Goodwill and Thrift Shops, Oh My

Tweet

Today I'm posting my finds of last week from GW and the Hospice Thrift Shop. Rhoda hosts this party every Monday so we can all see everyones good buys! Go visit her at: http://southernhospitalityblog.com/ and see a list of all the participants.

Since I started to blog and started these trips to Goodwill and the Thrift Shops I added up that I am spending $20-40/week there!!!! This is not good . . . not good!!! I'm spending the extra money I make on eBay and saving coupons buying "stuff". (Even though it's a whole lot of fun!) I don't REALLY need it! (Darn, this is like a confession!) AND I'm running out of space to put the "stuff"!! That's a big problem.

However, that said, here was a good buy for $5.00. A 13 piece set of rooster plates and cups by Onieda called Calico Rooster.

I got this fine cord shirt for $2.00, the tin tub for $.50 and two white iron plate racks for $2.50 for both.

Some more things I got at the thrift shop and Goodwill. Candle $1.00, scary pumpkin $1.00, cutting board $2.00 and rooster hook, $2.00. (Don't know where to hang the rooster hook but it seemed like a good idea at the time.)

Here's a better look at the primitive looking pumpkin.

I found this beauty at the Hospice Thrift Shop in town. It was half price day there on the last Thursday of the month. This was marked $35. so I got is for $17.50. I think it was a real bargain as it still had a tag on it from a crafter in KY that said $55.00. It's made from an old window and is very heavy. I thought of 3 places right away of where I could hang it but when I tried it in those places it just didn't look right. Hmmmmmmm

See, it's painted with a mustard color and distressed. Love it!

Well, for right now it's going to live here in front of the fireplace. That will be OK till winter when I want to burn some wood! Anyway the babies will like to look at themselves in it tomorrow. Now, see, here's the problem. I don't have a place for my big framed horse picture and fire screen I had there. Right now it's sitting in my bathroom!!!!! Not a good place. I'll have to think about this some more. I'm supposed to be SIMPLIFYING!!!!!

Have a good Monday everyone.

Shirley

A Re-Do of My Dog, Rocky

Tweet

Thanks Chari for giving us a chance to re-post some of our favorites. Please visit Chari at Happy To Design at: http://happytodesign.blogspot.com/ She'll have the list of all the participants.

This is just a re-do of a little post about my dog Rocky, because I love him! The first two photos are of him when he was real young, just a pup. He's 8 yrs. old now and I've noticed him slowing down a little and sleeping more during the day. Hunting season is just about here and he will over do it and be all stiff the next day but that is what he loves. I give him Cosequin now for his joints. I hope it will help. I know I hate being stiff and sore!!!

These two photos are more recent. That's his favorite ball!

I know, everybody loves their dog. Well they should if they don't! Rocky is an English Pointer who my husband "got for me" so he could hunt with him!! He is a great hunter and field trial dog but when he's at home he's definitely my couch dog!! He does run a lot around the house outside if anyone dare jog down the road. He is 8 yrs. old now and is slowing down a little. Of course neutering him helped too. My husband would never take him to have neutered. After Jack died, it was one of the first things I had done. Why are guys so weird about that?? Rocky (Rockford) is great company for me, and is a big chicken at heart. He's a gun dog but is afraid and shakes at fireworks and thunder! He doesn't even like it if you snap the balls in bubblewrap!! Oh well, he is my Rocky and I love him!

Have a great Sunday everyone.

Shirley

Guess What I Did Today!

Tweet

The dryer fix-it man still hasn't come out. Maybe over the weekend. Soooooo, I washed some things this morning and since it was going to be such a great day out, I enjoyed hanging clothes! On my way home from the barn today I stopped and bought a new clothes line. This one was really wimpy. I was so afraid I'd come home to find all the clothes on the ground, but it held.

And what did you do today? : ))

Shirley

Foodie Friday Greek Chicken

Tweet

Here is my recipe for this week's Foodie Friday. Sorry I don't have any preparation photos but I made this a couple months ago before I actually started blogging much. Took me awhile to catch on! Be sure to visit Michael at Designs by Gollum. There will be wonderful things to eat there! http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

This was one of the best dinners I ever made!! It was absolutely delicious. I got the recipe, as you see, from Country Living Magazine. I'm no great cook, so you know this was pretty easy!

Grilled Chicken with Greek Flavors

From Country Living

This recipe has been tested by Country Living

With just five main ingredients — chicken breasts, red wine vinaigrette, oregano, tomatoes, and feta cheese — you can have a delicious Greek-inspired grilled chicken dinner.

INGREDIENTS

U.Stric

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

1 cup(s)

red wine vinaigrette (such as Wish-Bone's)

1 tablespoon(s)

chopped fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon(s)

salt

1 pound(s)

cherry or small mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoon(s)

red wine vinaigrette

1/4 teaspoon(s)

salt

1/2 tablespoon(s)

torn fresh oregano, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 ounce(s)

feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

1.Marinate chicken breasts in a mixture of red wine vinaigrette, fresh oregano, and salt for 1 hour. Remove chicken from marinade and cook on a grill, or grill pan, over medium-high heat, turning once, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Keep warm.

2.Meanwhile, toss tomatoes, red wine vinaigrette, and salt in a medium bowl. Lower grill temperature to medium. Sear tomatoes, cut sides down, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Return tomatoes to bowl and toss with torn fresh oregano.

3.Slice chicken and transfer to a platter. Spoon tomatoes alongside chicken. Crumble and sprinkle feta cheese plus additional fresh oregano over tomatoes.

COOKING INFO

Serves 4

Try it, You'll love it.

Happy Friday.

