Books and My Sad Camera

My wonderful husband is working "remotely" which means he works all day, but from home. They get to do that now and then and he always gets twice as much work done. But I try to stay out of his hair on those rare days he choses to do that. So I grabbed my friend Carol and we were only going to the Home Depot to "look" at flowers. Right. There are four great thrift stores right there within seconds of Home Depot. So, I got ANOTHER stack of books. Two things about me, I LOVE BOOKS, and I hate my camera. But anyway, Carol, who is something of a professional shopper (working in another career right now, but darn she's good) did not share our love of thrift stores. Till once I took her and she got two brand new thermos bottles for something like $2 each. She was stunned - and awakened to thrifty goodness. So today, we hit Goodwill, Dogs and Cats and St. Vincent DePaul. My "non thrifting" buddy got stacks and stacks of books! Stuff she wanted from the library and they never had in. Stuff she always wanted to read, but.... She is converted. She spent less than $10 today and it took a good while to unpack her thrifty goodness from my car. And yes. We got some plants. And soil, and manure, and paint and..... at Home Depot.

Anyhow, here is my today stack. The "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" is an old fave, but I only had it in paperback. And this one is still in plastic shrinkwrap. Hmm. And I included a shot of one of our bedroom walls, which probably won't come out (darned camera!) and you can see that I have to get new bookcases. Those are FULL!

Finally something to post

I just hate WI in the weather no thrifting :( I did hit up my local goodwill this weekend and scored this desk and chair of my oldest son's room! Only 10 bucks and he loves it!




















Have a wonderful weekend!

Garden Art, Indoor Art and More

I didn't even think I felt like hitting the thrifts today, but I am so glad I did it! Great new shirt for me in the prettiest colors, with palm trees on it. The usual pile of books, one new Hamilton for Erin's collection. Then I found this neat tin which I bought (fifty cents, I mean really!) just because the colors are beautiful. Then at a used furniture store I found these three stone birds! That thing weighs a ton, and is going either in the garden or maybe on the pool deck. Finally and maybe my favorite thing of the day, this old watercolor print of pansies. The paper on the back says "A Turner Wall Accessory" over and over on it. Does that make it a "Turner print"? I didn't really care, It is beautiful and was just $7.00. So.... happy day for me!

I have to get a new camera soon, this one just isn't doing what I want. And I apologise, Gypsy Kitten seems to have found her way into at least two photos. She loves when I bring new things into her home. Grocery day is beyond thrilling for her.

Thrifty Job for me!

I sorta got a thrifty job! Well it's volunteer. And come as you please, no schedule. But ANYHOW I signed up with Friends of the Library today and was looking at their books. (got 7 of them) So I ask about volunteering and the lady was so excited to have me. So Saturday mornings, when I can, I will go down there and sort books. There is a huge warehouse and just gobs and gobs of books. Tens of thousands of books. Can you believe it? So I'll go in and sort them into grouped by author's last name, Like a box of A's and so on.

AND I get first crack at the books I am sorting. AND every 3 hour shift I work I get to take two free books. Not that they are expensive or that I mind paying for them, but still FREE books? SWOOON.

I don't start until after the super huge Friends of the Library book sale that is in a few weeks. Until then it's serious working going on, getting the 5 semi's ready to take books to that. Oh and I get to go to that the day before it opens! That's because I joined, not because I'm a volunteer.

I'm way excited, I've wanted to get involved in something that I could do without cutting into family time. This is perfect, if the family needs me I simply don't go. If we are just haning out I do go, and it's just in the mornings.

I thought you guys would appreciate it. :)

Mostly Books

I recently decided that it's silly how I keep checking out the Laurel K Hamilton books out of the library over and over. So I want to own them. ALL of them. The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter ones and the Merry ones. I don't like short stories, so none of those.

I have these great bookcases that are half empty, so it was time to hit my thrift stores for books. (note the thrift find mushroom, which Mom hated, and all my Atlas books, also thrift)

Me and the kids have been sick so I only did one store today. I got all these. (Oh Mom, I want the Mammoth Hunter books now too. I apparently have Plains of Passage) The Feast for All Seasons and the Stephen King one are for mom. I got TWO Hamiltons! And oddly they are both from my library and discards... I wonder if there is a list I can get on, "If you discard any more Hamiltons please call Erin because she wants them" list? I also got this shirt. Not much to look at, but I have FOUR skirts that needed this shirt. You know, to make them winter wear.

