Sew Thrifty!

DO IT YOURSELF TODDLER SLIPPERS.....or....THE PURPLE PUPPIES!

2006-09-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

What to do when you have a toddler that is sick, and has cold feet...but HATES wearing slippers? You get CREATIVE! You use what you have lying around in the fabric stash, toss in some buttons and some jingle bells, and VOILA! Soft, fuzzy, floppy-eared, jingling, FUN footwear! The bells are an added bonus - you can hear the little dickens sneak up on you.......

Ok, that was my creative surge for today - now will curl up in front of vegetablebrain-box and contemplate the bucket of Haagen Daaz that I CANNOT have, due to expanding (argh!) waist...! Toodle-Looooo!

I'mmmmmmm BAAAAACKKKK!

2006-09-10T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ages ago, back when I actually had time to Blog, the front of our house looked like this:

Yes, I know...."UGH!". But with summer on it's way, I was lured by the thought-cloud image of warm breezy evenings, curled up on a soft cushion placed comfortably on a lovely cedar deck, surrounded by a lovely private cedar fence, and sipping something cool.....sigh....Hmmm, hmm....I got it bad. Thus "beganith" the several-month long obsession to BUILD IT, and LO! I discovered I COULD use a table saw after all! Soon I was blazing away, doing death-defying freehand rips, making a fashion statement with my safety goggles, and rediscovering the beauty of pre-drilling guide holes for decking screws....

But before my oasis in the city could come into being, there was a little matter of the fence to build....so I got busy baking pies, and sucking up to the husband-unit big time! (I needed some brawn to pound in the post-holder spikes for me..)((Gotta love HOME DEPOT - they have it alllllll!)) ((Except the brawn - we're on our own there!)) So after the prerequisite number of pies were consumed, up went the fence (thanks Honey!).

But, of course, once the fence was up, the space needed a deck. The front area slants in 2 directions, and have you ever tried sitting in a lawn chair on 2 slants...? perpetual LEAN! Ugh! Buuuut, the husband unit had his fill of pies and wasn't biting....so I had to build this one on my own. I used flat concrete paving squares with U-shaped post holders and short sections of 4x4 for the support, then 2 - 2x4 stringers (instead of 1 - 2x6) and 5/4 cedar decking....and a little creativity to make it all fit into the existing area-formations.

Oops! Did I mention my Mum? Thanks to a very generous grant from my Mum, this construction project was made possible! Gotta love your parents, eh? Even tho she didn't think the deck would look right, she was supportive anyway. And now, she loves it! Hooray! But I digress....

Once the deck was done, it needed a gazebo for shade. So off to the store I went, found a beaut for only 149$, complete with bug curtains. But, OOPS! The deck was built in a slanted rectangle, to follow the fence line, and the "square" gazebo didn't fit the way it needed to....so back to the drawing board. I extended the deck surface a bit to the east, and squared it off, so the gazebo would fit nicely.

Then the deck needed built in bench seating with side table storage units.....so then I built that.....found a scrap of foam at the thrift store, got some coordinating vinyl and had it sewn up for the bench cover and VOILA!

THEN,

it all needed a playhouse for my munchkin....so I am building that...a raised, 2 story affair, complete with underneath sandbox and storage, upstairs skylights, solar lighting, opening windows, rear exit slide, front porch, upstairs loft with bed, carpeting....and more when I think of it...

TAHHHH-DAH!

Now we just need to add a couple of "keep your toddler IN" gates, and Bob's Your Uncle! Man! What a job! I get tired just looking at these photos - but soooo worth it! It is so nice to sit outside now, and we eat lunches and suppers out there - the munchkin loves it!

About the time this project was nearing completion, it dawned on me that my Mum's 65th BDAY was soon upon us! Hmmm, I'm broke and I gotta come up with something big! The ever omniscient husband unit suggested VEGAS as a "something big"....but how was I gonna afford it? Stay at home Mom's don't earn much...NADA, actually, but once I get a bee in my bonnet, get outta my way! The husband unit donated the last of his airmiles points, AIR CANADA came thru with a couple of seats without subjecting us to a milk run...I scoured the house for collectibles to sell on EBAY, and went to work. Many Many 3AM nights...ugh! Thanks ever so much to all you FINE people who bought things from me this summer - there is a special place in my heart for you all! Especially ATOMIC TEXTILES - (Ebay Australia) who generously bought a whole WHACK of my fabric, which enabled me to complete the funding needed for a trip!

The FLAMINGO Casino & Hotel had a great deal on the internet for room rates( $60), as did Thrifty Car Rentals($13 / day), and I found tickets to the Price is Right LIVE show, which is Mum's all time favorite show! Then I sewed her a carry on bag with some of the vintage fabrics I had bought on Ebay from an awesome seller in the States (BEATRIZINC). On the day Mum arrived here, we gave her the bag and told her she had 2 hours to pack it.

2 hours later, we were on a plane headed to Calgary and thence to Vegas. Sadly, the scotch on board the plane had a knack of evaporating too quickly...BIG KUDOS to CLAIRE, the flight attendent - she was the all time coolest person - fabulous service!

Once in Vegas, Thrifty had run out of the car-type I had rented, so WE WERE UPGRADED (HEE HEE!) to a sleek shiny white mini-van - PERFECT for a mom and a nana on a wild vegas vacation, eh? We were laughing so hard! Then off to the FLAMINGO - where they had also run out of the room type we had reserved, so WE WERE UPGRADED (HEE HEE!) to a palatial MINI SUITE! Tooooo coooool! At this stage we were loving all things "VEGAN", right down to the chocolates under our pillows! The hotel delivered champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, sent from my Mum's sis and her kids in CALIF - sooo sweet! We curled up and nibbled berries, sipped champagne, and watched a little Leno before bed.

