Showing posts with label thrift stores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thrift stores. Show all posts

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Thrifty Days Sort of...

I love these sorts of posts almost as much as I love a good bargain! The following items are purchases I made when I went with my friend Julie to check out some thrift stores in Stratford, ON. Not all were "thrifty" as you will see...

The hat below is a Goodwill purchase of $1.50. This is a possible throw away item for when my brother and I go to Scotland in less than THREE weeks!! I like this hat, it fits well though I don't know what team it represents...nor do I care. I picked blue simply because my rain coat is blue so I'll be semi-coordinated on rainy days :) If I need to get rid of anything to make room somewhere in my suitcase or backpack when flying home and no longer want to wear a sweat-stained hat I can dispose of it and not feel any regret.


I popped into a shoe store in Stratford because I wanted a good quality product to keep my boots waterproof and supple. This should do the trick!

In no way could my boots be labelled a "thrifty purchase" but this just goes to show that I can occasionally make a more expensive purchase when need be. And good quality hiking boots are no place to try and save money! I have hiked in them and they feel good. Definitely worth $400+!!

Two books from the same Goodwill store - the first I bought for myself, the second Julie bought for me for my birthday and is an Oprah's Book Club book. It's a big fat book, they both are, and I am almost finished the Rohinton Mistry book - it's so good!! Don't remember the price but not much!


In another thrift store, Salvation Army I think...I found two excellent pairs of shoes. The runners are by Sketchers and something I've been looking for for awhile. I like a solid white shoe and they are not big clodhoppers that make my legs look like sticks...you know what I mean! They were clean and new and worth more than the $4.00 I paid for them.

I found some nice tops as well - this one appealed to my habit of buying grey/black and/or white with a nice patterned material, a cute peasant style neckline and...

...a really cute label hee hee! How could I resist?

This top below was the piece de resistance! And it looked like a million bucks when I tried it on. I love 3/4 length sleever (I have short arms), the neckline was flattering and I loved the colours and the fabric. It was $3 or $4 dollars.

Then we popped into the local Winners to check out the clearance racks. I found two tops - the tank top below with criss-cross back that looks awesome with...

...the sweet jacket/top I had just picked up for next to nothing.

Oops, I'm slightly out of order... here's the other fab pair of shoes I found - Aldo brand with the label stick stuck to the bottoms of the shoes, and again - so cute! I've been looking for flats so another box ticked!

Back to Winners...this was another top on the Clearance rack and it looked great when I tried it on. It's one of those tops that don't look like much on the hanger but when you put it on it's perfect! Hugged me in all the right places...

Gorgeous deep blue tie-dye sort of fabric.

And last but not least (for today) is a freebie: Julie bought this bathing suit top but it didn't fit her so she gave it to me. I've taken to wearing a "tankini" when at the beach - boy shorts and tank top = tankini. I definitely don't wear bikinis anymore and one piece suits are a pain in the washroom. It fits well and I already had the boy shorts - we have maybe one beach day left before Julie goes back to work (school teacher) but I'll be ready! 

Thriftiness while in Bracebridge coming next...

Monday, August 10, 2015

A Day for.....

NAPS!!
Lily is soooooo tired from playing with her blue mousey....


...and it's raining and thundering outside so we can't enjoy the patio....nor can I ride my bike or go to the beach...


...so Luna curled up with a quilt and a pillow and I'm so tempted to join her!

If only I didn't have to go to the store to buy Heavenly Hash ice cream!! I told Sluggy I could wait one more day for ice cream as I didn't want to go out in the rain and the thunder but I lied - I can't do it! But before I go....I finally set up my sewing machine and figured out (yet again) how to put the stupid bobbin in. So much time passes in between sewing projects that I have to relearn about the silly bobbin again and again.

I checked out patterns online and found several that I liked (Simplicity ones are my faves). And I did a wee project today involving taking ugly cap sleeves off a white eyelet blouse I bought at a thrift store a couple months ago.
Much better!
Okay - off to buy ice cream!! Oh...and of course it's raining harder now!!!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Happiness is...


  • a smart and funny child who makes me smile (she calls me "lady")
  • my newish blog title :) (thank you my friends!)
  • planting new trees on the old homestead (1 maple and 2 beech)
  • discovering that previously planted trees are still alive!! (4 out of 5 maples, a red oak, an eastern pine, many many spruce seedlings)
  • having a sister email me several times a day with positive advice and encouragement
  • having a good friend spend 3 weeks with me to get me over a tough spell
  • marigolds
  • gathering enough dead wood for several more campfires
  • a cold beer (or two) after mowing lawn around my forest during 30+ humid weather...ahhhhh!
  • wandering around Victoria by the Sea with no time restraints; walking out onto the ocean floor when the tide is out!
  • RAW FOOD - tonight's dinner is zucchini spaghetti with alfredo sauce made from cashews :)
  • buying my very own adjustable wrench!!
  • planting kale and lettuce seeds in July - why not?
  • time for reading novels (not exactly classic literature if you know what I mean)
  • icecream (toffee almond twist - a flavour I can only get on the island - I made it THREE WEEKS before I caved!!
  • YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU!! My blogging friends - the best friends in the world!!
  • loving myself, believing that I am worthy
  • meeting relatives for the first time!! My second cousin Dawn and cousin-in-law Cindy
  • travelling to Halifax for the first time - what an amazing city! I love your galleries and museums and especially your thrift/vintage clothing stores!!
  • siblings who care
  • crows for their entertainment value
  • a strong wind that helps keep me cool in this scorching weather AND prevents mosquitoes and flies from landing on me :) :)  now THAT'S happiness!!
  • high speed internet which I DON'T have, but wish I did; it took about 15 minutes to upload the following 5 photos - good thing I didn't try for more! 
                                     The tide is out!
                                    I want a turquoise house (in Victoria by the Sea!!)
                                Chocolate should be on the list - it makes me really really really happy!
                                  PEI scenery - the layers and layers in a landscape.
                              Trees, especially the largest tree in PEI!!!     Julie is a tree-hugger but this one was                                                        way too big for her though she tried!  

                                  Ain't she a beaut!?!