Positive Proof: Thrifting is good for you!

I remember when we were in Ireland and would see the Guinness Signs - 'Drink Guinness - it is good for you!'.....Well, since I have never had a beer in my life (but love a glass of wine once in awhile) I have a different slogan....Thrifting is good for you!

I had this lovely and lonely little dove.....

and at the Thrift Store - I found him a mate!

We had Steve's moms crock pitcher on the mantle....

....and I found it's mate at the Thrift store too!

I bought a very price (for me) Sea Shell Lamp - it was like $250.00+.....always wanted another but could not justify the price....however....last week on a Thrift Store run.....

I found one for $14.95!!!! The base was in perfect shape and I just needed to get new halo's and shades (got the shades yesterday at Fashion Valley Mall when Kristen and I took the boys for a ride on the SD Trolley to the Lego store at the mall and for warm fresh pretzels)...it was funny tho, walking the mall and on the trolley with this huge bag filled with shades!

Decided to pop a color on the love birds.....

but then I thought they were a bit too bright so toned them down a few hues and they look much better....more like the robin blue on the wooden bird on the other side of the table....

awww....symmetry - I love neat, tidy and order.....

more symmetry.....love....feels good, right....ready for the New Year!

Annual Game Night tonight with the FamBam.....menu: chips & salsa and guacamole, sangria with blackberries, strawberries, lime and pineapple, home made tamales with Steve's chili on top, Pineapple Upside Down Cake (a la Shannie Girl) and the rest of all the candy and goodies from Christmas. What are your New Years Eve Plans?

The beat goes on....and it is funk (not funky)

The beat goes on, no matter how I try to change it.....maybe this is just the funk I need to be in right now and embrace it and try to learn why I feel this way and the lesson that it is trying to teach me.....

A brief respite on Wednesday - a surprise call and invite to go Thrifting - fun things found for projects and play....(another chandelier for (hopefully) weekend project; new keyboard badly needed in my office, nerf arsenal for my boys, play house for Brody, wooden cigar box - really into those lately, round picture frame for future project, Fitz and Floyd Ho Ho Ho Christmas tray for only $2.00!...toal spend $30.00....now only need motivation.....

The fog of August.....

The fog of August 2011 continues to haunt me....my dads passing and the aftermath, caring for my mom keeping her up and going, all the paperwork that needs to be dealt with a 'love letter' (not) from the IRS that requires so much research and now my dog won't use his leg and had to go to the vet $$$ but Thankfully no broken bones....it is August 24th and I feel I have been in a fog since that phone call August 2nd.....I am in a weakened state and life seems surreal....and it seems every day brings yet more challenges....



Yesterday after taking my mom and brother to the airport and before the Tax meeting I drove by my fave Thrift shop then I turned around and thought if I went in to browse maybe I would perk up a bit.....I did score these treasurers:


Some awesome pet steps that retail at $59.99 at Petco and are brand new, two felt blankets to wrap and store some furniture, an adorable Turkey to add to the collection, a Fisher Price Nurses Kit, a talking storage box and the major score of about 1500 pcs of legos for my boys. The other stuff was included in the mix but I have no use for it and will redonate it next pickup. Found all this for $31.00!!!


I scrubbed everyone of those tiny legos in hot water and then air dried them and put them in a plastic tub and took them over to my boys to play with.

Later in the night I got a txt from Kristen that they had fun, played and were happy and even cleaned them up when they were done....that did make me smile...and smiles are few and far between these days!

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.....

Thrift Store Finds

It has been quite awhile since I have even felt like browsing the Thrift Stores....my heart is just breaking over my dad's condition and I feel so helpless and sad...however, on my daily call to my mom last Wednesday my mom gave me a good report on my dad, my noon meeting got cancelled and I headed down to my fave Thrift Shop for some browsing......I was so happy to find this great baroque mirror, the tall crystal candlestick, some great metal planes for my boys, a Fisher Price new Doctor Kit (I know what your thinking, how many do I need?) and this great little bench which is very old.....a pretty good haul for under $20.00

The mirror has this great bow on the top and I can't wait to paint it white.....still looking for the right place in the house and think I will be moving some things around before I decide on its permanent home

The little bench found a quick home on the hearth....I put my hand stitched vintage work on it...love the saying 'Away is good, but home is best'!

Like my sisters says....just how much stuff can you cram into your house?' Like my daughter says....'you are an organized hoarder'

I guess when enough is enough I will know!

Thrift Store Finds ~ Repurposing ~ 60's TV Flashbacks

After weeks of craziness and being off schedule, it was nice to have a chance last Monday to hit my fave Thrift Store....I have been on the hunt for a lazy susan.....I remember watching TV in the 1960s (My Three Sons) and watching them at the dinner table using a lazy susan....I have been intrigued ever since.....so, to my surprise I found one on my last thrifting trip for $2.95 and decided to repurpose it to match my decor a bit better.....I loved that it was all wood and well made but the butcher block finish was just not appealing....I headed to Michaels and bought a beautiful shade of nutmeg for .50 cents and a small jar of modge podge with a 50% off coupon for $1.48 so for less than $2.00 in supplies and for a total investment of under $5.00 I have this new beauty.....Step 1, dry painting on the nutmeg paint.....

