Fabulous Find at the Thrift Store

It seemed a patriotic touch was in order for our Memorial Day weekend.  I took the spring wreath down and scrounged through the cupboards for a few things to bring that touch to the front entrance.  Those little flags come in handy for so many things.

The big flag was also hung and we called it good on the outdoor decorating.

Since we don't have any big plans for the long weekend, I did some leisurely putzing on the inside of the front door this morning.

In the foyer to be exact.

It all started with this chair.

Something about the blue and white topiary fabric was calling my name loudly at the thrift store yesterday.

It was in beautiful, clean condition (which isn't always the case at the thrift stores). It looked like it had just been upholstered.  I went through each of the rooms in my home wondering where I might have a place for it.  Nothing was immediately popping into my head.  Knowing I had to make a quick decision before somebody else grabbed it, I decided I just couldn't pass it up.  Especially when I saw the price tag.  Would you believe it was only six dollars and 99 cents?  I had to look twice to make sure I was seeing correctly.  

Next to my foyer table it will be a nice spot to put on one's shoes before heading out the door.  It will also come in handy when a spare chair is required as it matches the furniture in all of the other rooms.

This long foyer wall has needed something more to fill it better.

I just wasn't sure what was needed.  Sometimes the answers to these dilemmas come in unexpected ways.  I love when that happens.

***

A Thrifty Tip

When thrift shopping, it can be easy to overlook things in boxes in favor of the more obvious/attractive items.  Sometimes the boxes are on the bottom shelves and seem like more effort than they are usually worth to sift through.

That being said, on a recent visit I was intrigued by this box.

My curiosity got the best of me.

This is what I saw after removing the lid.

I became more intrigued by this hand carved nativity set so neatly packed.

One of the first Christmas gifts Brett gave to me our first year of marriage was a Precious Moments nativity set.  I loved it for many years.  Forty some years later I no longer love it.  At this point in my life I have been wanting one made of wood.  It has sort of been on my radar, although I haven't been looking too diligently.

Carefully packaged in newspaper that I can't read.

I can imagine somebody returning from Bethlehem with this beautiful memento of their trip.  It would appear that since 2001 it has been loved and appreciated.  Hard to say why it ended up at the thrift shop.  But, I must say, I am glad it did.

Unboxed.

A close up view.

Another close up.

With this unbelievably low price there was no way I could pass it up.

After doing an online search I have learned that similar sets are selling in the $150-200 price range.

Another recent box find started off like this.

I nearly didn't waste my time on it until something on the box caught my eye.  The mailing label was attached indicating where it had originally shipped from.  A company that I have never bought from, but know to be a bit high end.

Once unboxed, the label was still attached.

Looks like the lady who ordered them never used them.

Once taken out of the box the familiar Mackenzie Childs patterns were revealed.  I think these will be fun for Easter decorating this year.

In this case the $1.99 price tag sealed the deal.

If you find yourself thrift or garage sale shopping and come across things in boxes, it just might be worth taking a look.  You never know what treasure might be lurking inside.

:)

Fun Fall Projects Courtesy of the Local Thrift Shop

One summer day I was strolling through the thrift shop and came across this lovely loaf pan.  My thoughts turned to autumn and how nice it would be to make a loaf of pumpkin bread that not only tasted good, but looked pretty too.

I know the Nordic Ware brand makes some beautiful baking pans.

Having never used one before, it seemed like a good opportunity to try it out.  The pan looked as if it had never been used and the price was only a few dollars.  An internet search tells me that they go for much more than that at places like Williams Sonoma.

Once home I hopped on the Nordic Ware website and printed off this recipe for a Spiced Pumpkin Loaf.  I tucked the pan and the recipe in the cupboard and waited patiently for autumn's arrival.

Today was the day to pull it out of that cupboard and spend a little time in the kitchen baking.

There you have it.

One pretty and tasty Spiced Pumpkin Loaf.

Brett & I shared a slice to see how it turned out.

He claimed we needed a few more slices just to be sure we liked it.

;D

Before we got carried away and ate the entire loaf, I put it under cover for safekeeping.

That domed cake stand was another recent thrift find.

