Oh hello again!  

I’m glad you are tuning in to my vacation exploits, and enjoying them along with me!

This is one of my favorite houses in Daytona.  Note the vases on the exterior wall!  I am always worried that the vases will be gone–maybe they’re actually cemented to the little shelves?  They usually have plastic flowers in them.  Life goals: vases on the outside of my house.  I think it would be adorable, even on a farm house instead of a coastal rancher!

Today’s thrifting was a little less fulfilling than previous days but I still got a few gems, and pictures of some of the things I left behind.

At one of the GoodWill stores I found this Harajuku kawaii dream outfit starter kit.  Too bad the GLAM PIE shoes by Love Pastry were too big and the candy pop shirt was too small. Cinderella couldn’t win this one.  I also bypassed the cute little bus stop girl and the safety pin beaded angel, but they were totally worth showing you a picture of!

Okay now, here is the doll that I tried to buy yesterday at City Thrift and tried to buy again today.  Unfortunately she still didn’t get to come home with me.  The store has a policy that if an item doesn’t have a price tag, the item can’t be sold.  I guess this is presumably to  keep people from getting a different price? The cashier told me yesterday that the doll would be priced and ready for purchase today but she was still behind the counter with priced dolls so yet another cashier refused to sell her.  I guess I should have asked for a manager, but I just asked if I could take a picture.

I don’t think she is really worth anything monetarily, but I really like her.  I love her polka dotted dress, hoop earrings and big bosom!  At least I have a picture.

To soothe my sadface we went and lunched at Aunt Catfish.

Our local friend Suanne met us there for lunch.  She had to have water since she had to go to work, but mom and I had margaritas. These are legit cocktails, not the watered down stuff that a lot of tourist locations try to pass off.  Completely worth the $8.

This is a pretty quintessential tourist destination and you will probably have to wait for a table if you are around during the weekend or any peak week.  There is a reason for the crowd though–the food is perfect, and the restaurant is a well oiled machine.

Go ahead and drool. Sorry for the slightly shaky picture-I was twitching with delight.  Seen here is the fish reuben for $9.99.  Every meal comes with a cinnamon roll.  Not sure why they give you one; it’s just part of the shtick and thank goodness it is.  My mom usually manages to save hers for breakfast the next day but I do not have that kind of self control.

Pro tip: you can sit at the bar and order food and not have to wait on a table.  There is also a community table where you sit with strangers and also don’t have to wait as long.  There is a great hot and cold buffet that are worth indulging in also.  Um, all you can eat cheese grits and slaw?  Yes.  On the salad bar they have all the standards plus some specialties like pickled watermelon rind.  So fun!

After lunch we shopped our way through the food & booze that threatened to hold us back.

More strange dolls I snapped pictures of but did not snap up.

I almost couldn’t resist this stuffed cat.  I am such a sad sack for stuffed animals–I want to take them home when they look lonely!  I know it’s silly, but it’s how I am.  This sweet cat was just the prettiest lightest pale blue.  I finally decided that it was cute that surely someone would buy it for their kid or grandchild.  Sigh.

The cats on the right were totally bizarre plaster wall hangings about a pound a piece and 2 feet tall.  So delightfully creepy, but I was worried they would fall off the wall and break, even though they’d look amazing next to my pair of chihuahua pictures.  Yep, I have chihuahua pictures.

OH LOOK!  ANOTHER GROTTO?

But for real, these Catholics have a garden of statues at every thrift store.

Here is your funny for the day: we’ve been driving past this place the whole trip and I finally got a decent picture of the sign.

WHAT IS AN ACID CIGARILLO?!?!

The Desert Inn was one of the fanciest hotels that I remember from back when I was a kid. It always looked SO glamorous, so exotic.  The Inn had a multi-story lobby with chandeliers that lit up the inside at night and made the entrance look like something from a Humphrey Bogart movie.  There was a hurricane around 2006-2007 that have devastated Daytona area that have damaged many motels and hotels beyond repair.  The Desert Inn is one of the casualties of that storm.  I keep hoping someone with a ton of money will take on this once glorious location and bring back its former awe inspiring presence. So far the shell lingers with depressing no trespassing signs that threaten felony charges for entry.

On a happier note: HAPPY HOUR!  The Oyster Pub is a fantastic sports bar where each table has it’s own tv and they have 2 for 1 happy hour cocktails from 4 to 7 Monday through Friday.  This place proves that a bar can have stiff drinks for a good price, friendly service, and the staff can still make money off tourists.  Asheville bars could learn a lesson from places like this.

NOTE:  I loathe Keslowski–please excuse my use of his coaster.

 

 

Can you see the little lizard in the lower right corner of this picture?  I’ve been trying to get a picture for days of the silly little lizards that scurry around the grounds of our condo.  This is the best I have gotten!  I’ll try again tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Here are today’s treasures, puny as they are!  2 little doll purses (for 10 cents each!), a tiger tail keychain, faux coral rosette necklace, Sally Hansen salon polish ($2.59!), set of doll eye chips and a diamond button (may can shave these down for a Bylthe–50 cents!), Cajun cookin’ playing cards with magnetic box (featuring a recipe on each card), and the real score of the day: cat earrings!!!!

This book.  I couldn’t resist.  I’ll report back on the gems that are surely inside.

See you tomorrow for the final vacation installment!