Welcome 2013!!

Happy New Year!!!  

   That is all : )

Christmas shopping

 I LOVE this little guy!!  Unfortunately no one else likes him : (  The mister and my son's think he's creepy!!   I used to play with trolls when I was little so I just think he's the cutest.  I got him for 1.50 and I'm pretty sure he was brand new, never used.  What do you think?

There is is great vintage shop near me, called Swellegant, it is a bit pricey but fun to browse around in.   When I drove by and saw these Christmas sweaters I had to get out and get some pictures.  The pictures aren't the greatest because of the reflection but you can see them.  

I know some might think these fall into the ugly Christmas sweater category but I love these woven cardigans, I think they are so cute!!!!   I would wear one with black skinny jeans and boots, cute, no?

 These actually run about 60 bucks so they are not inexpensive here.   I will be on the lookout for one at the thrifts. : )   So far I've found plenty of ugly Christmas sweat shirts but that's not what I want.

 I think this one is my favorite!!

Okay, here is another question......if you're here reading then I already know you probably love to thrift shop/yard sale/estate sale.   But what about for Christmas gifts??   Well, this year I did a combination of both.  I've been looking around for months and when I found something I thought someone would like that was brand new, with or without tags I would get it.   So with those items and some new store bought things, I did pretty well with all my shopping and didn't spend a ton.  I got some nice things too!   Like the dress for my little niece, it is just adorable, kind of a mod 70's style dress from baby Gap for 1.00 on half price day.  It is BRAND new.   I have a lot of little girl nieces (4) and only one nephew.  That day they had a ton of brand new toddler clothes so I really lucked out.   I don't have pictures of anything because I just didn't have time, I had to wrap and be done with it, we are having our family get together this evening.   About 4 years ago the whole family decided for fun that the only gifts we could give had to either be handmade or thrifted.   That was a lot of fun, trying to find the perfect give for everyone and a challenge.  What about you and thrifted gifts?  Do you give them?  Do you mind getting them??

My Black Friday Thrifting

  Well I don't usually go out and do Black Friday shopping.  My good friend loves to go and so does my sister.  They get out there early and get their Christmas shopping started and pickup good deals for themselves.   I did go on the internet and get a little shopping started for my bigger boys.  But of course I had to go out and thrift a little.   One of my favorite Salvation Armies was having a Black Friday sale and  all the clothes were 50% off.   At another all the bric-a-brac was 50% off and at the Lutheran high thrift store all the Christmas items were 50% off.  I wound of spending a total of about 45.00 dollars and had bags of stuff!  Here a a few of my finds:

          A beautiful like new short sleeved sequined sweater from New York and Co. for 4.00 2.00!

                                 And a brand new pair of Gap 1969 skinny jeans for 7.00, 3.50 !

               A brand new with tags still on Merona light pink cardigan for 3.00.  I love lightweight                            cardigans,  I'll get a lot of use out of this.

                           A really cute brown skirt  with this cute ruffly stitch detailing,  4.00, 2.00!

     And this really cute hoody jacket by Hard Tail.  I looked this brand up and found out it retails at Nordstrom for about 90.00 for a hoody.  5.49  2.75

I found this Star Wars mug, it's a really nice one, nice and heavy and looks brand new, unused.  Good gift for my nephew who is a Star Wars fanatic.   1.00

This  cute stocking will be a cute gift for my sisters dog, Monty who is an English Bulldog.  It's brand new with the tag still on and had a price tag of 14.99.  I got it for 3.00, 1.50.  So cute!

This is not a great picture but this is a really nice plaid table cloth with gold threads running through it for 4.00, 2.00!  

                   I got this cute little muslin bag with a cute candle in it for 1.00, .50cents

                           

                                These cute snowman ornaments still in the box for 3.00, 1.50

   

 And this pretty tealight holder from Costco for 3.00, 1.50 still the box and wrapped in plastic.

             This adorable Santa plush toy with a blanket with the tags still on it for  6.00, 3.00, this will          make a perfect gift to send in the mail to a little girl I know.

I found these great glasses that are just the right size for a little Christmas Baileys or eggnog and brandy.    They are nice, heavy glass I really like them.   they were 2.99, I got them 1.50.

There is two more things I just thought of that I forgot to take pictures of.  A cute, rustic, snowman candle holder I found for .50 cents and two pair of Rainbow thongs for 2.00 a piece which retail for 40.00 a pair and are a very popular brand out here in the OC, my son was really jealous that they didn't fit him, but they both fit me perfectly!  I got a blue pair and a red pair, never been worn.

That's it for my thrifty finds from my last trip out.  I am on the lookout for a long sleeved black shirt and a Levi jacket and a few other things I'm sure I'll find eventually.  That a big part of the fun is finding something you've been looking and waiting for!  What did you find this week?

Thanksgiving week and new thrifting finds!

