{a few thrifty thursday finds}

Today's post is kind of a conglomerate of thrifty goodness. 

First, an arrangement on my kitchen island made up of discounted flowers from Kroger.  ($1.25 for each bunch...2 bunches=$2.50)  I love creamy white ironstone dishes.  This is a faux ironstone pitcher, but it looks pretty with the flowers.

Next, you have a cute wrought iron piece that I purchased at a yard sale several years ago with it's twin.  I bought them both for $3.  Since we've been in this house (for about 3 years) they've been living on my screened porch.  They're perfect out there.

Lastly, I'd like to tell you about some deals I scored just yesterday.  I went to the Salvation Army to shop on 1/2 price clothing day and was surprised with a sign on the door that said, "All shoes $1."  Wow.  I walked away with 6 pairs of shoes for my kids for only $6.  That is so awesome.  Here are a few...

The brown leather shoes on the left are LL Bean...

I also got Zach a pair of Bass nubuck shoes for church, a pair of rain/snow boots, and dress shoes for Taylor.

What deals have you scored this week?

{let there be light on thrifty thursday}

I love a good light fixture as much as the next gal, but I'm not going to pay full retail for it.  There is a can't-be-missed flea market around these parts and I've found some seriously smokin' deals there.

Today I wanted to highlight some of the ceiling light fixtures I have in my home.  The people who had this house built chose some hideous fixtures from the 80's even though the house was built in 1998.  I'm not even going to go into the non-options this house has.  Well...just that there was no garbage disposal and no water hookup for the fridge.  1998, y'all.  Let me just say we have a garbage disposal now...yes ma'am.  And...I'm pretty lucky 'cause my dad is an electrician and he only lives about 3 miles away.  So for me, there is no cost for the installations of these babies.

First...over the kitchen table...

(Don't ask me what that black stuff is on the shade to the left...I didn't notice it until I uploaded the picture here.)

I think this is a way cute light fixture and it looks great in my kitchen, if I do say so myself.  And do you know what I paid for it?

Wait for it...

$1.

Yep.  You read that correctly.  I said $1.  It was from my favorite booth at the flea market's dollar table.

And how about this one?  It is in my 'formal' living room.

This little beaut has cute leaves and stuff above the globe on it.  And here she is all lit up, showing off for y'all.

I got her at the $1 table too.

Don't hate me, y'all.

{NKOTB - part 3, the saga continues}

You can get caught up with parts I & II of this nonsense here: (part 1) & (part 2)

So you remember how Courtney & I were so excited about our VIP seats at the Wachovia Center? 

After we took care of business in the bathroom (yes, that includes taking pictures) and got our Diet Cokes from the bar, we made our way to our seats.  Shortly after we were seated, the first opening act took the stage.  We weren't really sure who it was going to be.  We just knew that we'd never heard of her before.  Yeah.  Her name is Lady Gaga & I'm pretty glad that I'd never heard of her before.  For those of you not "in the know", like me...here's her picture:

 

(image source: Starimpulse.com)

Either I'm getting really old, or some music today is just weird.  Maybe both.  Anyway...in between strutting around in her underwear, waving a lit up staff/stick around, playing dead, and gyrating on the floor, she sang a little.  We were not impressed.  The gals sitting around us probably thought we weren't going to be any fun during the whole concert, because for Lady Gaga's performance, we sat there staring with our mouths hanging open.  And when we did speak, it was mostly to talk about how ridiculous her act was.  Moving right along...

Next was Natasha Bedingfield.  She was fun.  She did a good job warming us up for the good stuff.  We enjoyed her fun, upbeat music & her performance.  Although we did sing along to some of her songs, we didn't want to waste any serious vocal chords on anybody but the New Kids.

Speaking of New Kids?  Um - awesome.  Before they came out there was a montage on the big TVs around the stage that showed some of their past history & clips of old performances.  It talked about how it has been so many years since they'd been together.  Then they came out.

Don't laugh at me when I tell you I cried a little bit.  Here & several other times throughout the show.  I said don't laugh.

They put on a great show.  I was pleased to see that much of the show time was spent performing the old stuff.  That's the stuff I wanted to hear.

And they delivered, baby.

Joey-Joe has always been my favorite.

And Courtney has always loved Donnie.

About halfway through the show, they guys showed up on this small circle stage near the back of the floor.  We had a great view of them there.  The stage had a grand piano on it and it spun in a circle.  I think they did 3 or 4 songs here.  They were casually sitting on the piano during some of the talking parts and seriously interacting with the crowd.  Wow.  I bet those girls were very pleasantly surprised when they found themselves so close.

There were several "transition" songs throughout the show, when one guy would take the stage solo while the others changed outfits or something.

Here's Jordan.  With his shirt unbuttoned and a breeze blowing.

I loved how the stage looked for this one.  It is a classic.  Cover Girl.

Some more shots of the show...

And for the encore numbers, they donned cute basketball attire.  It reminded me of High School Musical.  In a good way.

The concert was good.  Really good.  I can't believe I could talk or hear anything afterwards.  It brought back all of those great feelings of being a kid again.  I had a blast and loved every minute of it.  Except the Lady Gaga part.

We were on cloud nine.

