Confessions of a Junk Store Junkie

Baking Day

2010-04-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

Tonight the husband and I are having dinner with some friends, and I was asked to bring dessert. So I turned to my copy of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, which was a gift from my mother-in-law, to find a recipe. My mother-in-law said the book is full of many of her staple recipes and every cook should have a copy. I decided on a Coconut White Cake (a basic white cake recipe with toasted coconut mixed in) with Chocolate Butter Frosting. I'm hoping it will taste similar to a Mounds candy bar - yum! What is so interesting about this is that I recently inherited my grandmother's copy of the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (see photos above). It just so happens that my grandmother's copy is the 1953 first edition and first printing - very cool! It is very obvious that this cookbook was used over and over and over again. It is in binder format so the pages can be taken out, and many of the punched holes in the pages are torn, suggesting that the pages have been flipped through and perused many, many times.

I also received a few other things that will aid me in my future cake baking: a cake carrier, a flour sifter, and a cake and cookie decorator. I can remember my grandmother using this cake carrier frequently, and every time I saw it I would get excited because it meant she had made dessert (I most often hoped there was a pound cake inside - delicious!). It is Decoware brand, and after a little bit of searching, I found an identical one for sale on eBay. There it is described as a vintage 40's cottage primitive tin Decoware cake carrier. I have wanted one of these to replace my plastic no frills Rubbermaid version, and this one is perfect!

I really needed a new sifter because the one I have has stuff clogged in it, and I haven't been able to figure out how to get it out. I was very excited when I was presented with this one - it even still had flour on it as though it had just been used. Finally, I got this great cake and cookie decorator with interchangeable tips. I can make my own icing for decorating, and won't have to use the store-bought kind just so I can have the decorating tips - much tastier! I have always liked the idea of homemade birthday cakes, and now I have the means to decorate them.

I am excited to celebrate my grandmother's memory through carrying on the tradition of cooking some of her best recipes. It is even better that I will be able to use some of the very same tools she did.

Cute Easter Treats

2010-04-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

I was home last week, and I showed my mom these cute bird's nest Easter treats I had seen online. We were having our family up for Easter lunch, so we decided it would be fun to make them for everyone. Unfortunately mom still has the recipe, and I'm not sure what website she got it from, but if anyone is interested I can find out. I also have some tips on making them that you won't find in the recipe.

If you have ever eaten haystacks (usually made with chow mein noodles and butterscotch), these are very similar. The nest is made out of chow mein noodles, melted chocolate, and peanut butter. Delicious! The candies in the nest are store-bought Reese's Pieces eggs to complement the peanut butter in the nests. And I'm sure you all recognize the Peep used for the bird. These are a very cute addition to your Easter table or any springtime event, and they could also be used as place card holders.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! I just love this image I found dated to 1957 of this family in all their Easter finery. I remember, growing up, how every year I would get a new dress for Easter, and I could hardly wait to wear it. I guess this tradition stopped some time when I was in high school, and I really haven't given it a lot of thought until this year. I think it would be fun to have that special dress again, and I would love to revive the hat and glove look. There was a lady at church today who was wearing a gorgeous white hat. I would love to find a great vintage Easter dress for next year - maybe a short-sleeved 1950's A-line dress. I hope everyone is experiencing joy, peace, and rest on this most glorious day.

Same Blog, New Look

2010-04-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

As you can see I have given my blog a new look to mark what I hope is its return. I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post, but a lot of things have been going on in my life. A lot has happened in the past several months. We have celebrated a lot - Thanksgiving (I cooked my first Thanksgiving feast for the husband and myself), Christmas, and Mardi Gras (our first since being residents of NOLA). We have grieved a lot - my husband and I have lost a total of 3 grandparents between the two of us (you will be hearing more about my two grandmothers in subsequent posts, as I have inherited many things from the two of them). I had a health scare with a thyroid nodule my doctor found during a routine checkup and yes, praise the Lord, it was found to be benign! And finally I have embarked on a new career path. I have been accepted as a 2010 teachNOLA teaching fellow, which in a nutshell translates to me teaching elementary education in a New Orleans public school classroom in the fall. I went through a pretty intense interview process in order to be accepted into the program. I studied for and then took the Praxis II exam (standardized teacher's exam for those of you who may not know) in March in preparation for the program. I am currently attending career fairs, networking events, and filling out job applications in order to secure a teaching position along with doing some independent study work. In June I will begin a rigorous 6-week training institute that includes four weeks of student teaching. I am going to be very busy with all of this, and that is the only thing that gives me pause regarding restarting my blog. I have really missed sharing with you, and I have a lot of new things to write about. Look for another post around the first of next week. Thanks for reading, and happy thrifting!

New Uses for Old Things

2009-11-19T14:25:00.001-08:00

I have been in reorganization mode lately, and one of the things I needed to find a new home for were magazines. I began looking around for some type of container and was drawn to the empty wine rack sitting atop our buffet hutch. I think it has only been filled with wine once - that was right after we were married, and it was filled with wine leftover from our wedding. Whenever we buy wine it is usually to drink immediately and we never stock up so I decided to transform it into a magazine rack.

If you have one of these sitting around that you don't use this is a great way to make it functional for you. Just roll the magazines up and stick them in the slots. Depending on the size and thickness of the magazines you should be able to get at least two in each slot. It can then be set either in the floor or on a table, etc. I set mine on one of our end tables, making the magazines easily accessible from our big comfy armchair. Happy reading!

Rummage Sale, Part Three

2009-11-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

Cullen and I traveled back to Alabama this past weekend for the wedding of some very good friends. We had a great time, and the wedding was beautiful - you can see the beautiful bride above. We got back Monday morning, and I must say it has taken us both awhile to recover which is why I'm just now doing this post. I've kept you in suspense long enough so here are the final things from the rummage sale.

I got a couple of really cute dresses. The first one is a bit short so I have to wear something underneath - leggings and flats work really well with it. The other is a sundress in a gorgeous shade of green. It looks great with a black tank underneath and black sandals, but I also think I can layer it and get more wear out of it this fall and winter.

I absolutely love my red thermos. I have always wanted a thermos like this, and I keep my eyes open every time I go thrifting. I have seen a lot of these, but the problem is that I like the style/designs of the older ones, but with age come rust, etc. Most of the ones I have found in the past have been gross and unusable. This one, however, is in great condition...and it only cost fifty cents!!

And finally... another piece of quirky jewelry. It's a harlequin pendant whose joints bend and move. It is an enamel piece signed Daryle Ann Rumph with the date 1976. I tried to get some information on her, but didn't have much luck. I found only a very general reference to her jewelry and that she was married to an artist - there is much more information on him (unfortunately he is now deceased so I cannot contact him). I would love to know more about Rumph so if you readers have ever heard of her I would love to hear from you. I hope to be back tomorrow with a new post. Thanks for reading!

A Message

2009-11-12T06:59:00.001-08:00

Hello blog readers! I had hoped to finish my rummage sale report yesterday, but I had a very busy day and was too sleepy last night. The rest of this week is going to be pretty hectic so I am going to have to postpone it until next week. I wish you all a great rest of the week and weekend. Thanks for reading!

Rummage Sale, Part Two

2009-11-10T17:17:00.001-08:00

I'm back today with more rummage store finds, and would you believe this still isn't everything I got? I love these shoes. They are suede pumps in black and two shades of pink. They will look great with black tights and skirts/dresses.

Over the past year or so I have really begun to enjoy wearing scarves. I found three at the sale. I got two with polka dots, and the white one with black polka dots will make a great headband. I am always on the hunt for quirky designs which is why I love the red and white scarf - it has little hedgehogs framing it on all four sides - so cute!

I found a couple of books as well. Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction by David Macaulay was written for young adults. I taught much of the book's material in my art history survey classes and hope that one day my children will enjoy learning the same things from this book. The illustrations are excellent, and it is a Caldecott Honor Book. The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum was purchased for Cullen. We both enjoy watching the Bourne movies so I think he will like it.

Lastly, I found this belt. It has sort of a Western flair to it and can be worn with many things. I should be back tomorrow with the rest of my finds. Thanks for reading!

Rummage Sale, Part One

2009-11-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I went to the Trinity Episcopal Rummage Sale here in New Orleans. I got a bunch a stuff and spent a mere $28.50. Here are some of the things I got (it is going to take several posts to show everything).

I found a bunch of nice clothing items - a cream colored brocade jacket, lavender button down shirt, light lavender short-sleeved sweater (still had the tags on it), and a comfy grey scoop neck shirt with side pockets.

I love the turquoise necklace that resembles coral - it goes well with lots of things/colors. I was really excited about this great shopping bag. It is large so it can accommodate a lot - now I just need to remember to take it with me when I go shopping.

I'll be back with more of my finds tomorrow. Happy thrifting!

Around the World

2009-11-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

Among the items on my Wish List are around the world themed objects representing various countries. Well one of my readers who also happens to be a former teacher of mine, Kim, took notice and sent me this great doll that belonged to her when she was growing up. This one represents France (as she is dressed very stylishly) and is even still in the original box. I feel very honored to have received this - thanks Kim!

You may be wondering why I am collecting these things. From an early age I was fascinated by different countries and their various customs. As a child I can remember spending time reading about countries of interest in our set of World Book Encyclopedias. My favorite thing about these different cultures was studying their traditional costumes. I know I spent hours looking at the 'Costume' entry in those encyclopedias - I'm sure if I went back to that particular volume it would naturally open to those pages because of the frequency with which I looked at it. There were these great figural drawings of men and women representing the traditional costumes of many countries. I can remember studying those pages before a third grade assembly program where each student represented a different country and had to dress accordingly.