UP AT 7! Go go go! Off to brekkie in the lobby, AWESOME FOOD, AWESOME SERVICE! Then I dropped off Mum at the casino and I headed out to a local SAVER'S Thrift Store for some quick frugaling. (I should note at this point for those of you who don't know - Mum is a Slot-A-Holic and I am a Thrift-A-Holic, so it is not at all unusual that we go our separate ways quite contentedly!)

We were supposed to check in and register for the PRICE IS RIGHT show, right after lunch, so the frugaling was rushed...boohoo. Will post fabulous find pics in next couple of days - VEGAS IS A MECCA for thrifting - they have a ton of shops, and awesome quality! Great Prices! Here we are right before the Show:

We had a GAS! It was a lot of fun, even tho we didn't make it to contestant's row. Afterwards, it was back to slot machines and thrift-storing! Then we lounged at the awesome FLAMINGO pool and had our evening cocktail whilst perusing all the youngsters getting toasted, which numbers Mum soon joined. Couldn't have been the triple scotch I got her....? We met the most hilarious girls from BOSTON, one of whom had a GAPPIE - gap between front teeth, just like Mums! They bonded instantly of course, and compared notes on just exactly WHY men preferred Women with Gappies!

Dinner at the hotel - VENUTO, Italian, very nice. Super cool waiter...what the heck was his name? I had never heard that name before, and It had to be the all time coolest guy name I had ever heard.....

We were almost falling asleep in our dessert, so we rolled up to our room, and said goodnite to Leno...zzzzzz

Up early again! Today I had sussed out a casino that had a good reputation locally for slots / payouts, so I took Mums out there and dropped her off, whilst I rooted thru 2 more SAVERS stores. I was in awe - incredible shoes, handbags, clothes! Wow! We gambled and shopped right thru lunch, and then hit TRADER JOES and stocked up on tea, TIRE BITE BEER, and a million other little gourmet goodies only to be had there.
We checked out the local ROSS store on the strip - I wasn't impressed. Dirty, crowded, aisles so full of floor debris, you couldn't maneuver your cart...the clothing was jumbled - I couldn't figure out where the simplest things were...it was wierd, because ROSS is usually great.....

Dinner at BELLAGIO, followed by the fountains...beautiful! Then back to hotel to pack and sleep...flight left at O-Dark-Thirty, as Mum would say. Time flies when you're having fun, and it was all over tooooo soon! We decided that we should go back every year!

Unfortunately, I had picked up a virus head cold 2 days before departure and by the time I returned home, it was a full blown-laid-up-for-6-days-in-bed doozie...then the munchkin caught it, then the husband unit caught it, then the Nana-unit caught it, then the cat caught it...just kidding about the cat. A houseful of sickies...ugh! This has got to be the most pernicious bug we've ever seen: I've had it 3 weeks, the others about 2 weeks - taking FOREVER to get rid of! Puh! (as my lovely swedish friend would say....)

So I am still running on 1/4 power, thus will tackle fabulous find pics in next couple of days....
Chow for Now!

2006-09-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

BELATED YIPPEE'S!!!!

2006-07-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry - am unable to post photos at this time - BLOGGER will not allow, will try again later!

Many thanks to The Shopping Sherpa !! EONS ago, she sent me this wonderful thrifty swap box - what a hoot! Here are the awesome finds:

Very cool Vintage winged Melmac Bowls - a whole set! And some coordinating plates - LOVE the pattern! And a nifty and delicate covered bowl - great for sugar, or BUTTONS!!!!!! A girl can NEVER have too many BUTTONS!

And then this impossibly hard to get instruction book - Sherpa had found a neato game from the 70's for little kids - it had game mats, blocks and cars. I saw her photos and drooled. Then, wouldn't you know it, the following week, I was out thrifting and found the SAME GAME! Half a planet away....go figure~! But it had noooo instructions, so I couldn't know how to play it with my child. So Sherpa sent me the BOOK! HOORAY and MANY THANKS!

Next are 2 wicked cool books, big faves of the toddler unit - No Carrots for Harry (a bunny who would NOT eat carrots even tho he never tried one....you know where THAT'S going...) and (fanfare) - a CLASSIC that I had forgotten all about in my dotage - AMELIA BEDELIA.....the toddler unit LOVES this book, but she insists that it is called "AMEELEE-AH BUH-DEE-BOW-WHA....very good selections, Sherp!

Now the (DROOOOOOOOOOOLLLL!) Fabric! Check out this Print of a Australian Sheep Farmer, and LOOK at the HAT - it has those cork thingies that keep the bugs away - tooooo funny! I never would have known what that was except for a former Aus Room-mate who had one and showed it to me years ago. I've never seen one on fabric!

THANKS SHERP! This was some vintage fabric that Sherp found loooong time ago, and when I saw the photo, it was FABRIC-LOVE at first sight! What a sweetie to send it to me! THANKS!!!

A vintage Scarf! Check out the skiers wearing duds from the 40's - 50's....I particularly liked the snuggling couple at each corner! Heehee!

Some WICKED WICKED WICKED WICKED COOOOOOOOOL kid's fabric, very vintage, and absolutely TDF!!!
THANKS THANKS!!! I love this! Very hard to find patterns like this...!

And some lovely green fabric with cute little flowers - I'm thinking poofy round skirt for the T-unit!

