Sister Sue, A Good Thrifty Day

So today Patricia and I went thrifting in Vero. Sadly, as it is New Year's Eve, many favorite shops were closed or closed early.... we still made out well.

First, I saw this jacket in Oslo Road Goodwill, the very best thrift I've found in a long time! And then minutes later I found designer capris (in white which is never good in thrift??) in perfect shape ALL in Sister Sue's sizes. So, since her son, my nephew Nik, is getting married in St. Augustine (at the Lightner!) in June, I felt Sue needed new FLA friendly stuff. I think I did very, very well here! Total outfit, which she is in love with, head to knee, $4.00!!!????!!! Insaneooooo perfect!

Also got a lovely, lovely thing for Erin, which is, naturally, a secret. And jeans for me that fit like they were tailored to me, in a khaki brown.... for $1.50!!! Very cool day of thrifting. Except for the part where among her other lovely things, Patricia got a bottle brush tree, vintage.... for $.25? How on earth did I miss that one?

Anyway, loves to Sister Sue. You cleaned up today......And Happy New Year to ALL!!!!

Chair for Patricia

Yesterday I saw this chair at Dogs and Cats thrift. I described it to Pat who is still in ALA, but I knew the chair wouldn't last till she got home for Christmas. So I went back when they opened and snagged it for $35. The lady had Jack help her learn how to set up their new store CD player, so she gave me the icicle ornament (Erin's style) and the elf free. He is either Snap, Crackle or Pop, anyway he lives with the other pixies now.

Pat's doing the FLA house over in "vintage Florida comfort style". Not kitschy, just relaxed old tropical sort of. Anyway, this chair will match everything she's got going on in the living room. Also, can you see in the close up, the needlepoint is signed, 1930 GS! Cool. And comfortable beyond belief.

More Christmas Finds

I stopped at our newly relocated Dogs and Cats Forever Thrift and it was great! Mrs. Murphy the cat came from there about seven years ago, so I have a fondness for the place.

I got totally great stocking hangers for $1 each! And never had them before because I always used my painting easel to hang them off, often unsuccessfully. But it finally dawned on me, huh, hang them off the bar counter...... I can be slow...

And I saw the card hanger at Bealls yesterday for $29.99 but half off. I thought about it, but got this one today for $1.50. Perfect. THEN, TA DA!!!! A real, REAL UFO ornament! I have several of the bell shaped ones, never had a UFO!!! The price was not on it, the lady at the counter says, " you want this?" Kind of in disbelief... so she charged me twenty five cents.... WOO HOOOOOOO

Little Finds

I stopped at Goodwill yesterday and found these goodies for ten cents each. A different kind of elf, I love Mrs. Santa, and Erin collects these beaded ones.

Christmas finds....

Here in WI with it being 7 degrees out and no yard sales in sight for a long long time. I took a trip to one of my thrift stores. Finding a few Christmas goodies:

















- I think I know someone in need of Reindeer ...hmmmm




















- I love this gnome/elf guy!




















-I found this set of hand painted wooden ornaments that I thought were so cute.




















One of my favorites




















-Another one of my favorites!


I am hoping to get to this wonderful consignment shop downtown tomorrow! I have a hair appointment across the street from it! Wish me LUCK!

Animal print

Mom's friend Patricia gave me TONS of this animal print. Isn't is the most fabulous retro looking animal print ever? It's heavy weight too. I'm nto sure what I'm making with it, but it's gonna be great. :)

Buttons

Ok, my thrifty procurements over the past week will take me MONTHS to blog. It's insane.

I have pics ready of this box of buttons though.

Mom thinks that a lot of these are that bakelite buttons, apparently they are worth something. I just like pretty buttons. That's all I know about buttons. Here is a list of other stuff I got, NOT a full list:
Literature Anthology.
about 50lbs of fabric
zippers
binding tape
tons of books
textbooks for my kids learning time
clothes for kids
shirt for husband
two sweaters for me
stroller for pushing kids (actually handles really well, way better than our expensive one)
games for kids
toys for kids
blankie for ethan
a bike
a Kate Spade purse
3 vintage sheets
a bike for Stephen
a swiffer carpet flicker thingie (which I actually like)
an atlas, which my mom stole. :) (kidding I gave it to her)

See? A LOT of thrift finds I need to update.