Well I think I last posted about going to several sales and a big rummage sale I was really looking forward to.  I expected to find a lot of things at the rummage sale.   Not so much.  I actually didn't find anything there I wanted, it was pretty picked over by the time we got there.  But my thrifting buddy Terri and I did hit a few yard sales and estate sales and I found several items I am very happy with.   First off, this pumpkin welcome mat.  It's brand new and I paid 1.00 dollar for it.  I put it out right away and it is the perfect Thanksgiving mat.  I've paid up to 20.00 dollars for a similar quality mat so this was great!

I love, love, love Johnny Depp and have actually never seen Sleepy Hollow this was a good find for 2.00.

I found these great strainers, I've been wanting these and picked them up for .50 cents apiece.  The nicest boys were running the estate sale of their late grandma and were so talkative and friendly we hung out and chatted with them.  The boy (young man of about 25 actually)  loved his grandma a lot, you could tell.  So sweet.

At a yard sale we just happened to drive by, not on our list, I found this cute T by Free People for 3.00. Free People can be rather pricey at 40.00 dollars for a similar top.

I picked this cute polka dotted skirt by Rampage  for 1.00 at the estate sale for about 1.00.  It's hard to tell in the picture put it is a brown background with pink, green and blue dots.   Like new.

Then at a moving sale I picked up these adorable collector plates still in the original boxes still wrapped in plastic with the papers still with them for .50 cents each.   I LOVED Shirley Temple movies as a child, I have several young nieces I think might enjoy these along with a Shirley Temple DVD if I can find one.

At the same moving sale I found this cute horse pattern.   We have 3 babies on the way in our family and I would love to make them all a little horse.  We'll see, but for .25 cents and the patterns never been used.

I picked up this cool shedding blade for my dog.   This one is for horses and dogs and has a leather handle.  .25 cents.

I got all these books shown and one VHS movie for 3.00 dollars!

                                 A brand new pair of Banana Republic wool pants for......1.00!

                  This cute piece of costume jewelry will look great with a plain sweater, .50 cents!!

Two cassette tapes of Andy Griffith singing Gospel hymns.  I actually will listen to them, my great grandmother used to sing hymns around the house and they remind me of her and what's not to love about Andy?   .25 cents

The New Testament on 45 records.  I just thought this was so cool and obviously really old.  I have a system that has a record player, cassette player and DVD player so I am all set.

The cover is a little beat up and peely but it's from 1953.  And it's the King James Version of the Bible which I prefer, it's a little harder to understand but the language is so beautiful and it is what I grew up on, not all the new versions.  

So these are my latest finds, I hope you enjoy looking and I hope to get back out this weekend after Thanksgiving!   That evening I try to get my Christmas lights up and I've already got my boxes and boxes of decoration down from the attic and ready to go.   I don't think I'll put my tree up until the 1st of December though, I always get a real tree.    Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Dodged a Bullet!

Okay not really, but this adorable little dog was outside a grocery store with a brother and a sister and their owners were trying to sell them for 75.00.  I NEVER should have held one, that's all it takes.  It was adorable and fuzzy and sweet, he layed his head on my shoulder.  It's a good thing we were going somewhere and the Mr. talked me down.   We already have two dogs and two cats.  We definitely do not need another, this little guy would have been an enormous dog to boot!  I just wanted to share this cute picture.  My son and I even named him!  Hagrid.   His name will forever be Hagrid.  Maybe some day I will have a German Shepard and name him that. : )  For now I do have a beautiful, sweet chow/border collie mix who loves me and a little miniature pinscher who does too.   The kitties are very sweet and very demanding too.

To get back to the topic of my blog, thrifting!  Tomorrow is a great day for thrifting!  It looks like the weather is going to be good, we got a little rain yesterday and today but they say it will be clear tomorrow.  I have a list made up of 2 Estate Sales and 6 garage sales and then there is always the random signs.   But I think the Boys and Girls Club rummage sale will be the best, looking forward to that!  If you are in the OC area, the Boys and Girls Club of Costa Mesa on Hamilton is where the sale will be!   

Goodwill Marketplace

I have been reading about centers where all the thrift store items go when they don't sell.  I was excited to go and check it out and my son and I went on Tuesday morning.  I have to say I didn't like it.  Too crowded everywhere.  First off the parking lot was like an ant hill, I was really afraid of door dings.  We parked a few parking lots over and walked, still optimistic.   Bins full of clothes that people had purchased auction style were all over the outside of the building and all over the parking lot too.  We made it inside to the buy-by-the-pound area and it was a room full of troughs full of clothes and shoes.   Just messy piles going this way and that.   I didn't like it.    I was disappointed, I had thought it would be fun and I couldn't wait to get out of there.   I like the shopping aspect of the thrift stores and yard sales and this didn't feel like that so much.  No offense for those who like it but it just wasn't my cup of tea.  And at 2.49 a pound I can actually get better deals on 1.00 days at the Salvation Army and at yard sales.   Take a look at some of my recent finds.  

