A bit of early effort

Hello, friends. I hope wherever you live the weather is as gorgeous as it is here today. That's a statement made all too rarely in Texas.

On October 24 I wrote a piece that included these:

glittery fern fronds in the mug. Then on November 8, at the Bering Methodist sale, I found:

 

gold poinsettias. Today seemed like a fine time to see how they would look in an old long, narrow basket.

 What do you think? The ribbon was off a gift package saved from who knows now what year in the past. I like the contrast of the gold, glitter and natural material of the basket. Not a bad attempt for the first salvo in the holiday decorations frenzy soon to be upon us once Thanksgiving is out of the way.

Have you started musing upon possibilities yet, or are you so well organized you already know exactly what your look will be this year?

Take it easy,
Michele

A Monday Mini

Hello, all, I hope your week is off to a promising start. We are back to breaking records, here, ones for hottest days in this eleventh month. It's annoying in the extreme.

This morning while looking through an old magazine an idea occurred to me for a gift. Therefore, after starting with this:

a few minutes of cleaning and trimming produced:

 

It will be added to the baby gift being assembled for a friend's newest granddaughter, a little something for Mom. 

Till next time,

Michele

Easy Upcycle

Hello, all, I hope your days are going well. Mine was much improved by seeing a dear friend named Gill for lunch.

Once upon a time, a few months ago, I got these at a yard sale:

A pair of fruit earrings. I really love how they look, but sadly, they are glass and too heavy to wear without discomfort, if not outright pain. It's a shame, because look how cute they are. In my effort to make lemonade out of this disappointment, they were dismantled and have a new purpose:

Voila! Why couldn't they be ornaments on a miniature tree? Obviously, it needs some tinsel and a topper to be fully considered fancy enough to display, but it's not a bad re-use, is it? They're too adorable to get rid of entirely, even if the pain from their weight makes wearing them in my ears not an option. So that's the project du jour here at Adventures in Thrifting.

Have a great evening,
Michele

More saved > used

Hi, Folks, and a happy hump day to everyone. You may remember a few months ago we got this:

a cabinet with a hutch on top. None of the hardware was very attractive. In that picture the drawer knobs had been replaced with ceramic checked ones.
Last week in the great war on grime concentrated in the dining room a pair of knobs bought years ago at a yard sale turned up. They were new, never used and similar in color to the paint job on the piece, so:

I switched them out. Although they're solid colored from this angle, in profile you see that the sides are white with blue stripes, like this:

Pretty cute, huh? They didn't cost more than .50 cents, so once again, it worked out well to have bought an appealing item to hang onto till the right place to use it showed up. Now, if my stash would just unearth a set for the lower cabinet doors it would be really sweet!

Have a great afternoon. I'm anxious to say hi to middle daughter, who'll be here shortly after she finishes some work for her job.

Michele

A tisket, a tasket,

Some kitties in a basket. This is a kitty update from AIT.

I cleaned out that white round tray and put it on top of the fridge for the time being, only to find Freckles and Freddie sharing it yesterday.

I spread out this pillow sham to measure it before putting it on ebay, but Flossie thought it was there for her to nap on.

Flossie also found this extra small cookie sheet that is just her size and took a snooze in it as well.

Apparently Junior has problems he hasn't shared with us, since he seems to be clutching his aching head this afternoon, while Freckles remains oblivious. That is her usual state, though.

Flossie got crossways with Minnie a while back and has enlisted all the other cats to make her a scapegoat, so she normally hangs out in the seat of this dining room chair most of the time. In the evening she'll sometimes come sit on my lap while I read to get a little petting unmolested. Poor Minnie, she is a very sweet, matronly part Siamese with gorgeous blue eyes.

That's what's going on with some of our crew. We're expecting temperatures down into the 30s tonight, so every one of them may show up on our bed in search of warm covers.

Have a good one!

Michele

Saving versus Hoarding

Hello, friends, and a happy new week to you all.

Sometimes Mr. B accuses me of hoarding, and it's true that I save things. It's also true that very often those items do get used, so he's not often successful at making me feel guilty. Here is an example: every year at Christmas time I make and give away boxes of snack mix made out of oyster crackers, to the workers at the post office, library, mechanic shop and other neighborhood businesses, as well as to friends and relatives. Often, but not always, the containers are returned to me. Each year it's necessary to buy replacements. Here is one from a thrift shop:

It's a nice  size and the price was right--well under a dollar--but the top is hardly festive. However, from my friend Betty in Austin I saved this:

It's a beautiful card with a sliver glitter snowflake on the front. A little modge podge and scissors to round off the corners slightly and my tin is now this:

Ready to line with wax paper and fill with goodies.  So, legitimate to have saved, or not?

Take it easy!

Michele

Friday roundup

Hello, everyone, are you all full of TGIF? I was this morning because of the big semi-annual rummage sale at the Methodist church. Here's what I got:

There are a few books,a box of cards, some old gold glitter Christmas poinsettias, a Marjolein Bastin creamer and sugar bowl, bag of small candles, a holiday tee and bag of hearts. They are hard to see, but my favorite buy is the book ends made of letters BO and OK. They are on either side of the pink box.

The box has assorted cards inside.

Or maybe this is my favorite purchase. I don't know how old it is, but the stopper is a cork and it says made in America on the bottom.

My shirt with candy canes on it. Peppermint, in the form of peppermint bark is a major perk of December imo.

These were in a bag so I thought they were separate hearts, not strung together. Maybe they can be separated for some kind of project.

How cute is Things to Make and Do, from back in 1952?

I'd better get busy and put away my treasures.You all take it easy, now.

Michele