Last, but not least - the ultimate - the incomparable - the best in the world - DARRELL LEA of AUSTRALIA LICORICE! Sigh, I had just run out at home, and the stores were temporarily out, and LO! BEHOLD what comes in the mail! A BIG FRESH PACK OF DL!!! YUM YUM YUM!!! I thank you, Sherp, and my ADDICTION thanks you too! I MUST be addicted, because I eat some pretty much EVERY DAY! Sad, isn't it?
(Sorry - no pic - contents consumed, digested, etc., loooooong ago...!)

Great picks, Sherpie! THANK YOU! I look forward to our next swap, and promise to mail your box first! Heehee!

MINX! As if I don't have enuf to do.......

2006-06-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

Baggage! Minx! Tagged by Sherp, I must now respond, as I am feeling quite guilty about:

1. Being incognito for soooo long....

2. Not posting the waaaaaay cool contents of the box she sent me on my blog yet (AIRMAIL, too...what was she thinking, spending that kind of money right before vacation, Egad!!!)

3. Not mailing HER Thrift Store Goodies to her yet (this week, I swear!!!)

Re: #1.....see pics below: ( this is reason for incognito-ish behavior)

Yup! I HAD to build me a deck! I got tired of having no nice place to sit in the sun, so, after attempting to convince husband unit to build it for me, (he wasn't biting...) I was forced to go it solo. Following a fast safety lecture on the handling of the thrift store table saw I bought over a year ago, I was turned loose. Armed with some way cool cash from Nana, I tripped off merrily to the local Home Depot and brought home what was to be the first of many loads of cedar lumber. Several weeks later, I am finished! Well, almost....I only have one more coat of stain to put on it...THEN it's finished! Stay tuned for the DONE photo! It'll be a doozy! I am surprised I actually BUILT this - I can't believe it really is FLAT, and not lopping off severely or leaning, or groaning, or anything! Yippee! Oh yes, here are some BEFORE pictures:

Note the waaaay cool vegetable garden boxes I made too! Cherry Tomatoes, Strawberries, and Cantelope...mmmmmm! You can see what the house looked like in the front BEFORE we started on the fence. Pretty drab, eh? Not much street appeal, and not much usage, what with the street being several feet away from front door! I basically took out the little curved brick wall, and used the remaining concrete landing as a guide for how high I wanted the deck to be, and kept the nice curve formation by free-hand table-sawing the decking ends.

But, I digress.....ah yes, the TAG....ok, Sherp....here it is:

ACCENT: 100% pure Canuck

BOOZE: none, at present. But when I drink, I do appreciate a dry red, also hot Sake (affectionately called Joy Juice); and in the summers, I make a leetle cocktail with Gordon's Gin, Schweppe's Bitter Lemon Mixer, a dollop of Peach Schnapps, and lotsa lime juice.....but lately, the harshest stuff I do is Cherry Kool Ade...but that's not booze, so doesn't count....

CHORE I HATE: having to go to so many different stores for the basic staples - 1 store for organic milk, another for kitty litter, a third for groceries, and a fourth for frozen berries and yogurt....ugh! too much running around!

DOGS/CATS: Tiggr - one manxy(referring to behavior, not short tail) orange tabby with the coolest color of eyes...can't describe the color. Also has very bushy tail, a low roar of a purr, an attitude when I am too slow with the breakfast, and the coolest way of snuggling at night,,,(FINALLY broke him of the habit of pouncing on my face at 4 AM) (and we're still working on the biting and scratching thing...) (Heh, heh - he's gittin' the big snippety-snappety next month! That'll larn' em!) We found Tigs at the local SPCA, something I heartily recommend for persons desiring pets. He is almost 5 months old and growing fast! I suspect he may turn out to be a BIG kitty!

ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS: my computer, so I can stay in touch with EBAY...and Sherpy, and Lizzy!

FAVORITE PERFUME: Jessica McClintock....I like flowery scents, not musky ones....ugh! Although, I used to like Chanel Coco....go figure?

GOLD/SILVER: ALL the above! My bro is a Master Goldsmith, so he keeps me well supplied!

HOMETOWN: Southern Interior, BC

INSOMNIA: HA HA HA HA HA HA! Never, not with a Toddler around....there's no chance for it!

JOB TITLE: Deck-builder and MOM!

LIVING ARRANGEMENT: with one husband unit, one toddler unit, one cat unit, and 9 fish units.

MOST ADMIRED TRAIT: a tie between my creativity and my tenacity.

NUMBER OF SEXUAL PARTNERS: I'll never tell....

OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS: Childbirth

PHOBIAS: being a passenger in a car....I gotta drive. It's hell when I gotta fly somewhere...the pilot usually has a problem with me driving...

QUOTE: POOP or get off the pot! I detest wishy-washiness.

RELIGION: kinda a blend between Buddhist and Earth Mother...

SIBBIES: 1 Bro

TIME I USUALLY WAKE UP: As late as possible, after being forced to complete Meme late at night....!

UNUSUAL TALENT: hmmmm, should I say Construction, or Motorcycle Riding?

VEGETABLE I REFUSE TO EAT: Canned Asparagus...UGH!

WORST HABIT: Things always take longer than I think....

X-RAYS? What? Have I had any? Yes, indeedy.

YUMMY FOOD I MAKE: I make a mean Falafel, and also ICE CREAM.

ZODIAC: Scorpio Dragon....hey! don't run away! I'm as gentle as a kitten, ....really!

heh, heh!

OK! DONE! Now, I am supposed to tag someone else, but since both the bloggers I check out on a regular basis have already done this, I have to pass.

TUNE IN in a couple of days to see the waaay cool contents of the "ALL-THE-WAY-FROM-SHERP-BOX" and the FINAL FOTOS of THE NEW DECK! Wheeeeeeee!

BACK IN THUH SAH-DUL AH-GAIN......

2006-04-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

Howdy Y'all!

