Flea Market Finds

I love going to the flea market here in Raleigh and searching through all of the old and new stuff. Some of it's crap but you can also find some cheap treasures. Along with all of the junk and treasures they have vendors selling spices, sweets and local produce. At one time, they had animals for sell but they no longer have that :( Here are a few of the things that I have found that I love!

Great things I found back when I went in the Fall.

Hanging rack ($5) and beautiful wood sconce ($8).

Great wall hangings! They are made of iron and will last forever! For 5 hooks and 2 crosses it was only $22!

Candle holder and candleabra. ($12 total)

Tory Burch things

Tory Burch is one of my new favorite designers. She's been around for a few years so she isn't completely new but she is taking off even more. She's a classy lady with classy designs. Her label includes shoes, apparel, and accessories such as sunglasses and purses. Here are a few of my favorites.

"Glam-caravan" sunglasses. I just replaced a pair I lost with these!

The "Thora" sandal. Comes in metallic and flat finish. I particulary like the green and yellow!

Flat shoes are really popular, especially in bight colors. These are just a few of the colors her flats come in. This style is "Reva". She also has flats in other fabrics.

Random Thought

This has been a very busy week, hence the delay in posting since last time! Meetings left and right at work, doctor's appt, and spending time with the hubby. I had bad day #1 yesterday... it was very bad. I guess my husband felt bad for me so he was going to surprise me and take me to dinner. We ended up going to see a guy he use to work with that makes really good sushi. Well, when we got there the guy was no longer there and was replaced with a new guy who wasn't very good and acted like a butt. There went the nice dinner to make me feel better. The thought of my husband doing that did help though! Anyways, I was trying to be positive and hoping today would go better but it didn't. My husband had a bad day as well so we were both cranky.

Here's where my random thought comes in... so if you're late for an appointment or cancel, you get charged a fine, usually $25 I've found. BUT if the doctor is running late for the appointment they don't have to pay a fine. I left work earlier than I wanted to today (have lots to do there) to go see this doctor, whom I really do like but I sat in the examining room for 1 hour before he saw me!! 1 HOUR in a room by myself with nothing to do other than think about the other things I could be doing. Then he wanted to do new lab work and because he was running so far behind, the lab had already closed. So now I have to take more time out of my life to drive back up there for that. Not happy. I think if the doctor is running more than 15 minutes late, the doctor should pay a fine to you! People have to take time off work, possibly unpaid time, pay for gas to drive to the doctor, and then use their time to wait. Not fair. Agree?

Anyhow, have a wonderful day tomorrow and I will try to! Gotta stay positive!

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Here are those Valentine's Day gift ideas! I hope everyone has a very special day, whether you have a significant other or if you're going out with some friends or family.

Jewelry: Women love jewelry. If you're the woman giving the gift, a watch would be nice for the man in your life.

Stationary: This is a great gift for any woman in your life. Your wife, girlfriend, mother or grandmother. Personalize it with their name or monogram. You can now get stamps that have their initial on it and they could stamp it on a card if the card cannot be personalized.

Flowers: Most women love flowers. Roses are a classic for Valentine's Day but you could always change it up with some orchids or tulips.

Dinner: If you don't have dinner reservations yet, make dinner at home! My husband and I are opting for this option. If you're on a budget, dinner at home will be less expensive as well. You can spend some quality time in the kitchen together! If you're hanging out with friends or having a singles party, you could make a fun taco bar or potato bar with some drinks.

Couples Massage: You could make a reservation for a massage or get a gift certificate for one at a future date. If you're not into that, you could get it for your significant other and you could get a mani and pedi while they're getting the massage.




Sweets!! My favorite thing. You could opt for the classic box of chocolates or try something like cupcakes or cookies.  You could always bake something of your own and put it in a fun box. Last year I made my husband and I some chocolate covered strawberries and I may again this year. They're easy to make and I'm sure a lot less expensive than buying 2 dozen of them!

Be my Valentine!

Some consider Valentine's Day a "Hallmark" holiday, I did at one point. Yes, you should show the ones you love how much you love and appreciate them all year long but having a day filled with sweets, hearts, and pink isn't bad!


If you are stuck trying to find the perfect valentine idea for your special someone, here are some tips. From cheap to expensive and from ordinary to awesome these ideas are sure to spark some sort of plan to treat your valentine sweetie. (info via www.Gather.com)

Gift Ideas:
Flowers: Flowers range in price, but are a Valentine’s Day staple. Most girls, and even some guys, will love getting flowers. Get sentimental by selecting a bouquet of that person’s favorite flower. A single rose goes a long way $10+

Chocolates: Chocolates are another staple of Valentine’s Day, but Edible Arrangements has brought it to a whole new level with chocolate covered strawberries and other dipped fruits. Also, M&M’s allows you to customize their mini candies with your own message on their website. $25+

Fortune Cookies: There are websites that allow you to customize fortune cookies. Write a personalized message and have it wrapped in a decadent fortune cookie. This is a different and fun idea for about $30+.

Pajamas: You could go sexy or comfy based on what you know your partner would like. $20+

Books: Don’t deny the power of a classic love story. If your love interest has a passion for books or writing pick up a love story, a book of love letters, or a book of famous love quotes. $10+

Name a Star: You can have a star named after someone for only $20. That star may come in handy if you want to promise to give her the world – you can start with the universe.


