Last Friday we had the rehearsal dinner for my son's wedding and I went in early to decorate before the rehearsal. I ended up with an hour to spare. I was in Fishers, Indiana and as I came out of the restaurant, I saw a big ol' Goodwill sign so that seemed like a good thing to kill some extra time with. When I got across the street, however, it seemed it was just a drop off point, but the kind lady inside told me to turn right on 116th, turn right at the second stop light and the store was there.....several blocks later, that is. LOL! She didn't tell me how far to go once I turned right, but I found it.

You may have noticed I'm drawn to copper things. My first thought when I saw this tin was that it would be great for a tatted bookmark, as a gift box.

Once I picked it up though, I could feel it had something in it and a quick glance revealed some cookie cutters. It wasn't until I photographed them that I figured out what the shapes were...I think! It looks like a little train but isntructions with pictures would be nice to give me a better idea - could be a truck but I think it's a train.
(added - I found the original: http://www.fancyflours.com/cookie-cutter-set-train1.html Sold out but they were $14.00!)
This card minder book was in perfect condition except that the price label at the top had a few letters written above it in something black. I asked the cashier if she knew what it was, because if it was permanent, that pretty much ruined it. She didn't know and I decided to buy it anyway. Some acetone did remove it as well as the gummy stuff from the label, but I was holding my breathe until it all came off without the color of the cover!

Inside are several pockets by month with a page for anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions to keep track of.

I've been on the lookout for small square frames for my lace motifs and found two of them that are perfect!

I also bought three sweaters and a Mother/Daughter Memory Box. I already gave the box to my daughter to use for herself and her daughter. Wish I'd gotten a photo of it. The tin was $1.99, the card minder book was $1.99, the memory box $2.99, the frames were $.99 each and the sweaters were $2.99 each. A nice little stash for less than $20.

So...that was my time-killer to help relieve tension before the wedding! (which was beautiful)

I haven't had time for quite awhile to go thrift shopping but yesterday turned out to be the day. My son's wedding is coming up in 3 weeks. I've had the dress for months and knew I needed silver shoes and a bag to complete the outfit. It's unlikely I'll wear them again for perhaps years so I didn't want to spend a lot of money on them. I'd been checking clearance at Walmart, the only store I've been in lately, to no avail. I had to mail a package yesterday and it happens that one of the Goodwill stores is nearby so I stopped in. I walked back to purses and belts and immediately went to this small matte silver purse that is perfect!


Well, I mosied around awhile and picked up two very nice sweaters, one in a soft green and the other taupe, very plain - classic, one by Eddie Bauer and the other by Paul Harris. I don't generally show clothes here though. Then I walked to the opposite side of the store, not really expecting to find any suitable heels. My feet are small and wide, hard to find a good fit even in a shoe store, but guess what? Yay! One pair of silver sandals, size 5 1/2 and when I tried them on, the strap across the toes did not bind like they usually do and my pinkie didn't stick out. Whoo Hoo! Purse and shoes - $5.98 total.


I still had time to kill and now I had the fever so I drove down to Trinity Missions and snooped around there. I found this big silver Nieman Marcus bag for $1.00. It will hold my small bag and all the other essential stuff I will need once the wedding ceremony is over.


I love boxes of all kinds and especially unfinished ones that I can paint. This is basically a document tray, meant to hold papers, but it could hold bottles or whatever you wanted. Only 50¢. They're usually around $2.99 at Hobby Lobby.


I've never had baked garlic but I keep hearing it is so good. I got this clay baker for 60¢ and the tea ball (I collect tea paraphenelia) for 50¢.

Also bought a few pairs of slacks, one dress black and 2 cotton that I may wear on the family cruise we're taking at the end of October.

I love it when it goes like this!!!

I've had the photos and scans for awhile but no time to post them. I think I've left out a few things too! Anyway, most of the linens will be posted on my tatting blog but I'll try to remember to put them here too. This one has one tiny brown spot that I hope to get out but if not, I can always crochet a blossom or even just embroider a tiny satin stitch in white over it. I don't really use things like this a lot but I love to look at them and marvel at the handwork. I think I paid $3.50 or right around that for this.

