Come on In If You're Online And Say Anything: Part III

[psychopathetic]

Originally Posted by namazu

IEP = Individualized Education Program
It's a binding document laying out the services and accommodations for a child eligible for special education.

Thank you Nams.

(((Nam-Nams)))

[psychopathetic]

I've spent WAY too much on christmas decorations this month, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I'm not even sure how I have the money for it all. I was able to skip a loan payment at my bank this month (they let me do it once a year)...and I've calculated everything many times over...and somehow, yeah...I had enough to really splurge somehow this month.

But omg...I've got some seriously cute things. My favorite thing is my christmas tree lights...I've seen videos of them on youtube, but omg...the experience in person is magical! What you can't really see in the videos...is how 3d the effects are. How the lights and patterns move around the entire tree...it's just dazzling! I can't stop sitting out in my living room and just getting lost in my tree!

(this isn't my video...but it does a pretty good job of showing off the lights I have):



...
There's a dollar store in America called the dollar tree...and oh goodness...they have some seriously AMAZING things for christmas this year! I can't believe the quality of the stuff they have!
I've bought something like 15 super cute tins with pictures of santa and snowmen and snowflakes...
... ...

And my favorite thing they have this year are these wooden signs...and they have a wide selection. And surprisingly, they are very well done! And they've got a nice weight to them...they aren't super light and cheap and fragile at all...they feel like they'll last for many years.
They are AMAZING! I love them!! lol
They're decently sized too...10-15 inches.

... ...

I also picked up a few smaller wooden signs that are real cute. Though you can't tell from the picture...these are SUPER glittery and pretty!
Again, I can't believe the quality for just $1!!



And some cute wooden yard signs (I have a santa, snowman, christmas tree and a really pretty green sparkly sign that says "JOY".)

And they have dozens of seriously beautiful and cute gift bags! They're of high quality as well. And in all sizes...from really small, to huge!
I only bought a few, and they all glitter and sparkle! I could easily see these selling for $5 or $6 at any other store.

... ...

I also picked up some christmas themed wash clothes, pot holders, a super cute cloth table mat with a picture of santa on it, wall decals, window stickers, cute magnet sets for my fridge and some other sparkly decor (a foily tree and snowman)...

... ...

Then I got a really cute, large see-through red snowman bowl...



And have filled it with all sorts of cute little things. Small boxes that have christmas stickers inside, little christmas themed stamps (and I tried them all...and surprisingly they all work!), super cute pencil topper erasers in the shape of snowmen, santa, a christmas tree, and reindeer, self-filling foil balloons, and candy...little candy canes, chocolates in the shape of snowmen and santa, and chocolate coins with really pretty christmas pictures on them. Then I have some cute christmas zip bags I'm going to place next to the bowl...I'm going to encourage anyone who comes over to fill a bag or 2 full of goodies hehe...I'll also eventually take the bowl to my group and let them have at the goodies .

... ...

And all sorts of other stuff lol.

I've gone crazy this year! >.<' I've spent waaaay too much...but it's all good I think. I've been wanting to jump into christmas like this for so many years! I also felt suppressed by my parents though...it's a long story. I feel like I'm no longer tied down by them though now so I can FINALLY let that inner child go wild! haha

[psychopathetic]

Also...that post was a lot of fun to make! lol I really enjoyed going through the dollar tree's website and looking up all the photos!

[Lunacie]

Originally Posted by psychopathetic

Also...that post was a lot of fun to make! lol I really enjoyed going through the dollar tree's website and looking up all the photos!

Oddly I used to stop at the Dollar Tree across town on my way home from work
on Sundays. Then they opened a store just down the street from me and I've
only been there once. That's partly because my mobility has gotten worse. But
it still seems odd to me.

We've decorated our tree with bling from $Tree several times. I'm trying to
decide whether to get out in the cold and wet and go check out their holiday
things. It's raining now and will be changing to snow a bit later.

