Two Plate Hangers

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By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher

Two plate hangers.  That is all Lisa Ann needed.  Two simple items to showcase some plates created by artist Kathy Womack from her “Women & Wine” series.  We love her art – fun, fabulous and sassy – featuring women drinking wine.  We can relate to that.

I kept repeating this mantra – “two plate hangers” – the entire time we were in Hobby Lobby for clarity purposes.  Now typically, I am not a Hobby Lobby girl.  I don’t participate in purchasing things with which to make things.  If I want a thing, I will buy said thing already made.  I have no skin in the game on this craft situation.

But I must confess, Hobby Lobby has stepped it up for the holidays.  Sure, it was October.  Sure, Christmas was a solid three months away.  Yet here we were.  Securely deposited in a Christmas wonderland, all organized by color.  I love good organization.

Lisa Ann promptly decided she needed a new Christmas tree.  Purchased.  Then we both decided the Christmas linens were too cute to pass up – and on sale!  Quilts, linens, pillows – for all beds.  Purchased.  Then there was the pink section, and I just redid one of my trees in pink last year.  With only two of the large, metal, pink Merry Christmas ornaments left, I had to get one, lest they sell out.  Purchased.

We filled up carts – yes, there were multiple carts – completely forgetting the “two plate hangers” mantra.  Everything we loved was on sale.  Convinced this was the Lord speaking to us wanting us to be happy, we had to listen.  After all, Christmas is Jesus’ birthday.

Of course, Hobby Lobby was our third stop of the morning, as the day began with the VIP Shopping Event at TJ Maxx and Home Goods beginning promptly at 8:30 am. We arrived at 8:20.   We had to show up.  We were invited.  Plus, when you show up, they give you gifts!  It would be rude to not show up since they went to all that trouble.

One would think we were shopped out by the time we hit Hobby Lobby – for the two plate hangers.  Not the case.  I had just downed a copious amount of Diet Coke, so I was good to go.  Lisa Ann drank her pink drink so she was good.  I’m not real certain what is in that pink drink.  Honestly, I’m afraid to ask.

Always prepared, we embarked on our shopping spree in Lisa Ann’s SUV.  Good thing.  We would have looked like the Beverly Hillbillies with packages sticking out of Bab’s sunroof.  Not that that would have stopped us.

As we made our way to the checkout at Hobby Lobby, I had the nagging feeling we were leaving something behind we really needed.

“Two plate hangers,” I declared.  We found the plate hangers – only by seeking assistance from a HL employee – and added them to the cart.

Hundreds of dollars and massive savings later, we made it to the car, which overflowed with our much-needed fabulous finds.  Much to our husband’s chagrins, our living rooms overflowed with precious packages when we returned home.

“Gifts,” I informed Mr. Kaminski, convincing him I had a head start on the holidays.  They were gifts, mostly for me, but gifts, nonetheless.

Lisa Ann had a similar experience with her hubby and when unpacking the essential “two plate hangers,” discovered that they were too small.  Naturally, we had to return to Hobby Lobby to purchase the correct ones, and this time, her trunk was empty leaving an abundance of space for new finds.  Winning!  See y’all next week – on the porch!

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Patti Parish-Kaminski

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