My first week off from school ended with a day trip to visit family and do an itty bit of shopping. It is hard to squeeze in visiting everyone, a meal, and some extra activities when I’m only there for the afternoon, but somehow we managed it this time. The only bummer were the lovebugs that were splattered all over my car! Literally there were clouds of them all the way there. My dad was such a sweetheart and hosed down the car for me. If I had to drive another mile, I would have had to stop and wash my windshield it was so bad!

Rather than eating out, my mom picked up some food from Publix, so it was easy for everyone just to eat whenever, and she, my sister, and I popped out for about 45 minutes to make a super quick shopping trip to an accessories store they had both told me about. As someone who makes accessories, of course, I tend to be an accessories junkie!

The place we visited is a chain-style store called Charming Charlie. It has a little bit of clothing, mainly tops and little dresses, but the focus is on all kinds of accessories: purses, scarves (like the two I bought pictured above), belts, jewelry, shoes, watches, wallets, hats, and hair ornaments. I’m sure if I had more time, I would have bought a few more things. Of course, one drawback was that I’m sure it is all imported. Plus, even with that, some items, like the purses, I thought were overpriced. However, generally, I thought it was a great shop and I’m bummed that there aren’t any around where I live. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a similar shop but all of the items would be made in America?

So I’m looking ahead to another week off. I’m planning on doing some writing work, but I may take some time to get some sun and read as well. My fingers really need a crafting break, so I’m thinking of taking a day or two to sit outside, sweat, and read on my Kindle.