Busy Weekend and Stashing

First of, my thoughts and prayers to those affected by floods in Missouri. I've been watching the news (as always) and yesterday, the water from a levee from Mississippi River went staright to the town of Winfield, MO where a dear friend and her family lives. Monique, I hope you and your family are all safe.

Caron Threads Wildflowers, MH beads and Magazine Holder

from Stitch n Frame Needlework Shop

We've been busy for the most part of Friday and Saturday... in fact, we just got home from Des Moines today.

The yard sale at the hotel/casino where hubby works was supposed to be Friday. We wanted to be one of the early birds so we headed our way there right after we got some $$$ from the bank. Though the sale starts at 7AM, only the native american tribe member were allowed to shop from 7AM to 9AM, then anybody can by 10AM. Anyways, we got there on time only to be advised by the person-in-charge that they cancelled the sale, moved to Saturday, due to bad weather... they thought it will rain. Actually it did rain later in the afternoon. Instead of going home right away, we decided to go at Menards instead. I got me a 3-shelves bookshelf, while hubby got a bunch of pipes, elbows, fittings etc. We still didn't go empty handed ha!... lol Up to now, I still have the Menards gift cards I recieved last Christmas. *wink* Part of my Christmas gift lists were storage cabinets, floor lamp and bookshelves. Instead of buying those, SIL just gave me gift cards.around November, I bought 2 bookshelves then hubby got me another 2, and they're all for my needlework books... lol We got them pretty cheap then, less than $20 each, while the storage cabinet was only $39. By December, after sharing our Christmas gift list, the prices shoot up that's why SIL decided to just give me gift cards. She also got me some sterilite drawers, I now use those for my threads... I started re-organizing my stash in the attic since last "Fall" untfortunately, I'm not done yet till now. Just the books alone took almost the entire season... lol btw, I didn't work in the attic the entire winter. Hopefully, I can finish the work I started there this summer. I am so inspired when I do my stitching in the attic... lol Everywhere I look, I see my stash all around the walls. And I get to sew anytime I want coz hubby doesn't hear the noise even when he's asleep downstairs.

Needless to say, we went back at the yard sale this morning. MIL asked us to buy 4 banquet table for her, and I was planning to get one for myself... who knows, I could use it at a craft show in the future... (me dreaming again... lol) We got there early but more were early... lol All the banquet tables were already sold.:( hayyy... I think there were 135 on sale. There's a lot of TV's (mostly analogs, $20), I saw a couple of flatscreen (looks like 50"), both sold for just about $100.:( There were a lot of stuffs, too many to mention. Anyways, since they're seriously wanna get rid of stuffs that they won't need, the pricing is soooo low. Guess what I got??? A mannequin (half-body) and a couple of jewelry display cases. I didn't even spend $20 on all 3 items, what a steal... The cashier asked me if I have a shop, she's so curious why I bought those stuffs... lol I knew there was a mannequin as hubby told me early last week but we don't know how many. I was kinda hoping the bottom part or stand is included but they're only selling the top part. The jewelry display cases were about 7 pieces, mostly revolving. I got one revolving and one box/still-type. I was thinking of getting them all but hubby reminded me to just get what I really want, coz I don't have enough space in my craft area anymore. I'm still very very happy with what I got though. Hubby didn't get anything as most of the good stuffs were already marked sold.:(

Jewelry Display Cabinets and Mannequin

After dropping off my stuffs, we headed to MIL's house to tell her about the sad news. Before leaving our home, hubby told me that if MIL wanna go in Ames, we'll all go today. Unfortunately, MIL wasn't home, must be in an auction. lol It seems like hubby's in the mood to go somewhere, he asked me if I wanna go in AMes or Des Moines. Since he's the one driving I told him he can choose. Needless to say, we went in Des Moines and our first destination was the local needlework shop there.:) Stitch n' Frame along Douglas Ave, beside Merle Hay Mall. I have a lot of pending designs to stitch so I decided not to buy any pattern though Blackbird Designs, Sweetheart Tree, and lots of my fave designers, caught my attention. I couldn't resist though, not to browse the Caron Threads. I ended up buying 3 wildflowers hand-dyed, plus a couple of MH beads and some magazine holder. - something that I always buy when I go there. I use them for my JCS Ornaments Special Issue, SANQ & and my latest Piecework magazines, oh and oop Fine Lines too. They come handy when I wanna carry my mags from attic to the living room and vice-versa.

By the time we left the needlework shop, it's already noontime so we decided to have lunch at Merle Hay. We look around a little bit afterwards plus the fact that hubby couldn't resist not to browse on the "cards" (baseball, football, etc.). I teased him that probably he new there's a "card show" going on there that's why he chose to go in Des Moines... lol he said he didn't know that and he just got lucky. But for some reason, he didn't get or buy any.

I thought we're on our way home after Merle Hay Mall but hubby brought me at the biggest oriental store in Iowa (I think... lol), The Double Dragon or famous to asians here as DD. And of course, it's my favorite grocery store everrr... lol I get to buy most if not all, of the food or ingredients I can't get in our town. I got a lotttttt... lol Actually, whenever we go in Des Moines, at all cost, we always drop by there. But since hubby used different roads earlier, I didn't realize we're on our way at DD. Some of the stuffs I got today are:

• 6 pieces-ripe mangoes (was contemplating on getting some green ones but they're kinda pricy)
• 2 packs-preserved duck & salted eggs (as you can see in the photo, in Philippines we call these burung itlog)
• 4 pcs-eggplants (japanese kind)
• a sack of bok-choy (more than 12 stalks)
• 2 packs-shanghai/eggroll wrapper
• soft tofu
• a bunch of taro (or "gabi" which I put in my sinigang or tamarind soup)
• 4 pcs-ampalaya (I also saw some patola and okra but they don't look fresh so I didn't get any)
• 2 bottles-datu puti vinegar
• 1 bottle-fish sauce or "alamang" in my native language
• 6 pcs-fish, "galunggong (GG) and hasa-hasa"
• 4 packs-Knorr sinigang mix (for my tamarind soup)

I forgot what else I got... lol Anyways, once I got home, I immediately cook rice and half of the GG... "paksiw" topped with eggplant and bok-choy.... yum yum yum. Therefore you know what I'll gonna have for supper guys... lol My dessert will be ripe mango.:)

Preserved & Salted Eggs and Ripe Mangoes

I didn't do any stitching since yesterday but hoping to so some tonight! Btw, I forgot to mention, on our way home from DD, hubby was telling me that I'll gonna be in "heaven" again for the next few days, or probably weeks. lol I always tell him that whenever I able to cook and eat Filipino food, I'm in heaven... silly hubby had to remind me. lol

That's all for now everybody!