Dear Thrift Shop Ladies:

Can money buy hapiness?

Regardless of what you may have heard from numerous people without money, I am here to tell you that yes, indeed, money can buy an insane amount of happiness. Can you put a price tag on a young one's joy? As it turns out, yes, you can!

It's $2.

That's the exact amount MiniMe & I paid for Freakish My Size Barbie who, by the way, is now named Rosie. I want to thank not only the family who made such a generous donation to an immensely worthy cause, but I'd also like to give kudos to all your hard working volunteers who priced this "doll" and put her on your store shelves. Please know that gratitude oozes forth from every ounce of my being.

My Man is also happy because I am keeping MiniMe happy for a very frugal price. My HausFrau budget is operating in the black & I have avoided frivolously wasting his hard earned money on playthings to be soon forgotten. I have a feeling this doll will be with us for many a PSC to come. Hopefully, in a crate, on a boat & not flying coach.

As you may have guessed, Freakish My Size Barbie Rosie is now a member of our family -- MiniMe's "little sister" to be precise. This disturbs me on many levels. Most noteworthy is the nightmarish thought of giving birth to plastic chick.

But, I digress. It's all about the kinder, is it not? And, mine is happy. And, that makes me happy - in a very weird sort of way. But why, why, why does she have to be so happy with a disproportional doll with horror-flick eyes, clumpy hair and AA-cup boobs?

I've attached a few photos to illustrate how at home Freakish My Size Barbie Rosie is at the Rockin'Bauer Haus & how thrilled my youngest is to be sharing her life with her new sibling.

Notice we did change her dress. It's not the one originally purchased from your store. There was just something really wrong about little girl frills & lace on a doll with boobs.

And, freak eyes.

And, clumpy hair.

I just couldn't go there on a day to day, hour by hour basis.

Again, many thanks from me from the bottom of my heart. It's a pleasure to join your ranks & work with a group of such caring women. Maybe one day I too can be apart of something bigger than myself - just like you were when you sold me Freakish My Size Barbie Rosie, and when that nice lady at the counter helped count out exact change from MiniMe's piggy bank. And, helped me dig through my purse because she was a quarter short. My gratitude for helping me pull all those coins together for my child's sake because I was hopeful worried for a brief moment that we wouldn't have enough money.

I sincerely hope that I can fulfill my pay-it-forward requirements for this event. As long as it takes, I will search high and low for an opportunity to give so monumentally to another well-deserving child.

Gratefully yours.

Your new Wednesday volunteer, ~HausFrau