Delusional

Soooooooooooo we are on the brink of officially welcoming spring to the grand and glorious Midwest.  It's been a rough winter...which you are fully aware of if you have been following my blog for any length of time.

Today I had the privilege of volunteering at our Rescue Mission Thrift Store.  Three other gals from church joined me.  We sorted boxes of donations...weeding out the compromised, stained and gross...  and leaving the nice stuff in organized containers for thr hanger-upper and tagging folks.

Upon completing our 3 hour volunteering, one of the other volunteers and myself made our way to the sale floor for a quick perusal of merchandise.  It should be noted: I do not need any, ANY spring and summer skirts.  My warmer weather wardrobe is ridiculously fabulous...and I need nothing.  This fact did not stop me from purchasing a cute denim skirt ($1.49 on sale), a red t-shirt top that matches the red stitching on the denim skirt ($1-something) and lastly a pair of denim-ish sandals ($2.45).  For under five bucks, I found the cutest outfit...and I had a terrific time getting to know the other gals from church.

When I got home, I turned off the baseboard heat and opened my windows..I, then, went and checked Weather Bug's website and discovered that it's only 38° outside.  It feels so much warmer than 38...probably because it's sunny and we've had a dreadful winter.

As I sit here with the windows open listening to the washing machine whirling, I can't help but wonder....  Am I completely crazy for having the windows open or am I just delusional hoping for spring to arrive a few days early??? 

Six days

Isn't it funny just how fast time flies?  Days turn in to weeks which turn in to months which turn in to years and so on and so forth... :)

I spent this last weekend hanging-out with two dear friends {Gloria and Sara}.  We stayed up way too late on Friday night which turned out to be a blessing with daylight savings the following night.  Saturday was another glorious day of leisure...of course ~ errands were sprinkled throughout my day but nothing critical.

In the last six days, my missionary friends returned from Kiev, Ukraine.  They are back in the States finishing language school.  My reunion with them took place at the red bull's eye.  {How fitting as Leah and I heart Target.}

Tonight {Tuesday,  March 11, 2014} is our first coffee date.  The gang is getting together to welcome Leah back home. 

It's almost surreal having her here.  You see ~ praying for their safety for 4 months and having God answer those prayers by bringing them home safe & sound, Leah {& Joey} are living, breathing testimony of answered prayers.  God is good.  He protects us.  He protects our loved ones.  His way is best.

Cause of my winter-ish blahs

Ok.  It's taken me a month to figure out my winter-ish blues.  Normally I don't struggle with these...not to the extent that I am THIS winter.  My first theory was because it's been sooooooooooooo cold and soooooooooooooooo snowy.  Sounds logical, right?  Well....I've been thinking....and I've come to the conclusion that perhaps my winter-ish blues are extreme because of my guest room closet. {Stay with me.} 

At the cottage, I had no in-cottage storage so every fall, I would box up my summer/spring wardrobe and hide it away.  When the weather would actually warm-up {even a smidge} I would pull out the boxes and totes and unpack all my warm weather clothing. Since I moved into a bigger space, I have my warmer clothes stored in my guest/craft room closet...which I have to open and get stuff out of...from time to time.   When I open said closet doors, I find myself in a sea of bright-colored skirts and tops and light-weight sweaters and sandals.... {blissful sigh}. 

I feel as though my spring wardrobe is calling to me, "Angie Good, wear us now!!!  It's our turn!!!"  Not yet, my fabulous friends...but soon.  Ever so soon.

A lazy, leisure Saturday....

Well, it's March first.  It's the first day of the meteorological spring.  What a joke!  They are calling for 3 to 7 inches of snow which will begin falling this afternoon around 3 p.m. which just so happens to be the time yours truly will making cards at Michael's. 

In lieu of mourning the upcoming snow, I have...
....consumed 2 large mugs of coffee.
....showered and put on clean Jammies for a quiet, leisure morning.
....repainted my fingernails using OPI's You're A Pisa-Work.
....ditched all responsibility {save a load of laundry} and read 100 pages of Lynn Austin's book, Song of Redemption.  It just so happens to be the second book of her five book series ~ Chronicles of the Kings.

I'm undecided about my stamping project for this evening.  Perhaps perusal of my Pinterest board "Scrapping and stamping" will re-juvilate my creative juices. 

Happy Saturday!!!!

IKEA trip

Picked-up Lauren at 11
Picked-up Ruthie at 11:15
Arrived at IKEA at 12:15
Shopped 'til we nearly dropped
Went to Sweet Tomatoes for a salad fest!!!
Back to IKEA for a first floor walkthrough
Stopped at Whole Foods for lotion
Arrived back in Rockford at 6:45

Favorite purchase of the day:  clearance vertical snowflake lights for $1.99, four red storage boxes, and a new picture frame

Today's weather....

