We survived!

Not only did we survive. We came out unbeaten, unbruised and triumphant!

The alarm went off at 3AM.

I tried to get the ladies to just fore go sleep, keep playing games and head out to Kohls when it opened at 3AM. I had perks: "You won't have to get up and do your hair...If you don't go to bed, it won't get messed up." But I still couldn't convince them, so we went to bed...for a few hours anyway!

The Little Lady went with us and I am not exaggerating one bit...complete shopping rock star!!! Ate a bottle at 3AM, was back asleep before we even pulled out of the driveway and slept solid 'til nearly 9AM! When she woke up, happy as a lark for the rest of the day!



Our first stop was Best Buy. Line wrapped around the store, but I was on a mission. My Mom and Grandma stayed in the Suburban with the Little Lady, while I went and braved the line. This crowd was a little different than the Black Friday crowd I usually find myself with. We usually hit up Kohls first: moms after Christmas presents for their kids, husbands after mixers for their wives...a pretty boring crowd really. Best Buy crowd: I felt as if I was outside a concert venue where groupies had been tailgating all day...camp chairs, energy drink cans littering the sidewalks, coffee spilled all over. The crowd after the biggest TV and latest gaming craze is a little different (and maybe a little more exciting) than your stay-at-home moms at Kohls.

I make it to the door, after not too long of a wait, where I am greeted by not only several security officers, but a Colorado Springs policeman. I mean this guy was ready to shoot you if you got out of line. Well, got unruly, I mean if you want to get out of the line after you've been standing in subfreezing temperatures waiting for the doors to open, that's your beef.

Made it back to the cameras, stood in a painless line and within 20 minutes I was the proud new owner of a Nikon D3000, two lenses, a bag, a tripod and a memory card...for drum roll please...a savings of $275 bucks! You'd get up at 3AM for $275 bucks wouldn't you!

After Best Buy, we hit Target, Mardels and Old Navy.


Breakfast break at Panera. This is part of our tradition. There we met up with my Grandpa who had hit Big R that morning for the best deals on things like coveralls and my Uncle who had snagged two TVs at Wal-Mart.

Don't judge my hair. At 3AM I thought it looked quite nice.


We then headed to Joanne's, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Boot Barn and Dollar Tree (no things were not on sale for 50 cents!).
Olive Garden for a lunch break.
JC Penney's, Home Depot (again) and Target (again)!

On the road, headed home at 3PM.

John Wayne is busy wrapping presents as we speak.
Yep, John Wayne is an amazing present wrapper!

Black Friday Survival Kits

The day after Thanksgiving is one of my FAVORITE days of the year!
Black Friday Shopping!!!
I know, I know...all those crowds, all those lines...all those people...
Well, I love it!

Black Friday shopping is a long standing tradition in my family. Every year, my Mom, my Grandma, my Aunt, my cousins and I get up at an ungodly hour and head out into the madness.

*Note - In order to enjoy a day of Black Friday shopping, you need to put your patient pants on and start the day with a good attitude. You'll find that most people out there have this attitude. There are a few crazy lunatics, your token "Black Friday Crazies," and yes, you do want to grab the Kitchen Aid mixer out of their grubby arms and beat them with it, but you don't, at least that's what my Mom keeps telling me.

About five years ago, I decided that we needed "survival kits", so I've been putting them together for us annually. Today Mom and I assembled our survival kits for this Friday's outing.

We started with these great bags we found at Old Navy for $1.



Antibacterial gel from Bath and Body Works


Christmas M&Ms - Pretzel and Cherry Cordial


Holiday Fruit Snacks


Granola Bars


Peppermint Mochas


Notebooks for making your list and checking it twice.




Now we are prepared for another year of Black Friday shopping!
Well we think??? We do have an added factor this year...the Little Lady!

Funky design your own necklaces

Today, Kate and I (and of course the Little Lady too) went shopping. When Kate and I go shopping, we don't just head to the local mall. When we pulled out of Katie's yard this morning, we didn't really have a set plan. We knew we wanted to make a stop at one of the Rustic Ranch Relics stores and so we ended up at the Shops at Rustic Ranch. A true little diamond in the rough. This place was great...an old farm house with 20 little speciality shops inside.

Find of the day - design your own necklaces.

They were funky and turquoise, so we were immediately drawn to them and knew we had to have one!

Here's mine...a "G" for Golding (although John Wayne thinks it looks like his initials...whatever, I still think it's just a G) a longhorn and a star and of course turquoise. (Is it legal to wear jewelry that isn't turquoise or atleast include some turquoise somewhere on it?)

Ummm, I'm going to need that...

While shopping this weekend, Mom, T and I happened onto ONE FABULOUS STORE...I'm talking ye haw, kick up your heels, Colorado finally has a good store for us ranch folk! It's called Rustic Ranch Relics and it's at the Shops at Northfield Stapleton. The guy behind the counter may have thought the red head was a little crazy. "Oh my goodness." This store absolutely makes the list of the 10 happiest shopping moments ever. I immediately called Katie, reporting that life in Colorado has just gotten a little bit better and a little bit closer to Texas (we threatened for years that we might need to move to Texas because our shopping options in Colorado just weren't cutting it). Anyways...

Justin, T and are I living in the trailerhood for the next few years with one goal in mind...we'll build our little house on the hill, where we'll live, laugh and love for the rest of our days. So I am constantly on the prowl for unique pieces for this house. Well, I found several.

This table has turquoise inlaid in it...yes people, real turquoise! So with the $10,000 price tag it was wearing, realistically this beauty (that my Mom finally had to pry me off of) will never make it to Wild Horse, but...

Ohhhh....


I did find a buffet though that is pretty perfect and just what I have in mind...it has a more realistic chance of life with the Golding's.


If you're ever in the area, check this store out, it has lots of fabulous furniture, pictures, jewelry, boots, belts...

Just don't buy that table, because I will secretly hate you forever...and the buffet is mine!