Best 20 Dollars Ever Spent!

Poetry Review: "I lost myself in the mall then found myself in a thrift store"

Are you a poetry lover? I know I am! So when I had the opportunity to get Joshua S. Kangley's book " I lost Myself in the Mall Then Found Myself in a Thrift Store" I jumped at the chance.

Although my personal writing style leans more towards a rigid metrical structure, Joshua S. Kangley's primarily free verse format captivated me throughout this collection of heartfelt poems.

As I read this small book packed full of emotions; happy, silly and sad, I felt myself joining Joshua on his journey of self discovery. His words took me through the joys, sorrows and adventures that have shaped his life. From a place where he refers to mall shoppers as 'shopping zombies' in a 'brick and mortar bubble', past heartache and wonder, to a Thrift store where he left me wondering about the treasure he found.

If you are looking to go on a poetic adventure I suggest you pick up Joshua's book HERE or HERE. I truly enjoyed reading this book and found the poems moving and entertaining, however, my two favorites are: "That Old Boot Box" and "15 Minute Break". 

I wish Joshua well on his literary journey and will be watching for his next book.

To learn more about Joshua or connect with him you can visit his website here or find him on Facebook here. I also strongly recommend visiting his website and reading about his Christmas Card Project.

Sunday In My City: Big City Mall

After 20 years in South Dakota I almost forgot how exciting a big city mall can be. Growing up in Southern California hanging out at some of the larger mall's was always a fun way to spend an afternoon, especially if it was raining. So heading to the MacArthur Mall Friday, I was filled with anticipation. I expected it to be busy and the parking lot crowded. What I didn't know was that in down town Norfolk has NO parking lots. All of the parking is in parking garages, large multi-level parking garages.

It is a good thing my daughter had an idea where we were the Barnes and Noble was located or we might have been wandering forever.

Garage stair access

 Once inside I was met with the enormity of the this amazing three story mall. Now I have been in a few three story malls but it has been some time since I was in one that was not only tall but so large I could easily become lost.

One thing I have been noticing a lot the past few weeks is statues in the shape of this mermaid. They are all over town. At first I thought maybe it was the city's logo but although the shape is the same they are all very different in artistic representation. Visit Mermaid Watching to learn more about the Mermaids of Norfolk. Find out their history here.

Beautifully designed Mermaids can be seen all over Norfolk

Maybe I am a bit on the odd side but architecture and lines always draw my eye, and it was no different on this day. I just had to get a shot or two of the architectural lines of this great place.

But a visit to the Mall is not a visit if you don't do a bit of window shopping.

I know understand why my daughter rarely goes to the mall. The center of the Mall is all open with walk bridges connecting the promenade that runs in front of the stores. Unfortunately Sissy is terrified of heights and the only way to get her across these bridges was for my youngest daughter to carry her. Sissy kept her eyes closed the entire time.

Finally we were at our destination.

Unfortunately we had to take the stairs inside Barnes and Noble up to the third level where the children's books were. Once again Sissy had to be carried. When we left I convinced her to close her eyes while we rode the glass elevator to the level we were parked on.

A trip to the mall wouldn't be complete without a few treats.

I can't wait to go back and wander more through this fantastic Mall.

Norfolk, VA linking up with Unknown Mami for

Amazing Sales

Okay, so everyone knows that you can find good sales after Christmas but I never realized there were fantastic sales still going on in mid January. I think I have found a new favorite winter activity.

My son asked me to tag along yesterday while he did clothes shopping. When we got to the mall there were sales galore! I am talking 60 to 70% off sales. Almost ever store had some kind of great sale going. I wasn't going to get anything but couldn't pass up a beautiful cardigan sweater regularly priced at $40.00 for a mere $6.00.  I didn't really need the sweater, but how could I resits, especially when he was buying. I do however need a pair of nice warm boots. So of course today I had to go back out and look a bit more.

 I am still trying to decide which pair of boots to buy. There were some really pretty ones with three and four inch heels that I would just die for. But, I need to be practical. I would break my neck trying to get to some of the places I plan on taking photos, wearing a pair of boots with high heels. So, I am thinking the third pair is my favorite of the ones that will meet my needs. Although the last pair look so darn comfy, if they only had one layer of fringe I might get them.

Of course what self respecting woman can go into a shoe store and not try on a pair of great looking heels. Generally I am not fond of platforms but I do have to say I really liked both of these shoes. They were both classy and comfy. And yes, this old lady can still walk in stilettos.

 Maybe I will just skip the boots and go for the heels.

Making the best of a winter cold

While I am not real fond of freezing cold winds or blinding blizzards I do love winter. The clean crisp air fills me with excitement and anticipation. With the holidays approaching there is always a great deal of work to do and so many exciting and memorable times to preserve, so there is no time to become ill. Yet that is exactly where I found myself this week. Stuck indoors with a nasty bug.

To me it was obvious this was the perfect time for me to review our company's Cafepress shop and how it might better serve our customers. I am very excited with the changes to the shop.

Our shop now contains the following:

Seasonal Items Section:
Here you can find ornaments, postcards, calendars and so many different gift items all featuring beautiful seasonal photographic designs.

Regional Items Section:
 The Regional Section offers Mid-West themed prints and products with designs featuring regional photography and artwork that captures the spirit of the region.

Art & Photography Sections:
This section is still under construction, but will soon include many beautiful photographic and traditional hand drawn designs. We will also be including a section offering many of the motivational and inspirational designs shared here digitally in poster or framed prints.


I invite you to stop in to our shop and look around. To make it easy for you to find our shop I have added a link to the shop here on the left side bar in the Contact Me section. What do you like to do when you are stuck indoors because of winter flu bug?