It's the final days before Christmas, folks! And if you're anything like me, you're scrambling to get those last minute gifts and stocking stuffers.
Hubby, you're not allowed to read this one so GO! SCAT!!!
I know you're still there. Turn it off NOW!!!!
I love Christmas!!! (Sorry, just had to throw that in there while we wait for Hubby to LEAVE!)
OK, so Miss Priss and I headed off to Marshall's and TJ Maxx, just the best stores to find the interesting and random gifts, perfect stocking stuffing goodness! Here's a montage of both trips:
We found an item for Hubster right away. 
It's a cooler to set his laptop on. I didn't even know they made this stuff!
As we were checking out the Lounge wear in the Men's Department, Priss was hiding in the racks 
while I tried to figure out what this 
was. Yes, it's from the Junior's Department, and it scares me for two reasons. 1) It's a strip of sweater that is not large enough to adequately cover ANY part of a young lady and 2) somebody was actually HIDING this in the Men's Department so nobody else would buy it before they had a chance to! Honey, don't you worry, I think this one's ALL YOURS!!!
Then we moseyed around the Christmas decorations. I got a beautiful Lenox ornament for our tree, and I found the perfect little set of ornaments for Priss, 
Kitty Cats! And they're UNBREAKABLE! She'll be thrilled! Of course, I'll probably have to let her play with them for a while - I don't think she'd understand that they are meant to just dangle from a tree branch and nothing more. And I was thrilled to find some new pieces for my Lenox Christmas China Collection. 
Sure, they're small, but I consider butter spreaders ESSENTIAL to a proper dinner! (Or breakfast or lunch or whatever you use your China for!) And I was floored when I found this 
. These pieces are made in Deruta, Italy (I double-checked the bottom to be sure!) and the pattern is very distinct. Hubster and I honeymooned in Italy and bought a whole box worth of this stuff while we were in Deruta, enough to outfit our kitchen. Unfortunately, boxes don't travel well under a plane on international flights, and most of our pieces were broken. We salvaged a few things - salt and pepper shakers, some canisters, a spoon holder. What I found in Marshalls is not EXACTLY the same, it's made in Deruta, but probably a different factory than the one we purchased from. I did get a gift for Hubster (you'd better not be reading this or you're dead meat!) though. It's a chip & dip plate that looks the most like our set. He'll be so surprised! And I think I'll go back and get that pedestal bowl in that photo. Do you have any ideas as to what to do with a pedestal bowl like that? Make sundaes???
Anyway, I also spotted these 
for two bucks! Hubster is the pancake maker, and I know Priss will be tickled when he makes her some heart shaped pancakes!
Priss found a few items of her own 
mini rolling pins! Which is why the first rule of shopping with a two year old is to ALWAYS check the cart before getting to the register. There's all kinds of surprises in there!
We headed to the Toy Department, where Priss perused the books 
while I found this little gem 
on clearance. It's NEMO!!! And I had to spend the rest of the trip telling Priss no, it was NOT Nemo and she was just seeing things!
We had so much fun finding all our stocking stuffers! TJ Maxx and Marshalls are perfect when you don't know what to get (ie: The Hubster) but want to make it unique. I mean, how can you NOT love a store that has a candelabra sitting next to a bull statue that's beside a large piece of tree trunk?
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Giving wood for Christmas!" (I see you laughing Hubs - you are NOT supposed to be here!!!)
