a musician's musings

Thrift Haul GALORE!

2015-06-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

I love summer break - especially as a teacher. I hadn't gotten to really, truly thrift in a long time (hence the year gap in this blog!) The weekend of June 19/20, all Goodwills were having 50% off sales, so I hit them up...6 to be exact. I also threw in some finds from Saver's and a garage sale both before and after the big weekend haul! I love finding steals of deals! Check them out:

The BEST find of the whole weekend. I'd been looking for one of these for forever, and then I happened upon one in fantastic condition for $35.00! It's been running non-stop ever since I got it.

Cute new wall decor. Simple fabric framed - easy! It adds some fun pops of color in my bathroom!

$2.00 each

Cool green plate. Just liked it and thought it'd be good for Christmas and St. Patrick's time!

$1.00

Hello Kitty Cookie Pan. A cake decorator never knows when odd orders may come her way, so it's always good to stock up on good bargains when you find them!

$3.00

New {with tags} Old Navy polkadot scarf. Retailed for $14.94.

$4.49

Mossimo black bikini top with detail

$5.24

Mossimo white v-neck t-shirt

$2.24

Faded Glory red and navy striped dress

$4.49

Mossimo mint/gold accent flats

$2.99

Gift for Kali's Birthday - she LOVES puzzles, and I couldn't pass this up when I found it in pristine condition at a garage sale!

$1.00

Another present for Kali. She's since told me that ALL the birds are misidentified on this clock, but it was a hilarious gift, none-the-less, and she LOVED it!

$2.00

Cute gift bag

$ .50

I was on the hunt for travel sized bottles for my upcoming trip and failed at finding them at the Dollar Tree. But then BAM! Goodwill to the rescue (plus extras!)

$1.00

Valentine's plate

$1.00

A sturdy basket. Don't know what I'll use it for, but I couldn't pass it up.

$1.00

I was in line to check out and was standing by the CDs. I looked down, and BAM! Found a CD by family friend John Nilsen (who lives in Oregon). What a small world! Of course I had to pick it up!

$1.00

More gift bags (since they're unreasonably expensive everywhere else, mind as well stock up when you find them!)

$ .50 each (One was $ .25)

A whole bunch of LPs to play on my new record player! =)

$ .50 each

I even found an old Up with People album...perhaps one of their first! =)

Misa taught some Uppies this hilarious game while she was in town one weekend. It can just be played with paper and a big bowl, but I figured I'd pick the actual game up and see what it's all about!

$2.00

Cute Valentine's basket

$1.00

New wicker hamper since mine is falling apart!

$3.50

Awesome huge legos. I gave some to William, but I'm going to use them for rhythm compositions with my littles!

$2.00 for the whole bag!! Steal!

Melissa and Doug puzzles in really great condition! 2 of them are sound puzzles! These will be part of William's 2nd Birthday present in August!

$3.00 total ($1.00 each)

Lots of fun books! Some for music, others just because!

$ .25- $ .50 each

Cute little makeup tote. It reminded me of the 50s, so I wanted to get it!

$2.00

Teeny Tiny little Advent calendar!

$ .25

Big bag of pony beads that I use for Recorder Karate in my classroom!

$2.00

A funny (but practical) gift for Kali's birthday. An ENTIRE bag of new earplugs! Kali uses earplugs all the time, whether sleeping or going to a concert. She was STOKED about these! =)

$2.00

Two frames. I put my Master's degree in the document frame. I'll print off a picture for the cute little coral frame!

$2.00 and $1.00

BRAND NEW cookie stamps. Such cute designs and fun ceramic colors!

$2.00

Miscellaneous kitchen things.

Valentine's Napkins: $ .50

Measuring cups (I have an addiction!) - $1.00

Music spreaders (Kali's birthday) - $1.00

Big orange bowl. I love me some orange!

$1.00

Yellow watering pitcher

$ .50

3 awesome belts of various colors and styles

$1.50 each

Needed new hangers for all my new clothes!

$ .25 each

New tank tops! All of my current ones are so raggedy and worn out!

Rue 21 teal tank - $1.50

M&B yellow tank - $1.50

Ambiance Apparel gray tank - $1.50

SO black tank - $1.50

BKE white tank - $1.50

Mossimo red tank - $1.50

Lots of new DVDs. I got two more (Amelie and Dirty Dancing), but unfortunately the DVDs weren't in the containers when I got home. Lesson learned: always check for DVDs BEFORE you leave the store.

$2.00 each (CD already mentioned)

Sonoma tunic dress

$3.50

Purple cotton dress

$3.00

Old Navy taupe Capri - $ .99

Green Apple Eco-Friendly workout tank

$2.00

Faded Glory ¾ sleeve shirt

$2.00

Taupe and Black ruffle shirt

$2.00

Forever 21 T-shirt with button sleeves

$2.00

14^th & Union Salmon Cardigan

$2.50

Ann Taylor LOFT black cocktail dress

$3.00

American Eagle White lace summer dress

$3.00

Merona purple ruffled blouse

$1.50

Mossimo charcoal summer dress

$3.00

H&M black/white polkadot tunic

$4.00

Forever 21 floral wrap dress

$ .99

Multi-colored scarf

2.00

J Crew yellow shorts

$2.00

New shoe organizer (the 3X5 one) Fits all my flats perfectly!

$2.80

I'm pretty sure I missed some other fun things that I bought, but needless to say, I had QUITE the haul at all the fun thrift shops around the area!

Saver's Steals!

2014-06-30T21:16:00.002-07:00

Saver's was having 50% off nearly the entire store (ugh...come on Savers! Why can't you do 50% off sales like Goodwill!?). Clothes, shoes, and bed/bath items were marked down, so I spent 2 hours scouring the racks looking for some good clothing bargains! Even though I'm weeding out my current closet in preparation for moving, I felt like the things I found today will make good additions to my wardrobe, especially my need for "teacher clothes!"

Adorable brown, comfy heels!

Soft Style Hush Puppies Company | Original: $5.99 / Sale: $3.00

I wanted some nicer black sandals that would be appropriate for teaching. Even though it would be great, it's not very professional to teach in flip flops! haha

Original: $3.99 / Sale: $2.00

This dress looks a little ridiculous on the hanger, but it's adorable in person. It's got a sexy LBD silhouette, but then there's the added tulle skirt that makes me feel like a grown up version of a little girl ballerina! Plus it's super comfy!

TopShop | Original: $9.99 / Sale: $5.00

A basic LBD that can either be dressed up or down.

H&M | Original: $6.99 / Sale: $3.50

I swear this dress is more flattering on my person than it appears on the hanger. It will be a good fall/winter dress!

Donna Ricco New York | Original: $7.99 / Sale: $4.00

I was on the fence about this dress because it's a little shorter than I normally like, but it's just so dang cute I couldn't say no! I love the fun, nautical feel of it! The picture makes it look electric blue, but it's really more muted, cornflower blue.

Love 21 (is that a part of Forever 21?) | Original: $6.99 / Sale: $3.50

Always looking for professional shirts. I loved this print.

CAbi | Original: $7.99 / Sale: $4.00

This shirt has a fun zipper detail in the back, too!

Anny Taylor (Score!) | Original: $7.99 / Sale: $4.00

I've been on the hunt for a good yellow cardigan for YEARS now ever since my favorite sweater walked away from me my freshman year in college (I still don't know who has it!). I loved that this one was staring me down from the rack as I passed by!

Old Navy | Original: $5.99 / Sale: $3.00

This is probably intended for a teenager, but it's such a fun color combo and print - who cares?

Takeout | Original: $7.99 / Sale: $4.00

I was just talking with a friend about how horrible it is trying to find appropriate fitting shorts as a 20-something. Teenage shorts are hot pants, and any older turn into "mom shorts." Nobody wants that! I was able to find this pair that fit appropriately! Huzzah!

Levi's (more Huzzah!) | Original: $5.99 / Sale: $3.00

I have an unhealthy obsession with the hi-low trend. I'm a sucker for it. So when I found this jersey knit, turquoise hi-low skirt, I was in love!