.....sorry to be gone so long....M's is going thru a regression back to terrible two's from the thrilling three's, temporarily, we hope.....thus the "busyness". Also we have started the Toddler Garden - planted some seeds and YIPPEE-KI-YAY! They are already sprouting - carrots, cherry tomatoes, and "squishy squashy" (AKA - butternut squash)....now I have to make a giant garden box to put them in...so things are going to be a little slow for the next month....

Thanks to good friend "J" in Vancouver - she is flogging my creations and has drummed up an order for 2 custom motorcycle road racing appliqued fleece jackets for another friend's 2 toddler-kids...gotta warm up the sewing machine! Oh! AND - M's asked me for a "special Easter Outfit" today (WHEN did she figure out that Mom can make stuff???) so we crept down into the bowels of the house, into the fabric room, and picked out some Eastery-looking cotton, then poured over the BURDA magazines for a pattern, combined it with a hat from another pattern....and VOILA! An outfit in the making! SHERPA, you would be proud! I am only using materials that I have on hand already for all the above! For example, M's dress, matching bo-peep bloomer pants and hat, are all cut out from a "APRIL CORNELL" dress I found over a year ago at a thrift store...they have the coolest cotton prints! I cut it apart into it's main component pieces, then scavenge buttons and the pre-sewn pockets, etc, and then lay out the pattern pieces and off we go! It was an adult Large dress, so there was plenty of fabric! Will post pics when all are completed! Stay tuned.....

On the darker side, the ole cataracts are acting up....am off to see the wizard...I mean Ophthalmologist, and see how long I get to go before lens implant....yewwwww, bummer! Am hoping I can squeeeeek by with some strong eyeglasses for awhile! It's kinda funny - I have to move reading material back and forth....back and forth.....back and forth...looking for the magic position! The husband-unit laffs himself silly watching it....but I just sit back and bide my time.....the age thing will catch up to him too! THEN I'll chuckle!

FRUGALING FOR THE SHERPA.....

2006-04-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

Today, in honor of The Shopping Sherpa's quest to withstand the temptation to Frugal / Thrift Shop this month, I went a-thrifting in her place. Considering I had a mid-afternoon vet appointment (Tiggr's 1st checkover), and company coming for supper (homemade pizza's....with REEEEEAAALLLL crust - not that instant stuff...yug!) I actually managed to hit a lot of shops: Cost Savers; Sal-Mart; Penny Pinchers; The Dump; and The Thrift Seller. It was a bumper crop of fabric today, plus a good haul of 70's crochet and knitting books:

(OH - ALMOST FORGOT....HERE IS THE BACKGROUND MUSIC : Beatles' Octopus' Garden (click on "streaming" to play...)

Check out the vintage aprons!

And some very old textured poly knits!

A HUGE Batik Tablecloth in nice soft cotton....I'm thinking capris....!

A cheerful lime green button tray - Thank you so much, Sherpa, for the idea - I LOVE IT, works great!

Vintage Melmac serving bowl...

A sexy lil Mod Crochet Ensemble!

Reference Material for Inspiration!

WAY WAY WAY COOL Vintage Cotton Fabric! Too bad it's red, eh, Sherp?

Classic Kliban Pillowcases x 3

More books - the patio book has some good ideas for our front area...we don't have a "front yard"....it's more of a cobblestoned parking area, so we are about to fence off 1/2 of it, and make a little private courtyard. I am looking for ideas of how to make it look less stark and more lush/park/gardenish....and the Design and Decor home plans book is great for dollhouses (modern, that is...)!

A retro how-to furniture book!

A danish marine model fittings kit! (for model-making...boats....)

MORE FREE VINTAGE KNITTING PATTERNS - 1968 MOD ANIMALS

2006-03-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

I found this booklet at the Local Hospital Thrift Store...I think it was 25 cents! It was an insert in the April 1968 Issue of Woman's Day Magazine. I would like to share it with all you retro-mad knitters out there. If you save the photo and then zoom in, I am hoping you can read the text??? Lemme know if it is no-go. (The pages are shown in the exact order of the booklet)

These are soooo cute! And a great way to use up small leftovers of vintage yarn from the Thrift Store! The "Cuckoo" Bird at the bottom is my favorite! Check out the old colors, too! (in the description...)

Am off to the Local Landfill Thrift Store again tomorrow, so will post any cool finds afterwards! Happy Knitting and Thrifting!

THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE FAMILY.......

2006-03-30T19:50:00.000-08:00

Well, OK....I made it 7 days before cat-withdrawal took over....I thought I would just "stop by" the local shelter and "just see" if they happened to have any kittens about. They did, and I happened to find just the one I was thinking of - an orange tabby male, blue eyed (his eyes are not wonky...he just looks that way when he wakes up from a flash going off..), and a purr like a diesel engine! What could I do? HAD to take him home....and on the way, he fell asleep on my lap in the car, on his back, legs up in the air, purring away....oooooooh yeah, he's cool...

...we've named him Tiggr ( "Tee - Eye - Double Guh - Err")......

FREE VINTAGE RETRO KNITTING and CROCHET PATTERNS!!!

2006-03-29T22:48:00.000-08:00

Hi RETRO-Lovers, Knitters & Crocheters! Here are some patterns and pics from a 1952 Issue of McCall's Needlework Magazine, which I found for 25 cents at the local hospital ladies auxillary thrift store. Peruse, ponder, and then Enjoy!

If you liked the funky hats that the Canadians wore at the Olympics - here's something very similar: Norwegian Cap and Mitts...

Chenille Crochet Cap and Bag - Cap has ear-hugging crochet popcorn circles which match the bag....