[sarahsweets]

Psycho we should be twinsies! Let me tell you a dollar tree story.....about 8 or more years ago I bought my entire christmas village from dollar tree. And it wasnt tacky at all it was really nice. Its called cobblestone village. I had always wanted one but those Dickens villages have individual pieces for like 50$ a piece! I was seriously happy. Over time some broke, some we lost in a flood and things have dwindled. So three years ago I went looking and they didnt have anything. Through the power of social media I was able to message dollar tree on facebook messenger. I asked them about the village and was told there was an "unforseen" manufacturer error and they wouldnt be having them. A year later I sent them the same message and they said they had a supplier issue and would not have them. The third year I asked again and got a simple no answer with no prospects of it ever coming back. I have searched all the discount stores I can think of, never finding affordable replacements. I actually bookmarked a link on ebay and another place where someone was selling their sets and pieces for like 50$ and was willing to do it.

Well...I went into the store yesterday to get my favorite Luigi's italian ice and browsed the xmas stuff. There was an endcap and ...IT WAS THE COBBLESTONE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE PIECES! I literally said "What the f**K!" in the store. They had tons of boxes that they had to unpack so not all of it was out but I bought every one I saw...carollers, snowmen, trees, santa, street lamps. I cant tell you how happy it made me. Like annoyingly happy as if I won some contest. I hemmed and hawed about spending the 19$..but felt like I would miss out if I didnt do it. WELL icing on the cake...I had a scratch off lottery ticket to cash in. I thought I had won a free ticket but I won 20! So literally it cost me nothing. I always tell people that I am simple and it takes nothing more than love and a sense of humor to make me happy and I a serious. I am still running on the Christmas village high today. I plan on checking frequently to see if more comes out.

Well thats my long winded way of saying that you and I are truly bargain dollar store buddies!

Originally Posted by psychopathetic

I've spent WAY too much on christmas decorations this month, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I'm not even sure how I have the money for it all. I was able to skip a loan payment at my bank this month (they let me do it once a year)...and I've calculated everything many times over...and somehow, yeah...I had enough to really splurge somehow this month.

But omg...I've got some seriously cute things. My favorite thing is my christmas tree lights...I've seen videos of them on youtube, but omg...the experience in person is magical! What you can't really see in the videos...is how 3d the effects are. How the lights and patterns move around the entire tree...it's just dazzling! I can't stop sitting out in my living room and just getting lost in my tree!

(this isn't my video...but it does a pretty good job of showing off the lights I have):



...
There's a dollar store in America called the dollar tree...and oh goodness...they have some seriously AMAZING things for christmas this year! I can't believe the quality of the stuff they have!
I've bought something like 15 super cute tins with pictures of santa and snowmen and snowflakes...
... ...

And my favorite thing they have this year are these wooden signs...and they have a wide selection. And surprisingly, they are very well done! And they've got a nice weight to them...they aren't super light and cheap and fragile at all...they feel like they'll last for many years.
They are AMAZING! I love them!! lol
They're decently sized too...10-15 inches.

... ...

I also picked up a few smaller wooden signs that are real cute. Though you can't tell from the picture...these are SUPER glittery and pretty!
Again, I can't believe the quality for just $1!!



And some cute wooden yard signs (I have a santa, snowman, christmas tree and a really pretty green sparkly sign that says "JOY".)

And they have dozens of seriously beautiful and cute gift bags! They're of high quality as well. And in all sizes...from really small, to huge!
I only bought a few, and they all glitter and sparkle! I could easily see these selling for $5 or $6 at any other store.

... ...

I also picked up some christmas themed wash clothes, pot holders, a super cute cloth table mat with a picture of santa on it, wall decals, window stickers, cute magnet sets for my fridge and some other sparkly decor (a foily tree and snowman)...

... ...

Then I got a really cute, large see-through red snowman bowl...