Charlotte Russe | Original: $3.99 / Sale: $2.00

TOTAL: $43 - Not too shabby for all that I got! =)

Goodwill 50% Off = My Favorite! (+ Garage Sales Finds!)

2014-06-08T00:54:00.002-07:00

Saturdays are my favorite. But not for the reason most people think. Rather than being lazy or sleeping in, I love the Saturdays that I get up early and go hunt for bargains at the 50% off the ENTIRE store sales at Goodwills around town! Especially now that I am shopping for my classroom and future apartment, in addition to all the other fun things I typically hunt for, I had a blast today picking up some good finds!

This was my favorite find of the day. A BRAND NEW (it was still in shrink wrap and not yet assembled) Chalkboard (Luns) from IKEA. $7.50 total

More teacher things. Magazine caddies (bare wood right now...I'll get artsy and paint them soon), a brand new (it was still in its box) pop-up Post-It note desk weight. It's an apple for the teacher! =) Brand new word strip walls (great for word walls), and brand new star accents for bulletin boards. Also a binder with dividers and additional post-it stickies of all colors and sizes (let's be honest...I really bought it for the fun stickies inside).

Grand total for all: $6.25

I know of a singing game I plan to do with my kiddos that involves a bowl for each person to slide on the floor. Rather than have a bunch of disposable Solo brand plastic bowls that I know would be destroyed after a few rounds, I saw these four colorful sets of hard plastic bowls and decided to pick them up at $1 a set.

Best bargain of the day! There was no price on the box, so when I asked, he gave it to me for .49 cents, which really reduced down to .25 cents! I'm so excited to continue learning more guitar chords and scales with these awesome flashcard-style tools!

Misc. fun! Two great movies ($2 each), a CD and information book about Classical Overtures ($1), and a brand new Cribbage board ($2) - I need to refresh my memory on how to play. I miss that game!

Kitchen awesomeness. 100 new cookie cutters for $2 (I have an addiction to collecting cookie cutters. It's a problem!), and a wonderful, functioning kitchen scale to use for baking. I'm so thankful I found such a great one for only $2!

The thing I'm always on the hunt for at thrift shops is good pictures books for the music classroom. I'm happy to say I found some great ones today! All kids books either end up being .50 cents or .25 cents, depending on hardback or paperback covers.

It's hard to tell...but this is a HUGE bag of crayons that I got for $1. I'm excited to finally do some crafts with crayons this summer (hello melted crayon canvases!)

Very cute hi-low green dress - $4.00

Long sleeve Mossimo red sweater - $3.00

Blue cardigan sweater - $2.50

And here are my garage sale finds! I LOVE a good bargain! =)

A media storage bookshelf from $20.00

A really cool metal jazz silhouette for my music room - $10.00

Fake fruit - good for tonal recall games -$1.00

Musical story books and a brand new wall calendar (has two calendars in it).
Total for all: $2.35

Happy Retirement!

2014-06-06T07:20:00.002-07:00

On the last day of school, one of my sweet 4th {now 5th} graders came up to me on the playground and said:
"See ya next year, Ms. Polete!"
I smiled and responded, "You won't...I won't be here next year! But I hope you have a really fantastic summer!"
Her response was golden. Her face twisted up all confused and she said, "WHAT?!?! You're RETIRING?!?!?"
I just burst out laughing and said, "No! I'm not retiring! I'm only just beginning! I have my own school I'm going to teach at next year."

I don't think my kiddos always understand the concept of student teaching... =)

French Revolution...Who Knew?

2014-04-16T20:53:00.001-07:00

While preparing to watch a video about Bach, one of my first grade students declared, "Well, when I was reading about the French Revolution, I learned that King Louis XVI enjoyed the music of Bach..."

Oh! Yeah! Because I often sit down and read about the French Revolution, too. It was a pastime I especially enjoyed back when I was in 1st grade... haha

Things My Students Say...

2014-03-20T14:22:00.004-07:00

My life is pretty much dedicated to teaching these days, and since I don't have much of anything else to blog as of late, I've decided to start a new "mini-series" for this blog in the hopes that I will eventually turn this site into my music education blog with lesson ideas, etc. The most special part of my job is working with adorable, wonderful kiddos, and sometimes, they say the darndest things...seriously.

Today's gem was so monumentally funny that I decided I should post mini-blogs whenever students say noteworthy things. So, enjoy!

Things my students say...

When I greeted my 4th graders today, two adorable girls came running up to me, gave me gigantic hugs, pulled away dramatically and then got straight to the point.

"Are you dating anybody?!?"

Taken aback, I laughed and said, "No, no I'm not..." (Gee, thanks girls for twisting that knife even deeper!)

Their response?!? "WHAT?!?!?!?! How are you not?!? You're so pretty!!!"

Well...thanks girls for that bout of confidence. Know any eligible, attractive bachelors you can hook me up with?

Nothing quite like your 4th graders prying into your dating life...or lack thereof!

Another noteworthy exasperation came from weeks ago with another 4th grader (what's with 4th grade? haha). While working on an anthem project, one student exasperatedly declared, "Oh boy! I'm a hot mess!"

Seriously though...where do they learn these things?

Long Time No Post

2014-02-11T13:22:00.003-08:00

I feel as though my post-UWP life doesn't really warrant blogging anymore, and when I do blog, it's only about thrifting. *sigh* I could blog about my teaching endeavors, but for right now, it's going to be another thrifting blog because I had a KILLER weekend at ARC!

ARC was having a .99 cent sweater sale, so of course I had to go check it out (It brings a whole new reality to Macklemore's "But sh*t it was $.99" lyric!) What I didn't realize was that the rest of the store (except white tags) was ALSO 50% off. Booyah! Needless to say, I did some damage!

Here's the loot:

CDs: (The music teacher in me loves stocking up for my future classroom!)

-Baby’s First Christmas Music Box Lullabies – Free (oops…clerk’s mistake! I told him I didn't want it anymore, he didn't ring it up, but instead of putting in the "Go Back" bin, it ended up in my bag without my knowledge!)

-Copland's Greatest Hits - $1.50

-Kindermusik Away We Go! - $1.50

-Louis Armstrong Gold Collection - $1.50

-Glee Season Three, The Graduation Album- $1.50

-Glee 3D Concert Movie Soundtrack - $1.50

-Gershwin Plays Gershwin - $1.50

-Beethoven Wrote It…But it Swings! - $1.50

ACCESSORIES:

Teal tote- $3.00

Axcess blue satchel purse - $5.00

Brown shoes - $2.50

NEW Opaque gray tights - $2.50

SWEATERS:

WDNY graphic cardigan - $.99 (reg. 2.99)

Karen Scott cable knit sweater - $.99 (reg. 5.99)

Old Navy black sweater - $.99 (reg. 6.99)

Merona puse detailed cardigan - $.99 (reg. 5.99)

Classiques Entire black sweater shirt- $.99 (reg. 4.99)

Teal cardigan - $.99 (reg. 5.99)

Talbots navy cardigan - $.99 (reg. 4.99)

Reitmans butter yellow cardigan - $.99 (reg. 4.99)

SHIRTS:

Navy Apt. 9 long sleeve v-neck - $2.00

Black Mossimo long sleeve - $2.00

Gray Mossimo long sleeve- $2.00

PANTS:

Aeropostale khaki pants (long) - $2.50

Gap dark gray slacks - $3.00

Brown skinny jeans - $3.00

DRESS:

Black mid-calf dress - $3.50

OFFICE:

NEW Note cards – $1.00

NEW Baseball picture frame - $1.50

(for Mom) Square envelopes – Free (oops…clerk’s mistake again!)

(for Mom) NEW alphabet stamp sets (2) - $2.50 each

(for Mom) Snoopy stamp - $2.00

REGULAR TOTAL: $150.72

DISCOUNT TOTAL: $61.42

Saved: $89.30

Labor Day Weekend Thrifting Haul!

