a break for grandparenting

 Two of our grandchildren are spending a few days with us.  Here we are ready for church and posing together...You might note my Christmas tree pin.  I have a collection of them and enjoy wearing a different one each day before Christmas.

 Thrift store shopping has kept my toy shelves stocked!  After setting up the farm, the kids counted 98 animals!  I had no idea!  I've found several old sets of Lincoln Logs.  It has been a long time since I have built anything, but after several attempts, I managed to construct this small cabin.

closets--now and later

Now....I'm up and dressed with a few modifications to accommodate the side rash and pain of my shingles.  Red jacket, green and white striped top, elastic-waisted black velvet skirt, red belt (which I've already removed) and a gold necklace.

Later...MUCH later.  Like after the holidays...I plan to organize my closet.  This is "my" side of it (as much as I had courage to show, and just as it is right now).

I had planned to show the whole shelving unit in the back of our closet, but the picture was too embarrassing to show!   This closeup shows one of the ways I store my single-pieced jewelry pieces - primarily brooches or "scatter pins", as some call them.

The shoe & tie storage on the inside of the closet door is about the only part I'm OK with.

What got me going on this was Sheila's post today.  I've added it to some other closet posts that I've found insiring or helpful.  You can check them out by clicking on my "CLOSET TAB" at the top of this blog.

Are you brave enough to show YOUR closet to the world???  What solutions have you found for organizing and KEEPING your closet organized?

an explanation and two questions

I have shingles--not the roofing sort. Mostly my waistline is affected so there are few clothes that I can wear without accentuating the pain (and they--the clothes, that is--are ugly and boring). Therefore, I refer you to my favorite Thrifty Style sites listed in my sidebar.  I admit to having favorites--like Vix and Sharon, and Sue at Della Street Dreaming never fails to make me laugh.  Sheila at Ephemera always inspires me with her knack with accessories...and there are MANY other sites I visit regularly.

What thrifty fashion blogs are on YOUR radar?

I also enjoy many Thrifty Homestyle blogs.  Being a thrift store shopper myself, I enjoy seeing how people incorporate their finds and beautify their surroundings with them.  I have a list of them, too.

What thrifty homestyle blogs are YOUR favorites?

Some of you may remember the white table and chairs we bought on our recent vacation.  After determining there was not one more inch of space to spare in our house and deciding NOT to trade the newest table out for an existing one, I listed the set on our local Craig's List.  I had a buyer within 24 hours!  I was sad to part with it, but happy it found a home quickly.

no way....no time

No way, really, to get the photos of today's outfit right....No time to retake them either!  So here is a picture of the cardigan I'm wearing.  The color shown is pretty "true".  The buttons are shades of brown.  I particularly like the collar and the button up options that go with it!  Yes, that is a wreath hanging on the wardrobe behind me and another below it...

grape collection -- it could be yours!

Not the "caddy" - just the grapes

I have enjoyed this collection for a l-o-n-g time...Unfortunately, I've run out of room to store/display it.  With reluctance, I am ready to pass this collection on to someone who has space and appreciation for it.  If you're interested, let me know!  (Actually, I'm still rounding up pieces.  There are more than you see here.)

yes...you're seeing right!

Dressed for the next-to-the-last day of our vacation...NOW a stay-cation as we've returned home
refreshed and ready to tackle a few tasks before hubby returns to his office.
...and below, the cushions that are currently in our living room.  All purchased at thrift stores.

among my souvenirs...

This table and 4 chairs was in the upstairs furniture department at a St. Vincent de Paul in Wheeling, West Virginia.  We had to take them apart and rearrange the contents in the trunk of our car, but for under $39--we felt it was worth it!  Now to find fabric to cover the seats of the chairs...

 A miniature nativity set atop a Christmas Ideals...

 Mary and Joseph

 More $.25 Christmas tree ornaments - probably will be attached to ribbons decorating Christmas gifts this year.

 Two pieces of pottery - maybe candle holders - and a couple of blue ornaments.

 I couldn't resist these two wooden ornaments!

 A 10 cent roll of pink ribbon with a porch swing Christmas tree ornament.  I am going to tweek it (the porch swing) a bit and use it on one of our doll house porches!

Two snow globes.  One,  Mary & Joseph traveling to Bethlehem; the other, Bethlehem!  I'll figure out how to fill them up with water and will display them happily with my other nativity sets!

I didn't spend much at all, but had such a good time discovering while on vacation!
I DID find a few other things - books, a book of piano music, 2 stuffed fabric nativity sets.
I DIDN'T find a vintage silver (or white) Christmas tree!
Anyone have one you want to get rid of?

"the coolest store on the planet"

My husband was a good sport while going through shops in Millersburg, OH with me this morning.  This was MY KIND of place!  The first floor was filled with vintage furniture -- some of it embellished with colorful paint.    Pieces of original art decorated the wall & funky jewelry was displayed on the counters.  Upstairs was a vintage-clothes-lover's dreamland!

I couldn't take my eyes off this chandelier bedecked with beads and miscellaneous jewelry.  It hung on the second story ceiling and was visible from the first floor and as we walked up the old oak stairway.  I can't wait to see if I can create this whimsy on a couple of our chandeliers at home!

30/90

We slept great in our simple and comfortable lodge room after traveling 529 miles after church yesterday!

A change of tops, and I'm off and running this morning!  I'll explore a nearby town while my husband is in meetings.

While reading about the 30/30 challenge* several bloggers are participating in, I realized that I just might be the Original AND Perpetual 30/30 participant!  Actually, my practice is more like 30/90...30 pieces per season (90 days)!

Though it doesn't make for exciting fashion blog posts, it DOES fit my budget and personality.

*Go HERE for the original explanation of the 30/30 challenge.

 

...a closeup of tan shirt, denim vest, trusty gold belt, and current favorite earrings.

traveling light

 

If you look closely, you may see my current favorite earrings.  My daughter handed them to me when we met earlier this week and said, "I thought they looked like you."  I think they DO!

I'll be traveling today with no time to change clothes after church...so I selected this cardigan sweater (worn buttoned up this morning) and a comfortable skirt.  Both will recycle nicely several times in my outfits over the next week and a half, depending on the weather.  When I travel, I try to pack as lightly as possible. 

The long black velvet skirt and sweater were both thrift store purchases that have served me well for several years now. 

highway "finds"

I "spiced up" my 17 hours of travel time this past week with a thrift store shopping spree and a stop at a church rummage sale. Pictured above are the fruit of the rummage sale. I also got a small, vintage rubber/plastic white sheep. No matter how careful I was, I couldn't get a good picture of it. You'll have to use your imagination.