...an easy SMILE!

This time of the year in the NE United States, when temps are generally hovering in the teens, 'saling' tends to dry-up!  An occasional Estate Sale or trip to a Thrift Store are about the only ways to get a Good.STUFF.Fix.!!

Yet,

I have noticed lately (as has J), that I rarely come home without an extra box or bag (or 2) of 'STUFF'!

Upon pondering this, I realized that I have gained quite the posse of suppliers to 'feed my habits'!!!

PACKING/SHIPPING SUPPLIES

~Our local Marshalls (namebrand discount homegood/clothing stores ) calls when they have a boxful ready to pick up

~Our hometown RX always has a bag of packing misc. ready for me when I pick up our monthly prescriptions.

~My Mom's hairdresser sends her homes with boxes full of 'peanuts' every 6wks (for us!!)

WE KNOW A LOT OF WINOS!!

When you love to craft & create with CORKS, like I do, this is a GOOD THING (It would be SERIOUS TROUBLE if I had to empty all these bottle by myself!!)

~Sweet next door neighbor waitresses evenings at a high-end Restaurant, and has convinced the bartender to save corks for her!!

~A dear friend works at a local winery doing tastings...

~Our Favorite Happy Hour Bar has a bag waiting for me weekly!

(*One night at Happy Hr., I was surveying the contents of the 'weekly bag'.  One of the 'Hierarchy' of the Company J works for was out with us - he looked at me, shook his head and laughed "Oh Susan, I wish something that simple could put a Smile like that on MY face!")

BIRDS of A FEATHER...

~The Best Man from our wedding has become an avid Hunter/Fisherman in his retirement.  He is more than happy to supply me with FEATHERS to feed yet another of my recent 'crafting inflictions'!

JUNK MAIL

~My 'trendy' friends are more than happy to keep me supplied with catalogs!!  This probably seems REALLY BIZARRE to most, but when you don't do much retail shopping, you tend to get NO CATALOGS!!  I LOVE thumbing through high-end clothing & home goods catalogs to catch up on the latest trends, and get Creative inspiration - like my recent soldering attempt!!

As WONDERFUL as all of this stuff is...

it was fun to get a 'Different Fix' this past Friday, and come home with the Subaru FILLED!!

To sum it all up...

I had my First. Real. DUMPSTER DIVE!!

BOSE Outlet STORE CLOSING!

I missed all of the BIG store display pieces over-flowing from the top and sides of the Dumpster, that first caught my eye when I pulled into the mall from the side entrance... but I had 'real' stuff to do that I didn't want to look/smell like I had been 'rummaging around a dumpster' for.

When I came back through 45min. later, it looked like the dumpster was empty, but upon closer inspection - NOT!

More tangles of wires, cables, remotes, speakers, headphones and other non-sense than you can imagine - but luckily there were TWO Large Plastic totes (with Covers!!) in the dumpster, just waiting for me to fill.  It means NOTHING to me, but it put a SMILE on J's face!  I can Honestly say this is the first time I have ever garbage picked that he has actually APPROVED!

(and Today, 1/29 is his birthday - so I'm glad I brought him home some Fun Stuff!!)

After I had loaded every.last.electronic.bit into the car, I went back for ALL of the unopened boxes of office supplies!(?)...case of scotch tape ...boxful of white board markers in red ...boxful of white board markers in black ...another in green  ...another in brown...  carton (6 boxes of 5,000) of staples ...roll of Bubble wrap ...white board erasers ...tape dispenser ...3hole punch ...boxful of Sharpies in black ...in red ...boxful of highlighters ...pens ...white out ... folders ...wood yardstick ...magnetic displays ... even a Disco Ball light NIB!!   OH MY!!

Yes, we have had TWO DAYS of fun sorting through all of the STUFF!

I can remember my Dad on occasion making comments about People regarding their smiles... "She wouldn't be nearly as Grumpy, if she smiled" ... "She wouldn't be half bad, if she would smile" or "I like her, she has a good smile"

Despite a lack of SALING, I have had an abundance of SMILES in my life lately!

...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY J!

 I love You!! ((BIG Smile!))

"...if it makes you HAPPY..."

((Have you sufficiently got Sheryl Crow's tune in your head yet??))

...go ahead...

...Google it...

...it's worth it!

Okay.  So I was a 'bit' late in getting the last of our Holiday decorations up ~ 'The Garlands',  but since our 'Holiday' guests weren't coming until 12-26, putting them up on 12-23 'really' wasn't THAT late... RIGHT? (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it)

 

 

...AND, since they were sooooo 'delayed' in going up, I could justify my procrastination in taking them down!

Last week I finally bit the bullet.

Taking them down and packing them away only takes about 1/2 the time of putting them up, and I couldn't put my finger on just why I dreaded this part of the process SOOO Much every.year!

~UNTIL~

The ornies were tucked safely away in their boxes in the attic, and all that remained were the naked green garlands.  I was just about to start taking them down when I suddenly felt 'SAD'...??  I should have been relieved that this portion of the 'work' was behind me, but I just kinda felt 'empty' - Can anybody else relate???

"If it makes you happy
It can't be that bad
If it makes you happy
Then why the hell are you so sad"

THEN I had a wackadoodle Brainstorm, that any sane person would have dismissed with a good strong drink.  I headed back up to the attic, pulled out any and all PINK-WHITE-PURPLE & RED ((only)) ornies from my Craft EXCESS that I could find!

Yep. 

 The Garlands w/ ornaments are staying for a while longer!!

 At least through Valentines Day!

 ...and who knows, maybe if I haven't tired of them in March, they will get all GREEN for St. Patricks....

In these long NE Winter months, if something so simple can put a smile on your face....  like the song says:

"IT CAN'T BE THAT BAD"

...GREENERY

...just in case you were wondering...