Favorite Things

I've been busy. Mostly with work but with other things, too. I'm trying to get my handmade holiday gifts going (why don't I start these earlier? THAT should be my resolution.) and I'm trying to finish up some wedding details so I can get through the craziness of the holidays without heaping wedding craziness on top. I didn't post on Friday and instead took some time to peruse my favorite blogs. This got me to thinking of some of my favorite things. I looked around on Saturday and came up with a few:

Candles - I love the lighting , the scent, the homey feeling:



Wine - white in particular. I'm by no means a wine snob or connoisseur. I just like it. A peek into my wine cooler:



and of course, my sweet Louie. Here he is on Saturday waiting to be measured for his wedding tux. :):



Such simple things, like the candles and wine, make life enjoyable while our more passionate loves, like my future husband, make life so very sweet.

Well how's that for sappy on a Monday morning? yawn . . . I knit yesterday. Like a fiend. What did I accomplish? THIS:



Hmmm . . . this hat is REALLY small. (no I didn't check the gauge) and this is not the most flattering picture of me either. I'm not saying the day was wasted but geesh . . . I had big hopes for this hat. It's from this pattern and should fit my head quite differently. I think I'll gift this one to my cousin's little girl and try again with bigger needles and thicker yarn.

Tomorrow I have some thrifted stuff to share and another tea party hat. Back in a flash . . .

xoxoxo Rebecca

Swap Goodies!

WOO HOO! Sarah is a GREAT swap partner!



This is the most that I could fit in one picture! :) I love that she threw on those crepe paper flowers from Jack's party. She said she thought I could make one a pumpkin and one a ghost for Halloween. I already hung them in my craft room. :)

There are several Workbasket magazines (Oh and Sarah, I'm so going to crochet one of those circa - 1974 pinafores LOL) and an old Martha October issue! And do you see that SUPER CUTE Halloween post card???



There's lacy trim, fabric:



a Japanese pattern for a stuffed kitty and a fusable web purse kit with handles. :)



Here are my favorites form the fabric stash:



Oh and MY FAVORITE thing she sent:



An acorn appliqued flour sack towel she made! I love it! There's a fabulous gros grain ribbon pleat on the bottom that is just adorable.

There was so much stuff I know I'm missing things. Sarah, thank you so so much for all the lovely things. :)

I'll be back later with the promised tea party hat and thrifted goodies.

Ciao!

The Tale of the Headless Polish Sheep

Sometime back I received an e-mail from Anna in Poland. She had a Polish translation of The Knitters Bible and thought that it was translated incorrectly as the sheep she was knitting was HEADLESS. Yes, without a head. Nada cabeza. Sans melon.



*shudder* Seems like the pattern instructions for the head were unclear. Anna read that I was knitting something from that book (we won't get into WHAT I was knitting and whether or not it's finished, thank you) and asked if I could send her the pattern in English so she could finish the poor thing. Well mail to Poland was a lot quicker than I thought (as is Anna's knitting!) and VOILA!



Isn't he cute? Let's call him Charlie. Just another case of why the internet is wonderful for bringing us crafty ladies together. Please go see Anna's other wonderful knits on her blog (in Polish) and her Flicker site (in English.)

Thrifty Goodness: Saving the World, One Headless Knit Sheep at a Time.

So what did I do this weekend? Aside from standing in LONG lines to get my thrills on the roller coasters at Great Adventure, I spent my Sunday on the sofa knitting dog sweaters for my sister's three pooches. I'll show a picture when all three are complete. It's a theme project. So why do I knit for other dogs and not my own?

EXHIBIT A



While Kaiser is a huge fan of Old Navy dog sweaters (particulary the ones with attached scarves) he is NOT so fond of those I've made for him. He kept walking into the wall trying to rub it off and then scooting across the floor in protest. So NO MORE SWEATERS for him. *hmphf*

But I digress . . . in addition to the sweater knitting, I also worked on a larger version of the paper rosettes I made for the tea. I thought they would make for nice Christmas decorations to hang in the windows:



I'm not 100% in love with this one yet but we're getting there. I'm thinking another rosette in the center, maybe dark red or green? I ordered some glass glitter online, maybe that is just what I need.