Some favorite finds all together now

This is the silver tree Patricia gave me this past summer. And ornaments she found me, along with vintage Gurley caroller candles. And some of my pixies. I think I might have a couple more still in the attic. Anyway, this was what I've been collecting some of this stuff for all along!

Great World Atlas

Here is the atlas Erin gave me. I love this thing!. And I'm happy it's not going to be cut up. Lilith is apparently fascinated with it too, especially Greenland.

The clippings are dated Sept. 30, 1938. One is Hitler chatting with Mussolini. One is Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Mussolini and Edouard Daladier captioned "Gathered at Hitler's invitation to find a peaceful way out of the Czech-Sudeten situation" and the third "German troops as they will march into Czechoslovakia tomorrow". They are evidently from a PA newspaper because on the back of one there is a home for sale "Public Sale, Intercourse Residence" which I assume is the town... Brand new brick homes with "six rooms and hot water" for $3900.

$100 Atlas... shrug

So I buy atlas's (I don't appreciate pluralization of words ending in "s") So anyhow I buy them. Whenever I see them. I cut them up and make envelopes out of them. It's an obsession.

Today I got a lovely red one at one of the thrift shops down here near mom's house. $3 which is about tops for what I'll pay.

Bring it home. Now it's LOVELY, red cover, the most beautiful art ever. Make some real nice envelopes. Mom protests. I offer it to her. She accepts.

Inside the atlas are news paper clippings just prior, days prior, to WWII. Mom will have to share those with you.

I go online to see if the atlas is worth anything, it is from 1963. Well at least one sold for $100. Mine, no, mom's, is in near perfect condition. Sigh. I guess she's right, no business cutting up $100 atlas for the making of paper crafts right?

shrug.

I also got a huge box of buttons, apparently some are bakelite. By some I mean like 50-100 of them. So that's fun too.

I'm MOST excited about this little scrap of vintage fabric I got though.

Pics when I get back home.

Mom promised to blog the red $100 atlas.

Oh we named the cat, Sneaky Pie Brown. And it's not looking for a home any longer, it lives here at mom's.

hugs everyone in blog land. sorry to blog such cool finds with no pictures, I can't figure how to do them on mom's computer.

Name That Cat!

So, we are evidently keeping the little Halloween kitty. We are suffering over her name. I'd like to avoid "Halloween", "Spooky" etc etc. And I'd like to avoid references to her sadly shortened tail! So feel free to post "Anon" and send potential cat names. Most of the family and close friends have been solicited to suggest names... now it's time for LURKERS to suggest names. Be nice. She is fantastic...

Art

I saw this in Goodwill today and had to have it. It is beautiful! It measures 24" X 23" framed. It was professionally framed and there is a card on the back identifying the artist as Billie Waters, the title is "The White Doe" and the framer (at least about forty years ago) was located on Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles. Whether it's a print or an original, I love the thing. Already hanging up here.

Wednesday Goodies

I just felt like getting out and hit three thrift stores near home this morning. Not a big haul, but a nice medium sized vase in colors in my living room. Two books, for Erin of course, one old Grimm's Fairy Tales from 1961 with cool illustration, and a Literature book. Now it's not a Norton Anthology, which she really wanted, but has some good stuff in it with art plate photos.

Then, best of all for me, silk espadrilles from Spain that fit perfectly! I see a head to toe Christmas party outfit here. The white silk tunic and black silk pants from a thrift six months ago and now these. I think they are pretty.

More random junk

I love random junk! :)


Saturday we took the kids and went to garage sales and one Thrift Store. We are on the search for a new toy shopping cart for our Ethan who loves his even though it's falling apart. (got the original at a yard sale too!)
Some games (a little too old for our kids but we all love games so couldn't pass them up) a White Baby Tiger for Ethan, who loves tigers. Not shown is a plastic daggar for Stephen. The hair curlers are for Brian's Gram who can't find this type anymore. Fabric for me. (LOVE gray fabric) And these two cool boxes.

here is what they look like. One is for Kim, one for me. I think they used to have chocolates in them or something, but they are really fun and I figure we can hold some art stuff in them or something. Heck, they are almost cool enough to be hung on the wall. I feel like we got more... Oh a coffee pot. We don't drink coffee here at all, but when my parents come they like it, so I got a pot so they can use it when they come. Maybe something else I can't remember too.

