Shopaholic in Alabama

TGIF, Shopaholics! The past few days have been a whirlwind around here. I've been all over this coast, and have experienced a wide range of emotions. Thursday I drove over to Ocean Springs, MS for the memorial tribute to my dear friend Lisa, who many of you know as " Bumpkin On A Swing ". The setting was beautiful - a huge tent outside at the home she shared with her Captain. The place was packed, it was obvious Lisa was well loved by her family, friends, co-workers, and the local community. You'll be pleased to hear that the Captain was holding up very well. He managed to speak at the service, and it was clear from his words the special relationship they had. BFF Trish (of Pink Preppy Lilly Lover fame) and her DH were there also, and we sat for a while (in the swing, of course) and talked over Lisa's impact on our lives and what she meant to us. I truly felt blessed to have known Lisa, and to have been there for her life's celebration. Knowing that Trish...

Today I take a break in the scheduled post, to pay tribute to my dear friend Lisa. Many of you knew Lisa as the blogger " Bumpkin On A Swing ". When I started blogging back last winter, Lisa and I immediately hit it off and became fast friends. Lisa's comments on my blog always lifted my spirits - and more than that - we just connected. Sometimes we do this with someone we don't "really know" in person, but we do know through this wonderful and mysterious blogging community. Lisa was REAL. She loved her Captain, she loved her animals, and she loved this coast. She was smart. She was passionate about her causes. I will forever recall that reading her blog, long before NBC, CNN or Fox was talking about the oil spill, I knew our Gulf Coast was in real trouble. Lisa and I emailed about that soooo many times, I cannot begin to tell you how we comforted one another through the stress and anxiety of the situation. Lisa and I shared a passion for so man...

Happy Friday, Shopaholics! I soooo wish I could say I am looking forward to the weekend, but at this point I'm filled with what can only be described as a growing sense of dread. It's no longer a question of "if" this oil spill makes it to our shores, but when. NOAA is now officially predicting Sunday for the Alabama Gulf Coast, and Saturday for Bumpkin on a Swing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Today we are heading to Dauphin Island, which is the barrier island you see on the above map (Alabama coast, west side of Mobile Bay).  I am also inserting a map below which Bumpkin put together a few days ago, with both of our locations marked. This will give you an idea about Gulf coast geography if you're not already familiar! I will likely be without internet access most of the weekend. Let's say this - Dauphin Island is a tad "remote". It's not "Gilligan's Island" (there are 2 gas stations and working telephones, even a few restaur...