Tomorrow, more updates on the thrift heard round the world (aka - my $45 spree in Baltimore) and another fabulous tea party hat with touching long time friend story. I'm sure you're on the edge of your seats.

Keep me posted on your swap! Sarah received mine, check it out here!

until tomorrow . . . R

New Year's Resolution!

Yes, I know it's early but last year's resolution was to be more timely about getting things done, so, mission accomplished! ;) Seriously, resolutions are good motivators for me and in 2007 I want to create SOMETHING I can put up for sale on Etsy. I know I can, I just need to do. I don't know what I'll make but rest assured that it will involve mass amounts of paper and glitter.

Speaking of things I want to make, check out the vintage button rings at Relic Boutique:



So stinkin' cute! The November issue of country Living is pretty good, I must say.

Back to thrifting, how about this for a crappy photo?:



glass fruit & veggie motif pitcher - $2 - one of the tomato images is faded but for real, how cute?

pyrex pie dish - $3 - I have a thing for the fluted ones. Plus these aren't just for pie you know, I use mine for my BIG SALAD.

enamal jack o' lantern cup - 45 cents - he has a pretty big chip but would you have been able to resist him? I think not.



New Orleans pencil drawing - $2 - Luis and I loved our visit to the Big Easy and this will go nicely in the living room.

framed butterfly - $1 - I took this out of the frame and it says "litho in USA." I didn't like the frame but now I'm having second thoughts. Maybe I'll put it back?

I'm sure you're wondering just how long I'm going to draw out this ONE thrift trip? As I don't see any thrifting in my immediate weekend, I'm stretchin' this one for all I can. Luis and I are going to the amusement park tomorrow and I plan to spend my Sunday getting caught up on cleaning and laundry. Ooo, that sounds fun, oy.

Our hat today was done by my sister Mandi, also known as Hot Sauce! ;)



Nice use of red and black AND feathers. Mandi works part time at a scrapbook store, you can see her scrappin' blog here.

Have a great weekend i miei dolci, I'll think of you as I fold Luis' socks.

ciao - R

PS - SWAP UPDATE

Ha ha - I almost forgot, so I decided to add this in BOLD. Alright, enough bold. Anyway, I sent out Sarah's supplies earlier this week and I know mine are on their way from her, too, yeah! I promise to get Sara's supplies out at the beginning of next week (it's raining, long story, the Mets lost the NLCS, yada yada yada). Let me know what's going on with YOU! I haven't heard from Mary Beth & Linda so I hope all is well there.

Just a few things . . .

Sarah's little boy Jack is 2 today! Stop by here and wish him happy birthday!

Go see Selena's FABULOUS Halloween banner! She even shows you how she made it!

I'm off to Knit Night with Joolz (tonight is our first meeting) so I'll post on more thrifting finds and maybe something crafty tomorrow. Though I've been doing quite a bit more thinking than actual doing lately . . .

xoxoxo

R

PS - Tea Party hat of the day done by Stacy:



no birds but excellent use of fake fruit.

A Girl Called Violet & Other Musings

Most days I can't stand riding the subway. It's crowded and hot and often stinky. I'm fortunate to only have a 25 to 30 minute morning commute and my train is above ground for most of the trip. I rarely say "what a GREAT ride on the train today WOO HOO!" However, my morning ride yesterday really made me smile.

My train gets crowded. I get on early and usually can snag a seat. Lately I've been knitting rows on my cardigan to pass the time. A young woman and a little girl of about 7 got on and ended up standing near me. I heard the woman say "look, she's knitting!" The little girl watched me intently. At the next stop seats cleared and the little girl and her mother sat down next to me. The little girl looked and me and said "My Aunt Shannon knits, too!" We went on to chat the rest of the ride. I learned that her Dad was tall and didn't like to drive, her gym teacher is bald and they call him "blank head" and that her mom wants to dye her hair back to brown. :) You've got to love the thought patterns of a child. Anyway, I got up to get off at my stop and she said she hoped she saw me again. I told her my name was Rebecca and she excitedly said that was her Mom's name, too! Then she smiled and said "I'm called Violet!" Well Violet, you made my day. I hope I see you again, too. :)

In crafty news, please stop by Molly Chicken for her tutorial on Raggy Flowers. I've already e-mailed my Dad to make me one of those dowel sticks with the channel for cutting fabric strips. Nice.

