Celebrate!

I am feeling very melancholy as I sit here thinking of the past year and that it is over.  It is ending in quite an unimpressive way.  Geez, if only I had a few friends that played some instruments that would go marching through the great outdoors with me...if only. ;) I do have an HH sitting behind me playing on his new guitar that he just bought, and that is somewhat fabulous, considering that he's been playing on the same guitar for 19 years!

I'm not sure where this little blog stands now.  I'm sure I'll keep it up and going if only a little bit.  In fact I have a post from Ashley's little Yard Sale adventure (without me!) from last weekend.  It's going to blow you out of the water!  So look forward to that.

I still can't believe that it has been a year, I'm rather impressed with myself though.  I know that sounds super self indulgent, but hey I just went 366 (1 extra day because of leap year.  YES I'm counting it!) days buying only second-hand items! I deserve to be a little self indulgent and since I'm here, without a marching band, and I am a words person then I will go on in my self indulgence. :)  I'm AWESOME! Okay, I'm done now...

This project has been stressful as you know, and I've hated it, and cried because of it, BUT it has done so much GOOD for me and my family.  It has saved us so much $$$, has made me more aware of how wasteful we can be, and helped me think outside of the box more then ever.  I look back and can see how much good it has done for us.  I also hope that I have helped people be more inspired as well.  Helped people not to be embarrassed to shop second-hand and to see that it is so much more fun, and so much more creative and unique.  I hope that I've inspired people to SAVE money instead of SPEND money.  I hope I have shown someone what really matters in life.  It's not the fancy clothes you wear, or the expensive things you have around the house.  It's not the latest technology sitting in your hand or on your desk.  It's not the 2012 car in your garage.  It's the wonderful PEOPLE that surround you each day, it's GOD, it's PEACE.  

I have a saying hanging on my wall that says, "The secret to having it all is believing you do."  I couldn't agree more. :)  

THANK YOU so very, very much for supporting me on this little journey of mine.  Thank you for reading my blog.  Thank you for all the encouragement.  Thank you for all the nice things said.  Thank you for having Yard Sales. THANK YOU for INSPIRING me!

Now let's strike up the band, and...CELEBRATE! 

5 Days, But Who's Counting?

I am!  I'm counting!  This has been very awesome, very long, very life changing, very empowering,  very stressful, and I'm VERY ready to be done. :)  I'm so glad I stuck with it and did it though.  I can't believe I did!  It would've been so easy to just give up.  Nobody even cared but me.  It would've been even easier to cheat.  Do you know how many times I heard the phrase, " I'll buy it for you first, and then you can just buy it from me." No PEOPLE THAT'S CHEATING! :)  Love that everyone was so willing to help out though. :)  I have had so much support.  People you are AWESOME! 

I am very excited to buy something new AT LAST.  I've had lots of people asking me what my first purchase is going to be and I'm deciding on a couple of things.

A new swim suit.  The HH and I will be celebrating our 10 YEAR Anniversary this year and with all that money we saved this year ;) we were able to save enough to go on a cruise to celebrate. I can't even wait!!  Excited doesn't even begin to describe it!  So of course I'll "NEED" a new suit...or two. ;)  I haven't bought a new swimming suit in 5 years! 5 YEARS!

Here are some options, what do you think?

 This one as many options for bottoms. What do you think?

I also want one of these really cute floppy sun hats.  I've always been a fan, but never have bought one.  I think it's time. :)

Something else I've been eying are the cute colored  skinny jeans.  I especially like the mint, and the coral.

I'll be going to "City Creek Mall" in SLC this Saturday (Yes 2 DAYS before my project ends!).  I won't be buying anything, but I will be eying up all the stores to see what I want to buy come May 1st! Eeeeeee!

The BEST Things in Life Aren't THINGS!

Saturday was another one of those days that solidified that 

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE AREN'T THINGS! 

