"Grandfather's" Shirt

Ya'll come on in and enjoy your coffee with me this morning while I tell you a thrifty tale.

A few weeks ago I went to The Strawberry Patch Barn Sale. Wow, what neat things were there. A lot of antique and farmhouse decorations plus some wonderful handcrafted purses, aprons, paintings and some really cute shirts. As I scanned the shirts, which by the way were $42.00, the Thrifty Sissy in me came to life. Even though these shirts were new someone had added a brown domestic ruffle on the bottom of the shirt as well a new label. They were calling them "grandfather's shirt." What a great idea. Haven't you ever grabbed your dad's or one of your husband's old shirts on a chilly day? Since fall is fast approaching, bringing with it jeans and boots how chic would one of these shirts be to throw on over a tee shirt.

As I walked around the rest of the barn sale, I could not get my mind off the grandfather shirt. I kept thinking about a thrifty plan to make one. So when I left the sale I headed straight for Goodwill to bag a bargain shirt. Sure enough I found a light blue pinstripe man's shirt for $4.49. I almost had a come apart right there in the middle of the store. Then on to the fabric store to get some material for the ruffle. It would have been even more thrifty if there had been some material leftover from a previous project. Oh dear! This kind of makes me sound like a tightwad instead of a Thrifty Sissy. (LOL)

I picked out a very lightweight white cotton instead of the brown domestic for the ruffle because of the white stripe in the shirt. The total for one fourth of a yard was $2 29. Next stop the sewing room to pull my grandfather's shirt together. I have posted a few pictures of the "Thrifty Sissy" version. The final total for this shirt was $6.78 plus a little over one hour to pull it all together.

After I got the ruffle on it I thought it needed some color around the cuffs, collar and the bottom of the shirt. I just used a one of the zig zag designs on my sewing machine. Plus who could resist adding a little monogram.

I can hardly wait for the cooler weather to arrive so I can use my grandfather shirt as a lightweight jacket.

Now don't fret if you don't have a sewing machine. You could use iron on tape with a pre made ruffle. You can get both of these at Joann's or Hobby Lobby. You may even think of something better than this for your grandfather's shirt design. The main thing to remember is to use your creativity and save your dollars. The fall craft sale season is just starting so get your thrifty antenna up for ideas!

Have a blessed and very thrifty week!

Fabulous Fall House Tour

Happy Fall Day to You!

Well as the days are marching on I've been doing my decorating to get ready to celebrate the season. So welcome to our Fabulous Fall House Tour. Come on up the steps there are plenty of pumpkins and some planters of mums as well as mesh bows for the lanterns left over from last year. Yeah, I know there are a lot of pumpkins out here but Aldi had them for $3.99. They were $4.99 to $5.99 everywhere else and nothing says fall like a bunch of pumpkins.

On the front door who can resist a personalized polka dot pumpkin? This was one of my new decorating additions. I found it on my very first trip into our new Kirkland's. I could spend my entire allowance there every week. They have such cute stuff.

When you come through the front door a little fall pennant flag I made to hang over the hall mirror welcomes you. And of course you have to add a pumpkin and some leftover leaves.

If you look to your left when you come in you will see our dining room with it's fabulous fall on display. Last year I have to confess I was not very thrifty when I splurged on the branch of cotton. But I have already used it several times so I'm getting my money's worth out of it. I also used the tree branch candle holders with a sunflower to add something else besides pumpkins.

From the dining room you go right into the kitchen to the breakfast nook. Oh! I was so excited at how all the old stuff came together in the table scape. The brown tablecloth with the burlap place mats. Green chargers and those pumpkin plates which are actually paper plates. You've got to love that thrifty idea. Those rust colors napkins were in the clearance box because the color was so yucky but with a fall florist pick from Hobby Lobby (on sale after the season was over last year) they look pretty perky. That pumpkin is the oldest one I own but year after year it works with some floral picks and leaves spread around it. 

From the breakfast nook you can look over into our living room. I grabbed a tray and added those candle holders I got at Cracker Barrel many years ago. I found that string of orange gourds at the Goodwill dump store. Yeah, there are a few of them that have broken tops but I just turn them toward the bottom of the tray and I bet you didn't even see them. Did you? Those orange looking things, I don't know what they are but I got them at a yard sale for $.50. Fake leaves can add a lot to any display plus they are a great cover up for things that are not as fresh as they used to be.

I almost left out the kitchen bar with the happy scarecrow and over lighted pumpkin. Thrifty Honey got a little carried away when I asked him to put a few holes in the pumpkin but it turned out pretty cute. Plus you just have write some special notes on your maker board.  

Onto my favorite place of all ... the porch. There is no way you can leave it without some decorations. This year I put the old wicker pumpkin inside the black wire pumpkin. These were real bargains only $1.50 at a yard sale. I added some hedge apples I found beside the road to give it some color. Those were really thrifty ... free just pick them up off the ground. 

While you are sitting in the porch swing you can look into the yard and see the new Kirkland's flag and a pretty pumpkin. So happy!

