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.

yes

"Yes" to free

and thanks to friends, Lynn and Donna!

And "yes" to my volunteer.

Thanks, Dad!

"Yes" to applesauce!

Oh......and that desk in the previous post?

"Yes!" 

And a huge shout out of appreciation to my talented husband.

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!

perfect fit

 Over the years, I've collected a modest amount of barkcloth fabric--

old curtains, pillow covers, etc.

When we arrived home after a week of vacation yesterday,

I noticed the sun had shifted enough that I needed to come up with a remedy 

to close the top part of the windows overlooking our table to prevent the glare.

I went to my stash and was delighted to find these two panels!

I'm pretty sure they've never hung in these window before.

I'm enchanted with the way they meet the tops of the shutters so perfectly. 

I imagine they'll hang here for quite awhile!

table talk

...cloth napkins with individual rings to identify and (hopefully) reuse from one meal to the next...

Since my father came to live with us, we are eating more meals at home than we did over the past few years.  I am REALLY enjoying planning, shopping, and serving a variety of economical and healthy meals.  I'm thankful for the circumstances that resulted in our at-home mealtimes.

Gary and I don't eat breakfast, so my father fixes his own.  Gary makes our coffee and we gather around the breakfast table to share a devotional time - Bible reading and prayer.  We are generally able to eat our lunches together as well as the evening meal.  After cleaning up in the evening, we linger at the table to play table games.  More than usual, we are also inviting friends to join us around our table.  These times, too,are so pleasurable and rewarding.

After reading some Wendell Berry essays, I realize that community is happening around our table in fresh ways for us in this season of life.  It set me to wondering if there are any ways I can make our table experiences even more delightful.  So, I googled it and found these two paragraphs that encouraged me to keep up my quest. The article also suggested a few ways to perk up an ordinary meal.

All our senses are involved when we eat. When a plate of food is appealing to the eye, has a wonderful aroma, and a variety of flavors and textures, we take note. And we usually rate those meals as not only more pleasant but more satisfying, too. 

If your eating has become routine—and your meals look the same, day after day—that could spell trouble. In an attempt to get more satisfied, you may find yourself eating more but enjoying it less.

Before we find ourselves eating more but enjoying it less,  I'm adding a couple simple, small touches - beyond the foot itself - to our table.  I'll let you know what those "touches" are, if the men I share the table with notice, and how our table experience is affected (if at all).

***

 Meanwhile, what are some of the ways YOU make YOUR ordinary table experience a special one?

a smple grill

Purchased several years ago for $15 at a garage sale,

this simple grill is getting a workout this spring.  

We're using it more than ever now that my father has come to live with us,

and we're eating more meals at home!

Last night (in spite of cooler temperatures), Gary grilled leg quarters -- 3 large ones.

Enough meat left over for at least another meal for three!

I tried something new to me.

Employing a small, old cast-iron skillet, I sliced some golden Yukons

and added onion and garlic salt.  

I poured a bit of melted butter over them 

(probably should have used olive oil), 

covered it with foil, and put it on the grill.

We will definitely do this again! 

And next time, I'll slice one more potato!

So simple.  So delicious.

potting benchless

Good-bye to this.

We brought it 'round from the side of the house

to repaint and sturdy up.

Gary made it years ago from recycled wood.

It LOOKED great

and occasionally we used it to hold picnic buffets.

We decided to see if it would sell on a local Facebook sale site. 

It did within hours of being posted!

So we are potting benchless now (and a few dollars richer)!

No complaints.

sort of....

 Transforming some mismatched frames 

 into a set.

 Sort of...

Now to find a place for them!

thrifty life styles

 Thrifty Style for me has expanded to include 

what could be characterized as a Life Style.

This blog started out celebrating my clothing finds in local thrift stores.

 As seasons of life move from one to another,

I celebrate OTHER areas of simplicity and frugality.

 My father has come to live with us and as winter passed into springtime,

we celebrate simple and frugal healthy habits.

Walking in public parks and spaces that require no admittance fees

has proven to be a favored recreation in the evenings following

easy and healthy suppers.

And so we stroll...

sharing the sights and scents of nature with those we love...

quirkiness

 Gleaned from an hour spent at Barnes and Noble this afternoon...

Another relaxing afternoon spent paging through new magazines.  

This is where & how I generate new ideas for our home and flower beds.

And quirkiness pretty much sums up my current passion.

(Well, as quirky as you can be at my stage in life.....)

simplfying continued

Rusted, torn and weathered,

these four chairs barely survived the winter.

Looking at them, I realize we were simply NOT going to apply

the work necessary to restore them to an attractive state.

So I listed them on a few local facebook garage sale sites.

Within an hour, they were sold and on their way to a new home

My simplifying continues.

Wow!  Does it ever feel great!