Hi! How's everyone? Let's talk about shopping---do you love to shop? Not for clothes or heaven forbid swim suits, but for fun and useful treasures for your home? Or---shoes? I do love to shop. But I've been on a frugal kick since Christmas, pinching those pennies til they scream. Best way to save money is, for me, to just stay home. [avoid the crowds with flu too!]. I don't even look at catalogs these days and I try hard to avoid the temptation of things like BBW's online ads- 3-wick candles for 12.oo FREE shipping!!! Oh my.
A girl can only be good for so long and then she snaps, right? My friend and I had a fun outing the other day, a trip to a favorite place, Home Goods. I did have a list, organizing items for my craft space, a coat rack, a laundry hamper, a bed for Mo. When we got there my friend texted me, ''Are we just looking or did you want something def?'' "Both!" I answered.
Oh my gosh look at all these cute spring things! Polka dots are big this spring, as is yellow. Polka dot plates, how cute is that!
And striped bowls....
Blue bunny dishes, ooooh.
I loved this rug for my living room. But resisted , because it might tempt Mo to ''christen'' it.
Then this bench, on sale as is, 59.99? Not exactly cheap. Disregard the ugly orange, I'd reupholster it or make a slipcover in white or blue and white. I need a small piece like this, extra seating, extra drinks table, etc. I waffled. Not really a bargain, though. And it didn't fit onto my cart.
I did get:
Mo's new Cuddle Cup bed. So snuggle-y! And dental cleaning treats.
New laundry basket. Isn't this beautiful. I do like utilitarian items to be pretty. Mo ate its predecessor.
Off-list, a large cobalt glass float.
Now I have two, is that a collection. I just let them roll around on my deck in the summer. Large cantaloupe sized.
Just one blue bunny plate.
Goodies for sewing room.
A tiny trash can for the ironing board, little sketch books, boxes for Dots Project [Quilty 365], a weathered wood board with clips for displaying sketches, works in progress, or tiny quilts.
And an important find, a terrific ''old'' turquoise coat hook rack or board for Mo's wardrobe.
So my entry doesn't look like this:
I thought these boxes were perfect for the Dots Project.
The large one will hold each month's finished batch of circles, the small one will hold the little diary, the circle template, the precut background squares and glue sick, some precut circles--a selection for busy days. The paper designs remind me of the script motif fabrics I'm using for my Dotty Quilt.
At home I'm also trying to make do/ use what I have. I'm having girlfriends over a few times in the coming week, so I wanted to have a tea cake on hand. I'm a sucker for supermarket specials like Four for a Dollar! and I had this banana bread mix in my fridge's pantry drawer.
I gussied it up with a container of what I thought was vanilla yogurt [no wonder it tasted odd when I licked the spoon], extra Splenda, I like things sweet, more vanilla and a handful of chocolate mini chips. Oh it smelled delightful.[
Full disclosure it smelled great right up until it smelled like scorching smoke. I wandered off to sew and forgot it. Oh too bad! I have a strawberry cake mix I'll use instead [yogurt, choc chips, almond extract, handful of frozen raspberries, in bundt pan.] Usually I slice my cakes and freeze them, just get out what I need when we have tea.
I also found an old box of matzo ball mix and a can of chicken broth, leftover noodles. I made matzo ball soup, adding some of the Trader Joe's leeks, lots of pepper, dill, parsley, lemon pepper. You make the little matzo balls and toss them in the boiling soup for 15 minutes. Add the noodles at then to heat them up. Deeeee-lish on a very cold and windy night.
So..do you like to shop for your home? For the family? How about buying clothes? And what do you do to save a few pennies when your wallet is a bit thin? (What's in your wallet? Nothing! LOL.). Pennies saved are pennies to spend on quilt fabric! Isn't that just The Best.
love
lizzy
gone to the beach.....
PS Trader Joe's is right next to Home Goods. How fortuitous. No ranunculas yet, but cut hyacinths never fail to charm me.. 5 stems for 4.99.
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I *LOVE* your new laundry basket! I tend to stay home and avoid temptation to save money, too - and I browse on Amazon and put things in the shopping cart to "save for later". I try to do little things, though, as being too frugal too long tends to equal a larger splurge later. Spring flower shopping is one of my downfalls as I want them all!!
ReplyDeleteI saw fabric today that looked like faded, overlapped newspaper clippings and thought about your quilt! Wondered if it was in your stash!
Hahaha, I do that too! Into the cart to save for later, then I don t buy. Fun of shopping w/out spending.
DeleteLove the fabric you saw. Did you get me a quarter yard? Not in my stash, maybe was one of the 5" squares I got. But only two of each design in the bundle. Long gone. [where were you?]
Nice finds! My heart fluttered when I saw the plate with the yellow polka-dots. None of my dishes 'match' I just pick up whatever speaks to me, usually from the stores like Home Goods, or thrift stores. That rug would be nice in your place. The stool is definitely a good idea, but I'm sure you could find one for much less than that at a thrift store.
ReplyDeleteAnd why are we so excited by that laundry basket? My gosh, it's the little things :)
So, you've figured out that I am thrifter, or discount store person, and I am not an avid shopper in general. I like to look, but I really have to be sure I am going to use or like whatever it is I'm buying.
By the way those floats seem like they are much bigger in the pics.
Thanks for sharing your kitchen activities too! Matzo Ball soup sounds perfect for your current weather.
Kel
Hi Kelley! I love your idea of using a mix of dinner plates, how fun! Right now I am working my way thru a stack of about 20 plain white [thrifted] plates, but I am keeping your idea in mind. I did so want a yellow dot plate.
ReplyDeleteI ve never seen a bench like this at the thrift shop, but maybe? I m not thrilled w buying used upholstered things, unless I plan to gut them and redo from the bones up.
The laundry basket is just so pretty! Another friend of mine got it in the tan and turquoise, just saw it at her house. For her collection of Mo's toys, is he spoiled or what!
The floats I showed are giant decorative floats, maybe 8" diameter? Some where between cantaloupe and soccer ball size. I put a couple pix above, with an authentic float, baseball sized, old.
Thanks for the extra pics! So pretty. You could start picking up salad/dessert plates that don't match and they would look great on your white dinner plates. Most of mine contain some blue or yellow so they work together. Mo spoiled? Lol!
DeleteI like your 'bunny' plate and the striped bowls -don't have yellow in the house - I have enough anyway. LOVE the laundry basket - mine holds the ironing I don't get too, like hubby's business shirts - now he's retired they seldom get worn.
ReplyDeleteI love your sense of taste/style ... duh. The bunny plate is almost too cute to use. My favorite plates are the ones that are hung on my walls! (Then again, Santa likes paper plates.)
ReplyDelete