A Much Needed Road Trip

This past weekend a friend of mine and I loaded into my trusty mini van and headed to Tampa.  The trip was made possible by (1) our fabulous respective husbands and (2) the boocoodles of money we made at a yard sale we had the previous weekend.  

Our first stop was at a little junk store called Opal's.  Because I had an Aunt Opal growing up and I love junk stores, I felt obliged to stop in for a spell.  Glad I did, because I scored this incredible set of stacking pyrex bowls.  They were marked $45 and $35.  With the spiraling economy I offered $25 and what do you know... SOLD!  

In my old age, I've learned to only buy things that I love.  And I can always find things worth loving at Home Goods.  It's one of my favorite places on retail earth.  If you've never been, go.  If there's not one near, plan a road trip.  We did. 

The golden purchase was a fish with scales made out of driftwood.  I was pretty much in love with it until my husband asked me why I bought a driftwood porcupine.  I also found a great wooden planter and some buckets.

With Home Goods crossed off the list, we headed to our ultimate destination: IKEA.  Without a doubt, IKEA is the best place on the planet to buy umbrellas.  And that is the sole reason why I went.  Where else can you find an umbrella that opens up to 13 feet and costs less than $100? And on top of all that... it's SOLID WHITE!  Although I dare not tell my good friends at IKEA, I would actually pay MORE money for a solid white umbrella; but there, I pay less.  Ahhhhh...  

I ended up with four umbrellas.  One huge 13' umbrella, one 9' hanging umbrella, and two smaller table umbrellas.  Lee will mount the hanging umbrella directly into our concrete to hang over part of our pool.    

We spent the night with my good-friend-gone-astray, Gilly G.  Although she and her husband have a beautiful home near Tampa, I'm hoping they'll get right with Jesus and move back to the county.  Until then, I'll visit her, Home Goods, IKEA, and Ms. Opal with a joyful heart.  

I came home to a smiling family, a clean house, and a new hammock (thank you, Lee!).  How I managed to snag that man, I'll never know.  Cause after all, I'm really not that smart.     

Honey in the hammock... it's where all the cool kids hang.