....step 2, two heavy coats of modge-podge.....

step 3....letting it dry really well....also, remember my cast iron owl that I got thrifting and repainted - he got a coat of modge podge also....

Final step.....isn't she a beauty.....looks great on my mission style dining room table....Chip, Ernie, Rob - your late for dinner!

Thrift Store Finds!

It had been a few weeks since I could go Thrifting....my days have been filled with work and volunteering, doing taxes and sick parents, the boys birthdays and life in general so it was a fun escape to get out the other day and hit my fave spot - I never leave that place empty handed! The day I went was 1/2 off day! I got this wonderful working radio (1934) for $25.00 the cabinet is all wood and the dial is all aged yellow and I love the shape and detail on it - a great patina brass candelabra for $3.00, two wooden candlesticks for $2.00 each and a huge wicker basket for $1.00! The plastic hat form is for Kristen, she always needs these and it was $1.00 as well.

I put the candelabra on the mantle and love the patina on it...it goes really well with the old world stuff I have on the mantle right now...it has lots of scroll work on it and is really heavy

I put one of the wooden candlesticks near the hearth and Dylan put his pine cone that he found for me on it....he wants to make bird feeders with pine cones, peanut butter and birdseed - what a great idea!

I filled the wicker basket with my fluffy duck and lots of empty fill and thrill eggs...just waiting to be filled with goodies for our annual Easter Egg hunt.