So, other than just having a general interest in these things, there is something I want to do with them. About a year ago I saw a photograph of a room that had these types of items on display, and I got the idea that this would be a great decorating scheme for a child's room (probably more so for a girl). Cullen and I do not have children, but we hope to one day so I thought now would be a good time to start collecting some things. These items can be easily found in flea markets, antique malls, and thrift stores, so I am always on the lookout. Right now I have about four items in my collection, but I can't share photographs because they are being stored at my parent's house.

Hello Again

2009-11-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

After a long hiatus I'm finally back, and today I'm sharing one of my latest creations. I've been spending some time making things lately, and this is the one design that I came up with that I'm actually excited about. I made this bride and groom card for a friend of mine that is getting married in a couple of weeks. The bride's dress is made out of a wallpaper sample and her veil was constructed out of a dryer sheet. I really like using these different materials because it gives the final product some interesting texture and added dimension. These can be customized to conform to the bride and groom's wedding colors (the color of the card, the bride's dress, the groom's tux) as well as to their hair and skin tones. I am looking forward to trying out some other wedding designs in the future.

Taking a Break

2009-10-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

So I guess by now you've probably figured out that I've been taking a break from blogging. I do intend to start back - I'm just doing some re-grouping right now. I wanted to let you know that I will be back - I should be back next week with some new posts. Thanks for reading and check back next week. In the meantime I'm adding some new links so check them out if you are interested.

Arts Market of New Orleans

2009-10-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Arts Market of New Orleans. This was my first Arts Market experience, and I was very impressed with the variety of artwork available. I saw so many things I loved that it was difficult to decide what to buy. I thought I would share a few of those things with you today.

I have never seen anyone do this before - an ornament made out of an oyster shell - what a great idea! It is painted gold and has an image of the artist Frida Kahlo affixed to it. I like Christmas ornaments that have a special meaning, and I think this will be a great way to represent our new life in New Orleans.

My other purchase was created by Louisiana artist Trish Ransom. She uses 'debris' like bottle caps and old nails, etc. in the creation of her pieces. This fish was made primarily from PBR bottle caps and cans and adhered to a 5" x 7" painted piece of wood. The other cool thing is she made the hanger on the back out of a pop top. So creative, and a great use for what would otherwise be considered trash. She also makes great jewelry, and will specially design pieces just for you. Check out her site by clicking above.

The Arts Market is held the last Saturday of every month from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm in Palmer Park. If you would like more information you can click here. I can't wait to attend the next one!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

2009-09-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

You may notice that my blog looks slightly different today. I've made some changes - I added and deleted some things, moved some stuff around and made some format changes. The main thing I want to draw your attention to is the list titled 'Friends' - these are links to all the blogs and websites of friends. I meant to do this a long time ago, but just never got around to it. If you are a friend (Note: I consider all Followers friends even if I don't know them personally) I'm hoping this list will help your readership, plus it serves as a reminder to me of everyone's blogs and gives me easy access to them. For individuals who have more than one blog you will see numbers beside your name as I have provided links to all your blogs/sites.
There will be additional lists created in the near future as I collect sites of interest. I want to have a 'Thrift' list, a 'New Orleans' list, etc. If anyone knows of any blogs or sites you think I would like I am always open to recommendations. And if there are any readers who have blogs or sites that you would like me to provide links to please let me know. Thanks again everyone for reading!

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

2009-09-28T13:53:00.001-07:00

Well, maybe not yet, but I did get this great Santa Claus glass dish as a gift from Cheryl. I just love the blue glass - it looks so pretty when light shines through it. This will be perfect to hold little candies or anything small at Christmas. It is Westmoreland Glass, and if you are interested I found the website for the National Westmoreland Glass Collectors Club. You can get there by clicking here. The site has a gallery showcasing many examples of their glass products. Thanks again Cheryl for another wonderful gift!

More Gifts!

2009-09-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share some more gifts from Cheryl - she's the one who gave me the great pink glass plate and the retro kitchen towels earlier in the summer. Everything seems to go together - each item features flowers in bright, cheery colors. She gave me some table linens that will be so pretty on my dining table. The cloth coasters (see detail) are very dainty-looking and actually match some cocktail/drink napkins that I have. I also got a very nice bowl with a matching trivet, something I really needed. She gave me a carafe with a lid that doubles as a glass. I have always wanted one of those, and now it has a special place on my nightstand. Thanks Cheryl for such beautiful things!

Pattern Girls

2009-09-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is just a sampling of the cards I've been working on over the past few weeks. I am calling them my 'pattern girls' because they are all images from the outside of old vintage sewing patterns. I didn't want to destroy the original images by cutting them out, etc. so these are all copies. Most of them have been enlarged and they have all been hand-colored in both marker and colored pencil. These examples are all from either the 1950' s or 1960's. Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear what you think. I know these photos aren't the best, but you can click on a picture and it will enlarge it so you can hopefully get a better look.

More Wish List Items

2009-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Cullen's mom, Mary, also brought me a few other things from my wish list and I wanted to share those today. She found 4 great wallpaper sample books, all with a great variety of patterned and textured papers - you'll see a few examples in my photos. You may be asking yourself why I want these - good question. I can use the paper in my art and craft projects. I've been working with paper a lot lately, and wallpaper samples give me a lot more choices than the scrapbook paper and card stock I typically work with.

She also found 3 old copies of Life magazine - one from the 1950's, one from the 1960's and one from the 1980's. I have had the best time looking at these and I have to say my favorite thing about them is the retro advertisements. The pink Whirlpool refrigerator is my favorite! And again since I enjoy working with collage and mixed media, I plan to incorporate some of the imagery into my work. Thanks Mary!! Happy Wednesday to all!

I Got One!

2009-09-11T11:49:00.001-07:00

You may recall that several months ago I did a post about wanting an old card catalog to use as storage (I saw one in an antique store and got the idea). It's been on my wish list for awhile, and well...I got one! Cullen's parents came down for a visit last weekend, and his mom surprised me with one. I just got it set up today and thought I'd share.

I'm using it to hold some of my smaller art/craft supplies. I was storing these things in larger drawers, but since most of the items are small I was having to dig around in the drawers every time I needed something. Now that problem has been solved and everything is very easy to locate. I made small labels out of scrap card stock so I will know exactly where everything is.

I set it up next to my art table by propping it on two overturned crates that I almost threw away when we moved but decided I would most likely find a use for. It is very convenient - I don't even have to get out of my chair to get to it. The other great thing is that I was able to put some things that had been on my art table on top of the card catalog which freed up more work space for me. I know I am going to love having this. Thanks again Mary!

Silhouette Cards

2009-09-08T17:39:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share some cards with you today that I made last week. These were inspired by the silhouette in my painting. They are made out of a variety of papers, beads, and sequins. I am pretty happy with the results and am going to work on a few modifications to improve them so I can make more. I also started working on some others today that are very different, and I will share them soon. Enjoy!

Our New Thrifted Sofa

2009-09-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Cullen and I decided to go check out a few thrift stores in search of a sofa because we did not bring one with us when we moved. I honestly wasn't expecting that we would find much of anything. But when we went to the Salvation Army we took one look at this brown vinyl sofa and decided we had to have it. It's great - it has that retro look that I love and that Cullen digs as well.

It's actually a sofa sleeper, which is great, but neither of us has been brave enough to actually attempt to pull it out. There's just that possibility that there may be something sinister hiding down there, and it might be best if we didn't know about it. :) But boy did that sofa sleeper cause us some trouble. When we arrived to pick it up the two guys that loaded it onto the truck for us said it was HEAVY and they weren't sure how we were ever going to get it out of the truck. Cullen and I both felt stupid that we had not considered the fact that sofa sleeper = HEAVY and it was up to us to get it off the truck and up the massive flight of stairs to our apartment. I'm still not sure how we did it, but we did manage to get it here. It wasn't easy that's for sure, and I still have the bruises to show for it.

We also bought this pillow to go with it, but I actually think it looks better in our yellow butterfly chair. We are concerned that the kitties are going to tear up the sofa with their claws - it being vinyl and all. I bought an orange blanket at the thrift store that I thought we could put over the sofa somehow to keep them from ripping it to shreds, but I tried it several different ways, and just didn't like the way it looked. I guess we'll just have to see what happens. Annie seems to be enjoying it right now. Thanks for reading. Happy thrifting!!

My First Attempt

2009-08-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today I am sharing with you my first attempt at a mixed media painting. I've been working on this for the past week, and I just put the finishing touches on it today. I really have forgotten how much I love making things - it's very therapeutic for me. I've been toying with the idea of opening an Etsy shop - maybe starting small with handmade greeting cards and working my way up to mixed media pieces. I've been trying to work it all out in my head these past few weeks - I'll keep you posted on my progress.

So here's a little about this piece. The title is Honey, I'm Home!, and it measures 16 x 20 in. The materials are acrylic paint on canvas, paper, magazine clippings, beads, sequins, a plastic picture frame, and marker. Any of you who are familiar with art can probably see the similarities to Pop Art - my favorite movement. Makes sense doesn't it, given my interest in retro things and fashion? Two of my favorite Pop artists are Tom Wesselmann and Wayne Thiebaud. This piece most closely resembles Wesselmann's work, particularly what he was doing in the 1950's and 1960's.

This piece began with the silhouette 'portrait' that you see in the frame, and I considered stopping there, but then I thought I would try to incorporate that into a larger piece and this is the result. I would love to hear what you think, good or bad.

Bottlecap Bracelet

2009-08-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Given my love of recycling and re-purposing things, it was only natural that I purchased this bottlecap bracelet a couple of years ago at the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport, AL. What a great idea! It was created by artist Rhonda Kuhlman of San Antonio, Texas. You can find out a bit more about her by clicking here. I really love that all the bottlecaps are the same color scheme of yellow and black. Not only does she make bracelets, but she also creates necklaces and pins among other things.

