Henry and I headed to Memphis this week to see the fam and for me to shop my friend's fall/winter consignment sale at the Agricenter. She is such a peach and lets me in for the first preview sale each season. It is so good to know sweet people...I am blessed by her. I get the first pick with a handful of other parents and it is so much fun! Lots of my old work buddies/friends are there each time and it is like a social outing and a bargain hunt all at once. SCORE!Randall usually goes with me but he was in Indiana this week, so I ventured out alone....while Henry played and ate at the Piccadilly with the fam (I know Wilma ate her veggie plate in heaven smiling down on that meal. Sweet memories at that place).
Preparing for this sale is like an all out mission. close family and friends are all wishing me luck...like I am competing in a championship or something. It is serious stuff. I get siked up for days, checking online for costs on things I will be looking for so I can compare, taking inventory of H's closet, making a wish list and getting an empty tote ready for the haul. This time I needed more than one tote. I went nuts. Randall cant be having work trips during the sale anymore...I need that man! He is the best shopping buddy a girl could ever have, but this time Sassy was a close second. I think she would have encouraged me to buy it all, if she could have. She was so cute guarding my loot while I kept running back for more. I would tell her what I was going to run off and look at and she would yell "GO" as though she was putting me back in the game. I loved it... love her! I want to be her when I grow up. She makes me laugh like no one else on this earth. I think she is equally fond of me and that makes my heart happy. There is nothing sweeter than a true friend who beams with a giggle because she is so happy that she has made you laugh and she then says with pure joy, "Oh, I just love making you laugh".
This view also makes me smile. I scored big, I tell ya. My pals and even people I did not know were laughing at me at the check out (that backseat was full too...you just cant see it) and saying "That boy is ROTTEN!" and a few asked how many children I was buying for and I was embarrassed to say "oh, just one". The lady in line before me looked at me, smiled and said real matter of fact like, "I love you. I don't know you, but I love you". She had an only child once...she now has 6. It happens. I bought ALL of his fall/winter clothes, shoes, most of his Christmas gifts (you just wait until the Christmas post in 5 months...you will be floored at the bargains), his birthday gift (Tickle me Elmo in perfect condition for 3 bucks!), necessities we can use, and lots of puzzles, books, and DVDs. I buy only boutique or name brand clothing too. This is the only way he is able to wear that style of clothing. It is so much fun and a blessing to our family to go to this preview sale. 
You would think this child would be sitting in his carseat with all his loot smiling and not crying as we left Memphis, but he was mad at me. I made him leave the comfy side of cousin Thew (Hollye's husband...they are a cute little pair) to head back to Arkansas. Poor thing, poor pitiful thing!I share this post, not to brag about my loot, but to share how we provide for Henry. We buy 90% pre-owned clothing and toys for him. We are picky about what we buy and because of that he is able to have nicer things than he would have if we bought new. Call us cheap, or tacky (some have. They are of course the blessed ones who do not provide for their children on their own. I say that with my best southern charm! ) but it is smart and most of the time he stains it or grows out of it before he wears it more than twice! I also like to be good stewards of our money and our blessings. If you do not buy at consignments for your children, you should look into it. You would be really surprised at the rewards you can reap. I am now buying pre-owned for myself on occasion. The pink Polo I have on in the above photo was bought for $8...brand new without the tag...the first "real" Polo I have ever owned...I have 3 of them now...just sayin!
Abby
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