Transition From Christmas

 Hello fellow Thrifties!

Well, it looks like we all made it through Christmas. Now to begin to process of taking Christmas down and getting things back to our regular stuff. So much of what we have as our normal decorations go into the closet or under the bed so all our special Christmas things can have front and center. 

But it seems so empty without all the colorful pretties sitting around. Now what do we do so we don't feel like our house is empty. The transition ... that's what we are looking for. You see Valentine's day is the next major holiday and it's a month and a half away. What to do??

We must take a cue from the season. It's still winter so why not do a little winter decorating to ease us along. We really don't need any more let downs as it concerns 2020. We have to help ourselves to whatever is available for the winter season. Nothing too drab or sad. Here's what I did. If you have followed my posts you know the kitchen table is the main focus area since it connects the kitchen and the living room. We see if every time we come in the backdoor and wander around the living room. 

This is the best place for us to make the transition. I've really gotten out of my comfort zone with this table scape. I found one of the oldest "pieces" of a quilt we have and used it for a tablecloth. Think about it. It's winter... so... the quilt. There is nothing like a cozy quilt to wrap up in on a cold day. Next I used the square wicker placemats and topped them with some leopard plates and bowls. I used the silverware burlap holders that really belong to Thanksgiving but who says we can't be thankful in the winter. I propped them up with a wicker ball and added a little string of snowballs. (Really a Christmas tree decoration but it doesn't matter) I even used the red swirly Christmas glasses, stuffed them with a gold napkin with a icy branch. Still bringing winter into the set up. 

I also added some of those icy branches to the three tier stand. Plus I still brought in some of the red berries and gold accents as well. Actually it's a mix match kind of thing just to tide us over until I can throw up some valentines. LOL... Hearts and Kisses....

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and now... now... on to 2021. I pray it will be good for all of us. Remember to keep your "thrifty" eyes open for some goodies with all the after Christmas sales!!

Thrifty Honey "Frame"

Good Morning to all of you!

It's a great day to be alive and well on planet earth. There are so many things to be thankful for during this glorious season we are in. All the way from Thanksgiving to Christmas we are to give to others, be grateful and love everyone no matter who they are. One of the the many things I am grateful for is my husband who is very creative and a real "Thrifty Honey" too. 

A month or so ago I bought this sign at one of the local shops. When Thrifty Honey looked at it immediately he said that really needs a frame. I said well they had one with a frame but I thought this one was a better choice. So needless to say the sign got an upgrade. 

Thrifty Honey went out to his stash in the garage and came out with some maple bull nose edges for stairs they had thrown away at his work. He has a good eye for nice things and figures at some point he can use them for a project rather than have to buy them... I love this "Thrifty" man!!! 

So after a few days he comes in with his latest creation. I think you will have to agree it looks wonderful. That maple wood really makes the sign pop. 

Many thanks to Thrifty Honey for taking the time to make a good thing even better. Y'all remember to stay "thrifty" and have a blessed weekend! 

Christmas on Brookstone Circle

Hello Christmas Friends!

Let me be the first one to wish you a Merry Christmas! Oh, I know it's early but if you want to get ahead of the rush you have to start early! I just finished decorating on Tuesday afternoon with a little fluffing on Wednesday. I always enjoy walking through the house and looking at every little decoration. This year I really don't have a specific theme. I simply love to decorate and Christmas is my favorite season to pull out all the stops. 

I'll start with the entry way. Even though I don't have a lot of new things to use it's always fun to move them around and make them seem new. I made this wreath with the reindeer on it last year. I thought why not let Rudolph be the first thing you see when you come in. Here's a good tip if any item you have it not tall enough for the area where you are using it stack some books under it to make the height right.  I wanted those books under the lamp on the entry table to be a little more festive so I wrapped them in a red table napkin. LOL. Who says you can't make do when you have too?

Now to the dining room. I took some wide ribbon I had and wound it around the chandelier and added a few big candy canes to give it a Christmas look. Of course we always use a tablecloth but I had a lot of Christmas quilts so I added one over the top of the cloth to give it some zing! Somewhere along the line I got tangled up with nutcrackers. So I added those to the table as well as some big multicolored balls. The plates are just cheapos and stuffing the napkins into the tall glasses adds a lot of flair. The buffet then got the famous red Christmas truck with the tree on top as well as a Santa teapot in a two tiered stand.

