Don’t let your fog machine come back to haunt you.

Hi y’all….hope you are having a good week.     Some of you may have had today off from work.     Not me though.     I had to work all day long.    So tomorrow when you are having your “Monday”, I will be so over it.   HA!

Not only did I have to work today, but I also had to work on Saturday so that really cut into my thrift shopping over the weekend.     Luck was with me though because a neighbor was having a moving sale so I had time to swing by on my way to work.

The sale was at a house that  has been on the market and vacant for a few months.    The mother of the owner was having the sale.     Being the friendly person that I am, I introduced myself and pointed out to her where I lived.    Big mistake.    In a disapproving voice she said “I know you.”   She then said “you were the one with the fog machine last Halloween” and proceeded to tell me I scared her little granddaughter with that thing.     Oops.

I was traumatized after that but managed to keep my composure and found this cute vase for 75 cents.    It is different shades of green with traces of a terra cotta color in it.    Goes perfectly with the colors in my house.

For now I have it on top of a china cabinet in my dining room but it probably won’t stay there.    Love the way it compliments my green olive jar.   Sorry for the crappy picture.    I don’t have enough light in the room and I think I was shaking when I took the pic.

Here is a full view of the cabinet.     My husband made this for me about 15 years ago.

I also bought a bag with several pieces of fall garland in it for $2.00.    This was one of the pieces in the bag.      There was another shopper at the sale who got her bag of garland for $1.00.     I guess she got a better deal because she hadn’t scared that lady’s granddaughter with a fog machine.

I set it on top of this metal cabinet to hide some of the junk.     The cabinet was a flea market find about 20 years ago and has been many different colors over the years.    It needs decluttering.   (Is that a word?)

This funky shaped garland was in the bag also.

I have it wrapped around the base of a couple of plants on my sun porch.

The final item in the bag was this vine with two glitter pumpkins on it.

I placed it on top of this bookshelf in my kitchen.    My husband made this bookshelf for me using recycled wood from an old desk that his father had built many years ago.    It is a great spot for my cookbooks.     The bookshelf does not have a back….that is white poster board back there.     One of these days I plan to cover the back with scrapbook paper or burlap or fabric like all you talented people out there do.

I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Marlee

I am linking to the lovely Linda’s Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm. 

Garage Sales Out the Wazoo

What a gorgeous weekend this has been!     Love these cool fall temps.

I will be linking this post to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and to Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I had not planned on going to any garage sales but fate intervened and I visited at least eight sales in my neighborhood.    They were everywhere.    I honestly can’t remember ever seeing that many sales on the same weekend and I have lived here 2o years. 

I got some good stuff at some good prices.      The highest I paid for anything was $2.00 and that was for this white mirror.

I liked the white but it was a little too stark so I put a faux translucent color (Mocha) glaze on it.     I bought the glaze a couple of years ago at Lowes and have used it on many projects including this table that I featured in a previous post.

 

That looks much better doesn’t it?    Not bad for $2.00.

This is a close up of the details.

It looks right at home in my foyer.

Moving along to some other thrifty purchases.     I have enjoyed looking at all the white milk glass collections out there and wanted some for my own.    Luck was with me.     I found several pieces this weekend.     I have no idea if they are vintage or not, but I love them and that is what really matters.

I think these are all candy dishes.     I paid a dime each for the two small ones and a dollar for the one with the lid.     They are in mint condition.

At another sale I found these four scalloped dishes for 50 cents each.     They were in perfect condition also.    I can just see them filled with Christmas candies or maybe small Christmas ornaments.

Love the diamond pattern.

Do you think I found enough candy dishes?     Moving on to something healthier and less fattening.     I bought this cute pear print for 50 cents.

Under the picture of the pear, it says la poire.     I googled that and found it is French for the pear.     I assumed it meant that, but just wanted to fact check it.    I am thinking about painting the wood frame black.

I found a copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil for one dollar.     I have read it before and found it very intriguing.    It’s a true story that took place in Savannah, Georgia.     Would love to have a replica of that statue on the cover.

I also purchased two cute Ann Taylor Loft shirts for $1.00 each.     They look like they have never been worn.    I tried taking a picture of them but couldn’t capture the cuteness of them.      At this same sale, I bought a couple of bracelets for 50 cents each.

One is goldtone and the other is hammered silver which I should have polished before taking this pic.

One last purchase for the day wasn’t at a garage sale but at the local farmers market.     I got four small white pumpkins for 50 cents each.

I put two of them in with this centerpiece on the table in my sun porch. 

