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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Vanity

It's not vanity to feel you have a right to be beautiful.   

Elle MacPherson

This weekend we are in Denver, Colorado.  Our Patient Man is speaking at a youth conference and Thrift Chick and I came along for the ride (and who doesn't love the chance to be pampered in a hotel and to shop in a different city!)  We stayed at the Crowne Plaza near the airport.  A wonderful hotel where the staff remembered your name and your room included things like this:

and a bed like this 

Notice the cute little gift bag. It had ear plugs, sleep mask and lavender spray

...not to mention the cute little bag.

So when we found this little vanity kit, we wondered just what would be considered "vanity."  

This is what was inside.

That's it ladies.  Forget the ten pound cosmetic bag you lugged through security (keeping it with you for fear your luggage and  precious cargo would be lost.)  Forget the creams, lotions, bronzer, mascara and other products that we consider necessary to look gorgeous.  The Crowne Plaza believes all we need is three cotton balls, three Q tips and an emery board... and even that they label "vanity."  Wouldn't life be simpler if we all believed this?

Mama Thrift

P.S.  Stayed tuned.  We did hit a thrift store on our trip.

Tell About It Tuesday: Sunday Crossbow

Today is "Tell About It Tuesday"  I have several blogs that I love to frequent because of the bloggers amazing style!  I want to take the time to direct you in the direction of one of my favorites.... Sunday Crossbow!  This girl is a genius when it comes to putting together unexpected things and rocking them!  I have this fantasy where I am in the movie "Chronicles of Narnia: the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe" but instead of the wardrobe going to Narnia, it goes to Sunday Crossbow's closet.  I would be in clothes heaven!  So check her out....she is amazing!

Fall Views

The only holiday I used to decorate for was Christmas, but in recent years, I have discovered the fun of changing things up with the seasons.  Not only does it prevent the boredom of the same old thing, but it also gives me more of an excuse to hit the thrift stores!

The pilgrims are Byer's Choice and a gift from my Mom.  The pumpkins are Target clearance and the candle stand is thrifted.

The goblet was Hobby Lobby clearance as was the foilage (The hardest about buying on clearance is waiting a year to use it!) The wrought iron arch was thrifted.

The old church attendance sign was thrifted. ($3.00 at Salvo!)  Thriftchick says I need to put some words in there.  Any ideas?

The lantern was thrifted and the jug was from an estate sale.  The estate sales in our area are half off on the second day...so fun!

After a week of rain and wind, we are supposed to have sunshine...I hope to get out and enjoy some real fall views.

Happy Thrifting!
Mama Thrift

I'm linking

Alligators, Old Mink and New Money

I have been rereading one of my all time favorite books, Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money: One Women's Adventures in Vintage Clothing by: Allison Houtte and Melissa Houtte (Yes, I read! I am a teacher after all!).  It is a wonderful read about Allison Houtte's life in fashion and her experiences with her vintage clothing store "Hootie Couture" in New York City. I highly suggest reading it if you love thrifting and vintage clothes.  It will inspire your thrifting brain!

     There is a part in the book where Allison talks about why people buy vintage clothes and it pretty much sums up the main reason I love to thrift!

...But what makes vintage so hot as a fashion trend is also its biggest hurdle, especially for time-pressed shoppers and anyone who hates to shop.  Hunting for the perfect fur-collar coat, mod dress or rhinestone brooch takes time and energy, even when the owners of your favorite shops know your likes and dislikes and their stores are packed to the eaves with goodies....

...The good news is that when something fits, or completes a look in just the right way, customers feel like they've hit the jackpot. The odds were against them, but they got lucky...

...But that's why most of my customers love vintage. For them, dressing is an adventure, not a chore.

     That last sentences basically sums up why I thrift and why I love wearing what a lot of people look down at and label "old and used" clothing.  For me, dressing is an adventure, not a chore.

Happy Thrifting! Thriftchick

A Nod to Halloween

It is Halloween season and even though our kids are grown, we still have to mark what is my husband's favorite holiday.  When he was a child growing up in poverty, Halloween was an amazing day where people gave you free candy...all you had to do was be willing to dress up and walk for blocks.  To top it off, when a local church invited the neighborhood kids to a Halloween party, he heard his first presentation of the Gospel.  So Halloween marks his road into the ministry. 

Since we now live in the country and don't have trick or treaters, most of our fall decorations are of the general fall themes.  We do have one small nod to the holiday.

The mirror dresser tray  was a Salvation Army find...only 60 cents!  I sprayed painted it black.  The candlabra was also a Salvo find revamped with black spray paint.  All the pumpkins are plastic ones that I purchased last year on clearance from Walmart.  (It is hard for me to buy anything in season when I know it is going to be just a tenth of the price in a few short weeks.)  I sprayed the pumpkins with ivory paint.  I printed the letters on shipping labels and then cut them out to stick on the pumpkins.

Of course the only thing missing is a big bowl of candy.  That will come later.  One small fun size Snickers does not destroy a diet.  However, six do.

Mama Thrift

I am linking up to: