Thank you for all the paint suggestions. We are getting very close to making a decision (we’ve made one, but I don’t want to jinx it!) and will probably be swathing the backside of our house in color very soon. Never fear, I’ll post pictures of our test runs. Because, it’s my life and I blog it!

Speaking of thanks, I owe a few mentions of gratitude. Some of you have been very supportive readers and have actually been my first Thrifty Goodness customers. While I’m not selling anything typically wrapped in brown paper to protect anonymity, I’m loath to post links to my customers. You know who you are, and I’d just like to say “Thank you!!”

But some of you have taken my little venture to heart and have actually mentioned it:

• The Cozy Apartment
• A Mark on My Wall

or linked it:

• Liquid Sky Arts
• Domestic Rebus
• The HG Spot
• Banana Cake Creations

Or ran an ad for it on your blog:

• Beancounters
• The HG Spot

And I’m not so bashful about linking you—since you started it! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It means a lot to begin something new and have such amazing support. So, whether you purchased or promoted or just supported: a big fat “Thanks” to your lovely selves. I’d kiss you, but that would muss my screen!

Speaking of Thrifty Goodness, I’ve been busy. It’s always been my intention to carry unique Vintage inspired goods along with all the fun thrifted finds. To this end, there is a plethora (ok, two at the moment, but I’m workin’, I’m workin’) of one-of-a-kind pillows just about to be stocked. Made from vintage materials and notions, I’m having so much fun creating these little wonders. The one above is fashioned from a vintage Japanese tea cloth and vintage red buttons. It has a sister pillow that I adore even more! Anyhow, these lovelies and more will be in the next store update. Which is to say, SOON!

Many, many thanks to you, dear readers. Or as my pillows might say, どうもありがとう or Domo Arigato!

(ps, if I’ve missed your linky love, let me know!! Wordpress doesn’t always catch new links in a timely manner!)

Today is the best part of Thrifty Goodness: Shopping day. As I laboriously entered in data all last weekend (and again this weekend!) and went a little bug eyed in the process, I couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that what I adore is Thursday. It really is the best part of the whole deal! I spend several hours digging for treasure and chatting with the store owners. I’m on first name basis with several of them; we trade thrifty stories as I dig through bins or across the counter as they ring up my sale. Most of them work so hard to keep their spaces organized and clean—which makes my life easier. There are certain owners I know will give me a deal just because they like me… and there’s nothing better than leaving with an armful of goodies I know other people will adore. Or I hope! I have my favorites; take Sherry, who reminds me to spell her name with a y, “Like the cordial. Just as sweet.” And she is.

But not all days bring in a haul. It is inevitable that you will walk into a store and find nothing. It happens. Worse still, is when you walk into all your haunts and come up empty! Some days, you have to be satisfied with the little personal contact you get with terribly nice people. On those days, like today, I remind myself that there is more to life than just passing through, more treasure to find than the tangible goods I buy. More to give than to take, more waiting for me if I stop and pay attention.
(more…)

The store is open. Finally. For those clever, clever people who figured this out early and already purchased… THANK YOU!! You people rock.

WIP is a misleading phrase in these parts: as I can see no work in progress. Lately, I find I’m terribly indecisive about moving forward. My stash of thrifted materials is quickly stacking up and yet I can’t bring myself to dive in. This feels a little like writer’s block. And I know writer’s block as my relationship with that condition is on the cozy side!

I’m not sure what it is, because I’m chock full of ideas. My list of projects to start rivals the pile of fabric in my workspace. But, I just. can’t. do. it. Instead, I stare at my burgeoning collection and muse: this would make a good purse, that would make a lovely skirt, think I’ll make another cup of tea. I like my options open and it is becoming increasingly clear that my indecisive nature is borderline pathological.

In order to fight my lack of direction, I’ve determined that this darling sheet is going to become something else tomorrow. That’s a decision, right? What’s it going to become, you ask? Um… I’ll let you know just as soon as I figure that part out. As tenuous as this might be, we’re going to call this little movement progress and then keep working on it. M’kay?