Do-it-Yourself: There are a lot of great do-it-yourself gift ideas for Valentine’s Day if you want to get creative. Here are some ideas to get you started: write a poem, decorate a box to store love mementos, create a scrapbook or photo album, or make dinner or dessert.

Outings & Entertainment:
Museums: With a library pass you can usually get discounted passes to museums. $10+

Theatre: You may not love plays or musicals but if you’re nearby a playhouse that has Blue Man Group it’s a great date you won’t regret spending money on. $60+

Movies: If you love a movie fanatic a movie night could be a nice way to spend the evening, and for a special twist find a movie theatre that serves dinner and drinks while you watch the show.

Dinner: The location of your first date or a favorite restaurant can make someone feel special. Spice it up by having flowers at the table when you arrive. $50+

Ice Skating: Ice skating is a fun way to get out of your comfort zone and do something different together. It’s also usually inexpensive. Finish it off with some hot chocolate and whipped cream $10+

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a crazy expensive day. It’s just a nice day to say or do something special, so even something as simple as a card can go a long way. If you take some time and think about what your match loves in life it may be easy to come up with some great ideas!

Do you have any gift ideas from previous years that went over well?

Article info via: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978041013&grpId=3659174697243100&nav=Groupspace

More Valentine's gift ideas to come!

Superbowl Sunday Dips

Happy Superbowl Sunday! One of my favorite things about football games is the food, well to be honest it's really the only the I like, other than the company, haha. A few of my favorite dips my husband and I like to make that are good for games and other occasions are crap dip and guacamole. Here are the recipes if you would like to try them! Enjoy!


Crab Dip
1-1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can (6 oz.) crabmeat, drained
Crackers for dipping!


PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Remove 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Mix all remaining ingredients except crackers until well blended.
SPREAD into 9-inch pie plate.
BAKE 20 min. or until crab mixture is heated through and top is lightly browned. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Serve hot with the crackers.

Guacamole
1 jalapeno finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
1 handful of cilantro VERY finely chopped
1 lime
4-6 avocados

SCOOP avocado's out of shells and slice them longways or chop them into squares.
Place avocados into large bowl. Use potato masher to smash the avocado's until mostly smooth consistency.
MIX all the other chopped ingredients into bowl of avocados.
CUT lime into half, squeeze over top, mix.
SERVE with corn tortilla chips

Things I'm looking forward to with Spring

So during my last blog I wrote about how I was looking forward to Spring and how I'm not a Winter person. Here are some reasons why I'm looking forward to it!

Fresh fruits and vegetables start to grow, check out your local farmer's market or private farms. A lot of times the prices are better than supermarkets and the quality of produce is better. My grandma always gives me fresh fruit and veggies from local suppliers.

Spring ahead! Longer days. I love it when it stays light out longer. When it gets dark at 5pm the day seems so short!

Being able to eat outside if it's sunny. On a warm weekend day try brunch or lunch outside at a local eatery.

Sandals, especially my Jack Rogers

Beautiful flowers in bloom. Whether it's flowers being sold or flowers growing in a flower bed or by the road, take a minute to appreciate them!

More Winter or early Spring?

So, today was Groundhog's Day and that darn Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which means 6 more weeks of Winter (if you believe in this). I was sad at just the thought of an additional 6 more weeks of Winter weather. BUT Sir Walter Wally (NC's version of Punxsutawney Phil) didn't see his shadow! I think since I live in NC I should go by what he says. The weather here has been up and down though. At the beginning of last week, I was wearing short sleeves, then by the weekend it was snowing and I was wearing boots and a coat. (Welcome to NC, home of unpredictable weather). It's in the 50's today so a lot of that snow is melting but there's a chance for more snow this coming weekend. Being a teacher, when it snows that means no work. When it snows here, schools are closed.. sometimes for a long time. The transplanted Northerner's make fun of this but the fact is that there isn't enough equipment/manpower to clear the roads. It doesn't snow here often enough to have these things in great supply. It's exciting when it happens since it isn't that often but there will be days to make up!

I just don't do Winter. I can't stand being cold, I hate wearing bulky clothes, I hate having dry skin and I really hate static. I love the milder months where it's not steaming hot with 100% humidity but where it's comfortable. I like being able to sit outside and not be phased by the weather. I like being able to just slide on some sandals or flip flops and go. Luckily, even though NC's weather is unpredictable, there's not too long of a Winter and a lot of nice days when I can do this. What's your favorite season?

Welcome, open for business!

Hey everyone! Welcome to my blog site "The Duly Noted". I have really been into reading blogs lately. There are so many out there that are inspirational and motivational, whether its on cooking, fashion, family news, current events, or community organizations. So... I thought, why not make my own? Why not have a place to put my thoughts down? I don't know if it will be inspirational and motivational but maybe it will give someone an idea or two. I'll mostly write about things I like such as clothes, decor, food, random facts I learn and want to remember, and random thoughts that I feel are important. Please feel free to leave comments and some love! You can also follow the blog by clicking the "follow" button on the right column. Happy February!