A LA CARTE: Friends

Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts

Friday, March 10, 2017

Thrifting & Other Things

I once again have been missing from my blog. Last week Scout was sick and I spent two days taking care of her. Thank goodness I did not get sick again but it wore me out! Friday was a day of rest and reading. This week I've had 3 days in a row of Dr/Dentist visits for my Mom. She is doing well but we needed to catch up on some appointments and they came all in one week!

I did manage to slip into a thrift shop or two (or three) and while I didn't buy much I do love my thrifty finds.

This tiny little nativity was .25 and I love it! Already stored with the Christmas decorations.

I think this little shelf is going to see a makeover and the hold more of my orphan S&P collection and only .50

The next three items were only. 25 each!

I haven't bought an egg cup in a long time but this was so sweet and made in France!

This crazy cat mug will go on my art desk to hold pens or brushes!

A very cool cork screw with a bakelite handle will be a gift for a friend who makes wine (good wine)!

A quick stop at Goodwill

I have been looking at these magnet boards but the price of $10 has stopped me, I'm cheap er thrifty I tell ya, so for .77 this one jumped in my cart!

Two strong pieces of foam board .77 will hold my watercolor paper down while I paint

This little ceramic dish was also .77 and is wonderful for mixing a batch of watercolor for a wash. My new watercolor hobby has dictated some of my recent finds!

A last stop at Habitat for Humanity

This lovely serving dish

Bordallo Pinherio and only $2.99

I have made a few purchases using coupons at Michael's and Hobby Lobby

It is really important to find my supplies as cheaply as I can.

A small watercolor pad for making cards and a paint pallette all bought using 40% off. I also bought a white ink gel pen.

All these goodies are for my newest passion! Watercolors!

I am still in the practice and learning phase and try everyday to at least paint a little bit.

(now is a good time to leave if you are tired of my new hobby...I totally understand)

Different techniques and using an ink pen for details on some of the paintings.

Learning to mix colors

Practice with different brush sizes

Textures (my least favorite exercise so far) and finally a little painting

Lupines from a tutorial

I have some new tutorial's I plan to watch this week and paint more flowers. I really do love them. I'm having quite the good time with all of this.

Alas, I did not return to Junk in the Trunk to see if the pink and black vase from last post was still there. It is out of my normal path so maybe soon. If it's there good, if not I seem to be ok with that also.

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Junkin' with Donna & The Pink Post

I had a junkin date with my friend Donna (Distressed Donna Down Home)

We had to reschedule it due to my unplanned surgery but we were able to set a new date. This time I drove to Augusta to meet her and see her booth!

We hit several thrift stores and antique malls during the day. Now I confess to trying to take photos with my phone several times but it just would not work! Too Hot?

Who knows, but we had a blast and as the day progressed most of my purchases had a common theme...PINK!

So here is the Pink Post!

This bowl was $1 and the decorated edge is raised and just so darn pretty!

This big stoneware crock is a lovely shade of PINK!

A sweet little Fire King berry bowl and an orphan shaker for my collection

This Hull pottery pitcher was so unusual and had so much PINK on it and was such a great price I had to have it.

A pretty PINK flower frog for my growing collection and I also found

this clear glass oval frog with large holes for candles. Great prices on both.

These PINK pottery bookend planters had to be my favorite purchase. A pretty low price and when I got to the checkout, 1/2 price!! Score.

Donna and I had lunch at The Boil Weevil Cafe in Augusta, GA. Such a cute little cafe and the sandwiches were excellent. BUT, the desserts are out of this world! I got to choose a piece of cake since we were celebrating my Birthday and it was a really hard choice. I finally went with the Coffee Toffee, layers of chocolate cake with a hint of coffee iced with coffee buttercream and dark chocolate genache! Our waiter added a drizzle of raspberry over the whipped cream. So this is probably the best cake I have EVER had! Huge piece which Donna and I shared and I still had some to take home. I would drive back there just for that cake!

Donna and I always exchange gifts!

I was able to pick out some things from her booth. This PINK chalk board that Donna made and this PINK quilt that I saw on her blog and requested she save for me! As always we had a great time! Donna blogged about our adventure here so you can check out her great finds!

Blogging Friends and Junkin Buddies

are the BEST!

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

The Kindness of Friends!

Life is crazy busy these days and I'm thankful for that. I'm coming out of my 'funk' and I must give some credit to a sweet group of ladies!

You have seem some of my 'adventures' with my crazy Atlanta blogging buddies. Well when Sue heard me having some 'sorry for myself' moments she immediately rallied the troops and set up a real 'Pitty Party' here in Athens, Ga.