Lack of sunlight and vision issues have conspired to keep me from photographing much for Thrifty Goodness. However, a modicum of the necessary light appeared this afternoon and I worked fast. Click. Click. Click. Not perfect, but I’m hoping you get the idea.

I should be opening very, very soon. My IT guy has been under a great deal of pressure at his paying job and hasn’t had the opportunity to address my issues. I keep telling him to address my “issues” he might need to be a licensed therapist, but he assures me that I’m on the top of his priority list. However, I suspect he might need a different form of motivation because hovering over his shoulder saying “Snap! Snap!” isn’t getting me anywhere. I see baked goods in his future.

In the meantime, there are at least new photos to look at over on the Thrifty Goodness Preview Page.

No, not exactly a granny square. It turns out, that when it comes to crochet manuals, I’m a functional illiterate. I recognize the words, but. . . I really need pictures to understand. Looking at my results it’s clear that I’m missing something. Never fear, I’ve not given up the pursuit! I just need to find a visual reference to help my brain along.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy feeling stupid. Once it became clear on Sunday afternoon that I wasn’t about to make meaning from a string of numbers and letters, I opted to find something I could do. Why spend the better part of the afternoon looking for an idiots visual guide to crocheting when I’d already spent so much time staring at a book?

It also became clear looking at my pajama bottoms that I was in need of something else. Um, when the kid points out the “hole” in your backside and you say, “Oh, I know” only to find out that you had NO clue that the entire backside of your pants were, um, gone. . . yeah, time for new PJ bottoms!

As you can imagine from the crocheting debacle, I’m not a big fan of patterns or instructions. I’d rather launch in and find my way. One vintage sheet, one scrap of vintage velvet ribbon, and two hours later: new pj bottoms. I based this pair on its seat-less predecessor. The only thing new in them is the thread as I even recycled the elastic (maybe not such a grand idea in retrospect).

I slept in them last night and woke up to that ever so smug feeling of: why, you clever, clever girl! You know that feeling, right? When you do something entirely of your own and you didn’t spend a real dime to do it. Nothing like a little ego pick-up after being undone by a crochet manual! What, you don’t get that feeling??

For the moment, I’m enjoying feeing entirely superior and smug toward my nemesis the granny square. Wonder how long that will last?

That would be  Anna Belle, Flora Belle, and Lulu Belle.  Available soon!

Some of you are so impatient! I mean, sure, I promised Thrifty Goodness would be open by the end of February. And, sure, it’s now the first of March. I think it’s been established that I’m prone to exaggeration.

Rest assured, Dear Readers (Heather!) I’m working on it. I spent the greater part of this morning photographing my inventory. Ok, that sounds a wee bit pretentious. Ahem, let me try again. I spent the greater part of this morning snapping photos of my thrifting stash. Ah, better! And let me tell you, talk about hard work photographing in the Oregon gray we like to call sunlight. Hopefully, most of the photos aren’t too washed out! I wish everything photographed as well as Marcia up there… she is just so photogenic, it hurts. Marcia is a supermodel in the thrifting world: we all wish we were Marcia, the trivet.

So, the first installment for the store is now uploaded to iphoto and I intend to write out descriptions of everything this weekend. I’m not sure exactly when the store will open, but it’s looking like it will be in the next week or so. My intention is to open on my own site (www.thriftygoodness.com) and eventually build a companion store on etsy. Or, that’s the plan today! Specifics for the store change as quickly as our weather out here on the coast. One moment it’s sunlight the next it’s hail. I’m learning to go with the flow.

As for wares: Thrifty Goodness will mostly stock vintage items and vintage inspired pieces handcrafted from thrifted fabric, with a dash of “you can’t miss this!” newer pieces thrown in for spice. It’s been such an adventure collecting items for my tiny store and I can’t wait to share it all with you. So, keep your eyes on the right hand corner of this blog, darlings.

I promise… soon!

