A Banner Shopping Day!

I had quite an amazing find last weekend while thrifting...

I've been on the lookout for a nice set of "white" dishes for months. Often when I see them, they're excessively worn or missing too many pieces. Imagine my utter delight when my eyes fell upon this...it's the Heritage pattern by Pfalzgraff...LOTS of it, dinner plates, 3 different sizes of bowls, luncheon plates, cups and saucers, and several accessories, including a beautiful tea pot! It was dusty, but every piece was in amazing condition! With cautious optimism, I began looking for the price, and finally found it on the bottom of the tea pot... Are you ready??

Yes, you read that right...$20!!! (with the notation that the teapot was included with the set!!!)

Before I knew what came over me, I was doing my happy dance (well at least on the inside...LOL) Can you imagine!?! = ) I've found some really good deals thrifting, but this has to be the best! I was smiling all.day.long. And check this out...when I got home, I realized the carafe I found last summer for $2.00 is the same pattern! = ) Woo-hoo!!!

Something else I'm always on the lookout for...hardback books with colors that work with those in my home. I especially love the Reader's Digest condensed books. Yet again, would you look at this?? These were only $.50 each!

Lastly, I found these 3 brand new homespun dish towels. They too were $.50. I've been thinking about changing our bedroom or our home office to tan and black. I'm thinking I could possibly use these for a valance or pillow.

Indeed, it was a banner day at the thrift. By the way, I checked online and found the Pfalzgraff dishes and accessories are worth 300.00!!! (The teapot alone is worth $38.00!) Needless to say, I'm sooooooo glad I stopped in! = )

Do you love thrifty finds?? Want to see more? Take a moment to visit Leigh (Thrifty Thursday) or Jane (Frugalicious Friday)!

Thrifty Thursday

If you're a regular reader to my blog, you'll understand I haven't been doing any thrift store shopping for several weeks. Oh, how I miss it! Just before Dad's accident, I had prepared a post of recent finds. Now, they aren't so recent, but still definitely worth sharing. Enjoy...

Who says save the best for last? I say... let's start with the best! After watching for this forever, I was positively THRILLED to find it! Winterberry by Pfalzgraff...service for 4! Now for the really incredible part...the price! Believe it or not, it was $10.00!!! (Retail value online...anywhere from $40 - $69.00!) It's in brand new condition, as if never used. It will be perfect for Christmas morning breakfast with Tom, Brennan, Breezy and I. What a pretty table it will be!

Since we're talking Christmas, here's another great find. I adore snowmen and these brand new spreaders stole my heart in a hurry. The price...$1.25!

This is the exact coffee carafe I've been looking for...$2.00! (A perfect compliment to my china and those Christmas dishes!)


Last but not least, this cheese grater from Pampered Chef. It was in its original packaging and according to their website, it's valued at $19.50. Would you believe, it was $.50? It's true! I was giddy to find such a great deal. It works beautifully and it's dishwasher safe! (Yay!)

Hope you enjoyed seeing my newest treasures. If you'd like to see more, stop by and visit Leigh and Holly!

Blessings,
Tracy

Thrifty Thursday

I realized it's been awhile since I shared my thrifty finds. You all know how much I love a good deal! I've found quite a few over the last several weeks. I'm having technical difficulties with posting photos for some reason, but I managed to get a few saved. (The rest will have to wait for another day.)

I absolutely fell in love with this large domed serving dish. I've been searching long and hard for a dome...this one is very pretty. I can use it on another base or with this. It's nice, heavy glass. This was $2.50!!!

Got this little fluer de lis for .50 cents! I think it's made of plaster...had a like new SteinMart tag on the bottom showing $6.99! I will probably spray paint it brown or black.


I fell in love with this cute little purse. It seems very well-made and the strap length is perfect...even better was the $3.00 price tag!

I got even more excited when I looked inside...it was just as adorable as the outside!

Last but not least...these finds might just be my favorite as of late. My Mom & I went to a Crafters Garage Sale a couple of weeks ago...oh.my.goodness! I had to exercise extreme restraint, both for the sake of my budget and also to leave some goodies for other customers! It was crazy the deals they had. All sorts of Stampin' Up sets for $1.00!!!! Two unused rub on alphabets sets with $9.99 price tags for $1.00! Cute Christmas and Valentine fabric for .50 each. Bins of ribbons by color for .25 per yard...it was crazy!!! I've already used some of the stamps.

Hope you've enjoyed checking out a few of my recent treasures. (I'm hoping to visit a yard sale or two this weekend.) Want to see more thrifty treasures? Stop by and see Leigh and Holly.

Confessions of a Thrifty Girl

I admit it...I'm unapologetically a thrifty girl. I enjoy using coupons, comparison shopping and saving money any way I can. But would you like to hear my favorite method of practicing good stewardship? Lean in close...it's thrift store shopping! I love it! In my humble estimation, there's no better form of “retail therapy!” Recently, I’ve discovered a whole host of bloggers who share my love of thrift store shopping. Many have a nose for finding amazing treasures. Then there are those who can spot a diamond in the rough. They’ll take something that’s well, just… ugly, and transform it into something beautiful for their home. (Reminds me of what Christ does for us!)

