balls, boxes and bowls

 The long-neglected task of dusting began early this morning.

 It wasn't so bad as I alternated it with a cup of coffee.

 Beginning in this corner, I planned to work my way around the room.

 Progress is slow.

 I stop to photograph my recognition of all things wooden--

 balls, boxes and bowls.

Each one a favorite.  All thrift store or garage sale purchases, I'm certain. 

lilac-love

 

When art imitates life....

Both the painting and the white box were thrifted.

The lilacs grow beautifully free
outside our kitchen window

shelves

In a corner of our living room

behind a vintage rocking chair,

sit a couple of stacked shelves.

Treasures fill them....

Of course, everything is second- or third- or fourth-hand.
Except for a rare dusting and an occasional addition of a thrifted child's Golden Book,
very little has changed over the past couple of years.
It's comforting somehow...

from inspiration to transformation

 This box caught my eye the minute I saw it a month or so ago.

I find old wooden boxes hard to resist, but there is a limit to how many a person needs....

It sat taking up space in our garage until I had a brainstorm over the weekend.

Fortunately, I have a live-in HandyMan to convert ideas into realities.

NOW we're talkin'!

The drawer was missing on an old side table we'd picked up somewhere,

so he unfastened the legs and attached them to the box.

I'll post the finished product after paint & other finishing touches.

(I think it may already be sold.)

i stumbled....

 I never made it to my intended destination yesterday,

because on the way I stumbled upon a garage sale.

I couldn't resist these items.  So, with the trunk of my car raised

to accommodate the  large wooden box,

I decided it was best to return home.

And look what I stumbled on in the Thrifty Food Department!

I found these leg quarters reduced and well within the expiration date.

 I brought them home, stuck 'em in the crock pot with a tiny bit of water,
salt and pepper, and cooked slowly for 8 hours.

 I removed the skin and the meat fell off the bones.
I skimmed the fat off the broth and will cook noodles in it
and serve with some creamed chicken today.
Then I think I'll make a loaf of buttermilk/oatmeal bread
and enjoy some cold chicken sandwiches (which I love) tomorrow.
What have YOU stumbled on lately?

Looking Back at the Week

 We found this great brass umbrella/walking stick holder

just this past week.  My husband polished it and I think I've already

sold it on a local facebook virtual garage sale site!

(I'll be kind of sad to part with it, though...)

I liked these trays when I ran across them at a garage sale a little over a week ago.

 Light, portable and a little rusty,

the two of them have already proved their 25-cents-worth!

Outdoor trays they are.

And OH - wait till you see what I found yesterday!
These, for starters!

 A wooden box.  I have a "thing" for them...

 Pottery bowl from Shakers & Thangs, Marshall, TX
and a vintage pillow case (I ♥ the colors)!

 

And this desk!  OK.  It was purchased last Saturday...

repaired and painted by my husband.

He finished it this evening.

 

I think the desk and pillow case belong in the same room, don't you?

gearing up

If my LAST post here was "winding down", then this one MUST be "gearing up"!  It was one of the best vacations ever for me.  But all good things must come to an end.

The End has involved putting away many of the thrift store finds obtained during our vacation days.  This book is one of them.  Selected because of a microscope set we'd thrifted awhile back and given to a grandson, the book had a bit of musty odor.  I "sunned it" for awhile and then decided to google the subject to see if I could find any hints for ridding it of its smell.

The suggestion I'm trying here is to insert dryer (softener) sheets among its pages and place in a sealed bag for 3 days or so.  We'll see.

Have YOU tried anything that successfully addressed this "problem"???



This box was another vacation purchase ($1).  My husband removed the sloppy paint job and stained it with a walnut stain.

What an improvement!  I can't have enough boxes, it seems.