Thrifty Thursday : Golden Books

I have always loved Golden Books. Being a Seventies child and all ... from a family who was living paycheck to paycheck for quite some time ... these little 50 cent books (5 cents at yard sales) were what my brother and I grew up on. Now, I make part of my "living" by altering these sweet books into journals.

As you can see, I do a lot of thrifting for these little treasures:

I get them from my local Goodwill, church thrift shops, yard sales, Ebay, etc. Sometimes folks will send me their old Goldens so that I can put them to good use. And often times my parents will scout for them all over Penobscot County. So, I have a bounty of these childhood treasures ... and love almost every one of them.

My particular favorite while growing up was this one:

Do you grow up on Golden Books? Which were your favorites? And where do you find them now?

For a great anthology on the history and collection of Golden Books, I recommend Golden Legacy. Check it out.

Enjoy your day,

Love,

Jodi

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The Tree Revisited : And Other Holiday Decorations

I think I like the new tree even better.

I found this vintage advent calendar at Goodwill for .59 cents! It s from Sweden (I believe).

It is so darn cute and has movable parts. Isaac keeps lovingly staring at it while declaring, "So pretty, Mama. Mama made that. It so pretty. Good job, Mama." I am SO not going to tell him that I didn't make it :)

And here is my vintage paper find from last year ... a nativity scene. I love it! (Sorry for the bad photo).

Love,
Jodi

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New Recycled Threads Themes.

I have spent the day designing some new applique themes for beautifying recycled kids clothes. I love the idea of this singing bird ... and have worked on some variations of the theme. I am also drawing up some owls, dogs, cats and other sweet things. The above singing bird was appliqued to a short-sleeve, v-neck, t-shirt for Meaghan ... just because.

Anyway, I have all sorts of ideas floating around and just need the time to put them to paper and fabric. I welcome any other creative ideas!

Love,

Jodi

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Red Rubber Boots on a Rainy Afternoon.

Isaac and I went thrifting this afternoon and found these fabulous red rubber boots. They are no where near his size, but that doesn't stop him from totally enjoying them. In fact, he won't take them off. I chased him around the porch trying to capture his joy in wearing these through the lens of my camera ... and I think I did...

Aahhh... the simple joys of life. Nothing is better. Thanks for the lesson, Isaac!

Love,

Jodi

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"Opening" Day of Yard Sale Season.

I think my favorite part of the spring/summer season is scouring yard sales for all sorts of goodies. This past Saturday was my "opening day" for the yard sale season. And it was a great one! Not only did I find all sorts of yummy things for our home, the kids, Ebay, etc. but I also was able to venture out alone (without the kiddos). And that is pretty remarkable as you can probably count the number of hours I have spent apart from Isaac using your fingers and toes.

So, here are the greatest finds of the day...

I found this sweet VIBERT MAINE pottery platter for just $2! That was an insane bargain. I just loved the piece and fully intended to find a place for it in my home ... but when I looked it up online, I discovered that it is worth at least $120 on Ebay ... so I guess it won't be staying here after all!

I also found this gorgeous Loon Wall Planter piece of pottery. It is wonderfully made. The previous owner said that she received it as a gift from a friend in Idaho (I think). It is stamped, but I can't make out who the potter is. Anyway, I think I may keep this. It was another incredible bargain at only $3!

And then, my Dad spotted this picture for me at a yard sale that we saw each other at (my parents are yard salers too). I am very passionate about trees ... so he thought I might like this framed photograph - and I do. It was $4. When I brought it home, I noticed that it was hand signed by the photographer. When I looked him up, I found that this piece originally sold for about $400! Wow ... another incredible bargain. I think this piece will go in my new sewing room (as soon as I can get working on it).

And finally, my incredibly sexy and industrious husband has completed the renovation of our side porch ... and I LOVE it! All it needs is a paint job and some shrubbery and it will be perfect. My husband is amazing and I have come to the fabulous realization that I am incredibly spoiled. And AMEN for that!

(Halis, you are wonderful and I am thankful for you every moment of every day ... even on the "rough" days. You amaze me. Thanks for the porch and for the gorgeous Mother's Day gifts.)

Love,

Jodi

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Thrifty Thursday.

