Happy Monday

I'm back from an unadventurous weekend, but at least this one didn't involve a laser and Vicodin.

Image: Wastard

After a 5.3 mile hike up {and back down} South Mountain at 6 o'clock a.m., I spent the remaining hours of Saturday in Chandler picking up presents for myself. I am most excited about my new Nine West mustard leather handbag {specifically for the travel}, it zips closed and will hold all of the usual purse suspects plus traveling necessities; magazines, novel, sweater, camera etc.

I also purchased two button down cardigan sweaters, one black, one mustard, both of which I had been looking high and low for for weeks and both $10.50 {Missi admits to shopping, albeit uncomfortably, at Forever XXI}. I also found a purple sweater at Express, which I adore along with a navy ruffle tank on clearance for $7.99, that I couldnt' live without. I also used my $20 rewards coupon to spend $1.22 cash on new gold ballet flats at DSW. Score! It was a very successful retail therapy day; I may have had a break {the bank} through.

Saturday evening, I picked the kids up early and accompanied E to a birthday party. The details of this party are too disturbing to discuss. Let's just say we stayed a whole 27 minutes, of which E spent refusing to leave my lap. I have come to the conclusion that all future Ed Hardy invitations will be declined. After the longest 27 minutes of my life, the kids and I enjoyed a happier, calmer {and more sane} pizza with Uncle N and his family. E was wearing big boy undies! Very exciting.

On Sunday morning, E got up and headed out to learn how to ride her bike without the "little wheels" with Papa while Mimi, R, A, and I stayed home to drink coffee and flip through home decor magazines. Then Auntie J stopped by for a while to visit us and we eventually made it to the supermarket just after the Cowboys game started.

The lesson I learned Sunday was this: If you're going to have a serious discussion with someone, it's best to make sure neither party is at the supermarket, but instead far, far away from pastry goods, chocolate, gummies, and all other things indulgent. Thanks to one little question, I have pre-packaged donuts, golden Oreos, salt & vinegar potato chips, and 4 pounds of Red Vines, all beckoning, taunting, and teasing. I'm doing my best to ignore their presence. I learned other things as well, like Red Vines are fat free, the medical terms for the female anatomy, and that men are not only from Mars, but they cannot spell "team" correctly.

I decided yesterday that I'm going to spend a year in Italy visiting fountains, drinking fine wine, eating pasta and biscotti, and dancing with locals while I continue my search for la dulce vita. Today, I have decided to find a little bit of la dulce vita in every day.

Cheers to this week! May it be saporito!