My Latest Thrifting Adventures

2009-08-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ventured out to the Salvation Army Thrift Store on Jefferson Hwy. in search of old magazines. I've been working on some mixed media art projects in my newly found spare time and want them for that. Well, as it turns out the Salvation Army does not sell magazines - they do have books though. However, I did not leave empty handed. I found a few odds and ends to incorporate into my projects, but the best find was this black dress with white polka dots for $9.99. I have always loved polka dots so I was immediately drawn to this, but I like the style of the dress even more. It looks great cinched at the waist with a belt, and my white, red and black ones all go really well with it - hooray for versatility! I also found a great vintage sundress in the prettiest floral pattern. It was a long A-line dress with a sash at the waist and spaghetti straps. Unfortunately it had stains on it in several places and because of where they were there was no way they could be covered up - and they didn't look like they were going to come out. So I sadly hung it back on the rack and walked away. This is a great thrift store and the nicest Salvation Army I've ever visited. It is HUGE, very well organized, and clean. It's really a great place to go if you are looking for clothes or furniture because that's what they seemed to have the most of. I will definitely check it out again.

This morning I went to the New Orleans Public Library's Friends of the Library book sale (located at the Latter branch on St. Charles Ave.) - again on the prowl for old magazines and again disappointed to find none. BUT, I did not come away empty-handed. Everything I bought I intend to use for art purposes. I found six retro cookbooks with great photos and illustrations, 2 books about interior design/furniture, and one fashion book. The best part? I only paid $10.00 for everything! This really is a GREAT bookstore - they have something for everyone. FYI: They are open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 - 2:00.

Now I just need to figure out where to buy old magazines in this city. It's funny - they were everywhere in Tuscaloosa (at all the thrift stores) and I didn't want them then. Oh well! I will share the art when I get something finished.

Leo Jansen Nudes

2009-08-24T11:17:00.001-07:00

Today I am going to share with you these two nudes that I found when we were still living in Tuscaloosa at the HSWA Flea Market. They are reproductions of original oil paintings, and I got them both for $15.oo - they lady actually gave me a $5.00 discount for buying them both. I really enjoy nudes of all kinds, and of course these struck me because, looking at the hairstyles, you can tell they are from either the late 1950's or the 1960's.

I spent some time today doing a little research on them. There is a sticker on the back that reads, "Master Galleries, Pocahontas, Arkansas" and I assume that is where they were originally purchased. I Googled that, but didn't come up with anything. The works bear the signature of a Leo Jansen, and I did find some information on him. According to a Wikipedia article, he was a well-known portrait artist in his day. He even painted The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. His true love though was the nude. If you are interested I provided a link above to the article - it's pretty interesting, but not very well written.

Imelda May

2009-08-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share with you a new musical artist I've recently discovered. Her name is Imelda May, and she is originally from Ireland. Her voice is amazing, and her style is a throwback to rockabilly and blues (which is of course why I like her - very retro). She cites Elvis and Billie Holiday as influences. You can actually check out her music by clicking here. I tried to pick a favorite song, but I like them all equally. She also has really great style, as you might imagine - she has sort of a pin-up girl thing going with her hair and everything. She will be my next itunes purchase for sure. Enjoy!

My Wish List

2009-08-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

I just added a wish list to my blog. You will find it right next to this post on the right. These are things to look for when I am thrifting. I have had this list in my head for some time now and decided I should record it somewhere so this is as good a place as any. I will be adding to it every now and then and removing things if I find them. I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Happy Friday!

My Pink Reindeer

2009-08-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago Cullen and I went on an excursion to Magazine Street here in New Orleans to do a little browsing in some of the shops. We happened upon Medium Rare, an antiques and vintage store that had a lot of very cool things. The owners are also very friendly and we enjoyed talking with them. If you are ever in the area you should definitely check this place out.

This is what I brought home - a vintage plastic pink reindeer pin. I love it because it's quirky and, of course, because it's pink. It's great as a pin, but I would love to figure out how to attach it to a chain and also wear it as a necklace - that would be super cute!

Gifts

2009-08-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I received some great gifts from a blog reader. Her name is Cheryl and she works with my mother-in-law, Mary. I would like to share those things with you today.

She gave me a great piece of pink Depression glass - a divided plate that matches the pitcher given to me by another reader. They are absolutely perfect together! This will go great with my teacup and saucer collection and will be great for serving small sandwiches or cookies. Anyone up for a tea party?

She also gave me several very cool retro dish towels. One has a rooster design on it, and it just so happens that it matches the rooster trivet I found at an antique mall last winter. The other towels display a kitchen still life - 2 are red and 2 are green (the red one is shown here). I really love these and think one of them would look nice framed and hung in the kitchen.

I also got several nice wooden kitchen utensils as well. So thank you again Cheryl for such nice gifts!

Rainy Day Surprises

2009-08-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I had to run errands to the grocery store and Wal-Mart. Well, while I was at Wal-Mart there came a torrential downpour so I decided to just look around in hopes that the rain would slack off eventually. I wanted to share a couple of clearance items I purchased.

The first is this very cool DIY crepe paper black-eyed susan kit from Martha Stewart that I purchased for a mere $2.50. Most flowers are poisonous if consumed by cats so we very rarely have fresh ones around. I typically don't like the look of artificial flowers so we usually just go without anything. I do like the idea of paper flowers, and I trust Martha Stewart for good design, etc. So I am going to try these out - I think it will be a good weekend project. I'll let you know how they turn out.

I also found this great vintage-inspired jacket, originally priced at $25.00, on clearance for $9.00. It is a great color for my skin tone and hair - kind of a bluish-green. I think it was probably from a spring collection, but with the long sleeves I think it can be worn year-round.

More Apartment Pics

2009-08-17T14:12:00.001-07:00

Before and After, Part III

2009-08-17T09:20:00.001-07:00

Before and After, Part II

2009-08-16T11:43:00.001-07:00

More Stuff

2009-08-16T11:33:00.001-07:00

Bridge House Thrift Store

2009-08-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

After a delicious tofu and avocado noodle salad bowl at Jazmine Cafe yesterday, Cullen and I made our way to the Bridge House Thrift Store. Bridge House is a substance abuse treatment facility for men, and the proceeds from the thrift store serve as donations to that facility. They were having a lot of 'Blowout' sales, and we took advantage. All women's clothing and purses were only $1.oo, and all shoes were $1.00 as well. I got three shirts, a sweater and two purses. Cullen found a nice plaid button down shirt, 3 ties, and a pair of shoes. I also found 4 pieces of Franciscan Ware - the dishes Cullen's mom passed down to me when we got married. We got three saucers (something that I actually don't have), and a small plate that has a circular inset in the center. I'm not sure what it's for, but I think it will work to put our larger bowls on. I found out from looking on their website that Bridge House has another thrift store in Metairie so I'll have to add that to my list of places to visit.

Crescent City Farmers Market

2009-08-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

This morning Cullen and I went to our very first farmers market in NOLA, and we had a very successful trip. The Crescent City Farmer's Market is a wonderful (and very popular) place. They had fresh produce of all kinds, fresh flowers and plants, baked goods, homemade jams, dairy products, even chocolate! I think this is going to be a weekly tradition for us from now on. It's nice because it is in a building so rain or shine (and it was raining today) we can go without any problem. Here's what we got: a variety of hot peppers, okra, squash (I'm going to make my mom's squash casserole), Spicy Creole Tomato Pepper Jelly, and peaches.

The peaches are from Chilton County Alabama if you can believe it, and that booth had the longest line in the whole place! Never in a million years would I have thought we could get those in New Orleans. Many of the booths were offering samples, and I tasted the pepper jelly and just had to buy it. It is made right here in Louisiana by White Wood Farms and it just may be the best I've ever tasted!

We are planning to go to a Vietnamese restaurant for lunch (my first ever), and then we may hit up a few thrift stores. It is turning out to be a wonderful Saturday. I hope you are enjoying yours!

Before and After, Part I

2009-08-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

As promised I have apartment pictures, and today I am going to show you some before and after shots. I cannot post all of them today so this will be continued over the next several posts. This is the living room/dining room. By the way, I am eventually going to get back to focusing on thrifting - I haven't really done any since we've been here, but I've been keeping my eyes open for thrift stores, and so far I have found 3 that seem very promising. There are also several vintage clothing stores, one of which I have been to - I just didn't buy anything. But I am looking forward to exploring the city and seeing what all it has to offer. Happy Friday!

I am exhausted...

2009-08-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Thank you for all your well wishes, thoughts and prayers today as I had my interview. I feel as though it went very well. So now I just have to play the waiting game and see what develops. I was told that they would be making a decision very soon, and would be back in touch with me next week. So...I'll be sure to keep you posted.

I am absolutely pooped, and I guess it's from the interview (it lasted 2 hours!) so I'm going to wait until tomorrow to take more photos of the apartment (plus I think the photos will look better with natural light, as it is presently getting dark). So I am leaving you with this photo of Annie taken several weeks ago. She's napping peacefully in the butterfly chair (I feel a nap coming on myself). I guess I didn't mention the cats in yesterday's post. They actually made the transition to our new place very well. The day we moved in they stayed in the bathroom for the better part of the day (it took awhile for the drugs to wear off). Annie crouched behind the toilet, and Lola spent the day lying IN the litter box (thankfully it was new, clean litter)! That night we went out to dinner, and when we came back Annie was no longer in the bathroom but Lola was. We found Annie under one of our chairs - a favorite spot from our last place. We were then able to coax Lola out and the two spent the entire night investigating the apartment and all the boxes and furniture. They were right at home after that. Something they have had to get used to is hardwood floors vs. carpet. When they run, their back legs often slide out from underneath them - it's very funny to watch. I also think they enjoy their toys more, particularly balls, because they move about better than they did on carpet. They are also excellent scavengers, as they helped hunt down roaches in the apartment (we had an infestation, but it's been taken care of with roach bait). And on that thought I am going to close this post. Have a good evening - I know I'm going to enjoy a little r & r. Goodnight!