"A chic costume bag with a luxury look achieved by it's imaginative combination of corde and velvety chenille threads..rich tortoise frame, crocheted cord f0r handles...

Sequin crochet purse and wallet....

THRIFT STORE AND FABRIC BUYS FROM THE BIG CITY

2006-03-28T19:54:00.000-08:00

PLEASE NOTE: Not all photos have been loaded, due to Blogger difficulties. I will try again tomorrow to load.

Just back from the yearly trip to Fabric Mecca - Vancouver's Dressew, on Hastings St. 2 whole stories CHOCK FULL of everything under the sun to sew with...aisles and aisles of zippers, trims, BUTTONS....sigh, so many buttons to look at, soooo little time! Also found a couple of neat items at some Thrift Stores....see below:

First the DRESSEW purchases:

some cool upholstery for a couple of "I'll probably NEVER get to them type projects"...one of which you will see below.....

bright orange ribbings, and lycra cotton textured knit....coooooool and very hard to find!

Funky trims....the Poms were too funny to pass by...

and lastly, some cute buttons - groovy black and white "dot" buttons (hmmm....there's someone who might like these...???) and some fat little round wooden lime green ball buttons - GREAT for kid's coat....or maybe even some cool tote bags....the possibilities are ENDLESS!!!

Then there are the items I found at another good bargain fabric store on Fraser St and 41st Ave....can't recall the name now, but it is the only big fabric store at that corner.....

What a fantastic price for good quality thick polar fleece: 4.50 per yard....!! happy happy!! Good bright colors are always hard to find - AND these have a textured pattern to them - kinda checkered...and berberish on the other side - tangerine orange and cool turquoise! Wheeeeee! I completely agree with Blogger: Maize's Diary ( http://maizehutton.blogspot.com/2006/03/thrifty-finds.html ) - you can NEVER have ENOUGH FABRIC!!!!

Then they had this cool Lilac velvet ( 2.00 yard) and groovy pink faux snakeskin (2.00 yard) which I think will look great lined with faux pink sheepskin - a jacket for Little M's perhaps???

And I stumbled across this big bin full of wild buttons - 5 cards for 1.00.....yippee! The colors and textures on these are wicked cool!

Thrift Store finds:

Lovely vintage Linen in Blue and Berry-purple! (1.99)

Old Panton Orb / Ball Desk Lamp - chrome and chocolate brown, with swivel head (4.99)

AND THIS SOOOO-COMFY MID CENTURY CHAIR!!! It is wide enough for 2! I will recover it with some of the fabric I bought....going to be tricky tho - has those diamond pleaty things and buttons and all.....eeeK! And of course, I will refinish the wood trim....this is one of the coolest chairs I have ever seen...but I paid waaaaay too much (35.00...ugh!)....sniffle....

Tune in later this week - I will be posting pics and free knitting patterns from Knitting magazines from the 1940's, 50's and 60's! (More previous thrift store finds at 25 cents each!)

JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING....

2006-03-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

The Photo of Kitty shown below was taken while he was still quite ALIVE...just taking a nap....just in case you were wondering...

Born JUNE 1988.........Passed MARCH 23, 2006

2006-03-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

Puss-Puss, aka Puddy Cat, aka Kitty, aka Du-cat-i, aka Kitteny-Witteny, aka Kissee-Kitty, aka Rowr-Rowr, aka Kee-Kee, aka Pussy-Catty, aka Moo-Kitty.

One hell of a Great Friend - I'll miss you

THRIFT STORE ART - Amazing Decor or Poopy Paintings?

2006-03-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite Thrift Store Art Finds:

This one was a super find - we had just moved into a new place, with a cobalt blue tile and oak kitchen, and this (matched pair) seemed made to order with cobalt background and oak frame! (2 @ 12.00 each)

And then there is this little beauty...batik fabric art on a small scale (1.49)......

And more BATIK on a slightly LARGER scale! Huge - measures about 4' by 3'....Larger price too - 29.00!

and last, but not least, my favorite little lovely(about 9.99).....I dunno, something about it just grabs me...so I splurged and had a special matte made for it...the frame was a Thrift Store Find...1.49, with glass.

So, the question is: is it really ART? Oh well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all! Check out these cool THRIFT STORE ART websites: http://www.thriftstoreart.com/ http://www.hugemagazine.com/thrift/index.html http://swankola.com/hiart/hiart.html http://swapatorium.blogspot.com/2005/01/bad-thrift-store-art-miss-kitty.html http://www.billdavenport.com/thriftpages/thriftpages.html

MUST-SEES IN CHICAGO....in honor of The Shopping Sherpa's Most Excellent Adventure!!

2006-03-18T21:50:00.000-08:00

Well, we can see the countdown on Sherp's blog - 52 days 16 hours and 54 minutes ...... soon our Little Sherpa will be on her way to the Windy City! Hmmmm, what can she do while there? Here are a few of Sew Thrifty's favorite things to do in Chicago:

THORNE ROOMS @ The Art Institute of Chicago http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/thorne/index.php
68 of the most detailed 1:12 rooms you have ever seen! We got to visit them while I was in Jr High School, on a field trip - Most Excellent!

POPS FOR CHAMPAGNE - Champagne Bar + Live Jazz http://www.popsforchampagne.com/
Over 100 champagnes to choose from! Mmmm, nummy!

PICNIC UNDER THE STARS AT RAVINIA FESTIVAL - http://www.ravinia.org/
Lounge on the Lawn, with an elegant picnic, lovely wine, and the CSO...ahhhhhh, heaven!