I decided I wanted one and the next time I was thrifting, there it was.  Just waiting for me.  

The dome part is very heavy.  Perhaps that is so we think twice about how hard we want to work before going back for another piece?

Another recent thrift store find was this silicone squirrel and acorn
mold.  When I saw it a little light bulb went off.

A little more time in the kitchen to make some little fall soaps.

I had some simple soap making supplies from another time I made soap.  It was just enough to do these.  Since they are white, I added some grated nutmeg to give them little flecks of brown and to add a subtle fall fragrance.

A Very Happy Thanksgiving To My Canadian Friends.

🍂

                                                                         

Cheerful Christmas Decorating

The amaryllis that was just planted in my last post has come and gone.  It was in bloom on Thanksgiving and sure was pretty while it lasted.

The cactus that was loaded with buds has also done it's thing for the year.  I now know it is a Thanksgiving cactus.  It, too, added beauty to the house as we celebrated Thanksgiving.

Now they shall both be treated as houseplants until spring when I will move them outside.

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying these days leading up to Christmas.  Are you busy decking the halls or have you already finished?

Mine has become scaled down to a very manageable process.  I must say I am really enjoying it now.  Everything has been decorated for a week.  I do have fun tweaking things here and there.  

The little oil painting above was a recent thrift store find.  It was in a very dated frame and was tossed into a bin with a very low price tag.  I'm sure it had been cast aside in favor of modern pictures found at places like Hobby Lobby.  

The little boy pulling his fresh cut Christmas tree up the lane to the farmhouse transported me to days gone by.  The rolling hills covered in snow provided such a peaceful setting.  When I turned the painting over there was an address label the artist had placed there many years ago.  I don't know why her beautiful work wound up in the thrift store bin, but I wasn't about to let it remain there.

I did set it free from the dated frame and then added it to my hutch.

It's small size makes it an ideal piece to use in little vignettes around the house.

Another thrift shop visit yielded this DECEMBER frame.

Actually it was in a box with 11 more frames.  One for every month of the year and boy are they ever pretty.  

I spent some time last night going through my photo albums in search of a suitable picture for December.  It seems I stopped having pictures printed in 2010.  It sure was a trip down memory lane to look through all of those albums.  I then looked through the albums on my phone and still couldn't find a photo of all of my (small) family together at Christmas.  So, I settled for one of my son and his girlfriend with a snowman they built on one of the only Christmases that we had snow.

At the top of my to do list this year:

Get one nice photo of the whole family together for Christmas.

My Christmas decorating doesn't change much from year to year.

I kind of use the same elements in slightly different configurations.

This year I was craving the comforts of Christmas past in my kitchen.  Grouping select pieces of my vintage treasures with a bottle brush tree seemed to work on the countertops.

Christmas Cheer next to the stove.

Another little corner and a place to enjoy my favorite ornaments up close.

The view from the kitchen sink.

Couldn't resist these cheerful tea towels.

And it wouldn't be Christmas without the sweet little toy stove.

On a recent phone call with my eight year old grandson, he told me that the two things he wanted to do when he comes for Christmas are:

1:  Make blueberry pancakes with grandpa.

2:  Decorate cookies with lots and lots of sprinkles.

I can see I need to add something else to my to do list:

Purchase lots and lots of sprinkles :)

Thrift Shop Treasures & A Bit of Decorating

This beautiful mosaic vase caught my eye while out thrifting last week.  As I stood there trying to decide whether I might "need" it, I saw the original price sticker from Pier 1... $49.99.  It was at that moment that I grabbed a shopping cart.  Surely there was somewhere I could use it.  Incidentally, the lantern next to it in the photo came from the same thrift store several years ago.

I guess it was a good thing I grabbed the cart because soon these wooden candle sticks were added.  I know these can be pricey.  To find a set of three was definitely a good find in my humble opinion.

Once home, I went from room to room assessing where I might best use these newfound treasures.

I liked the way the colors worked with the comforter and picture in the guest room.  So, I shopped the house for a few more things and gave the dresser a little refresh.  