Look at this thing:



I paid $2 for it at the thrift last week. I'm guessing it's a spice rack. I'm considering trying to find empty spice jars that fit those holes and indeed using it as a spice rack. However, I also thought it would be a nice holder for small bottles of acrylic paint in the craft room. I don't paint that much so I don't know if that's the best idea. Regardless, it needs to be painted, it's the wrong red if you know what I mean. :)

Some crafty scores:



needlepoint pillow kit - $2 - this is from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and is a gorgeous pattern! I went to their website to see if they had any of these kits listed but no luck. I do think I may need my own set of Table Top Red Coat Bowling though.

Coats & Clark lap embroidery hoop - $2 - I'm guessing this is for lap quilting which I know nothing about. But I think it would be nice to have if I venture into any large cross stitch or embroidery projects.

Navy blue Wool Ease - $1 - I picked this up for Dita and forgot to give it to her (along with her French press and flower pot so I guess she'll be waiting until I head back to Charm City at Thanksgiving. :)

Speaking of Dita, here is a look at her marvelous hat from the Tea Party:



Notice the excellent use of a fake bird. :) Brilliant! That's why she's my friend!

until the next time . . .

R

Thrifty Thrifty Ya Ya Da Da

I am SO glad I was able to hit my favorite thrift while in Baltimore. Lizzy Ann and I drove right to the store in Baltimore from NYC last Thursday. Mom met us there. I spent $45! That's a lot for me but like I said, it's my fav store and I so rarely get to go that I just bought up everything that peaked my interest. I'm sure NONE of you has done that before, RIGHT? uh uh.

Anyway, some of the booty: (typical disclaimer of crappy photography blah blah blah)



blue holiday wash cloth - 45 cents - cute and perfect for my half bath

fireplace matches - $2 - mostly I wanted these for the super cute little house tube they came in but it is filled with blue tipped fireplace matches as a bonus!

Villeroy & Boch trinket box - $3 - oh how I love Villeroy & Boch

vintage table cloth - $2.50 - (under the matches, etc.) this was a half price item and it seems that these days you NEVER find the half price colors any more. I just couldn't believe some body didn't snatch this baby up! What a great fruit and veggie motif.

Bass pint glass - 45 cents - I love lots of ice in my drinks and pint glasses are the perfect size. Oh and sometimes we use them for beer, too.

Fire King casserole dish - $3 - I don't know a damn thing about Fire King but I hear people raving over it all the time and when this dish caught my eye (it's in great shape and has that sort of orangy iridescent finish) I turned it over and it said Fire King Made in the USA - I knew I had to buy it.

Fire King votive holders - 45 cents each - I thought these were from Yankee Candle and matched some I gave my sister for her B-Day but they say Fire King on the bottom. I am still giving them to her, they will go nicely I think.

I like all of this lot but I think the trinket box is my favorite:



I won't over load you and will post more tomorrow - $45 of thrifted stuff is A LOT of stuff. :)

Anyone who has more info on Fire King, I'm curious. Apparently, I'm not as thrift saavy as I thought ha ha . . . I'm also again considering starting up a little EBay store AND . . . this is where I really need your insight . . . an Etsy Shop to maybe sell some of my paper creations. I have a great idea for a set of Thanksgiving menus, place cards and napkin rings that I thought people may like to own. I've realized that once I iron out the details of the design I'm pretty good at mass producing. So thoughts? I'm hoping to make up a set this week and post for all of you to see. Think autmun colors and lots of leaves and acorns. Oh, and of course GLITTER GLUE. Well maybe, I figure I can have the "rustic" version as well. (ie: no glitter)

I will leave you with another of the fabulous hats from the tea party:



This was done by Lizzy Ann and was probably the most "normal" of all the hats. Normal meaning - no fake birds.

God bless hats.

R

Charmed Life

The Bridal Tea this weekend was fabulous! Basically, my mother and I wanted to throw a little party for all the girls in my upcoming wedding and we decided to have a Mad Hatter's Tea Party.



