Labor Day Weekend Fun

For the past several years I have been on the look out for anything that would make great dollhouse assecories. I've thrifted dozens of Madame Alexander Happy Meal dolls, and that has pretty much set the scale.

This table and chair set were $2.00 at my favorite thrift store today.

With the remainder of my allotted $5.00 I bought the flash cards pictured below, a bag of leather buttons, a bag of plastic zoo animals and a
"Merry Christmas" rubber stamp.

And, since I had $4.00 to carry over from last week, I bought a shirt for myself.

Oh, yes. I've gotten a little bit crazy with the loopy potholder-making. They do make great dollhouse rugs though, don't they?

Fun Times

It can honestly be said that I am easily entertained.

I've stuck to my $5.00 thrift budget.

Be impressed! Be VERY impressed!

While THGGM wandered around 'downtown' Grandville, I was happily picking through treasures at "Somewhere In Thyme".

They have excellent merchandise turnover there.

I found a box of "Mammals of North America" flash cards for $1.50.

Quite a few of them seem suitable for bookmarks.

Not the same thrill as when I found the French flashcards, but really, not a bad find for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Happy Birthday, Tasha Tudor

(click on pictures to enlarge)

Tasha Tudor has always been a favorite illustrator of mine.

Today would have been her 93 birthday.

Whenever I am out perusing the antique store and thrift shop shelves for children's books my eyes are always alert for Tasha Tudor illustrated books.

I have many, and the ones I do not have appear on my Amazon wishlist, because I remain, ever hopeful.

The book above I rescued from a pile of books about to be trashed. Yes, it is a very worn library copy, but I still saw much value in it. And, the story of the dollhouse and the love of pretending gives it such vintage charm.

Tasha Tudor obviously saw value in the simple everyday things of life.

That she could capture that in her illustrations is just one of the amazing things about her.

For more on Tasha Tudor, please check out the links found at Clarice's blog, http://www.storybookwoods.typepad.com/

Go To The Head of the Idea File

Oh. Old games.

I am ever so crazy about them.

In my memory, I really do not remember playing board games all that much, but I DO remember playing WITH board games, a lot!

These people seem like long lost friends to me.

So, I bought them.

I have thought of so many things that I COULD do with these, that I'm almost afraid to commit to something and let all those other good ideas go to waste.

(and then i go into my basement, and think, i need to MAKE SOMETHING of all this stuff!)

Im Into Loopy Crafts

These were all separate purchases.

I remember spending hours in the summer making potholders.

So, since I am always in the market for a good Klutz book, I first found that for a dollar.

Next, I found the bag of all cotton loops for 25 cents. Did you know that you could also make your own loops from an all-cotton T-shirt? I haven't tried that yet.

Next, I found the red metal loom. That was also 25 cents.

Jonge and I gave it a quick try today. He could put them on the loom with only a small amount of assistance. Our other assistant could quickly remove them, so I shall put it all away for awhile.

Not a bad find for $1.50.

Thrifting for Great Reads

I have finished reading my thrifted copy of "The Complete Adventures of the Borrowers". Apparently, I had only read one of the books, and seen the movie, as I could clearly picture Eddie Albert as a borrower.

Saturday we visited one thrift shop on the other side of town. THGGM was looking for a book at Baker Book House, hoping to find it in the used book section. He did, but not for cheap enough. SO, I suggested we try hitting the thrift store 'over there', and we did not find what HE was looking for.

Although, I did find MANY copies of books in the 'used book' department at the book store that were also at the thrift store but for at least $10 cheaper per copy.

If you are wondering, I did NOT buy them.

I only bought three small hardcover books, at three for a dollar. One was a Joan Wash Anglund, and two were those little gift books, one about tea and one of The Velveteen Rabbit.

I've put myself on a $5.00 weekly limit at thrift stores. I still have four dollars left over from last week.

Sadly, I feel as if I deserve a round of applause!

She's Got Game Pieces

Game pieces are also great fun to hunt for in thrift stores.

I've been collecting Scrabble letters for quite some time now.

Sew What?

This spring I was hand sewing pears. Now that I have a new sewing maching, I haven't made even one more. I'll need to get right on that. These were made from thrifted napkins. The fabric is PERFECT for sewing small things. And, I cannot believe how inexpensive they are. Small stains do not matter, as I just cut around them. If I'm remembering correctly (always a big IF) I could get several out of one dinner size napkin.

Home Shopping

Today I ventured into my basement rooms to sort through boxes of interesting art supplies.

In the bottom of a box of 'things to be decoupaged on' were these three nesting trays.

Oooo. I love them. I knew they had to be somewhere and I am glad to have found them.

I don't think I shall decoupage them. They seem just fine as is.

A Hallway Vignette

Try as I may, I cannot get a decent picture of this.

