It's all Dot's and Susan's fault....

All craft stores are not alike. Some have a better selection of paper or paint, others have better books and beads. Then there are specialty stores for scrapbookers, for quilters, for knitters....oh my, just thinking about them can give me the vapors so I'd best not digress.

I have a Michaels and a Joann's store near my home and visit them both often. Occasionally I need to drive 40 minutes to visit Mary Maxim, a craft store that does a tremendous online and catalog business. They carry some items that I never find at the local stores and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. A few minutes away from Mary Maxim is the Hobby Lobby that is closest to my home. Yesterday was Visitation Day, or as Bill calls it Boost The Economy Shopping Day.

Since I am always innocent, the blame lies with Dot at Picket's Place. If she hadn't posted a picture of her purchase from Hobby Lobby, I would have stayed home yesterday and done laundry. Instead, I went and bought my own Bunny Foo Foo.

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch shoulders some blame too. Because of her I stopped at Michaels and bought two bunches of daisies while they were on sale. They will eventually be arranged, possibly in a vase that I will tie with ribbon from the dollar bin, also from Michaels.

Here are some of my other purchases from Mary Maxim, beginning with this sheet of paper.

One of our nieces is expecting her second child in September. This will be used in something for her, a card at least.

Another niece's daughter has a birthday coming up and I've been finding little things that I think she will enjoy, especially if they are pink. Here are a pair of Magic Socks. This is a tiny package, but when you open it and put the socks in water, they grow to full size. I felt a pair in the store. They are normal socks in feel and appearance, 90% cotton, 8% nylon, and 2% spandex. This site shows the socks full size next to the packaging. Hers are the Chick socks in the second row.

My other purchase at Michaels was a bit of serendipity. In February I made a skateboard birthday cake for one of my great-nephews. His cousin's birthday is in two weeks and this sweet little guy wants a baseball cake. This was the last cake pan like this at Michaels, and to make it even better, I had a 40% coupon to use on it!

All in all, I am not complaining too much about bloggers being a bad influence, but I do have a favor to ask. Could some of you post about losing weight without effort? exercise without breaking a sweat? picking winning lottery numbers?

Thanks ever so much.