goodness

Our easing has allowed me to see the goodness happening around us.  Such goodness.

:: some January thaw that allowed shorts, shorts!, to be worn for a day
:: making snowmen -- of the chalkboard variety -- as we await more snow
:: allowing the kids to run in the rain, splashing in puddles, and enjoying that January thaw (that is until this Mama discovered all the squeals of joy were from dumping cones-full of puddle water over their heads...oh my!  Then the parenting wheels came off.  Not a stellar mothering moment.)
:: being a winner over at Soulemama!
:: kitchen experiments.  Where water, flour, and dried out play-doh is all that is needed.
:: receiving a meaningful mama merit badge from Amy
:: handmade pine cone bird-feeders
:: an organized basement
:: uncovering, in that basement clean-out, a sweet little rocking chair that Lovey and I picked up at the thrift store for a couple dollars some time ago.  It simply needed a good wipe-down.
:: deciding to mix my own non-toxic laundry detergent, inspired by watching this movie
:: a family portrait by Lovey.  It was immediately put into a frame and placed in a prominent spot.
:: the first issue of Kindred, a beautiful literary magazine created by Amanda
:: a boy discovering the magic of headphones and an iPod
:: opening the very last jar of our homemade grape jelly goodness.  Oh, we must make much, much more next fall.

What goodness do you see these days?

so it seems

So it seems that all it takes is a bit of lemonade and my guys are right there with me garage-saling.

Lemonade, and a dollar each to spend on anything they want.  Unfortunately I didn't think to give a "no beanie babies" disclaimer as I handed out the dollars.  Hrmph.

Together we traipsed street after street of a neighborhood sale and found treasures galore.  They learned some important lessons about smart browsing,  about only buying what you really want or need, about negotiation and about what makes a reasonable offer for sand toys that you. must. have.

We burned through the handful of dollars in my pocket, with not a house to spare, because the find of the day came as we headed back to the car. 

This sweet kitchen canister.  I've been wanting containers for the counter to keep the flour and sugar and other baking ingredients closer at hand. 

And the bonus.  Since there was only one, it keeps the hunt going for something to hold the sugar!  Good thing I have my boys to help me look.


I'm linking up with baby by the sea for Thrifty Thursday.

thrifty thursday {linking up}

Joining Lady Cordelia for Thrifty Thursday.

Today I get to share a before and after thrifting find, making the thrifting twice as fun!

I picked up these sweet little chairs a few weeks ago, at the same time I found this fabric.  I hemmed and hawed before deciding to get them, mostly because they too came from a moldy basement.  But the style was oh so cute and they were $6 for the pair.  I figured if I only even used them outside that they would be worth getting.

So last weekend, in front of an audience, Honey transformed them into sweet little red chairs for our backyard.

uh-oh

Take a close look at this newspaper classified ad.  See the magic words?

vintage fabric

Who wouldn't pack up the kids and drive a half an hour away, in the pouring rain, just to see what vintage fabric might be mine.

There were boxes and boxes and boxes of fabric pieces from as early as the sixties.  Unbelievable, really.  They were selling it for 25 cents a yard.  25 cents.  I could have bought ten times what I did, but was stopped by the unfortunate fact that the fabric has been stored for years in a moldy basement.  Drat.  So I quickly picked a few that I really liked in the hopes that I can get it all clean.

And having to only pick a few this time (because you know there will be more times) isn't all bad.  You see over the past several weeks I have bought accumulated more fabric than I can ever sew into things.  Of course I have an idea of what to sew with each of the fabrics.  But oh the time it will take. 

Time.  Always well-spent when at the sewing machine.

thrifty thursday {trash day}

Let me set the scene.

It is Tuesday morning.  Trash day.  The rumblings of the garbage truck making its way through the neighborhood can be heard through the open windows.

In need of a momentary diversion for the kids I encourage them to look out the window, "the garbage truck is right across the street" I say.

I look too.  And I see something.

Something I want.  Right there on the tree lawn of the house across the street.

The garbage truck is one house away.

The garbage truck is one house, one trash can, away from getting that thing I want, and throwing it into its large front bin.

Without a second thought, with babe in arms, and I think still wearing slippers, I run out the front door, down the sidewalk and just as the trash collector is poising this item up to throw into the bin I holler above the sound of the truck, "Can I have that?!"

He gives a grin, a shrug and says "Sure."

He even carries it across the street and places it on my front lawn for me.

The kind, and very amused, trash collector brought me this amazing door.

A door, you ask?

You may see a door, but I see a cool desk, made from real wood, with panes for pictures or artwork.  Or maybe I see a chartreuse room divider, hung from the ceiling, with black and white portraits in the window panes.  Maybe I see a large-scale artwork, with spaces for even more artwork that rotates.  

I am not exactly sure what I saw in that split second that I decided to run out of the house and claim my neighbor's trash.  But I do know I saw real wood, intact glass, something that could be made into something else that can't be bought at Target, or Pier One, or Arhaus.  Even the door knob is cool, maybe that will become something different altogether.

And I will have time to decide what it will become, because realistically I don't have room for more furniture in this house.  So it will be stored here (by a very patient husband) and moved (by a very patient husband) to whichever house we move to next in which I have space for a desk, or a room divider, or large-scale art.

But for now, I am going to dream about what this door will become, and sincerely thank Honey for not putting this door out on our tree lawn for collection next week.


Linking up with Lady Cordelia for thrifty thursday.

thrifty thursday {lesson learned}

I learned a very important thrifting lesson last week.

If you take your daughter thrifting with you, and that daughter notices a lovely pink sundress as soon as she enters the store, and within minutes is wearing that lovely pink sundress over her clothing, and she walks around the store wearing the lovely pink sundress...there is 100% probability that the lovely pink sundress will be going home with you.

Lovely lesson learned.  (And I am thanking my thrifting stars that the dress fit, and was not too expensive!)

thrifty thursday {link up with Lady Cordelia}

I am excited to link up with Cory today to highlight a recently thrifted item.  While I don't get to thrift often, I do enjoy it, and especially enjoy getting inspired by bloggers like Cory who are oh. so. very. good. at finding items and giving them another life.

That inspiration recently took me to a couple local stores looking for a bedside lamp.  While I didn't find a lamp that day, I did find this delightful little vase.

The color alone captured me, and the fact that it was a brilliantly sunny day and the sun coming through the display cast an orange glow around made it simply irresistible!

According to the price sticker it is glass and hand blown, but that wasn't the most important to me.  It was all about the color.  Orange.  ORANGE!  I'm a pushover for orange.  And at 50% off of $4.50, it was certain that lovely orange vase was coming home with me.

I already imagine lots of cut flowers from the garden in this little beauty.  My favorites are the brilliantly colorful zinnias that do so well in one of my flower beds and give me lovely cuttings all summer and fall. 

And I'm still on the prowl for a bedside lamp, I am determined to thrift it, so who knows when that will come into my life!

Have you discovered a second life for any items in your life lately?