me and my cubbies

 This (above) is my latest "cubbie"--found along with the 

 paint-by-number picture featured in my last post.

 Ever since childhood, I've needed cubby-holes in which to stash my treasures!

 Seems like I STILL "need" them
AND  find them (or they find me)!

 Worst thing about them is keeping them dusted!

All of these were purchased at thrift stores or
(in the case of the old cheese boxes)

obtained for free!

paint-by-number

I'm pretty ecstatic over this "find"!

I broke up my 5 hour trip to a speaking engagement yesterday

by stopping at a thrift store in Watseka IL.  

I bought 5 Golden Books (children's) to add to my collection

and a couple of other things....

but this was my favorite find of the day.

It's larger than the other paint-by-number paintings I have...

I hope to stop at another shop on the way home.

Who knows WHAT else  I'll stumble on?!?

shopping my closet

Sunday.  And it's a pretty big day for me!
I've been diligently working to lose some
weight so I could "shop the closet".

The Lord knows there's plenty of clothes in it!

Today, I fit comfortably into this thrifted, vintage dress. It was missing the cloth belt, so I belted it with a navy blue belt I also found at a thrift store.

See the word stenciled above me?
That pretty much sums up my journey this far.

Here I am standing next to a golden oak buffet
that we got at a thrift store years ago.  Most of the white wares on its top were also found at thrift stores (except the pumpkin - which I made at a ceramic shop).  This picture "tells" me I could tidy that buffet top up a bit...and maybe do SOMEthing to look a little less matronly in the dress.  (I was so excited to fit in it that I didn't think about accessorizing!)

If you missed my previous post
(Tall, Huge, Seasonal), take a look at some of my weekend finds.
I just couldn't wait another day to celebrate my closet!

tall, huge, seasonal

 Tall and heavy ($1)

 Huge ($.50)

 Seasonal - just not THIS season ($.50)

(I couldn't resist the little buttons for eyes & bell at tip of the cap!)

I also purchased a book for a granddaughter

and a wooden toy airplane to give as a gift to our brother-in-law

who filled in for my husband when we were on vacation.

(B.I.L. is a pilot....)

color burst

 Nothing more "thrifty" than a can of paint!

I'd bought a pint matched to a piece of furniture I needed to touch up.

Enough remained to paint the shelf my husband cut to add to the bookcase (above).

Now it holds all the children's Golden Books
I've purchased at garage sales and thrift stores.

This is one of the first places our grandchildren head when they come to visit!

I'm not so proud of  this photo of our old radio/phonograph unit, 

but I wanted to show the board my husband painted with the same paint
to fill in the gap at the back.

Some time ago, we "gutted" it,  Now it serves to hold our small boom box
(in the slide-out drawer)

and some magazines and a basket of ribbon below.

I'm enjoying this most recent Color Burst!

gearing up

If my LAST post here was "winding down", then this one MUST be "gearing up"!  It was one of the best vacations ever for me.  But all good things must come to an end.

The End has involved putting away many of the thrift store finds obtained during our vacation days.  This book is one of them.  Selected because of a microscope set we'd thrifted awhile back and given to a grandson, the book had a bit of musty odor.  I "sunned it" for awhile and then decided to google the subject to see if I could find any hints for ridding it of its smell.

The suggestion I'm trying here is to insert dryer (softener) sheets among its pages and place in a sealed bag for 3 days or so.  We'll see.

Have YOU tried anything that successfully addressed this "problem"???



This box was another vacation purchase ($1).  My husband removed the sloppy paint job and stained it with a walnut stain.

What an improvement!  I can't have enough boxes, it seems.

winding down

Our vacation days are winding down.  

Yesterday found us at My Favorite Thrift Store(s)

where I found these treasures...

 Do I need to say how excited I am?!?

...and inside...

The picture of some $.25 pairs of Christmas-themed earrings I found didn't turn out very well,

but I bagged several to use as stocking-stuffers at Christmas time!

I don't see how today could be any better than yesterday.

(We got some yard work done, too, and played a game of Sorry - card version--
AND "got" us a NEW GRANDSON late last night!)

Silas Everett (Everett after his great-great grandfather)

rolling pins - phase 1

 All these rolling pins were thrifted in the past--

in my first "rolling pin phase".

 

I didn't have a good way of displaying them, but while on vacation,

I saw a different style of wine rack fulfilling this purpose.

I remembered that I had THIS one stored on a shelf in our garage.

So I brought it in to try it out.

 

 I think I'll use it!  (I have 3 additional rolling pins--one in a drawer that I use as needed.)

 I believe I'll keep my eyes open for a larger rack.

Then I can begin a SECOND rolling pin phase!

Do you have a rolling pin collection?

How do you store/display them?

vacation-thrifted books

 For moi!  (Never one to pass up an Alexandra Stoddard book--

even if I already own a copy!)

 These (above) are food for the soul.  I finished Thomas R. Kelly already.
Perfect book to read on vacation!

And for the grandchildren - THIS one coverless...but just LOOK at the illustrations!

Some of you may remember that a few posts ago

I showed an Uncle Wiggily game that I also thrifted.

It was a huge hit with two of the grands who came to visit a couple of weeks ago.

 My brother discovered this Mike Mulligan book 

(kind of a "classic").

Since he already has a copy on his shelves, he let me claim it - for $.25!

My husband is going to find a 10"x34 1/4" piece of board to fashion a fourth shelf

for the bookcase that holds all our children's Golden Books.  I'll show you the shelf 

when he finishes it.

 These 4 items were free!  I ALWAYS try to see if there is a "free box"
and am not embarrassed to rummage through it when I find one.
(Hubby and I tried out the Sorry game this evening.  Fun!)

vacation miscellany

 Three see-through plastic storage boxes.  Fifty cents each.  Always useful at OUR house!

 Never one to pass up ANYthing blue and white, I snatched up these candles.

 I've always loved this quote (above).  

I was happy to find it on a plaque - very reasonably priced.

 This, I believe, is a juicer.  It has already taken its place in a wooden bowl

 containing other wooden kitchen tools.  ($.25)

 I've never figured out how to wear scarves properly myself, but I admire them...

 and I COULDN'T pass up this colorful one made in Italy designed with a map and scenes 

 from Greece.

Maybe one of these days I'll show you the books I bought while visiting thrift stores 

in states south of ours.  I just can't seem to resist scouring the book shelves.

I DID resist several furniture pieces.  There just wasn't room in the car!

can opener

 

Of many miscellaneous "treasures" I found yesterday while checking out

thrift stores in Franklin N.C., this was the most unusual.

It cost me twenty-five cents.  It took a man to figure out it was a

manual can opener.  (I liked it 'cause of the wooden handle and turner.)

We tried it out this morning on a can of pineapple.  It works!

I realize now it is the only item I photographed.

This excursion was unique because my brother tagged along.

He wanted to see how I conducted my treasure quests.

As it turned out, he could spend a lot of time in even

one box of kitchen utensils (not to mention at the bookshelves)!

It was a fun day.  

But I also realize that shopping alone is quicker

than shopping with another person.

Do YOU prefer shopping alone or with someone else?

vacation thrift

We broke up our travel by stopping at several thrift stores.

 This is what I have to show for it...

All 4 of these trees for a total of......$.10!
Yes.  That's 10 cents.

TaDa.

And this nice sized oil painting -

FAR more beautiful than my photo shows!

$4.49.

The scene is a typical one for the place we are vacationing!

Now, I'm sitting in a coffee shop waiting for the thrift stores to open.

My husband just texted me to say he's golfing 

with 3 "old men" and may be longer than he anticipated.

Good!  More time for thrifting!

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!