I'm Back!

2009-08-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hello loyal blog readers (at least I hope you are all still there)! I'm back - finally. I know it has been awhile since my last post, but that just means I have plenty of material for the blog. So here's an update of what's happened over the past several months:

Cullen and I were in Tuscaloosa through the first part of July - he studying for the bar exam and me teaching summer classes. Well we then packed up and made the big move to New Orleans. We have been here for about a month now and are loving it!! We are finally settled so I will be showing you pics of the apartment interior for starters. Cullen took the bar exam in late July (he's very glad to be done with that and I must say I am too) but has to wait until October for the results! He began working at the firm last week, and so far so good - they are keeping him busy. As for me, I have spent the last month unpacking and job hunting. I was beginning to get very discouraged about the job hunt because I was putting in applications but hearing nothing, but then Saturday the PERFECT job became available and I immediately applied. I actually have an interview tomorrow - I will not reveal details right now, but I'll keep you informed of any developments. I really hope this will work out!!

I've had many requests for pictures of the apartment interior. I'm still working on those so today I will share photos of the foyer area. This is the area we enter downstairs before actually getting to our apartment. My brother took these photos back in July, and he did a great job ( I especially like the last one - very nice composition). Enjoy!

Our New Home

2009-05-27T15:14:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, Cullen and I are moving to New Orleans the first part of July. We just signed a lease yesterday for our new place. It is awesome! It's a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment, but the bedroom is huge - the current tenant has a king size bed and it looks minuscule. There is another room the same size that will serve as our living/dining room. The kitchen is a nice size, and the bathroom is rather large. I did not take any interior photos when we looked at it because I wanted to be respectful of the current tenant's belongings, etc., but I did get these two of the exterior. This house was built in the 1850's so you know already this is right up my alley. Our apartment is located on the 2nd floor, and there is a chiropractor's office on the first floor. We do have completely separate entrances - ours is the door on the left in the photo. When you enter that area you are in in a pretty large foyer with a staircase that leads up to the door to our apartment. There is beautiful stained glass window in this area - it's like stepping back in time, and it even has that old building smell - I love it! Our apartment has beautiful hardwood floors, and very high ceilings (although I'm not sure how high). There are 2 fireplaces (decorative only) - one in the bedroom, one in the living room. Notice the second floor balcony in the photos - the whole thing is ours! No one else has that (and there are several other apartments in the building). It has the typical wrought-iron railings characteristic of so much New Orleans architecture. Cullen and I love to sit on our balcony now, so we are going to be loving this I know!

The thing that really sold us on this apartment is the location. We are right next to St. Charles Ave. (where the street car runs and the route for most of the Mardi Gras parades - we will be able to watch from our balcony!) In the opposite direction (within walking distance) is Magazine St. This is where there are tons of restaurants, art galleries, boutiques, coffee shops, bars, etc. I am really looking forward to city living so I can utilize public transportation (streetcar, taxi) and walk - I may even get a bike at some point.

Once we move and get settled I will take photos and post them on the blog so you all can see. Oh yeah, and if anyone has ever moved with cats I would love to discuss this with you - I would like to be able to make the transition as non-traumatic as possible for them but I'm pretty clueless as to how to do that because we have never done this before.

My Pretty Pink Pitcher

2009-05-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

Today I'm sharing a gift I got from a blog reader who also just happens to have been one of my favorite teenagers when I was growing up - I thought she was so cool (and she still is, by the way). Her name is Eugenia, and she gave me this awesome glass pitcher that belonged to her grandmother. She knows how much I like pink and thought I would enjoy using this. It is so pretty - it is the palest of pinks, and has a floral pattern incorporated into the glass. I am truly honored to have been gifted with this. Thanks again Eugenia!

Congratulations Cullen!

2009-05-17T09:41:00.001-07:00

Cullen graduated from law school last Saturday, and I just wanted to share some pictures from the event. We had a very nice weekend. His parents and my parents came down and we hosted an indoor cookout after the ceremony. We had a great time! I have to share what I wore to the ceremony. It's a dress that is actually 30 years old this year. It belonged to my mom, and she wore it to my Aunt Jan and Uncle Lee's rehearsal dinner when they got married in 1979. I absolutely love it, and the fact that it was my mom's makes it even better.

I'm Back!

2009-05-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus, I'm finally back. These last few weeks have been nuts: I had a cold, the semester ended and I had to give exams, grade exams, etc., Cullen graduated, we took a trip to New Orleans (more on that later), and things are finally settling down a bit. Hopefully, I will be able to better keep up with my posts now.

This morning, in an effort to buy fresher, local produce, Cullen and I went to the Tuscaloosa Farmer's Market. We got there later so we likely missed some great stuff, but we still managed to do pretty well. We got fresh dill, green onions, 2 lbs. of new potatoes, and some dried Thai chilies (for Cullen). I think we paid about $7.00 for all of it. We are going to have to do this more often!

This afternoon we went to the Northport Salvation Army Thrift Store, and found a great chair for only $18.00. Other than a few tears in the leather/pleather? it's in pretty good condition, but you know me, I like the 'worn' look. And most importantly...it's comfortable! It looks great in our living room, but could also be a good desk chair. And of course, the kitties had to give it the sniff test - that's Lola in the picture.

I Want One of These!!

2009-04-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

Remember when you used to go to the library and search for books in actual card catalogs? I used to love doing that - those were the good 'ole days! No actually I think the computerized version is much more efficient. I was recently in an antique store and they had an old card catalog cabinet for sale. This started the wheels turning, and I can't get the idea of having one out of my head. What a great storage solution! And you could be so organized about it because you could label what was in each drawer!! It would be perfect for so many things: jewelry and accessories, craft and sewing supplies... the possibilities are endless. I looked on eBay and found a few...there was one where the starting bid was only 99 cents. The catch: you had to pick it up...and it's in Madison, WI. So I'm thinking hmmmm how much would it cost to drive there and back? I'm going to keep my eyes open for one of these....the antique store I was in was selling theirs for $200, but I think with enough searching I can do much better than that. Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions of where I might look. Oh yeah, Cullen and I went to the FOL (Friends of the Library) bookstore Saturday and filled up a paper grocery bag with 29 books...score! I won't list them, but I will say we got some good ones. And no one even pushed or shoved! I hope you all had a nice weekend...Happy Monday!

Books!

2009-04-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Today's post is all about the books I got at the Tuscaloosa Public Library's Friends of the Library Bookstore. Here's what I got:

- Interior Decoration A to Z by Betty Pepis for $2.00. This book was published in 1965 so you can image the fabulous retro furnishings that grace it's pages...very inspiring for me as I love anything c. 1950's and 1960's. I initially bought it for the photos, not really thinking I'd find much use for the actual text. But, it's actually very informative as it defines things like what ormolu is or what an epergne is - I had no idea before I looked through the book what either of those were. It also has a lot of references to art and various styles/periods so I also feel kinda smart when I read it as well.

- Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann for $1.00. Many of you may remember that I purchased another of her books, Once is Not Enough, recently. This is the one that I've wanted to read for a while now. I believe it was also made into a movie so I'll have to check that out as well.

- The last 3 books I purchased are all biographies. They are having a special this month: all biographies are 1/2 price. I got Madame Sarah by Cornelia Otis Skinner for $1.00. This is a biography of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt. She was the subject of many graphic advertising posters of the nineteenth-century, most notably those of Alphonse Mucha so I am interested to find out more about her life. Wallis and Edward Letters 1931-1937: The Intimate Correspondence of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, edited by Michael Blogh for $1.00. I love this story...it's so romantic the idea of a man giving up the throne to be with the woman he loved. I actually wrote a paper about Wallis W. Simpson in high school and enjoyed my research very much. In fact I just realized that I think I used this book as one of my sources, but I'm sure I didn't read it cover to cover. It wouldn't matter though because it's such a great story! Louise Nevelson: A Passionate Life by Laurie Lisle for 50 cents. This one was a library discard so the original price was only $1.00. This is the biography of a female artist that I honestly don't know much about. I'm somewhat familiar with her work, but that's about it so I thought, why not?

Every first and third Saturday of the month the bookstore has a great offer. You can fill up a bag (and I've heard it's a rather large bag) with as many books as you can and you pay a flat fee of $15.00. Believe me, you would not have trouble filling up a bag because their books are so great...think I may have to do this as it's coming up this Saturday...and it should be pretty quiet at the library because of the A-day game, etc. The only downside is I heard people can be pushy and downright rude! I'll let you know what happens.

The Weekend Report

2009-04-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'm back! I know it's been a week, and I'm really going to try to do better this week about posting - it's just I've been trying to figure out how to manage LIFE and a blog! For some reason things have gotten much busier than they have been...I think it's because it's the end of the semester, you know students begin to let you know about their crises and they want to know what I'm going to do about it, etc..but I digress... I thought I'd post about the great weekend I had. Cullen and I did a bunch of fun stuff together. I had Friday off because it was Honor's Day at the University so it was a LONG weekend! Here's a rundown of what we did:

- We kicked everything off Thursday night at Little Willie's in Tuscaloosa. We met up with some friends for their 1/2 price wine night, and they were featuring a GREAT band called The Strange Boys. It was our first time to hear them, and I must say I am a fan now. They have a great, unique sound that makes you want to jump out of your seat and dance...I refrained, however, as I thought it best not to make a fool out of myself and/or embarrass Cullen. It was a blast

- Friday we got to SLEEP IN - something we don't do too often. Then we spent what was left of the morning leisurely drinking coffee and watching the one channel that we somehow get even though we no longer have cable- The Travel Channel -a good one to have. We saw Samantha Brown take a weekend trip to New Orleans and were a bit disappointed by her choice of activities, but I digress again... We enjoyed lunch at Jason's Deli - yummy soup and sandwiches.