This fairy on the frog tickled me. I've considered painting it,watercolor style, but have not had time to even think on it much. It's a bit too small for outdoors unless in a low-growing flower garden which I don't have at the moment. I just like it. It could go in a big indoor pot as decoration too. I think it was $.49.

I got this plate at the flea market for $1.00. I got a similar white plate at Goodwill later which I'll have to post here once I get it photographed. This one was $1.00. The booth owner had 4 total but I didn't really care for the others.

Originally I tried to get everything in one shot and it wouldn't work so I kept reducing the number of items but never was happy with the picture. I need to clean the gold compact up and it will eventually hold some tatted lace. The little ceramic box is just big enough to hold a shuttle. I love little surprise containers like that. I think each of these was $.49 or perhaps $1 for the ceramic box.

I love cobalt blue glass and just happened to find this pitcher. There were other pieces but this one I especially liked. I think it was $3.00. The tatted hanky came from another booth and it was $1.00. I don't have a lot of cobalt blue but I have enough to use as a decorative collection. I just need to put it all together and find a way to display it! hmmm....it's time to paint my kitchen....

This adorable wooden penquin was a purchase a week or so ago from Trinity Mission. I had him sitting on top of a bookcase and forgot to put him here but I was photographing the stuff I bought a few days ago from Goodwill and remembered him. I love penguins and have a glass paperweight in the shape of a penguin from another thrift store hunt several years ago.

When you open him (or her) up, there is another one! But only one. Perhaps there were more originally but I don't think any bigger ones since the label is at the bottom of the bigger one here. I thought the front was chipped but it was a piece of paper that I easily scraped off before taking the photo shown before this. Only $1.00!!!

I got these jewels the same day in a baggie for 75¢. I probably need to start doing something with all this costume jewelry but I'm afraid the ideas will have to continue to incubate. I really don't have a lot of spare time to devote to it until after my son's wedding....and then it's the holidays...but after that...maybe. LOL!



This is one of my favorite buys and I think I have something similar stashed away somewhere. I will take out the paper about the special babysitter and replace it with some textured paper or fabric and some tatting. If I don't give the box away, I will store some special tatting shuttles in it.

See? Plenty of room for some shuttles or it could be a jewelry box or hold change or buttons or whatever. It has an excellent finish on it.






I got this cute little take-out purse for only 49¢. The fabric is a brocade and the frog fastener holds it closed. I had a lot of trouble getting the frog closed so it wouldn't be too practical for real use, but it makes a unique container for odds and ends.

Another 49¢ purchase! There were 3 ivy edged bowls and every single one of them had a tiny chip like this one but I loved it so much I bought one anyway. I will probably put buttons or beads or something like that in it. Underneath it says, "Superior Hall Quality Dinnerware - tested & approved by Mary Dunbar, Jewel Homemakers Institue - Cameo Rose"

This was only 49¢ too. It's a pink/peach colored glass globe. I think it's newer than the antique glass of this color but I liked it anyway. I suppose you could put a candle in it...or maybe a small rose with water.

I also got some clothing but I don't think it's exciting enough to put here. Maybe another time.

I decided to make a quick stop in at Goodwill today after I left the post office. I was actually looking for another swimsuit to use in my water aerobics but none to be had except one that I'm sure is wa-a-a-a-y too big. I never look at the belts. I've never ever in my life had a small waist even when I was small otherwise. It's just not in my genetic makeup, but I happened to be right in front of them and lots of people were around so I couldn't move easily so I let some sparkle catch my eye. Do you know that belts are only 99¢ each at Goodwill? And I hit the jackpot!

I found THREE of them that had beads well worth the purchase price. That's what I told myself to justify buying something that I can probably never wear, but they are in excellent condition, every one of them! I love these big jewels! I'm thinking surely they go with someone's belly-dancing costume.

I just love the stones on this one but it is actually something I could wear too. I tried all of them on when I got home and I could wear this one and the jeweled one. Of course, all these workouts I'm doing have got to pay off sooner or later, don't they? LOL! I suspect I could find another use for this too without taking it apart.

This one is too small and probably always will be too small for me. I even tried to make it a necklace, but it just bunches up all wrong. This one also reminds me of something you would wear with a belly dancing costume.

