thrifting and tweeking

Thrift store shopping this week brought me (among other things) the ceramic owl - $.35 -

and Crabtree and Evelyn robe - $.75 

 Tweeking meant switching lamps (and a shade)

and hanging the two paintings in their interesting made-in-Mexico frames.

 I found it next to impossible to get the color right on the picture, below.

You'll have to trust me when I say the strips on the shade

match the colors on the curtains--which are NOT green!

breaking up is hard to do

 Our old house is not without its challenges.  

 Particularly when it comes to arranging furniture!

Yesterday (before church no less),

 I decided to BREAK UP the sectional couch.

The job involved moving a chair to another room

and rearranging a few occasional tables.

In the end, I think I'm satisfied.  With a little tweeking

and some much needed dusting, I will enjoy this arrangement at least until 

the Christmas holidays!

I don't think ANYTHING in these photos was purchased retail - except the lamp

with the burgundy shade--and that because I had a gift certificate to a store

that was going out of business!

By the way, BREAKING UP the sectional was not nearly as hard

as taking these photos with my cellphone camera!

the weekend in review

 Found at a church rummage sale on Friday.

 Repaired last night.

 Painted today!

 I think I'll distress it slightly before waxing it.

 These little steps might end up in our Christmas Cabin or sold on a facebook garage sale site.

 Who knows?

 Then today - though rainy and chilly - we checked out a couple of garage sales.

It was a much-needed change of pace for me

after some intense but important days of parent-sitting...

These two items will be interesting to refiinish!

What are YOU finding these days?

re-cycle

I think it was the belt I bought for a quarter that I'm trying to show off here...

or maybe the Worthington (brand) skirt that was $1.25

at my Favorite Thrift Store.

While I'm at it, I'm excited about an old wash stand

we purchased at a garage sale this week.  

Gnawed by rodents while it sat in a barn,

it is now undergoing an extensive renovation at the hands of my husband.

Just look at those great "pulls"!

 I couldn't pass up this mirror, either.

 I sold it quickly to a friend who is putting it in her shop.

I suspect it is up for sale again.

The RE-cycle continues!

the autumn un-mantel

 Time and circumstances prohibit me from giving the mantel the attention it deserves.

 My heart really isn't into it.

(And besides, I can't find the note telling me where I'm storing

the autumn decorations I so vigorously sorted out last year....)

 So, this is how it's going to be!

Two white pumpkins (the lidded one I made at a ceramic shop a few years ago),

the wooden fowl - already on the mantel,

 and a couple of tins from my collection sporting autumn color.

 This year I shall spend my free time looking at all YOUR beautiful mantels

and sign with envy...

found and finished

 ...found, discarded.

 ....finished (below)

First, my husband patched it a bit...

Then he covered it with  little primer mixed with paint to tint  and

finished by brushing with thinned-down white paint.

Then I took a crumbled rag and blotted it till I achieved the desired effect..

And yesterday, on the way to be with my parents,

we stopped in to one of my favorite thrift stores where I found THIS.

I'm pretty sure I've never seen another sewing cart/side table
quite like it!

fun on the farm

 A longer-than-expected visit to my husband's office

(he's a pastor of a small, country church)

 gave me time to photograph

 a collection of farm-related items that decorate his shelves and walls.

 Except for a few tractors & implements that were our son's while growing up,

 the rest were gathered from garage sales and thrift stores.

 A picture of the barn (seen partially above) didn't turn out so well.

I'll try to photograph it another time.

 All in all, it's a fun collection, I think!

What collections have YOU augmented via thrift store shopping?

mix and match

 

I purchased these three pillows yesterday at a thrift store.

A tag on them assured me that they had been through a sanitizing process.

For 75 cents each (small ones) and a dollar and a quarter for the larger one,

I couldn't pass them up.  

I SO like the pattern & colors.

I'm trying them out with a couple of others on our vintage sectional couch.

Floral patterns in most any color scheme always catch my eye...
(The yellow in my "new" pillows is not quite as bright
as these pictures make it appear.)

 I couldn't pass up this belt for a quarter either!
Its silver trim went fine with the silver zipper on the denim vest I was wearing.

october

 Last year, I sorted through my autumn decorations.

I got rid of a lot of them and divided the rest into

Halloween & Thanksgiving categories.

 Then I wrote myself a note about where I was storing them.

 Unfortunately I can't remember where I put that note.

I picked up these three items AFTER the sorting--mostly in

"free boxes" at garage sales, if I remember correctly.

Each has found a place outdoors in the front of our house.

I hope I can find that note in time to get the Thanksgiving decorations out!

I know I have several interesting turkeys SOMEwhere...