- We then went to the Tuscaloosa Public Library to their Friends of the Library bookstore. I'd never been before, but Cullen told me it was the best used bookstore around, and now I agree with him completely. If you live in the area and like to read and you've never been, then you should definitely go...they have a little bit of everything and their prices are great. We got 6 books for $7.50, and all but one are pretty nice hardbacks. I think I'll devote a separate post to what I got because 5 of the books were mine!

- After that we went to Edelweiss, a German bakery in Tuscaloosa, for a cup of coffee. We sat outside and enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine, even though it was a bit windy. It was funny because there were all these birds hopping around on the ground, and we realized it was because it was far too windy for them to fly. After coffee we went to downtown Northport to the Main Avenue Antique Mall, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. Neither of us had ever been there, and turns out it's a very nice place with some great antiques. We of course found a few things that I'll post about later in the week (I like keeping you in suspense).

- Friday night we went to the Bama Theater in Tuscaloosa to attend a showing of Monterey Pop, a documentary of the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. It featured some GREAT performances by the likes of Janis Joplin, the Mamas and the Papas, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix (we saw the famous incident where he set his guitar on fire), Jefferson Airplane, The Who, and many others. I you like this era and its music I would recommend you see this film because it really does capture some outstanding performances. Not only was the music great, but it featured some great hippie/bohemian fashion as well. If I had only been born a few decades earlier *sigh*...

- Saturday we got up early, and Cullen cooked some delicious scrambled eggs. Who knew Parmesan would be so yummy in eggs? Then we ventured out to Moundville, AL to visit the Indian mounds at Moundville Archaeological Park. I have lived in Tuscaloosa for 9 years and am sad to say this was my first trip. Of course I wasn't sure what to expect so I was wearing a highly inappropriate choice of footwear - flip flops!! (see photo) I survived, but I promised Cullen we would go back when I was wearing athletic shoes so we could walk on the nature trails. We saw lots of mounds and even walked up one of them - there was a great view from the top. There was also a small 'Indian village' set up that consisted of 4 buildings housing scenes of the natives doing things like preparing food, making crafts, and even participating in funerary rituals. I liked this...until I heard a knocking sound in one of the buildings. Convinced it was a ghost, I ran outside...Cullen claims it was the wind, but I'm not buying that!

- After we left the park we decided to drive into downtown Moundville which was a disappointment. It basically consists of a bunch of sad-looking empty buildings. On our way there though we spotted a thrift shop that is run by their local Methodist Church and decided to check it out. There was a sign on the door that read "$3.00 a bag" so we figured we had nothing to lose. And did we ever fill up that bag - again this is a post for another day this week. I'm going to have to make this trip again before we leave Tuscaloosa because there was a flea market along the highway that looked interesting, but we didn't have time to stop because we had to make it back for our next event of the day...

- We went to a glass blowing demonstration held in the courtyard of the Kentuck Gallery in Northport. The artist was Sam Cornman of Birmingham, and it was really cool to watch. After seeing this I have so much more respect for the art of glass making. The process requires so much control on the part of the artist - definitely not for klutzes like myself! Saturday night we enjoyed a great meal at our local Indian restaurant, Sitar. My Palak Paneer was outstanding, and Cullen ate *gasp* goat - he said it was very good though..I'll just take his word for it. We spent that night relaxing, and we needed it because we had such a busy couple of days.

- Easter Sunday we woke up and went to church where my brother, Joseph, serves as choir director. He sang a very beautiful solo during the service that made me a bit teary-eyed...he really has an outstanding tenor voice. We went to lunch afterwards, and then it was home to take part in one of my favorite Sunday afternoon activities...a long NAP! I guess the last thing I did of note was that I indulged in a delicious Cadbury Egg...I mean it's just not Easter without one...thanks Joseph!

So I think I have more than made up for my lack of posts over the past week. I'm sure I told you way more than you want to know about my weekend, but I just had such a great one that I wanted to share it with you. I hope everyone had a fantastic Easter weekend, and I'll be back tomorrow...it's a promise!!

Loaves and Fishes

2009-04-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back with more thrifting finds...still reporting on my great finds during Spring Break! Today's items all came from a thrift store called Loaves and Fishes in Sheffield, AL - they actually have two locations, but I only made it to one. I found some great bargains, and here's what I got:

- A short wool skirt in dark green plaid (I know, plaid seems to be my thing as of late). You'll never guess what I paid....a whopping 50 cents!! No kidding! One of the downsides of thrift shopping is that many times there are no dressing rooms, so you just have to either try things on over your clothes or eyeball them and keep your fingers crossed that they will fit. With this skirt I figured it really didn't matter because I would only be out a very small amount of money, and I could turn around and donate it right back to another thrift store. It does fit though. Here I paired it with a green scoop neck t-shirt I purchased at Sears when I used to work there, and I put a black short-sleeved knit jacket over that (another purchase from the same store).

- The black short-sleeved knit jacket was also only 50 cents. So I pretty much got an entire outfit for $1.00. I looked each of these pieces over very well, convinced there was some flaw, a hole, or a stain, but could find nothing. They were on racks where everything was 50 cents so I came to the conclusion they were just trying to clear out merchandise so they could bring some new in. What a bargain! The skirt and green shirt have the same green that's in one of my favorite necklaces, and that's what I've paired them with here. The necklace was made by Jason Stoddard of Guntersville, AL and was purchased at the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport, AL. It is made of gaspeite and peridot...gorgeous, if I may say so. This is another outfit that will go well with boots and tights - I'm already wishing for fall/winter again, and it's just now spring!

- A long-sleeved button-up plaid shirt (yes I said plaid...again). I love this because it has a western look to it, and it was only $2.50. Here I put it with my T.J. Maxx denim skirt, clearance belt from Kohl's, and a strand of red beads purchased at Target. I think this will go well with my cowboy boots.

- A pink denim jacket for $2.50. Very versatile...can be worn with skirts, pants, dresses, etc. Here with the old standby T.J. Maxx denim skirt, a thrifted tank top, and my pressed flower necklace.

On a more personal note, I have an update to report. On March 7 I wished Cullen good luck on the MPRE, and well....he passed! We are very excited as that is one hurdle he has now passed on his way to passing the bar exam. Congratulations Cullen!

I hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing weekend. I'll be back with more thrifting finds soon. Happy Monday!

My Favorite Jacket

2009-04-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy week - which is why you haven't heard from me in a couple of days. And yet again, I missed Wednesday, so today is devoted to another item my Mamaw gave me. It's this great brown corduroy jacket. I've had it for years, and I love it because something like this is a classic piece that won't go out of style. It can be mixed with many different things to create a variety of looks. One of my favorite things about it is the tag with the horse icon - it's very unique, and I know I will never get my brown corduroy jacket mixed up with anyone else's.

I was hoping to have that book review for you that I promised for March. I have been reading it, and I don't have much left, but it is going to take me longer to get it finished. As many of you know Cullen and I are moving to New Orleans in July, and I am currently pursuing employment there...I'm spending a lot of time looking into various jobs, filling out applications, etc. so that is taking precedence right now and is why my entries have been less frequent lately. But don't worry...I'm not losing interest in blogging so keep checking back. Thanks for reading!

Clearance Merchandise

2009-03-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

Remember how I wanted to find more belts in all colors and styles? Now I'm well on my way. I picked up a couple more at Kohl's in Florence, AL during Spring Break. This is not a store that I would have gone in on my own, but I was with my mom and she was searching for a purse. I did, however, think they might have some clearance specials on accessories like tights, headbands and belts so it was worth taking a peak. And here's what I found:

- a red elastic belt with patent leather front for $8.00. I threw away the tag so I'm not sure what the original price was, but probably anywhere from $25-30. I love red accessories because I have a lot of black clothing, and this is super cute.

- a brown leather braided belt for $4.80! It was originally priced at $24.00 so it was 80% off. This will be a good belt to wear with my thrifted cowboy boots.

It's kinda funny that my mom was looking for something and I wasn't. She left empty-handed and I didn't. She eventually found a purse though. Until next time, happy bargain-hunting!!

Weekend Breakfast & Afternoon Tea

2009-03-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

In all my excitement to share my thrifting finds with you last week I completely forgot that Wednesdays are devoted to my Mamaw's things. So today I am going to make up for that missed entry. This weekend I made some wonderful sticky buns in two round cake pans that I got from her. This was the first time I used them, and they worked nicely. As you can see, this recipe made two pans of buns - one to enjoy now and one to freeze for another time (that's my kind of recipe). And the best part? They are low fat!!

Cullen and I enjoyed afternoon tea today with my new teapot. It was so nice to take some time from our busy lives to just relax. We should have invited a friend or friends over because there was more tea in the pot than we could drink by ourselves. I had fun though...I used my thrifted tray and tried to be as fancy as possible with the tea pot and two cups and saucers from my collection. We enjoyed a few cookies with our tea (those were store bought, but delicious - especially dipped in the tea). I would love to try to make scones or some type of bread for our next tea time.