While shopping the house I also rounded up a few items for this new shelf.  It didn't come from the thrift shop (I wish), but it fills a wall that I've been trying to fill ever since I moved here.  The wall is between the kitchen and a little hallway leading to the powder room.  I've been looking for something other than another picture.  When I saw this shelf, I thought it might be just the thing.  I added a battery operated candle to give it a bit of ambience for those headed to the powder room in the evening hours ;).  I think it will be fun to change up for the seasons and holidays too.

Destination:  Powder Room

I guess this explains why I wanted something other than a picture on this wall.

These little projects have come at a good time.  It's been unusually cold here for this time of year.  In fact, the furnace is still running.  Usually by now we've had the A/C on for a month or so.  Yesterday it never made it out of the low 50s and rained all day.  A good day to stay in my slipper socks and sweater.  

Also a good day to finish my puzzle.

What have you been up to lately?

All It Took Was a Sunny Day

When it comes to blogging, I've been in a major slump.

I'm blaming it on a winter filled with an abundance of rainy, gloomy days.  That's a sorry excuse, but the best one I've got.    Today, however, the sun is shining and I'm rising out of the slump to wave hello to anyone who might still be bothering to stop by.

After Christmas I was at a loss as to how to decorate my large island.  I found a couple of these glass vases at GW.  Came home and temporarily set them on the island while I hung up my coat and put away my purse.  When I walked back into the room I rather liked the colors on the white countertop so I pulled a few things from other rooms and assembled a grouping down the center of the island.  Most of these vases are made from recycled glass.  Together I think they make a nice, colorful statement.

An added bonus is the pretty shadows that are created when the sun shines through them.  Kind of reminds me of sea glass.  If I lived near the sea I would most likely have an extensive collection of it.  I think it is so pretty and so fun to walk along the beach looking for it.  Kind of reminds me of a treasure hunt.

Since I don't live near the sea I'll just use my imagination to picture sea glass right here on my own personal island.  

December 20th ~ The Guest Room is Ready

My ho hum guest room received a holiday spruce up just in time for our overnight guests.

It all began with the snowflake pillows.

Recently while strolling through the thrift shop, two of them caught my eye.  Pillows can be iffy to buy secondhand.  So I checked them over for stains or flaws and gave them the sniff test.  They passed those tests with flying colors.  When I saw they were originally from Pier 1, the $1.49 price seemed even more enticing as I know how pricey throw pillows can be from there.

Another trip to the thrift yielded the plush throw at the end of the bed.  It originally came from Nieman Marcus.  A store I've never even set foot in.  It is incredibly soft and the color was spot on.

Not long after that I was in a different thrift shop and spotted a rack of window coverings that had been donated by L*we's.  I didn't even realize I was in the market for window coverings until I saw these.  The colors were perfect for this room

All in all, the room came together nicely without breaking the budget.  Win Win!!

Forgotten Bookmarks

In a recent post, Granny Marigold shared a book she had purchased called "Forgotten Bookmarks."  (A bookseller's collection of odd things lost between the pages).  If you didn't see her post, you can find it here.  It sounds like a fascinating book to me and one that made me think of one of my own odd finds.

With the number of books I have picked up at thrift shops through the years has come a fair amount of forgotten bookmarks.  Often they are airline ticket stubs or receipts.  Once in a while a pressed flower or grocery list.  There may have been a dollar bill along the way.  I'd have to say my most mysterious find showed up recently in this paleo cookbook.

Well, hello Humphrey.  What are you doing in there?

This black and white photograph intrigued me.

Obviously it is a very old picture of Humphrey Bogart.

Seemed a bit odd to find in a Paleo cookbook dated 2014.

When I turned it over and found this note, things got more mysterious.

Who is this person that goes to bed at 4:30 a.m?

Is Alison a male?  A dog, perhaps.

Was Chip able to save the day?  In the process I surely hope he didn't alarm Caroline.  That would not be good.

Wonder what Steve thought of this.  Perhaps he was the one to save the day.

I guess we shall never know how this mystery ended.  Hopefully it was on a happy note as I hate to think of Caroline waking up to bad news.

Have you stumbled across any forgotten bookmarks lately?