  

Mr. C went and worked for his Grandpa all morning and came home with a new pet "Sally the Salamander".  He was so excited!  He worried and stressed about her getting sick, not breathing, and if she was happy for 2 days.  He ended up taking it back to Grandpa's house and letting it go in his pond.  "I'm going to miss her Mom, but I know it will be the best thing for her." said with tear filled eyes almost broke my heart.

 

Sparkling clean windows that I didn't even have to clean! The HH went on a window cleaning rampage!!  I told you he is HANDY to have around. :)

Note: The shed in the back ground is for our goats (yes we have goats! Long story) it is older then the HH.  It was his great-Grandpa's. Talk about SECOND-HAND!

To end the day we had a get together with friends.  They are so great!!!!!!!  We had a ball, the kids had a ball.  GOOD TIMES!

What a fun filled weekend! Full of JOY, and it didn't cost a penny. :)  That's what I'm talking about! :)

Anyone Need a Little Dave?

 http://www.daveramsey.com

A couple years ago the HH and I feel in love...with this guy, DAVE RAMSEY.  He is so incredible inspiring and motivating.  He is exactly what we needed at that time in our lives.  I am so glad that we found him sooner then later.  He teaches about getting and staying out of debt and how to use your money wisely.  By following his plan, it has given us so much more freedom, control, and peace of mind with our money.   Pretty much he's AMAZING!

He is a BIG reason why I did this project in the first place and a HUGE reason why I've stuck with it.  He has a radio show that I listen to almost every night while I do the dishes and clean-up the kitchen, it continually motivates me to 'stick with it'.  If you haven't checked him out yet, DO!

Do You Believe in Magic?

I BELIEVE!...in these two products!  They have made my life so much easier/happier!  They pretty much clean EVERYTHING!  They have saved me numerous times cleaning up things that I've bought second-hand and made them look, sparkling clean, and new.  Thus giving me more options on what I can buy.  I love it! 

OXI CLEAN gets out most set in stains, including, blood stains, grass stains, and grease stains.  I'm not kidding this stuff is AMAZING!

Magic Erasers get out everything!!! Dirty marked-up shoes, crayons, marked-up dolls, pen, and LOTS MORE!  I have used these countless times and I'm still amazed every time.

Here is an example.  Our cute neighbor girls wanted to give this 'My Loving Family' doll house to Miss J.  They brought it over and Miss J instantly fell in-love with it.  My love was not so "instant".  It had been colored from top to bottom with crayons.  It kinda looked like a mess.  Which we can all relate with right?  What kid hasn't taken crayon to something in their life?   I was not wanting to keep it, but there was no way Miss J was giving it up without a fight.  So I spent 30 min.s trying to scrub it with soap and water, and nothing!  You couldn't even tell.  I went back to my cleaning supplies and saw my 'Magic Eraser' so I thought I'd give it a try and I was BEYOND AMAZED! It cleaned up the whole thing in less then 10 min.s!  Oh, I believe in Magic alright, because I don't know any other way to explain how it works!  If you don't have one of these, or ten, then go get one ASAP.  You can thank me later. ;)

I wish I had before picture of the house, but I don't.  Just picture it colored ALL OVER. Here are the AFTER shots though.  

I also got these other 'My Loving Family' products at a Yard Sale.  .25 each for the dolls and .50 for the car.  Love!!!!

Pajama Party

One of my most favorite things to buy (second-hand or not) is pajamas for the kids.  They just look so darn cute in them!  Pajamas can be one of those really expensive things though, especially if you buy the fun Character ones from the Disney Store, which the kids LOVE. I have gotten me, or rather the kids some great second-hand jammies for a GREAT price.  Here are just a few of them.

Miss J sporting her Princess Arial PJs.  She has worn them so much that they are starting to come apart along the bottom, but "who cares, no big deal, she's got more" and I only spent $2 on them. :)  Wear/love them all you want. :)

 

Mr. C in his "How To Train Your Dragon" pajamas ($1), and Miss J in ALL PINK PJs. (.25  for both the leggings and the shirt.)