Shirley

Clotheslines

Tweet

I've put this post on Kelli's Show & Tell. Go take a look at what everyone is talking about this week. http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/

I wanted to show you where I spend a lot of my time, either blogging, ebaying or organizing photos and making movies. My desk looks a mess but I know where everything is!! : ))

I got this in an email. Thought it was really cute. I remember my Mom doing all this.

Right after I got it, my dryer shut down and won't start!!!!!! Guess I'll be hangin' clothes till I solve this dilemma!

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:

You have to be a certain age to appreciate this.

I can hear my mother now....

(if you don't know what clotheslines are, better skip this)

1. You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes-walk the

entire lengths of each line with a damp cloth around the lines..

2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order,

and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail!

What would the neighbors think?

4. Wash day on a Monday! . .. . Never hang clothes on the weekend,

or Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could

hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)

6. It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather . . .

Clothes would "freeze-dry. "

7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes!

Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"

8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes

up so that each item did not need two clothes pins,

but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.

9. Clothes off of the line before dinner time,

neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

10. IRONED?! Well, that's a whole other subject!

Have a great Friday Everyone.

Shirley

Just Two Little Treasures

Tweet

Stop in and visit Rhoda at Southern Hospitality. She has the list of participants in this weeks Thrifty Treasures! Thanks Rhoda. http://southernhospitalityblog.com/

Only two things from Goodwill this week!

Now isn't she the most precious thing you ever saw : )) She just spoke to me as I passed by. (Well, mooed to me.) She looks so contented! I'm happy : ))

Now see, she goes with my cow picture AND my milkshake maker!!!!

The second find was this Martha Stewart shower curtain. Looks new! My first floor bathroom could use a different look. It was $2.00. Can't beat that! Well, one of you probably can but I'm just sayin' . . .

Have a great Monday everyone. I'm babysitting!!

Shirley

Around the House

Tweet

Thanks to Mary at Little Red House for hosting this little photo craft! I'm having fun with it, now that I've sort of figured it out! Go visit all the participants listed on Mary's blog at: http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

I picked some of my favorite things from around the house. I have lots but these are a few. The prayer in the middle is what my sister and I would say for a grace at any big family gatherings. We always said the same one. I still do sometimes. I was lucky to find this little cross stitch at a garage sale one time. It hangs in my kitchen.

(Remember to click on the mosaic to make it larger if you'd like)

Have a nice Monday Everyone.

Shirley

Re-doing White

Tweet

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. Please check in with Chari at Happy To Design to see everyone's favorite posts from the past. I know there's a lot I've never seen since I'm a fairly new blogger. (Only 4 months under my belt!) Anyway go see the Favs at: http://happytodesign.blogspot.com/

This is a post I did for a special event at the very beginning of summer.

June 22, 2009

Thank you so much for this fun table setting event Kathleen! Please visit her site at http://cuisinekathleen.blogspot.com/ There will be a whole lot of beautiful tables I'll bet.

Here's my white on white dish tablescape. I love it!! But there's something missing. Oh . . . flowers. I added them later in the photos. It was breezy and I was having a heck of a time keeping the candles burning. I used up a whole book of matches.

(By the way don't forget if you click on my photos they will get bigger.)

There's those little birdies again!

Cups and saucers are from Goodwill. Go with everything! And, you know . . . . very cheap. (or I mean inexpensive)

My sterling silverware is Towle, Rambler Rose. My Godmother started buying me a piece for every occasion when I was born! I REALLY appreciate it now! I need a new silver box though. My old one doesn't seal well enough anymore.

Those lady golfers are probably wondering what on earth I'm doing over here. Such a pretty table, a camera on a tripod and I looked a wreck! I bet they wonder who's coming to dinner????

The crystal wines were a wedding gift I think. It's all kind of a blur!

This sugar spoon was my Mom's

This pretty sugar and creamer I found at T J Max for $3.99 each.

Look at these pretty little napkins. I got four of them at GW for $1.00. Well, really $.80 because I had a 20% off coupon for everything that day!

The sun is going down and no one is here but me!

Changed the napkins to inside the glasses.

I definitely like the napkins in the wine glasses the best.

White, silver and crystal looks beautiful by candlelite.

Let's face it, it's night and no one is coming!! That's OK, there wasn't any food anyway!!!

This was fun. Have a great Tuesday everyone. Time for bed!!

Shirley

Tablescape for Fall

Tweet

Thank you Susan for hosting Tablescape Thursday when we can all try to be a little artsy. I just bet everyone will have great beginning of fall tables! Susan has her beautiful blog at Between Naps On The Porch. http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Long shadows and a little coolness in the breeze. Almost everything is harvested out of the garden. Time for soup!

Sun is low already. You can tell fall is nearly here. Our big oaks are dropping such a large amount of big acorns right now, I feel like I need a helmet out here!!

I got 4 of these napkins including the rings for $2.00 at a little thrift shop. I just added a little bittersweet.

My little pumpkin soup tureen in the middle of the table. I'm imagining some squash soup in there : ))

This is the only antique on the table. It goes great for fall with the acorn pattern. I only have the creamer. I would love to find the sugar . . . . .

. . . . so that's why I'm using this little bowl as a sugar bowl.

Got these dark brown rooster S&P shakers at a little thrift shop this past week. I thought they were kind of different.

This arrangement took me all of 10 seconds to fix in this little brown graniteware coffee pot.

I really like these wheat dishes. I went back to GW for 3 days in a row thinking they'd put out the dinner plates but never found them so I got the golden yellow ones instead.

All these plates and bowls were obtained from GW for $1.00 each. I had the little pumpkins.

I would've liked to wait till the sun went down a little and had some candles but I could tell, this breeze wasn't going to die down enough for a candle to stay lit. So this was the idea of the color of candles anyway.

Happy beginning of Fall everyone.

Have a great Thursday.

Shirley