We are having a garage sale next Saturday. It's thrown in with the neighborhood association, it will be in the parking lot of the radio station on the corner of Glenlea and Atlantic. Apparently tons of people participate and sell stuff and buy stuff. We are selling TONS of really cheap random stuff, not too much large stuff, just lots of random stuff. Books, kids toys, clothes (kid and adult) a few games, and then lots and lots of junk. Brian has some sports garbage in the pile too. It's from 8am to 12pm so check it out!

Kitten, Yes Really, Kitten

So, I don't know how many local readers I have, but! If you want a kitty call me!!!! Some teenaged trick or treaters in our neighborhood picked up this darling kitten and were carrying it all over. About two weeks ago, Jack had to slam on brakes because this "black bobtailed kitten" was going all scared in the middle of the road near here! So sure enough, the cat is the same one. The kid holding it said it's a stray and all the neighbors feed it.... So yes, there is a new kitty in the Casa Brown holding garage. We took it to the vet to check for a microchip, alas, no luck there. And he totally de- fleaed it, which was a blessing to all of us. It seems to be a female, about five months old, cut off (but totally healed ) two inch tail stub, and charming as anything. She is a love bird, lap cat. She has an amazing personality, is friendly and purrs constantly. She also likes to "talk" to us.

We can't keep another cat, we have three already, who on good days only tolerate each other. Four is well over our limit. Animal control says I can hold her till next weekend and then try to adopt her out on my own. Or they will pick her up. And she will go to the pound. Where they will surely put her to sleep.

So local buddies, please help out! If you want her, call me! If you can find anyone who would give her a good home, call me!!!

Linda B

Raincoat, Guitar and Unusual fabric

I always say I'm going to STOP buying more fabric for Erin, and along comes more I just can't pass up. The green is about a yard and a half, and I think it's Moda. A steal at $.50. And the large piece says Made in the Netherlands, but I got it for the huge flowering cactus print. I have no idea what she or I will do with it, but there's at least 1.5 yards, closer to 2.0.

The raincoat was from a consignment store, not true thrift, but pretty thrifty for Stephen at $4.00 in great shape. We have been looking for these, they are hard to find. And last, but not least, a Barney guitar. Ethie will love this, actually I do. And if he doesn't, well Katie may have turned 17 this year and is college bound, but that girl does love her Barney.....

Dishtowel Addiction

So my mom collects these dishtowels. She loves the botanical ones. I recently got her a Brussles one and she rejected it. So I used it and LOVE it. Then today I found this Cornish Pasties one.

Now there is a story about Cornish Pasties. My husband Brian served a mission for our church in England and Cornwall was part of his region. He LOVED Cornwall. Tons, I think he wants to visit there more than anywhere. He brought home all sorts of Cornwall turns of phrase and such. I have it in my mind as the most darling and charming spot of land in all of the British Isles. His favorite food from there are Cornish Pasties. He brought home a recipe. I tried to follow it but it was impossible. I don't know why but I got super heavy bland blobs.

So I saw this and had to get it: So I offically collect these. My unifying theme is "Place" As in I want them about places, cities, countries, states and so on. This one is really about a food, but the picture looks like Cornwall to me and it's a food deeply associated with a place for us.

Kim, heads up, these rock and we expect you to start collecting them too. I assign you "Birds". So to review, Mom = "Botanical" Erin = "Places" Kim = "Birds"

Welcome to the addiction.

Lots of Thrift Gifts

Good friend Pat just came back to FLA from her second home in ALA. She thrifted a good deal while there and came home loaded with thrift gifts for everyone! She found Florida My Eden up there for me to give my nephew who recently moved here to FLA. She found the perfect hot air balloon beer glass for Jack, a Yankees book for Jeffrey, ornaments for me, and remember the teacups Erin got me? She located this sweet little covered pot in the exact same pattern! She says, "I see the beginning of a collection...". And the big banker's box? Filled with fabrics, zippers, ricrack etc, all for Erin! What a great friend!

And the other photo is of four Corelle Spring Blossom patterned dessert plates I located for Erin. She loved this set growing up, so I'm collecting her a few from my thrift travels. We all love what we had when we were kids.