And have filled it with all sorts of cute little things. Small boxes that have christmas stickers inside, little christmas themed stamps (and I tried them all...and surprisingly they all work!), super cute pencil topper erasers in the shape of snowmen, santa, a christmas tree, and reindeer, self-filling foil balloons, and candy...little candy canes, chocolates in the shape of snowmen and santa, and chocolate coins with really pretty christmas pictures on them. Then I have some cute christmas zip bags I'm going to place next to the bowl...I'm going to encourage anyone who comes over to fill a bag or 2 full of goodies hehe...I'll also eventually take the bowl to my group and let them have at the goodies .

... ...

And all sorts of other stuff lol.

I've gone crazy this year! >.<' I've spent waaaay too much...but it's all good I think. I've been wanting to jump into christmas like this for so many years! I also felt suppressed by my parents though...it's a long story. I feel like I'm no longer tied down by them though now so I can FINALLY let that inner child go wild! haha

[psychopathetic]

haha

(((((((Sweets)))))))

I'm SO right there with you! I always dreamed of owning a christmas village...I was especially in love with the stuff Lemax comes out with.
I always thought about buying just 1 building and a couple of figures each year...and that eventually I'd have a nice collection going.
It just never happened.

So that when I once walked into the dollar tree with my mom many years ago...and saw a bunch of little porcelain houses and figures and trees and such...I was SOOOO excited! I bought tons of them!
Then each year they came out with new buildings and figures and accessories...and it was a highlight of the winter for me to collect them.

I've been super sad that they stopped making and selling them over the years .

I've now got something like 20 different houses/buildings...TONS of people an snowmen, lots and lots of different accessories like street lamps, benches, plants, fences, etc. etc. ...and a bunch of trees too.
I've got them set up on a desk out in my livingroom...I display them year round...partly because I'm too lazy to put them away...partly because I like them...so why put them away?

They don't have the greatest paint jobs...but from a distance it looks really good! I've really loved my little village lol.

I just re-painted one of the buildings a couple weeks ago cause I was bored (lol it looks like a 2 year old painted it! , but you know what? It was really fun, so that's what counts!)

Originally Posted by psychopathetic

...But yeah, I've been watching some videos on youtube of people going to the dollar tree and showing all the new christmas stuff they have out this year...and one of the things I kept seeing, is that they had new village pieces out! They have 4 new buildings so far this year (a house, a church, a post office and a hotel)...as well as new figures/accessories and trees!
Omg I was SO stinking excited about it!
...Now the buildings are made of plastic this year, instead of porcelain, and some people have been complaining about it...but I LOVE them...they look freaking amazing! Plus the hole in the bottom of the buildings perfectly fit the little electric tea lights they sell at the dollar tree (the holes in the porcelain ones are a bit too small).

/sad...
My dang dollar tree hasn't had any of them this year, and the 2 different workers I asked had no idea if they would be getting any in this season...but to keep checking.

My nearest Dollar Tree is 30 miles away...the next one besides that is a couple of hours away.
lol I've been to the damn Tree 30 miles away 5 times in the past week hoping they'll have the new buildings...I want them SOOOOO badly!! I even had a dream about finding them last week...lmfao .
I need a life!

I'm really afraid they're going to get like 1 box of them this year and put them out and that they'll all sell before I even know they were there.

lol...sorry for the big post!
You just made me feel all sorts of good knowing that you SO get me with these little figures and houses! haha

Thank you for being so awesome!

(((((((Sweets)))))))

[sarahsweets]

They have videos with people showing the pieces of the new village stuff?? Please post or send me a link! PLLLEEEAASSEE!

Originally Posted by psychopathetic

haha

(((((((Sweets)))))))

I'm SO right there with you! I always dreamed of owning a christmas village...I was especially in love with the stuff Lemax comes out with.
I always thought about buying just 1 building and a couple of figures each year...and that eventually I'd have a nice collection going.
It just never happened.

So that when I once walked into the dollar tree with my mom many years ago...and saw a bunch of little porcelain houses and figures and trees and such...I was SOOOO excited! I bought tons of them!
Then each year they came out with new buildings and figures and accessories...and it was a highlight of the winter for me to collect them.

I've been super sad that they stopped making and selling them over the years .

