Thrift Store Finds

One of the things I've run into this year -- and some of you have probably also experienced -- is that after all these years some of my kitchen bowls and dishes are either biting the dust or ready to be retired.  One of the upsides to cooking at home is that you use things….the downside is that nothing lasts forever.  In this case, some of my bowls that were older than my children have just outlived their safe usefulness.  After clearing out a lot of things that I didn't use and then clearing out all the items that had reached their "expiration" date, I found myself with very minimal pieces.  Fewer than I was comfortable with.

My last trip to the thrift store didn't yield anything, but today I had to drop off some items from my continued downsizing. Seems odd to talk about downsizing and buying at the same time -- but it all ties back to my theme of purposeful for this year.  The downsized pieces did not serve a purpose for us, and I know someone else can use them.  My finds for today will serve me for years with a little care just like the pieces I had to retire.

For $17 -- less than half of just the cost of the casserole dish new -- I found just enough pieces to replace a small portion of what I cleared out.  I knew I didn't want as many pieces and definitely wanted multi use options from whatever I found.

A Rachel Ray 4.5 quart casserole dish, which was the most expensive piece at $4.99.  I'll use this for casseroles for family dinners and as a serving tray for finger foods.  It also heavy enough to make a great tea and biscuits try.  In my local stores these are ranging anywhere from $40 to $60.  Not a bad savings at all.

A pasta bowl from Italy.  I'll use this for serving almost anything.  They're beautiful not only heaped with pasta, but with a pretty salad or any veggies and fruit.

3 nesting Corelle bowls in a print I love.  These don't even appear to have been used. I'm guessing someone just stuck them in their cabinets.  (I scrubbed the sticker residue off of them kind of thing.)  They're oven and microwave safe so they'll do triple duty.  I can use them for mixing, for baking, and for serving. These are a 1, 2, and 3 quart sized.  (This pattern is discontinued, but online it varies in price.  Amazon has a set listed for $60.)  I may see if I can find more of this set because I really like the pattern.

Make and Mend

Last week I picked up a pair of fleece pajama pants from the thrift store.  New fabric is anywhere from $5 a yard and up depending on what I looked at.  Since I was making a cat bed and I also like the idea of repurposing fabric, the thrift store seemed like the logical place to look.  I found a pair of 3X sized pants that had plenty of fabric for what I needed.  The bonus was I paid $1.69 for them.

I already had an old flattened bed pillow that I wanted to use for the insert.  (Due to allergies we don’t use feather pillows and the pillows we buy tend to flatten over time.  There’s nothing wrong with them per say except as they flatten they don’t offer much support.)

Since this was a simple project, I decided to allow myself the pleasure and time of hand sewing it.  It didn’t take long, but if you were in a hurry a sewing machine would make quick work of it.  I simply cut the legs off just below the crotch seem and went to work on sewing the legs closed. I turned it right side out and inserted the pillow.  A quick whip stitch of the elastic waist band finished my casing, but then I decided to do some light hand sewing on the bottom to smooth it out a little where the crotch seam was.  (I did go with whip stitch so when my daughter wants to wash the cover we can easily remove it.  I looked at either buttons or ribbons, but realized the cat would have a field day with those...lol)

A simple cat be doing that cost me less than $2 out of pocket.

Since I already had my needle and thread out, I went ahead and mended a dining chair cushion. The kitty had pulled the tie off. However I am not certain any of them were seen on securely because at this point I think I’ve reattached them all

A Few Household Items to Start Out the Year

Back in November whilst we were traveling my husband and I decided that our joint theme for 2019 would be purposeful living.  For me this means a lot of things, but one key thing I’ve decided to do is not fill my life with things that do not have a purpose.  (I’m not treating purpose and practical as synonyms, but purpose as in meaning for me.) With that in mind I have been purging some things and on the flip side also keeping a running list of some things I feel will enhance our lives.

On my list — now that I am cooking for two almost exclusively — was some smaller baking dishes.  I found these cute mini pie plates at Walmart and some cloth napkins in prints that make me happy.  (I used a gift card to pay for these.)  They’re from the Pioneer Woman line.

There was also a small set of two pots / casserole dishes that I liked.  They were perfectly sized for fitting in my new air fryer oven, but I balked at paying $20 for them.  I decided to keep using my cake pans even though in the back of my head I’ve been worried about messing up my favorites.

