but this weekend I put away my winter clothes.  I folded all the turtlenecks and moved all the heavy sweaters into the spare bedroom closet.

I moved the thermostat notch from “heat” to “cool”.

I changed out the bedding from the heavy comforter to the lightweight bedspread.

And I even put on my bathing suit and laid out by the pool for a little while.

The calendar may say it’s still winter but it’s spring in Florida.

Ice droplets formed on my trees and bushes Sunday morning. I woke up at 2:00am remembering I forgot to turn off the sprinkler system which runs every Sunday morning at 4:00am. 

I am actually very “ok” with this palm tree biting the dust.  I’ve wanted to get rid of it for years because it grows faster than weeds and takes over the yard.  Maybe, hopefully, the freeze got to most of it and I can finally yank it out of the ground.

And this is how the day ends.

So, today was that shopping day.  I hit DSW Shoes, Off Broadway Shoes, Stein Mart, Ikea, Petco, and Marshalls. 

The coolest thing I got and probably the most fiscally responsible (read cheapest) was this napkin holder. I know! A napkin holder! But just look at how cool it is. It’s from Ikea. The napkins (also from Ikea)  lay on top of a black plate and there’s a weighted arm that holds them in place. I love it!  (P.S. Hey, did you  notice the awesome photo in the background?)

The biggest purchase of the day was my 4 new pairs of shoes.  Yes – 4 pairs! For you shoe-nistas I am so going to disappoint you. I buy frugally and purchase based on 1) comfort 2) usability 3) need  and lastly 4) fashion.   Don’t come here expecting to see me in Jimmy Choos – it ain’t gonna happen.

But I am excited about these pretty shoes:

The photo doesn’t do them justice.  They’re really dark black suede pumps and look amazing on my feet.  I got some really fun shoes today between DSW and Off Broadway. 

Back to cool stuff – I also got a pretty new duvet  from Ikea.  It’s really lovely in person. 

One last note, nothing to do with shopping.  The other exciting thing that happened this weekend was Mikita jumping into the pool all by herself, no pushing by me or Mike.  Last year she learned to swim.. this year she’s learning to jump in alone.  Yea for Mikita!

About two weeks ago I started the search in the stores.  And lo and behold, I found “exactly” what I wanted at badcock Furniture, the first store I went to.  The sales lady told me I was “in luck” because the 5-piece set was on sale for $659 marked down from $800.  Eeeek.. it was a little more than I had expected but it was so exactly what I wanted.  What to do?  Thankfully, the smart economical side of me took over and I walked out knowing I needed to check out more stores for other deals.  But – it was just what I was looking for!

Over the next few days I hit more stores like Pier 1, Rooms To Go, American Signature and even tried Bed Bath and Beyond.  None of them had anything close to the perfect set I saw at Badcock.  Ugh -  I so didn’t want to spend that much money. 

On a whim, I stopped at one more store to see if there was anything else that would work.  I visited Kanes Furniture.  The salesman, Guido, led me around the store showing me all their dinette sets. They also had one that was really pretty but too big for the nook area. As we went upstairs to see the final sets he said, “I’ve only got one more to show you.” And wouldn’t you know – it was the identical set that was selling at Badcock.  Same manufacturer, same name. Only $160 cheaper for all 5 pieces!  How about that!! I found my perfect set at another store at a much better price. 

Ok, it actually doesn’t “pay” but it definitely saved me some dollars to shop around.

Photo from: Florida Southwest River Water Management District

Tonight on the news was a story about 2 people struck by lightning – while sitting outside on metal chairs watching the afternoon thunderstorms pass by. (story from Local 6 here)  The fact that they were “SITTING OUTSIDE IN METAL CHAIRS” just floored me. Florida has long been nicknamed the lightning capital of the United States. On average, 7 – 9 people per year are killed by lightning in the state.

Being a native Floridian, and Orlandoan, I have grown up in the Lightning State, er – I mean Sunshine State.  I’m very afraid of lightning.  I take it very seriously. I’m scared to death at the end of the work day having to walk the long distance outside to the parking lot holding a metal umbrella while dodging lightning bolts all over the place.  Lightning is dangerous.  The biggest rule to remember is seek shelter indoors when you see or hear lightning and thunder nearby.  It’s that simple. Don’t think you can beat the odds because you’re special.  And most of all, don’t sit outside watching the storms pass in a metal chair!

NASA Lightning Map (2001)

The maps show that Florida, for example, is one place where the rate of strikes is unusually high. Dennis Boccippio, an atmospheric scientist with the NSSTC lightning team, explains why: “Florida experiences two sea breezes: one from the east coast and one from the west coast.” The “push” between these two breezes forces ground air upward and triggers thunderstorms.

Hong Kong Lightning by David Roark