This Coach tattersall scarf I found for 3.99.   It's wool and cashmere and is so pretty.  An authentic similar  wool/cashmere Coach scarf retails for 178.00.   I don't know if it is authentic but it is pretty anyway and is so soft and comfy.  I did check out a website on authenticating Coach and it matches up pretty well.

I picked up this cute 3/4 sleeve jacket with pretty covered buttons and stand up collar from Coldwater Creek for 1.00.   I don't think it's ever been worn.

I recently found this messenger bag purse at a yard sale for 1.00.  It has an old world map on it.  Very cute!

At the Salvation Army I picked up this really cute studded suede belt by Calvin Klein for 3.99!

At Goodwill I found this brand new BORN sandals for 5.99.  I love BORN shoes and boots they are so comfortable.  Here in SoCal close to the beach you can pretty much wear sandals year round if you want to and nobody looks at you funny : )   A similar sandal retails on the BORN website for 70.00.

I'm keeping my eye out for a jean jacket, a velvet jacket in a jewel tone and Motherhood Maternity clothes!!  Both of my nieces are pregnant and I have already found them both several pieces.  You wear them such a short time and some of them are really cute nowadays.     What are you on the look out for???

Our Community Garage Sale and the 99 cent store

Last weekend there was a community garage sale and a lot of homes participated.   I love to go to garage sales but having them is another thing altogether (I don't like to) so I was perfectly happy to go around and shop.  My good friend went with me and we both came back with some treasures.  First of all, I have been needing a new phone.  I bought two new phones at Target a while back and have basically been having problems with both of them, they didn't last too long.  I like just a regular old phone, not the electronic, digital types that are all over now.    I found this dark green phone and picked it up for 2.00.  Cleaned it up and it works perfect and is just what I wanted.   It even matches with the new color I put on my walls, kind of a teal color.  I try to use my home phone when I am home instead of a cell, I try not to have the cell phone up to my head all day as I worry about what is shooting out of it into my head.  I am still looking for the old fashioned rotary desk phones.  I have seen them on ebay but they are kind of pricey, I just know I will eventually thrift one or find one at an estate sale.  I can wait : )

I found a brand new with the tags still on it, Starbucks Bodum coffee press!  I had a coffee press a while back and the decanter glass got broken.  I was looking at this exact one at Starbucks but it was 39.95 and I just wasn't willing to pay that much.   I usually buy my coffee made to go at Starbucks but it is nice to have something at home too.   Got this for 5.00.

  

I picked up all of this pretty jewelry for 3.00.   For the whole lot!   The chunky chain necklace had a boutique price tag on it for 29.00 and I paid .50 cents for it.   These statement necklaces are so popular right now, it is a good way to try a new trend and not spending a lot of money.

I really liked this cool looking bangle bracelets too, studded bracelets aren't just for punk rockers anymore and these have a much more grown up look in the pretty gold tone.  .50 each!

A really pretty turquoise bead bracelet, .50 cents.        I love the rhinestone owl, it reminds me of necklaces my mom wore in the 60's!  I think it will look great to dress up plain sweaters or turtle necks.

                                    This native inspired stretchy cuff bracelet, .50cents!  Who knew our native style and southwestern patterns would become so trendy?  I've seen some really nice dresses in southwestern fabric that I need to have : )

Then for a stop on over to the 1.00 bins at Target, such a fun place to browse.  I got rat sillouettes to run across the bottom of my front door, some really pretty, glittery halloween stickers for envelopes and four really cute handmade looking Halloween cards.  Also picked up some orange hair pieces for Halloween night for 1.00 too,  have some already but needed a few more.  The ones I have a paid 8.00 a piece for at the beauty supply.  1.00 sound a lot better so we'll see if they are any good.  I do a kind of queen of halloween type of made up halloween costume and but orange pieces in my dark hair and it looks pretty cool : )

At the .99 cent store I picked up Halloween costumes for my doggies, much to their dismay, look at their faces!  The orange one I kind of made of from little girl costume stuff, I tutu in orange, fairy wings and the pumpkin headband for a total of 3.00.   The little witch costume on my min pin Spike was a packaged costume with a cape and a hat.  I think they look really cute.  My Mister wasn't too pleased to see the boy dogs dressed up but I think they look cute and it's only once a year!

Last is our scarecrow/pumpkin head family we put out in the yard.  The pumpkin heads and the strobelights inside the heads are from the .99 cent store and we used old clothes we had around the house.   Usually I buy a haybale from the local feed store to stuff all the bodies but they have closed down unfortunately and so since we were trimming the trees and bushes in our yard anyway, we used the trimmings to stuff the bodies and it worked out really well.   I'd say that was pretty thrifty, saved 15.00 on the hay bale and a lot less hay splinters!