2013-09-02T13:52:00.003-07:00

Everyone enjoys long holiday weekends, no doubt...but thrifters love holiday weekends like Labor Day because all of the thrift stores do 50% off sales! I managed to find a ton of stuff this weekend between one stop on Saturday, and three stops on Monday! I focused on more fall-ish clothes like sweaters and warmer things since fall is right around the corner! Plus, I have a cardigan obsession - I think it's a teacher thing! =P
I've said it once, but I'll say it again...I absolutely adore thrift shopping! =)

Saturday

ARC (Bowles Ave. and Wadsworth)

1. Worthington mint long-sleeve cardigan - $2.50

2. Merona beige 3/4-sleeve cardigan - $2.50

3. Navy lightweight short-sleeve cardigan - $2.50

TOTAL: $7.84

Labor Day Monday

Goodwill #1 (Archer and Broadway)

4. Old Navy short-sleeve cream cardigan - $2.50

5. August Silk 3/4-sleeve taupe cardigan *NEW w/tags* (Suggested retail? $58.00) - $4.50

6. Mossimo Supply long-sleeve purple cardigan - $2.50

7. Forever 21 long-sleeve gray leopard print cardigan - $2.50

8. Old Navy high-waisted black flare skirt - $2.00

TOTAL: $15.06

Goodwill #2 (Englewood)

9. Purple clasp wallet/clutch (seems brand new) - $2.00

10. Burlap-type rope belt - $1.00

11. Dark wash denim pant - $2.50

12. American Eagle oversized gray cable knit sweater - $2.50

13. Jones New York Sport brown sweater vest - $5.00

14. Elton John piano classics songbook - .50 cents

15. Hair musical score - .50 cents

TOTAL: $15.08

The rest of the piano scores came from SAVERS

Savers (Littleton Blvd.)

16. Black puffy vest with detachable faux-fur hood (we'll see how I feel about the fur later) - $5.00

17. Gap gray sweater wrap- $3.00

18. Xhilaration black tshirt dress - $3.00

19. Old Navy neon yellow shirt dress - $4.00

20. Emerald green scarf - $2.00

21. Stretch brown belt - $2.00

22. Banana Republic woven brown belt - $2.00

TOTAL: $22.52

(My parents also bought me a misc. bags of books that had a ton of music books in it, and a Beatles book containing lyrics/guitar chords - total, all these books were probably $1.00+ after all the discounts)

GRAND TOTAL: $60.50 for over 22 items!

That averages out to $2.75 per item! SCORE! =)

"I'm Gonna Pop Some Tags..." - Thrifting Has Returned!

2013-07-02T00:09:00.004-07:00

I’M BAAAAAAAAAACK! Oh how I’ve missed thrift shopping while I was traveling abroad for 5 months! Phew…I was just DYING to get my hands on a thrift store, and today was my day! Saver’s was having a 50% off sale on all clothing, shoes, accessories (which didn't include jewelry…riddle me that one!), and the Bed & Bath department. I left myself plenty of time when I went shopping, and I took my time scouring every rack, regardless of the marked sizes. My tip for people going thrift shopping for clothing is IGNORE SIZES! Since thrift shops accept a huge variety of donations, there are a ton of different brands and styles on each rack. What could be considered a large in one brand might really be a small in another, and vice versa. It helps to browse everything, find what you like, and then try it on. Size doesn’t matter…fit does! My patience and perseverance paid off today. I found a TON of amazing things!

1. Talbot’s slacks: $5.00

2. Tribal print skirt: $3.00

3. Striped skirt: $2.50

4. Old Navy Brown skirt: $2.00

5. Ivory sequin sweater: $3.00

6. Ann Taylor Orange sweater: $3.00

7. Dinosaur T-shirt: $2.00

8. Neon tribal Denver shirt: $1.50

9. Orange turtleneck: $2.00

10. Burgundy Forever21 scrunch-sleeve shirt: $3.00

11. Yellow tunic dress: $3.00

12. Braided belt: $1.00

13. {really sexy}Vintage lace black dress: $9.00

14. Black Mossimo dress: $3.00

15. Silver dress top: $3.00

16. Taupe/Pink Paisley dress: $3.00

17. Yellow scarf: $2.00

18. Green floral scarf: $2.00

19. Plaid multi-color scarf: $1.00

20. Guitar Methods book: .29 cents

21. Piggyback Songs for School: .29 cents

22. Pillsbury Best Desserts Cookbook: $2.99

23. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff book: $1.99

24. Bill Cosby Love and Marriage: FREE! (Buy 4 get 1 free deal)

25. Baby onesie for my future nephew: .50 (not pictured)

I paid a total of $63.06 for all 25 items! That averages out to $2.52 per item, which you would NEVER find in normal stores! I know that for every one item I said "yes" to, I had to say "no" to about 15 other things. Yes, you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find the prince, but in the end, having the patience to sort through all the...interesting items found in thrift shops can land you some gems! Oh thrifting, how I've missed you!

True Life: I Was a Contestant on WHEEL OF FORTUNE! Part 2

2013-01-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

Well, the time has come. My episode of Wheel of Fortune has aired...and by now, I'm sure most of you know that I was not, in fact, THE big winner. Or a big winner at all, really. I know, who can complain about an extra $1,000 bucks in their pocket? But it's sufficient enough to say that, at the time, I was extremely disappointed with the outcome. I had such high hopes for my time on Wheel of Fortune, and things just didn't work in my favor. I wanted to write this now (while I'm still here in Los Angeles after the taping in October!) so that my memory of the whole event is fresh...but obviously it will be posting here on my blog once my show airs! Whoo....how futuristic!

Anyway... before I get in to the "behind-the-scenes" commentary of my show, let me say a few things that I learned from this whole process:

1. The WOF staff at Sony is FABULOUS! I had so much fun with them, and everyone truly is rooting for you! From the contestant coordinators to the make-up ladies to the mic/sound folks, to Pat and Vanna and Jim the announcer! Everyone is just fantastic! Thanks guys!

2. Being a contestant is EXHAUSTING! Granted, I might not have been so tired if I had taped earlier in the day, but I had to wait until the 5th (of 6) tapings and was hyped up on pure adrenaline ALL day. I finally crashed around 5pm when I was done. But they have you at Sony Studios at 7:45am and run you non-stop all day! Phew. Bring your energy, if you are ever a contestant! You'll need it!

3. It's true what they say...playing the game at home is A MILLION times easier than playing in real life. There is a lot of pressure, and you don't always think so quickly. And even if you do...

4. Luck has to be on your side. You can be THE BEST puzzle solver in the world and still "lose" this game. Ask anyone...I'm REALLY good at playing Wheel. I wouldn't have been picked for the show if I wasn't. But whenever I knew the puzzle (which was all but twice), it just wasn't my turn, so I couldn't solve! Scott ALWAYS beat me to it, and that's what is most disappointing!

5. No matter what, I'm STOKED that I got to have this experience. Honestly, being selected to be a contestant (especially as quickly as I was) is amazing in and of itself! How many people can say they've been on WOF? Not too many! =)

Ok! So enough of my sentimentality. I wanted to document the show from my standpoint. Sure, you probably saw it last night, but you don't know what was going on inside my brain while the whole thing was going on. This could be fun for some of you to read, but I mainly want to document this so I remember. The whole ordeal happened SO quickly and was SO surreal! I want to help myself remember everything that went on for years to come!

Taping 5 was finally ready to go! Melissa, Scott, and I all took our places and the contestant coordinators warmed us up. Practice spins, practice letters being shouted across the studio. Lots of clapping. Don't forget to smile! Then the make-up crew touched us up as the producer let us know to watch the monitors for the opening footage, then to look at Pat and Vanna as they walk in. SMILE. CLAP. All these things are important.

We picked up our "signaling devices" when Pat instructed us to do so and prepared for our first Toss Up puzzle. BOY DO I HATE THOSE! It's so nerve racking! Even though the category was "Song Lyrics," which one would think a music major would be good at, I just didn't know it. Scott buzzed in with "Heat out on the highway," which Pat chuckled at and said was incorrect. I could have guessed it since there were only like 2 letters missing, but the second I went to hit my device, Melissa had already rung in to solve, "Head out on the highway." Duh! Of course! Oh well...still more game!

