Abby’s Saturday // Two Hundred And Forty-Six

Highlight of the Week

Alright, typical girl right here – but the highlight of my week was shopping.
This week was the semi-annual Just Between Friends giant consignment sale that takes place at the Monroeville Convention Center in the Spring & in the Fall. I’ve been going to this sale twice a year since Braelynn was born & it’s always so much fun. You might think I’m crazy: but it’s one of my very favorite things – consignment shopping. And it’s taken to a whole new level as it’s centered entirely around kids stuff – toys, shoes, clothes, books, etc. It’s perfect as it gives me the opportunity to buy the things that my kiddos need for the upcoming season – I always go with a list of what they have & what they need & I always walk away with the best bargains!

Typically, it’s my Mom & I who go (she is the consignment shopping master & has taught me everything I know) and we have the very best time together. This time, we had plans to bring my sister Ellen along, so she could experience the magnitude of the sale & get some things for Alethea – so it was going to be a grand date with the 3 of us (plus Leander & Alethea were going to be tagging along).

I have been taking stuff to actually sell at the sale for almost as long as I’ve attended – not only do I get back roughly the same amount of money that I spend, but I get to go shopping early (before the doors open to the public). My Mom also takes stuff to sell, so we went out on Tuesday afternoon to drop our stuff off – it was the start of a grand few days.

Until, my Mom texted me Wednesday morning (we were supposed to shop the sale that afternoon) and said she was sick. It’s the first time my Mom & I haven’t gone to this sale together in 4 years. Thankfully, I was still able to take Ellen & we were able to go together, but I still missed Mom – my consignment-shopper-in-arms (stupid sickness).

Ellen & I had a wonderful time together though & found some awesome deals (I even got a jump start on some Christmas shopping – say what?!) and we ended the night with dinner at Chick-Fil-A.

I know consignment shopping isn’t for everyone, but I absolutely love it. I love digging through all the stuff and looking for (and usually finding) that “treasure” of a deal. It’s so good & I’m already excited for the next sale – although, I take that back, because the next JBF sale will be in the fall & I’ll be shopping for winter gear. So, I can wait.

Yes, This Happened

• This week’s Abby’s Saturday photo is a “fresh take” on an old photo – Number 50!
• Braelynn is always sporadically saying, “I love you” to Derrick & I & Leander (I seriously hope she never stops). So, it really wasn’t anything new when yesterday, she said, “Mommy, I love Leander.” I responded, “I know you do babe, he loves you too.” Then I decided to take it a step further, “Why do you love Leander?” She thought about it for a moment, and then responded, “Because he’s my best friend.” Needless to say, I melted into a puddle over that one. I hope they’re always best friends.
• Leander turned 4 months old this week!
• Leander is definitely moving into “teething” territory. I can see his little gums are swollen & he’s been chewing on everything he can get his chubby little hands on (speaking of which, he’s getting better & better at picking up items & popping them straight into his mouth). He was pretty fussy a few mornings this week & so I decided to grab one of the old amber “teething” necklaces that I had with Braelynn, because I figured, what could it hurt? I put it on, and almost instantly his whole attitude changed. I know there really isn’t a lot of “science” behind the amber teething necklace thing & they seem to work for some people & not others (I really couldn’t tell you whether it helped Braelynn or not) so, call me “woo-woo” but, I think it’s been really helping Leander! Last night, when we were in the call, he was crying & Braelynn asked where his necklace was, because he really hasn’t cried too much since I put it on him. Fingers crossed it isn’t just a weird fluke & it truly is helping our little guy with those toothers that are coming in!

Feeling Blessed

I love blogging.
I’ve been blogging 3 times a week for the last few years (and written over 800 blog posts) & I really truly love it. Everyone asks how I find time to do it & it’s just one of those things – if you love doing it, you will make time. It’s helped my business and helped my website and given me a creative outlet to write on.

But things are starting to change around here. I have new ideas & I’m trying to help Derrick flush out some of his new ideas. So, over the next few weeks & months (if you are a loyal blog reader), you’ll probably notice some changes in my blogging – in my consistency, in my content, and eventually, in a whole new blog design. I will never stop blogging – I love writing too much! But I want to start to shift my blog from focusing entirely on wedding days & wedding photography to a few new directions. It’s exciting, but it’s going to be a little “strange” for a little while as I take this platform thru the transition and get settled into a new “norm”.

All that to say: if you’re reading this – thank you so much for following me & reading my little corner of the internet! I truly appreciate your interest in me & my work & my family & our lives! I hope that this transition & the destination I plan on arriving at with my blog is even more interesting to read & follow and is even more helpful & entertaining to you! Thank you so much for your support!!