Ah, yes. I'm back to thrift shopping.

Something I DID learn from not going thrift shopping was how much I enjoy not having to look for places to put things.

I found this great stack of books. Don't tell THGGM, but I already have some of these. It seems that I cannot stop buying copies of The Messiah when they appear for 25 cents. This one is my third. Soon, I'll be able to start a choir.

Not pictured are a Mickey Mouse crib sheet, two carved wooden candlesticks, a very nice cut glass plate, and two dresser scarves.

Oh, and the small white pitcher pictured below.

It felt good to be back.

It's Been a Looooong Time

I made it to my favorite thrift store this afternoon!

Sadly, I did not find much.

I did find a small white pitcher for twenty-five cents.

That of course made me jumping-up-and-down happy.

I get happy like that a lot, but it really doesn't show on my face or in my demeanor. And I never actually jump up and down. No. That would hurt.

Pretty much I always just look annoyed.

I'm not sure why that is.

Anyway..,

I do use these and am always happy to see my collection grow.

Finger Puppet Store Display

The Manhattan Toy Company used this as a finger puppet display.

I think I paid about a dollar for it at the thrift store.

It holds my wooden-spool threads nicely.

Most of those came from THGGM's grandmother.

What I really like about this is that it COULD hold two spools of thread on each spindle.

Yes. It could. I'm all about economy.

A Sheet, A Curtain, or a Tablecloth?

We've had this king size flat sheet for years. It came from a fabulous sale at Yonkers. The kind of sale where they mark things with dots, if I remember correctly, and this was on a black dot sale.

I found it in the linen closet when I was looking for something else and thought it just may make a nice curtain around my work bench.

So, I washed it and threw it over my two tables in the basement to dry.

Hmm. I like it here. It isn't very practical for messy projects, but it could easily be removed for that.

So, for now it's staying as a tablecloth.

Using What I Have

Since I haven't been in an antique mall or a thrift store in 38 days I've been using my resources to make my work spaces in my basement more usable.

If I showed you the REAL before pictures you would faint. There were SO many cardboard boxes FULL of stuff it was unbelievable.

Seriously.

These cabinets have been with us for years now. Both thrift finds.

I'm still a fan of chippy white furniture, so I dragged them down here with a little bit of help.

Seeing the two sitting there side by side gave me the idea to put that old white door on top of them and slide my sewing table between the two.


That REALLY got me going, and I could not stop.

Today I slid an old linen table cloth over the top of the door and down the back.

I like the looks of that, as it is softer than a cement wall.

My sewing machine was a gift.

Everything else in these pictures?

Thrift/antique/clearance/coupon finds.

I have eleven picnic baskets.

Eleven.

I thought I only had ten, but today I found another one.

Those and wire baskets I just cannot get enough of. So great for storage!

If I get a chance, I'll try to hone in on some of the individual pieces.

Oh, and I don't sew things like clothes. Mostly just dolls, toys and things with seams that should be straight and easy but always end up crooked whenever I attempt them.

Thrifting But Not Shopping

Since I haven't been out thrift shopping since the beginning of Lent, I've been working HARD to use what I already have. As I've mentioned numerous times before, that isn't quite so difficult when one has much to work with.

So, that's what I've been doing.

Working with what I already have.

On a lovely craft blog I saw knitting needle flowers made with simple gathered circles of fabric (note to self. once you remember what those simple gathered circles are called, please edit this to include the proper name for them.)

Well. I do not knit but remembered that SOMEWHERE I had trash picked a bunch of knitting needles. The most amazing thing is that I actually found them!

And, a few years back I thrifted a dozen crocheted coasters.

I'm always thrifting buttons and pompoms.

Can't seem to pass up pretty salt shakers either.

The fabric and even the needle - thrifted.

Put it all together, and what have you?

A kinda/sorta bouquet.

I Never Met a Doily I Didn't Like

How beautiful things like this end up in thrift stores is beyond my comprehension. I scored two of these a while back. Since they are raised in the center they cannot be used in the traditional 'doily' way. They rest on the backs of two chairs now. If ever I try to move them my very observant grandson puts them back.

I'm amazed by all the work that went into these. Since I do know how to crochet, I do know that this was not a quick project.

And, I probably should mention that it is SOO hard staying out of the thrift/antique stores during Lent. I drove by two of them today and audibly heaved a deep sigh.

Although I have been accomplishing much with the things I've already purchased and had tucked away until 'later'. It's later. WAAAAY later.