All Wrapped Up

A portion of the weekend was spent at Memory Lane putting wrapping paper on the walls of my booth.

Yes, you read that right.

I put wrapping paper on the walls of my booth.

Let's have a little back-story here, shall we?

So many of the booths I love looking at are almost like their own little shops...decorated to a shiny tip before anything is even in the booth! While we were in Missouri over the summer at a flea market, I took a photo of this decorated 'shop'...




The photo is not doing it a bit of justice, but the one thing about this shop that just made it POP for me was the sheer fabric with icicle Christmas lights behind it. Yes, I actually looked behind the fabric to see how it all was pulled together. It was so beautifully done! Who knew?

I was eager to try that in my booth at Memory Lane. Until I realized I didn't have electricity coming to my booth. And the fabric I wanted at Hobby Lobby was $21 a yard. Not knowing all that much about sewing, I had the nice lady show me how big a yard was...and then I realized how many yards I was going to need to do the walls of my booth...and again, there was no electricity in my booth to do what I was originally wanting to do but even if I did it without lights, I cannot afford $21 a yard...yes, I could thrift some fabric but when I get a wild hair, I typically need to go with it quickly before my brain explodes...Hmmmmm...I needed to go on to plan B.

It took a moment to see that the fabric I was favoring looked like wrapping paper I would love to use at Christmas.

And I have some huge rolls of wrapping paper from last year that I picked up for about $2 a roll from Hobby Lobby during the after Christmas sales.

So I headed on home to check out my Christmas stash.

And the next morning proceeded to cover the walls at my booth in Christmas-y wrapping paper...



I think for $2 and an hour of my time, it was well beyond worth it. What do you think? For that price I can afford to change it out often.

Dime Store Thrift Thrifting Giveaway--Let Me Thrift For You!

JUST A REMINDER THAT SEPTEMBER FIRST IS ALMOST UPON US...ENTER NOW!

I've been wanting to do another giveaway but have been uncertain on what I wanted to give away! Until I remembered what my blogging buddy Missa from Thrift Candy did awhile back and I am so going to borrow her idea.

I am offering up my Thrifting Services. For FREE!

You tell me what you are into and I shall thrift for you! Actually the more you tell me about things you like, the better the prize will be! Do you like Owls? Oil Lamps? Christmas Kitsch? (oh wait, these are my likes!) Tupperware? Books? Clothing? Purses? Shoes? Vintage linens? Ephemera? What do you drool over? What makes you squeal? Tell me about yourself and I should be able to find you something awesome, I buy it, I wrap it and I send it on its way...Just For You! Again, Free!

Sound like fun?

Leave A Comment for one entry...

Become A Follower (or be a current follower) and you get 5 more entries...

Post about the giveaway on your blog linking back to me and I will put you down for 10 more entries.

One winner will be randomly drawn on September 1st...

Ready? Set? Go!

I Must've Been Thirsty?

Sometimes thrifting themes show up completely unexpected. I found a few other things as well but thought you would get a kick out of my liquid obsessions this weekend...

I am loving the colors on this Fred Press glass...wish I would have found a couple more, but am glad to have found one.

The colors in this are simply gorgeous. And I think will work nicely with the plate and cup purchased at Luticia Clementines in Independence, Missouri...would you like to come for tea?

And last, but certainly not least...

Two plastic Kool-Aid mugs! The kids both squealed, which matched my squealing earlier.


This is why I love thrifting.

I LOVE Gifting People!

I think of you all often, when you tell me what you love to thrift, what makes you swoon...especially when I am out thrifting!

While in Minnesota I found this:

And immediately thought of my friend Stan, The Elegant Thrifter...I have been wanting to send him a little something as thanks for pointing me towards Sharleen at Luticia Clementines in Independence, Missouri. And thanks for always being so positive. And thanks for being a good blog-buddy.

So off it went to the Big City and I chuckled when I read his Blog this morning. What a guy!