Maybe it really doesn't look as good as I think it does. Some of my favorite finds are in this photograph. The old picture, the chintz pitcher with a somewhat matching pin dish, the cut-work hankie and the small plaque. The four game cubes spell out "HOPE", my chosen word for the year.

I've only had to rearrange the letters twice. Once it said HYPE and another time NOPE. There appear to be elves or fairies about.

So far I have found four etched-glass oval 'what-nots' that I would like to hang in each windowpane, but THGGM doesn't like that idea. I love the play of shadows when the morning sun shines in on them,

Thrift Store Clothes

When I began thrift shopping, it was only for books. Gradually I noticed there were other things in the store, things that I had previously looked for in antique stores only. NEVER did I look at the clothes. Then, when I was on the hunt for wool sweaters to felt, I found that there were clothes, but looking for them has never become a passion of mine.

Now, let me introduce you to The Husband God Gave Me, known here as THGGM.

I do not think he owns anything that is not a high end brand name. And he finds them all at thrift stores, and wears them proudly. He doesn't even set out to go looking for them, either. This is what he looks at while I am pouring through rows of books and unstacking the piles of neatly stacked china plates.

When he discovered me taking pictures of my piles of thrifted treasures on our dining room table he inquired as to why. So, I sucked in a deep breath of air and told him that I had started a blog in which to record my thrift finds.

To this he asked, "Would you like to take a picture of me with my clothes on?"

Honestly, I have NEVER taken any other kind.

happy, Happy, HAPPY Me

For over twenty-five years I've had the plate and bowl in the center of this picture.

Only having ONE of each caused many tears over the years. Daughter had a Strawberry Shortcake plate and bowl, but once Youngest Son came along the bunny bowl became the thing to have.

These are nothing special, apparently, to anyone but me.

But I am secretly THRILLED (well publicly now, since i am telling you) to be adding to this collection.

They were made by Onieda, and certainly have held up well over the years.

Blue Blue I Love Cobalt Blue

I unpacked my boxes of random cobalt blue glass.

Now that it is unwrapped, I have nowhere to put it.

So, it still remains on the kitchen table.

Except for the two lidded bottles in the front.

They have stuff in them still. This always scares me.

One is Dry Fly Dope. That can't be good.

The other looks like iodine, or something similar.

I've placed those high on a shelf in a closed cabinet for now.

I love the old blue medicine bottles.

They are still plentiful and cheap.

These are more recent acquisitions.

I'm not sure if I should use them for what they were intended, or turn them into button flower vases.

I fear that I am getting carried away with the spool people, because I just thought how cool would these be if I added a wooden bead with a face painted on it, and top it with the cover as a hat! It might be cute.

I've noted that there is a thin line separating too cute from really really stupid.

Hmmm. And, that last picture would look better if I hadn't misspelled my blog name.

The Old Becomes New

These beads were at one time part of a necklace. I strung them on Memory Wire after a slight accident with a tiny fisted boy. There are still beads to be found. These are plastic, but I've found many glass beaded necklaces in both thrift and antique stores. Look for chokers. These tend to have glass beads in varying sizes and seem to sell for less.

Simply a MUST HAVE

Have you seen this book? It is absolutely delightful! Somewhere, and I cannot remember where, I read about personalizing this book for a friend. So, I went out and bought one for a Valentine's Day gift and did just that. My friend (THGGM) liked it. Since then I have found several others. This copy I found today for 29 cents. Quite the savings off the full retale price.

Books To Alter

I found this book a few weeks ago. It was not in the best of shape, but that doesn't matter to me. The pictures are just fabulous, and I can think of SO MANY things that I could do with this book that I hardly know where to begin. One place might be to turn the heads into bracelet charms. I saw it in a book this weekend, and oh.., they were so very cute!

The mother and son picture would be lovely to frame, and the front and back covers could work as 'clip boards' with the addition of a (what else?) clip!

But I must be honest. It may go into a large box of books that represent several years of collecting papers with which to decoupage. Time will tell. If I make anything of it, I will be sure to post it here.

Things for which I Am Always on the Lookout

Klutz books are something I have been collecting since my kids were small. I have a picnic style basket FULL of Klutz books. Occasionally I find them with all of the necessary parts in tact. That thrills me, yet leaves me wondering what kind of a child didn't want to do these amazing projects?

Anyway.., I am hoping that the "Simple Sewing" book helps me out.

I also bought two "Manga" drawing books today for 29 cents each. I don't draw in the Manga fashion, but someday, if I ever want to learn how, I can!

Travel games are just too cool. I'm always looking for games. Especially old ones. These aren't old, but, they are games.

Saturday Thrifting

Today was a good day for thrift shopping. I found the two little rockers and the purse basket for a dollar each.

I couldn't wait for 1/2 price Wednesday for these books! Two are by Alexandra Stoddard; Making Choices and Daring to Be Yourself. The other is by Tracey McBride; Frugal Luxuries. I hope to dive into all three of these tonight!