Thrifting again!

I held off from all thrift shops and garage sales this summer in order to save enough to take a real vacation this year and I have no regrets, but now that school is back in session and I have Wednesdays to myself (thanks to a wonderful MIL), I was eager to get out and do some retail therapy. :)

I founds some good deals, and I'll show them to you, along with a few things I've had for awhile but never worked into a post.



1- Found this wooden shape-sorting toy at Goodwill. It's by Ryan's Room and it's really well made. All the pieces were there and in "like new" condition. It's not just your average peg-in-the-right-hole shape sorter. You have to unlock, unbutton, and open doors to find the right hole. I couldn't find it online, but did find a similar toy (less cool imo) on the Ryan's Room site. Cutecumber has some trouble with fine motor skills when it comes to puzzles and such. She knows where the pieces go, she just gives up on turning them until they fit properly. This should help to get her right on track.
Price- $1.99
Compare to Ryan's Room - $23.99


2- Brand new (still in plastic!) Scrabble game. I got this at the Salvation Army. It wasn't priced and I was a little worried it would be too much, especially since I am going to use it for cool crafting projects (how awesome is THIS?!) rather than play it. (Ok, maybe a few times until no one will play with me anymore cause I have tiger's blood and I'm always WINNING!). When I got to the register it was....
Price- $1
Compare to Walmart price- $24.99

3- Favorite find of the day! 4 scarlet red Fiestaware coffee cups. Flawless!
Price-$.59 each
Compare to Ebay- $4.88 each (can fluctuate, but ballpark)

4- Another fun Fiestaware find. A little turquoise salad plate. It has a big chip on the back but I'm using it for display only and it won't show.
Price-$.29
Compare to Ebay- $9.99

5. I didn't get this little owl napkin holder today, but he was a thriftshop find in March @ the Salvation Army in Odessa. I covered his not-so-attractive exterior with a white gloss spray paint and he looks so cute!
Price- Under a $1

6. Awhile back I found a butter bell at Goodwill and gave it to my MIL. I've had my eye out for my own ever since and it payed off! (I even like mine more, shhh) I love my Butter bell! And to think I bought my first one, not even knowing what it was.
Paid- $1
Price on the Butter Bell Crock site (mine exactly!)- $23.96

7. I found this ceramic cow's head @ Helping Hands a few months ago and thought it would be cute to hang my apron's on. I love it! They had a matching duck @ Goodwill today, but I didn't get it. I think one animal head in the kitchen is plenty don't you? lol He has some weird orangy/brown eyes but the cashier at HH gave me a great tip. She said I could put a little fingernail polish remover on them to remove the eyes (umm eww), and then get some pretty green/blue ones at Hobby Lobby.
Paid- Under a $1
Compare to one on Etsy listed for $30

8. My toolbox that is NOT supposed to be out and this picture totally got the Scientist in trouble!

I had a really fun day out, and enjoyed the rush when I found those Fiestaware cups. I totally called my mom as soon as I put them in my cart even though I knew she was at work. I had to relieve some of that adrenalin lol.

Temporary parallysis and 3 frogs

Summer has lost it's luster. This is a video of my two youngest in our dirt yard (we are in severe drought and I'll admit we just said "screw it!", and it's down-right gross) having typical summer fun.



I know I sound like such a hick. :S But as a positive, Cutecumber is in panties! I believe I have changed my very last diaper (well, until grandchildren of course). :)

Also a little funny about me, yesterday I looked down and between my thumb and hand (that little webbed spot that attaches your thumb) was a horrible bruise. It was huge! Black and brownish-red. I felt of it and I had little to no feeling there. I started having a panic attack, wondering what I could have done or what was happening to me, thinking I must have burst something REALLY important that could warrant a trip to the ER when I realized...

I must have had a hole in my glove when I dyed my hair earlier that day.

But seriously, check it out for yourself, it has little feeling in that area. Right? (just say yes) I hope your summer has been a little more glamorous and a heck-of-a-lot cooler than mine!

Window seat (preview)

Yesterday Honey had agreed to do a project that I have been wanting to do since we moved in, putting a window seat in the playroom/tv room (which we all call the den). It's the place we spend the most time in.

He used scrap wood we had out in the shop, including some paneling and moulding. He got most of it done yesterday, but I still need to put on the bottom trim (we didn't have enough on-hand) and paint the plywood top. The project was completely FREE! Well, aside from the trim we still need to purchase. It has tons of storage. I am so pleased with it. He framed it out really well and it's better than I had envisioned. LOVE IT!

I made the cushions out of some sturdy vintage linens that my mom gave me, and did the boarder with some scraps of curtain that I trimmed from the girls room, and obviously the rainbow striped curtains that are pictured. (I think I'm going to have to go shorter on those.) I still need to stuff the other cushion. I finally got to use up the hoards of pillow stuffing I've been saving.


The pictures don't do it justice. These are phone pics, and it was night time.I know it's a bit on the "loud" side, but I when you put it in perspective to the rest of the room it seems tame.


That large art piece was commissioned by me and done by Ms. Thang. I wanted something "family" and "colorful". I found a giant (hideous) canvas at Goodwill and told her to paint over it. She was nervous to do something so large, and went simplistic. She hates it, but I like it! We call it the Cave Painting. I love that I'm the yellow figure (looking rather skinny!) and I'm taller than Honey (red) because I really am. ;)

And just to see how much it's changed, here is a picture Honey took when touring the house before we purchased it. It's a built in garage.


We definitely gave the room some life!

Hopefully I'll have the finished project to show you soon. I'm just too proud/excited to wait. Thanks Honey!

Edited to add a couple of pics with curtain hemmed higher and the other cushion done:





I think it would be so cute to add a long shelf above the TV (where the small white shelves are now) and put the globe collection there. You can see a few of them in the picture with all the toy shelving. They look so nice with the blue walls. I want a fun rug too. Any ideas on how to pull the brown of the couch and TV stand into the rest of the room? I think eventually down the line I will upholster real foam cushions and add brown piping to the edges, but the budget tells me it will be awhile!