Pat did our intros, starting with Melissa and finishing with me. Super nice, super easy, and I think Pat was impressed with me! Then on to the second toss up. Bleh.

Gosh...now I can't even remember what it was, but I know that Scott solved it...yet again...so the next round started with him. Category: Before and After - MY FAVORITE!

We went through a few times, Melissa even landing on the Brazil trip (which we all were drooling over!!!), but RIGHT when I knew it, Melissa was finishing her turn. It was on to Scott. I don't think he knew it going in to his turn, but he called all the right letters. "P" was what sealed the deal, and I knew he knew it. As mean as it was, I was secretly praying he would spin a Bankrupt or a Lose a Turn so I could spin and solve! But...that didn't happen! He solved it: "The Princess and the Pea Soup." Ding ding ding. More money for him!

We stopped for the commercial break (yes, you take those even in real life while you're taping. You don't just go straight through and edit the commercials in later). The contestant coordinators came up every time to pump us up, calm us down, give us water, and remind us of what was coming up...including giving us the next category. All this was happening while the make-up ladies touched up our faces.

Back to the wheel and on to "Phrase" - AND Mystery Round! I got to start this time since I was the only one without money. Wah wah... =( I did well and managed to call a bunch of good letters, including buying lots of vowels (which are a fantastic tool, those of you nay-sayers out there! Yes they cost money, but BOY do they help fill in the gaps!). My one fear was that I was going to say or do something stupid to embarrass myself, and that did, in fact, happen. I was looking at the wrong part of the monitor (it's confusing from the contestants' standpoint!) and I didn't think I had any money left to buy a vowel. So I started to say, "I'd like to buy an A...OH WAIT! I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY!" and Pat reassured me that I did have money! So we laughed, I bought the vowel, and spun some more! *Thank goodness ABC later edited this out so I didn't embarrass myself on national television!* I EVEN landed on the mystery wedge! I had no clue what to call, so I VERY hesitantly said "L???" Pat chuckled at my insecurity and said "There are 2!" And then came the moment of truth. I vowed to myself the day I found out I'd be on the show that I would take the gamble (unless there was just too much at risk). I only had $2,900 or something at stake, so I said, "I told myself I'd go for it!, so I'm going for it!" AND I DID. But...it was Bankrupt! Darn!

On to the other two contestants. It eventually got back to me and I was able to solve the puzzle (without having a care in the world as to how much money I actually had!) "Rare, medium, or well-done." What a random puzzle. I only had $500 in my bank (whoops, who knew? Not me! I was too distracted!), so I got the house minimum of $1,000. Little did I know, that would be it for me!

We took another break, same routine with touch-ups and stuff, and came back to play the Prize Puzzle round. I REALLY wanted to solve this one because it guarantees you a trip. We started with Melissa (I think?) and she racked up quite the bank, over $9,000 I believe! But then something went wrong (either bankrupt/lose a turn, or she called a wrong letter), and it was on to Scott. He had bad luck, too, so on to me. I had some bad luck, so it was back to Melissa. Same thing. So it was Scott's turn. But I KNEW IT! I knew the puzzle then and was chuckling to myself because I thought the prize was going to be a trip to Hawaii based on the correct answer....and goodness knows my history with Hawaii wasn't the best! But I'd still love the trip regardless! But then it clicked with Scott. He knew it, and I knew he knew it, and I was bummed out AGAIN! "Sugar Cane Plantations" was all that was standing between Scott and a trip to Jamaica (I think? Gosh...now I can't remember. I think it was Jamaica!). *sigh* Scott won more!

So then another commercial break and back to the wheel for the 3rd toss up. I knew I wanted this one to bank an extra $3,000! It came up. The category was Living Thing. I KNEW the second word almost immediately, but I just couldn't figure out the first 3-letter-word! Darn those short words! Scott buzzed in with, "Pet Chihuahua" Yup. $3,000 more for Scott. And then the part I dreaded the most. The final bell sounded.

Pat spun the wheel, and I was praying for it to land on the $5,000 wedge so I could have a fighting chance at winning, but he landed on $900. Each letter would be worth $1,900 in this puzzle. The category was Things. I almost called N (my favorite WOF letter - dorky, I know), but I opted for R. I should have called N. Melissa called it after me, and there were 4! Back through guessing letters. Still didn't know it. But right after Melissa's next turn, I KNEW IT! I was bouncing around I was so giddy, because I didn't think Scott would get it. But he called a correct letter, and then declared that he'd like to solve the puzzle. My heart sank. He got it right, "Hand-written thank you note." And with that, he was THE big winner. Melissa and I gave each other a look like, "Well...at least we tried." My heart sank. It was over! I'd never get a chance to do this again.

Of course everyone plays nice when Pat comes over to shake your hand. I said thank you and that I had fun, which, of course, I did. But I was also ready to burst in to tears. I just wanted to be able to play the game and have it go my way! But luck just wasn't on Melissa's or my side that day. Scott walked away with over $26,000 in cash in prizes. He deserves it...he and his wife have their hands full with 3 little ones (all under 2 1/2) and lots of medical debt from the twins' premature births, but I love it so much more when games have the wealth evenly distributed amongst all three players. Some games you see the "losers" walk away with $27,000 and up! Not this game. Melissa and I each took away the bare minimum.

If you ever find yourself fortunate enough to be a contestant on WOF, only do it if you're prepared to win the minimum and TRULY be satisfied with it. I thought I would be...and I kept telling myself how great getting even $1,000 would be, but it turns out I didn't truly believe it. I had HIGH hopes and was eager to win big and go to the bonus round. I was hoping to win Up With People money, Grad school money, and money to help me move out of my parents house in to my own apartment, but that just wasn't meant to be. Even though I knew nearly every single puzzle that game, I simply never had the chance to solve for the win! Greedy as it sounds, I was heart broken to walk away with the house minimum. I felt like I wasn't a good player and that I failed. My parents could see it in my face when I met them afterwards. That was NOT how I intended the game to go. *Note written from 1/18 - I'm truly ok with it now. I was just disappointed initially. It wears off*

I'm still bummed about it, but as I replay the whole experience in my head, I'm very happy that I did everything in my power to play the best I could. I was calm (really, truly!), I had fun, I acted like myself (at least I THINK I did! haha), I called good letters, and I took a HUGE gamble! How often do you have a 50/50 shot at $10,000? I have no regrets about the show because I did everything in MY power to play the best game I could. The wheel and my fellow contestants were the ultimate factors working against me.

Scott did great, and Melissa and I are thrilled for him and his family. Yes, we wish things had gone differently, but I still have this amazing experience to look back on and appreciate! I've scratched a MAJOR wish off my bucket list and I had a blast doing it. I hope you all enjoyed watching the show, and my October 2012 self REALLY hopes that my January 2013 self doesn't come across too dumb or embarrassing on national television!!! =)

And now, from my present self, here are some pictures to add from my show! My UWP host parents and I had way too much fun pausing the screen and getting all my ridiculous faces!

Goodwill Thrifting...Again! =)

2012-12-08T13:11:00.001-08:00

Call me weird, but Goodwill 1/2 price days are one of my absolute most favorite things!!! My family gets up super early to get to the store before they open, and then we hit up as many different stores as possible. Sometimes when I go into Goodwills, I don't find a single thing I want, but whenever I'm there on 1/2 price days, I find a TON of stuff! It's great! So, here's my haul from today, where I went to 3 different stores around the area!

Store #1:

Cream colored Lucca jacket with zip off hood - $5.00

Columbia red/orange windbreaker - $4.50 (COLUMBIA! Practically new! WHAT?)