Here is one of the skirts. I decided it works with my Ireland tee shirt too but the cream looks even better and will carry it to church for me. I share the skirt pic because that's also a thrift find... as is the table and chairs in this pic. LOTS of thrift stuff here at Casa De Kellogg. (Stephen took this pic, I think he took it at the most unflattering angel ever. I promise I look skinnier than that in MY mind at least. I thought I looked pretty hot today... ) All my finds (well the books and shirt, I can't keep track of tables and odds and ends like that in photos) are from the Humane Society Thrift Store on Beach Blvd in Jacksonville, FL. It's an awesome store. They did paint over the awesome mural though. I keep forgetting to ask why, it was BEAUTIFUL.

Thrift Store Ambiance

I got caught up this morning on that addictive website The ThriftShopper. Some people were telling awful stories about nasty smells and dirty things found in the local thrift stores. Well, we must be lucky here on the Treasure Coast. I've never run into the awful dirt these folks are talking about.
But I do have one neat story to share. I was in the Goodwill store a few months ago. This shabby, confused looking young man walks in and goes to the back, to where someone had donated a beautiful piano! ($150, bet it didn't last long). This guy sits on the bench --- and started to play the most wonderful music! It wasn't long before people were all gathered around just listening to him. He played for about half an hour, then got up and walked out of the store. It was just amazing! I think about him from time to time and wonder who he is, if he's okay.....what a talent.

Rhinovirus Recovery Thrift Trip

I haven't been out of the house in over a week! I caught a really ugly cold. People who think we don't catch colds in FLA are just plain wrong. That was yucky! Anyway, thrifty friend Pat said we had to get out, since it had been at least twelve days since my last thrift! Plus we were dying for lunch at the Cracker Barrel. And boy was that good!.... I could not resist these beautiful shorts for my sister Sue, who's coming to visit all the way from Massachusetts, in June. I love them so much, I'm getting her two shirts, non-thrift, that will match from the local Bealls. Then... same store, Hibiscus House Treasure....(where everything is always at least 50% off the marked price) a great wool sweater for her husband Fran who is apparently out of sweaters up there in the north. Silk shorts and pure New Zealand wool sweater, total $4.00. I'm on a roll.

I found the two Corelle cereal bowls in a pattern I've never seen for $1.00 at a new place in Port St. Lucie, and along with those, this 250 count box of baseball cards for Jeff. Those were $2.00.

Then a quick visit to Goodwill who had one luncheon plate, Old Towne pattern for Erin's collection.

We were not ready to quit so we went to a new "antique emporium" in Fort Pierce, and I think I really scored there. Erin wanted a 2.5 qt Pyrex casserole with lid. Well, there it was calling me, the Crazy Daisy pattern that I believe is supposed to coordinate with her Corelle Spring Blossom.. Two and a half quarts, pristine condition with lid, for $8.00!! I think I did well on that. All the other Pyrex I see does not have lids. Or it's smaller, or scraped to death. Anyone think $8 is pretty darn good on that large casserole???? And I almost forgot, Erin's long awaited butter dish. Milk glass, perfect condition, $1.00 (??? hooray) at Goodwill.

Gosh, it's good to feel healthy again, it's good to get out and thrift!!!

And it was really quite thrilling to see our blog here mentioned on The Thriftshopper! One of our friends asked Erin, "is that you guys?" Yep, we enjoyed our little bit of fame there. I'm in mid south FLA. Erin, my daughter, is in Jacksonville. My stepson Jeff is here with us and with his mom in Stuart FL. Then Kim, our dear friend, is up in Wisconsin! I still stay envious though. Looks to me like the best thrifting ever seems to be done in Philly, Pittsburg, that general area.....

Monday Thrifting and Goodies for Erin

Erin just mentioned this morning, she wants all the Laurell K. Hamilton books. I hung up the phone and was out the door for a short thrift expedition. And the first book I found was Danse Macabre by Hamilton! Lucky Erin. Got a few more books for me, then it was all about Erin again. I found the two linen hand embroidered, never washed dishtowels for fifty cents. Then I found her three giant navigational maps which she can cut up (twenty five cents). One is even of Jacksonville and Palatka waterways... but then, TADA, six cool old dessert cups! They will blend nicely with her growing out of control Pyrex/Corelle collection. I can't tell if they were Fire King, Pyrex, or what, but they are just right for pudding, jello, or little ice cream sundaes...

Almost time to visit Erin and, the car will be full of thrift find goodies again this time.