In the kitchen there is a small tree with odd and end decorations plus the ole' Christmas pig and a peace sign. I always add some fun things to the top of the refrigerator to spread the cheer around. The 12 days of Christmas in Tennessee  plate is a favorite of mine. When you add a few books and a little greenery to the mix it really starts to look special. The kitchen table... where all the food and fun takes place also got a little quilt and some black/white check paper plates to match the ribbon on the light over the table. Everything doesn't have to be matchie matchie but it does tie things together. 

Our living room coffee table has another little quilt on it to accent the centerpiece. I guess the theme for this year must be Christmas quilts... LOL. They seem to be everywhere. There is even one under the tree. One thing I bought this year is the pink car with all the packages on top of it. It's really a cookie jar but who says you have to just use it for one thing. The mantle has a few more nutcrackers and some tall gold candle holders. Oh, I almost forgot the Christmas camper I found in a clearance shelf at World Market long after Christmas had come and gone last year.  Then the main event... the tree!! Every year I get so excited as the old and new ornaments begin to fill up the tree and bring sweet memories back. 

Since this year hasn't been like any other year we have experienced before I simply let whatever brought a smile to my face come out of the storage boxes. I know I've said it before but if things make you smile and you like them that's really all that matters. 

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Brookstone Circle and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Remember to stay "Thrifty" and enjoy yourself every single day!! 

Good Smells for the Car

 Good fall afternoon to you all!

We all want not only our house but our car to smell good too. I've bought those smelly things from Yankee Candle to hang on the car rearview mirror and other similar smelly things too. But we all know they don't seem to last very long and they are pricey. 

I saw this sachet at Kirklands a month or more ago and it smelled so good I thought why not put this in the back seat of the car floorboard and see what happens. Well, it worked really well and it's been more than a month. They cost $2.49. Wow! Plus you can get a myriad of scents. 

So if you are looking for a "thrifty" smell here it is. I hope you are enjoying the last of these pleasant days and remember to stay" Thrifty." 

Bargains Galore

 Hey Thrifty Folks!

I hope everyone is enjoying a little bit of fall. It's wonderful to see the trees turning and the weather cooling down some. Since it has been nice outside the last week or so I ventured out to a new bargain place. You all may have already been there but I didn't know anything about it. 

It's called Consumer Depot. It's over close to 100 Oaks. I went because someone told me they had books six for $.99 or 25 cents each. Oh my! I really enjoy books but they are way too expensive for me. 

So when I got there I spotted 3 books I had wanted to read and when I turned around there were six or seven big boxes of Christmas decorations. Good Grief! Now these were from Target. I couldn't believe it. There were items from the Joanna Gaines Magnolia Hearth and Hand collection. There were decorations from Sugar Paper. The Sugar Paper line sells out very quickly. I found a couple of things I had wanted but they were sold out.....So Excited!!

The first time I went I never even made it over to any of the other parts of the store. But they did have some furniture and electronics. I asked the guy who checked me out when they got new stuff. He said everyday. 

Well, needless to say I won't be going everyday but I will be checking it out when I go to the Goodwill Dump since it's just a few miles from there. Most of the things were pennies on the dollar. So if you are in that part of town check this place out. 

Y'all have a blessed week and keep yourself "Thrifty!"

 

Coming Home for Fall

Happy Fall Y'all!

It's about time don't you think? The last few days have been so wonderful and cool. Wow! It made me want to get out a sweater but I didn't. LOL But I did continue decorating our home for fall. 

There are so many rooms we pass through everyday and we really want to celebrate the season in each one of them. The first picture is the kitchen table where all the food, fun and family happens. Of course the gold tablecloth and the orange runner set the stage followed by the mums in the UT pitcher. Add some leaves around the plates and you've got fall. The next two pictures display the main player of the season.. pumpkins. 

A nice pumpkin quilt with a little camper pillow makes it real cozy in the living room. More pumpkins and leaves are on display in the next few pictures. What would a front porch or a back porch be without some cute fall things. How about those hanging pumpkins? Our ferns were pretty much toast so I threw them out and put a pumpkin in each one of the hanging baskets on the front and back porch. 

Well, it's pretty clear we are all decked out and ready to enjoy the cooler weather, the fire pit, roasted hot dogs and s'mores. May you enjoy this special time of year and celebrate it with all things fall. Y'all keep your "pumpkin" self "Thrifty" and have a good weekend!!! 

Gittin' Ready for Fall!!

 Hey there!

