Thursday, August 30, 2012

Still more schwag...

There are a couple Christmas ornament stands at the Minnesota State Fair, and I just couldn't pass up this little treasure when I saw it:
 
 
A cupcake coach photo frame ornament?!?!? YES! I love personalized ornaments and I have a whole set of sweets-themed ornaments and garland, so this is a PERFECT addition!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Charming

Yes, this is more State Fair loot - a fun find from The International Bazaar, where there is a little stand each year that sells shiny whimsical stuffed animals and fantasy creatures. We have a few mermaids, a seahorse, and a crab, and the husband was really tempted by the dragons this year until I saw this big fella:
 
 
Ssssspectacular! And he's huge! I think he might be too heavy for The Cupcake to drag around much just yet (he's filled with birdseed or something) but I'm in love with the bright green shiny scales, fuzzy felt underbelly, and that little forked tongue. Could ths be the beginning of a baby Britney Spears costume? Toddlers & Tiaras, here we come!
 
 
TC seemed tickled to wrestle with him in her stroller, and she makes an adorable "hissing" noise, but through her nose instead of her mouth, which is hilarious.
 
 
Sssssssstate Fair Fun!
 
 


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Free Stuff at the Fair

In addition to THREE blue balloons so far from the DFL booth, we've nabbed a few other well-loved freebies during our State Fair trips, including this joyful little handout from Century Link:
 
That's former Twins player Bert Blyleven on a stick.

I think he's technically a fan, with advertising on the reverse.

And The Cupcake won't stop kissing him.
 
Oh dear...

Monday, August 27, 2012

More Fair Fun...

The "Worlds Biggest Sandbox" was once again a hit...though it was MUCH more crowded and all the toys were broken (just 3 days after opening - boo!), TC didn't seem any less intrigued. The cries of "da-down!" (from her stroller) started as soon as it came into view, and getting her to leave required a lot of negotiating and eventual bribery.
 
FREEDOM! This kid NEVER looks around and cries if we are not in sight. In fact, she seems to revel in her independence.
 
Playin' with the boys...


Systematically destroying other kids' castles brought her great joy...
 

Leaving, however, did not...
(how much do you want to pinch those crabby cheeks?!?!?)
 
 

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Fair Time 2012

It's State Fair time again in our corner of the world, and since we live close enough to walk, that means we also live close enough that trying to get nearly anywhere else is kind of a pain during these 12 days, so we just give in and make the fair our primary destination as many days as we can afford to. This morning was our 2nd day/3rd trip this season, and we're planning to go back tonight. While spending the $$ on food kind of kills me, The Cupcake is an avid people watcher and there is no better place. She loves the kids, the lights, the free balloons, and the various chocolate treats. Such as a chocolate creampuff:
 
 
I know some people hate dealing with strollers in crowds, and it's not the most fun to navigate around groups of lolligagers and random stoppers and other awful "drivers," but I love that we have cupholders and a huge basket to stash all our junk in - so we can bring with and use a lot of baby wipes, extra napkins, big camera, diaper bag, sippy cup, and whatever else makes our lives easier. Not to mention it keeps TC confined. I mean safe. :)  And speaking of TC, check how much she has grown from her first trip to the fair last year:

 
to this year:
 
We're only 1/3 into the fair, so there is lots more fun ahead. And it wears our little TC out, so that alone is worth all the tube tops, neck tattoos, and political bickering we have to endure. And the cream puffs aren't bad either.
 
 


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Sale Away...


Man, yard sales are a LOT of work. Too much work really, but every once in a while you get a perfect combination of GORGEOUS weather, LOTS of shoppers, and a will to purge, even the fun stuff. It could not have gone better. After weeks of culling, pricing, and folding items for sale, the weekend finally came. We stacked all the goods on the porch from floor to ceiling and quickly ran out of room, spilling into the living room, and the dining room, and even the kitchen. This is but a fraction of what we dragged out on the lawn:

 
The first day of the sale we were too busy to stop and think about photos, so here are a few from the second day of the sale - we still had a lot of stuff, but it was less than HALF of the starting pile, maybe even just a third, so a lot easier to display - but somehow I missed getting a shot of my cute tents!:
 



 
Originally I had planned on doing Friday, Saturday, and a half day/half price Sunday, but the first two days really went so well that I decided I was able to call it quits early and avoid one more pack up/set up scenario, which is really the worst part of doing a yard sale. (That also meant I could have Sunday to recover!) There was still some stuff left over, but we had sold hundreds of tiny bits and baubles, most under $1, so the sheer volume was kind of impressive. A lot of people asked if I was moving - nope! This was all really just "extra," and it was the "extra" I thought I would still use above what I got rid of at the last sale, right after I found out I was pregnant. Post-kid, I realized there was a LOT more I wasn't going to be getting back to for quite some time :) Not to mention all the kid-stuff which was newly acquired!
 
So Saturday afternoon we happily packed up the remaining goods, taking back only a couple of tubs full - I usually consign The Cupcake's clothes with JBF, so I kept the nice stuff for that, sent a bunch to family members, and the rest went back out on the curb for the DAV to pick up:
 
 
 

ALL THAT STUFF IS GONE FROM MY HOUSE! I can actually walk up the stairs to the attic, not to mention move around up there. I still have a TON of cleaning and organizing to do to make the craftroom usable/not embarrassing, and 3 years+ of paperwork I haven't sorted through, but HUGE progress has been made. After three months of being "home" full time, I finally feel like I have accomplished something.

Also, yes, we had our share of weirdos. Parents letting their kids wreck stuff (WTH?!?!), a few sketchy tag disappearances/swaps, people quibbling about prices (usually $0.25 - not worth the headache!). On the prices, I almost never back down. I figure I spent hours upon hours pricing things, I set everything very low by my standards, and 99% of the time the person still buys the item! So I don't even let it bother me anymore, I just say no, and roll on. :)

I definitely feel great that none of this stuff ended up in a land fill, and so much of it found its way to new homes where it will be wanted and appreciated. Above that, I feel pretty proud that I was able to stretch our tight budget by making some of these unused assets liquid again - and to finally feel like I've "done something" this summer didn't hurt either :)


Thursday, August 09, 2012

Tiny Bubbles

The Cupcake's first bubble bath was a hit - 


What is this stuff?


Mesmerized...



Aah-choo!


Such an exciting life we lead.