CHICAGO CUBS BASEBALL AT WRIGLEY FIELD - http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/chc/ballpark/index.jsp
Pick a hot sunny day, and go sit with The Bleacher Bums....drink copious amounts of icy cold beer and cheer for the home team....when I lived there, we sang "Take me out to the ball game.." with Harry Caray (pronounced Harry Kerry) at intermission! What fun!

BLUE CHICAGO - the absolute BEST Blues Bar in Chicago! http://bluechicago.com/
I took my Brother ( The Salmon Arm Skinny = blog ) there once, and once we managed to make our way close to the stage, he saw a very old black man sipping a drink, and offered to buy him another....that man turned out to be the one and only "Sunnyland Slim", and he sang a song for my Bro later in the evening!

The WILD HARE & SINGING ARMADILLO FROG SANCTUARY Reggae Bar - http://www.wildharereggae.com/
Right beside Wrigley Field - an awesome place to go after the game!

Shopping at WATER TOWER PLACE - http://www.shopwatertower.com/html/
sooo many things to buy...so little money..lament lament!

Cheezborger and Coke at: the BILLY GOAT TAVERN...made famous from Saturday Night Live's John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Loraine Newman. http://www.billygoattavern.com/home.html

A visit to the DEAD ZOO, also known as THE FIELD MUSEUM - http://www.fieldmuseum.org/

Antiquing - at the CHICAGO ANTIQUE MARKET - http://www.chicagoantiquemarket.com/home.asp

THRIFTING!!! A listing of some downtown-north thrift stores: http://www.abstractpublishing.com/resale/downtown.html

A POT-POURRI of PREVIOUS PRECARIOUS PRECOCIOUS PROJECTS....

2006-03-15T23:11:00.000-08:00

Eek! Am being surprise-invaded by ENTIRE family presently(1st time in over 30 years....)...so am too busy to do a "corners of my abode" or something, so will resort to a trusty ole standby - things I have made....focus on children's clothing: (will return to normal scheduled posts in a day or so....)

Penguins, Penguins Everywhere! (front view)

and rear view....

Pengie close up...

fishie curtain....ok, it's not clothing, but kid inspired. The "sealife" are all see-thru sheer fabric, so when the sun or moon shine thru, it makes it "light up".....

Flowers, Pearls, and Lace! Outfit for baby girl...

Knit Poncho and cord skirt outfit....

Pants made from Baby Phat shirt sleeve pieces and scraps from thrift store...

Shirt made from thrift store blank t-shirt and hand cut bits of fabric for the "Blue Kangaroo" applique...character from children's book: "I Love You, Blue Kangaroo".

Roses and Butterflies

close up of butterfly...

...................MAD about MOULTONS....!

2006-03-13T22:39:00.000-08:00

Well, tonight "Mums" has arrived in Sherpa's wake, for a long-awaited visit! So, to amuse you while I skip out on a long entry - I will show you the COOLEST BIKE IN THE WORLD!!! It is my 1964 Moulton 4 Speed, compliments of my Uncle's Garden Shed (and my way cool Auntie who made him give it up!). He found it in the garbage a loooooooong time ago. (yup! he's one of those old guys who COLLECT everything and then stockpiles it all....) (As a "Thriftie", I LOOOOVE visiting them - you never know what you'll find!) It was love at first sight! I knew I had to have it, and I knew I would ride it until I keeled over and stuck my spoon in the wall! The Moulton was the first full suspension bike, built by Sir Alex Moulton in England. I could tell you more, but am short on time.....maybe a later entry...

And, of course, when I saw THIS one on Ebay - I HAD to get it for M's....despite the ugly postage from the UK! (I combined allllllll my Christmas gift-money and got it for her, so we can ride together! Wheeeee!) It's a mini - kid version of the adult Moulton, made by TRIANG, together with Moulton, and it's soooo cute! The husband unit is helping with the restoration!

So if you ever see one of these - GRAB IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! (note the exclamation points!)

GUESS WHO DROPPED BY FOR A SURPRISE VISIT????

2006-03-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

WOW! It's THE SHOPPING SHERPA! How nice it is to have a little visit! Maybe we can go "frugalling"....!

(......six days later, the 2 thrift-nutz come tripping merrily home, having uncovered EVERY hidden treasure at EVERY Thrift Shop within a 500 mile radius...and not a hair out of place!)

But sadly, all good things must come to an end, and The Sherpa has to go home, so we say "Bye til next time", and exchange a big hug! Gotta LUV that matching Jacket and Boots! Sherpa is ALWAYS SO STYLIN'!

But just when The Sherpa is LEAST EXPECTING IT: Ooh! Sneaky-behind-the-back-when-yer-not-looking-HEAD TOUCH!!!!!! Hahaha! Gotcha! Heehee! (Sew Thrifty runs like Hell, giggling!)

Over the River and Thru the Woods to the Dump We Go!

2006-03-11T23:57:00.000-08:00

Today was Dump-Saturday! And what a day it was! Fabulous Funky Finds Feast! Check it out:

My first find - some white laminate shelving for my fabric....I still have a pile 5 feet by 6 feet to stack away....am a fabric pack rat! The short shelf unit was a whopping 2 dollars, and the tall one was 5.00. And they are in great condition!

Next up is this solid brass plant stand with rollers.....I have never seen a REAL brass stand before...they are always the cheap brass colored metal that jiggle horribly if you touch it because they are soooo cheap! But this one is solid as a rock, very well made! Now I get to go out and find another giant plant to put on it! One cannot have too many plants in one's home! Price: 1.00

I was able to get a photo of the "STOP, DROP, & SHOP" area of the dump (really, that's what it's called!). See that barracks-looking building? That's where all the super-great goodies are stored! There was the most gorgeous 70's Black and White Gas Fireplace Unit in there.....Oh, I wanted it sooooo badly(and it wanted me too - I could tell!)...but where the heck would I put it???? This pic does not show the actual landfill area...just a bit of the Stop and Drop area....there's so much more!