Columbia orange fleece - $7.50 (my parents got this for me. It's officially replacing my wornout blue fleece that I've had for FOREVER! If you've known me anytime between 7th grade and now, chances are you've seen me in it! haha)

Karen Kane Burgandy ruffle sweater - $2.50

Worthington dark gray skirt- $2.50

Blue band skirt - $2.50

Mossimo taupe knit dress - $3.50

Mossimo dark gray 3/4 sleeve dress - $3.50

Total: $31.86 (with tax)

(oh, I also got a brand new collapsible music stand for just under $4)

Store #2:

Express long black knit sweater - $3.15

Yellow bow sweater - $2.25

Brown belt - $1.80

Total: $7.20

Store #3:

Rust/orange 100% leather jacket - $18 (YES! $18 for a leather jacket!)

Merona white puffy vest - $2.88

LIKE NEW Black Danshuz character shoes (for UWP) - $2.16 (I mean, honestly! Can you beat that?)

New York & Company dark teal dress shirt (brand new with tags, retails for $19.95) - $1.80

Mudd rust colored long sleeve shirt - $1.44

Old Navy mint sweater - $1.80

Total: $28.69 (with tax)

Amazing, huh? Today made me VERY happy! I will forever be a thrifter! Why pay full retail price when you can get STEALS like this? For under $70, I got 17 awesome {mostly name brand} items in great condition that would normally retail for SO much more! Always check around and see when 1/2 price days are at your local thrift stores, and GET THERE EARLY! You won't regret it! =)

To see my major haul from over the summer, click here!

So I Remember...

2012-12-05T22:11:00.000-08:00

I have every intention of buying this AWESOME map upon returning home from Up With People, so I wanted to post the link to remind my future self. I think it symbolizes the experience perfectly. Music around the world...it's an amazing uniting force! =)

Bow Ring Giveaway

2012-11-23T11:15:00.006-08:00

Gotta love reposting all of these giveaway contests, but hey! It earns me another entry and gets me one step closer to possibly winning this cute design! Check it out here at The Jackson's blog!

Giveaway!

2012-11-16T07:34:00.003-08:00

Check out this adorable monogram necklace seen here on The Pink Peonies.

Color Me Rad: Dirty Thirty!

2012-11-07T00:09:00.001-08:00

I had a blast running (mainly walking...) my first 5K for my sis-in-laws 30th birthday on September 29th! (yeah I know, a little late in posting!) Although the traffic made for a very hectic start to our day, we had a blast meeting up with the rest of our "Dirty 30" team and getting a little wild and wacky throughout the course of the Color Me Rad 5K!

For those of you who don't know about the Color Me Rad (or Color Run) 5K races, they are super chill, super laid back, and super fun! You go wearing all white and end up all colorful! Volunteers along the course through colored corn starch at you so your have splatters of colors all over. What we weren't aware of is that they also had liquid color that they squirted at us with. We got pretty messy!

Here are some fun pictures of the day, including some of the "after-party" shots from Mindy's birthday celebration (it tied in to the theme of the Color Me Rad day)

Obama Re-Elected: 4 MORE YEARS!

2012-11-06T23:58:00.003-08:00

It's late, and I have to teach tomorrow, but this is too monumental a night to not blog and get my thoughts down! I have such a happy heart and such a heavy heart all at the same time! Let me explain...

I've been the kind of person who has despised politics my whole life. In my opinion, politicians are always sleezeballs who make empty promises and just rub me the wrong way! I never cared for anything political...that is until I turned 18. When I voted for the first time in 2008, I was the black sheep of my family, submitting a different vote than everyone else. I will admit, I didn't really know the issues at hand or what I was voting for, but I cast my vote because Barack Obama was different than any other politician I'd encountered...EVER. I can't tell you what it is about him, but he is GENUINE. He is someone I would WANT to spend time with, and I absolutely adore his family. Many reading this right now are probably thinking, "Wow...she picked her candidate based on THOSE qualifications?" But yes...when I was 18, I did. Character says a LOT about someone, more so than their political agendas. When you get a feeling about someone, it speaks to whether or not you can trust them and truly stand behind them. Obama gave me that feeling, and I voted with confidence.

I will be the first to admit, Obama's 1st term hasn't been AMAZING. He hasn't done things perfectly, and there have been mistakes. We still have a LONG, LONG way to go to improve our country, but for everyone out there saying that Obama is the worst thing that has happened to this country, I am so brokenhearted to hear such negative remarks. I can only imagine how horrendously difficult the job of President truly is. Think about all of the pieces you have to put together, all while facing a public that is so tremendously divided. You have to be diplomatic and reach out to other countries, dealing with global issues in addition to the crap pile you inherited at home. You have to deal with the ridiculousness of bipartisanship in the House of Representatives and the harsh dichotomy of public opinion. To everyone out there saying President Obama accomplished nothing in four years...let me first point you to the HoR and the fact that so many great ideas were shut down because of bipartisanship. One party simply votes against another to see who can "win" rather than reaching across party lines to work together. So much for the "united" part of the United States of America.

I also don't think people realize that CHANGE TAKES TIME. I charge anyone to step into the President's shoes and try to fix every single one of the country's problems in four years (with the division in the HoR). RIGHT! No one can do it! No matter what party is in office, people are going to point fingers and say, "They've done nothing to fix our problems! Get them out of here!" rather than looking to the good that HAS happened. For all the negativity pointed towards the President these past four years, I ask that you acknowledge all the good he has done. Equal pay. The end to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Ending the war in Iraq and creating a plan to get troops out of Afghanistan. Work for higher education and Pell grants. Creating new jobs. Reviving the auto industry and investing in new energy sources. He has CHANGED this country, and I am SO excited to see what Obama accomplishes in his next term. I support the President as he moves our nation forward.

What hurts my heart the most, however, on this exciting night, is all of the negative commentary I've been seeing on Facebook. I KNOW there are two very opinionated parties involved in this election, and we all knew that today would bring disappointment for one of those parties. My heart truly does go out to Romney supporters because I know if the shoe was on the other foot, I would be devastated tonight. But I so wish everyone could appreciate what Obama has done for this country and stand behind him, not tear him to pieces! Some friends have been completely melodramatic saying that our nation as we know it is over now that Obama has a second term. That everyone who voted for Obama is an idiot who can't think for him/herself and has had the wool pulled over our eyes. That our nation is DOOMED.

Such remarks truly break my heart and have tainted the victory of this night. Yes, we are suffering economically. Yes, there are issues overseas that need attending to. Yes, our schools are in crisis (this is especially important to me as a future educator!). Yes, THERE ARE PROBLEMS! But Obama is working to fix them. Many won't agree with me, but in my opinion, the most important issues are the humanitarian issues we're facing here at home. I am so excited about our President because he has publicly announced his support of same-sex marriages, one of the most important issues to me. I am in tears I am so happy because I look at so many friends that I love dearly and I see a future of equality for them under President Obama. I was so fiercely afraid of their potential future if Romney had been the winning candidate tonight, not because I don't think he could have had success as President, but because he would step forward and deny the RIGHT OF EQUALITY TO EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN. I don't care what your personal and religious views are, the words of our forefathers teach us that every person is created equal. Under President Obama, that can actually happen! AND I AM ECSTATIC!

Regardless of your vote in this election, PLEASE be respectful of those who earned a tremendous victory tonight, and be grateful that you will be given a chance at equality, regardless of your race, gender, religious views, or sexual preferences. Just as we've made enormous strides concerning women and African Americans in our nation's history, this new era under President Obama will certainly bring about more historical victories. With Obama as president, equality can actually happen. Embrace change...because like it or not, it can and will happen. We are a nation that is moving FORWARD!!!

True Life: I Was a Contestant on WHEEL OF FORTUNE! Part 1

2012-10-05T23:41:00.001-07:00

So, many of you know already how obsessed with Wheel of Fortune I am. And through Facebook, many of you know my history of auditioning with the show! Well, let me try and recap my experience as best I can!

It all started with this. Click to read my very first blog about my Wheel of Fortune experience from back in 2011 if you haven't already!