I love this tin box. I think it is long enough to hold my bookmarks. It has some kind of Oriental characters on the sides. It's in excellent condition - no rust or worn spots or scratches. Only 49¢!!!

I also got 4 tops and a reindeer candle holder but I'll spare you those images this time. LOL! I'm a happy happy thrifter today!

I passed a garage sale on my way to tat guild so I just had to stop on my way back! Didn't take me long to spot this box of goodies for $5.00. Lots of acrylic paint and spools of ribbon plus lots of other stuff, but the paint and ribbon is what got me. If I'd had cash, I would've offered less but since I had to ask if I could write a check, I felt ucomfortable asking to write a check for even less. LOL! No matter, I'm quite pleased with my booty!

I really need to keep this up better! This is a chest of drawers I found at a garage sale for $2. It has some surface blemishes on it but I'll be painting it anyway and can repair at that time. My sister asked me what I would do with it...I think I'll store my vintage linens in it. At any rate, it will go in my craft room.

I got this copper candle lantern at Goodwill. I thought the sticker said $.99 but it was $1.99. I tend to keep my eyes open for stuff I can hang things on, primarily my lace for display, but I also love hanging candle holders. Almost everything I have is wrought iron, which I also love, but I have a small collection of copper pieces if I ever decide to put them all together in a display.

I got this at the Trinity Mission outlet for $.75. It's big - about 6" high and 3" across. My first thought was to put flowers in the shaker holes, but we'll see. I was thinking fresh flowers but I could put tatted flowers in it OR, I could use it as it is designed to be used - as a shaker. Of some kind of foodstuff...or maybe bath salts? Or potpourri. I think it will be many things in its lifetime with me.

I got this small vase holder at Goodwill too. The flowers are part of a bouquet my son & his fiance got me for Mother's Day. I may take it to work. I like something I can just put a blossom or two in. We have so much around campus and I am sometimes tempted to pluck something. ....shhhhhhh.....

This came from Goodwill too. It's nice notepaper for a short note and I also look for things easy to embellish with my tatting. The box will come in handy later for something, I'm sure.

There's so much I've gotten and forgotten about. I happened to walk by this in my kitchen...I think it is a candleholder. I got it at a garage sale too. My intended use for it is to make it into a pincushion with tatted ladybugs.

Now...just to make time to follow through with all those plans!

Wow....I kept thinking I needed to post here but couldn't seem to get to it. I'm sure I don't have everything but I've got the good stuff here. This is a wooden teapot shaped box. I collect tea-for-one's and tea accessories.

I think this will hold teabags or infusers or sweetener or teabag caddies or whatever I want! I can always paint it too. It was cheap. Either 50¢ or $1.

I love this wine caddy...only $1.99 at Goodwill. If you'll remember my last entry, that one holds 2 bottles and this one holds 5....way more than I normally have anyway.

Just another view. I need to clean my countertop off but this will be perfect for that spot.

This is a vase I got for maybe a quarter. Just big enough for only one or two blossoms. I love it though.

When I got this box, the cashier said, oh, this must be part of that bigger set where the lady was looking for a missing one. Must be...but it's mine now. Only 50¢ again. I currently have some crocheted thimble holders in it that I used for demo in a class.

I think I got this retractable tape measure for 10¢. It had a glued on applique which I took off. The plan is to personalize the empty spot now and put it with my needlework tools. I often need to measure a motif for one reason or another.

I couldn't pass up this pink glitter purse for 50¢ at Walmart. I have a plan for it as a gift. I have a friend who loves pink and this just screamed out her name! I'll probably take the silver chain things off. I can't figure out what those dangles are on it anyway.

I've had a project in mind for one of my lace groups, a challenge. I've seen this done in another medium - crazy quilting, I think, and got the idea from that. I want them to find a 2nd hand bargain pic like this and embellish it with their lace. This might be too big...haven't decided yet.

I have no idea what this is but it looked like it would hold suncatchers and crystals....or pierced earrings, very nicely.

It was 99¢ at Goodwill.

Now, I'll have to spend at least as much time finding stuff to get rid of this weekend.