yes...you're seeing right!

Dressed for the next-to-the-last day of our vacation...NOW a stay-cation as we've returned home
refreshed and ready to tackle a few tasks before hubby returns to his office.
...and below, the cushions that are currently in our living room.  All purchased at thrift stores.

among my souvenirs...

This table and 4 chairs was in the upstairs furniture department at a St. Vincent de Paul in Wheeling, West Virginia.  We had to take them apart and rearrange the contents in the trunk of our car, but for under $39--we felt it was worth it!  Now to find fabric to cover the seats of the chairs...

 A miniature nativity set atop a Christmas Ideals...

 Mary and Joseph

 More $.25 Christmas tree ornaments - probably will be attached to ribbons decorating Christmas gifts this year.

 Two pieces of pottery - maybe candle holders - and a couple of blue ornaments.

 I couldn't resist these two wooden ornaments!

 A 10 cent roll of pink ribbon with a porch swing Christmas tree ornament.  I am going to tweek it (the porch swing) a bit and use it on one of our doll house porches!

Two snow globes.  One,  Mary & Joseph traveling to Bethlehem; the other, Bethlehem!  I'll figure out how to fill them up with water and will display them happily with my other nativity sets!

I didn't spend much at all, but had such a good time discovering while on vacation!
I DID find a few other things - books, a book of piano music, 2 stuffed fabric nativity sets.
I DIDN'T find a vintage silver (or white) Christmas tree!
Anyone have one you want to get rid of?

"the coolest store on the planet"

My husband was a good sport while going through shops in Millersburg, OH with me this morning.  This was MY KIND of place!  The first floor was filled with vintage furniture -- some of it embellished with colorful paint.    Pieces of original art decorated the wall & funky jewelry was displayed on the counters.  Upstairs was a vintage-clothes-lover's dreamland!

I couldn't take my eyes off this chandelier bedecked with beads and miscellaneous jewelry.  It hung on the second story ceiling and was visible from the first floor and as we walked up the old oak stairway.  I can't wait to see if I can create this whimsy on a couple of our chandeliers at home!

30/90

We slept great in our simple and comfortable lodge room after traveling 529 miles after church yesterday!

A change of tops, and I'm off and running this morning!  I'll explore a nearby town while my husband is in meetings.

While reading about the 30/30 challenge* several bloggers are participating in, I realized that I just might be the Original AND Perpetual 30/30 participant!  Actually, my practice is more like 30/90...30 pieces per season (90 days)!

Though it doesn't make for exciting fashion blog posts, it DOES fit my budget and personality.

*Go HERE for the original explanation of the 30/30 challenge.

 

...a closeup of tan shirt, denim vest, trusty gold belt, and current favorite earrings.

traveling light

 

If you look closely, you may see my current favorite earrings.  My daughter handed them to me when we met earlier this week and said, "I thought they looked like you."  I think they DO!

I'll be traveling today with no time to change clothes after church...so I selected this cardigan sweater (worn buttoned up this morning) and a comfortable skirt.  Both will recycle nicely several times in my outfits over the next week and a half, depending on the weather.  When I travel, I try to pack as lightly as possible. 

The long black velvet skirt and sweater were both thrift store purchases that have served me well for several years now. 

highway "finds"

I "spiced up" my 17 hours of travel time this past week with a thrift store shopping spree and a stop at a church rummage sale. Pictured above are the fruit of the rummage sale. I also got a small, vintage rubber/plastic white sheep. No matter how careful I was, I couldn't get a good picture of it. You'll have to use your imagination.

a fowl collection

I'm getting ready to go and see my grandsons.  I've packed in one of three pieces of my vintage luggage set and am dressed comfortably for travel.  EVERYTHING thrifted, of course.

Before I go, I wanted to show you a couple of pieces in my fowl collection...

The turning of the calendar page reminded me to add turkeys to my fowl display.

I am trying to remember where I got these two.  I believe the green one was a gift to me and may be a Morton Pottery piece.  My uncle's family ran the pottery years ago...and it seems to me someone who knew this wanted me to have it.  (I really SHOULD write things down.)

jacket weather

I'm enjoying the warmth and color of this jacket that I bought at a thrift store last year.  The brown/gray/black buttons make it work with my brown t-shirt and black skirt.  Gold necklace and belt add a little brightness to this subdued outfit.

well-heeled

I realized I DO have a fashion post in me....sort of.  One of my favorite fashion blogs is Vintage Vixen.  This gorgeous lady is creative, daring, frugal, innovative, and (most importantly) kind.  She has an eye for vintage clothes and accessories.  In yesterday's post she explained that she buys at low enough prices that she is able to sell her clothes on ebay.  She also said about every two weeks, she spends a day repairing zippers, hems, and tears etc.

Today's
silhouette

When I read that she pays her local cobbler 2.50 pounds to reheel shoes, I was a little jealous.  (But then, I'm not sure how British pounds and American dollars actually compare.)

Remember my $.30 brown shoes?  After two wearings, I realized one of the heels was gone.  So it was off to the shoe repair shop.  It's been awhile since I've had a pair of shoes in the shop.  At the price I buy my shoes, it sometimes makes more sense to get rid of them and buy another pair for $1-3.

I really liked the comfort of these particular shoes, and considering my meager investment in them,  I reluctantly paid the $9 plus tax price to have them reheeled.  My husband picked them up Tuesday.

What's the price for reheeling in YOUR town?

a taste of home (style)

My wardrobe selections have been rather boring lately.  I have not given up posting my daily fashion choices permanently...just for a week or two.

Meanwhile, I'm thrilled to have found these two white pitchers to add to my white pitcher collection.  They were at my favorite thrift store this week.  (That's a photo of my paternal grandparents in the back.)

Many of the pitchers sit behind the windows of this golden oak cabinet--one of the earlier pieces we acquired in our married life.  It was (literally) found in pieces and rebuilt by my husband.  It has survived many cross-country moves and found a place in the many homes in which we have lived.

On top of the cabinet currently:  

A swan and crow, two pieces of my Pfalsgraph pottery 

& a white Christmas poinsettia. 

populating my creches

I feel rather fortunate to have acquired these 4 nativity figures sculpted by Dr. Tom Clark.  His bio is VERY interesting!  He is well-known for his "Woodspirits", forest-dwelling gnomes.  Since these are the only four pieces that I have, I wonder if someone who collects Clark might be interested in adding them to their collection...

If I still have Mary, Joseph, Casper and Balthazer at Christmas time, they will be added to my miscellaneous nativity figures that people my creches.

what's new here?

Black denim jeans & vest - from thrift store to closet shelves...

What's new is this triple strand necklace.  It was in a $.25 see-through bag of jewelry that I bought recently at a church rummage sale--MAINLY because I thought I saw an (genuine) ivory necklace.

I haven't tested the ivory necklace yet.  It's a little primitive, but I'm optimistic.  I was going to throw this necklace away but decided it was worth keeping.  It has one silver strand and two off-white.

not much, but something

A view into our library/music room - with me, wearing grey skirt, black shirt, black suede shoes, and gold belt.  All thrifted.  I've been too busy outside to post outfits lately... Can you see one of my dollhouses over my right shoulder?  The chandelier is one I found for $5 at a thrift store.  My husband hung it to replace the blah light fixture that came with the house.