Would you like me to thrift for YOU? There is still time to enter my thrifting giveaway...just scroll down to see how to enter!

Frame Glittering Project COMPLETE!

This was truly so much fun to do. I have a million things on my mind right now and it was soothing and distracting all at the same time.




This is the wall I am planning for it to be on in a few short months!


Until then, we will keep up the black frame (that has Bud's lady bug art in it...to be replaced with something spooky for Halloween...) in that spot. That is another framed mirror piece that I spray painted black a few years ago!

Glittering

While Bud was playing for *2* hours with a huge box of wooden beads, I took some time to start cleaning out the craft area. Again. As all crafters know, it is not something you do and it will be done forever. Well, not I anyway!

After going through some things and getting items marked for The Booth at Memory Lane, I spotted a project I have been walking around for at least 4 months, if not longer. This was an old mirror that was framed. But the mirror broke and I was just left with the frame. I held on to it all this time with this little idea floating around in my head inspired by Jennifer at Sis Boom: I am going to glitter it!
So I put a nice thick coat of glue on...

And then shook, shook, shook some coarse silver glitter over the glue. I am planning on doing this in stages just because I want it to be nice and thick. So it is drying right now down in the craft room and I'll keep at as I am down there doing this and that...
My vision is to have it hanging on the wall this holiday season with a piece of the kids' artwork in the center.

Back To School Means...

More time to thrift than I have had in MONTHS!

The kids are great thrifters. Truly, they are. But when I have the moment to go it alone, ooh la LA! When I have the kids with, usually I scan a shelf, do a head count and make sure they are both with me...look at a section of books and do another head count...scan another shelf and say no to a toy we already have...

You know how it goes.

But ohhhh, to have an hour or two to really do some digging!

These 3 books were found at the Bargain Center. And yes, there was a loud squeal from the floor where I was digging through a pile of children's books. They aren't pristine, so will be used for some glittered altered Christmas art!

Do you ever get down on the floor to dig through piles?

Etsy and The Bargain Center and Thrifting, OH MY!

The Etsy thing has been going well...for the most part. I have a hundred things I want to list and not quite as much time as I would like to list them. Doesn't everyone on Etsy have this problem? Last night I had some time to list 3 more things. Just click along my sidebar if you would like to see more. Hopefully this weekend will have some hunks of time just for this purpose!

Do you shop Etsy? Do you sell on Etsy?

Ah...and now for thrifting...I found a new store in Sioux City called The Bargain Center. And it has been having a 'bag sale' all this week. You know, one of those 'fill a bag for $4' sales. There were great jeans and khakis for both Lu and Bud which just thrilled me to pieces. Hmmmm...$4 for 6 pairs of pants?

Not a hard decision to make.

Dime Store Thrift is on Etsy!

I finally, FINALLY have my Etsy store up and running.

With 1 item.

But it is truly up and running! I have been meaning to do this for months but of course, one has to be committed to running an Etsy shop and one cannot do this while one is away for most of the summer.

As one knows.

You can view it by clicking along my sidebar and I will let you know as I add more stuff. This seemed like the easiest thing to sell to get used to how it all works, you know?

And I find Eloise Wilkin to be comforting when I am nervous.

I Want To Curl Up In Her Lap

Don't you just love free thrifting? This old glass Mrs. Butterworth was sitting on a free table out on the edge of town in Battle Lake. From what I could tell, they had a rummage sale earlier in the day and this was the stuff that was left over. So they slapped a sign on the table and called it a day. And when we were driving past and saw that table, well, of course we were going to stop. We found chapter books and Mrs. Butterworth to bring home.

I like to place her in different rooms and use her as a prop. If the kids are acting up, I can hold her up and say in my best Mrs Butterworth voice "I don't approve of that, Dearies!" Needless to say, the kids are really looking forward to school starting.

