Saturday, February 20, 2010

My Thriftstore Obsession

I don't know about you, but every time I go into a Goodwill or our local thrift stores, there are always a few certain items that my eye always gravitates towards.  Some favorites I act on, some I don't.  The "don'ts" are things like punch bowl and cup sets (so pretty but when would I ever use that??), steals of a deal mirrors (I have plenty already!), and old baskets (I don't even really like baskets, but it's fun to look at the menagerie that these stores always stock).


However, the obsession I have been known to act on is this: old cut glass containers posing as fancy crystal.  There are always plenty of these items in thrift stores - discards from families who have probably had tons of these things for years, collecting dust.  But if you can think of a purpose these could serve in your house, then they are a great find.

I would say my style is fairly modern and simple - not a lot of frills. But when I see these little things, I am totally drawn to the patterns and shapes in the glass and can't resist.  Also, they are usually $1, so why not.


Here are a few of my finds from the past few years.


This is my favorite.  I think maybe it used to be an ashtray.  It's bubbled on the bottom and smooth on the inside.  It's perfect as a catchall for my jewelry when I don't feel like putting it away in the evening.



These little guys serve a purpose by corralling our bathroom accessories. 



This on is actually serving it's original purpose as a sugar Splenda bowl for my morning coffee.

I'm really excited about this beauty.  It was a splurge - $3.  It's pretty big and right now I have no idea what to do with it.  I just couldn't say no to the beautiful starburst patterns and notched-out grip on top.

So how about you?  Any thrifty finds you just can't leave in the store?

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Winter. Go Away.

Winter slump - ugh.  It's about this time every year that I have no motivation whatsoever to do much more than sit on the couch when I get home. 

And as my dear friend Kacy pointed it, it has been almost two weeks since I posted anything.  Sorry to Kacy, my mom, and anyone else who is unfortunate enough to read my blog.  Sorry to leave you hanging.  (Not to mention the fact that my Project 365 is turning into more of a Project 27...)


Well, Georgia finally got in on Snowpocalyse 2010 yesterday.  I enjoyed a 3 hour commute home, but luckily it was still light and I could take some pictures of our snowy little house.  Yes, I realize any Northerners reading this will laugh at how excited we get over a few inches.  But it was quite the winterwonderland for us.



The dogs enjoyed it - especially Roxy - who has an affinity for all things white anyway. 



Video of my silly dogs:

 


Saturday morning the sun was shining bright in a clear blue sky - and all of the snow melted in a few short hours.  But not before I snapped a few pictures.  It was all so pretty - but I am totally ready for spring (have I mentioned that??)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Fun with Thai

Sundays offer the rare chance for me to actually help Tony cook dinner - and usually that doesn't happen.

*Yes, I am spoiled - my husband has dinner waiting when I get home every night*


This Sunday we tried an easy pasta recipe out of Feb's Southern Living - and it was really good (and super easy) and it made lots of leftovers.


Here's how:


Sesame Noodles
-Make a package of wheat spaghetti noodles as usual
-Toss with:
     *1/2 cup Thai peanut sauce (we tried House of Tsang kind and it was yummy! a little spicy too)
     *2 sliced green onions
     *1 cup diced bell peppers (pick your color(s) )
     *2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
     *1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- Sprinkle with lots of sesame seeds
- Add chicken or shrimp - or nothing!


Voila!  Easy and delicious!  We ate it for two days, and there are plenty of ingredients leftover for other meals (thai sauce, cilantro, etc)

Try it sometime!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Hanging Out

Finding stuff to put on our walls has always been a point of contention for me - I'm just no good at it.  Add to that list: curtains, paint, accessories- and it's no wonder we've been as slow as turtles to actually decorate our house...

But luckily, from day 1, we were able to get our hands on some great art - courtesy of Tony's mom Michele.  She's a wonderful artist, and we were lucky she was willing to lend us quite a few pieces for our new home - and we've managed to keep them here these past few years (we call our house her gallery). 

We've added pieces of our own too, so I wanted to show what we have hanging on our walls right now.

Here are some of Michele's finest:



And here's a little something my sister Courtney made us for our bedroom:

And I've already detailed how I made these little pictures for above our bed



I found this mirror in a garage sale for only $6.  I couldn't believe how cheap it was - since it's a nice quality, and I didn't even have to paint it for it to fit right in in our kitchen.  [I love mirrors, btw, all shapes sizes and kinds.  There aren't any rooms in my house that don't have one!]

The metal beauties hang in our living room above the couch (thanks mom!)  I love the mix of materials we've got going in there.


I found this giant frame at Ikea on sale for only $10 - and inside I blew up a picture to poster size  - it's the tree-lined drive as you are coming to the Maple Grove Inn where we got married.  I took this picture the day we decided to get married there, and it's an image I love.


This hangs in our hallway - and it fits in just perfectly with the style of our house.  My godmother/"aunt" Patty gave this to us for our wedding - it was done by her late husband Mike, who was an amazing artist/photographer/person, and it was such a special gift I will always treasure.



To go with the beachish theme we have going, I enlarged two pictures I took on various beach trips for the hallway.



So there you have it - my attempt at ridding our house of naked walls.  I still have a few spaces left to adorn, but alas..

Art that means something ... means something to me. 
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