recreational reading

 I spent a couple of hours of Recreational Reading

at Barnes and Noble yesterday afternoon.
As much as I enjoy the pleasures of blogging,
there's STILL something about paging through a magazine....

 My "take-home" were these photographic notes to myself

with ideas of how to incorporate a few of my existing accessories

into Christmas decorating this year.

I sold many of my brass candle holders this past year.  

I THINK I might have enough

to hold a few of the vintage tree toppers I have

(if I can find them - candle holders AND tree toppers).

I'm going to be on the lookout for stray goblets.

I thought this assemblage was simply gorgeous...

 (¯`•.•´¯)¸.•´ ☆
.`•.¸¸.•

One other idea I gleaned was to stick some fresh greens

into artificial wreaths.  

(This one appealed to me since I have many artificial wreaths
and little extra money for fresh.)

How will YOU be incorporating existing accessories into your Christmas decor?

new life for old

 Who says there aren't curbside treasures still waiting to be found?

 A repair to a crack across the top,

 the addition of some white pulls,

 and some home-made chalk paint, lightly distressed and waxed

gave new life to this sweet little half-round table. 
Oh!  It looks even BETTER inside!

 

everyday fashion

This morning:  A thrifted T, belt and necklace...

topped with a thrifted brown denim jacket...

wearing a thrifted, Jones corduroy skirt

and photographed via a thrifted mirror.

Style doesn't get MUCH thriftier than this!

Well, actually, yes it does.

I wore the same outfit yesterday.

I don't plan to see the same set of people today.

(Not that it would matter.) 

Do YOU ever wear the same outfit two days in a row?

While wearing the outfit yesterday, I stopped at a garage sale.
It was being set up as I shopped...
I couldn't resist this frame.
 It's a BIG one.

seller's remorse

I definitely had it - seller's remorse, that is!

My husband took a $2 (or was it $4) find

and found this incredible design under the brown paint 

which he then proceeded to carefully remove.

He crafted a door to replace the missing one.

I listed it on a facebook garage sale at a rather high price (I thought)

thinking it wouldn't sell

and then I could keep it.

It didn't happen that way.  Maybe I should have asked more for it!

shoes

Well, I broke in my new old Aerosoles today.

The combination of a just-right heel height

and comfortable inners

made my $1.50 purchase at one of my favorite thrift stores earlier this week

a good decision.

The shoes were like new--very few signs of ANY wear.

Not everyone is comfortable wearing used shoes,

but I have done so for many, many years with no regrets.

The savings REALLY add up!

bazaar-ing

 Doors opened at the first Bazaar at 8:00.  I was up and ready before light dawned!

My friend arrived, and we started our Holiday Bazaar tour,

beginning with one in our small village

and then to two others in a nearby small town.

 While the main items were homemade crafts and baked goods,

I was ecstatic to find several curtain panels

made of vintage barkcloth (above).

 Children in the Sunday School at one church made nativity ornaments like the one above

which was worth the price just for the pattern!

I think I'm going to have supplies with me when we meet with our 11 grandchildren
later this month so that each one can

 make one to hang on their 2013 Christmas tree.

The way home took us past a large moving sale.

The frame was on the free table right inside the entrance. 

I grabbed it!

 And though not a strong cake-baker,

I couldn't pass up these two vintage cake carriers.

($1 each)

 The beautiful pink table cloth has only one small flaw in it.

Half a dollar purchased much pink pleasure.

 And the vintage Jim Bean decanter matches another one I have

 packed away SOMEwhere here at Gatescroft...

Finally, this retro chair caught my eye.  It was almost free!

Another chair for my collection.

Bazaar-ing with a friend was a great way to spend a cloudy, autumn morning!

thrifting and tweeking

Thrift store shopping this week brought me (among other things) the ceramic owl - $.35 -

and Crabtree and Evelyn robe - $.75 

 Tweeking meant switching lamps (and a shade)

and hanging the two paintings in their interesting made-in-Mexico frames.

 I found it next to impossible to get the color right on the picture, below.

You'll have to trust me when I say the strips on the shade

match the colors on the curtains--which are NOT green!

breaking up is hard to do

 Our old house is not without its challenges.  

 Particularly when it comes to arranging furniture!

Yesterday (before church no less),

 I decided to BREAK UP the sectional couch.

The job involved moving a chair to another room

and rearranging a few occasional tables.

In the end, I think I'm satisfied.  With a little tweeking

and some much needed dusting, I will enjoy this arrangement at least until 

the Christmas holidays!

I don't think ANYTHING in these photos was purchased retail - except the lamp

with the burgundy shade--and that because I had a gift certificate to a store

that was going out of business!

By the way, BREAKING UP the sectional was not nearly as hard

as taking these photos with my cellphone camera!

the weekend in review

 Found at a church rummage sale on Friday.

 Repaired last night.

 Painted today!

 I think I'll distress it slightly before waxing it.

 These little steps might end up in our Christmas Cabin or sold on a facebook garage sale site.

 Who knows?

 Then today - though rainy and chilly - we checked out a couple of garage sales.

It was a much-needed change of pace for me

after some intense but important days of parent-sitting...

These two items will be interesting to refiinish!

What are YOU finding these days?

re-cycle

I think it was the belt I bought for a quarter that I'm trying to show off here...

or maybe the Worthington (brand) skirt that was $1.25

at my Favorite Thrift Store.

While I'm at it, I'm excited about an old wash stand

we purchased at a garage sale this week.  

Gnawed by rodents while it sat in a barn,

it is now undergoing an extensive renovation at the hands of my husband.

Just look at those great "pulls"!

 I couldn't pass up this mirror, either.

 I sold it quickly to a friend who is putting it in her shop.

I suspect it is up for sale again.

The RE-cycle continues!

the autumn un-mantel

 Time and circumstances prohibit me from giving the mantel the attention it deserves.

 My heart really isn't into it.

(And besides, I can't find the note telling me where I'm storing

the autumn decorations I so vigorously sorted out last year....)

 So, this is how it's going to be!

Two white pumpkins (the lidded one I made at a ceramic shop a few years ago),

the wooden fowl - already on the mantel,

 and a couple of tins from my collection sporting autumn color.

 This year I shall spend my free time looking at all YOUR beautiful mantels

and sign with envy...

found and finished

 ...found, discarded.

 ....finished (below)

First, my husband patched it a bit...

Then he covered it with  little primer mixed with paint to tint  and

finished by brushing with thinned-down white paint.

Then I took a crumbled rag and blotted it till I achieved the desired effect..

And yesterday, on the way to be with my parents,

we stopped in to one of my favorite thrift stores where I found THIS.

I'm pretty sure I've never seen another sewing cart/side table
quite like it!

fun on the farm

 A longer-than-expected visit to my husband's office

(he's a pastor of a small, country church)

 gave me time to photograph

 a collection of farm-related items that decorate his shelves and walls.

 Except for a few tractors & implements that were our son's while growing up,

 the rest were gathered from garage sales and thrift stores.

 A picture of the barn (seen partially above) didn't turn out so well.

I'll try to photograph it another time.

 All in all, it's a fun collection, I think!

What collections have YOU augmented via thrift store shopping?