We thrifted a bunch of mis-matched china and served all sorts of mini desserts, tiny sandwiches and pastries. It was all VERY yummy. (Needless to say, I lost no weight on my diet weigh-in this week!)

I put my paper crafting skills to work and made place cards:



menus:



and rosettes:



And Mom looked great in her paper crown!



It was such a good time! We also did the Victorian Cake Charm tradition :



Also, since it was a Mad Hatter's tea party, everyone had to choose a hat and decorate it. The girls will then wear their hats for the ceremony rehearsal the night before the wedding. Since all the hats are so fabulous, I figure to share one on each of my next few posts. Since this is my blog, I'll start with my hat. :



You'll notice that I have both a quail AND a turkey. It's good to be the bride. ;) We gathered all sorts of craft supplies, feathers, silk flowers, ribbons, etc. We bought many bags of random stuff at the thrift to suppliment the hat decorating. The battenburg lace on my hat was in a bag I paid 99 cents for and it was stuffed with lace and other goodies.

Whew! What a fun day!

I was able to thrift on Thursday and have a whole mess of stuff to share. More on that tomorrow. Also, remember that this weekend is the deadline to mail out your swap stuff but I know a few of you mentioned you may be late so just e-mail your swap partner and let them know. Vive la GOODNESS.

smooches . . .

R

Photo Card Goodness*

*I reserve the right to add the word GOODNESS to any phrase. Thank you.

I am probably one of the few people who does not have children yet still sends holiday photocards.

I sent this one in 2003:



and then this one in 2005: (I have no idea what happened in 2004)



and I was considering sending this one this year:



I don't love this picture of me, I look pregnant and I'M NOT so that's distressing but whatever. All of these are from Snapfish. I use them for my digital photo albums, too, and have been pleased. However, today I got an e-mail from MARTHA about her new holiday photocards. Well they are wicked cute and now I may have to just send lots of photocards for every holiday. I mean everyone wants a picture of my dogs dressed up for Halloween, right?

I'm off to Baltimore today and won't be able to post until Monday. Hopefully I will be get to do a little thrifting (it's on the agenda) and will have pictures from my Bridal Tea Party to share as well. Everyone have a fantastic weekend and keep on thriftin'! woot woot!

cheers - R

Monkey See, Monkey Do

During a chit-chat with Nina yesterday I started rhapsodizing about some paper crowns I saw on the internet like a year ago. Blah, blah, blah I went on and on and typed "paper crowns" into every search engine I could find with no luck. Then I remembered reading a post on Selena's blog about her visit to the Farm Chick's Antique Show and about her love of Barbara Schriber's paper products. So I clicked on the link and low and behold . . . THE PAPER CROWNS. Yes, the very ones I dream of at night and wanted oh so badly to make for ALL of my friends. I TOLD YOU we had a lot in common.

So long story short (too late, I know) I made my own version of one of those crowns. (And I PROMISE to go find a store in Manhattan that carries some of Barbara's products and splurge away) Anyway, imitation is the purest form of flattery so here you go:



In retrospect, I wish I would have used a two sided paper on those side rosettes. I like it anyway. The map paper is wrapping paper and is double sided (it's leopard on the other side me-ow). It's one of those rolls you get from those school fund raiser booklets that float around during the winter holidays. I always buy a few rolls from a lady at work and while it's high ($6 a roll) there's a lot of it, it's a heavy duty paper AND it's double sided. I adore all the rolls I have and use them often.

Gratuitous close up:



Man, I LOVE pinking shears. They just make my day. The stripped paper on the side of the large rosette in the center is what I made the side rosettes from. I am debating on whether I need to put something in the center of the rosettes? Thoughts? More decoration? Hmm?

Here is a close up of the rosette I made for my Aunt (I plan to attach it to a pin back);



The leaves are cut with the Sizzix and I'm all about the glitter glue these days. I used it on the map paper rosettes as well though it's not showing up. On the pink striped rosettes on the side (I forgot to photograph them, damn!) I did the whole "paint on the glue sprinkle with glitter thing" and it looks nice but the glitter is white and you can barely see it and it took for-freakin-ever. I need better glitter!