Mr. C in Mario Jammies which were a huge hit and his Valentine's Day present ($2.99), and Miss J's Tinkerbell jams that I purchased a year and a half ago for our Disney Vacation. ($2 and legging were .50) Much cheaper then buying them brand-mew at Disneyland, and she loved them just the same. :)

HAPPY SABBATH

I Love this talk so very much!  It is one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITES! Now every time I buy something I  ask myself, "Why I am buying it"?  "What is my intention"?

It's helped me immensely!  Maybe it will help you too. :)



That was just a tid-bit.  To read, watch, or listen to the entire talk(which I HIGHLY recommend) go HERE.

WAIT

One of the biggest things that has helped me through-out my project is learning to WAIT.  When I buy something at a Yard Sale or a Thrift Store I don't automatically give it to the person I bought it for. Even if it's for me. ;)  What if it only cost .25 though? Nope, I WAIT.  I WAIT for a special occasion, I WAIT for a purpose. 

I can't tell you how many times I needed a gift and went to my Gift Box and had the perfect thing.  I didn't have to go find something else because I had already given it to them. 

Especially with my kids.  They have so much stuff already that I don't love giving them more.  I'm rude I know.  Most times I even make them get rid of something before they get to have a new thing.  I know, I know I'm mean, but honestly people my kids are in NO WAY hurting for toys.  Their rooms are full and so is the toy box.  When I buy something for my kiddos it goes either in their gift box or their Good Behavior Bag to WAIT. 

Once in a while I do give something right away but more often then not I WAIT. :)  It has saved my life, not to mention, my time, my pocket book, and my stress level.

  

Tempted!

My Sister-in-law is getting married on WEDNESDAY, and I have been SO very tempted to buy us some new attire for the special occasion.

It has been killing me! 

My sweet Mother-in-law bought Miss J and her cousin matching dresses for it, and also bought the boys their ties so there wasn't much more I needed, but Miss J needed some new shoes in a bad way to go with the dress she's wearing.

I broke down and bought her some from Payless!!!!

We had them for a week in the box and the guilt got to me so I was determined to take them back, and prayed I'd be able to find something that would work.

I stopped by Kid to Kid and struck 'gold'!

Payless Shoes for 14.99, but I had a 20% off coupon and ended up getting them for around $12.  Just look how shinny and new they look!  How long would they stay that way though, right?

Found these for $2.99 and they are the exact same color as the Payless ones and with a little cleaning up will look FABULOUS with her dress!!

Also found these!  They are the exact same pair as her Payless ones just a different color.  They cost me $3.99.  This pic doesn't make them look that great, but they really are cute.  The ribbon and the shoes are actually the same color.

I was able to take the Payless ones back and get 2 pairs of shoes for less then the NEW ones.  I'm really excited about it!  I'm not going to lie and say it wasn't hard taking those cute little gold flats back, but hey, I CAN DO HARD THINGS! :)

Princess Mulan

This is probably one of my favorite finds of the year.  Miss J has wanted a Mulan dress for a very long time, but even used ones are $50, and I couldn't justify it.  Then one sunny, happy day we were Thrifting and we were on our way to the check-out when I saw this little beauty hanging on the rack by the dressing rooms.  I couldn't believe it!  Then I about died when I saw the price of $2.99!!!!  I was convinced that it had a big tear or stain on it for that price, but it had neither and looked practically NEW.  What a steal!!!  We gave it to her for Valentines Day and she absolutely loves it!!!!!  So glad I was patient and didn't buy the $50 one. :)

Tempted!

Here I am...I'm blogging.  Why.  Because I can. :)  Because I have a full day without plans.  Because my 1 year old is napping.  Because my 6 & 3 year old are outside, still in their pajamas, playing.  Because I'm slightly crampy, and a little bit bloated (too much information? Maybe.), and I feel very much like NOT getting dressed today. Because I've decided NOT to workout today or clean or do much of anything else. Because...I CAN!!!!