Military Maps

I went back to Marianne's garage sale today. She knew she had some military maps but could not get her hands on them yesterday. Today she had them. $1 each and they are so very cool. Three different ones. Here are pics:

What's extra cool, besides just what they are, is that they are some cool material. You can't tear them and they can get wet and stuff. They are super wrinkly. I'm not sure if that's part of just how they are because they still read just fine. They are HUGE too. Almost as long as I am tall. Maybe they'd just bunch them up and stuff them in their bags? I don't really know too much about these, so if anyone does please share in the comments. :)

I have no idea what I'll do with them. Mom, Kim, do you guys think you want one? What would do you with it? They are HUGE. I wonder if my grandfater who is a military buff would like them for Christmas?

Kim, I did think about sewing them into the coolest pouches EVER you could totally sew this material. But I'm afraid it would be offensive to sew a tool that may have kept someone alive into a cute tote. Right?

Oh and Marianne had a KITCHEN AID MIXER. I didn't even ask because I already have one and I don't want to know how much I could have saved. Nope, don't want to know. It was white. She said she had a really fancy atlas (I love a good atlas) but she couldn't get her hands on it. She's one who buys stuff all the time just to sell it in garage sales. I'm not sure how that makes money, but whatever, I love her for it!

Super Thrifting

Well it's Friday. Yard sales start on Friday. I don't know if there is a schedule, but it generally goes here that everyone is having one, or no one is. Today everyone is. Some of this stuff I got at yard sales, some at thrift shops. I can't keep it straight.

New (original tags) bike helmet for Stephen. Note that it's YELLOW, his favorite. Now if he falls the 30 inches from his tricycle he won't die. This box of toys. Marianne has a garage sale every few weeks. I can only assume she's some sort of garage sale shop-a-holic. We love her sales because she's CHEAP and super friendly. Today she insisted the boys take this entire box of toys for a dollar. It's a TON of toys. I wasn't sure I WANTED this many toys...
She also had this 1968 sears catalog. LOVE that sort of thing. The box with the glare is 500 tounge depressor sticks (for crafts) 25 cents for each of those. The Jags thing I'm saving for Brian for Christmas, 25 cents. The puzzle books were in the giant box. Oh that's like a MILE of twill tape, 25 cents.
A huge nice atlas, this was $3 at one of the thrift shops. The sewing book I can't remember, must have been about a dollar.
Inside of the beautiful atlas.
Let's see here, a pillow form, looks brand new, I need one to accompany a quilt I'm making. Odds and ends of fabric. The green think in the back is a puzzle roll for a puzzle lover I know. A kids game, the whole toy box. That box of paper is actually pattern transfer paper. (I'll send you some Kim) The afgans were $3 for the colorful one and 90 CENTS for the black and white. Ethan loves them, I've never seen a kid love an afgan so much. They are pretty large too.

Hmm, another atlas, another kid's game, better view of afgans, the tube of paint thing you use them on glass or plastic then pull them off. Not totally sure how it works, it was 25 cents though and will occupy us for a few hours so I got it.
This crabby lady book is by the same indie publisher who wrote my MUCH loved Oozy Octopus book I got for like $8 at a museum gift shop. So YEAH! The other book is a science book for kids. A text book. Very basic though I think I can use it now some with the boys.
Here is one of the games, the dog runs around and gets the cats some how. We are game loving FOOLS around here.
Inside of second atlas.
And that's it.

I somehow lost a HUGE bag of fabric scraps for a dollar! :( I"m gonna go find it tomorrow I swear it! And also the Marianne lady HAS but could not put her hands on actual COMBAT MAPS of Iraq. I MUST have them, She thinks she has 3 and she will charge me a dollar each.

More crafty at the same place.

I need to save "I got all this crafty goodness at the Humane Society thrift store" somehow so I don't have to type it. Maybe we can use IGATCGATHSTS? hmm maybe not.
Glue sitcks. I host a craft playgroup and we need lots of these. Random things. Silver and gold cording stuff for Mom's Santa bag she wants me to make. (Mom, silver or gold?). Also those clips are for holding the binding when I'm ready to sew that on a quilt. and a tiny green spring loaded embroidery hoop.
All pillowcases are 50 cents, even if they are hand embroidered in a darling bear pattern.

I know this woman who collects these... Is this a good one?
More pillow cases. I'm for sure going to let Stephen use the sports one, I might use the others for the fabric.
And I'm going to back a quilt I'm making Ethan with this fabric:
Close up: