Way Back Whensday

For 3 summers during my undergraduate years at college (2003, 2004, 2005), I worked in South Dakota. How does a girl from Alabama get hooked up with a job 1600 miles from home? Well, after staying home the summer after my freshman year, working at a daycare where I got pink eye, and wanting to do something unique, I went to http://coolworks.com. I didn't really want to work in a national park, per se, because the pay there isn't anything to write home about....but I did end up finding the place I would call home for 9 months out of my life....WALL DRUG STORE! Thousands of tourists every day came to our store, which is on the lonely road to Mt. Rushmore in Western SD. I got to live there for very cheap, with lots of fun college girls my age, meet fellow employees from around the country, earn some money, and basically have the time of my life.

Let's take a peek back in time!

The family came out to visit me the 2nd summer I worked! Mt. Rushmore was about an hour away, so we took a trip! (I have probably been to the "Mt." 10 times!)

Homeade signs are every where in the store

This was my job for three summers....MAKING FUDGE! Usually, we had to wear a gingham shirt/jean skirt duo uniform, but this was my last day so I got to wear regular clothes. Can't you tell I was a good candy maker?

The scenery was amazing...I lived a mile from Badlands National Park

But there were crazy grasslands all around, too.

The little town of Wall (pop. 400) was pretty at night.

I made this and taped it to the counter in my store...people kept asking!!! (Not about the last one;))

This is actually along the side of I-90 near Rapid City...Wall Drug is famous for it's roadside signs that lure people in for free ice water, and in this picture, the country store (where I worked and made fudge!)

The place has a great history and is very quirky...if you've never heard of it, you should really check it out. You won't be disappointed!

http://walldrug.com

Vacay

Hi all :) Tomorrow morning, I am off for a little mini vacation down at my parents house until the end of the week. I am really looking forward to it!

FYI- I used the Purex "washing" sheets- and they are really something! I've never felt my clothes so soft....and the scent is really light and clean smelling...I haven't broken out in hives yet- so I guess the hypoallergenic claim is true! YAY!

Keith and I got to eat lunch with a "long lost friend" yesterday...we don't get to see Miranda much anymore since she goes to a different church now, but she had recently returned from a mission trip out west (originally, I was supposed to accompany her-but that trip got put on hold so I could start grad school...) and we were eager to hear her stories. Sounds like she had a great time and that many seeds were planted- she even went white water rafting! I miss being out west during the summers...dry heat is SO much better than this muggy stuff down here :)

Anyway- today will be spent getting clothes clean, packing, and enjoying some time around the house. I wish I had more exciting things to tell you, but c'est la vie.

Until then....

Let's take a retail pause...

Have you seen this product advertised? I had been sooooo interested in trying these 3-in-1 sheets that are supposedly detergent, fabric softener and anti-static stuff that I used some ECB's from CVS and bought some. The ones I snagged are the hypoallergenic kind since I'm allergic to most dryer sheets (sad, but true.) Anyway, verdict is still out on those- I'm doing my first load with one right now!

I took the time to send a few e-comments to some companies (inspired via couponingtodisney) and viola, the mail is rollin' in. This was just one day last week....FREE sister schuberts rolls, FREE skintimate shave gel/foam, $1 off english muffins and a TGI Friday's members card. Not pictured, but recieved were FREE VALUE MEAL cards (as in, more than 1!) from McDonalds (after I complained about the cleanliness of the last one I was in). Yay!

This was my CVS/Walgreens haul for today. You can see the shave gel there (i used that free coupon), and I had $5.98 in ECB's to use....

I paid $0.40 for everything pictured here!!!!

U.G.H.

My weight loss has been see-sawing within the same 3 pounds for the last 6 weeks. I GOTTA break this plateau! I'm at 17.5 lost (technically) since March, but I'd like to make that 25 total gone by labor day. I've already started drinking loads of water, but I need to get lots better at writing down what I eat.

I am posting this here for posterity's sake and to remind me what's goin' on :)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Take me out to the balllll gaaaaame...(out on the town Thursday!)

Welcome to my post. I have a great digital camera and I rarely make use of it (mostly because I don't know how to do much with it!). Today was a photo vomit day for me...I took way too many! Here we shall view a couple of "i-just-did-my-makeup-so-im-taking-a-pic-to-double-check-how-it-looks" shots. The first picture is the one with lipstick (MOM). I know, all good Southern girls have to wear it out. I just hate it!

Testing the flash. TOO MUCH!

Okay. That's over with!

Last night, Keith, his sisters and I went to watch the Birmingham Barons baseball team take on the Montgomery Biscuits. Mmmmm. Here's some goodness that followed!

Keith loves to iron. I kid you not. I think he may be the most un-wrinkled human being on the planet. God bless him. I just buy stuff with lycra or rayon.


Nothin' says summer time like a ballfield!

The crew- Keith, Amy and Kerri. I think Keith and Amy look the most alike.

It had rained all afternoon before the game, and still looked pretty threatening!

Wait! I was there too- :)

press box. the stadium is converted into a football field in the fall for Hoover High School games.

Please notice the size of these cones. Amy sure did!

The mechanics were amazing. they melted super quick! Wish I had gotten a picture of the quarter hot dogs. What a deal!

Have a great Thursday!

Post 100! Way Back Whensday pt. 2

I am SOOOOO ready for football season! We are almost at the month mark! I will actually get to go to at least 3 games this year (AU vs Ball State, the IRON BOWL(!), and UA vs. UTC). I am convinced there is no better football to watch or attend games for than the SEC. Perhaps I'm biased, but I love it. I enjoy night games the most just because of the doggone heat, but still- I am getting very excited. Keith is excited too, but since he's an Alabama fan, he is not getting much airtime in this post. Sorry, dear!

I LOVED sitting in the student section at football games. Wish I could still score those seats!

the only bad thing about student section seats was having to get there 2 hours ahead of time to claim a seat!

I have many great memories of tailgating with my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and my parents before Auburn games in the 80s! Check us out- I do believe that shaker i'm holding has a wooden stick and paper for the "pom pom"!

I am a 3rd generation Auburn Graduate.

War Eagle, Folks!

Post #99....Way Back Whensday

Today's Way Back Whensday is a High School Edition. Get excited!

Like most people, I have my share of awkward high school memories, stories and baggage, but I'm focusing on the positive today...and sharing some of the best memories and times I had while at Carroll High School!

This is Cassi, Abby and me circa 1998! We were really silly and liked to make people take photoshoots of us on the floor laughing. We were before our time, that's for sure. I am still really good friends with both of these girls, and they both live less than 2 hours away from me. I am lucky!

Ah, your first high school dance. Remember? Well, here's mine. Mum and all! Needless to say, if the suede clogs weren't enough to make you giggle, perhaps you can relish the fact that my date looks 10 and the photographer couldn't even center those styrofoam columns. Good times!

My church had a really active youth group when I was in high school, and we got to take some really neat trips! This is from one of our Ski Trips to West Virginia! If you could read our minds, Me and Julie were thinking, "SNOW?!" I still keep in touch with Julie, too, who lives back in my hometown with her husband and two little boys.

This is really the piece de resistance!
I think I can let you draw your own conclusions...about the large class year, the hair, the bracelet--I was definitely rocking each one.

Also, my next post will be my 100th! That seems like a big deal. Perhaps I will go retrieve a diet coke to celebrate? I am a teacher, and it's Summer, so I'm gonna go with a big yes for that idea. Thanks for reading :)

New Look :)

Wow.

I am super, extra, uber excited about my new blog design!!

Do you like it, too?

Danielle at http://designgirlblog.blogspot.com really HOOKED ME UP! :) I couldn't be happier. PLEASE go check out her stuff- it's really amazing. I think I will be a customer for life!

Can't wait to blog again tomorrow, now that my blog is all beautified!

Thoughtful Tuesday

My church (http://www.hsbc.org/) did a really wonderful sermon series on Hope from January until June of this year. I think it's a wonderful message at any time for any of us- God does not grow weary or fail like we do. Putting your hope in Him is never a lost cause. Check out some great video and audio here:

http://www.hunterstreet.org/resources/Media/Living_Hope/downloads.htm

If I haven't mentioned it before, I feel so lucky to be a member of Hunter Street. I can't wait to join the sanctuary choir this fall :) One thing I love about Sundays is the wonderful music!

Laundrytime musings

I like to do laundry once a week. Some people do laundry every day (little bits here and there) and that is crazy to me. Perhaps this is because I just have my own to do, but I still don't see the every day logic. Random, but I heard someone mention at church last week that they do one load a day......

So here's my question to you: do you wash a little along the way or once a week? Am I crazy?

Evidence of Organization...Don't faint!

Let me introduce you to the big blue binder! (which in fitting bargain style I purchased a few weeks ago for $.45 cents at Walgreens. On sale, of course.)

Page protectors and tab dividers abound

This is my random page for coupons that don't fit in the big 5 (Walgreens, CVS, Publix, Rite Aid and Target)

The end.

Not Me Monday and other things :)

It was NOT ME who spent half the weekend behind a laptop and by the printer...printing out oodles of coupons to use the next few weeks. It was NOT ME who kept getting the shifty eye from her boyfriend, who possibly thinks I'm insane for doing it. Saving money is fun!

It was certainly NOT ME who thought she would be eternally bored without the last 3 weeks of grad school...but has ended up loving it. Sleeping til 9, cleaning my room, organizing....it only gets better!