Now on to the goods.  Do you know that sometimes I don't like my project very much?  It's true, sometimes I DO NOT like it.  Those times usually hit when there are GIFTS involved.  Coming up with a second-hand present is HARD!!!!  Mister C my 6 year old was invited to a good friends birthday party and in two days I had to figure out a gift.  This is in the midst of being up at Girls Camp.  So in reality I had one day to create something awesome that a boy turning 7 would love.  I turned to the trusted Super Hero Cape.  (Remember it HERE.)  But this time I didn't have my Mom's help (who is an AMAZING seamstress), and it literally took me ALL DAY AND NIGHT to make!  My thread kept breaking and to stitch around the super hero emblems is beaslty to say the least!    YAAAAAAH!  There was a lot of stress and unpicking going on.  I was cursing my project and was TEMPTED immensely to just run on over to the Mart and pick him up something.  But I didn't I was strong.  'Cause ya know what?  I CAN DO HARD THINGS!!!  :)  I plugged through and at mid-night I finished!  I wrapped it up and prayed  he would like it.

Fast forward a week which was couple days before my nieces bridal shower. I had been picking my brain on what to give her for a good month.  But nothing was coming.  Late at night, 2 days before her shower, it hits me.  I remember that I had the cutest recipe cards that I'd been saving for 5 years.  Because I couldn't just use them for something ordinary they were WAY too cute for that.  See how my mind works? LOL.  Then I also remembered I had an extra wooden recipe box that my Grandpa had made.  Don't worry people I already had one that he had made for ME.  I would never give away my one and only handmade box from my Gramps.  Any who...I was so thrilled to do this for her.  I know when I first got married.   I was NOT a cook!  So to help her on her path of becoming a good cook made me feel happy.  I wrote down some of my favorite recipes and moved on to the painting of the box.  My first plan was to spray paint it a buttery yellow color.  But guess what? Couldn't find a butter yellow in a spray, but I did have one in a Acrylic paint.  BAD IDEA.  It takes 3x's as long to hand paint then it does to spray and it doesn't dry near as smooth, especially when you try and rush it, because you need to have it all done by 5 o'clock the next day along with 10 other things you need to do that day. BLAH!!!!  So once again I was tempted.  TEMPTED SO BAD!!!  Just let me go to the Mart, or better yet Target.  Ah target...:)  But NO!  On to plan B, I WILL make this work!  I sanded the box again.  Grabbed the Ocean Breeze spray paint that I had on hand and went to work.  It took me a total of 2 hours to respray and completely let dry ( I heart spray paint!!).  I added a cute twiggy tree rub-on to the side, an adorable little bird and the the word "recipe",  and woola!  It turned out so GREAT! I almost wanted to keep it for myself.  But the thought of having to come up with something else for a gift made me break out in cold sweats.  So into the gift bag it went.

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

Yeah, I really hated (strong word, yes.  It's how I felt.) my project but then I loved it once again when I got a text from the Mom of the Birthday Boy saying that he LOVED his cape so much and couldn't wait to show it to his dad, and When my Sister-in-law said "You might hate your project, but we all love it because we get awesome gifts".  Just knowing that the work I put into the gifts is appreciated really means the world to me!  Plus to know I'm using  things that have just been hanging around my house for years FEELS GREAT. :) I think I just need to plan a head so there is not so much pressure with a time schedule.

Anybody have any GREAT gift ideas?  Please say you do and that you'll share them with me!!!!  I NEED HELP PEOPLE!!!  In more ways then one but we won't get into that right now. ;)

Buyer Beware!

