Industrial/ Farmhouse Stuff

Well, Thrifties I hope you are ready for another week.

Ever since Joanna and Chip Gaines came out with Fixer Upper the farmhouse scene has bloomed. They also bring in some industrial pieces every now and then too. But as it always goes we have invested so much in our current decor that we can't just put it on Craigslist and get more stuff because there is a new decorator on the block.

So what's a girl to do especially if you like the farmhouse and industrial stuff? Well, I fall into that category. I like that the industrial things are solid and give a sense of purpose. I like the farmhouse decor because it is homey and a reminder that good old stuff never really goes out of style. LOL.

Here's how I have managed it since "thrifty honey" says he doesn't want to live in a warehouse, i.e. industrial nor does that old stuff appeal to him. I have bought a few pieces and mixed them in with what I have. Take for instance the olive bucket. I have filled it with small limbs the "honey" cut up for me, added some leaves for fall or changed it up with twinkle lights and pieces of greenery for the Christmas season. Right now I am using it to hold magazines by the fireplace.

I also splurged on a not so thrifty large metal oval tray which has been moved from room to room. I have put candle holders in the tray with leaves, or greenery and Christmas balls. Now I have it under a bird cage thingie on the coffee table in the living room. I also talked the "honey" into the metal "cafe" sign for the kitchen wall. LOL.

So as you can see it's not really a farmhouse or a warehouse but all these things have added a dash of the current fad. Maybe these ideas will strike a chord with you so you can fulfill that yearning for something to update your home sweet home.

Have a wonderful week and keep thrifty on your mind!!

Gnats, Mold...Clorox

It's a marvelous Monday!

This summer we had a siege at our house. The gnats were swarming all around the kitchen and there were no bananas. LOL.  So what's a girl to do after I wore out a fly swatter and my nerves were totally gone. I called the pest man. After all they were pestering me. LOL.

Well, he came, sprayed and then told me a pest man secret. Mold in the drain is what the gnats eat and breed in. Yuck! Yuck! So he simply said get yourself a bottle of clorox and pour some down all your drains every month or so. That will put those puppies to rest real quick and get rid of their breeding ground.

So now I'm a clorox girl. I just put a note on the calendar when to pour some in the drains. I usually do it at night so no one will use any water and those gnats will get the full effect of the clorox. LOL.

I hope you don't have any gnats but now you are ready for their destruction. No doubt this will rank up there in the "Thrifty" hall of fame. Cost zero... because we already had that bottle of clorox.

Remember it's always a thrifty day in every department!!

Nesting for Fall

Its a wonderful Monday. I hope everyone had a good weekend. Grab a cup of your favorite drink and let's talk about pumpkin time! LOL.

Well, fall is fast approaching us in our little town. While the word nesting is often associated with women as they prepare for the birth of a child it can come upon us at other times too.

I think the fall season is one of the best potential nesting times because so many things begin from school to football. Then on to boots, jeans, campfires and pretty leaves. The beautiful colors of fall are what ignite my nesting instinct.

So last week I went to the attic, pulled out all the storage boxes and began preparing something to welcome fall into our home. With that being said I decided this year to do little vignettes around the house. Nothing to big or too hard just little hints of color here and there.

Of course, you have to start at the beginning by hanging the big pumpkin with our monogram on the front door then adding a couple of little pots of mums with two real pumpkins to set the stage. Then on to the entry cabinet with a pumpkin, some berry bushes and leaves.

The dining room got the fall word picture, a couple of leaves and a bright little pumpkin on the top of a tea cup. As you move into the kitchen we have the "big Bertha" lighted pumpkin that thrifty honey got carried away with a few years ago. It has some iridescent material under it with part of a berry wreath. Nothing major in this but a touch here and a touch there makes it fun to look at as the days move on.

Now the mantel. For many years I have used candy corn in a big hurricane candle holder but this year I decided to just use pumpkins and the little candy corn banner I made. Now over in the reading corner I put some flowers, a pumpkin with a few leaves to give it that warm and cozy feel.

So you can see there was not a lot of really big stuff spread all over kingdom come. This just shows you it doesn't have to be a big production to decorate your home to welcome fall in. By the way this was my most thrifty fall staging ever because it was all stuff from years past that simply got an up-do.

Why not spend a few minutes using your old stuff but mix and match it differently? That's the best decoration of all!!!

Be Blessed and Stay on your Thrifty Toes!!!

Appliance Books, Receipts and Such!

It's a good thrifty morning over here!

How many times have you had an appliance stop working and you had absolutely no idea if it was still under warranty or not? How many drawers and cabinets did you look through trying to find a receipt, much less anything about it? Well, maybe it's time to get organized and get ready for the next snaf-foo. LOL. 

Here's a thought. What if when you bought a new appliance you took the manual and stapled the receipt to the inside of the cover then put it in a folder in the desk or file drawer? We all know it's common sense to keep the receipts and the manuals together but over at our house we have gotten things separated somehow and what a mess it has been. But today there is a line in the sand over here.

The next time something happens at our house the only sound coming from my mouth will be "Yahoo" here's the information so we can take care of it. No doubt this will rank up there with the all-time best thrifty ideas since if you have your receipt and it is under warranty you don't have to pay one dime. Yay!!!

Now you may think this will take forever to get all your things together but you could bring those files and boxes out and go through them while you watch your favorite show. Doing a little bit every night will soon have them all in order and ready for any snaf-foo!! LOL.

Y'all enjoy your week and remember to stay thrifty!!