I quickly noticed a popular trend among a number of these bloggers…many of them seek out white dishes of all sorts of styles, sizes, brands, etc. I loved this idea. I’ve seen beautiful wall displays that cost next to nothing, using just white platters and dishes and many other uses and ideas for all things white. The best part? Many of these dishes cost between .50 cents to just a few dollars. (Now that's inspiring!) Until recently, I didn’t spend much time in this section of the thrift store. Now, it’s become my favorite spot! I’ve found a few white treasures of my own recently and want to share them with you…

This looks like a saucer, but it's actually a shallow little dish. I thought it would be pretty on my dresser to hold my rings, watch, etc. at the end of the day.

Both of the preceeding plates are small...maybe 5" in diameter. I thought about placing a rub-on monogram or phrase on these for display. (All three of the preceeding pieces cost 50 cents!)

I haven't decided yet what to put in this one. It's pretty small, maybe 5 or so inches tall. Any suggestions? I think it cost $1.50.

This beautiful little platter is about 8 or 9 inches long and cost $3.00. It's quite delicate and in perfect condition. The back says "Crown Porcelain - West Germany - Bavaria." This one seems a bit more valuable than the other items I found. This would be nice to give as a gift, filled with some pretty cookies or baked goods (...or maybe just to keep!) ; )

This adorable little pot was .75 cents! The design goes all the way around. I thought it would make a beautiful pencil cup, or you could use it for a pretty little flower.

This was my favorite, I think. It's about 10 or 11 inches high. I can't wait to fill it with some flowers and put it on my table. It has no brand on the bottom, but it's heavy and seems to be of good quality. This one cost $4.00!

So what do you think? Seven little lovelies, all of which have some sort of history, for just over $10.00! That's some pretty thrifty shopping...not to mention the thrill and relaxation of the hunt, which truly is half the fun! Let me know what you think, and if you're a thrift store shopper, too. I'd love to hear any other ideas you might have for any of these pieces! Want to see more thrifty goodness? Visit Holly and Leigh...

Family Fun + Sweet Deals = Great Weekend!

Greetings! Hope this finds you well. I had hoped to have this posted yesterday, but didn't quite make it! We had an absolute blast with my nieces and nephews this past weekend. We were joined by Brennan’s sweetheart, Brianna and her Mom. (My nieces were absolutely thrilled because they adore Bri.) In between watching (not-so) spooky movies, we enjoyed fun party food, made oreo spiders, danced around like crazy, then later, decorated pumpkins (a bit too early in the month to carve them). It was awesome to hear such joy and laughter in our house (that has been far too quiet lately!)

These are my nieces, Blaire and Jordyn with Bri.

The oreo spiders we made were so cute. I especially got a kick out of Bri’s. She sent this picture to Brennan from her phone (so sweet!)

Blaire with her pumpkin…crazy and creative…just like her!

Josh, who’s all boy and who loves “scary stuff,” made his the Joker from Batman.

Girly-girl Jordyn made a Little Bo Peep pumpkin. With a little help from Bri’s Mom, Lisa, she even painted a little sheep on the back. Adorable!

Sweet, sweet guys…Blake & Josh

The only thing that could have made Saturday any better would have been having Brennan and Brooke (my other niece) there, too! It was a great time for all of us. Looking forward to having them over again...soon! ☺

Sunday was fun in a completely different way. After preparing lunch, I exercised my preferred method of "good stewardship" by taking a trip to my favorite thrift store! I first began shopping at thrift stores when Brennan was a baby. It’s positively crazy the kind of deals you can get. These were my finds for the day...So that you can fully appreciate what you see in this photo, here is a rundown:

Red corduroy button down (Eddie Bauer)
Charcoal gray (wool) cardigan sweater
Red cowl neck sweater (Coldwater Creek)
Black cardigan sweater
Ivory pullover sweater
Navy Blue (Naturalizer) Shoes (still with department store price tags)
Warren Kimble Americana Snowman Plate (ltd edition, still in box)
3 Assorted Flower Vases
You need to know I'm not really a label girl. I simply look for clothes I like, that fit and will work with what I already have. I do however, get especially excited when I realize I've chosen something that happens to be a really nice brand for a ridiculously low price. Wanna guess how much I spent?

$28.00!

Hard to believe, isn't it? With everyone tightening their belt economically, there is no better time to check out a thrift or consignment store in your area. You can cut your clothing cost in half, and sometimes even to a fourth! Who couldn't benefit from that kind of savings!?

Part of the fun (for me) is truly the hunt. My absolute favorite of all finds a few summers back was a London Fog trenchcoat (with zip-out winter lining) that looked like brand new...for $2.00!!! Not a thing was wrong with it, in fact I've worn it for three winters now! Amazing! Are you a thrift or consignment store shopper? I'd love to hear what treasures you've found.

Better run! Have a wonderful Tuesday!