still here

 

 Yes, I am--

 still here... 

older AND stiller.

 Still loving wooden objects

but listing (and selling) these old croquet balls.

 These golden, stackable tables came to me from my parents' home

three years ago.  I still haven't used them.

So they are listed for sale now...

I will miss them.  But not really.

A gentleman will pick these five miniature plates up

this afternoon while we are attending the pony parade.

(Maybe I'll post photos of the parade here or on

my other blog which is updated more frequently these days...)

This is what I'll wear to the pony parade--

thrifted pink top and an even older thrifted black skirt.

(I don't visit thrift stores as much as I used to,

but I still wear thrifted clothes!)

Yes!  I'm still here!

throw aways

Sadly, missing 4 pieces.

Imperfect, but beautiful.

(Not unlike our country...Not unlike ME!)

I'm reluctant to throw it away.

***

I enjoy finding unique jigsaw puzzles like this one at thrift stores.

For a quarter of a dollar or so, I've purchased many hours of relaxation.

To be honest, my husband puts in the most hours,

but there is something soothing to me about having a puzzle in process.

***

When we finish them, we pass them along to friends who pass along theirs to us

or return them to the thrift store.

If pieces are missing, we sometimes discard them.

This one is VERY hard for me to throw away...

 

 

my blue valentine

We stopped first at a thrift store

several miles from home.

There I purchased this

Fabulous Piece of Pottery.

For $2.00!
After a steak dinner purchased with
a gift card, we headed to
Barnes and Noble where I sat across the table from this man...

The magazines I thumbed through
confirmed the desirability of my
pottery purchase!

Afterward we returned home
to enjoy a soup & salad supper
and table games with some of my siblings.
A near-perfect day!

black

I don't frequent thrift stores

nearly as often as I used to...

but when I do, I always check out

shoes.   When I find black flats

in good condition, I buy them.

They are staples in my wardrobe

along with black tops.

Most recently, I was thrilled to find

these Vera Wangs for $3.00!

stocking up

 Some people run to stock up 

on milk and bread and toilet paper

before a predicted snow.

Not me!

I headed to my favorite thrift store where I couldn't resist this book

or the beautiful, warm black sweater.

 By late afternoon, this was the scene

out our back door as snow continued

to fall...

best buy of 2019 (so far)

 When he lost his winter coat

right before spending a few days

with us during Christmas break,

I crossed my fingers and we

headed out to the Bargain Box.

My very favorite thrift shop.

Not only did we find a GREAT winter coat in his size that he liked,

we found a lighter weight jacket

that he wore day and night!

All for under $5!

listening pleasure

My recreational foray to my favorite thrift store this morning

yielded me several vinyl albums.

I was particularly thrilled to find several of ones

I had in my collection in the late 60's.

I can't wait to listen to them.

At 50 cents a pop, I'm set for hours of listening pleasure.

recreational thrifting

 Wow!

 It's been a long time since I've had such good luck at a thrift store!

 Yesterday, squeezed in between reading sessions (see more HERE)

  my husband and I stopped in to a thrift store that is TRULY a thrift store.

 $8.25 bought us a beautiful pillow, a jigsaw puzzle, four tops and a skirt and a jacket for me, and a     pair  of jeans for him!

A recent purge of several pieces of clothing I no longer wear

left space in my drawers and closet. 
I am thrilled to have these "new" items that will perk up my spring/summer wardrobe.

And the pillow!!!!  A real beauty.

down time

 With my father and brother on their way to board a train 

for a Cousins' Reunion in Kansas,

 Gary and I spent some time doing a few of our favorite things--

 a thrift store stop (nothing for me; 3 shirts/sweaters for him)

and an hour or so at Barnes and Noble.

These four images from the magazines I chose were especially attractive to me.

(I guess you can tell I'm no minimalist!)

I'm thankful for a relaxing afternoon and a lull in activity this evening.

I'm looking forward to browsing some blogs and beginning a new book...

in with the old

 Seemed like the right time to figure out

 where I'd stored the early autumn decorations.

 Having found them,
 I was pleased with the ones I'd chosen to keep last year at the end of the season.

"In with the old," is my motto this year.

All but the white one with a lid (which I made in a ceramics store)

were thrift store finds.

I doubt that ANY of them are in the same place this year as last...

I'm enjoying the small change of scenery.

dress shopping

 It's been a long time since I've shopped for clothes.

I needed a loose-fitting, long cool dress(es) to wear

at a conference we'll be attending.

I have NO luck in stores and shops.

So I turned to the internet where I encountered sticker shock!

Before I took the plunge, I ran up the road to a thrift store.

To my pleasant surprise, I found two dresses that will work just fine,

thank you!

$1.50 each.

Now to dig through my lingerie drawer to find a  suitable slip for the see-through dress above.

and this

...and this.

A $5 3-drawer chest.

My husband added the legs, repaired the top,

painted the frame black and left the drawers natural.

In the process, we discovered someone had etched "Tyler" into on the of the drawers,

so we went to our miscellaneous drawer to find something to cover the inscription.

This handsome piece now sits beside my blue recliner

and provides much appreciated storage space chairside.

ready-to-paint

 Just about ready for paint....

the chest above purchased for $5,

repaired/patched on the top left hand corner,

and fitted with some new legs.

This one, I have a plan and a place for in our home.

The desk below was found on a trash pile

covered with maps glued over several - maybe 3 - coats of paint.

My husband rebuilt parts of this desk and added the two legs.

We'll try to sell it since our home is already overrun with desks.

There's always a market for sweet, small desks like this!

tick-tock

I simply could NOT pass up this Baby Ben clock

at the thrift store I visited while on vacation.

Only $1 bought a time piece that works perfectly

and looks charming at the same time!

Nothing soothes like the rhythmic tick-tock of a Baby Ben clock!

spending $5

 Found!  Today at the Rehab Store where we'd gone for a break in our day!

Five dollars went a long way!

My husband went right to work cleaning the enamel top

 and removing the paint from the legs

After the store visit, we took Dad to the historic (100+ years old) Coney Island

in downtown Fort Wayne, IN for (you guessed it) coney dogs!

It was pretty ironic to sit a a table that appeared to be the same size

and built of the same materials as the one we'd just purchased!

***

Our sweet day was enjoyed even more as the sunshine slowly emerged,

replacing the cloudy sky that had hovered gloomily over us

for the past few days...

making it happen

My thrift store excursions are much rarer these days.

However, once in awhile, I venture out with a specific goal.

This time it was to find suitable fabric to cover a footstool.

I was thrilled to find a remnant for $.99!

My husband went to work to make it happen,

and I am so pleased with the result!

the problem with thrift store purchased puzzles

The problem with puzzles purchased at thrift stores is that
one never knows how many pieces may be missing...

and in this case, there was actually an EXTRA piece.

Go figure!

However, the price is right and a quarter buys many hours of entertainment.

enjoyable, inexpensive, productive

These.  Five of them for $1.00!

Odd number, to be sure,

but they fit in well with my blue and white dishes.

They're a great size and glass.

I'm not a fan of plastic glasses, so having extras around

allows for the inevitable breakage.

My husband also bought two wonderful pairs of shoes - $1 each.

I bought a black tee.  I wear them almost every single day,

so I like having an extra or two in the "wings".

Most importantly, the two hours spent were enjoyable, inexpensive, and productive!

Oh.  This, too.

I have a small collection of plaques like these....