still here

I'm still here, but it's been a busy time.

Now I'm gearing up for some fine thrift store shopping while on vacation.
(While my husband golfs, I thrift.)

Stay tuned!

wrapping up march

 "Made in Britain" reads the bottom of this blue and white treasure.

 This white oval piece is small, but heavy.

Another ironstone piece for my collection.

 One of a couple of games I thrifted last week to play with our grandchildren.

 We've played three spirited rounds of Uncle Wiggily already this weekend!

 Our grandson used $.50 of his dollar to buy this Chicago Bulls cap.

Granddaughter bought an American Girl book - a compilation of

Molly stories still in its wrap -  with hers. 

I "needed" this miniature wooden bowl for my wooden bowl collection.

Can you tell that I've thrifted more than usual this week?

It was a fun way to "wrap up" March.

blue, bluer, bluest

Since I visited My Favorite Thrift Store earlier today,

our house is definitely bluer!

 This needle-worked square will find its place in our backyard cabin...

 I'm not so sure where this planter will go,  

but I just couldn't NOT buy it.

I spent quite a bit of time "digging" to see if I could find a mate

to this cloth napkin.  I couldn't.

It will pair well with some other blue & white ones I have

and be especially appropriate around The Fourth, don't you think???

so much more!

Our attention has been focused on the yard these days.

The winter storage pile has been sorted.

Chairs and tables have been shuffled from place to place

in search of the "just right" arrangement.

I'm especially fond of the Circle of Friends (above).

I think a small fire pit in the center will make it just perfect!

Everything in these pictures has been either purchased at a thrift store,

garage sale, or picked off a curb.

And there's more scattered throughout the yard.

So MUCH more!

what a day this has been...

...what a rare mood I'm in!

A completely unplanned outing today netted me these items
(and a few more)

from a thrift store and garage sale...

 ...this shabby chic tin 

full of these interesting buttons

(and earrings, pins and needles).

 

See the bottom button with the anchor on it?

I saw one like this on ebay listed for $19.95!

Anyone interested in MINE?

 How about this rusty, scuffy blue tin box!

FULL of old padlocks and keys.

 An Easter egg holder!

 Two sets of fun cookie cutters!

 This unused vintage man's billfold (calfskin)...

 and the prize of the show - this dressing table!
One of the "arms" made to hold a fabric skirt was broken off.
Rather than fashioning another, we decided to remove the mechanisms.

I'm in ♥ with the color--I'll not paint over it.

(I just realized I'm missing the vintage sock darner.

It must have rolled under the seat of the car.)

We REALLY had a good day.

no surprises here

 When my services weren't needed at the courthouse yesterday

 (I'd been called up for jury duty),

I headed happily down the street to my Favorite Thrift Store.

 I didn't find anything major...

That I bought the items above should not come as any surprise 

 to those who know how I love blue and white.

 This book, published in 1965, caught my eye.

 I have a brother-in-law named Hal.

 I think this will make a wonderful "just-because" gift!

 I might have to read it first.

 Just look at this wonderful map on the inside cover...

 and one of the illustrations inside - blue and white, of course.

(It must be Hal, up that tree.)

Seems the time is right for blue and white!
Look at this picture from April's edition of Country Living magazine...

 What have YOU found this week?
Anything BLUE?

recycled bread wrappers

This small rug, crocheted from bread wrappers is one of three pieces of its type

that I own.  All three were made by an elderly friend, now deceased.

 I had a hard time finding a place for it.  It is almost too small to use as a rug.

A few days ago I placed it on this table top under a wooden bowl (thrifted)

holding some worn croquet balls (also thrifted).

 The second plastic crocheted piece is the pillow (above)

  that shares chair space with two quilted pieces (both thrifted)...

This larger rug  sits at the foot of the chair.

Some might find these pieces strange.  I consider them "folk art".

I was attracted to them because I remember that my grandmother

also made similar rugs.  

(Unfortunately, I have no idea where hers ended up!)

sunday scene

My Sunday-go-to-meeting outfit.  All thrifted, of course--from head to toe.

The chartreuse green top is my invitation to spring!  Skirt is navy blue.

 Remember the 25-cent jigsaw puzzle I bought earlier this week at a thrift store?

Well, THIS is the problem with thrifted jigsaw puzzles!

Few things frustrate me MORE :)

See how my top matches the roll top desk behind me?

We found the desk awhile ago at a garage sale, 

and a year or so later decided to paint it.

I really like the color.

seasonally neutral

This is pretty much how our mantel looks today.  

I removed the February/Valentine stuff 

and rummaged around the house for March-ware.

"Seasonally neutral" was the theme of my quest.

 Seems a little too early for spring.

 If I put it out there NOW, 

 the days just seem to drag until it actually arrives.

The chalk is there for changing out the chalkboard which hangs left of the mantel.

Everything here was thrifted.

The portable fireplace whose mantel they deck
 was found complete and lying on a curb one day!

what a deal

On our way home from our short getaway yesterday, we stopped at a small thrift shop that we live too far away from to visit often...By bedtime, we were this far on the baseball jigsaw puzzle I bought. It requires a magnifying glass to read all the stadium names
and other fine print. 

 I was charmed by this ceramic cat (even though I'm not a big fan of real cats).

The basket, pink velvet ribbon and white Homer Laughlin bowl caught my fancy, too--

along with an Arch Book - a child's version of the Bible story of the woman at the well.

My husband found 2 pair of slacks and a sweater.

We left the store $3 and some odd cents poorer!

What a deal.

old stuff...new eyes

 

 We treated ourselves to a very short getaway.

Seeing sights like these as we wandered through the shoppes that were open

 (it's not actually "the season" yet), we gathered ideas and enthusiasm

for using some of the spare parts and pieces

we've gathered over time to create some new pieces.
I'm already looking for a corner in which to place the open cabinet (below)
after we find a door to split and refurbish!

 A couple of shoppes specifically asked that no photos be taken.  

So I'm relying on my memory and brief descriptions scribbled 

in my journal to remind me.

It's time to see old stuff with new eyes!

this is war!

Vix commented on my last post about my recent journey to keep my kitchen counters and sink clean:  "I'd love to develop that habit but I think I'm genetically predisposed to being messy and maximalist!"

And I replied, "Oh, Vix! Me, too. But (for me) there was just something about the piles that accumulated on "my" kitchen counter! I could tolerate them about so long...and then my head exploded thinking about going through the piles."

I HAVE resigned myself to the fact that I MUST be genetically predisposed to being both messy and maximalist.  But I MUST have an equal predisposition to becoming overwhelmed by stacks of paper and miscellany that seem to accumulate out of NOwhere and grow like Jack's beanstalk - overNIGHT!

So, in the words of Elaine (another blogger friend), I "soldier on".  

One small step after another.  

Simplicity is relative.

That's why I labeled one of the pictures, "Relatively uncluttered"

My counters will never be as sparsely furnished as some I see.

But it's not a competition, and that's not my goal.

  Living with my two warring, genetic predispositions IS!

a simple habit

My weekend delight is the simplicity of clean counters.

For some, that may not be a "biggie", 

but it has  been a challenge for me the majority of my life.

For the past 19 days, I've been faithful at cleaning off counters

and keeping up with the dishes.

What a difference it makes in my mind and emotions!

I believe I have 2 more days before this becomes

an official habit.

Guess it's about time.

Is there a simple habit that YOU'D like to establish

yet in your lifetime????