last minute valentines

Just because you may have waited until the last minute to send or get your loving Valentine something doesn't mean you're lazy, you don't care, or you are cheap.  It can be hard to know what to get someone, especially when they seem to have everything.  At the same time, it's not always necessary to spend a wad on jewelry or two hundred dollar roses or waiting outside in the cold at a restaurant for two hours just to get crappy serving and a cold burger.  Seriously?!?  Is it that important?  While I do have a romantic in me and will admit to a twinge of jealousy when several girls at the office got flowers and I didn't, I understand that those things may not be on our budget and truly deem it unnecessary to base a relationship on "things".   Personally I'd much rather a night at home with the fire on and a simple warm meal on the table with a special dessert that I made... just for him.  I will say that I did get my hubbo a little gift that he will probably think is corny but on the other hand may love it.  I have a few tips on ways to not spend a ton of money but still get the point of "Dear Valentine... I Love You" across.  Most of them involve the grocery store.  Good luck!

1.  For an easy meal I recommend Chicken Florentine Pasta from The Pioneer Woman website.  Minimal ingredients, easy to make in under 20 minutes and delicious along with crusty bread and a bottle of wine.

2.  Our local Kroger sells OPI fingernail polish.  Pick up a hot bottle of red polish for an after supper pedi!

3.  Most grocery stores also sell dvds or you can rent one through Redbox as you leave the grocery.

4.  You can always visit the floral department at the grocery store.  I personally love what some people call "filler flowers" simply put in a mason jar on the table.

5.  Stop by the lotion section of the store to get some vitamin E oil for a massage.  Don't forget to give the massage later.

6.  While you are on the lotion aisle, hop to the bath section for some soothing bath salts.  Tub for two?

7.  Pick up cupcake liners and pipe cleaners for kids to make Valentine flowers. 

 I posted a DIY on Giggle Box blog HERE.

8.  Browse down the candy aisle for some soothing chocolate or your loved ones favorite.

9.  Head to the reading section, every grocery has one, for a copy of their favorite magazine.  Be it Cosmo or Bike Fever, make it something they will enjoy reading over the weekend.  Mine would love a good Wheels and Deals if they still made it!

10.  Since Valentine's day is on a Friday this year and public establishments will be crazy, why not pick up a gift card for their favorite restaurant for a later date night instead of fighting traffic and angry lovers and winding up coming home half exhausted from dining out.  Grocery stores have them in the check out aisles. 

11.  If the grocery store Valentines aren't good enough for you, try a nice robe for either of you.  Steinmart has both men's and ladies robes at very good prices.  Thank me later that I already ran around and did the research on this one of who carries men's robes!

If you can't find that any of these tips satisfy you... maybe you are just too spoiled for my taste.  

Or maybe your hopes are set too high.

I like things simple and cheap but most of all, done from the heart.

Antiquing we will go

Last Saturday, after running from place to place and knocking shops off my list, my sister and I weren't quite ready to call it a day.  So after my last "have to" stop we headed to grab an ice cream cone.  Across the street from the Dairy Queen, there is an antique mall called Rare Bird Antiques.  It's been there for lots of years and when I was a child I remember the corner housed a pizza place.  It is right next door to the church I grew up going to.  While there are tons of treasures at the Rare Bird we seldom find much that we have to have and we almost didn't go.  Turns out we both came upon several treasures that we just couldn't leave behind.  I bought a couple of birds for next year's Christmas tree, a gift for her birthday and a candy dish to use as a planter for my smallest baby tears plant.  Mary Evelyn got really lucky and found several items that she collects at great prices.  We were both glad we stopped in.  Even though you haven't had much luck in the past at a certain place, it always pays to look again!

I wanted this tray!  They wanted more than I wanted to pay :(

Some may not like it tarnished and rusty.... but we do!

Phillips General Store

More pics from Bellbuckle last weekend.  As I have said before, Phillips General Store is my favorite spot in Bellbuckle.  I could literally walk around in there for hours and see something new each trip around the store.  I take lots of pictures inside this store.  The items don't seemed cramped even though they are many.  Some stores just seem junky.  The owner, Billy, has got such an eye for decorating and placement of each item in such a cool and collective way that each area flows together perfectly.  Some of my pictures came out a touch blurry but I am going to share them anyway.

 

I have always thought chenille and Jesus go hand in hand.

Yeah... creepy baby doll!

I really liked this wall of frames and mirrors.

I remember this Jaws game!

 

And outside (just for the craft fair)

 

I had a cash register just like this!

 

By the way... Phillips General Store's Christmas open house is November 22, 23 & 24th. 

He has the most beautiful taste in vintage and antique decorating... especially at Christmas.

I hope you can find the time to take a drive down and browse around!  The cafe is not bad either!



Not-So Local Spotlight: Butler's Antiques

My sister Mary Evelyn is a vintage, antique, junk lover such as myself (as  if you didn't know that already!).  She is also a blog frequenter which led her to find out about a certain junk hotspot from a blog called Petticoat Junktion.  The lady who writes this blog raves about her favorite junk store.  It is in Hopkinsville Kentucky which isn't very local for us but still a spotlight and while yard sailing two Fridays ago and having a not so good day of it we gps'd it and decided to make a go. 

 

 It took us a little over an hour to get there and, as we found out, was worth our drive.  When we got there is was obvious we were at the right place.  It took us a bit to even go inside because there was so much furniture outside.  Furniture that needed a new life, and windows, and two trucks that had yet to be unloaded.  We decided to go inside and oh my..... in all my days of junking I have never seen so much stuff crammed packed.  That really isn't a bad thing to say.  You had to be careful touching things because when you did something else would fall over.  It is a true junk store with many, many treasures to be found.  The gentleman who owns it was there along with his sisters and they were all just as pleasant as they could be.  Mr. Butler has been in business there for more than 30 years!

 

We wound up going back outside to find Mr. Butler unloading the trucks and got first dibs on several items including a chair, dressing table with mirror, corner shelf, cabinet and two rusty animal traps.  The pricing is on the very reasonable side too.  Our junky hearts were very satisfied.

 

We had a great time but were on a time limit.  Needless to say.. we will be back!

And since it was a spur of the moment trip I did not have my camera.  Ugh!  I had to take pictures with my flip phone which we know aren't so good. 

 

Butler's Antiques

601 E. 17th St

Hopkinsville, KY 42240

 

 

 

 

I don't think anyone has seen the bottom of this pile of tools since they opened! 

 I was afraid to touch it!