After not hearing from the show after my first audition, I was a little bitter...especially after watching the show and seeing some of the bum contestants they chose instead of moi! So, I reapplied online. A couple of months later, I received an email for auditions in the Denver area for Sept. 27th. I had the day off, and the timing was perfect, so I headed up to Westminster knowing full well what I was in for! It was much less nerve racking going through the audition the second time knowing what to expect. AND I NAILED IT! I had a blast and did a great job. I thought I was a shoe in.

But then there was an exciting twist! The contestant coordinators came back in to the room after deliberating and announced they had a contestant cancellation for Oct. 5th (aka...just over a week away). Usually it takes the staff 2 weeks to notify you by snail mail to tell you you'll eventually be on the show. Then you have to wait to hear when you'll be taping. But this case was special. They were going to call one person that SAME DAY and let them know.

I left feeling really great, but tried not to get my hopes up. But at 5pm that night, I got a call from a (310) number...aka Culver City, CA. I had a mini freak out moment, then answered the phone...and it was Gary from WHEEL OF FORTUNE! THEY PICKED ME!

After the initial shock wore off that I was ACTUALLY going to be on my favorite game show, we set in to panic mode to plan a completely last minute trip to Los Angeles! Give the Polete's 2 hours and we can work some magic! Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!

I practiced like crazy for the next week, never missing a show, playing the app, and yes...even doing research about things like the 70s, 80s, and 90s in case I got one of those as a puzzle category! I felt pretty well prepared, but just knew no matter what to go out and have fun. No use getting nervous.

NOW fastfoward to Oct. 4th. The Polete family (Aunt Sarah included) hopped a plane to L.A. That trip was a few firsts for me! First time flying to L.A. and LAX. First time in the boonies of DIA's A Terminal (really...Gate A 60? I didn't even know that part of the airport existed!) AND my very first time on a little 2-seats across plane that has you go OUTSIDE on the tarmac to board the plane! I was giddy because I've always seen it done in movies, but I've never done it myself (ah, the little joys in life!)

I played my WOF app the entire flight. We landed. We got our rental car. And we found our hotel. I got my stuff ready for the morning, and tried to sleep. Easier said than done. I woke up quite a few times, wishing that 6am would get here already! I even had a horrid nightmare where I showed up for the taping, they paired me with this random stranger, told us to pretend like we were dating because we were filming on a Couples Week (haha- what a weird thing!), and then, right as I was about to go on with my stranger boyfriend, they told me I jut wasn't right for the show and that I should just go home. I got so mad that I flipped one of the production tables over and screamed at them for ruining my dreams! Yeah...I have a dramatic subconscious.

BUT! At 5:59am, that horrible nightmare woke me up, 1 min. before my alarm was due to go off, so I got up and got ready to go. The morning was a little...hectic. I took longer to get ready, as usual, so we left later than planned. Then we couldn't find the hotel that I needed to be at to catch the "WOF Contestant Shuttle" that was leaving at 7:15. I must admit, I didn't leave things so happy with my parents as I stepped out to join the other contestants, but I was stressed. Still no excuse. But no one wants to jeopardize their chance at stardom, right?

The contestants who were on the bus made small chit-chat as we drove to Sony Studios. When we got there, we met up with the contestant coordinators that we already knew from our auditions from around the country. It was nice to see familiar faces! We were ushered in to the contestant area and immediately handed paperwork.

We went over all the legality stuff (while still making it fun by cracking jokes here and there) and then were ushered out on the the set (hooray!) to practice spinning and learn the ins and outs of the studio and taping equipment. I was SHOCKED when I turned the corner to see the set that I saw every night on TV. They say the camera adds 10 pounds...I think for sets the camera adds about 100 sq. feet! Holy smokes was it tiny! And the audience section? Like 3 of the tiniest movie theatre sections lined up next to one another. SMALL! But it was so fun seeing it in real life.

The wheel. Oh, the wheel! Fun fact...it weighs 2400 lbs. Yup. And I spun it. BAM! It's smaller than it looks on TV though...but it's also more ghetto than it looks on TV! Sorry...I'm removing the smoke and mirrors, here! haha. It's old and clinky and it's LOUD! That thing clicks and clacks like there's no tomorrow! And all those little bonus things they add to the wheel, including the Wild Card, 1/2 car tags, gift tags, and the wedges like the mystery and million dollar wedge? Yeah...all just flimsy cardboard things that they smack on every time! haha. They look so fancy on TV, though!

We were familiarized with the "Used Letter Board" - which is about the most important piece of equipment to us contestants- and the other things like the monitors we would be using, etc. etc. Then we practiced. Did you know that the platform that the contestants stand on is MOVEABLE? FOR EACH SECTION? Well, it is! That's how everyone gets to be the appropriate height to spin! I'm tall, so they moved my floor space down...WHOO! Free ride! (Oh, the mini thrills in life). Rehearsal, rehearsal, blah blah blah!

Oh. Vanna White showed up. No big deal. Samuel was spinning the wheel and all of a sudden applause and cheering erupted, so I assumed he landed on the $2,500 (contestants tend to get really excited, even in warm ups!), but I turned to look, and THERE SHE WAS! Street clothes, hair up in a messy bun, and no make-up, holding her coffee and tote bag. Just like any other normal plain Jane! It was fun to see her out of the typical "Vanna White" look, but hey, I suppose she's only human, too!

We recorded little promos for our home stations that air WOF, so be on the lookout for yours truly the week of my show! Mine went a little something like, "Hi! I'm Amy from Highlands Ranch! Be sure to watch me play Wheel of Fortune on Denver 7!!! *smile, smile, smile, smile, smile!* Thank you, thank you! I know, I'm a natural..

Back to our little holding room we went. Some of us were ushered in to make-up while we were also told who we would be playing with. There were going to be 6 tapings that day, so 18 of us had to be split in to 6 groups of 3. I found out I'd be playing with Scott and Melissa, both in their 30s and with kids...both VERY nice! We then got to find out the most important part...what show we'd be taping! I wanted anything but show 1 and 6...for obvious reasons!

They do everything randomly for this show, with the exception of picking what contestants will play on the same show. After they determine that, one person from each group reaches in to a bucket and pulls out a golf ball with a number 1-6 on it. That determines your show! Scott pulled 5! Yes! It wasn't 6! Yes...we'd be waiting a long time, but it wasn't the last show of the day! Then, each group had to go up to the front of the room to draw for standing order up on the podium. You know how they have a red, yellow, and blue spot? Well, that translates to 1, 2, and 3. It turned out that Melissa would be 1 (red, closest to Pat Sajak), Scott would be 2 (yellow and in the middle), and I would be 3 (blue and on the end). I was happy about that, too, because I thought 3 was the best view of the board. Dumb reasoning since all contestants can obviously see the board...I just liked the thought of being on the end!

Once all that excitement was over, we continued make-up application and then and went over the rules. I chuckled at HOW detailed they were in the rules...like those of us Wheel fanatics don't already know the rules! But I suppose they have to go over it all...and in painstakingly boring detail, too. But oh well. They were slave drivers in the sense that they didn't let you leave the room...even though SOME of us were DYING for a bathroom break (I wasn't the only one, but MAN was I losing focus!) I finally slipped out before we went back to the recording stage to do one last practice. Then the audience, including our guests, began showing up! Before I knew it, and before I could snag a bite to eat, I was being ushered up to the chairs to join the audience so we could watch all the shows!

This was really happening! It was fabulous to see the whole thing come together. I don't know what it was about the whole experience, but it never really hit that I was sitting there, watching WOF, waiting to be a contestant myself! I think it helped that all the contestants had quite the camaraderie and were all there to support one another! We had so much fun cheering one another on! It's so much more fun watching folks win big bucks when you know them!

Because of confidentiality agreements, I can't reveal what happened on my show (so please don't ask!) MY SHOW WILL AIR FRIDAY, JANUARY 18TH, so please be sure to tune in! If you're in the Denver area, be on the lookout for yours truly on a pre-recorded promo to watch Wheel of Fortune. It should air the week of my show! I'm excited to see what it all looks like from the audience stand point, because even though I was really calm (I say that honestly...I stayed cool, calm, and collected the whole time!), the whole thing is a blur! That 30 min. goes by SOOOOOOO fast when you're up there on stage! You blink once and the final round bell sounds...

