A Few Fun Finds

We went to a thrift store this week, and while we were there, I found some things for myself.  I usually don’t find that much, but I was blessed to find a book and a curtain/window treatment/thing.  I really don’t know what it is called.  All I know is that it is cute, purple, matches my room, and is cute.  (Did I mention it was cute?)

So I found a curtain thing.  It was only $1.50, so I decided to take the chance of it not matching and brought it home.  Thankfully, it matched!  I took it and looped it above my window, with both of the ends hanging on one side.  You’ll see much better in the picture.  I will probably change it some, as I put it up at 10:30 last night, just to see how it looks.

The book I found is Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  I have heard about this book, but have never looked at it.  I found it for $1.50 in practically new condition.  I made one of the recipes for wheat bread yesterday, and I am planning to bake some on Monday.  I’ll tell you how it turns out.

Those were my finds for the week.  I just love getting great things at the thrift store.  It takes some patience, but can be quite rewarding.

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My window (Hi! Can you see me in the window?)

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And my book (Mmmmm)

And don’t forget, if you haven’t yet entered the giveaway, go here to enter!

Christmas Decorations and Traditions

Something that my mom likes to do is buy fun candles at thrift stores.  We have been saving some Christmas candles since this summer, and today Mom and I went to some thrift stores and found some more fun candles, most of them for Christmas.

With those candles, Christmas lights, and some leftover branches from our Christmas tree, I have been having lots of fun decorating around the house.  Of course, Christmas decorations have also proven to be quite fun to photograph.

I also cut out some gingerbread cookies today.  They are one of my dad’s favorites.

Do you have any Christmas traditions?  We have a few – outside of the traditional opening gifts and having a tree.  We usually have our big dinner on Christmas Eve rather than on Christmas day.  This tradition comes down from my mom’s side of the family.  They always celebrated on Christmas Eve, having their big meal and opening gifts then.  Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner is Prime Rib.  I can’t remember ever having anything else.

Another tradition has to do with our pickle ornament.  On Christmas morning (or whenever we are opening gifts) Dad hides the pickle, usually on the tree (although last year he hung it from a light fixture:)).  Whoever finds the pickle first gets to give the first gift.

A rather new tradition is that the week of Christmas we watch a movie series.  This started the year my grandma passed away, when my mom was out of town, so Dad and the children watched all the Star Wars movies that week.  It was so fun, we did it again the next year.  This year we aren’t watching a series.  So far we have watched some DreamWorks Christmas shorts, “Tangled,” and yesterday we saw “Hugo.”  They’ve all been good.

Something that I’m hoping will continue being a tradition is having Mr.W. and his daughter over for dinner on Christmas Eve.  Last year when they came over we had SO MUCH FUN!  It will be fun having them over tomorrow for dinner.

I am looking forward to our Christmas.  I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

 

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Rolling out the cookie dough

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Holly

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All ready to go into the oven

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Ready to be frosted

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An ornament on our tree

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I love out of focus lights

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I wrapped our bunk bed with lights

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More lights on our bed

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This is one of the candles for our centerpiece

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One candle like this will be  on each side of the centerpiece

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Some of the candles we bought today

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Lit for dinner

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I Turned on the Computer to Post…

…but I got distracted looking at movie costume sites.  Something I love to do.

Today I pulled out my dishes to look at them.  I love transfer ware.  So I am collecting it.  I don’t have all that much yet, but I am hoping to find more at thrift stores.

Of course I took pictures.

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This is one of my favorites.  It is a little dessert plate.

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Another of my favorites.  Same company as the dessert plate.

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I know this isn’t transfer ware,  but I like it a lot.

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