Anyway, I will take pictures of my Mom and my Aunt Pam sporting their paper accoutrements at the Bridal Tea this weekend. I will also FINALLY be able to share the adorable place cards and tags I crafted for the party without ruining the surprise for Nina and Dita.

I hope soon to be able to post about some thrift finds as after all, that's what this blog is about. Of course, would you say that making your Mom a paper crown with supplies you already had INSTEAD of purchasing one (or new supplies to make one) is both THRIFTY and GOODNESS? Ponder . . .

cheers bellas . . .

R

Across the World Wide Web

The internet is AMAZING. I know, you're like "Thanks for the NEWS FLASH" but seriously, it hits me once in awhile how connected we are. I've received so many lovely e-mails and comments lately and more people have joined the swap that I would have ever imagined! And of course it's not only because we are connected but because have loads in common being that we are all intelligent, kind, talented and THRIFTY girls. So, I thought I'd share a little story about me and the internet. :)

Back in like 2000 I had a leeeeetle crush on actor Russell Crowe. (Okay, can I continue or are you still laughing?) Anyway, I joined a Yahoo message board blah blah blah and made some amazing friends. Two of which I am still, six years later, very much in touch with. Lizzy Ann lives here in New York City (and is the reason I live here - she called to tell me she needed a room mate and I dropped everything and moved) and dear Cazza who lives in England (somewhere near Whales) with her fab hubby Mario and their new little princess Angelina. Both of these girls are a big part of my life and I'm so glad we met over something so silly as GLADIATOR. ha ha ha

Oh and speaking of funny stuff, Vax Girl, I think you did see Mr. T on Martha the other day as he has new REALI-T series. Oy.

Back to the GOODNESS part of this blog. Here is my Christmas stocking:



It's from this book which I found about 2 years ago on clearance at Michael's for $2. (How's that for thrifty, hmm?) I'm liking the argyle but I'll be lucky to finish it, I remember why I'm not keen on color work. It takes FOREVER. I knit all the way through the first half of the Ravens/Broncos game last night and maybe accomplished an inch. I'd really like to make one in the opposite colors to have two for this Christmas but, well, you know. I also hope I don't run out of green and that if I do, I can find more. It's really super soft and as long as I don't blow the heel and toe part, this stocking will end up being a favorite.

For some reason I'm into the knitting now (I still blame it on fall) and I plan to cruise the net for some new patterns (because I certainly don't have enough with my 20 plus knitting books and fire-hazard piles of printed patterns). I also have lots of other ideas for holiday projects up my crafty sleeves. I talked with Nina today about posting a tutorial on our felt garlands (she has some AWESOME ideas - not surprised, this is the pink kitchen girl) and maybe we'll inspire someone. Oh, and I like telling people what to do. :)

Well, I've certainly yammered away the morning. I'll be back tomorrow with some thrifted things I have yet to post.

xoxox bex

PS - go check out Apron Thrift Girl's thrifted shirt turned apron because I know you need ONE MORE thing you'll just HAVE to try. Go on, you know you want to . . .

Swappers Unite!

Good morning!



cafe paris mug - 99 cents - Selden Thrift

I have sent out e-mails to all the swap partners! We ended up with a total of 13 - that's LUCKY number 13, lucky for me because I get two swap partners. :) (I figured that was the best way since I have booty enough for the lot of you.) Anyway, here are the match ups:

Nina - Selena
Dita - Jordan
Linda - Marybeth
Heidi S - Lucy
Lisa-Gabrielle - Heidi G
Rebecca - Sarah & Sara (isn't that lovely how it worked out?)

Swap Deadline: send out by October 22nd

Please remember to take pictures and post your trade. I made sure to put non-bloggers with bloggers. I'll put links here so everyone can see all the goodies that went around. Also, if you happen to make something with your received loot let me know! We'll post about that, too.

So what did you do this weekend?

Aside from conquering Mt. Laundry and hitting the mall, I made Christmas cards. Okay, I only made ONE Christmas card. The red one, I made the blue one like a week ago:



I also started knitting a Christmas stocking. I guess I was feeling jolly. I did not get to the thrift (though I found some deals at Joann's - the remnants were 75% off) and I hope to hit one thrift while in Baltimore this coming weekend.