I've now got something like 20 different houses/buildings...TONS of people an snowmen, lots and lots of different accessories like street lamps, benches, plants, fences, etc. etc. ...and a bunch of trees too.
I've got them set up on a desk out in my livingroom...I display them year round...partly because I'm too lazy to put them away...partly because I like them...so why put them away?

They don't have the greatest paint jobs...but from a distance it looks really good! I've really loved my little village lol.

I just re-painted one of the buildings a couple weeks ago cause I was bored (lol it looks like a 2 year old painted it! , but you know what? It was really fun, so that's what counts!)



...But yeah, I've been watching some videos on youtube of people going to the dollar tree and showing all the new christmas stuff they have out this year...and one of the things I kept seeing, is that they had new village pieces out! They have 4 new buildings so far this year (a house, a church, a post office and a hotel)...as well as new figures/accessories and trees!
Omg I was SO stinking excited about it!
...Now the buildings are made of plastic this year, instead of porcelain, and some people have been complaining about it...but I LOVE them...they look freaking amazing! Plus the hole in the bottom of the buildings perfectly fit the little electric tea lights they sell at the dollar tree (the holes in the porcelain ones are a bit too small).

/sad...
My dang dollar tree hasn't had any of them this year, and the 2 different workers I asked had no idea if they would be getting any in this season...but to keep checking.

My nearest Dollar Tree is 30 miles away...the next one besides that is a couple of hours away.
lol I've been to the damn Tree 30 miles away 5 times in the past week hoping they'll have the new buildings...I want them SOOOOO badly!! I even had a dream about finding them last week...lmfao .
I need a life!

I'm really afraid they're going to get like 1 box of them this year and put them out and that they'll all sell before I even know they were there.

lol...sorry for the big post!
You just made me feel all sorts of good knowing that you SO get me with these little figures and houses! haha

Thank you for being so awesome!

(((((((Sweets)))))))

[psychopathetic]

Originally Posted by sarahsweets

They have videos with people showing the pieces of the new village stuff?? Please post or send me a link! PLLLEEEAASSEE!

It's not videos of just the miniatures...but videos of people walking around dollar tree showing all the new items.

Look...I get bored...haha...and I have no life!!

This lady's videos are my favorite because her kid is like the absolutely cutest kid pretty much ever!! lol <3

[sarahsweets]

Psycho...you are the only one who understands my happiness about this. I am going to lay everything out and take a picture.

[sarahsweets]

Ok Psycho.. here is what I have got so far.

[Rebelyell]

I love cars has a 14 ss Camaro and while it's in body shop I have a 17 black beauty Dodge challenger.that car is a ripper even w the auto trans in it.

[psychopathetic]

Originally Posted by sarahsweets

Ok Psycho.. here is what I have got so far.

SO jealous!!!

There's still a blue house and a white church for you to try and collect this year . Hope you're able to find them!

[psychopathetic]

Okay, so I decided to redo my Dollar Tree village today...been decorating my living room for Christmas the last few days.
My goodness I can hardly believe I live here! It's SO freaking cute in my apartment now! It's taken me hours to get to where I am...and now that I'm just about finished, I'm super happy with how things turned out! OMG!! I live here?! No way!!! lol
I'm thinking of making a video to show everything off lol.
Yeah...I know...I need a life >.<'

Anyhow...here's a shot of all the pieces I have. I have 16 buildings, only a few trees (thought I had a lot more) and TONS of little figurines...



And here's some photos of after I had things all set up. Sorry I suck at taking pictures xP.
It's WAY cuter then I had it previously set up!

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[psychopathetic]

Also...I can't wait for Sweets to see my village! lol

[sarahsweets]

Originally Posted by psychopathetic

Also...I can't wait for Sweets to see my village! lol

Love your village! I have been looking up "snow blankets" to put under mine.. I found one that lights up so I may try and convince Mark we need it. As an aside, all my pics I uploaded through tinypic are gone, even the one above where you commented. What do you use for posting pics. Pm me if you have to.