When I found this booster seat this last weekend I was psyched! I have been looking for one for a couple months now.  Miss J had requested a pink, girl seat...this fit the description.  It looked in pretty good condition especially the back of it.  The bottom was slightly dirty but I thought some Oxy Clean could do the trick on it.  Then they told be their asking price, $5...SOLD!  She showed me how to put it together and take it apart, I bought it and loaded it in my car.  Oh, HAPPY DAY!  Or so I thought.  Stopped at another Yard Sale and as I was loading my finds in the trunk when I smelt...SWAMP.  What the!  I poked around inside to find the cause of that AWFUL smell and found the bottom pad (or cover) sopping wet with swampy water! The bottom part of the seat had been laying sideways on top of it. Oh, my disgusting.  I did some more investigating and realized that the two cup holders had been full of water and had a ring of green moss around them.  WHY DID I NOT CHECK THAT OUT?  I am usually really good about giving things a thorough once-over. I guess I was blinded by the find on this one. When I got it home I stripped the pads off took the top and bottom apart and sprayed them down with a hose.  That was NOT doing the job good enough for me so I took them in the house and threw them in the tub so I could soak and scrub them.  When I put the bottom base in and started feeling the tub with water all this junk started coming out of it...including a spider, some rocks, 2 quaters (hey I made some $ back!  But it wasn't $5 worth!), and wood chips.  I was so GROSSED OUT!!!!  More then once I thought about just dumping it in the garbage (I'm still kinda wondering why I didn't). Instead, I soaked it three times and one more time for a two hour stretch in bleach.  FINALLY gunk stopped coming out of it.  FINALLY it looked usable.  I washed the pads 3 times and they look pretty good although there are still a few stains I couldn't get out of the bottom pad.  All in all though it looks great.

I'm sure you all know the morale of the story... 

CHECK THINGS OUT THOROUGHLY BEFORE BUYING! 

(yes I am shouting this).

A blessing or a curse.

"I am having an out of money experience." ~Author Unknown

I have to admit that I have not always been a THRIFTY girl.  I've always liked getting a good deal , but I wouldn't say I was exactly "THRIFTY". GASP...I know right!  But like many of you out there, this recession has forced me to face reality.   Before, I would buy all my kids clothes at  Name Brand stores, and wouldn't necessarily wait for them to go on sale first.  I'd buy what I wanted, when I wanted it.  Why wait? We would eat out more often then not, or, we would eat out of a box.  I'm embarrassed to say that in the first 5 years of marriage we didn't even go through a 5lb bag of flour.  I can't believe I just admitted that.  But it's true.  Thankfully I've come a LOOOOONG way in the last 4 years.  Because of the recession I have been, not so gently, pushed in the right direction as far as finances go.  I use to think: "Why me?  Why do I have to go through this?  Why? Why? Why?"  Then one day (or maybe more gradually then I thought) I woke up.  I had my light bulb moment!  Why NOT me?  Instead I started thinking "What should I be getting out of all this and what was I suppose to be learning?"  I learned to tell the difference between a "want" and a "need".  I learned how to cook.  I mean really cook!  From scratch!  I'm talking, home made bread and rolls, noodles, and soups (not from the can!).  I learned what is truly important in life.  I learned that it actually was, and is, possible to be poor and happy.  I learned that there is so much more out there that is more important then money.  I learned the JOY of being truly "THRIFTY".   Life is good people!  Life is good!  I am SO HAPPY to have gone through the struggles that I have gone through.  Otherwise we would still be eating from a box; we would be living off our credit cards and wonder why we still weren't as happy as we could be.   I'm not saying that everyone needs to be like me or go through what I went through to learn these lessons.  You are all probably much smarter than I am in the first place.  I'm just saying that I have an AMAZING Heavenly Father who knows what I need, and knows what lessons I need to learn, so that I can become the best version of myself.  So not having money has become a blessing to me, not a curse.   It is funny (and slightly sad) that it took me a good two years to figure it out.  But I can honestly say that I know Someone is watching over me and even though I can't see the "BIG PICTURE" of my life, I know that they can, and I need to trust in that. So this "curse" became exactly what I needed to bless me for the rest of my life.

Pep-talk For My Brain.

