Enjoying my "Blue"

 I was happy to find the larger of the plant waterers at a garage sale for a quarter.

 I already owned the smaller one...and haven't had a lot of luck using it for its advertised purpose.

 However, I have trouble passing up anything that's blue and glass and reasonably priced!

So the second, larger one came home with me.

Then when I saw this bowl and the potter's mark on the bottom,

I spent ANOTHER quarter!

Lehman-Goertzen Pottery is an on-site working pottery housed in an 1890's factory

turned artisan studio complex located in Goshen, IN.

I've visited the pottery a few times--wistfully touching the beautiful wares,

but without the funds to purchase anything.

So I was VERY elated to find and purchase my first piece!

 

I'm enjoying my "blue" today.  

Do YOU have a favorite blue item?

Church Rummage Sale

 Described here as: 

Pair of Pot Metal Cat Figural Pins

 $20.00 (€14.54),

I found my pair (pictured above) at a church rummage sale today.
Mine are actually in better condition than those shown on this link
and are brown rather than gray.
(If you'd be interested in purchasing the kitty cats, send me a note with an offer.

It shouldn't cost too much to ship them.)

 I couldn't resist this wooden pair!

They were in a box of Christmas goodies that I took the time to dig through.

This piece of "naive" pottery caught my eye, too.

The price was right, and it fits nicely in my collection.

We arrived mid-afternoon.

I'm sure I missed some goodies by not arriving when the doors opened at 8:00.

Oh well.

Accessorizing with Thrift Store Items

Last week I hung these two oil paintings on either side

of a large mirror on our living room wall.

Underneath the mirror is a stand on which this smaller painting sits

along with these three decorative tins.

All of these items except the small painting were found at thrift stores or garage sales.

Meet and Greet

 - Just so you don't give up on me -

Our grandchildren were visiting.

That's where my energy and time have been spent--
and spent is a good word for it!

I was the "designated driver" one afternoon

as my two daughters and 3 of the 5 grandchildren

went garage-saling.

We also stopped at a small thrift store where I purchased

eight blue-tinted drinking glasses.  

I like to keep a good supply - don't even care if all the patterns match--

just so they're blue and glass.  

These were in perfect condition (even though the one on the left appears smudged).

After a day of rest, I should be back in good blogging form again...

OH!  And "hello" to my latest FOLLOWERS!

(I must have been driving to garage sales

when I got my 100th FOLLOWER.)

I'll be around to Meet & Greet soon.

Return of the Wardrobe

I'm back!  Well, the wardrobe part of "me". 

Clothes weren't on my shopping list until I returned to

a comfortable "poundage" (if you catch my drift).

I'm almost there.

Enough that I fit into some of the clothes waiting for me

in my closet.

Thrifted clothes - like this jacket, sleeveless dress and belt.

More to come.
Incidentally, I think every single item in this picture
came from a thrift store or was found on a curb
 (like the faux fireplace).
...globe, white creamers/pitchers, pillows, chair, chalk board, white framed mirror on the wall, corner shelf...

♥

 I don't know which thrifted treasure from yesterday I like best!

 The sweet, colonial-style stenciled child's rocking chair, or....

this exotic piece of fabric!

All it's sides are finished....not sure what it was/is....

but I like it!

90" x 80"

our of the corner

 Purchased years ago in a thrift store - just because it had "potential" 

 and hidden charm -  it silently occupied a corner of the garage.

 Well, no more!  

Look at all the storage!

(And that's a clothes hamper at the bottom!)

We deliberately left the old decal and a bit of original paint

to honor its vintage state.

The Holiday Weekend

Cleaning out the garage and shed

 spawned some projects.

My husband suggested using the miscellaneous and rusted pieces

to be bases for three "bottle trees".

Bottles were found curbside; rusted and miscellaneous pieces from who-knows-where?!

 

 He also transformed this and another piece

 ...into this!

Both were either garage sale or thrift store finds

that had sat in a corner for some time anticipating their transformation!

 They've already been purchased.  We have an empty corner!  Yay!

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?

Northward, Ho!

 While my husband was at his meeting near Goshen, IN, I hung out here^
(the sign says "the Depot Thrift Shops)

and at another thrift store in nearby Elkhart.

Among my purchases were this jar of marbles,

 four Russell Wright plates,

 this charming creamer,

 (Oops!  This thermos was from a previous thrifting excursion....)

and an old, sturdy Sunbeam mixer!

 Behind the Depot Thrift store is the Old Bag Factory.

One could spend a full day here!

Housed in this restored building are many artisans and their wares.

Quality stuff!

I passed many minutes in the Goertzen Pottery shop.

Definitely a favorite of mine....

Beautiful walk between back of thrift store and the Bag Factory

A second stop at a Goodwill in Elkhart  (3 hardback books for $1)

and a small thrift store in Kendallville on our way home

yielded a few more goodies, too!

Saling, Saling!

 On the way to a small, neighboring town to their town-wide garage sales

I tore the fabric (above) into strips

that I tied around the lamp shade frame.

I think I like it!
If I had it to do over again, I'm not sure I would have painted it.
I would have just left it rusty...
"Don't be intimidated by audacity; be audacious, but with taste.  
You also need intuition, originality, vigor...Don't get taken in by fashion.  
A secret:  love your house; love makes miracles."
(Madeleine Castaing)

Arriving in Paulding, Ohio, we parked the car and walked.
And walked some more.
I snatched up the soup tureen when I found it for $1

and the Pfaltzgraff children's set of dishes for half of that $1!

 

How about THESE?  Five of them...

We found a few other items, but I'm most excited about

two pieces of furniture...

the first had been purchased at an auction of their old school.

 (I can't wait to see what wonders my husband works with it!)

The second (below) needs quite a bit of work also

but should be nice when finished!

 After lunch on the courthouse square, 

we traveled home and unpacked.

What a great Saturday!

All Over the Charts!

An unexpected invite from a friend to go garage saling yesterday

found me all over the charts in purchasing.

 (But NOTHING more than 50 cents.)

The sweet billfold above - $.10!

 This smiling wooden paper doll with magnetic clothes?

 $.25.

 Free!  (Above)  I have at least one grandson who likes cars.
Any kind of cars.   I happen to like the little people!
Can't get enough of them.

And this small molded wood 

"Behold I stand at the door and knock" plaque...$.25.

I also purchased three mid-sized clear Rubbermaid boxes at fifty cents each.

I decided not to buy any more than fit into the three.

Other purchases included 5 children's Golden Books,

a glass 2-cup measuring cup,

a stack of ten new dishwashing "scratchers" (as I call them), 

and if there was more, I forget what it was!

Just a great day weather-wise to garage sale

and even greater to spend the time with a friend...

But just wait till you see what I found toDAY--

and how I'm finishing my deconstructed lampshade.

By the way, if you want to see some of the notes/quotes that inspired me
while thumbing through some of my favorite decorating magazines
and a couple of new decorating books at Barnes and Noble,
come over to my Other Blog and read them!