Our thrifty little man!

Like Mama Thrift said November has been insanely crazy!  But what she didn't tell you is that we have a new member of our thrifty family and he has taken up quite a lot of  our time!  So it is my pleasure to introduce to the blog world for the first time......Gibbs!

He is our goofy, loveable, (when he isn't getting into mischief!) and tiny little basset hound mixed with something that we are not sure about!  We got him at the beginning of November and he is still trying to get the hang of things around here. We hope that some day soon he catches on to the idea that we only go to the bathroom outside and not on the carpet!  Mama Thrift has long conversations with him about it...she thinks that he understands her, but Patient Man and I just laugh!   And in case you were wondering, He is named after Leroy Jethro Gibbs from NCIS....if he was a girl he would have been Zeva!  We are big NCIS fans. 

So there you go! I'll be posting in the next day or so about my newest project involving my collection of vintage hankies, vintage postcards, and my Christmas tree so be on the look out!

Happy Thrifting!  Thriftchick

Tablescape Contest: Home Goods and Centsational Girl

   Whew! Where did November go?  Thrift Chick was finishing up her student teaching and working on the last major projects of her college career.  I have been swamped at school working on a grant and proofreading all of Thrift Chick's papers.  All of the sudden, November is almost gone!  However, a sudden snowstorm tonight has given us a two hour delay tomorrow (I just love a school system that makes that call the night before!)  We decided to use the time to create our first ever tablescape and enter Censational Girl's Contest.
   It is just a simple red and white theme.  Nothing fancy because we just are not the fancy kind.  Everything but the tree is thrifted or handmade.  Last year we started a Christmas morning brunch tradition with our immediate family and we used these red dishes.  This year I will add a few more touches.  Check back in a few years, we might just make it to :"fancy."

     The base of the centerpiece is actually a vanity mirrored tray I got at Salvation Army.  I sprayed the frame white.  The reindeer were a Goodwill find.  They were brass and had these huge candle holders that I removed before I sprayed them white.  The trees were another Salvation Army find.  Two bucks for all three.  I love their shape, but let me tell you the glitter drives me insane.  They shed piles and piles of red glitter whenever you touch them.  I have tried and tried to get the glitter off, but I think it multiplies.

The ruby red dishes were one of my first thrifting purchases.  Thrift Chick had convinced me to join her at a half off day at Goodwill.  We saw the set but even with the half off, it was still $25 (I am really really cheap and hate to spend a lot at one place)  I debated and debated and at the last minute put them in my cart.  One of the best thrifting purchases I have ever made.  The set includes 8 plates, 8 fruit bowls, 8 glasses, the serving bowl, the pitcher, the creamer and sugar and a small syrup jar.   The white milkware dishes came from the last half off Goodwill sale I went to.  I had been buying  grapevine pedestal glasses whenever I saw one.  Then low and behold, there were the dinner plates, luncheon plates and pedestal fruit cups.  This time I didn't debate or hesitate...I snatched those babies right up.

  Okay I lied.  Not everything was thrifted.  The picture frames came from the Dollar Store.  I printed off old winter pictures of the family to put inside.  (My brother transferred 150 boxes of family slides to digital pictures and gave us all CDs...talk about a gift of love!  I now have digital files dating back to 1950.)

The scratch off card I made using the reindeer from Eat Drink Chic and the recipe for scratch offs from Martha Stewart.  Thrift Chick wants to know what you win, but it is a Christmas secret!

The Christmas tree is not part of my tablescape, but it is my favorite part.  My mom used cookie cutters like these when I was growing up.  A few years ago I saw a tree in an antique store that had red cookie cutters for ornaments and I fell in love.  They bring back memories of sugar cookies with rock hard icing.  (My mom was a fan of the powdered sugar and milk type of frosting.)  I have been buying them whenever I find them.  I finally have enough for a tree.  I think I need a lot more to be real impressive, but that just means the hunt goes on.  The white bells came from a bin at the Goodwill.  Twelve bells for a quarter.

Since I am throwing everything in but the kitchen sink, I will show you a picture of my counter.  It never looks like this.  Thrift Chick laughed when she saw it and asked how long I thought it would be before everyone started piling stuff on it.  I am a Dr. Seuss nut (it is my classroom theme.)  The white frame is really plastic and I cost me less than a dollar at the Goodwill.  White spray paint makes everything look better, don't you think?  The white pedestal vase and the round swing top jar were from a local thrift store.  The green glass jars were my best summer find.  Only $1.50 each at a Goodwill I stopped at while I was out of town. (Do you do that?  Do you look up thrift stores when you are in a new town?)  They look very vintage don't they?  I think they are reproductions, but I am not picky.  The hexagon large jar was a Home Goods clearance item.

My oldest son stopped by tonight.  He looked over our handiwork and said, "It would be a lot more impressive if there was food."  Sigh....like I said, we are just not fancy people.


Mama Thrift.

I am linking up to Censational Girl's Tablescape Party 

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