Cheap Thrills~aren't they the best?

~~~~ Weekly Thrift Store Finds~~~~Simple Pleasures

This weeks treasurers, and missing 4 glass candlesticks that were getting all sparkly clean in the dishwasher and a beautiful brand new filigree shabby chic frame that was out of the shot....total $28.00. Love this farm set - barn and lots of John Deere stuff (noise activated) and animals and vehicles I know my boys will love....some pop beads (new in box, fisher price) to go with my original ones I have from when Adam was a baby....the boys like to make long strands of them to have their Monster Trucks run over them....a great set of old world bookends with globes that rotate - love these...remind me of that fantastic old globe table I saw in Palm Springs - still waiting on the price to drop on that one...also some incrediblocks that are discontinued and very collectible.

The other day our neighbors got a new appliance.....We asked the delivery team for the box and they were more than happy to give it to us. I remembered how much fun my kids used to have with old appliance boxes and I knew the boys would as well. The next time they came over, we brought it in, I made a door and windows (ok, a little crooked but a pretty stylish design don't ya think)....they boys got out their crayons and 'decorated' it....

Dylan decided to name it 'Our Kids Playhouse' and I love that....he drew a rainbow over the front door and he did a really good job!!!

The loved taking turns getting in together and ate their snack in there and of course if you look you can see Baby (Mickey) was tucked inside by Brody...

This is Brody checking out the door before it was decorated or filled with toys.....when they went home I found everything from goldfish crackers to my old cell phones they play with to Monster Trucks, Thomas the Train, flashlights and crayons.....it was entertainment for hours and it is rainy today and they are coming back over.....we will have hours of fun with this simple pleasure.

What simple pleasure is in your life?

Weather.....Wondering....Thrift Store Finds....

When daily our SD weather is so perfect... last night we played outside with the boys until dark....

.....I wonder how people live in the cold....I have been in snowy areas and was in snowy SLC last week and it was so beautiful but I just can't imagine having to wear coats and gloves and warming up cars trying to manage little kids in snow suits, pushing a grocery cart, getting your mail.....and how do you go to yard sales and eat at outdoor cafes in the snow??? I have a new found respect for those in the Midwest and east who take this all in stride....

Isn't this a little beauty....very old and in great shape...$9.95 at the Thrift store...it is perfect for the little alcove turn on the bottom of my stairs....some sanding, a coat of white paint and some distressing and then it will be a perfect little addition....not sure what I will put on top of it just yet....any ideas???

A wonderful door stopper Fleur de Leis (this is a funny story, Kristen had seen it there earlier in the week and almost got it for me but passed at the last minute - I am glad it waited for me!) I think I will paint it dark gold and sponge on some black paint texture....and 4 really unique and beautiful glass candlesticks for my craft projects....this entire group was $14.00 and once I washed those candlesticks they really sparkled!

Also bought this other very heavy 2 tiered table (on the right) that I am not sure what to do with but I have never seen a heavier table and it is old, old, old....it was $3.95

We all had bouts with the flu over the weekend - it was ugly....all slowly recovering....hoping to stay healthy and get some projects done!

Wednesday Thrift Store Finds.....on Monday ;)

I had MLK day off...so I got all mavericky and mixed it up this week - aren't I the wild one - I went Thrifting on MONDAY instead of WEDNESDAY - now don't call me predictable ;) I was lucky enough to have Kristen meet up with me to 'pick' together....for $15.18 I got these wonderful treasurers: Fisher Price 'Sweet Streets Country Farm Home' dollhouse with all the pieces, 2 glass candle sticks for plate holder projects, 2 adorable angels and 6, yes, count them, 6 wonderful perfect turkeys!!! Big score on turkeys this week!!! I mean, can you ever have enough turkeys????

Better pictures of the turkeys, angels, and candlesticks

Brody and I love this piece - it sells on eBay for around 25.00 and I got it for $3.95 -- we love playing with it - family of 3, mom, dad, daughter, dog, cat, table and chairs, couch perfect for couch potato dad, beds and bath and even the little fridge opens up!!! Brody is my little engineer - he loves pieces and things that open and close and airplanes and cars with wheels that you can take off and put on, trains that link together and come apart, track to put together and come apart....

It was a fun day and then I treated Kristen and our good friend for lunch at Saffron...mmmmm...yummy food, 80 degrees and a table outsides....along with a little volunteer work it was a wonderful day.

No surprise - we are having a huge yard sale this weekend to sell off some of our old treasurers - its the cycle of life don't you know.

Don't the angels look nice with my Valentine Plate holders - these are what I use the candle sticks for....

Are you buying and purging this New Year? Which one is winning - the purging or the buying?

Birthday Thoughts ~ Wednesday Thrift Store Finds ~ Noah Finds me ~

Steve and I both have 'holiday' birthdays.....we always celebrate in a mish-mash kind of way that is always overshadowed with other holiday festivities and such - obviously by our age we have gotten used to it, but it seems our birthday celebrations go on forever and I guess that is a good thing. Since we celebrate a lot and for a long time and with everyone we love when our actual birth DATE is on and we do 'normal' things people thing we are crazy....but it is really a day we get to do what we want and we love that!

So after celebrating since before Thanksgiving and wonderful lunches and dinners and calls and cards on my 'real' birthday it was so fun to do what I wanted to do. I took the day off work and when I woke up I thought to myself - should I be reflecting on my life, my future, my deep thoughts....after 5 seconds the answer was 'Nah - your good - get up and go!' So I did my annual donation to Rachels House (shelter for abused women and children) and I love starting my birthday out doing that. Just after I left there I had such sweet calls from Adam and Kristen and Brian called and both boys said on the phone "Happy Birthday GiGi!" with such gusto and passion it made me tear up. Along with calls from Steve, my sister, brother, bestie friends and my mom and 91 year old dad who told me he was trying to remember how old I was (21 I said!) it was so touching. Next, on to my favorite new passion where I spend a few hours and then planned to meet up with Kristen for a romp at our fave thrift store and then lunch with her and another good friend at Luncho Libre (funky fun). We try and hit up this thrift store when we are in the area and the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago I scored a really cool Fisher Price Ark with all the animals but no Noah so I have been bidding and losing on ebay to find one. I have looked at Toys R Us and Kohls, Walmart and Target and could not find Noah anywhere!!! Since our schedules were a bit out of sync I ended up first at the Thrift Store (along with 500 other people - big day for thrifting - every thing, except blue tags - 50% off!). I could hardly maneuver in the store and finally snagged a cart and I know I missed lots of good things because I literally could not physically get near them, but for $14.00 I think I scored really really good: Fisher Price Barn, 50 Firemen hats (for future birthday party), Letter A for my parents family picture wall, Fisher Price School house people and Tote, Playmobile 50 piece nativity set, Scooby Doo Valentine Musical Plush - all in really really great shape - most new and all pieces in tact! Then on to a fun fun lunch and then Kristen and our pal went on to the thrift store and scored as well. Kristen got about $150.00 worth of Thomas toys for $16.00 and our friend got a motorized corvette car - one of those that seats 2 kids and actually drives - for about 1/8th of the cost. Talk about cheap thrills!!! These were the best. Then I did a few more stops, had a few more fun calls and came home where my wonderful husband was making me the greatest birthday dinner ever! Scallops, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and some wonderful sauce over rice YUMMY!!!! After dinner I was putting away my new 'treasures' and took out all the pieces of the Playmobile Nativity (50!) and low and behold in with all those pieces was a Fisher Price Noah - the exact one I was looking for to go with the Ark! I got goosebumps all over....how in the millions of items that flow thru that thrift store weekly, the hundreds of people that go there and everything is sealed and tagged ...really? really? NOAH FINDS ME - A CHRISTMAS/BIRTHDAY MIRACLE!!!! Have you ever had something like this happen? It is one of those things that if you saw it on tv or read it you would not believe it - but it is true true true!

Wednesday Thrift Store Finds

Yes, today is Wednesday and that means Thrift Store Shopping!

I did well today!!! Found 3 great buys! Total $12.95

1 - Brand new condition and perfect style red dress from the 80's for $3.00 (Not to worry, you won't see me in it other than for a Costume Halloween Party - more on that later.

2 - A very cute 1940's wooden childs chair (oak) for $5.00 - and made quick use of that by my front door entry with a fall leaf bow and a sparkling pumpkin on it.

3 - Fisher Price Alphabet Ark and Animals- for $4.95 for my sweet boys...who by the way came by tonight after I had it all cleaned up and loved playing with it.

Have you found any fun treasurers this week???