polka dot envy...

I wanted my first post of the year to be filled with great words of encouragement to all who read.  Words that inspired or lifted someone's spirits. That was the plan, but something else came up.  Something far less meaningful or soul-lifting....with far less depth. 
But first a little background....

See those vintage polka dot glasses?  They were one of my favorite finds for Lulu & Tutz.  I bought them at a great price at an auction and every day I would walk past them in the shop and picture what they'd look like in my own kitchen...how great they'd make iced tea taste.  But, like with so many other things in there, I had to train myself NOT to keep everything I fell in love with. (sigh, I miss that place...) People would often ask me if my own house looked just like the shop.  No, it doesn't...you know the story about the Cobbler's kids...no shoes.  My kids have shoes, but my house does not have all the great stuff that Lulu & Tutz did. I was satisfied to enjoy them each day at the shop...sort of felt like all the beautiful things were mine without being totally over-indulgent.  Until someone would buy it and take it away from me  - like these glasses.  Somewhere someone else is enjoying them, and I've often had polka-dot envy picturing another family smiling into their iced tea.  Really, NO sleep was lost over them, but I've always loved them secretly and wished they were mine.

Fast forward to today and a trip to Target. (my favorite place to shop, by the way.)  Besides being bothered by the LONG return line and the fact that they did NOT have my favorite snack...

I had the most wonderful discovery.  I've been toting around some Christmas $$...not wanting to break open the bank envelope for anything other than what I REALLY wanted.  BUT, way in the back of the store...on a shelf that was filled with Christmas items when I walked past it LAST week , was THIS....

RED POLKA DOT GLASSES!!!!!! 

My heart stopped for one second before I grabbed for two boxes....beads of persperation actually formed on my forehead as I placed them in my cart.  THEY WERE MINE!!!  (*cue the Hallelujah chorus here)  Emma was with me, not understanding the extent of the score, and tried to get me to purchase the yellow polka dot, and then the turquoise.  I would NOT be moved....my decision was firm.  Until she convinced me that the boys would not like to drink from polka dots, but would prefer the matching striped set.  I caved.  But only because I was so happy to have four with the happy dots! 

(**I know I'm going to sound totally psycho for adding this, but while I'm typing this the guy who narrates the movie "The Christmas Story" is reading it outloud to me in my head...these polka dot beauties are almost equal to Ralphie's Red Rider BB Gun, and you know it!)

I can't WAIT to pour my vanilla iced tea in here...I can already feel a smile coming on!

Sigh...it really is the simple things that make my day...

On another subject, while at Target we came across a roll of Contact Paper perfect for covering up this monstrousity in Emma's room....

Paint would have worked, but we already know the cans and brushes have been

put away for the next century...

So this did just fine...

Next on the list in Emma's room is figuring out how to display her growing collection of "E's".