Wicker Goodies

Last week, before the flu overwhelmed our home, I found this great old wicker fern stand at Dogs and Cats for $7.00. I know that is a hoya in it, there are no pretty, fresh ferns to be found right now at the garden shops. But I keep looking. It was white and gray peeling paint, and I had a can left of Nutmeg satin spray paint left from when I did last year's wicker table (which the kitties think is a very pretty cat bunkbed). So on the pool deck, pretty, freshened up, nutmeg colored wicker goodies!! The cat bunkbed/table was even less than the fern stand, if I remember correctly, about $5!

Fossil bag and Agatha too

Yesterday at a new (to us) store in Vero called Serendipity I scored. It says thrift store on the awning, but it's thrifty upscale consignment. Beautiful clothing, all designer, but too much in sizes 6,8,10 for this crowd! I fell hard for the Fossil bag. Suede and leather, numbered etc, and still with the key in super pristine shape for $12.00. And three great old Agatha Christie books, nicely bound, from the 1960's. They were all three for $5.00. Not my lowest priced thrift trip, but I am in love with all.

Back in the Thrift Zone

The last couple of trips to the thrifts, I have found nothing. Nada, not one single thing. Then today!!! They had the grand opening in Jensen Beach of the Goodwill Boutique. I was number thirty eight in line, and was astonished that photographers were there to record the event. Anyway, I got a book. And a couple of secret Christmas Thrift Gifts. But then, we moved on. The sweater is amazing. All knit in Peru from cotton, and with hand painted ceramic buttons. And little tiny Peruvian dolls in all the hot air balloon baskets? Well, that one set me back a whole $1.90. And the books? Thrifty pal Patricia is currently in school and taking a class called "Teaching Music to Elementary Students??" Well, no brainer there. If she already has the books, she will at least adore the 1961-1963 art in them. La la, happy thrifty day!

And all I got was this stupid T-Shirt

We stopped at this thrift store yesterday (Angel Aid on Beach Blvd, across from WalMart) And it had a huge sign that was 75% everything in the store. It was crazy.

Sometimes I have this dream. I'm not proud of this, but here it is. I'm shopping, and the store has all this stuff I love, and it's all CRAZY cheap. I mean cheap enough that even my husband would say, "Of course you should get ALL of them!". Well this shopping trip was like that.

You can click this to see these bigger. Almost all the kid clothes were 25cents. Books were whatever 25% of 50cents is. The girl dress was 25cents. I had to buy it for my friend Annette's daughter. I mean I HAVE to see a little girl in that dress! Then the work type shirts for my husband. They are all exactly his size. That never happens! Then they are mostly fancy designer name brands. AND about half of them had original store tags!

Jacksonville will miss you, apparently dead guy with Brian's same size and taste who donated all your clothes to the Angel Aid thrift store. We will take good care of your entire wardrobe. Yeah, that book is Blubber. That book has special secret meanings for me. (NOT because I'm fat either) But it's a secret and I don't want to kill you so I'll just go now.

Books, Kitsch, Ben and Jerry's Tour

It has been a crazy summer with our two week vacation, one family wedding in St. Augustine and the second family wedding in Vermont which left little time for thrifty adventures. Tomorrow we set out on the Christmas in July thrift store tour. But for now, a pile of books from yesterday, two little acryllic seashell goodies, Yankee collectable pillows for Jeff and a photo of a Ben and Jerry's tour ticket. That is in here because if you get near Stowe, Vermont, don't miss that place. The tour is a laugh a minute, and thrifty because admission is only $3.00! The fresh air and mountain scenery is all free.

Free Shopping at my best Thrift Store!

So a few weeks ago (actually about two months now) we adopted a dog from the Humane Society Animal Shelter. Every few weeks they send me a survey about him and if I fill it out I get a $10 gift certificate to the Animal Shelter Thrift Store. (Which is my favorite one in town)

I went today and got the kids a weird wheel shaped container that is for storing matchbox cars, a pile of magazines and a few T-Shirts that have the Animal Shelter logo on them. Then I saw it. The most lovely chunky necklace ever. Two dollars! And it goes with almost everything I own. I really love it. I'm not a huge jewerly person, but I've been wanting to get a piece like this that would go with a lot and make a nice touch to my outfits. I wear a TON of solid colored shirts that are similar to this one. I mean I have like 30 shirts like this and 3 other shirts. So this is perfect. And it was FREE with my gift certificate! And I'll get another gift certificate in a few weeks! And I have a dog.

The dog is sort of a thrift find, I mean I got him used...
His name is Wilbur. I picked him totally based on personality. He is super gentle with the boys. That was pretty much my only criteria. He's friendly and super smart. He's pretty cute. He's also a bit of trouble. He is still a puppy (9 months) and he chews a lot of stuff. He also digs holes in the yard. I'm working on doing lots of training to keep his mind active to help with these problems. In good news the kids NEVER leave their toys out anymore! My home has never been more clean. And I never skip my morning walks. There is a huge difference in his behavior if I take him on my morning walk or if I don't.

New Computer, hope it works

I have just uploaded photos from the "old" camera, onto the very new computer. Whole new way of doing this, and soooo much easier. Let's see if it works. First, a sweater. perfect for sister Sue, Sigrid Olson. It was $1.98 at Goodwill. And mine, a Christmas sweater, lightweight and blue, and perfect for FLA winters, same cost at Vero Beach ..... works for me.