In other news- look for my blog makeover THIS WEEK! I am super excited. Also, if you live near a McAlister's Deli, they are offering FREE SWEET TEA on Thursday (7/23)! No purchase necessary, either!

The last few days have been pretty quiet around my world. Wednesday night is our church's 'night' game (cheap admission and .25 hot dogs!) at the Birmingham Barons game (vs. the Montgomery Biscuits. I am not the biggest baseball fan, but I think it will be fun. I might even take pictures :) Please continue to pray for my sweet Keith and his job situation. We are amazed everyday at the way that God continues to take the reigns and we are just waiting on the next move.

My first bargain related coupon post!

WALGREENS: 1.5" binder, 100 notecards, Tab dividers (x2), USPS Self adhesive labels plus permanent marker.... grand total: $3.16 out of pocket!

STAPLES: Buy one get one clickable highlighters *on sale from 4.48/package*- $1.99 out of pocket...for both!

CVS: Coppertone NutraShield SPF 70 sunscreen, 2 $5 off coupons, also on sale from $13.95/per to $8.99/per= $7.98 out of pocket BUT I earned $7.98 in CVS extra care bucks so FREE!

WALMART: Nestle PureLife Water, on sale for $1, used $1 off coupon= FREE!

Softsoad Handsoap, $1.47, used $1 off coupon= $.47 out of pocket!

Also, I used a $2 off BIC mechanical pencil coupon at Publix, and the pencils were on sale for a dollar....so I GOT $1 BACK from the cashier!!!!!

I think with a little planning (this was all spur of the moment), I might could save a big load of money if I just take the time to print out some coupons every other week. WOW!

http://moneysavingmom.com/

http://couponingtodisney.com/

http://tosaveapenny.com/

Change of Plans--Way Back Whensday

BFF pic from 7th grade- Spring 96

Emily was wearing the kickin' Olympic Nikes...and I felt the need to roll my shirt sleeves up and also we won't talk about that skort. I love the natural backround behind us, too. Man, we were COOL!

After spending about 2 hours with my advisor, in the records office, and chatting with financial aid, I finally am in the correct graduate program at UM. Apparently, when I mentioned I ALREADY HAD a teaching certificate (albeit in a different content area), my advisor heard silence. Anyway- we caught her (their?) error and I got to drop the class I started yesterday....and will join the traditional (not 5th year) graduate program for the next cohort, in January 2010. Wooo! This is a good thing, because I can just take the praxis II to have immediate certification in English, then join the trad. grad program which will only take a year and NO internship. YAY!

Tweeeeet!

www.twitter.com/nt4au

4.0 on the books for Summer I! What a change from Auburn. I love my program at Montevallo so far. I've also met some really great people, too. What a wonderful summer! (Aren't I a big ball of sunshine!)

First day of Summer term II was today- and this class looks to be a lot more demanding than my last two were. 12 page papers, 100 pages to read a night- I'll make it, but my brain will be on FIRE until August. :) One good thing- it's my only class of the day! Whoo hooooooooo!

More to come (and a new look, soon....via designgirlblog.blogspot.com!)

Re-Cap

The month of July has been a complete WHIRLWIND! I am very sad it is half over.

I start my new summer semester on Tuesday (grades should be posted tomorrow!) so I'm excited about that for sure. Keith is going through another job transition, so be in prayer for him as he seeks where God has for him to be- permanently. Exciting things are down the road for him and us, so I'm just blessed to be along for the ride.

Saturday, Keith and I had a yard sale with his roommate, Jay and his girl friend Laura Beth-- I should have taken pictures. It was GI-NORMUS. So much crap to sell...but let me tell you, the latinos, they love 3 things.

1. Women's clothing from 2003-2008. And tank tops.

2. Men's shirts marked 2 for a dollar. Also, bartering $1 items down to $.50

3. Coming to your yardsale either earlier or later than posted times.

It was good fun- we had our first customer at 5:50 a.m. and our last at 2 p.m. Jay and LB had about 3x as much stuff as Keith and I (LB made a trip to her parents house last week and her parents were hoarders!), but we all made out very well. About $600 was made between the 4 of us! The strangest item we sold (that we thought no one would buy) had to be the computer CPU which keith had taken the hard drive out of....and I also sold a sips and strokes original for $2! Someone also bought a used candle of mine for $1....??I think Keith and I will be doing this again, perhaps when it gets a little cooler in the fall.

Keith and I spent the 4th at Ft. Rucker's Freedom Fest. They put on a wonderful fireworks display and historical show. Keith even got to tour the inside of some cool helicopters, and we enjoyed spending time with my family later that weekend, too!

I am now officially back in the blogging swing....so WATCH OUT! :)

hiatus...

Perhaps I neglected to fill you in on something...

I'm taking a blog hiatus for a few more days (i know, i know) :)

Finals week for me!

Way back When-sday (circa 1985-86)