Goodbye, 2012

Hello, friends. I hope you all had wonderful holidays. It is hard to believe it's the last day of this year, at least for me. The past twelve months have been challenging at times, but with plenty of good points, too. We got more rain than in 2011, thank goodness, and while it was hot (this is Texas, after all), it wasn't as excruciating as the previous year. High spots for me include starting this blog and beginning to walk regularly again. 

Here are the last finds for 2012. My favorite  below is a birdhouse that is made to look as if it's constructed of old cookbooks. The perch broke off, but Mr. B says he can fix it. Also seen is a book called The  Good Citizen's Handbook, a new with tag ME bag, one each of three Georges Briard  fruit mugs and three German red heart mugs, two little gnomes and a decorative box. One of Mr. B's gifts, the His Lordship mug, and the sad remains of a snowflake pitcher. Bought in Austin for $2, it got knocked on the floor as soon as it was brought in the house here and lost its handle. The little box has a hinged lid and is decorated inside as well as on the exterior.

A new toddler cup with tight lid from Starbucks.

Today from the Sand Dollar, a long wicker basket to go on the back of the toilet tank, two mugs from La Madeleine, a book featuring a Siamese cat for my oldest daughter, who owned one for many years and a new jar of peppermint soap. 

Here's a view with Freddy included.

Somehow the jar of soap migrated into the Austin scores. Those were actually the little bench, the flowered suitcase and the snowflake pitcher. I've already started experimenting with a a spring vignette in the suitcase but it's not exactly right yet.  Maybe because it's still December, if only for a few more hours, and a way to go before time to start thinking in that mode. 

Have you taken down your decorations yet? Ours usually stay up until 6 January, so that's still a week away. Do you have a major thrift score or roadside find this year?  Mine would probably be a tie between the easel for Mr. B and the terrarium found at Goodwill. 

I've very much enjoyed starting this blog and look forward to more finds and posts in 2013. 

Happy New Year!

Michele

Thrifty Art

Are you saying TGIF, or are you hoping it isn't because you're not ready for Tuesday? That would be me, for all you efficient folks that have everything done and dusted and ready to go. It's not as if I haven't tried, but rather that the stores I've gone to haven't produced the gifts being searched for. Progress has been made, but it feels glacial. Thus, it seemed writing a blog post about thrifted art would be a welcome distraction, at least to me. Here are a few of the things decorating our walls from second hand sources:

These bird prints were found at a Salvation Army store on the other side of town a couple of years ago. They were $4.94 each and hang in the dining room now.

These are two vintage photographs that were made into greeting cards, received at different times. Two matching frames from a thrift shop made them a pair.

These prints of cherries and plums hang over the back door in the kitchen. Near them is this:

In the living room we have:

This folk-art looking barn and rural scene was $2.00 at a yard sale in Ft. Worth, when we were there one weekend and stayed with an old friend of my oldest daughter.

This big, colorful tray came from the Guild Shop and hangs next to the front door.

This large picture was a yard sale find for $5.00, probably thirty years ago. It is in the living room, over the bookcase where there is temporarily a winter scene in a suitcase for the holidays.

We have a few more that will have to show up another time, because of lighting issues.

Isn't it nice when you find pieces that speak to you, that can be enjoyed daily, yet are easy on the budget?

Mr. B. will be home for the next week or two, so I may not post till after Christmas, when we get back from Austin. I hope you all have wonderful holidays, filled with family, friends, food and fun. Remember, Keep Calm and Merry On!

Michele

Same song, second verse

This is going to be short and sweet, because I am so far behind with things left to do for Christmas, eek! Apparently, the best description of me could be one-trick pony. If you recall, my friend Tricia received this for her birthday in October:

It's a runner for her dining table, made out of doilies. When Christmas rolled around, clearly still in the grip of a doily fixation, I started with this:

and made her a snowflake bunting. These are tiny doilies, meant to set inside coasters for glasses.

Here's another shot:

I starched and ironed them after taking that picture before folding it up to mail to Tricia. She has installed it on the famous baker's rack in her kitchen, where it may be seen if she does a tablescape anytime soon at http://thtolbert.blogspot.com/ where she blogs at The Dull and the Dutiful. This was a small but satisfying project but thought it was worth sharing with you. It's going to show up on Metamorphosis Monday at Susan's blog, Between Naps on the porch, too, http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Now I have things to wrap, laundry to switch and rooms to clean.

Have yourself a thrifty Thursday. 

Merrily, Michele

Latest Loot

Hello, and happy Wednesday to all. This is just a quick post to show you a few things recently found. 

Here are a few more paperbacks for us to read, a new book of holiday crosswords, a red velvet heart-shaped box, a mug with H for my daughter, ditto monogrammed snack plate with server, new, red leather purse, new, as are the packages of Cath Kidston emery boards and hand creams, from a variety of thrift stores. The baking trivet is from Home Goods, but was just $1.00 in their clearance  section, as was the cupcakes book at HPB. Not in the picture is a cupcakes calendar to go with those. The red and white miniature lunchbox will hold something, as will the Pfalzcraft mug with seasonal design. 