I'm so glad you stopped by for a little taste of fall. We are rushing and pushing over here... whatever we have to do to get some cooler weather and a color other than green. LOL. 

So today I decided to drag out the fall stuff and begin to make the house ready. I love the fall colors and the smell of pumpkin muffins baking. I love that pumpkins will go with anything. Are you ready???

I started in the hall right when you come in the front door. Now that's making a statement! We have this big mirror so as the focal point I used a command hook to hold a colorful wreath. Someone gave me that burlap colored ruffled garland. Even though it has glitter in it and probably works better with Christmas decor I thought it would add some pizzaz to that dull mirror. 

Next I got out the tobacco stick frame thingie (don't really have a better word for it) and placed a pumpkin on a little white wooden stand to give it a lift. Of course you have to add some more pizzaz so this gold, orange bendable garland whirled around it put some punch it the situation! I almost forgot the wooden fall welcome sign I hung on the edge of the mirror. That little gold acorn sitting beside the pumpkin is just there for fun. LOL.

There is no right or wrong way to decorate. So many of us try to copy the pictures we see on Pinterest or Instagram. Good grief!! Those people are just like us pulling out stuff and putting it together to make it look good. Some of our best ideas come we we simply relax and enjoy what we are doing!! 

Y'all start looking for the leaves and other signs of fall this week. It's never too early to get ready!! Be blessed and don't be stressed! 

Stay "Thrifty" too!!

You Never Know...What you can do with a stool!

 Hey Thrifties!

I hope all is well at your house and with your families. We are good over here just taking one day at a time and doing the best we can with all this mess and gum. But at the same time trying to enjoy the time we have and make the most of it. 

I wanted to show you all a good idea for a little stool. What about this little cutie pie! It's all distressed and faded beachie blue. Just the thing to hold the extra towels in the guest bathroom. It doesn't take up much space and if someone needs a towel they can just grab one instead of having to hunt all over the bathroom for them. 

This may have been used as a table but it works for a stool too. So if later on a better idea comes along for the towels I can always move it somewhere else and use it as a table. I wanted you all to see how something can be used for many different things. All you have to do is think outside the box. LOL.

Y'all have a good week and look for "thrifty" things and "thrifty" ideas!!!

Updo's for Picture Frames

Morning to every "thrifty" person!

So glad you stopped by today. We are going to look at some different ideas for picture frames other than just holding your favorite photo. 

The first picture frame is very decorative. I just had to add it to my basket at the Goodwill "dump." Instead of trying to find a picture that would do it justice I added this little boxwood wreath to the middle of it. I like the simplicity of the wreath with all the ornate work on the frame. The second picture frame holds a piece of an old quilt that is really tattered and torn but it still has meaning for me. It belonged to my Godmother's mom. So it's really old, probably from the 20's or 30's. We used it until there wasn't much left but I rescued a corner and put it in a frame to keep the memory. The white frame was another "dump" find. It is metal which really excited me. Those pieces of the frame rolled back focus your attention on the opening for the picture. But again I like to do things outside the box. I really didn't want to draw the eye much past the neat frame so I hung a little metal cross in the middle of it. 

The fourth frame and the metal cross was a "dump" find as well. When I saw both of them I thought about taking some burlap and gluing the cross on it and adding it to the frame. I really like to use fancy stuff with wrought iron or metal. It gives it a big contrast. 

Now the last picture frame is the kitchen marker board I use to leave notes for "Thrifty Honey." This was also a "dump" frame and we had some left over marker board from another project so we just cut a piece to fit and glued it in place. As you can see there are a whole bunch of things you can do with a simple picture frame. 

I hope this post has changed the way you will look at picture frames from now on. When you do see a neat frame you can think about a different way to use it. Maybe you could even take some of the frames you already have and think outside of the box with them. 

Y'all have blessed rest of the week and stay "thrifty' too...

More Ideas for Decorating with Books

 Good Afternoon to Everyone!

We are well into another month of surviving the chaos and drama that has invaded our lives. While the news roars on about all of it I have decided to look for things that bring peace and joy into my life. I don't know about you but I have been clearly reminded during the last five months that I want peace and joy to consume my life instead of all this mess and gum. 

But onto the book decorating ideas. Of course we all look for a bookcase to hold our books. That's the normal thing to do but here are some out of the normal ways to use your books. In the first picture the lamp for the entry way table really wasn't tall enough to use but I got a couple of thick books and placed them under the lamp so it would work. I've also used books to raise up other things that were not tall enough on our mantle or to add height in a bookcase to a little item I wanted to showcase. 