Denise, Sandie and Sue

Rose and Cheri met me for lunch at

Big City Bread Cafe

The food was wonderful (my quiche) and the company perfection. Laughter and tears, both so healing. I am blessed to have these friends.

That's me saying 'Huh???'

They brought gifts! Cheri made all of us crochet washcloths and Rose gave us awesome hand cream!

Sue and Joyce (who was out of town) made up this basket of goodies and a movie for me, so I could have my own pity party whenever I needed it! Cute, thoughtful, funny...describes these ladies to a tee!

This gift brought a moment of tears but mostly smiles. My dear friend Denise was taking a sketching class when Charlie passed away and did this sketch from a photo on my blog. She gave me the sketch and a frame for it. I am so touched.

I will treasure this!

I of course had to give everyone something!

Tissues!

You can't have a Pity Party without tissues!

So much fun and laughter but we weren't done yet. We loaded into our vehicles and I took them on a tour of some of my favorite thrift shops. I think everyone but Sandie found something to buy!

Sue had to 'hop on' the Georgia Bulldog statue at the Goodwill. There is a history of this behavior!

This time the bulldog was hot hot hot from the sun and Sue got a hot crotch, which made us all laugh even more.

The day flew by and it was time for them to leave.

I was uplifted by their love, laughter and concern.

My life is filled with Joy!

Thank you my friends!

Linda

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Simplify #4 and More!!

After a really great start, the simplifying my home has taken a break. Losing Charlie has been really hard and I haven't felt like doing anything! A few sunny days have helped.

I mentioned that a blogging friend with a booth was interested in some of my things. I kept sending her photos and adding to her pile of stuff. I ended up with 4 boxes full!

This is the 'simplify' part of the post!

Donna of Distressed Donna Down Home lives in Aikens, SC a couple of hours from me. We arranged to meet last week in Madison, GA where she frequently goes to shop.

We met at the Goodwill and took a quick look around. We both bought a few little things.

Then we headed to a fun Vintage Mall!

A little photo with the zombie and we continued to

shop, shop, shop!

We then headed downtown to another couple of Vintage malls but first we had lunch at

Madison Produce Company.

They made wonderful sandwiches!

Donna and I both had the smoked turkey with cheese and avocado! I finished every bite!

Then more shopping!

We talked and talked. Shopped and shopped!

It is always so much fun to meet a blogging friend in person. We plan some more shopping trips in the future and I plan to visit Aiken, SC and Donna's booth!

So I had some money in my pocket from Donna and decided I did need aka WANT a 'few' things!

This little plaque is all I found at Goodwill. It will go on my gallery wall that is getting closer all the time. It was Sr Discount Day so it was $1.21!

I added to my collections.

These salt & pepper orphans are so pretty and at very low price, they both came home with me.

A great egg cup

and this cute Flamingo planter

(excuse the bad photo)

This little Limoges ladybug egg stole my heart!

This framed print was only $4 and will go in my bedroom.

At our last stop I found a 75% off booth and scored some really cute things!

This little celluloid box is just charming!

Labeled 'French Ivory' it had to come home with me to hold some jewelry treasures.

This adorable turquoise planter was also 75% off and I could not leave it!

My last and most expensive purchase was a McCoy pink bud vase.

So sweet!

Thank you Donna for helping me downsize some of my treasures. It is so good to know that they aren't going to the thrift shop where someone might not appreciate them, but will find new homes with other junkers like myself!

Of course as bloggers we exchange little gifts.

Donna gave me some adorable tags she made, some vintage postcards and my first frozen charlotte! I love it all!!

I gave her some old 1920's photos of my Grandmother who was a beauty queen in Ottumwa, Iowa. I had a few duplicate photos and I knew she would love them.

Donna shared a few items she found on a recent blog

But there is so much more for her to share!

I'll let you know when she posts again!

Meeting Linda in Madison
Friday Finds

So I did add to my collections, but I did downsize much more then I bought. I need to get back to downsizing. A lot of the things left are heading to the thrift shop. Wish me luck as I hope to get lots more donated by next Monday.

Wishing you JOY,

Linda

Sunday, August 16, 2015

This and That!

Update on the babysitting, it's going well!

The three days with both kids was hard but last week with just Rosemary went much smoother.

This week I'll have her 5 days and I'm ready!

She is 4 months old today!

I've also been the lucky lady to receive some sweet gifts in the mail, some late birthday gifts and I'm finally getting time to take photos and share!

My wonderfully talented friend Vicky who blogs at Life On Willie Mae Lane made this adorable banner and cute little hoop with fabric and I love it. I hung it on my bedroom mirror.