Last week at the Assistance League I got this gingerbread-look china house to use in the fairy garden for the holidays. I hope they approve.

This isn't  new, but  is one of my favorite things  to set out in December, a very old vintage tin. It's pretty shabby by now, but I love the candle and floral design. 

I am deep in the throes of last-minute shopping and wrapping as happens when you don't get things done ahead of schedule. It's hectic, but fun, so I'm not complaining! I love to try and figure out what the perfect gift is for family and friends; coming up with an idea and finding the item is a challenge, but always a pleasure, too. 

What don't I like this time of the year? Music in stores. It may be different elsewhere, but here it seems as if the only two songs ever played are White Christmas and Winter Wonderland. Which are both okay except when they suffer from constant repetition!

Are your favorite parts of the holiday the preparation days leading up to it or the day itself?

Later, 

Michele

Attention! Free! First Ever Giveaway

Hello, Blogging Buddies,

Yesterday my followers reached the nice round number of fifty. To celebrate, I will give away a mystery box full of surprises. In order to be considered, all you need to do is post a comment between today and December 31. On the first day of 2013 there will be a  drawing to see who gets the prize, so plenty of days to try for it.. You'll get as many chances as comments made during this period of time. My assistant, Flossie, has graciously agreed to announce the winner.

Good luck!

Michele

It's HOW long till Christmas?

Hello, friends!

Oops, it looks as if the first half of December went by like a bullet train while I fiddled around with various less than fabulous attempts at decorating. It's probably time to stop fooling around and shop, unless that Mayan calendar thing is right, in which case, there's little point. 

Anyway, this is a quick post because of a hitch in my daily walk. About 15 minutes from our house a little cat approached me, seeming in some distress. She was sopping wet, every bit of her body except her head soaked. There were four houses in the vicinity  of where she showed up, all with at least one if not more cars in the driveways, but no one answered at any of them to see one was her home. I called the number on her collar and arranged to meet her owner back at our house, since they didn't live on that street at all. Luckily, I carry a cotton bag with me in case acorns or anything else turns up while I'm out, so was able to wrap her in that and get her a little dryer while heading back the way I'd come. Her owner turned up; he'd left work early to take her to the vet so that worked out well. I'm happy she's reunited with her own family, but it did throw my day's plans even farther behind. 

A few things done since last week:

I got that long basket with the pointy bottom at the Sand Dollar recently and the silver flowers and picks at Dollar Tree. The little fawn with the wreath round his neck moved into the copper container of faux boxwood, to put him out of the way of any cats who might think he looks like prey.

I put some more little trees on a candle holder under one of those cloches that started out as a dome over a clock with some fake snow. The greenery and flowers associated with this time of the year is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. 

So, definitely not much of a project to report, but being Rosie the Rescue Person took up time not budgeted in this day. Let's hope tomorrow sees a huge efficiency front blows through Houston while I'm outside to get the full effect!

Meanwhile, keep calm and merry on!

Michele

Another confession and a holiday upcycle

Good grief, we're on a relentless march towards Christmas, aren't we? I'm going to show you something I made for my oldest daughter, but the back story will include information that will shock and horrify many of you; consider this an apology in advance.

Deep breath. All right, here it is: although I read them all during my childhood, the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder in the Little House series were never my favorites--I know, heresy to millions of loyal Laura lovers--put down your pitchforks, please! As an adult, I realized this reaction was a result of disliking the characters of both Ma and Mary, which admittedly may be unreasonable, but still, first impressions stick. It was a recent discovery that mine was not the only negative reaction towards this beloved series in my own family. This revelation came when Hilary, my oldest daughter, informed me she read them by mistake. She got home from the library and realized she wasn't about to read Little Horse on the Prairie, much to her great disgust. I found it hilarious, not to mention comforting, to not be the only person on earth who doesn't worship at the shrine of LIW.

Then, a couple of months following this shocking disclosure, on a counter with other postcards and announcements at Texas Art Supply, the following turned up:

It seemed an ideal vehicle to wish the horse lover/house hater a seasonal greeting. So, I took the notice and tweaked it a bit, till it looked like this:

After adjusting the title, I used embellishments, rickrack and part of an old card to cover the bottom section, then wrote  a verse which was printed and is on the reverse side. 

Meanwhile, to go along with it, discovered in a tub of mostly Happy Meal toys at Sand Dollar I found:

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture before lashing a tree to his back and giving him some holiday decor. He is a  small, plastic horse with dapple gray spots and mane. Flossie thinks he might be a fun toy--for her! No, Flossie, you're not going to grab him to bat around the floor in your own version of horse hockey.

Still, she's keeping her eye on this intriguing pony figure:

The light seemed better in the living room, so I moved in there. 

Here is his Christmas neck wear, a cinnamon dough star and jingle bell. They are threaded together on stiff cord, tied in a bow. The tree is lashed on with narrow green ribbon.

I'm going to link this to Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, which is here:Met Monday. One last look before this little fellow heads to Austin and my daughter's mailbox next week. What do you think? Will she be surprised?

Till next time,

Michele