In the second picture I took some old books and tied a cute burlap ribbon around them and added a cross in the bow to give it some emphasis. You all have probably seen Joanna Gaines turn all the books around backwards on her bookshelves. I don't know if I am bold enough to do that yet. LOL! 

I added the picture of the bookcase to show how you can style it with pictures and do-dads in the middle of your books. After all who says you just have to have books on your bookshelf? Maybe these ideas will stir you up to have a bookshelf updo or redo this weekend. 

I hope y'all stay well, happy, peaceful and thrifty this weekend!!

Happy... "No Water, Won't Die"... Flowers

A very happy morning to everyone!!

Who says flowers are just for special occasions? Who says flowers have to be real when there are so many silk ones to choose from? If you love flowers like I do and they make you smile... the more the merrier.

Now understand I'm not saying to cover every inch of your home with flowers but at least have some to make you smile when you go into a room. Yard sales are full of bundles of artificial and silk bouquets people have grown tired of. But if you like them why not pick them up and put them in a pitcher or an old tin?

The picture with the yellow flowers is in a tin I got at the "dump." The lid was missing but the picture on it was so different I couldn't resist. Then when I saw the bunch of yellow flowers I thought they would pick up the yellow in the "biscuits and cakes" sign on the tin. So here we are. Every time I go through the dining room I smile because I don't have to water them and they won't die. LOL...

The pitcher of pink flowers cost be more than I want to admit but when I saw them it was just starting to warm up outside and I was in the "spring is coming" mood. So why not splurge!!

If you have some flowers hiding in the closet think about getting them out and using something instead of the usual vase to hold them. Let your creative juices flow!!

Y'all be safe and have a blessed "Thrifty" week too.

Christmas in July

Merry "July" Christmas to each of you!!

Oh, it's only July but we all know the early bird gets the worm. Christmas is my favorite time of year and I'm always on the lookout for all things Christmas wherever I go.

So today I want to share with you how this Santa wreath came together. The Santa is what I call a good Santa. You know for me a good Santa is like the old Coca Cola Santa on their advertisements from the 1950s. He looks joyful and excited getting ready to bring all the kids their presents. I found this Santa at the Goodwill "dump." I also found the red/green/gold deco mesh wreath already made there too. You can see from the picture it had some ribbon half on half off so I removed it and fluffed the mesh a little.

The Santa was supposed to be lighted but I took the wiring off of it. Next I found some little green zip ties from another project as well as the roll of green florist wire. I used the wire to wrap it around the wreaths metal frame to hold the Santa in place. I punched some holes in the back and tied three of those little zips ties through them. I put the ties on there so I could have something to hold the florist wire. Next I pulled the florist wire to the back of the wreath and tied it to hold the good ole' Santa.

Yay!! Now we have a new creation from two old things. Besides that... how cute is the Santa wreath! Listen ...truly Thrifty Sissy did a bug on this wreath. The total cost... $.98.....Santa $.50 and wreath $.48.  Oh my word!! What a deal!!!

I hope this has stirred your Christmas spirit up. Even though the real Christmas is still a few months off it's never too early or too late to get in the "Thrifty" mood!! I hope your week is filled with joy and peace. Remember to keep your "thrifty" on!!!!

Tips for the Bathroom

Good Morning to everyone!

I hope ya'll are staying as cool as possible. Summer has shown up in full force this week. At our house we are so very thankful for air conditioning. Now onto helpful bathroom tips.

I don't know how many times I have chased cotton balls all over everywhere simply trying to get one or two. So I decided to clean out a clear candle jar and use that to store them in. Of course i struggled to get all the old candle wax out. But I put the jar in the freezer overnight and the next morning I was able to pop it out with the end of a butter knife. Then I ran it through the dishwasher and it came clean. You could use an empty candle jar for Q-tips too. There is nothing like corralling the little things we need.

Everybody knows how quickly the soap seems to disappear. But if you will take all the wrappers off of the soap and let the air get to them they will harden up and last a while longer. I put our soap in an old basket.

Now that sponge has a scouring scrubbing pad on one side and a regular sponge on the other. The scrubbing side does a great job on the tub getting the soap film off without having to get out a cleanser or an SOS pad. I keep one on the edge of the tub so when I get ready to get out I can run it over the edges to save time and my back.

Well, I hope these bathroom tips will help you. Y'all have a great day and a wonderful "thrifty" weekend!!