When my daughter and I were out at Goodwill looking for something totally unrelated, I decided to look through the kitchenware.  I found two Wilton egg shaped pans.  They’re the perfect size for my air fryer oven and the perfect size for a casserole or dish for two people.  Not only do I not have to worry about my cake pans, but I paid $1.69 a piece for these.  A frugal win!   

(I realize they aren’t floral and all pretty, but in this case I was willing to trade the pretty for the practical.)

Thursday's Errands

I'm finding it much easier to carry the camera around with me than sitting down with the computer to type.  By the end of the day, I just don't seem to have the energy.   Today wasn't my most frugal day, but everything was on my list.  Fortunately, all the items should last me a while.  My thrift store decor finds are included.

Winter Wardrobe (Thrift Haul)

At the end of last season I cleared out all my sweaters that were getting worn, picked, etc.

When I unpacked my winter clothes I literally had three left, all of which are 3/4 sleeves.

I knew I wanted easy to wear and items I could wear at home without fear of damaging them.

Unless I need a special piece the thrift store is my go to place.

I spent just under $57 — including an impulse purchase of a pair of shoes. 

These were my “wild card” pieces.

The shoes are a European brand, appear to be totally new (no scuffs, no anything on soles)

 and I paid $3.39 for them.

The two tops on the right are new with tags.

The green sweater (mock turtle neck) got the top cut off in the photo.

Top left — I went three sizes too large.  The plan is to wear this long and baggy with leggings and knee high boots.

The black and white striped is a thinner sweater and perfect for indoor wear.

The cardigan will go with almost everything in my closet.

The sweater vest is an easy layering piece to go over any of my turtleneck tops or long sleeved t-shirts.

These are my snuggly sweaters.

The first two of the gray are longer tunic length and I’ll layer them over long sleeves. 

The last gray and the red/multi are bulkier sweaters that are quite cozy.  

I love the feel of both of them.

Sorry about the upside down receipt.

A Day of Shopping

It's funny how the phrase "a day of shopping" varies so wildly in the images it conjures up.

 My day of shopping went something like this: Aldi --  cookies, saltines, a bag of baking potatoes, 6 dozen eggs, 2 cartons of soy milk, 2 cartons of lactose free milk, 4 containers of Greek yogurt, 12 cans of cream of ...soup for the pantry storage, 2 boxes of Stevia, 2 packages of pepperoni, 2 cans of refrigerator biscuits, 1 package of chicken sausage, 1 container of hummus, guacomole, 2 bags of frozen string beans, 2 bags of frozen limas, 3 bottles of BBQ sauce, 2 bottles of marinade, 1 bottle of steak sauce, apples, 6 pink roses, patriotic themed napkins/paper plates, 4 jars of whole dill pickles, 1 jar of sandwich sliced pickles, 2 packages of chocolate instant pudding, 4 packets of brown gravy mix, a carton of ale, and a loaf of garlic bread.  I spent $85.01.

 After Aldi, I went to the Farmer's Market.  I bought radishes, 3 large cabbage, 5 plums, 3 large peaches, cilantro, and 3 large bell peppers.  Total spent $8.00.

 From there I stopped at Fred's Club, which is a regional warehouse store.  It carries more of what I would call Southern foods....like hush puppy mix, cornmeal, etc.  Everything I bought was warehouse sized.  6 packages of cornbread mix, 1 large bag of flour, 38 pounds of cat litter, an outdoor mosquito repellant candle, 40 assorted ice cream sandwiches, and Country Time Lemonade mix.  Total spent $52.14.

 We put up all the food and went out to Goodwill.  I found 2 ankle length winter skirts and 1 midi (for my height is still long lol) wool plaid skirt.  I also bought 3 summer midi length skirts and 3 blouses for myself.  My daughter found 3 fall button down shirts and a nice black jacket.  Total spent was $47.17.

 So my big day of shopping pretty much centered around food.  More than 1/4 of what was spent at Aldi went into pantry storage, which I try to add to every month.  The cabbage from the Farmer's Market will also go into storage because I will be canning them tomorrow.  The same applies to a good portion of the items from Fred's Club.  Even the Goodwill shop was mostly for the upcoming fall and winter.  I'll have a couple of nice skirts and we got a head start on my daughter's fall wardrobe.  The jacket itself would have cost the $47 or more.

So that is us - the last of the big shoppers....or maybe not.

What do recylcing, knitting, and thrifting have in common?