Fashion Exchange

2009-03-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

I discovered a great consignment shop in Florence called Fashion Exchange. It was very large...4 rooms full of merchandise! I'm going to have to make it a regular stop when I'm home. Oh yeah, my mom discovered they have a 2nd location in Muscle Shoals! I didn't make it there, but I will during my next visit. The great thing about this place is they have a 'Bargain Room' full of clearance merchandise, and that's where I found 2 of the items I purchased. Here's what I got:

- A short, pleated wool skirt in lime green plaid for $12.99. With consignment, things usually cost a bit more because they are in better condition and the owners of the store won't take just anything...they tend to be quite selective when choosing what to accept from the things people bring in. So the merchandise is largely better quality than what you might find at a thrift store. This is a Gap skirt, and it's wool so I figured the price was a bargain. Here I paired it with a long sleeve tee from Old Navy and a scarf I purchased from Target on clearance. It also looks great with a denim jacket, but I didn't show that here because it covered up too much of the skirt's details. I think this will look great with my grey wool knee boots and a pair of tights next fall.

- A long button-up shirt in plaid (I really have a thing for plaid as you will see over the next several days). This came from the 'Bargain Room', and what's interesting is I don't think I got charged for it...so it ended up being free (I actually just noticed that today when I looked at the receipt)! What I love about this is that it reminds me of an Anthropologie shirt dress I saw on their site that is new for spring. They had it paired with cropped leggings and cinched at the waist with a belt...very cute. So now I have my own (much cheaper) version. Here I put it with a pair of jeans, a thrifted belt, and a necklace I got from Express years ago (I think I actually paid full price for that!). This will also look really good with my cropped cuff jeans and sandals for summer.

- A reversible raincoat from the Bargain Room for $7.00. I needed a raincoat, and when I saw this one I had to have it...perfect size, perfect condition, perfect colors, perfect price! One side is a lavender-like color (it's a bit darker than lavender - a more reddish tone) and the other is gray. Whatever color I choose, I like the belt in the other color for contrast. The coat can be worn buttoned up at the neck (as in the first photo) or left open to show the contrasting color (like the second photo).

The Salvation Army

2009-03-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

I really got into clothes while I was thrifting last week so that's mainly what I bought. Here's what I got at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Florence, AL:

- A great A-line floral print skirt in yellow for $3.00. Here I've paired it with a black scoopneck t-shirt from Target and a thrifted belt. I can't wait to wear this!

- A red and black stretchy belt for $1.00. I put it with this great black dress that I picked up on the clearance rack at T.J. Maxx for next to nothing a few years ago (I've actually never worn it because it needs a slight alteration...I should seriously consider getting that done). The t-shirt came from Target, and the beads were purchased on the cheap at one of those mall jewelry stores like The Icing or Claire's.

Because I purchased the skirt, I was told I could pick out another item for $3.00 or less and get it free. The only catch was the item's tag had to be a certain color. Can you believe I couldn't find anything? I'm sure if I had gone back and really looked again I could have found something, but I had already spent a lot of time in there so I passed. The Salvation Army is a great place for thrifting if you don't mind really looking over everything...if you don't the good stuff gets passed over. I think I may make a trip to the Northport, AL location very soon.

Handmade Cards

2009-03-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

OK so I had every intention of posting a couple of my Salvation Army thrifting finds today. I took some photos, and just got them onto the computer and feel very dissatisfied with them. I'm way to exhausted to re-do them tonight. I don't think I have recovered from Spring Break yet...it was supposed to be a break (and it was) but I'm having a REALLY hard time getting back into the swing of things. I had told myself I was going to get back to the one blog entry a day routine starting today (as you noticed I kinda took a break from blogging this past week), and I am going to make good on that promise...I will just show you something else.

Remember my handmade Valentines? Well, I've made good on my promise to only send/give handmade cards so I wanted to share my latest with you. I made this birthday card for my brother. He loves the Peanuts so I recycled this image from one of my old birthday cards. One of my very best friends is going to be celebrating her 2-year wedding anniversary next week so I also made her a card. The image came from a magazine....I used to go through magazines on a pretty regular basis and cut out images, words, etc. that I liked so I have managed to amass quite a collection, and they are perfect for this kind of thing. Also I was looking to incorporate lavender (one of her wedding colors) so this one was perfect.

Well, I'm off to pay bills, and then I think I may either veg out on the sofa or turn in early tonight. Hopefully tomorrow I will wake refreshed with a lot more energy. Good night!

Things that Begin with 'T'

2009-03-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

I purchased this tea pot and trivet at Keepers of the Past antique mall in Sheffield, AL -a great antique mall that my mom introduced me to. The adorable tea pot was purchased for only $7.99. I really like the design - I've never seen one like it. It's basically the equivalent of my coffee carafe, just for tea. I can't wait to try it out...I may have to have afternoon tea with Cullen one day next week. The trivet was only $1.00. Not only do I need more trivets, but this one is cute enough to display - it's multi-functional! It has an opening at the top that is perfect for hanging. I love the ironwork, the colors and the tile design. Great finds! I'll be posting more in the next several days. Happy Saturday!

Butterfly Chair and Painting

2009-03-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Still enjoying Spring Break...I didn't post anything yesterday because I had the creativity bug and spent most of the afternoon and evening working on a painting project. So today I will report on another item I got from my Mamaw (which would have been yesterday's entry).

This week's item is a fabulous butterfly chair. This is an original...not sure whether from the 50's or 60's...I'll have to look that up. The frame is made of heavy-duty metal and it still has the original mustard-yellow cover. I remember when these made a comeback in the late 90's - early 00's...several of my college friends had them in their dorm rooms. I am fortunate to have an original, and I think they are a lot more durable than the more recent versions. I don't remember this in my Mamaw's house when I was growing up. I think it was found in the attic when she moved out. I would love to find an old photo of a family member sitting in it - I'll have to ask my dad if knows of any. If I find one I will share it with you. It is surprisingly comfortable, and it folds up easily and can be stashed in a closet if needed. Our cat, Annie, loves to sleep in this chair.

This painting is what I did yesterday...it is inspired by fashion plates and based on an image from an old Vogue magazine. I haven't painted in a couple of years, and it felt really good to get back into it. I'm hoping I can make some time for some more projects as I have some ideas floating around in my head.

My trip home was very nice. I did a lot of shopping and got some great new things. It will probably take me several days to report on everything so stay tuned for my latest thrifting finds!

Spring Break!

2009-03-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

Next week is Spring Break, so I'm leaving today to go home for several days to visit my family. I won't be able to post because my parents do not have the internet. However, all is not lost for thrifting opportunities abound in North Alabama. My mom wants to take me to several places...it will be great! I also may try to get some photos of my Mamaw's things that are in storage at my parent's house...so I guess you could say I have plenty of blog projects to keep me occupied. Have a great weekend. Happy Thrifting!

Birthday Presents

2009-03-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my birthday on Tuesday, March 10th, and I got some great gifts that I would like to share with you. The first was from Cullen, and I've actually known about it and had it since right after Christmas. It is a dress form that we picked up at an antique mall in Florence, AL. I had done some research on the older models (because those are the ones I like) and found they can be pretty expensive. So when I found this one at a great price, I begged Cullen to let me get it as an early birthday present. I just knew if I passed it up I'd never find one in such good condition for the price. He consented, and now I have it. I've been waiting until my actual birthday to blog about it, although I did use it the other day as a model for my new clothes. The dress form is a Sears brand, as you can see on the original label. I had to fix it up a bit - I replaced some of the rusty screws and freshened it up with fabric spray - nothing major. I hope it will come in handy when I finally start sewing clothes.

The other item I received was given to me by my mother-in-law. She knew I wanted an old syrup pitcher, and she gave me the one that had belonged to Cullen's grandmother. I really like it, and haven't seen one like it since I started looking for one. The glass part has these great scalloped edges that I love. I can't wait to use it! I think I'll have to make waffles some morning and use both my syrup pitcher and my coffee carafe.

What's Your Poison?

2009-03-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday, so it's time again for me to share something I got from my Mamaw. Today that item is a retro Bar Guide that contains the recipes for 80 different mixed drinks. Here's how it works: the drinks are listed on the guide (which is a plastic box) in alphabetical order, and each one has a corresponding number. So lets just say I would like to make a Gin & Tonic. I find it on the list at #39. Then I go to the dial found in the middle of the box, turn it to #39, and it gives me my recipe: "Place 3 ice cubes into tall highball glass. Add 2 jiggers Gin. Crush 1/2 slice Lemon. Fill with Tonic Water." So no matter what your cocktail of choice, be it a Silver Stallion, Gertie's Garter, or a Widow's Dream (yes those are actual drinks in the bar guide) I have the recipe. Cheers!

Saturday's Treasures

2009-03-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

My Saturday afternoon was spent thrifting, and I went to 2 places I've never been before: the Temporary Emergency Services (TES) Thrift Store and the Skyland Antique Mall, both in Tuscaloosa. I found wonderful things at both places. Here's what I got.

First Stop was the TES Thrift Store. I was going to pass over the books, until I noticed that all paperbacks were 50 cents, and they were buy 1 get 1 free! Two caught my eye: Tom Wolfe's I Am Charlotte Simmons (a book I've considered reading) and Jacqueline Susann's Once is Not Enough. I have always wanted to read Valley of the Dolls, but I guess I'll read this one first. I basically also picked up an entire outfit. I got a black Gap cardigan sweater (a very versatile item) for $5.00, a very cute skirt that kinda resembles dark blue denim for $6.00, and a dark blue shiny belt (something from my wish list!) for $1.00. They were giving out free gallons of milk that had been donated by the Salvation Army...very fresh, nothing wrong with it...so I grabbed one of those. That was great because we needed some that day so I saved a few bucks.

Last stop was the Skyland Antique Mall. I found the vintage coffee carafe with stand that I wanted...so retro...I love it! It was marked $8.95, but when I got ready to pay it rang up at 1/2 price - $4.48! Even better! I also picked up a vintage sleeping mask...I've always thought it would be cool to have one, and this one definitely has character...and it's pink!!

Til next time, Happy Thrifting!

The Weekend Report

2009-03-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

I have had a very nice weekend. Here's a rundown of some of the noteworthy things I did:

Saturday afternoon was spent thrifting, and I found some great things - two were on my wish list! I will have a report on my findings Monday.

I must also mention that the weather has been lovely - warm and sunny - very spring-like. Last night, while I was preparing dinner the apartment got very hot so I cracked open the window - we can't open them much because of the cats...the windows have no screens...we live on the third floor...point made. Anyway I did it again this morning before finally giving in and turning on the AC. The kitties enjoyed sitting by the window - that's Annie taking in the nice, cool breeze. Speaking of Annie, she was peeping at me last night and I tried to get a picture, but it turned out blurry - it's still cute though. When I tried to get another one, she ran off...that skittish cat!

I made the last of the Betty Crocker recipes this weekend. Dinner Saturday night was what I would call a Southern Vegetable Feast. We had lima beans, spinach, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread muffins. And yes, only in the south is macaroni and cheese considered a vegetable. I made Pioneer Macaroni and Cheese...that's what Betty Crocker calls her basic recipe. It was delicious...homemade is so much better than the store-bought boxed kind - it was comfort food at its finest...yum! I also made Betty Crocker's Southern Cornbread, and it was very tasty.

This morning I baked her Popular Muffins as a weekend breakfast treat. They were just plain - lightly sweetened - and delicious with either jam or honey and a hot cup of coffee.

Good Luck Cullen!

2009-03-07T05:52:00.000-08:00

Cullen is taking the MPRE today - as he described it this is the ethics portion of the bar exam. He's been studying like crazy all week and getting very little sleep. I know we will both be glad when this is over. Here is a picture of him studying - our cat Lola is providing moral support. I love you babe, and I know you'll do great!

One of My Favorite Things

2009-03-05T15:55:00.001-08:00

I got this pressed flower necklace last summer for $6 at Anne's Tiques. I absolutely love it, and I wear it a lot. There are dried flowers and butterfly wings encased in the glass. The back side features a mirror. I tried to do some online research of these types of necklaces, and I only found one that was somewhat similar. It was from the 1960's. Does anyone know anything about these? I would love to know more...was it a trend at one point and when did these first appear?

Fashion Plates & Hot Tamale Pie

2009-03-04T17:52:00.001-08:00

It's Wednesday again so I am going to share something else my Mamaw gave me. Today I have chosen two framed French fashion plates. I always admired these growing up, what with my interest in fashion and all, so I was thrilled when I got to have them. I'm very glad to be doing this post because it forced me to do some research on the plates. Beneath the illustrations in large text are the words "Le Follet" on one and "La Mode Illustree" on the other. According to fashion-era.com these were the names of two popular French fashion plate magazines. Le Follet Courier des Salons first appeared in 1829 and was described as the equivalent of Vogue, displaying all the latest fashions. La Mode Illustree was first published in 1859 in Paris. I'm pretty sure the ones I have are reproductions and not the actual original plates. I am curious as to where my Mamaw got them though, so I think I'll ask her.

I made another retro recipe from the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook. Tonight was Hot Tamale Pie, and it was actually very good. I had to make corn meal mush...I know it sounds disgusting, right? But it was actually pretty good - it tasted a lot like grits. The Pie was a layer of corn meal mush on the bottom, then a mixture of green peppers, onions, soy crumbles (my improvisation for the ground beef), black olives, chili powder, salt and pepper, topped off with another layer of the mush. There was no cheese at all...pretty rare for a Mexican dish. Hooray for another successful one-dish concoction!

Belts!

2009-03-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

I want belts...lots and lots of belts. All colors, all styles, etc.! I have been thinking lately that I should wear more belts as they can totally transform an outfit. Problem: it seems the cool way to wear belts is cinched at the waist, but all my belts are sized to be worn slung low on the hips. Therefore, I have very few that I can actually wear. I was so excited about my outfit today. I finally decided to pull out this brown stretchy belt with gold/brown buckle that was purchased at the Alabama thrift store last spring/summer. I have never worn it because I didn't think I really had anything it would work with. Adding it to my brown sweater gave the sweater a whole new look! I was in a store just yesterday (I won't say which one), and I decided to look at their belts to see if they had any bargains. They didn't - they had cute belts - but I just can't bring myself to pay full price for them ($20-30). I know...I'm cheap! So I am adding belts to my list for my next thrifting adventure.

Here's a breakdown of my outfit (not a great complete picture...Cullen wasn't at home so I had to experiment with the auto-timer on my camera):

necklace - HSWA Flea Market for $2 I think. I love this and have gotten many compliments. Owls have become very popular recently

tank - Old Navy

sweater - Target

belt - Alabama Thrift Store

skirt - T.J. Maxx

leggings - American Apparel

shoes - Payless. I was asked today if they were vintage, and I said, "yeah, vintage Payless!"

Thrifted Tray & Retro Recipes

2009-03-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

Remember the tray I bought at the thrift store on Valentine's Day? Well this weekend I finally did something with it - nothing earth-shattering, but I think it looks quite nice. I had an old black tray that had belonged to Cullen that I was using on our coffee table so I decided to switch that one out for the new one, not really thinking I was going to like it, but I did. Voila! I think a vase of fresh flowers would look lovely with it...to give some color, but alas we have 2 cats, and I hear almost all flowers are poisonous - it's a risk I just don't want to take. I really don't like the look of artificial flowers either. If anyone has any suggestions for creative flower-like decorations, I would love to hear them. Oh yeah, and the discoloration on the tray came right off when I washed it...I am thrilled! I am keeping the black tray. It has potential - it just needs a new coat of paint or something to bring it back to life.

I have to share what I made for dinner with you as well. First the backstory: Cullen and I have been trying to compile a menu file with lots of different meals that we really like in hopes that meal-planning will one day be a snap. Here's how we do it: We each plan meals for the week (yes, I am one of those fortunate women who has a husband that cooks!), and if the meal is a success I take an index card and write the meal on it. If anything is from a recipe, I include the name of the cookbook and the page the recipe is on for easy access next time we want to make it. We include the main dish as well as the side items on the card. Then it gets filed in a recipe box by meal type: Italian, Soup, Mexican, Sandwiches, etc. This is an easy way to pick things out if you are in the mood for a certain type of food.

I love cooking, and I love to try new things, so I have made it a rule that each week I get all my meals from one cookbook - this forces me to try new things, plus I have lots of different cookbooks. This week the cookbook is Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book - one that I have never made anything from. This was given to me by my Grandmother (my mom's mother), and it is a re-print of the first edition from 1950. I love looking at it, mainly for the pictures, but also because it has some very strange recipes in it like Flaming Cabbage, Grape Juice with Egg, and Macaroni Loaf - just to name a few. This was really a challenge for me because I am a vegetarian, and there aren't many things that don't involve meat in some form or fashion. For instance, all their soups call for stocks made with marrow bones, shin of beef, and veal knuckle...you get the idea. I was able to find a few to try out though.

Tonight I made curried rice with veggies and curry sauce. I decided to make the rice just like the cookbook said. This involved rinsing the rice pre-cook, adding salt to the boiling water, NOT covering the pot, and rinsing the rice with boiling water after it cooked. This was a much different experience for me than my usual throwing some rice and water into my rice cooker. I don't think I'll make it that way again, but it was fun to try. The veggies were my replacement for the meat that was suggested, and I just sauteed mushrooms, green pepper, and onion in a little oil. Then I made the curry sauce - I always seem to have trouble making sauces. I tend to attribute it to crappy cookware and a crappy stove. It tasted fine - it was just a little lumpy, and some of it kinda burned onto the bottom of the pot...Cullen had the pleasure of cleaning that up! So will this be added to our menu file? Yes! It was delicious - a pretty easy one-dish meal that Cullen and I both really liked. It's a good thing because we have leftovers. Yes!

I hope you all have had a nice Monday. I think I'm off to do a few house chores, and then it's comfy pajamas, a nice cup of hot tea, and my copy of Anna Karenina. Good night!

Book Reviews

2009-03-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

So I have a coffee table stacked with various books about decorating with antique/secondhand finds. I bought them mainly for the photographs because I found them very inspiring. I have looked through them many times, but have not actually read them from cover to cover. So I decided I am going to pick one every month, read it, and then review it in a blog entry. The first book will be Thrift. How to Have a Stylish Home Without Breaking the Bank by Bridget Bodoano. I'll report back toward the end of the month.

Mamaw's Things #1 - Glasbake Loaf Pan

2009-02-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

I'm back! We had a great time in NOLA. I saw what looked like some great junk/antique stores, but we just didn't have time for that on this trip. I'll have to check those out later though and let you know.

It's Wednesday and, as promised, I'm going to share something I got from my Mamaw. Today it's a Glasbake loaf pan. I just love the look of pieces like this...white milk glass with colorful flower patterns on them - a very retro look. I'm not sure how old this piece is exactly...it claims to be microwave-safe on the bottom so it can't be that old, right? I did some research online and there are a lot of these pieces for sale for very reasonable prices. The only downside to these dishes: they can be hard to clean. Baked-on food shows up very well on white so mine has some stains, but I guess that's just proof that it has been used for its intended purpose.

Here is a recipe for a very easy bread that I've made using this pan (it comes from The Starving Students' Vegetarian Cookbook):

Banana Bread

1 1/4 cups presifted flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 very ripe bananas

2 whole eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, stir all ingredients in order given until well blended. Rub inside of loaf pan lightly with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 1 loaf.

