better luck

My mother's Thanksgiving table. She made a huge turkey and some delicious, tart cranberry sauce with an orange zest in them. She kept telling me the Food Network show she got the recipe from but I can't remember! Also...there is a great tradition with those dishes that I love. My dad picked them up in China when he was in the navy during Vietnam. They are gorgeous. I am afraid to wash them though! I love their simplicity and tradition. He had them at my grandmother's for years and we got them when she passed away. We use them on Christmas and Thankgiving now and they are stored in that lighted, corner china cabinet the rest of the year so we can admire them.

I am hopefully at the start of a better streak of luck!

I had a beautiful, wondeful Thanksgiving. Surrounded by my family and lots of pie!

On Black Friday I got up early and went to my LSS'sannual Day-after-Thanksgiving sale for some awesome finds. I got all this....

What happens is they have a room full of stuff marked anywhere from $.25 - $3.00. So I picked up a bunch of that. Then while waiting in the line (that does take awhile...an hour)...I picked up these (regularly priced stamps)...

...for my Christmas cards. Plus some holiday paper. The stamp with the trees was a splurge. Tim Holtz $12. And I loved the little penquins ($8.50). I had originally had an idea with Memory Box's Bare Tree stamp but I haven't been able to find one so while waiting in line I was inspired. I also picked up a $10 set of SEI clear stamps. So that is over $40 including the paper and a few little things of regularly priced stuff. More indulgent than I usually am in that store.

So I get to the front of the register...they have an early-bird special for the sale where you draw a bottle cap when they ring up your order and a % off is written on that. Whatever you pull, you get that % off your regularly priced purchases. I thought back to a few years ago when I pulled a 40%. The highest you can get and that year I picked up hardly any regularly priced stuff. So this year I didn't have high hopes. Particularly in light of my bad luck lately.

So I pull a bottle cap.

Thinking guiltily of my $62 dollars worth of stuff.

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And...
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I pulled the 40% off! Yippee! My order came to $45. I got all those awesome stamps each for 40% off...plus the new papers, etc! Plus I had earned a $20 coupon on my next order! You accrue points on your account and when you reach a certain spending amount you get the coupon.

My luck is changing!


Then last night Cary and I went out to the movies (after a Turkey Sandwich at my mom's). We saw Twilight which I was excited about since I'm (still) on book three. Haven't had as much time to read since school started back. I liked it. Then we had a Wendy's splurge and came home. It was such a nice, relaxed day. Unlike any I've had for awhile.


Hoping for more of the same today...can't wait to get started on my cards!


Hope everyone has a beautiful Saturday.

Off to start my dad with the breakfeast of champions. Apple pie!