Look at this little cutie! How MOD is that? No stains, rust, signs of aging or gouges. It is actually in lovely condition...just dusty from being outside, and sadly, I could not think of a place for this little treasure either, so had to leave it behind....lament, lament!

Then off to one other Thrift Store - found a cool cotton tablecloth, which I want for fabric (2.99) and a Rosti Pitcher (blue) - 1.99, and some neato Sheffield Mode Danish Knives with little starbursts! (25 cents each).

And I found this: (for Sherp...hey! It's B&W! How about that????) Any guesses? Heh heh!

A-Thrifting I will go, A-Thrifting I will go....

2006-03-11T01:27:00.000-08:00

Fabulous Funky Finds!

I think EVERYBODY caught the bargain-bug today! Wheeeee!

The first store (Local Hospital Ladies Auxillary) I went to, had a Bag-Sale. This is where you can pack as many clothes as you can into a big paper bag - all for 5 dollars! Now, I know many Thrifters do not buy clothes very often at the thrift store, but I like to use them sometimes for the vintage fabric. For example, the flower sweater at bottom left, I will make into a combo fleece / knit jacket for M's! Funky cool! The scarf was just begging to be brought home, so why not? And check out the MIP LEMON YELLOW 70's knee high tights! Waaaaaaaaay neato! They also had the 70's Mod stuffed animal how-to book, the hippo is so cute, so I schnooked that for 25 cents too! Total spent - 5.25!

Then on to the Community Living Thrift Store...found some cool plastic cups for M's (25 cents) , and a wicked Danish candy dispenser (2.00). Also a stripey dotty scarf (25 cents), mod flowers fabric (99 cents), and a PILE of 70's sewing notions - am so glad to get those, as the colors match most of the 70's fabric I have! They were 25 to 50 cents each. Check out the Cherry Patches, and the "SLOW" badge!

The "piece de resistance" was, without a doubt, the waterproof, insulated, wind proof, breathable SPYDER SKI JACKET and PANTS! These babies are about 600 to 1000 new, and I paid 15.00! Wheeeee! I need some ski wear, as M's will start skiing now and also next winter...and I have nothing to wear! I absolutely refuse to date myself by wearing the long johns and blue jeans that were trandy in my youth! So now, I can be out there all day without being cold and wet. The outfit has no stains, or tears....it's awesome! There was even 50 cents left in the pocket! What a deal!

Sigh, what a nice day! And yes, Sherp', I do have a method to my madness.....I always enter the store and check for fabric and knitting items first, then kid's clothes / toys (next to fabric), then linens, adult clothes, lighting, housewares, furniture, sporting goods. Also check for Bicycle clothing for Husband-Unit.

I MAY go to the Junkyard tomorrow...they have a shopping area at the entrance. It's great - they pick out things that are still good, and "recycle" them by selling for absurdly low price. I have found some awesome but insanely funny Zha-Zha lamps (see below...what else would I call them? They are soooo Zha-Zha! and no, I have NOOO idea what to do with them...But hey, they were FREEEE! ...maybe I'll hang them in the dollhouse room....), shelf units, futon frame, Phonograph, papasan cushion, etc etc. Will take camera and see if they will allow me to take a photo to post on bloggie. Interesting concept!

Once I got home, the INSPIRATION BUG bit me, and I began a precarious precocious project! If it actually survives my attempt to make it, I will post on blog...very very very funny idea...you will have to wait and see! I will give you a hint....."CANBERRA QUANT"....any guesses? hee hee

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO OUT....

2006-03-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

YEEP! Look what we woke up to this morning! Kinda makes yah want to roll over and go back to sleep...unless you are a ski-fanatic, like the husband-unit......HE woke up to 2o cm of fresh champagne powder and bright sunny skies.... you can just IMAGINE the silly grin on his face allll day as he "shooshed" his way down the mountain! I'm more the opposite...I truly think I have some Bear Genes in me somewhere, as winter just makes me want to eat and sleep (translation = HIBERNATE). And would you believe it, as I am typing this, a HUGE mosquitoe just went flying by over the computer screen...???? What the???? Sigh, only in Canada!

On the brighter side, however, I DID manage to do some THRIFTING today! (Hooray!!)

I found a very slick, brank spankin new black and white mixing bowl...99 cents! (Wonder who THAT is for?)

Also some bits of faux fur and several lengths of vintage fabric.

AND THE REAL SHOCKER!:

..... a scarf I had made a year or so ago, for some friends! only priced at 99 cents! I couldn't bear to leave it there, so I scooped it and "brought it home"...poor scarfie! Actually, I made M's some pants and an elf hat out of this fabric recently, but ran out of it, so will actually USE the scarf! heehee! tooo funny....

And heeeeeeeere's one for the Sherpie: a MYSTERY pic for YOU! hah! Can you guess what it is??? Betcha can't!

WHERE DO I SPEND MOST OF MY DAY?

2006-03-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

laun-dry \'lon-dre \ n, pl laundries [fr. obs. launder launderer, fr. MF lavandier, fr. ML lavandarius, fr. L lavandus needing to be washed, fr. lavare to wash ] 1 : clothes or linens that have been or are to be laundered 2 : a place where laundering is done --

This little cubby hole of a room is one of the spots I spend MOST of my time in...admiring the happenin' foil wallpaper, contemplating the complexities of chocolate stains, musing on the meaning of sweater pilling, pondering the potential advantages of liquid over powder....I gotta tell yuh, it's a very "deep" space.....people let their hair down in the laundry room, think about how fast their kids are growing, what the hell to make for supper that night, did we run outta milk, and oh yeah, gotta pick up some TP....oops, I digress...

