The LAST Thrifty Thursday of the Decade!

Can you believe it? Another decade GONE! POOF! Vanished right before our eyes!

This is, indeed, the last Thrifty Thursday post of this decade! Hard to believe!

This week was light on thrifting, but as always, I managed to find a few things.



Hubby was along when I picked up the lovely box. Its metal with a mesh lid. Not old or anything...just a cool metal box for two bucks. Of course I got the "What are you going to put in THAT?" My patience is wearing thin....he should know better than to interrogate me about my thrifty purchases!! LOL I do not KNOW what I'm going to put in it. Loads of DMC? A knitting project? A sampler project? Maybe nothing! Who knows!

I found this great old sugar bowl for a buck.



I wish I knew more about it...the pattern etc. It's not marked. Very crazed on the inside and was stuffed with old yellowed newspaper. Of course I was hoping I would yank out that newspaper and there'd be a wad of cash in there, but nope. Go figure! ;o) It will be a nice addition to my little collection of white sugar bowls I seem to have started.

And then there were these!



Are they not the cutest?



I have a small spooner glass right now on my counter that holds a multitude of old silver baby spoons and another that holds sugar shells. I was thrilled to find these to add to the collection and thought the fork was a score too! I happen to have a keychain that I purchased at a quilt show from a lady that crafts items from antique silver, and the keychain exactly matches the handles on this lovely little pair! The silver was three for a buck!

And of course the bowl...



Two bucks....had to have it...loved the colors in it. Hubs says he doesn't like it. He says he doesn't like orange. Well....I have come to actually love a shot of orange here and there! This will keep all my other odd pottery bowls company and I will enjoy it with a big bowl of cereal some late night I'm sure!

This is prime time to check out your thrifting shops! Everyone rushing to get their end of the year donations in! Check out your area and see what treasures await!

Now we'll say good bye to 2009 and in a few hours welcome in 2010!!! YAY!

*Peace!

Creative Fodder

During the recent blizzard, I finished knitting the baktus scarf.



The yarn was an absolute joy to work with. To watch the colors meld in to the next...



was way cool. A fun knit!



Tonight I blocked it.



It blocked out very nicely if I do say so myself!



Sorry to make you endure numerous photos of this scarf. I just can't get enough of the color!



In other creative news, this evening I prepped the linen for my New Year's Day sampler start, prepared a quilt backing, and have a new quilt about 3/4 of the way cut out...



Since I cut this one out this evening, it won't count as my New Year's Day quilt start....I still haven't figured out what the NYD quilt will be yet! Something that won't have a deadline....either a multitude of scrappy stars....of a smallish size.....or a scrappy log cabin......or....hmmm...not sure yet! Stay tuned!

Thanks so much for stopping by and putting up with my blathering! I'm always thrilled to know that you are reading...and the comments are just icing on the blog-cake!

Until tomorrow's Thrifty Thursday post...

*Peace!

Winter Wonderland

I hope everyone had a wonderfully Merry Christmas! We certainly did. We had a lovely wonderfully WHITE Christmas! WHITE to the tune of over 19" of the fluffy stuff!



Needless to say, the Christmas blizzard changed plans for the holiday. We were virtually snowed in...



right here in the city. For four days! I loved it! Christmas was quiet. No Santa anymore, so it was a little odd this year, but still very nice. And due to the storm, I got the entire day of Christmas Eve off from work! An early present to me!

The mail was even delayed...forget that USPS slogan about wind and rain and sleet and snow. It didn't apply this last weekend apparently! But who could blame the poor mailman.



We did try and help him out a little......carved a nice path for him....



and now...we're stuck with all of this white stuff for the long haul. Frigid temps are setting in. It's certainly not going to melt any time soon. Maybe...oh....late March perhaps!



I'll just have to spend lotsa time under my stitching light for some pseudo-sun! Yeah...that's what I'll do!

*Peace!

Merry Christmas!

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King”

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

*Peace!

Thrift Thursday Christmas Eve!

Happy Merry Christmas Eve!!! Oooooh excitement is in the air! Can you feel it? It's Thrifty Thursday! ;o)

Yes...it's true...I actually did stop off for a quick thrifty jaunt this week after work. Have I mentioned that there is a Goodwill located in close proximity to my regular drive home from work? So...even with snow flying, I stopped off Tuesday evening to make sure I wasn't missing any treasure!

And I got out of there for a mere $3.18!

It's a little cracked....



Just in one spot. The handle. I can live with it...because in the overall scheme of things...



it's no big deal! Isn't it LOVELY!?!? I love it!!! So 'Alma-ish'...which I love!

