irresistible

 It's been while since I've purchased ANYthing

at a thrift store.  

Last week was an exception.  

In addition to the couch (see previous post) and a few items of clothing,

these two items proved quite irresistible.

I might have to try a cold soup or two this summer.

Any recipe ideas?

hull

 The price was right!

 (So was the color!)

And shape.

more white ironstone

 Brown tags were 1/2 off!  

So it was a little difficult to pass up these 6 white ironstone mugs.

 Removing the sticker, I found this mark - a buffalo with a number

 on four of the mugs.  The other two were marked Oneida.

I'm still researching the origins of these heavy pieces--

and at only seventeen cents, I'm thrilled to add them to my collection of white ironstone.
(Though it's not soup season, I think they'd make wonderful soup mugs!)

winter mantel

 With the orphaned wise men and a few straggling shepherds

packed away and labeled in a Charlie Brown popcorn tin,

 I fell back on a fowl display for our winter mantel.

 I'm not sure there's anything new here...

 probably only the placement of various birds has changed from prior displays.

 The predominance of white fits in quite nicely with 

our exterior scene these days!

Everything here was a thrift store purchase with (perhaps)

an occasional garage sale find thrown in.

Slowly, I'm moving into 2014.

hunting goodwill

 Yesterday, my appointments took me in the vicinity of a Goodwill Store

in Defiance, OH.

Seldom do I shop Goodwill locally.  The prices are too high;

too much of the merchandise is new.

 But this particular store was a pleasurable exception

to my local experiences.

 As you can see, I did not leave the store empty-handed!

two reads

I count myself blessed indeed to have found these two "reads"

at a now-favorite thrift store!

I guess I'll leave these check-out pockets inside the back covers.

They are IN 'em to last--unless you've discovered a way

to remove them without damaging the page...

If you've never read Miss Read's books, you are missing out

on some charming, simple and satisfying stories.

 I was also happy to add this tablecloth to my small collection.

It just fits the table and sports beautiful autumn colors...

The two white (Buffalo china) bowls and the creamer

were also purchased at the thrift store.

a tiny tweek

 I've been putting it off, but it desperately needed to be done...

 so I removed a few things...

 added a a few...

and changed out the faux flowers.

I can't say it's "perfect",

but it will have to do.

~Our white mantel tweeked a tiny bit with thrifted finds~

how sweet it is!

 I recruited one of my white pitchers to hold the sweet-smelling

 lily-of-the-valley plucked from one of our flower beds this morning.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

I'm wearing my $1 (thrifted) "hot coffee" tee shirt 

and accessorizing with several brown bracelets (also thrifted).

 I'm wishing for an inexpensive record-player (an old fashioned one)

to play these vintage LPs...

 only a few of a stack of freebies I claimed from a curbside treasure trove!

How sweet it IS!

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.

farmhouse french

 Recently at Cedar Hill Ranch, Anita (whose style I GREATLY admire)

 posted eight budget-friendly ways to add Farmhouse French

flavor to one's home.

 Until looking at her suggestions, I had no idea WHAT my style was

 besides Unmistakeably Eclectic!

 But now, I'm thinking I'm not so far from Farmhouse French.

 I don't need much urging to bring out my wooden bowls and ironstone.

 And I have baskets and chippy/peeling paint...

 ...and I even have some toille-patterned pillows!

 Now, if I can just educate myself about French furniture and

find me a piece or two at one of my Favorite Thrift Stores....

...I'd REALLY be living the Farmhouse French  home style!

Be sure to check Anita out!  I'm pretty sure you'll find her blog

as delightful as Anita seems to be herself.

Oops!  Almost forgot.  This piece of silver with Christmas candles
still on it will have to stand in for the piece or two of silver
that Anita says are part of Farmhouse French style.

 You notice that I'm not ready to show you how it all fits together
just yet...That's the challenge for me.  Getting it all set up.

Pinterest and Me

Yes. I have a Pinterest account.
Basically, it is a picture file for me.
That's all I use it for.

Some of my fullest boards are White Ironstone,

...purchased today at My Favorite Thrift Store

Chalkboards, 

...this one's for you, Michelle (Mrs. Mobunny)

White Mantels, 

...ours, the way it looks today

 and Favorite Places and Spaces.   

If you go to this last one, you'll see that I DO like full (some would say CLuTTeREd) spaces!  

An occasional spare and bare image "calls" me for a moment, but not for long.

Oh, I just remembered Book Decor.  I'll come back for that another time!

Do you "Pinter"?

What are your larger/largest boards?