Swap-a-dee-doo my friends. :)

xoxo
Rebecca

Friday Finished

Before I babble on about myself, please go see the new issue of For the Love of Yarn and check out Heidi's mini mitten pattern! She's famous!! And now back to me . . . ;)

I finished that hat. I FINISHED THAT HAT. I had to say it twice since I never finish anything, well at least not in any kindsof timely manner.

Ta-da:



I added the little "pumpkin stem" at the top and now I wish the hat were dark orange and brown. Yum. Maybe I'll go buy more yarn? (I'm not supposed to be doing that) but I do like this hat quite a bit. Want to see it closer??



It was supposed to be for Luis but I have to say, it looked a bit silly on him. Good thing it looks cute on me. :) Apparently, I rock at making hats (as opposed to slippers). Have you seen this one?



Yes that's me and it was last summer and my arms are a bit porky but the hat rules. My Dad said it looked like cabbage so that's what I call it now. That was a fun pattern and you can find it here. It's cables done in short rows (no DPNs!) and it's not as difficult as it sounds. I plan to make another in blue. More pictures here (I was quite proud of myself).

So this is the last weekend to sign up for the swap (I've been having so much fun with this already). Here is a list of who I have so far:

Nina
Dita
Jordan
Sarah
Linda
Mary Beth
Heidi (Spiritual Knitter)
Heidi (Vacuuming in High Heels & Pearls)
Apron Thrift Girl (I read somewhere her name is Selena :) )
Lisa-Gabrielle
Lucy

If some one has e-mailed me and isn't listed here please hollar and I'll add you. The Yahoo spam blocker tends to eat things.

Also PLEASE send me your addresses (if you haven't already) so I can give it to your swap partner (I'll send you both an e-mail) AND so I can send you each a little something. (I have an amazing collection of vintage buttons by the way, my Grandmother was quite the collector). I'll be off-line for most of the weekend :( but will be back Monday with your buddies!

craft on sisters . . .

Rebecca

Crafty Fall

What is it about fall that makes us want to nest? And of course CRAFT while in the nest? Today is gloriously fall like, I wore my favorite little jean jacket blazer thing and a big fat scarf around my neck (a light weight one but a scarf none the less.) I've chatted with Nina about all the crafty things she's planning to do with her long weekend and I've of course made a long list myself.

I have big plans to make my own version of this and oh my God how cute is THIS? Oh and this which really makes me want to learn to knit with beads and this makes me want to try my hand at painting. (Lucy, thanks for the "no snow" thoughts, I'll allow it on Christmas day ;) )


So I started a hat:



The yarn is 100% wool, name brand is Chaco, I think, I lost the ball band. The lovely orange bag in the back is my new one skein knitter's tote that Nina brought me as a thank you for letting her stay at my house last weekend! How sweet since it was so fun to have her (and Dita!). It's from "Knit It!" magazine, here's a shot:



(pardon the glare) Those who know my knitting know I'm not much for the bright colors and I'm liking the way my brown and cream is coming. I'm ready to start the crown shaping with means DPNs and I so don't like those so we'll see how it goes.

Luis informed me that he's overhauling the office this weekend and if that happens I won't be able to get on line until he's finished. SO, I'm extending the sign up for the craft supplies swap until Sunday and I'll send out partners on Monday. Remember to send your e-mail and addresses!

cheers . . .

Almost Famous :)

I'm in print! :) I wrote a short article for the monthly newsletter for The Thrift Store Shopper. You can read my little story here. I am fortunate to share a page with Apron Thrift Girl! (By the way, ATG, send me your info for the swap ahem ;) ) You'll notice that ATGs article has beautiful pictures. I looked and looked for a picture of my thrifted Halloween Costume with no luck. Oh well. Cookie has asked me to contribute again so next time there will definately be pictures even if I have to fake them. ;)

The swap is alive and kickin' and I can't wait to get everyone paired up. We have a few more participants and I'll post a list on Friday and send out swap partners over the weekend.

So what else did we find on our Tour De Chance?