And the price was right...



for a lovely piece of Johnson Bros china! I'm glad I stopped in the middle of blowing snow and ice. ;o)

This morning we were visited by our wonderful next door neighbor. Sandy is so nice and every year she spoils us with a big tray of goodies....this year she included the dogs and bestowed dog treats on them. And here's our people treats...



Yum! See...there's a reason I didn't go overboard with baking and treat making...Sandy always shares! :o)

In other news...there's a storm brewing. A BIG storm...



M * A * J * O * R winter storm they are saying.....as in LOTSA snow...



18 inches plus is the forecast with lotsa wind....a good ol' fashioned Christmas blizzard. Apparently one that we will be talking about for years to come...so says the drama-queen weather men. ;o)

Since I'm off for the next four days (YAY!)..I say bring it! I'd love nothing more than to be snowed in for four days!

Otherwise I much prefer these type of snowflakes...



And this type of visit from Jack Frost!



But this time....I'm ready to WELCOME the blizzard!!!

Happy Merry Christmas Eve!

*Peace!

Around The House This Weekend

It's really feeling, looking and smelling like Christmas around the house this weekend!



Yesterday was the big candy makin' & cookie bakin' day.....with all the regular Christmas staples.



Snickerdoodles....



Chex Mix....double batch...the hubby likes to take it with him when he ventures out on the ice for some winter fishing. Crazy guy....you're not gonna catch me sitting out on the ice! Brrrrrr!



Rolo Pretzel Turtles.....the kids LOVE these! I had a couple little helpers help me make these yesterday. A friend of Jerry's needed his help fixing his car, so he brought his daughters over...we had a wonderful day. They're 8 and 10, and we made these yummy candies...ran some errands....colored...and watched lots of Nickelodeon the entire time. It was a fun afternoon and the candy was made!



Then the last batch was gingersnaps. I made one batch extra large, and then sliced up a quart of vanilla ice cream and made monster ice cream sandwiches. We are now officially sick of gingersnaps after eating just one of those sandwiches! I didn't take a pic...completely forgot! But I'm guessing it's not hard to imagine what they looked like!

I typically make fudge and other goodies, but mom sent up a wonderful care package filled with fudge, pecan tassies and buckeyes! And our neighbor usually always brings over a huge tray of goodies, so we decided this is PLENTY with a capital P!

There has been no more quilt binding happening around here this month...I had good intentions, but it's just not working out to get anything basted and quilted right now.

Instead, I've been consumed with the baktus scarf.



Love this Crazy Zauberball yarn! I have some regular Zauberball yarn, but this Crazy Zauberball is so fun because the yarn is two ply...two different colors twisted together and so you really get a neat look as the color transitions.



It's an easy pattern, but does give me reason to use some of my lovely little stitch markers to keep track of the increase row.



I'm almost to the halfway point....almost.



I'm guessing I'll get lots done on it today...because Emmitt has already set the tone for the day...



I'm going to shower and then get into some comfy lounge clothes....and knit! Happy Sunday!

*Peace!

Still Alive!!! Wooooohoooo!!!

*Peace!

Thrifty Thursday

It's time, again, for another installment of Thrifty Thursday!

One main thrifty outing this past week...but oh BOY what an outing it was! I hit up the Goodwill on the east side of town, one I don't get to very often. There were all sorts of goodies waiting for me! ;o)

First up, three Homer Laughlin bone dishes......



Just lovely with all their crazing! I loved dishes that have crazing!! One of these weeks I'll show you some of my dishes! These little bone dishes are great for holding a spool of thread, your rings or necklaces at the end of the day, etc. Just so many uses for them! And I will admit this is the first time I've found them at Goodwill! $1 each for these! I wish you could see the crazing!

Next up.....some HEAVY finds! A green alabaster mushroom from Italy ($3)...and a gorgeous with a capital G red marble or alabaster apple ($2)!



Both are extremely weighty! And they are sitting inside of a hammered silverplate bowl ($2) I picked up! Fun fun fun pieces!!

As I wandered past the long seemlessly neverending tables of Christmas things, my eye honed in on THIS and I grabbed it immediately!



A lovely red tin wall sconce from Southern Living at Home! $2! It jumped out at me because I have just one of these already and wished I had a pair! Good reason to check out the Christmas tables...sometimes they just throw anything that's red on the table!

Here's some more lovely pieces I picked up....



Yep..another piece of pottery...this time a funky bowl ($1). AND a beautiful piece of handpainted Nipon dish from Japan. I LOVE that orange! OMGosh how I love that orange! I must have loved it because it was the most expensive piece of the day at $5. But yes...I love it!

What? What's that you ask? Is that a Longaberger basket in the pic? Why yes....yes it IS! And...if the Nipon dish was my big ticket item of the day, then that must mean that I found this lovely rather large Longaberger measure basket for less than $5!!! It's true...



