A little vintage shopping therapy ...

The Big Guy left me home alone for a few hours this morning. (You'd think he'd know better, after all these years!) So, I relished in having the place to myself for awhile, and, then ...


A light bulb went off!!!!

Hmmm, I had money in my pocket and a real big thrift store right around the corner! (He doesn't like me to go there without supervision as he's trying to get rid of all that extra stuff around the house. Thus, the development of the Vintage Section in my Etsy shop.) I mean, he doesn't mind if I'm going strictly to look for supplies like ribbons and lace or the occasional brand new (with store tags) lampshade to paint. He doesn't want more figurines for the collections we already have (the ones we're NOT selling off) or "interesting" finds that I thought I couldn't live without.

So, after deep consideration (about 5 minutes of thought), I took off for an adventure. I didn't do bad. Well, not tooo bad. I only picked up a few items that were bea-u-ti-ful! All of which I think are perfect for painting and reselling. Lucky for me I had plenty of time to get them home and hide them carefully. I know. I could justify their purchase with the "they're for the shop" argument but then he might point out I already have a stock pile of "To Be Painted" pieces. (Also, lucky for me, he doesn't read this blog!)

This is what I grabbed, for a mere ten spot!!

The one in the front, to the left, is a beautiful amethyst color. (The picture just doesn't do it justice!) The small one on the right is a solid black heavy glass. (At the moment, I'm thinking either white daisies or bright red poppies on that one.) Of course, the blue ones will probably feature fish. I seem to be able to really move fish and seascapes on blue glass. I find those canning jar style pieces are very popular lately so I've always got an eye out for them.

As of today, I'm vowing to steer clear of that place until these are painted and listed in the shop. Please, wish me luck on this one! (I mean, the only way in and out of my house is to go right past their driveway!)


MARCHPHOTOADAY

I've joined the Marchphotoaday Challenge along with Mama Tink and some other bloggers. Basically, every participant posts a picture of a specific subject for each day of the month.

Today's subject is "Something You Wore":

Those are my trusty crocs, right where I kicked them off.
Gawd, I LUV those shoes!

Here's the list if you'd like to play along, too.

Lace and ribbon and calico and more lace... Oh, My!!

Remember last week when I scored some great buys at the Thrift Store. I finally found time today to go through my bags and determine just what I had there.






WOW !!!! I'll be trimming everything in sight!!





Seriously, there are 23 different laces and crocheted trims, some black braid, and some other odds'n'ends of ribbons, braids and such. Some of these pieces were over 10 yards long! Most were in the 2 1/2- 4 1/2 yard range. Among the bags of trims, there was also a large lace remnant (like bridal lace), a stray zipper and a couple balls of yarn. The scrap bag contained 13 fat quarters of a variety of calicos - lots of purples, so I'm thrilled with that! That bag also had pieces of various cross-stitch fabrics - seventeen pieces!!!

My mind is boggled over what to do with all of these. I've got ideas flying around my head faster than I can jot them down ! I simply don't know which project to start first!!






Of course, there are a few pieces I'm not sure what to do with.



Like the great piece of teddy bear lace. It's about 5" high and I have 4 1/2 yards of this. It's adorable and I'm stumped as to what is the best use for this one.

Any ideas for that one?

All sugggestions are welcome!

What a bargain!!!

WOW!!! What a score at our local thrift store today!!


I found loads of craft patterns for only $ .49 each!!! I wanted them all!!! But, when I started adding that up , they had an awful big selection so I practiced self control and narrowed the pile down. They also had bags of miscellaneous trims and laces. I bought two bags. I haven't had a chance to dig through them but they really look like true treasure troves!! There were bags of fabric pieces, too. Most didn't seem real practical for me but then I found a bag with quite a few pieces of cotton prints and ginghams and such that will work great for trimming some kids' outfits! Mixed in are at least a half dozen pieces of cross stitch fabric, too. I can't wait to get started!

I found a baby doll, too. I'm hoping she'll be a decent model for infant hats and such. We'll see. She needs some sprucing up. But, what do you expect for $1 ?

On my way out, I found the perfect set of cute little glass canisters with apple designs embedded in the glass. I plan to paint the apples red so they'll really stand out, add some folksy ribbons and maybe put some sort of primitive pretties in them. (I'm not sure about the contents yet.) I think they'll be perfect for D's apple-themed kitchen !!! Can't wait to give them to her.

I also grabbed a new 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup (my old one is chipped), a small ceramic lamp and even a brand new pair of Oshkosh blue jeans overalls that still have their original tags on them.

All this for only $22.50 !!!!

This week is off to a great start!!!! Sunday was a good day, too.

As Easter didn't go quite the way it was supposed to last week, (a family member was injured on that Saturday) our holiday celebration was postponed until this week. We had our big family get-together this Sunday. I could do this every week (I know some of you do!) although I'm sure the menu planning for such a crowd might get challenging week in and week out !

**Incidentally, for those that know the story, J's doing much better and, although still uncomfortable, was able to get back to school this week. He's steering clear of dirt bikes for a while though!

Hope y'all are having a great week, too!

Guest Blogger, Fred - Thrifty Finds !

My friend, Fred, is our Guest Blogger today, lending a post while I'm away:


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Everyone is looking for fun stuff to do in a tight economy. If this is the case for you, don’t forget your local thrift store.


I have heard of many a crafter finding a prize at a thrift store. Expect the unexpected when you go. Not only are there great used items there, but you are bound to find brand new items at a great bargain as well.


With the recent interest in going green and recycling, what better place to go? If you like to embellish clothes, you are all set with racks and racks to choose from. Picture frames, art and other home décor items are readily available. Furniture ready to be restored (or made more funky) is waiting to be picked up. Jars, vases, pitchers, glasses, etc ready for that little embellishment that you have to offer.


Besides all the crafty items ready for you to pick up, going to a thrift store is just plain fun. Take your kids or grandkids there for a different shopping experience than they are used to.


For a fun little shopping trip that will be sure to provide a bargain or unexpected inspiration, go check out your thrift store and you’ll be helping out the community while you do it!


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Thanks, Fred !!


Fred is the webmaster at CraftBuddy.com, a social gathering place for crafters of all skill levels in all sorts of crafty endeavors. Those who join and participate in CraftBuddy are truly a circle of friends as evidenced by the friendly banter that fills the various forum threads there on a daily basis. Look for a long in-depth post here about Craft Buddy in August. In the meantime, why not stop over and check them out for yourself. Here's a short-cut to get your there!