Thrifty Thursday

......Christmas decorating edition.Last spring a favorite little gift shop closed. I bought a few things on sale then I began to notice the left overs showing up at a thrift store.... So I've been using some of these finds with my tree collection to spruce up my decorations this year. I would never buy those stacked boxes with the $61 price tag on them...but for $5.99...they are mine! Much of the greenery and stem decorations were $.59 each.... that's a long way from $3-$12 each!

At $10.25 a bag the faux cranberries are a little high....

thrift store price = $.39 !!!! I filled up the urns for my little trees!

At another estate/rummage sale I found the Santa boots with the same store's price tag on the bottom- $10 and $5 - rummage sale price $2 and $1!!!

And the Okra Claus - hanging on the tree - free! We had a big crop of okra this year. I have never had so much that I couldn't keep up with it. So I dried some and painted them up!

Thanks to Leigh for hosting Thrifty Thursday each week! Be sure to go by here to get some Thrifty (free!) Inspiration!

Back to Blogland

I can't believe that my break lasted almost a month! The next month will be a blur. We have a trip to the mountains (with the pugs!), Victorian Porch Christmas Tour, The Wedding, and Christmas!

This weekend my bestest girlfriends hosted a Cooking Shower for the Bride. We each included a favorite recipe and something to cook or serve it with. The hostesses put the recipes in a book for her. It was a great shower!

You know how I love burlap....here is my tote bag to keep my stuff ready and organized. I will carry my spare shoes and a box of Kleenex in it on wedding day. I made bags for the Bride and her Mom, too.

The family favorite recipe- Lasagna - and a 13 X 9 pan!

The beautiful dining room set up for the guests! The house looked like it should be in "Southern Living" !!!!!

The kitchen was set up as the coffee station. The hostesses each brought their good china to mix and match! Later on everyone ended up in the kitchen!

The hostesses, Moms and the excited Bride! I love how coordinated we are in our black, white and gray outfits!

Update from the Swamp

The pugs are all dressed up in their skeleton shirts due to the very cold weather we have had this week! It went from 85 degrees down to 40 degrees in two days!

We have been back at work on our dining room project that has been on hold for the "swimming pool season" - I have been playing with our old fireplace tile and some new pieces we are adding. Several of our tiles were broken so we are rearranging, replacing, and adding to the pattern.

We had a family dinner that all of our children, son-in-law, and future daughter-in-law were all able to show up for! This is quite amazing since they came from as far away as Alaska and Afghanistan. I did manage to catch dinner on fire before dinner and we had to evacuate the house due to the smoke! Thank goodness it was still warm enough to move out by the pool to eat!!!

And finally, please forgive me if I'm not around much in the next couple of months! I have computer issues- the poor old thing is hanging on by a thread! Added to that is the holiday/wedding season that is approaching!!! I would love to replace my computer, but now is not the time. See ya' later!

Arm Art

Almost 2 years ago my Hubby and Son #3 ran in the Walt Disney World Marathon. DH says it was his first and last marathon. He trained for a year. I'm proud that he set that goal and stuck to it. He toughed it out and finished. Then he got the idea (he says I gave him the idea) of getting a tattoo in celebration. Last week he met that goal, too! I went with him and watched. The place seemed clean and I think the artist did a great job. He did not seem to be in any pain during the long 2 hour process - in fact, he had a great time laughing and talking through it! And no- not for me- I have no plans of getting one!

Thrifty Thursday

This Thursday I have some of my Dollar Tree fall decorations to share. I saw some silver pumpkins this year that were larger-but priced $15.99. This small one was $1. I just spray painted it and rubbed a little antique glaze over it to "tarnish" it.

Also from Dollar Tree -this topiary I made last year- is made from a candle holder and 3 pumpkins. I sprayed them white, rubbed the glaze on them, pulled off 2 of the stems and glue gunned them in a stack. $4 + paint

The crow tree I made last year got lost in the attic- I only bought 2 crows this year because I know I'll find the lost ones sooner or later. I sprayed some twigs black and glued on a few leaves (also from Dollar Tree). Under the tree is a place mat that I glued on the rest of the package of leaves. I had plans of making place mats for a tablescape, but I ended up giving away 2 of the mats and used the rest of my leaves on the lampshade I showed last Friday!

I guess Lulu did not appreciate the crows in the house because she hunted this one down!

Check out the other "Thriftiness" at Leigh's place! I always come away with some ideas to file away for inspiration!

Wordless Wednesday

Burlap Rocks

I found a great source for burlap bags- Mike's Warehouse. They were only $.98 each. Now I'm looking for ideas and inspiration! I sent Leigh a few and I know that her creative mind will come up with some great uses for them! I shared this lamp shade I made for my guest room a few weeks ago.I used the plain back side of the bag - but now I want to do some things with the fun graphics from the front of the bags!

Another burlap idea I came up with started with a very, very ugly desk. You know the kind - cheap and fake wood....

Son #3 had it for his computer and it fit in this nook in his room/new guest room. He left it behind when he left the nest. At first I was thinking- out to the curb- but, it did fit the nook! So off to Hobby Lobby for some burlap - black- for a change. Then I took my last piece of leopard remnant and sewed a slipcover. I used leopard for the top and cording with 3 yards of a burlap skirt.

I have also shared the bench that I redid with the matching leopard seat. The mirror, chalkboard, lamp, shelf and boxes are all thrifty purchases that I had tucked away. Mirror from Big Lots and chalkboard from thrift store were both repainted and hung from leopard ribbon. The thrift store lamp got a paint job and a leafy shade for fall!

My guest room will get it's first visitors next week when my daughter and her hubby come for a visit. She is flying in from Alaska to meet him on his 2 week R&R from Afghanistan!

Check out more burlap ideas at Leigh's place!