WAIT FOR IT!!! Thrifty Thursday...

Today is Thrifty Thursday, a weekly event over at Leigh's. Click on the link below if you want to go see and hear more about how to get just about everything you want or need by shopping thrift and resale! LOTS of treasure hunting going on over there.

http://lbratina.blogspot.com/2010/02/thrifty-thursday-51-plus-tablescape.html


My post today is simply a proof by photo that if you love to collect a certain something... that if you WAIT FOR IT, it will come to you, slowly but surely, over time. Being patient and keeping your eyes peeled, you will find very very inexpensive deals on your special "somethings."
All of the following bunny figures or images were collected over years. Some look like they might have come together as a pair, but NO...all were found at different times in different locations. Thanks for visiting! It's always fun to share and encourage others to shop thrifty!





**a little note: this is like another tole tray below, but it is in shades of blue, so I grabbed it for the Living room.

White Wednesday!

It's time for something white to post today. Kathleen does this every week. Click on the link and go view some lovely and dreamy and whimsical whites. It's fun to see how creative others are displaying so many various items and shades of white.

http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/

Another Goodwill goodie...

I don't know what this little sheep is made of but it is SOOO fragile, everytime I pick it up more little shards of the wool seem to break off. So I have to tell myself, "HANDS OFF!!" It was too cute to leave at Goodwill for 99 cents.


shabby white and blue finials or candlesticks for the bath.


These glass bead stems remind me so much of winter ice...


metal post card sign in sepia white, displayed in the large birdcage. (loved the Scottie)



This is a little bit of whimsy I have had fun creating this week. It consists of 3 separate dishes and a cloche topper ranging from .25 to .49 (Goodwill)... -a creamy white flower shaped base, a delicate blue floral china dish, and the clear glass plate and dome set.- I had found a sweet hand-painted egg that has a nest with two little spikey headed birds sitting in it. That egg sits in a nest of leftover blue and white beach glass and mini blueberries. It is fun, whimisical, and just plain cute. Love the theme of nesting.

I took the cloche dome off to try and give you a closer look at the irresistible little nest scene. My camera just WON'T do closeup shots. Oh well, you'll have to take my word for it. It's adorable! Just sharing the latest fun project!


And of course I can't end this blog without posting a few white chilly photos of the snow we just got last Friday night and Saturday. (for the personal journalling side of my blog. )




Gideon LOVES snow!


Rob Roy tolerates it.


Kobe loves outdoors...period!


Thanks so much for popping in to visit over at Life Is What You Make Of It...

These days we are awaiting the return of Justin back to NC from a month of final pre-deployment training in California. Looking forward so much to getting to talk to him again this weekend. He will have about a month before shipping out to Afghanistan.
Thank you...all of of you for your kind comments and words to share with him. It means a lot.
Blessings. Go have a great Wednesday!!

Three or More... Fluffies

Joining Tam over here:
http://www.thegypsyscorner.com/

My blogpost today is about something some of you may not know about me. Not too far back, my family and I were a foster home for a Canine Rescue here in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte). We did this for about 3 years. It was an experience that taught us lots of lessons. We learned a lot about people. We learned a lot about dogs. We learned a lot about ourselves. WE are better people because of it. The dogs we took in, rehabilitated, and loved now have awesome homes, and along the way it was these furry creatures that changed us the most.

If you are looking to add a dog to your family...consider rescue and adoption. Do your homework. Count the cost. Give a deserving dog a wonderful home. Only get a dog for what you can do for it....Not for what it can do for you! They will be forever grateful. It takes work and commitment...but in the end, the payoff is priceless...

In fitting in with today's theme....Here are three or more of some of the wonderful loving foster dogs that shared our home and our lives for a short while in their life journey as they travelled to their forever homes.




Kasay


Tollie (really loved this sweet little boy - wanted to keep this one)


Deacon

by the way...this is that little fella today, living large on a ranch in Texas.



Jack our one Senior - he was between 8 or 9 years old...WHAT a sweetie.


Kiara (KiKi)



Nicklaus (loved this FIRST foster... lovingly Nikki)


Opal



Gus



Boomer - oh how we loved Boom-Boom...... just could have kept this one (part Dane and very large!!! only 8 months old here, still g-r-o-w-i-n-g!)



Dakota (Kody) This little guy my husband found wandering in the street (dumped)



Miracle (because it WAS a miracle he lived he was so sick and emaciated - his sibling died.) Lovingly Mick! Adopted by a vet and living very well today.


Taffy

And....drum roll, please...Kobe. This is the one foster we flunked out on. (the golden one - that's big Sam in the background.) This one DID end up staying with us. He was adopted out, ended up coming back ...and the rest is history. He's been all ours now for almost 4 years. He's my cowboy. (a REAL dawg, my hubby calls him) :-)

The families that adopted our fosters still stay in touch and send us updates and photos which just thrills us still to this day. Those doggies were a part of our lives and a lot of invested hours and energy and mega-love. It was a great thing.

If you would like to see the post where I tell about our 5 rescued dogs that are a part of our family quilt, then just click the link below to see their picture and hear their story. As of this date, Sam and Annie Grace are no longer with us, and we miss them very much. We lost Sam in May of '09 to Diabetes. We lost Annie Grace to returning cancer in June of '08.
Missed but never forgotten.

http://faithgraceandjoy.blogspot.com/2009/03/furry-sources-of-love.html





Thanks for visiting. Hope you have a great day. If you have a furry one in your life, give it a BIG hug today.
Julie

Monday Metamorphosis

Joining many many others over at Susan's for her MONDAY Parties about any transformations or "metamorphosis" you have had going on at your house that might delight or inspire others. Check out her blog at this link:

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

I had gotten a nice little table for our corner breakfast nook at Salvation Army last Fall. ($25.00)It was an older one, quite sturdy and I liked the large round pedestal. It was an avocado color, and I promptly painted it black when I got it home. Since then I have been searching for some black chairs to go with it.

This past week I saw a listing on Craig's List for 3 kitchen chairs @ 10. each. I drove over to get a better look. The chairs were pretty beat up and chipped. They were built well (had good bones) and worth way more than the $10 each. I got them.

They had been brush painted a high gloss black, reminding me of lacquered furniture in a Chinese restaurant. As soon as I got home I cleaned them up, sanded the peeling paint in places, removed the cushions, and spray painted the chairs with a Satin Black. (low sheen). They already looked so much better.

I took a shower curtain I found at Goodwill ($1.99) made of a very durable 100% cotton (almost canvas) fabric, cut out new pieces for the cushions, and got my Son #3 to help me staple the new covers on. He is a very good assistant.

What you see below is the metamorphosis *afterwards*. I didn't take any before pics. There was a snowstorm coming here, and I had hurried to get the paint job done before it was too cold to do it. I think they look mega-better! I'm glad I found them. And since we only use 3 chairs in this tight spot, it worked out to be the perfect deal.

Today I am grateful and quite fond of this trio: Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Craig's List. :-)


Old cushion fabrics. Pretty dingy.


Freshly painted and recovered chair.



Close-up of "repurposed" shower curtain chair fabric. (shhh..don't tell anyone. It's our little secret.)


And here's the Salvation Army table/Craig's List chairs marriage. :-) Quite lovely and very nice on the pocketbook.

Thanks for visiting. Don't forget to go over and see more at Susan's post today.

Blessings and Happy Thrifty Decorating.

Julie