I tried to remember as much as I could, but it's kind of like an out-of-body experience. I went in to it just wanting to have fun, and I'd say that was accomplished. It's certainly something I can check off my bucket list. I've now shook hands and made small chit-chat and jokes with Pat Sajak, and I'll be on national TV playing my favorite game show, so that's pretty darn cool! Oh, and Vanna waved and smiled at me, so that makes me feel pretty important!

I'll be writing a blog that won't post until January 19th about my actual show and my experience as a contestant, but for the time being, I'll include some pictures for you all! I had to have my phone off all day, and cameras weren't allowed in the studio, so the few pictures we do have were taken on my mom's cell phone and after the taping! Better that than nothing, however!

Ready to go on the morning of the taping!

Legit contestant...name tag and all! Fun fact...they're just held on by double sided tape! I always thought they were fancy schmancy with magnets and stuff! Nope! Just tape!

Daddy

Mommy

Outside of the studio

Cardboard Vanna and Pat

Lighting in the hallway was awful! Sorry!

Playing Vanna...

...and there's the car I won! (hehe. I KID! That was just a parked car outside of the studio)

THRIFTING! My Kind of Shopping!!!

2012-09-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

Get ready, cuz this stuff excites me. So please pardon me if I get a little over-enthusiastic. IT'S JUST SO EXCITING!!!

Today (Labor Day) means that ALL thrift stores in the Denver area offer 50% off sales. Now, not just 50% off a certain color ticket. No, no. We're talking the whole. gosh. darn. store! FIFTY PERCENT OFF! And given that we're talking thrift stores, we're already talking cheap, cheap items! THEN ANOTHER FIFTY PERCENT OFF THAT! Whoooo!

Ok, so I know many people who are scared of thrifting, or they think that thrift stores are just icky or that you won't find good items. I've never had thrifting-phobia, so I can't relate to those mindsets. But I'm here to tell you that if you are persistent, patient, and willing to wake up early, you can find some STEALS!

My reasons why you should shop thrift stores?

1. Reduce, reuse, recycle! Purchasing thrift items and not always buying new helps keep things out of landfills and re-purposes perfectly good items!

2. It's so much cheaper!!! Goodness knows I'm about as frugal as they come, so getting clothing and other items at a steal of a price is so much better than paying through the nose for new, marked up items!

3. Thrift stores help your local community! Money earned in thrift stores (such as Goodwill, ARC, and Savers) helps support those less fortunate, so go buy, buy, BUY! =)

Still squirrly about buying items at thrift stores? If it's clothing you're scared about, just take it home and wash it! Clean! If you still refuse, at least take some time to go look at books, furniture, or other household items, because you can find some awesome things that other people simply don't want/need anymore! Like they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure! AMEN!

Today we traveled to 3 different Goodwills, ARC, and Savers, and we fought the bustles of people just like us out for bargains! I set my budget for the day at $100, and I am happy to report that I got TONS of items for a grand total of $84 - and that doesn't include the items I'll be re-selling in my garage sale (for even more money...shhh!)

Stop 1: Goodwill on Broadway (in Denver)

What I got:

TOTAL: $51.10

Broken down:

2 pairs of Corduroy pants - $3.00 each - $6.00

Blue sweater - $2.50

Khaki H&M Jacket - $5.50

Brown/Tan Jacket - $2.50

Red fedora - $3.50

Vera Bradley bag - $2.00 (VERA BRADLEY! I'll re-sell this.)

K-State sign (for the McKassons haha) - $2.00

Wilton tip saver case - .50 cents (these little things retail for $6.99!)

White "shabby chic" lantern - $2.00

2 HUGE ruffled blue pillows (I was going to keep these, but they don't look right in my room. Oh well! Garage sale it is!) - $3.50 each - $7.00

Kid's easel/blackboard - $5.00 (I've already re-sold this for $15, so $10 profit)

Small wire dog/cat cage - $5.00 (I'll also re-sell this)

*not pictured* - 4 large IKEA plates to make in to cake stands (I'll do another blog about this little crafting endeavor!) - $1.00 each - $4.00

Stop 2: ARC on Broadway (in Denver)

What I got:

TOTAL: $8.00

Broken down:

1 green skirt (unfortunately NOT 50% off, darn) - $4.99

ADORABLE blue purse - $2.50

Stop 3: Goodwill on Broadway (in Englewood)

What I got:

TOTAL: $12.39

Broken down:

Gap Body white fitness tank (for my upcoming 5K Color Run!!!) - $1.50

Blue/White H&M dress (WITH POCKETS!) - $3.00

Green khaki pants - $2.50

*not pictured* a MVHS choir dress in pristine condition! - $4.50 (I'll either sell this to a choir girl or just donate it to the choir department. I couldn't leave it in the store when those dresses normally retail for upwards of $80!)

Stop 4: Savers in Littleton

What I got:

TOTAL: $12.86

Broken down:

Strapless coral ruffle maxi dress - $4.00

Purple dress - $3.00

White shorts (again, for my upcoming 5K Color Run!!!) - $3.00

Red beaded necklace (unfortunately not 50%) - $1.99 (still a bargain!)

Stop 3: Goodwill on Broadway (in Highlands Ranch)

What I got:

NOTHING! haha. I tried, but we got there later in the day and the store had been picked over. Nothing for this exhausted shopper!

DO YOU SEE HOW MANY AMAZING THINGS YOU CAN FIND IF YOU JUST LOOK!? Thrift stores are great to begin with, but add the benefit of shopping on 50% off days and you're in for a steal of a deal! Just try it out! I promise it's worth you while! =)

Parade of Homes - I'm Moving!

2012-08-30T16:17:00.001-07:00

Today my mom and our friend Joyce took off to various parts of Denver to see some of the homes participating in the Parade of Homes. I'd never been before, but goodness knows I'm obsessed with house hunting and all things on HGTV, so I was stoked! The first house we visited in The Backcountry in Highlands Ranch was by far my favorite - I'm ready to move RIGHT NOW! =) I snapped a few pictures as we went on my iPhone, so nothing is fabulous quality, but my goodness were these houses beautiful!

1st house:

My new home. It's decided!

2nd house:

I wanted a picture of the mirror, then realized it was more a picture of me. Failed to smile for that one, oops!

Map Wall!

Awesome staircase layout. One side led up to the map wall room, the other side led up to the rest of the house.

3rd house (Spanish inspired):

The walk-out basement led to an interior courtyard. It was heavenly!

Outdoor kitchen complete with pizza oven

Oh yeah - they had a wine cellar. NBD.

Interior courtyard. Ahhhhh!

Complete with overhead lanterns!

Reading nook. It reminded me of 'Beauty and the Beast'

Master bath. I LOVE the tiling!

4th house:

This tub was AWESOME!

Kitchenette behind the hidden door!

Love this tiling!

All behind the hidden passage!

Awesome, but SO not practical!

Houses 4 & 5:

DIY Bulletin Board

2012-08-29T09:19:00.002-07:00

DIY : Music Bulletin Board

With all the garage-sale-ing we've been doing in this house, I've seen my fair share of items! We had a small-ish bulletin board donated and it just wasn't selling, so I decided that rather than give it away for practically nothing, I would bust out my arts & crafts skills and refinish the board for my future music classroom! This was EASY-PEASY and the end result is super cute!

What You’ll Need:

Bulletin Board (taken apart)

1 yard of fabric

Scissors

Staple Gun

Spray Paint (optional)

My original board - in pretty sorry shape.

The fabric I chose. Yay MUSIC!

Step 1: Iron your fabric, if need be, and lay it on a flat surface.

Step 2: Cut the fabric so that there is about a 2-3 in border on all sides.