It’s such a gray and wet day out there. The lighting is almost impossible for photos… but I thought you’d like to see my newest infestation craft… Mice! The mouse in the middle is a vintage potholder I’ve had since IZ and I were newly married. (the mice on either side are new offspring!) I think this little thing belonged to IZ’s grandmother— but whatever its origin, it was worse for the wear when we got her so we didn’t feel badly about using her. Now, I wish I’d left her alone and just treasured her because she really is sweet. I adore that vintage blue—so hard to find today!

As you can see, her offspring are a wee bit more robust in size. In part, because the original fits my abnormally small hand perfectly, but not IZ’s. So, to prevent the potential for finger burning, I made them a slight bit larger.

These sweet things were part of my dreamy plans for Valentine’s Day. Sadly, that didn’t happen. However, I did manage to get this one finished for my swap partner in Maine. (The swap is being hosted by the lovely Monica.) This mouse is made from vintage ticking I thrifted and 80’s chintz I inherited from my Mom’s stash. Because I was a little nervous that she might not be loved by her new owner (I mean, she is a mouse, some people have anxiety over all things “varmint”.) I included a thrifted vintage piece (knitted) as well. Here’s hoping my partner likes old things that scurry into pantries.

I wasn’t kidding about the lighting…it’s just so dreary out there. See all the shadows?? It’s hard to believe that it will be 60 degrees here on Saturday. And when the sun does make an appearance, this sweet creature is headed two doors down to live with my neighbor Monica. I hope she doesn’t mind a little infestation of her own!

Psst: also spinning in the rumor mill is the potential of a new sewing machine next week. If so, I’ll be adding some mice to my inventory over in Thrifty Goodness…when it opens, of course!

I’d like to think I can plan posts in advance, but it’s pointless to try. Usually, if I say I’m going to write on a certain subject matter the next day, you can rest assured that it won’t happen. I wish I could write posts for the next day in advance and the post them later. There are bloggers who do it, and I have to admit that it would cut down a lot of time if I wrote a week’s worth of posts and then date stamped them to publish each day. But, I just can’t bring myself to do it.

So, I end up making a promise to post on a subject soon and the appointed day comes to write on the subject I promised and I find my Muse has once again left me to get sloshed somewhere with a B list celebrity. At present, I have at least three outstanding post promises that I’ve not fulfilled. When I will get to them is anyone’s guess since my Muse has a bad habit of binge drinking for weeks. She also steals cash and claims the fabulous exploits of other stars in hopes of impressing you. Incorrigible!

What’s a girl to do on a Thursday when her Muse is MIA and she’s in a lurch for a post? She posts her Thrift finds, that’s what she does! Her readers are witty and savvy and extremely intelligent. But, pssst… they are also easily distracted by pretty pictures.

Yesterday’s debacle left me with a migraine I’m still trying to abate. It comes and goes. There didn’t seem to be any solution but to go thrifting (see, I need so little of an excuse.) I found these vintage napkins (6!) at a thrift store but didn’t buy them. I don’t know about you, but I have this sliding scale for what I will pay for things depending on where I buy them. Garage sale finds should be cheaper than Thrift store finds. Thrift store finds should be cheaper than Vintage store finds… you see the progression? So, yesterday I balked at paying vintage store prices for the napkins. But, after thinking about it I rushed back to the store this morning and scooped them up. Because, in the long run they were just too yummy to not have. I think they are handmade as they’ve never been used but are missing any sort of tags.

I couldn’t resist these lost souls. (Oh what I would do to have a matching set of the blue earring!) Despite missing their mates, these were just too beautiful to not take home. I figure there is something clever I can do with them! Any suggestions?

Speaking of suggestions. I found this little box made out of veneer. I’m not sure if it’s homemade or just home repaired, but it needs some TLC. I can’t decide what I want to do with it yet, so I’d love some suggestions. It needs to be covered somehow. What do you think? Paper? Fabric? Paint?

Regular programming will be back soon… I promise (cough). Just as soon as my Muse drags her sorry self home from whatever party she is at this time and sobers up a bit.

God, I hope she remembered to wear panties this time!