So yesterday I logged on to my blog and glanced over to my countdown, and was caught off guard that I only have 4 more days until my 'Year of Thrift' kicks off.  I'm starting to get anxiety about it.  Why?  I'm not sure?  I'm basically already doing it, but there is something about being all "official"  about it and all.  Can I really do this?....HECK YES!  I know at times I'm going to wish I NEVER did it and wonder what possessed me to do it in the first place. It kind of reminds me of my thought process when I was giving birth to my son...natural, no epidural(What was I thinking? and why would anyone ever want to do such a thing!).  I'm hoping it is like giving birth, in that after it is over and I have had time to process I will think: "How AWESOME and AMAZING it was and that I am pretty much a modern day SUPERHERO.  The outcome was incredible, and if asked if I would do it again, I'd say: "PROBABLY" (but more yes then no;)).  The pay-off vs. the pain was well worth it.  I'm so sorry for the birthing analogy, but this is a Pep-talk for my brain, so I'm going with what works for me.  I can DO this!  I can go one whole year, 365 days, 1 Christmas, 1 Easter, 1 Mother's Day, Father's Day, and a ca-gillion birthdays.  I can do this right?  Well WHEN I do, do this I'm going to need ALL the HELP I can get.  So please drop by often and leave any helpful hints you might have.  I'm especially going to need A LOT of ideas for gifts.  Thanks for staying and playing along with me.  And if all else fails, this should make for an interesting year. ;)  Plus, look how cute we all look in our second-hand finds...

 The BOYZ in their second-hand outfits. 

Mister E.- Babystyle outfit= .50

Mister C-Old Navy Top= $2, Children's Place jeans= $5.99

Us girlies in our Second-hand finds. :)

Miss J-Old Navy top and skirt= $7, Old Navy Hat=1.99

Yours Truly- Down East Jacket=5.99

Layers white cap sleeve top=FREE

American Eagle Jeans=6.99

*The Handy Husband is sadly lacking in second-hand clothing.  Soon that will change and I'll post pictures of thee Handsome Hubby. :)  Apologies for the blurry pictures; my camera is on it's last leg and is struggling right now. :(  Maybe... ... just maybe, I'll find one at this weeks Yard Sales. ;)

**Thanks for all that voted on my paint dilemma.  Looks like the yes' won!  Oh happy day for me. :) 

Peace vs Pieces?

Never spend money before you have it. The rule which I wish to see you governed by through your whole life, of never buying anything which you have not the money in your pocket to pay for. Be assured that it gives much more pain to the mind to be in debt, than to do without any article whatever which we may seem to want."
-Thomas Jefferson   

How? How?  Is the question I am asked when out shopping with friends/family.  How can you not buy things?  How can you be so strong?  This quote sums it up perfect for me.  I finally got to the point where I would rather have PEACE in my life then PIECES of clothing(or whatever).  Yes I like to look good, but you know what I like even more then that?  Feeling good.  I love the feeling I get when I DON'T buy that item and I DON'T put it on a credit card, and I DON'T pay interest on it.  I LOVE the feeling I get when I can say "You don't own me!" to whatever item is there taunting me to buy it.  I LOVE IT!  I can be strong!  I can make the choice whether to buy or not to buy.  Whether I have PEACE in my life or not.  So go out make your choice and BE strong!!!!

Almost...

So I almost bought a sofa tonight, and now I'm having non-buyers remorse.  You know the remorse you get when you don't buy something.  You can't get it off your mind, and are kicking yourself for NOT buying it?  Yeah, that is what I am feeling right now. This sofa was AMAZING!  Hard wood frame, craftsmen style, looked new, simply AMAZING!  And only $55!  AHHHHHH!  Why didn't I buy it?  Why?  Well, right now I'm not sure why.  At the time these were the reasons:

1. Husband would've have said "WHAT THE...!"
2. No where to put it at the present time.
3. I didn't have a truck with me (they would've held it for 3 days though).
But probably the biggest reason of all is...
4. If I don't "NEED" it and I buy it then is that really being thrifty?