Out of Town

2009-02-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

I had hoped to make this post several days ago, but things have been VERY hectic. Cullen and I are currently in New Orleans for a few days, so I won't have another entry until we return. I love this city, and it's great for thrifting/antiquing...they have some great vintage clothing stores too!! However, since it's Mardi Gras I'm not sure how much of that type thing I will be able to do. I'll let you know if I come home with anything though. Happy Mardi Gras!

Mamaw's Things

2009-02-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

My father's mother, who the grandchildren have always referred to as Mamaw, recently had to move into an assisted living facility. It is such a nice place - they plan the most elaborate events and outings for the residents - and they take great care of her. Since she went from living in a two-bedroom, two-bath house to living in a single room apartment, the result was that she had to get rid of many of her things...and she had a lot of things! She still has a lot of her things with her (all the furniture in her room came from her house), and I'm willing to bet she has the nicest room in the entire facility!

Mamaw wanted to offer the things she couldn't take with her to the family first so we all made trips to her house to decide what we would like to have. Cullen and I were some of the last to make it there, and I really wasn't expecting much to be left. The thing is my parents already have so much stuff that they are just about out of space, so they didn't take a whole lot. My uncle (dad's only sibling) and aunt had recently inherited a lot of my aunt's parent's furniture - so they didn't really have the room or the need for much. So being my Mamaw's only granddaughter, I guess I was the most interested in her things of all the grandchildren.

And let me just tell you...when I walked into her house and was told I could have anything I saw, I was like a kid in a candy store. I picked out knick-knacks and furniture, linen napkins and kitchen appliances. I was so excited!! My family found it very comical and spent the evening laughing at my constant outbursts of things like, "Oh I LOVE that!" and "Are you sure I can really HAVE this?". When I was finally done - I think we were there going on 3 hours - I had amassed the biggest pile of the most wonderful things. My Mamaw was tickled pink when she found out we were going to be taking a lot of her furniture and housewares - I think it really means a lot to her that we will be keeping it in the family.

The majority of what we got is in a storage unit because Cullen and I don't have room for it all in our small apartment. I can't wait until we finally move into a house where we will have room! I wanted to share this story because I have decided that once a week - on Wednesdays - I am going to devote my blog entry to an item we got from her (I'm pretty sure we have enough of her things around here that I can do this for a while). These are some of the best items because ,not only did we get them for free, but they are special because they belonged to Mamaw. Next Wednesday the first item will be revealed...stay tuned!

Wish List

2009-02-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

Today I am going to share my new wish list. A couple of these are things I saw Saturday that I decided I wanted. I will be looking for these on my next thrifting adventure:

egg plate in light pink or blue (that stays on the list until I find it...or settle for something else)
vintage glass coffee carafe c. 1950's-1960's; preferably with a gold design of some sort on the glass and with a warming stand
vintage glass maple syrup pitcher
vintage women's belt buckles in a variety of colors/designs made from any of the following materials: Lucite, celluloid, Bakelite, or plastic (I have an idea in mind of something to do with these, but I'll save that for another post...if I find my belt buckles)

Cups and Saucers

2009-02-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

As promised I'm going to do a post about my small, but growing, collection of china coffee cups and saucers. The idea for this was conceived when I was trying to decide what I wanted to display in a cabinet that I've had since childhood (my mom thought it would be a great idea to cover the lower 2 doors with pink rosebud wallpaper...horrors I know - see detail in photo - I will be changing that once I decide what color I want to paint it). If I'm not mistaken, I think the cabinet was my grandmother's at one time. The top half has 3 display shelves with 2 glass doors. I had thought it would work as a display for my wedding china, but the shelves are not tall enough to accommodate the dinner plates. I have always loved the idea of mismatched china so I thought I'd start by collecting cups and saucers. My favorite color is pink so I chose that as the theme.

I now have 4 complete cups and saucers. I have 5 identical saucers because I really liked them, and I think I paid 50 cents for each one. They were purchased at the Humane Society of West Alabama's (HSWA) Flea Market - one of my favorite places to go. Two of the cups were purchased this past Saturday, and the other two came from the HSWA Flea Market. My only criteria for purchasing them is that the cup and saucer are not sold as a matching set, they are cheap (branding is not a factor here) and they incorporate the color pink. Who knows? Once I finish with the cups and saucers I may start looking for something else...maybe I'll have an entire set of mismatched china one day!

The last photo is of a cup and saucer (also purchased at the HSWA Flea Market) in blue - not my color scheme. However, I absolutely love the saucer...I think it's gorgeous. I don't know the brand because it has been scratched off on the bottom, but I would love to know what it is. I don't particularly care for the cup, but they were sold together and I wanted the saucer. I think the saucer would look great as a catch-all on my dressing table, hung on the wall, or displayed on a small plate stand.

Valentine's Day Celebration

2009-02-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

I have to share with you what my husband, Cullen, gave me for Valentine's Day -a new pair of dressmaker's shears! These were bought new because they are one of those things you probably don't want to buy used as they are likely not to work as well.

We had our traditional V-day dinner of Thai take-out and watched Breakfast at Tiffany's - one of my favorites! Other than having a to die for wardrobe, Holly Golightly has the most fabulous sofa. It appears to have been constructed from a claw foot bathtub, and it has a purple cushion with 2 pink pillows...so cute. I just wanted to share because I love the idea of re-purposing things, and that is one of the finest examples I've seen. I just wonder if it was comfortable. Also, her coffee table was a simple wooden crate.

Saturday's Loot

2009-02-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

I am very happy to report that I found 3 things that were on my list when I went out thrifting on Saturday.

I found the nut chopper I was looking for (white with a crank handle) at Anne's Tiques in Tuscaloosa for $2. Then when I went to the Alabama Thrift Store in Tuscaloosa I found another one made by Federal Housewares with a pump handle for $2.98. The thing that attracted me was the color...I love that pale pink. It's got some crud built up on the blade, but I think I will be able to get it off if I spend a little time cleaning it. I am so happy to have these - now I won't have to put nuts in a plastic bag and beat them with a hammer!!

The best find of the day was the blue and green floral wig box that I'm going to use to hold my sewing supplies. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a wig box, but it makes sense that you would need something to carry one in. I found it at Anne's Tiques for $6. I love the fabric...very retro. And no, there was no wig inside - bummer, I know.

I found 2 china coffee cups at the Alabama Thrift Store: one for 79 cents and the other for $1.48. The brands are Gold Standard and Royal Swirl - both made in Japan - which means nothing to me, but the main thing is that they were sold without matching saucers (which I don't want) and they incorporate the color pink. I'll have to do a post one day about my collection of mismatched china coffee cups.

And of course I picked up more than just what was on my list:

Also from the Alabama Thrift Store I got a great black and white tray for $1.98. I love the design and think I can use it for several different things. It has a slight chip in one corner and a bit of discoloration in one area, but as I always say those are the things that give an item character.

I also found a circular tablecloth in a funky yellow floral pattern for $1.48. I'm not going to use it as a tablecloth, but I'm going to use the material in my sewing...I think it would make a great skirt!

The other items purchased at Anne's Tiques were 2 hand towels with what appears to be a cross stitch design of a lady wearing an antebellum dress. One design is blue and the other pink...they were $2 each.

I also found 3 books: Wuthering Heights (I've never read it but want to) for $2.50; The English Patient (one of my all-time favorite movies and I've been wanting to read the book) for $2.50; Sybil (never heard of this one, but the description on the front reads," the true and extraordinary story of a woman possessed by 16 separate personalities" so I must say I am intrigued; it was also made into a 4-hour TV movie starring Joanne Woodward and Sally Field as Sybil...may have to check that one out!) for $2.25.

Saturday Thrifting

2009-02-14T09:49:00.001-08:00

I think I'm going to go thrifting today. Here are some things I'm looking for:

a small chopper with a crank handle...my mom used to have one and it's perfect for chopping nuts, etc.
an egg plate - I would like to find one in pink or blue
a unique container for my sewing supplies
china coffee cups with pink designs on them

I'm sure I'll come home with something that's not on my list because one of the joys of thrifting is you never know what you might find! If I find anything I'll post it tomorrow.

Homemade Valentines

2009-02-14T09:32:00.001-08:00

This year I made homemade Valentines for family members. The idea was to use materials I already had around the house...recycling at its finest. The only thing I had to purchase were the envelopes. I was hoping to find some made from recycled paper, but they had none at Office Depot, and I'm sorry to say that I was not willing to run all over town in search of them. So, I settled for some nice off-white ones instead that I will be able to use for a long time. I had so much fun making these...I'm done buying mass-produced greeting cards. Unfortunately I had to mail all but one before I could take pictures of them...the ones I mailed were really pretty, but I have the one I'm going to give my husband that I can share.

I began with a sheet of red scrapbook paper and folded it in half. Then I took a pair of my decorative scissors and cut around the edges. I attached a piece of waffle-weave foam that came from an invitation, and on top of that I pasted an old Valentine. The inside design was created from a piece of package wrap and red construction paper...this is where I will write my message. On the back I pasted a label made from package wrap and newspaper. I tore the package wrap into the square shape with my hands to create the rough edges.

Valentine's Day Breakfast

2009-02-14T08:59:00.001-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, my first post will be dedicated to all things Valentine. I usually like to cook a special breakfast for my husband on Saturdays so I decided today's should have a Valentine theme. I made his favorite - waffles, but I cut them into heart shapes with a cookie cutter. Instead of the traditional maple syrup I topped them with whipped cream and strawberries. They were delicious! Also, just so you know, I did not throw away the scrap pieces of waffle...they are in the fridge for later.