should I be embarrassed?

Should I be embarrassed to admit that I pulled this out of a cabinet and lit it this morning?

We'll be traveling for Thanksgiving 

so I don't have a strong reason for 

Thanksgiving/Harvest decor to occupy my time and efforts.

Instead I find myself needing light on these evenings when it is dark by 5:30!

So this it is.

It was "won" at a gift exchange at a gathering of our small group from church last year,

so it comes with memories and reminds me that our lives have changed

dramatically this past year. 

I don't go "all out" for Christmas decorating.

Give me a few candles, a strand of lights or two and carols playing in the background

and I am content! 

No.  I'm not embarrassed.  

I'm content and thankful for Christmas and all the blessings 

that came along with the First One.

I plan to enjoy the season as long as I can stretch it!

the packaging

 Like small children who find as much pleasure in the gift box as the gift itself,

 so I delighted in the packaging of several gifts I received this past Christmas!

 This beautiful footed bowl was filled with fruit.  What a treasure!

And this plaid box is stunning.

I can't bear to put it away!

Whether beautiful, unique, utilitarian or a combination of the three...

I really enjoyed the packaging of Christmas 2014.

gifts ~ not from the sea

 I almost never pass up a copy of this book when I find it.

Not only do I try to reread it every year,

I pass it on enthusiastically to friends.

It will be a birthday gift to a special friend.

(I hope I haven't already given her a copy!) 

I found THIS copy today during a morning of thrift store shopping...

In another store (where prices were noticeably higher than during our last visit),

my husband held this one up for me to see at the end of an aisle.

HE had seen only a sweet, framed doily.

I, on the other hand, saw the NAME.

It, too will be a gift - anniversary - to a special couple.

I don't think either one of them read this blog.

I hope not!

Isn't it charming?!?

venturing beyond familiar

 Saturday, my husband and I ventured beyond "familiar" into our neighbor state - Ohio.

Thrifting and lunch was our agenda.

At one shop (Lima, OH), after we had selected clothes from the 75% off rack,

I was told we could have had 6 items for $1.00!

I was running out of time, so just took the 4 items I had for $1.00.

The Lee jeans above and the leopard print shirt at the bottom were two of them.

 At another store in another town (Delphos), I found these dishes for $.25 each.

 I'll use them in place of greeting cards--

maybe with a few brownies or cookies.

I found the jacket I'm modeling in the first photo at this shop, too.
I just love the "lines" on its back.
My husband came home with a pair of shoes and a couple of shirts, too.

It was both entertaining and productive to "Venture Beyond Familiar"!

Oh!  I almost forgot this white planter

which fits nicely with my collection

of white planters and ironstone.  Twenty-five cents, too.

another day; another doily

  Doilies seem to be finding me lately....

and though I am not a cat-lover personally,

I snatch up bargains like these notecards above to gift my cat-loving friend with!

OK.  Really.  This one MAY be the last jean jacket that I purchase for awhile, but

I couldn't resist the sequined decoration and its snazzy style.

In spite of what it looks like, here's what I wrote to Di in response to her comment following my last post:  "... believe it or not, I am not "thrifting" nearly so much since I came face-to-face with the extent of my accumulations while putting away Christmas decorations, etc. Sometimes though.....I combine my need for change of scenery with the hunt, most of the time refusing to pay the prices that seem to constantly rising...."

Ahem.  Have YOU noticed those rising prices?!?

I leave you in an awkward pose* trying to show my outfit for today's excursion:

jeans with a faded brown plaid pattern, a brown sweater, and comfortable reddish-brown flats.

All thrifted -- but years ago!

*Remember, my SmartPhone doesn't have a time delay feature on its camera,

and my husband was not available to take the picture.

my creative man

 After fashioning 3 of these chalkboards out of sample cabinet doors
 that we had been given a long time ago,

 my husband made this tree out of scraps remaining from the project

 and presented it to me on Christmas morning!

I had this idea in my Christmas file on Pinterest.

I might stencil some words on its "branches" 

when things calm down a bit around here!

Meanwhile, I'm just enjoying looking at it...

My creative man works wonders!

better than a card?

 I don't like to visit a sick or hospitalized friend without taking SOMEthing.

For this special friend, I took a hammered-tin angel 

(thrifted Christmas tree ornament)

and typed out a verse that I hope is reassuring.

I glued the verse to an attractive background,

cut around the edges,

and tucked it under the angel "wings".  

Nothing fancy.  Just "me".

I think it's at least as good as....and maybe better than a card.
I sure HOPE so!

thrift-wrapping

 One of my winter projects will be figuring out another way to store wrapping paper!

When I found this shopping cart at a thrift store this past year,

I thought it would make a good place to store wrapping paper.

Now I know better.

I've pulled out various rolls of wrapping paper and wallpaper

that I think will be suitable for wrapping Christmas gifts today.

I keep my eyes open for these rolls throughout the year at thrift stores

and garage sales.  I enjoy having a good assortment to choose from.

 ta-DAH!

simple shower "senterpieces"

 Above: the tables decorated...

 ...with a triangular construction of alphabet puzzle pieces topped with a balloon and streamers.

 With the leftover pieces, we created a mini-tower for the corner of the refreshment table.

I got the idea while walking the aisles of Meijer looking for inspiration. 

The Puzzle Mat will be my gift to the baby.