A while back I picked up a yellow cotton sweater from a yard sale.  I didn't pay much for it, but it was in pristine shape.  I wore it once or twice, but to be honest, yellow just isn't my color.

I had put it aside with other items to take to the thrift store and when I was gathering them I took a second look at it.  The sweater was a nice name brand and because it was a more expensive sweater it the pieces had been finished and joined together.  Some sweaters do not lend themselves to unraveling because they have been cut and sewn....the end result is just a bunch of single strings and nobody wants to knit or crochet with that many knots in their thread.  At least, I sure don't.

I decided to invest a little time into unraveling the sweater.  I wanted a project, but didn't seem to have the concentration to work on any detailed.  This seemed to fit the bill.

I had a little waste, but I still ended up with this much yarn.

I've knit two dishcloths that are going in Mama's Mother's Day basket.  She loves bright colors and her kitchen is yellow.  I think she will love them.  (Two dishcloths only used up one ball, so I still have yarn left to use up.). My plan is to fill a small basket with dish detergent, scrubbies, etc.

Patience Pays Off

One of my "resolutions" for 2017 is to buy second hand whenever possible.

Last summer when my son moved, I gave them our couch.  Long story short, due to the layout of their new home it was the piece that would work best.  I took their love seat and we made do.  

(It was a piece that I had previously had for years.) 

On my home improvement list was a new couch for the living room.  

I knew I wanted a couch and possibly a matching love seat.

I knew I didn't want to pay a lot.

I knew I wanted something with a print because our home layout is open and all the walls are neutral.

I've been faithfully watching my areas online yard sale site.

A few weeks ago, I was a little sad because I thought I had missed a piece I might would have enjoyed.

However, as life often does, I found this set this week.

The bonus was that not only is it print, but it is floral.

I love floral prints of any kind.

And not only is it floral, but it is in colors I love -- a burgundy, tan, and navy with hints of green in the leaves.

It goes perfectly with my burgundy recliner.

Guess how much I paid?

The family selling it was originally asking $100, which I was more than willing to pay.

However, when they took it out of storage they found two rips on the arms.

She dropped the price to $60 -- without my asking -- and that price included delivery.

Upon careful inspection, I decided that I could easily cover the rips.

I decided to go to my craft room first and look through my fabrics.

I pulled out several pieces that I thought would work and finally decided on a creamy and tan print.

I cut my strips, basted them in a contrasting thread, and pinned them to the arms.

At that point, I knew sewing them on would be a little tricky.

I pondered it for a bit and remembered that I had been given a bag of sewing supplies that included some curved quilting needles.

Armed with those and a matching thread, I set about sewing the strips on.

All total it took me about two hours from start to finish.

By matching the two strips, they look as if they are meant to be there.

Bonus -- I have enough of the fabric left to do several throw pillows to add to the couch.

So I paid $60 for a personalized couch and loveseat that I love.

A Goody for Me

When I found this in the thrift store I just couldn't pass it up.

It was spotless, with the stickers still on it.

I paid a whopping 79 cents for it.

I love the message, because I love tea.

I love the red, because red is one of my favorite colors.

I love all things "English" and I love the cost.

Sewing for Toddlers -- Upcycling or Recycling?

My grandson has hit the same stage of growth my son did -- that one where the legs are long and the body is lean.  It was horrible finding pants for my son and of course, at that time I didn't even have a sewing machine.  However, now I have a sewing machine and loads of time. 

These are our test pair.  I'll be mailing them to my daughter in law to try on him.  However, I think I need to go up one size.  The pattern book is one I have had for years and I love.  The clothing looks dated, but new fabrics and lets face it -- children's styles just don't change that much.  To keep costs low on our sample I went to the thrift store and found two large pair of men's pants.  I used the fabric from the legs of a tan pair to make these.  (I'm saving the denim for the next size up.)  Total cost per pair of pants will be a whopping $3.59.  I didn't even buy the thread I used....it was a gift from my husband's great aunt. 

Thrift Store Finds

My daughter had a job interview today and I rode with her to the appointment. The business is near the Salvation Army store and I walked around in there while she was having her meeting.  I picked up two shirts -- new with tags still on them. The red and white blouse was $4.99 and the sweater is a thin 3/4 sleeve sweater for $1.99.  Both were from local department stores. I'll wear them both year round. The blouse will be a great layering piece. The sweater will go in my bag for summer classes....why they keep things so cold is beyond me.