It's about 10" across the top...a nice size! Ahem..now...as I told Paulette, before you hate me...I'm sure you notice those two little words there by the TWO DOLLAR mark...."As Is"...........yeah..........looks lovely....but then you turn it around...



Marker. I grabbed it anyway! I figured worst case scenario I can paint it....though Paulette suggested I try and sand it....and I will try that. Just haven't gotten around to it yet! But OMGosh! A $2 Longaberger basket! I could hardly believe it! Hopefully I can do something about that marker!

So...all in all it wasn't my cheapest outing, but I loved my finds!!! Makes me excited to go out again, but just haven't made it any more this week. If you find yourself with a few spare moments....pop in to one of your local thrift shops---you might be surprised at what you'll find!

And hey...if you spy any more ORANGE hand painted Nipon pieces, let me know! ;o)

*Peace!

p.s. Ssssshhhh...don't tell anyone, and don't judge...but I DID also pick up yet ANOTHER g * l * o * b * e one night after work. It was just SITTING there! And it was BLUE with mountainous regions AND a wooden base! So...it's different than my others and it came home and now my husband thinks I'm actually losing my mind. I didn't think you'd want to see another pic of the world. I spared you from my lunacy....this time. ;o) If you're keeping track....that makes Globe #6 in the collection. Yes...perhaps I am going crazy.......

Have I Ever Shown You This?

I love Tom Clark gnomes! Have I ever showed you this one?



He's my Michael Jackson gnome! Isn't he handsomely cute?



Actually he's Meshach the gnome. But one day quite a while ago I discovered that he had been broken....I'm certain by someone throwing dog toys around..though NOBODY could even beLIEVE he had been broken. Wha? Not meeee? I don't know WHAT could have happened to it!

Hubs wanted to toss it in the garbage but I said No!!! I kinda like him! He looks like Michael Jackson....



AFTER a few too many nose jobs! Yep...Meshach had his snozzola broken off. And now...Aaaaah...isn't he just so cute...my little Michael Jackson gnome! ;o)

In other news...I have started, and restarted and restarted yet AGAIN the baktus scarf but am now on a roll and have finally 'gotten it' as far as the pattern and when to increase etc.



I think it will be quite colorful! That's what I'm going to work on tonight!

Had a wonderful day today out and about with my buds Kimm, Christy & Jen. We hit up a couple little shops for holiday gifts for others and ourselves...and had a fun lunch with lotsa laughs! Always a good time! AND I got one more gift purchased...so that's a plus! I'm almost done now!

Hope you're having a wonderful Saturday!!

*Peace!

Thrifty Freezing Thursday

It is faREEEEEZING here in South Dakota this week. Monday was cold. Tuesday it snowed most all day and into the night and we ended up with about 7" of lovely very fluffy snow on the ground. The problem came with the WIND! BITTER cold WIND! and lots of it! Blizzard conditions thru the night and into the morning on Wednesday. Can you say -22 Wind Chill? Brrrrrr! That was my yesterday! It was all I could do to walk across the parking lot from my Santa Fe to the office building. So you might imagine that I wasn't out gallavanting around looking for thrifty things this week. Quite the contrary. I was hibernating!

BUT....knowing that it was Wednesday, and a Thrifty Thursday post was next up...for you, dear readers, I sacrificed my warmth and coziness and ventured out after work yesterday in search of possible Thrifty Thursday finds. I only went to one store and came home with a few finds!

First find, not photographed because boring, was a lovely wooden drying rack for the laundry room for 1.99. I've been needing one..and, well, there it was so I brought it home.

Then...yep............



I tried. I walked away....I backed the cart up...I studied it again...it was lovely...it has the raised mountainous regions! It was straight on it's axis....I could not pass up the $5.99 globe. I am in need of therapy. Also in the pic there, you'll notice a bundle of colorful rulers. These were all bundled together for $.99 so I grabbed them. I've seen many cool projects being done with rulers....figured I best grab then when I see them and then when the creative urge hits...I'll have a great assortment!

Not a very exciting Thrifty Thursday, but hey....did I mention it's faREEEEZING outside?

I was warmed by the sight of a box from Moda Fabrics when I got home. Thank goodness the UPS guy ventures out every day regardless of the temps!

Aaaaaah.....civil war fabrics!



So excited to see Civil War Homefront by Barbara Brackman when I opened the box! I've got four bundles remaining....$89.99, which includes US shipping.
The colors are yummy...the prints very civil-war.....a winning line again! Thank you Barbara Brackman!

I hope you're staying warm and dry wherever you are! I'm hopeful this weather will break and then I'll have some ground to make up for thrifting! It is, however, December......in South Dakota........so I may just have to suck it up, bundle up, and make up for lost thrifting time!

*Peace!