scene in a magazine

Between church and Pizza Hut today,

we spent some time at Barnes and Noble.

A look at the photos I snapped from a stack of magazines

is an indicator of my current style preferences.

Color, tons of unique accessories,

brick, old wood, gilded mirrors,

interesting patterns, books comfy seating, and paintings...

it pays to wait

Several years ago, my husband and I struck up a friendship with an elderly couple

who frequented Borders Bookstore almost as much as us!

The gentleman was an artist.  We attended one of his shows in Portland, IN.

The couple met in Chicago where both worked as young adults.
While there, he painted a series of Chicago scenes.

He gifted us with two prints.

I've been looking for proper frames for a long time

(at a bargain price, of course).

Friday I stopped at a thrift store on the way to visit my mother and dad.

Imagine my delight to purchase two frames at only thirty cents each.

And THIS, too.  At an equally pleasing price!

Good things really DO come to those who wait.

"The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him."

Lamentations 3:25

here today; gone tomorrow

 We have meetings today with purchasers for these items.  

They sold on a local Facebook site.

This means some extra cash AND some extra room!

Encouraged by my success,

I've gathered and washed up a bunch of blue crocks.

I think I'll post them and see what happens.

white it will be

After a tour of a large, new (to us) antique mall 

where we focused on painted furniture to gather ideas for paint colors,

we settled on WHITE for this piece.

It is going to be beautiful!  

In the meantime, the top of this fine nightstand was sanded

and finished with a couple of coats of polyurethane.

It's a beauty!

working wonders

 We purchased it like you see it above.

 He sanded it down, and we started to think about how to remodel it.

We decided to incorporate two Queen Anne style legs left over from a recycled coffee table,

and he created the back legs shown below.

 Finally, we retrieved a sweet but awkward mirrored piece 

which we weren't sure HOW we'd ever use!

He cut it to fit the back.

After staining the top and back piece,

he will paint the bottom.

Originally we were thinking re-sale.

Now I'm not so sure.

My husband works wonders on old pieces!

feels good

Bought a long time ago (I'm quite positive at a thrift store),

it has not been removed from its box or moved from its
storage spot in our upstairs bathroom.

Today, I removed it from the box

and filled it with hot water to sooth an aching leg.
It works.

How good it feels!

Do you have one?

When was the last time you used it?
****
OK.  Disclaimer. 
When I got up from my chair, I realized my bargain
hot water bottle leaked! 
It looked to me as though it had never been used.
I have NO idea how old it was. 
Maybe the water I used (though not boiling) was too hot?
It felt good while it lasted.
Now it only feels VERY wet.

a rare and wonderful afternoon

My husband created the itinerary for our rare and wonderful  afternoon of thrifting.

It would take us to four towns and wrap up in the evening with dinner with my father

at Das Essenhaus in Pettisville, OH.

Several of the shops on the list (assembled from the internet)

were no longer in business.

 

Regardless, half the pleasure is in the hunt.  

This puzzle might be a hold-over to NEXT winter

seeing how our 5th of this season is less than 1/2 finished...

 Books are the LAST things I need, but I couldn't figure out how to pass up

these two oversized art books at 50 and 75 cents...

 We were really happy to discover THIS shop!

Well maintained and reasonably priced....

cards were a steal at only ten cents each!

Normally I avoid the Goodwill stores.  Seems like they're overpriced to me, 

but that's just my opinion.  However, in OH, their prices seem more realistic than in our area.

I was very happy we stopped at the third one.

I really needed some black flats and found both these pair for a total of $5!

These brass pulls and hooks will be put to good use in one of my husband's projects...

and this stand will be repaired and painted - probably for resale.

It was a productive afternoon spent in GREAT company!

You Light Up My Life

 

Snail mail and a homemade gift!

It's hard to top that... 

It's also hard to imagine anyone more committed to creativity,

prolific in crafting,

and unselfish in sharing her time and talents.

(I want to be like Marlynne when I grow up!)

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, 

and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Thanks, Marlynne, for brightening my life! 

(And if you've not met her, click on her name and visit her at Precious Cottage.)

Irresistible

The last thing I need is another vintage paint-by-number painting--

but how could I pass this one by?

Those beautiful pink flowers made it irresistible.

go figure

 Just in from the trunk of the car....

 this fine, old mirror ready for a face-lift!

 Hubby has his project now.

 And how could I resist this heavy, salt-glaze flow blue plate?

 Orange tags were 1/2 price!

Go figure! (19 cents, including tax.)

Yesterday.

Two stores.

Two treasures.

neglect

  I've been neglecting this blog.

Seems things "fit" better over at another blog lately.

  So if you're curious, head over HERE.

 I'll be back as soon as I get things dusted off,

sorted out,

rearranged, and given away

generous hospitality

 A Christmas tour of a friend's home

 included a delightful luncheon.

 I didn't know where to BEGIN to take photos of her beautiful Christmas decorations

and came home with sweet memories

but a disappointingly few photos.....

She will never know how blessed I was by her generous hospitality.

getting to be a habit

 It's getting to be a habit -

stopping in on a Friday morning at the Amazing Thrift Store

(open only on Fridays and Mondays)

and finding a bottle of a favorite scent from my past....
This one full and sealed!