quickly before Tim decrees his sensitive side blog-banned.)

I think the price of my earrings help balance out the scarf. I got to wear the 99 cent gold earrings from NBC.

At the fourth quarter we couldn't eat any more, but we still had money on our gift cards. Earlier in the game I had asked my Dad, "Who is the fast, little guy?" Right then and there I decided J.J. Barea is my favorite Maverick.

I have to support my guy, right? I now own an official NBA licensed T-shirt.

Now, let's be honest. I won't be wearing this shirt out of the house unless I'm making a QT run for my Coke fix. But J.J., when I'm cleaning the bathrooms, I'll be thinking of you.

GO HORNS!

Saturday Tim and I got to go to the University of Texas game at Cowboys Stadium. Tim received the invitation through a contact at work. Let's just say that if we continue to go to games with these accommodations that I am going to become a sports fanatic.

This was the view from our seats (no zoom required)

And speaking of seats ...

Sweet suite seats, indeed. Where we could see the players right before they took the field.

Tim even got high fives from Shipley and McCoy (and some other names I didn't recognize so I can't remember now).

I shook hands with Bevo (the mascot).

The chips and dips were especially good.

The binoculars were great for people watching.

And I actually enjoyed my stadium restroom experience with the moisturizing coconut hand soap and cloth-like paper towels embossed with a silver Cowboys star.

Can't you see why my love for sports is growing?

As soon as it was confirmed that we had our tickets, parking pass, and that all our food and drinks were included I began to think about what to wear. (Or maybe I thought about that first, but anyway.) Burnt orange is not one of my favorite colors, nor is it particularly flattering on me. And what do people wear in end zone suites right next to the tunnel where the players come out? Crowns? Jerseys? I don't own either.

As I scanned my closet my eyes fell on a new shirt I bought several months ago at Goodwill.

It was brand new from Charlotte Russe with the tags still on it.

$16.99 isn't too bad for a cute top, but $4.99 is better!

I've never been in a Charlotte Russe. I had the impression that it was for tweens and teens and that the clothes were cheap. Maybe that's true and maybe it's not, but I do like the detailing on this shirt and it doesn't feel cheaply made at all.

I wore the top with a brown camisole from Old Navy that I picked up on the clearance rack for $2.99. Camisoles aren't that fun to buy, but they come in handy so often. I have white, cream, brown, black and navy. (And don't forget to replace them when they stretch out or begin to look worn. Nothing ruins an outfit like ill-fitting or worn out undergarments.)

I wore my newest pair of jeans. They're dark, Curvy Ann Taylor jeans that I got for $11 at NBC.

Ann Taylor's jeans are now $85 or $95 depending on the style! I'm sure this Curvy style is from last season. I like the clean lines and modern fit which is getting to be more and more difficult to find.

I don't want to wear Lee jeans up to my belly button and I don't want pink rhinestone crosses on my back pockets either.

I got to wear a new-ish necklace from Ann Taylor Loft.

This was only $4.88 on Final Sale. Most people like this necklace. Not my mom. I think of her every time I put this on because of her reaction when she saw me in this for the first time.

If you know my mom you know that she is very nice, very encouraging and never negative. But as her daughter I can easily tell when she really dislikes something. This was our conversation:

Mom: Is that a new necklace?
me: Yeah, I just got it yesterday.
Mom: Oh, where did you get it?
me: Ann Taylor Loft
Mom: Really? It doesn't look like their other jewelry.
me: [laughing] So I guess that means you don't like it.
Mom: Well, it's not my favorite.

"Not my favorite" is my mom's code for "awful." What's so bad about this little necklace?

Note: I write this all in love. My mom is a good friend. I just find her dislike for my necklace quite amusing.

So the total for the shirt, camisole, jeans and necklace came to $23.86. Pretty good!

Go Horns!

My Sister's Steals

I am lucky to have a sister and friend all rolled into one cute little package.

Oh, you probably want to see something more current.

My little sis, Ashley, is my favorite clothes shopping buddy. We like a lot of the same things, but we also understand each other's individual style. I can never have too many tote bags or polos, while she is more likely to sport skinny jeans and boho chic pieces. Ashley's also not afraid to tell it like it is. She gives honest feedback like "don't you already have two shirts that look just like that?" Or my favorite "that makes your butt look big". But she can also give the invaluable "you should get it" or "that is so cute."

Since we now live about 800 miles apart (sad) we only get to shop together a few times a year. (But we really make it count.) I missed Ashley SO MUCH over Thanksgiving and the days that followed. We talked over the phone about our shopping trips and I asked Ashley if she'd email me a quick recap of her shopping trip and some pics of her fabulous finds. She did! Ashley says:

I’m not one of those people that like to get up at 3:00am and wait in line out in the cold to see what deals I can score the morning after Thanksgiving. But this past Friday I slept in, had leftover apple pie for breakfast, and headed out the door to an outlet mall around 10 o’clock with a friend. The deals were still there! Both the Ann Taylor Factory Store and the Banana Republic Outlet were offering an additional 50% off of EVERYTHING in the store. As usual, I made a bee-line to the clearance section in the back of the stores. In the end I walked away having spent a total of $30.50 and saving $142.50! Here are my finds:

Ann Taylor white button down regularly $68 for $10

Ann Taylor skirt regularly $60 for $12.50

Banana Republic shirt regularly $45 for $8

Did she get some good deals or what?! I am especially loving the skirt. And the ruffles on the white shirt. And the detailing of the BR shirt. She'll rock it all.

I got a few deals after Thanksgiving, but since they're all gifts I can't blog about them ... yet. :)