Teeny Tiny Christmas Colored Oil Lamp

While in Minnesota, we stopped at a flea market and this was sitting in the middle of a bunch of glassware...I have been trying to limit my oil lamp desires...but c'mon! It's a CHRISTMAS colored teeny tiny oil lamp! It is a.dor.a.ble.

And it is going to look so a.dor.a.ble in the middle of a Christmas vignette this December!

Forgotten Thrift

Right before we left for the cabin, I had done a run through at Memory Lane and found a box of these sitting on the floor.

Well, I scooped that box up so quickly I might have hurt something, purchased it, brought it home, washed every item up in hot soapy water, left on vacation and promptly forgot about them.

Hubby had stuck them in the black storage closet and I actually surprised myself last night when putting things away. It was like my thrift fairy had left me a prize!
My favorites are the little ice cream/dessert pedestal cups. But I love them all!


Have you ever bought something and forgot you had it??

What I Am Reading--Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Have you read this yet? It's been around for a few years now and I am loving, LOVING this book. My copy came to me by Sister 2 as a Christmas gift. And I immediately (ha!) started reading it. In reality, I stuck it on my book shelf and stuffed it away in the back of my mind.




Until I needed some books to take to the cabin.

Best idea I have had in a long time, taking all those books to the cabin!

I am better about reading new (to me) books up there due to the huge amounts of time spent laying around in the sun. I think I've been able to finish far more books this summer than I have in years! And this book was a complete winner. Liz spends time in Italy, India and Indonesia in a quest for self improvement and documents her journey. I don't want to give any other info other than, everyone should read this book...This one goes in my ongoing list of all time favorites!

I am sure you will be able to find it by thrifting, but if not, do the library thing or just purchase it...I can't imagine you not liking this book.

Snoopy Kitsch

We always try to bring back some type of souvenir from our vacations and this year chose a tiny plastic snoopy from Camp Snoopy at Worlds Of Fun...He is now settled comfortably on our kitchen window ledge.

Saluting me as I load the dishwasher.

I Thrifted Reed and Melanie's Bingo Game!

Please be aware that I have a lot of stuff to show you since we have been gone...there is going to be a lot coming at you in the next few days. I have never been one to pace myself!




I have no clue who Reed and Melanie are...do you suppose they were brother and sister? Husband and Wife who took the game to a potluck gathering??
Either way, thrilled to pieces to get this game, all parts intact.

Quirky Coasters

I found some more quirky coasters while on vacation:


Obviously not to be used with the children around. And yes, I already spilled a little coffee on the little farmer!

There were many different ones to choose from, but these 2 are still my favorites.

10 Days In A Couple Pictures...

The moon was so full and gorgeous...my photo didn't turn out anything like how it was, but it's a good memory shot.

Coffee on the deck? Every. Single. Morning.

The water was so refreshing and clean. I took a bit of time to practice my minnow catching skills for the kids. Have you let minnows nibble on your toes before?


The lake was calm and the weather sunny...except for Hubby's first day of vacation with us! Then it was very fall like and wavy. But it cleared up after a day or so.

I spent a silly amount of time reclining, watching the kids splash and gazing up into the tree above.

And we gave the fireplace a good workout nightly...last night we roasted hot dogs and they might have been one of the most delicious things ever eaten. With marshmallows for dessert. Mmmmmmmm.


It has been a wonderful summer! How quickly it passed...And now we are ready to begin the school year refreshed and renewed.

Did You Miss Me Terribly?

We have been luxuriating in Minnesota and probably would have stayed there a few more days if Hubby hadn't called and said "Seriously...time to come home...remember home, Sonya??"

And here we are! We have been missed!

The kids and I went up a week ago Saturday for a last Hoo-Rah this year. The weather was perfect (except when poor hubby arrived last Friday! He wanted to spend a few days inside a cabin with all of us instead of sunning himself! Really!) and it was hard to leave knowing we wouldn't get back up until next summer.

I took some cool pic's while there, will post those later today.

Good to be back and looking forward to getting caught up with you!