Step 3: Work on one side at a time, pulling the fabric snugly and stapling to secure it in place. (I found it best to work on opposite sides. So staple the top, then the bottom, then work on the sides. Fold the excess fabric in like you're wrapping a present and staple to secure.)

Step 4: Spray paint your frame, if you so choose.

Step 5: Once dry, reassemble the bulletin board for your finished product!

Ta-Da!

This whole project took me all of 15 min., and since I already had the board and the spray paint, the grand total of this makeover was around $4.00!

Pretty snazzy, huh?
{I realize upon further inspection that all my pictures of the fabric are upside down. Oopsies and oh well!}

Dance Recital, Day 2!

2012-08-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

I showed up to babysit N&K again today, and they were dressed up and ready to go for another round of dance recital! The first thing they asked me was, "DID YOU BRING YOUR CAMERA AGAIN?" Well, sorry to disappoint, girls, but nope. I left it at home. So I busted out my handy-dandy iPhone and took some hilarious video footage and the occasional still photo. Enjoy!

Dance Recital, Babysitting Style!

2012-08-16T22:07:00.001-07:00

I've had so much fun babysitting my favorite girls a couple of days this week. When I showed up this morning, the girls were already up and ready to go, dressed to the nines in their various dance attire. Nella even had her ballet slippers on.

The girls went to work right away performing a dance recital using the top step of the patio stairs as their stage. Cuteness ensued. Keagan readily filled the role of dance teacher, providing some improvised vocal music and calling out dance moves for Nella to complete. She was even so kind as to count Nella off saying, "8...3...5...7...2..." Meh...close enough to "5...6...7...8...,"right?

Of course we had to have some goofy faces!

Crazy Keags!

Goofy Nella!

Then the little dancers moved the show indoors to the basement, where the girls insisted all lights needed be off because "that's how you perform a dance recital..." Well, of course! Luckily, my flash allowed me to catch a few more great shots! We blasted some "Toddler Tunes" on the t.v. and the girls went to town!

We occasionally had to pause so the beauty queens could spruce up their "makeup" and brush their hair. Oh, the hard lives of pampered princesses! =)

But *THEN* the real magic happened! The girls busted out their princess costumes. MY GOODNESS these girls know how to layer on the sparkle!

Nella made sure I was included in the fun.

A little break for some rhythmic gymnastics and ribbon dancing with a boa!

Looking beautimous!

Nella wanted to put on her wedding gown and tiara

Shall we count the costume pieces Keags layered on?

1. High Heels

2. Tutu

3. Arm scarves

4. Wand

5. Cape
6. Wings

7. Halo

And then we had some fun playing instruments! Well, at least Keagan and I did! Nella decided she didn't want to partake. Keagan made up for Nella's absenteeism by layering bells and tambourines on her arms while beating the drum. I think Keags is the Queen of Layering...so I guess the cape with the sparkly crown is befitting of her!

We had a blast, and I can't wait until I get to see them again next week, and hopefully throughout the fall while I'm home! =)

T-Shirt Transformation

2012-08-14T22:36:00.002-07:00

Everyone has more t-shirts than they know what to do with, and 99.9% of the time, the t-shirts are way too big! The last time I went to a Rockies game, they were giving away free t-shirts, but of course, the only size they were handing out was XXL. I definitely don't fit comfortably into a size XXL tshirt, so I opted to do a little "snip snip here, snip snip there" (ten points for naming that reference) and altering my t-shirt to fit a bit more properly before attending the game tonight.

There are plenty of different styles and tutorials out there, but I opted to lace up the sides of my shirt with the band cut from the bottom of the tshirt.

Sorry the quality of the pictures is so terrible, but I just snapped some on my iPhone.

HUGE t-shirt: Before

After!

Cut the sides, the sleeves, and the neckline

The sides laced up with the leftover band cut from the bottom of the shirt.

There was no measuring - I simply cut and figured it out as I went. I figured no harm if I ruined a free t-shirt! I wish some of the edges weren't so jaggedy, and I wish it didn't fit QUITE as tight as it does, but that comes from me just hacking and chopping at the shirt. But I'd say this is a much better alternative to wearing a HUGE, baggy t-shirt to support the home team!

And HOORAY! The Rockies actually won this game!

Before the game

During the game!

d bar Desserts...OH MY!

2012-08-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

I knew this place was destined to be delicious when I learned that Food Network's own Keegan Gerhard owned the joint, but my heavens was I pleasantly surprised! d bar Desserts is a tiny, wonderfully modern restaurant tucked in a more quiet part of Denver. You kind of have to be searching for it to know it's even there. I went with my friend Melanie who had been once before, and she was dying to sit at the bar...and for good reason! At the bar, you have a front row seat to chat with and observe (or in our case stare while drooling at) the dessert chef.

We started with dinner. YUM. Normally, I can be a pretty picky eater when it comes to eating out. I know what I like, and change kind of scares me sometimes...especially when it comes to those "fancy" menus - you know the kind (when you feel like an idiot because you don't know what half of the ingredients listed are and you're too afraid to speak up and show your ignorance!) But I was DROOLING over this menu! I couldn't decide...especially between their Soup and Sandwich (Tomato Basil Soup with a 3-Cheese Grilled Panini) or their Kobe Beef Sliders that came with a brioche bun, drunken onions, white cheddar cheese, garlic aioli spread and Parmesan fries. I usually have to request some kind of change when I order...think of that scene from 'When Harry Met Sally,' but everything sounded SO good I had to try it as the whole package. My only complaint about this meal? I wanted about 6 times the amount of food because it was SO DAMN YUMMY! Everything was sheer perfection.

How cute and modern are these dishes? I died when I saw the adorable little side of ketchup.

Even though I was wishing for more main course, I was thankful for the portion size because I had ZERO guilt in ordering a dessert all for myself! (Granted, Mel and I both sampled each other's choices, but we mainly indulged in our individual plates)

I had THE HARDEST time deciding because I kept seeing the 3-layer chocolate cake (which is served with a side of mini milkshake). It looked so completely sinful and decadent that my mouth was watering for it all night. But another dessert, by the name of d = mc2 caught my attention, so I had to ask about it.

The menu read: "milk chocolate ∙ peanuts & praline ∙ salted caramel ∙ rice krispies ∙ chocolate ice cream." I was intrigued by the crazy combo of ingredients, and when the waitress mentioned chocolate mousse, I was sold. We then got to watch the intricacies of our desserts being prepared before our very eyes. It was amazing to see all the various components going into the plate, designed beautifully by the Dessert Artist, Briana.

My dessert: d = mc2

The mousse with salted caramel. The bottom layer was a crust of praline, peanuts, and rice krispies...which afforded the PERFECT crunch (especially the rice krispies) for this texture eater!

Mel's dessert: molten chocolate lava cake with fruit and vanilla ice cream

The artist at work

Many of the other delicious desserts being prepared. How can you NOT drool in this situation?

All in all...GO HERE! The place is amazing! Want a buddy? I'd be happy to go again! =)

It Finally Happened...I Cleaned My Room!

2012-07-23T22:51:00.001-07:00

FINALLY! I did a pretty thorough job purging my room of unwanted items when I first moved home this summer, but then my life fell in to disarray with being so sick and then devoting all my time to garage sale preparations and teaching! My room was driving me CRAZY, but I just didn't have the time or energy to do anything about it. Today was the day, however! I knew once I got home from teaching that the rest of the day would be devoted to cleaning and organizing the living daylights out of this place!

Granted, I'll be tearing the place up again soon to repaint and redecorate, but for the time being, I get to live in peace (and cleanliness!) I also just wanted "before & after" pictures for the makeover that's to come (probably in August)

I didn't have anything on these shelves, then I realized how dumb it was that I wasn't displaying the HUGE array of picture frames I have! Plus, I was able to hang up my awesome 'Amy' canvas by Lani! =)

As much as I love it, this wall will be no longer come the makeover. I'm just at an age where I want all my walls the SAME color! =)

I even deep cleaned my bathroom! It's clutter-free and sparkling! =)