Well I hope you enjoyed the Fabulous Fall House Tour. I know everybody may not get into fall as much as I do but there is so much to enjoy as the season changes. Because I don't carve the pumpkins these decorations will last until it's time for the Christmas decorations to come out. 

Thanks for stopping by and remember to be thrifty this week. 

Warmly Fall

Good Morning,

The time of fall is fast approaching. Although some retailers have been hot on the trail for a month or more, we the consumers tend to move a little slower in order to savor the season. I used the title "Warmly Fall" because the weather is still warm as fall slips in.

Speaking of warm, Starbucks has their Pumpkin Spice Latte and Salted Carmel Mocha available now. In fact this is the sign on their door so what better way to welcome fall. We are all ready to see some pretty tree colors and happy pumpkins on the porch. Lots of places already have their mums out. I usually wait a little bit to put them out because they don't last very long. But the temptation to move from one season to another is calling my name.

I did pick up some new fall things but I'll post those later as the decorating begins. This post is just to encourage you to get your antenna up for all the changes. But don't let that guy at Walmart tell you it's going to be a really bad winter because somebody saw a wooly worm rolled over to the left on their sidewalk. LOL. That will put a damper on the beautiful fall appearing daily.

Here are a few pictures to help your anticipation!

Look there is some orange showing out on that tree. In case you can't tell fall is my second favorite time of the year with Christmas being my most favorite. I don't want to rush things but it is only a little over 100 days until Christmas. But never mind that today just get out and breath the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. 

Why not spend a few minutes looking for fall in your neighborhood!

A Neat and Tidy House

Happy Labor Day!

Lately I've seen so many books about how to clean your house or maintain it after you get it organized. The title of the most recent one is "Tidying Up." The old version of that is called picking up after yourself. My dad always told me to have a place for everything and put everything in it's place. Wow! That has been more than fifty years ago. Sad to say there is nothing magical about putting something back where it belongs after you use it.

Sometimes we just have to hear something said in a different way in order to get an understanding of it. So here is my take on "A Neat and Tidy House". I once heard someone say you can't organize clutter. We all have some of it. One person wants to keep everything and another doesn't keep much of anything. Neither of these extremes is correct. We have to have balance in our life. Here's an example: My parents came from the great depression. During that time in history you had what you had and you better hang on to it because you might need it. After they passed away and I was left with a thirteen room house to clean out. Oh, my word. You just wouldn't believe the little pieces of string and the rusty nails stashed away. Mind you they had probably been in the same place for thirty or forty years. So I have seen a lot of clutter in my lifetime.

The same person who said you can't organize clutter also said you shouldn't have anything in your house that does not make you smile. When you have so many hand me downs or do dads from so many different people it's hard to let them go. But when all that stuff doesn't make you happy it maybe time to take a picture of it and pass it on to someone else. Now don't misunderstand me. I have things I have kept from my family. I just don't have bunches of them. I kept the most important ones so I would remember them. The ones I did keep do in fact make me smile.

When you pare down you will discover your own personal design then you will want to keep things neat and tidy because you are enjoying your home. Plus if you designate a place for everything and you put it back where you got it everything will be neat.

You can get somebody to come in organize and decorate your home but if you don't maintain it you will be right back in a mess. I really believe a lot of the time the reason we don't pick up after ourself is because we don't like our home. You could be overwhelmed by all that needs to be done and don't know where to begin. You just have to start one area at a time and do a little each day. As you are working in your little area begin to find a place for things and practice maintaining your "new neat and tidy." Little by little one day at a time you will have gone through your whole house. Then all you have to do is make sure you tidy up every day by looking for things that are not in their place.

There is really no need to buy a book telling you in a bunch of words just two things. Have place for everything and always pick up after yourself by putting it back in the place where you found it.

"Tidy and Neat" to all!

The Scent of Fall

Good Afternoon Thrifty Folks!

Fall has so many wonderful scents associated with it. Cinnamon and spice and everything nice as well as all things pumpkin.

As I was leaving the grocery store this morning I smelled cinnamon and it took my breath away. I am a sucker for candles or air fresheners. I like for our house to smell so warm and inviting that no one will want to leave. We have all expericenced "house-a -tosis" either at someone else's house or our own. It just seems like houses pick up smells and sometimes we don't even realize it. So I am always on the lookout for good smelling things.

Kroger had their cinnamon brooms outside the door just laying there waiting for me. Of course I had already checked out but I was quick to return in order to get the first fall scent. The brooms were 2 for $7.00 but they were $9.00 each with a bow. I immediately moved into Thrifty Sissy mode. There is a lot of ribbon in my sewing room and I can tie a bow so I opted to save $5.50. Really, $5.50 for a bow. Now I realize their ribbon might be a little fancier than mine but $5.50 goes a long way at our house.

I usually get one of these brooms and put it on the door to the garage. This is a great welcome home for us plus the garbage can is very near the door so it helps with that situation too. I hope this will whet your whistle to get yourself a fall cinnamon welcome home too.  After all $3.50 is a small price to pay for a whiff of the upcoming season.

 
Fall Thrifty to You!!!