For example, perceive the domestic graffiti of the children of the original owners of our house.....(ugh! "of, of, of, of, of......) "learn to line dance with mommy"....."ya ho"....."eh hoooo" (Canuck for Yeee-Haw and Yah-hoo!) See? kids spend some emotional time down here in the laundry room. Also doubles as a great hideout when needing to lie low from p-o'ed parents.

Later, when the kids grew up and bought the house from Old Dad, the not-so-handy-new-head-of-the-household left his mark (s).....(Note the number of missed-stud-drillholes at top center....)

(close up of lower right:)

and then felt compelled to explain the holes to later generations.....

Ahhhhh, yes, I wouldn't trade my laundry room for anything. This is the best-kept secret, it's got soul!

SELF PORTRAIT TUESDAY....?

2006-03-07T21:47:00.000-08:00

Here I am, slaving away over a hot pair of scissors, attempting a sun hat for M's....Ack! I MUST schedule some time to make myself a new ensemble....this skirt and top are DEF not winterwear...and my feet are FREEZING! Hmmm.....maybe I'll whip up something for next week's self portrait...something outlandish? saucy? funky? You'll just have to wait and see!

Tonight is "Amazing Race" night! Must close off now - show is about to start. Isn't Kiwi Phil a total "baah lamb"? (from PG Wodehouse: Baah Lamb: a nice guy)....Thanks to CBS.com Amazing Race Website for the pic!

ODE TO A FISHTANK

2006-03-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

You were all green and scummy
and really smelled quite crummy...

So I gave you a scrub
washed your parts in the tub
and now you don't look so gummy.

(give you one guess what I did today....sorry, no time for shopping...Eek! Withdrawal! Oh wait, Ebay is still open!)

Hey, anyone out there want to start a Georgette Heyer Book Club?

SUNDAY PM: BIZZY BIZZY BIZZY!

2006-03-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

What a day! Slept in after the almost-all-nighter(ugh!)-mess-around-with-new-blog-thing...still haven't figured it all out.....yet managed to summon up the energy for a little "frugaling" foray (thanks to Sherp for the loan of the word "frugaling"....AKA "Thrift Store Shopping"...Sherp always comes up with good words!)

TODAY'S FABULOUS FUNKY FINDS:

First up, I uncovered 2 cool softies patterns - one from '69 and the other from '74..the one on the left says it was based on characters from the BBC TV Series "The Magic Roundabout"? Never heard of it.....but loved the little girl doll's hands and feet..so wanted the pattern...50 cents each. Also some lovely white Dutch Crochet Cotton (70 cents) and the waaay coolest BOBBIN CASE (do I EVER need that!!!) for 55 cents, & circular knitting needles for 25 cents.

This pic shows the little 50's snack / party bowls (50 cents for both ) on top of the Victor Victrola Tube Radio/Phonograph I found at the junkyard last summer. (a whopping 10 dollars) It's power cord was so frayed that it couldn't be plugged in to test....I went with my "scoopie-sense" (that little voice in my head that says "buy it! buy it!) and took it home with me, despite the "Nay-sayings" of my husband unit...6 months later, I installed the new cord, and LO! it all still worked! Heehee! (Gotta love it when yah score one off the honey-bunch!....Nyah-nyahh! Do all husbands look dubious when their Thrifter-wives bring things home, or is it just mine?)

Ok, here is an impulse-purchase: I kept coming back to it....dunno why...it just appealed to me...little glass vase with melty bumps all over....50 cents.

What with EASTER coming - I HAD to nab this retro cotton BUNNY tablecloth (1.49)...it was too funny. Like, I laughed a second after I saw it....WHY the bunnies? Go figger? It is, however, very nice soft cotton, and will make a superb pair of Easter Capri Pants / Sunhat / maybe even a purse? for my little "M's"! Check out the "Bunny in the Moon"....!

A couple of neat patterns (50 cents each)...one from the 50's! The evening gown pattern, I thought would be fun to make a casual backless summer dress from it, maybe from batik, or some other very thin cotton, and shorten it to just around the knee...should be fun. If I EVER do get to it(An example of one of my precarious precocious projects - chuckle chuckle), I will post pics....

And lastly, we have this Bernina Applique Pattern book from late 60's / early 70's (25 cents)..I LOVE the crocodile with the zipper for a mouth....Ohhh! I'm getting an inspiration for a purse! (Another precarious precocious project...so many ideas and soooo little time!)

After thrifting, it was zip home to cook up supper, bake cookies and make pizza dough for husband's boy-bonding ski trip tomorrow....(THEY can bake it...). I have a great recipe for dough - only takes 5 mins to mix up and then let it rise as long as you need...all in one big plastic bowl! EEEE-Z! As you can see, I burnt a batch of cookies (Again!)....I wonder if someone makes a "timer zapper"...something that will automatically ZAP me when something is ready to come out of the oven, I never remember to set the little egg timer......hmm....

Now off to sew! See yah!

2006-03-05T01:19:00.000-08:00

Phew! I have finally done it!

Inspired by "The Shopping Sherpa", I have taken the plunge and created my own little plebian blog...wow! It's not very fancy - I am still learning how the heck this works, so bear with me....as I figure it out, I will try to "spruce" it up a bit!

In the coming weeks, I will post photos of any fabulous funky finds (thrifting, and the "fabulous" is only in my opinion, a matter of taste, you see...), precarious precocious projects (sewing - I'm ALWAYS in over my head, but never seem to learn..), and any interesting occurances in our little corner of the world.

PLEASE - comments are encouraged and welcomed!