Ok, so I didn't actually go thrift store shopping TODAY ... but "Thrifty Thursday" just sounds so right. Perhaps I will just use Thursday blog posts to showcase my thrift shopping finds for the week. Humor me my friends, I need some order in an otherwise chaotic life.

So, here are my Goodwill finds from my Monday shopping:

For about $40 or so, I bought the following:

A stack of children's books

A classic "Bowling Bunnies" game

A red set of cloth place mats

A teal set of cloth place mats

4 Stainless Steel dipping bowls

A Little Tikes Wooden Peg Game

A Golden Book Tin w/Playing Cards

A *Brand New* Melissa & Doug Wooden Food Toy

A Juiceman Pro Juicer w/booklet

An Elmo Lunch Bag

A Yellow Tablecloth

Sneakers for Isaac

A Book for Halis

A Winter Jacket for Isaac (for next year)

A HomeSewn Apron

I did really well! And so did Isaac. He was with me through all that shopping and so, I couldn't have done it without his cooperation :) We are planning a Goodwill stop in Augusta tomorrow. And possibly Waterville. I'll let you know how we do.

Oh, and I have placed the Juicer on Ebay. I only paid $7 for it - in like new condition - and they are selling for $60 plus. With the right bid, that juicer may pay for my whole shopping day.

Love,

Jodi

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Spring Lamb.

I am a little sad about not finding the time to blog yesterday. I have no idea if anyone is actually reading this new blog ... but I love typing up a few lines about our day ... it feels like therapy.

With that said ... I don't have much to say about today. Lots of spring cleaning going on around here to prepare for my son's birthday party this weekend. We are expecting about 30 people in our tiny little home, so we are moving furniture around to accomodate everyone, etc...etc... I will be excited to have everyone here. But I am sure that I will be a little choked up that my baby is already 2 ... and I have only had him home with me for 10 months. It feels like I missed out on so much "baby" stuff. But I am thankful for every moment spent with him!

Here he is wearing a thrifted jacket of our favorite team (surrounded by a mess he made in the living room) ...

Oh, and this weekend I picked up a sweet little handmade lamb at our local auction house. She was only $1 and made of vintage fabrics (or maybe she just IS vintage). After I bought it, I couldn't wait to share it here. I just LOVE it. My best friends think it is ugly ... but I honestly can't remember being so smitten with a stuffed toy.

She is so clean and well sewn. Any opinions? Name ideas? Any patterns out there for similar stuffies? I would love to make some like this.

Love,

Jodi

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First Thrifting Post.

Well, today was supposed to be "Clean-my-house-Thursday" ... but instead, because of my anxious mood and my need to escape the house, today became "Thrifty Thursday" (which sounds so much better anyway). My procrastination in figuring out whether I would spend the day cleaning or thrift store shopping really cut into my shopping time ... so I was only able to shop 2 different Goodwill stores.

Furthermore, my anxious mood (brooding over a particular personal situation that needs resolving) really threw me off my normally therapeutic and gainful thrifting experience. So, today was not as bountiful as usual. BUT, I did get some amazing vintage kids books. And I just LOVE vintage kids books! I have built up quite the collection now but just can't seem to get enough.

Here are some of today's goodies - not all - but some:

This one, "The Cat and the Devil", is particularly interesting. I had no idea that James Joyce wrote a children's book. Apparently it is quite rare. I spotted one on Ebay with an asking price of $100 and can't seem to find it anywhere else. I am not sure whether I am going to sell it or not. It is a fun story ... with the devil speaking French that is translated into English in footnotes.

I also found a beautifully illustrated version of the "Goblin Market". I may list this on Etsy for some Waldorfers. It is lovely.

And this one, "The Creepy Castle", is a keeper. It is simply darling! No words ... the simple but gorgeous illustrations, along with "interactive" flip-the-page action sequences make for a sweet, imaginative story. I just love it!

So, that was a sampling of my humble thrifting for today. Tomorrow we are likely to be snowed-in so it looks like it will become "Clean-my-House-Friday", though I am sure that I rather it were something else entirely.... like, "Win-the-Lottery-Friday" or "Fly-to-Paris-Friday" or "Receive-Day-Long-Back-Massage-From-Husband-Friday" ... or maybe even "Hire-A-Maid-Friday".

Enjoy your day.

Love,

Jodi

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