The other two I placed on a shelf in my kitchen next to my garlic keeper.

So, for a grand total of $11.70 (if my math is correct) I got one mirror, seven candy dishes, one pear print, one book, two shirts, two bracelets, and four mini pumpkins.     Not bad for someone who wasn’t going to any garage sales.

Have a fabulous week!

Marlee

Finally Fall

I was so excited to see that The Nester was having a fall mantel party.  Julia at Hooked on Houses is having a fall decorating party also so I thought I would join in on all the fun.  I love to decorate for all the seasons, but especially fall.   My fall decorations go up on Labor Day weekend.     That may be early for some, but not for me.     I like to be surrounded by fall especially after the brutally hot summer we have experienced here in Mississippi.    We have finally cooled down and I am so happy.

As you can see, my mantel is all lit up.  

Candy corn lights and gold lights run through the garland and mesh fabric on the mantel.

This cute glittery pumpkin was purchased at Home Goods last year.  I added the bow.

Here is a picture of the hearth.    Sorry for the flash.    I didn’t have it on but my camera has a mind of its own and sometimes automatically turns it on.

The stained glass pumpkin was purchased at Cracker Barrel a couple of years ago at the after Thanksgiving clearance.

Moving on to my dining room.    I inherited the sideboard and mirror from my Aunt Lela and decorate it each season.     The sideboard is in bad condition.     It is not solid wood so I can’t strip it.    I am thinking of painting it.     I have seen several folks in blogland paint furniture black.     What do you think?     Should I paint it black?    Leave it alone?     Or do you have a better suggestion?     The walls are painted terra cotta.

Here’s a close up.    I wrapped a glittery copper ribbon around fall garland and ran candy corn lights through it.    I also placed my fall runner on the sideboard.

Here is another sideboard in my dining room.     I inherited this one from my mom.    It is covered with a gold mesh fabric lined with gold lights.      The small pumpkins standing up are tea light holders that I got at Kirklands a couple of years ago.    The glass pumpkin came from Kirklands also.

The dining table is decorated with 3 Valerie Parr Hill beaded pumpkins sitting on a Valerie Parr Hill three piece mirror set.    If you watch QVC, you probably know who Valerie is.     I bought the garland on clearance at Crate and Barrel a couple of years ago.

Thanks so much for stopping by.    I hope you have enjoyed the glimpses of my fall decor.

Marlee 

Hotty Toddy

Hi everyone…hope you had a fantastic weekend.    Mine was fabulous!    I spent the weekend in Oxford, MS….home of the University of Mississippi or as we affectionately refer to them….the Ole Miss Rebels.    Hotty Toddy is their signature school cheer.

Oxford is a quaint, small town that just oozes with charm.    The Square is a happening place full of great restaurants and shops.   If the Rebels are playing football, tailgating in the Grove is the place to be.     It literally becomes a tent city in the Grove on football weekends.     Some tents are decorated, some tents have live music, all tents have food and drink but the overall vibe is that of a good time!   And a good time we had.     Contributing to our good time was a victory over Fresno State.

Since the game didn’t start until 6:30 p.m. I started out my day by sitting on my sister in law’s balcony drinking my tea, reading magazines and watching people walk by.     At lunchtime we walked to the Square, had a wonderful lunch in one of the many locally owned restaurants, and then shopped.      I came home with a new pair of boots!  {big smile on my face}

Love how this shoe shop had their shoes displayed on old Readers Digest books.    See the shoes hanging from the tree?   How cute is that?     I didn’t take a picture but they also had shoes displayed on the tops of old suitcases.

After a couple of hours of shopping we headed to the Grove for tailgating.    Along the way we passed many beautiful homes.    Oxford has an abundance of them.

Love the architecture on this home.    I can just see myself sitting on those rocking chairs on the porch.   You can get a closer look by clicking on the picture.

Here is another beauty with a wrap around porch and beautiful knock out roses in full bloom.    This house was surrounded by a wrought iron fence.    Once again, I can sit myself sitting on this porch with a mint julep cup of hot tea in my hand.

I don’t know what this cute little building is but it has a tin roof and gorgeous stained glass windows.     It is on the same property as the house with the wrap around porch.

In Oxford you can catch a ride on one of these double decker buses.

Or in a Rock Star Taxi.

My wonderful weekend has ended and I am back home to reality which at the moment means washing several loads of clothes.    If you are ever traveling through North Mississippi, I highly recommend visiting Oxford.    I think you will be as captivated by its charm as I am.

Thanks for stopping by.   Have a great week!

Marlee