I would like to go on the record as having said:  (ahem)  "I will take blinding cold days over snow from now until spring's glorious arrival."  Blinding cold does not cause slippery roadways.  Blinding cold does not require scraping your car.  Blinding cold does not cause a thin layer of black ice to form on side streets.

I know it is cold aNd dangerous and can cause frostbite, but seriously - BUNDLE UP AND/OR STAY INSIDE!!!!

The whole 4th quarter.....

A friend of mine is trying to transform me in to a football-lovin' gal.  Here's the deal....it's not that I hate football like I hate mushrooms and cooked cabbage.  It's just guys get hurt playing football and then I have to watch a bunch of replays of him getting hurt and I keep thinking, I hated watching this the first time!  Please stop playing it over and over!  The guy is still going to get hurt!!! 

I don't mind football...and if I honest, I kinda liked watching the last quarter of the Super Bowl.  Maybe I will be an every-other-quarter-watching kind of girl.  Is that ok?  OF COURSE IT'S OK!!!!  :) :) :)

Happy February!!!!

February.......it's here!!!!  And let me tell you ~ it arrived with a bunch of white fluff....measurable accumulation.  {Sigh.}

The good news: we can now safely say, "Spring will be here next month!!!"  Not to say that I am wishing away winter.....I'm just sort of wishing away winter.

On Friday I received a lecture from my co-worker about how I can't possible complain about winter because I LOVE CHRISTMAS.  This is totally true....I heart Christmas.  I do not, however, heart Polar Vortex weather.  I do not heart black ice.  I am more of a Norman Rockwell Christmas kinda gal.  After Christmas, I am fine with snow just not subzero temps.  Not the cold that makes my brain LITERALLY freeze.  No, I am not that kinda girl.

I love all the seasons....and in this order: 
Fall ~ my beloved
Spring ~ pitter-patter
Summer
Winter

Hip hip hooraaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!

Hi.  Happy second to the last day of January!!!  My heart went pitter-patter when I realized there is only one more day left in the feels-like-the-longest-because-it-is-the-coldest month of the year.  I cannot believe that in 2 wake-ups it will be February.  February........ (sigh) ........the shortest month with the most potential for 60° encounter which means there's a chance for PEDICURES!!!!  February also means Groundhog's day {which I will now refer to it as whack-a-mole.....Thanks Julie!!!} and Presidents' Day...and February also happens to be the month of fabulous birthdays....  One of my favorites at work has a birthday and my friend Michelle.  I really do like February.  It's short and sweet and there's none of March's drama {Read: in like a lion out like a lamb or vice versa}.  February shows up and we are fully aware that she is still winter-ish and yet, we love her all the same.  February....definitely has potential.

As you can see from my calendar ~ there are no notes on January...  Why is this?  Because I bought the calendar a week ago mostly for its cuteness and I wasn't prepared to mark-up the clean slate.  Plus I have my red organizer that I jot every little note in.  Obsessed with my organizer?  Maybe......kinda.......sort-of.  Tis sad but true.  :)

Temp: -4°

Although the temp is -4....when you factor in the windchill, it feels like -26°!  A part of wishes this was a charming notion so I could insert "laughed the girl with curly hair."  Unfortunately, laugh I shall not.  Cry? Maybe...however my tears would just freeze.  It's not worth it.

So, what's a girl to do?  First ~ I shall remind myself that spring is next...followed by summer...and lastly, summer will turn in to my beloved fall.  Second ~ I shall enjoy another mug of coffee.  Third ~ I shall remind myself that even though it's bitter cold outside, with the Lord's help, I can keep my heart warm and share that lovely warmth with others.  Fourth ~ I shall note that there are right around 50-ish days until spring.

Happy Monday!!!  Stay warm!!!

Out in to the cold I went....

It's a balmy 4° here in the good ol' Midwest. 

Tonight choir practice and church were cancelled ~ due to the horrendous windchill, which just so happens to make the +4° feel like a not-so-balmy -18°.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

I made some chili today.  Well, correction: I attempted to make some chili but realized I forgot the tomatoes.  Sans tomatoes meant that I would need to make a trip out to purchase some or eat the chili without.  Have you ever had chili without tomatoes?  I tried it for lunch.  Not so good.  I do not recommend it...as in EVER!!!

So tonight I bundled up and ran to Target and purchased a couple varieties on tomatoes.  I wanted to try the Target brand but the label did not say "gluten-free" and I was nervous about the natural flavorings.  I have spent my share of time with the gluten-induced sickies to know it's not a road I want to willingly travel down.  No thanks.

The minus eighteen is really quite cold.  Tomorrow night they are calling for minus forty (Yes, -40° with the windchill factored in)!!!  Now that's cold.