Pampered Chef Chilzane Bowl - $4 - Goodwill - I had the smaller one you see on top. This is for reference since my Mom or my Sister gave me the smaller one.

pink leaf dish - $2 - Selden Thrift - This is a favorite and goes wonderfully with the green leaf dish from a past thrift. Hmm, do I feel a collection coming on?

pig cutting board - $2 - Selden Thrift - I've already used this like 5 times. It says handmade in the Phillipines on the back. Don't you love his leather piggy tail for hanging?

pie shield - 35 cents - Selden thrift - already used this too. It's amazing, I didn't burn the crust. Who knew? (okay everyone knew but me . . .)

Still need to photograph a few more things from that weekend and I saw a comment from Nina about the pink apron and pink carafe we gave her. I will definately post that picture once she sends it, I've been dying to see her new pink kitchen myself. I did find this picture of the carafe:



What a crappy shot, it's so blurry, but you can still see the cuteness of it. :) I so rarely find these with the lids still intact and in great shape. Baltimore Goodwill, $3 I think . . . it's been awhile.

More to come . . .

xoxo

Tour De Chance

Hello! (imagine that being said in a very horse and scratchy voice.) I survived the crazy weekend of thrifting, eating, sight seeing and more eating. my cold only kept me down for part of yesterday. I guess I'll start with some of our adventures on Friday when we traveled all over Long Island in search of bargains.

Dita and I started our trip at 8:00 am and drove ALL THE WAY out to Selden which is about 60 miles from my house. Following Vax Girl's list, we hit the Selden Thrift first. At this time I am wishing I would have taken pictures of what we got at each store but alas, I didn't do it that way. So instead, I'll tell the story and then share some pictures. Okay? okay . . .

ANYWAY, we hit the Selden Thrift first. I have to say, I was a bit surprised at the prices. A small bedside lamp with a slightly dirty fringed shade was $20! But did we let this stop us? No way! We pressed on and did end up with some good bargains. We then went to the Good Will also in Selden. Our finds were minimal there but I did get a rug for my dining room for only $40. It was new and from Target so I was okay with the price. I mean, you really can't buy a new 5' X 8' rug for $40. Then we got lost. Then we went to Applebee's and the Pottery Barn Outlet and then we got lost again. To make a LONG story short, we did find the St. Vincent De Paul thrift store in Bethpage (our favorite stop of the day) and also went to the Savers since I figured I wouldn't get too lost trying to get there.

Some of my finds - all from St. Vincent De Paul (the only store specific photos I managed to take):



coffee/tea pot - $3

melamine sunflower bowl - 50 cents

mini cocktail shaker - 50 cents - probably my favorite find of the day

mini pitcher/creamer - 25 cents



Winnie the Pooh/Disney mugs - 75 cents each - my sister admired these when we were in Disney this summer so they are to be gifted to her

embroidered napkins - 25 cents each - these are high on the favorite finds list, too

St. Vincent's was cheapy cheap and the lady was very friendly. I also picked up a hand made pink and black apron for Nina (she's the one with the pink kitchen) but forgot to photograph it before I gave it to her. It was 50 cents. What a steal! Dita got some goodies as well but again, no photos. I do hope she will take some pictures when she gets home today. Since we had been out for 12 hours on Friday, the picture taking was not so great. I hope to have more to share through out the week as I start to recover. :)

I do have one non-thrifting picture to share:



From our dinner at my house last night. It was the best thing we did all weekend. That's my sweet Louie in the red (he's a fan of "finger guns" in pictures oy), Dita in the black shirt, Nina in the green, Minda behind her and Mary and David on the right. The last three are Nina's fabulous family who were visiting the Big Apple for the first time from Chico, California. It was a great weekend for sure. Soon I hope to share more about about Minda, David and Mary. They have their own business where they make and install fancy pants custom window treatments. YES, they are proffessional crafters. Sigh . . . .

Wow, lots of babble today! I'll be back tomorrow after you've had time to process. Hope everyone had as fine a weekend as I did.

ciao - Rebecca

PS - don't forget to sign up for our craft supplies swap, the cut off date is this weekend! I have quite the pile started in my craft room . . .