SIGH...:(   I wish I would've taken a picture of it for you to see.  I really need to start carrying a camera with me every where I go.  But, on a HAPPY note.  I did find a really great, super unique  stool.  So stay tuned for that one. :)

Thoughts in my Head

"Being frugal does not mean being cheap! It means being economical and avoiding waste." --Catherine Pulsifer

I do not consider myself a cheap person.  In fact I really do have expensive taste.  Often I find myself flipping through the Pottery Barn catalog dreaming of what I could do with all that amazing stuff.  But then my daydreams are ripped back into reality with a glimpse of the PRICE.  Ouch! Or walking through Nordstrom's and The Gap only to find myself once again shocked at the prices but longing for something amazing to wear.  I LOVE TO SHOP!  But with a dwindling paycheck, a goal to get out of debt, and a ever growing pull to stop being so wasteful, I had to change my mindset.  So I started shopping "Thrift".  I started digging through junk to find that one spectacular find; the one where I can't wait another second to call my sister for her pant size, because I just found a pair of "Big Star" jeans for $7, and they look brand new.  Or, to drive over to a friends to show them my very "loved", $3 chair that I can't wait to get a coat of paint on.  Or, the joy on my kids face when I find them a bike, or dollhouse that cost less then buying a 'Happy Meal'.  I just get excited people.  I get excited about THRIFT, about being FRUGAL, about saving that dime so I can put it towards helping others, or making memories with my family.  That is what life is all about, not who has the newest, nicest stuff; not about who spent more on their shoes or their handbag; it's about family, friends, and for me, my Savior Jesus Christ.  So that is why I LOVE THRIFTING.  It lets me spend my money on what really matters while helping keep things out of the landfills and while providing me and my home a one of a kind look.

Before and After:

My $3 chair from a thrift shop. Worth every penny don't you think?

I think this little girl has some of her Momma in her. She spotted this little goodie from a mile away. It was all folded up in it's cute little carrying case, and she still saw its potential. Or maybe she was just sucked in by all that PINK.  She's truly a girlie girl.  We paid a whopping $3 for it.  JACK POT!

To Follow a Dream...

Hello my friends in Blog land.  How nice of you to stop by.  Hang up your coat, pull up a chair, and stay awhile...at least until the kids start screaming, and you can no longer tune them out. ;)


The start of something...AWE-SOME!

Project: Starting May 1st 2011 for one year, I will only be buying second-hand items, with a few exceptions, like: food, underclothing (because that's just nasty people), personal care items, and cleaning items. But, I want to buy those items as local and thrifty as I can.  You get the idea, all house ware items, clothing, toys, books, movies, etc. will all be second-hand.

Why:  For so many reasons, including (but not limited too):

I love a good challenge.
I love re-purposing things.
I love saving the world (modern day superhero).
I love saving moo-la.
I love finding something spectacular in unusual places.

I am pretty pumped about starting and although I know I might regret it at times, I know I can do it.  For one, I probably buy at least 60% of my stuff second-hand already.  Two, it's a good accuse to live at yard sales ALL summer and there are few things I love to do more...is that weird?  Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that.  But it's true.  You should have seen the treasures I picked up this weekend.  Wait for it and you will.  I'll be posting all the fun little finds I get and tips on how to thrift and what to look for.  I am a Thrifter at heart, and it may sounds crazy, but this has kind of been a little dream of mine.  No, not to deprive myself of "new" things, but to go out and find "trash" (if you will) and turn them into something beautiful, usable, and unique.  My husband tells me that he was my first "project".  He thinks he is SO funny.  Actually he is pretty funny, that is one of the many reasons I love him...he makes me laugh.     

So that's it folks, that's what my little project will be for the next 365 days.  I hope you'll stop by and see how I'm doing, check out my sweet finds, and DIY projects, including lots of re-purposing.  And perhaps you'll find yourself  motivated to be a little more THRIFTY yourself.   "Waste not, Want not." :)