Until we tried to find the cab who was supposed to take us back to the hotel.

{NKOTB trip part 2}

If you are just tuning in for this whopper of a story, you might want to read part 1 first.

Since you've been hanging on the edge of your seat over the weekend, dying to know how Courtney & I handled ourselves in the cab ride, I'll cut to the chase.  It wasn't pretty.  We were pretty sure that we'd end up with some crazy cab driver who'd charge us an arm & a leg OR we'd never be seen or heard from again.  Lemmetellya...we had high hopes for this cab ride.  Other than the fact that he was probably under the influence of something and we could hardly understand his slurred, mumbled speech...oh, and the fact that he drifted back and forth through the lanes like he owned the road (on big honkin' bridges, no less)...oh yeah, and the fact that his seat had some screws missing and it kept bouncing up and down...other than those things, the cab ride to the concert went pretty smoothly.

 

(By the way, these pictures were taken by Courtney through the windshield while I was driving on a highway.  I think it was 95.  We slowed down to a crawl...there was hardly anyone behind us and we needed to capture the bridges on film!)

So when we got to the Wachovia Center, there was a parking lot people.  Right there in front of the building with a fence around it.  We could have paid $12 and parked 50 feet from the building door.  It would've been nice if the person at the hotel front desk mentioned that when we asked about the parking.  To top it off, it was raining...hard...and the cab "couldn't" get us any closer than - really far away!  So we were soaked when we got into the building and not very happy to be paying $100 for what we could've paid $12 for.

(Yes...we took this picture of ourselves and yes...we are pretty wet and no...we're not very happy right then.)

We started looking at signs in the building to see where our seats were.  We were a bit confused and asked an employee on the main level to point us in the right direction.  Meanwhile, we took in all the sights.  The loooong lines for the bathrooms, the loooooong lines for refreshments, the crazy-busyness of it all.  We were directed to go around the corner to the VIP elevator and show him our tickets.  Whaaaat?  We didn't know why we would need to get on that elevator, but off we went.  We were glancing at each other with looks that totally showed how totally clueless we were.

After proudly showing the elevator guy our special tickets (that had been purchased on plain old ticketmaster, no less) he deposited us at the club box level.  We knew that club boxes were for people who owned big companies and their friends.  Neither of us own a big company, so we still didn't understand what we were doing there.  We walked around about half of the building on that level when we found the room we belonged in.  As we traveled the hallways, we noticed a distinct fewer amount of people, yet it had great amenities.  There were bathrooms with no lines and a refreshment counter as well as a little food cart with gourmet-looking cheesecakes and stuff.  Our eyes continued to get bigger and bigger as we entered the room where our tickets admitted us.  There were two attendants at the door checking tickets.  There were about 8-10 tall, pub-style tables with several chairs each.  There was a big circular bar with about 3 bartenders.  There was a buffet with food set out.  There were also people milling about, looking like they belonged there.  They did not have the expressions of amazement that we did.

Our plan was to locate our seats, then use the bathroom before the show.  Imagine our utter amazement when we asked the door attendants which direction down the hall would take us to the closest bathroom.  He kind of chuckled and pointed out that there was a bathroom in our club box.  We told him that we were surprised to be there and asked about the food and drinks.  He told us that some people had purchased a package that included alcohol and food.  Onto the bathroom...there was no line.  I mean we were the only ones in there.  We were so excited about it that we had to take a picture.  Inside the semi-private bathroom.  Yes, we are dorks.  It doesn't take much to make us feel special, huh?

I will leave you with the big smiles on our faces as we reveled in our VIP-ness for the evening.  Be sure to tune in for more installments of this breathtaking story! :)

{New Kids have still got it! (the right stuff, that is)}

My memories from 1988 to 1991 include a serious adoration and healthy obsession with the New Kids on the Block.  Courtney was my bestest friend and we ate, drank, breathed, dreamed and lived NKOTB.  During that time, we were privileged to attend 5 concerts.  Yes.  I said FIVE.  See, my mom has had a thing for the Beatles since she was young, and didn't get to see them in person then.  So she wanted her daughters to be able to live their dream, if it was in her power to make it possible.  And it didn't hurt that she loved Jordan Knight. 

Now, when the New Kids announced earlier this year that they were reuniting, I tuned in to all of the performances and even captured them on my DVR.  I sat wide-eyed, staring at the TV, and hanging on their every word.  See...you need to know that I never have denounced my love for them nor have I ever been too embarrassed to share my love for them. 

Fast forward to this week...Courtney & I on a road trip to Philly for a New Kids concert.  Yep.  And it was awesome. 

Neither one of us had been to Philadelphia before, so we knew nothing about the city, except that the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall were there.  We'd heard that it was a pretty sketchy city and to be aware of our surroundings at all times.  When we got to the hotel, we asked the front desk about the parking situation at the Wachovia Center.  We basically wanted  to know if we should drive and park ourselves or take a cab.  The hotel was about 10 miles from the concert venue.  Most concert places we'd been to recently did not have their own parking lots, so parking was an adventure either in a parking deck with quite a walk, or find a place on the street...good luck!  The people at the front desk said it might be pretty crazy and that we should probably take a cab.  We didn't want to walk very far because we were both recovering from a broken ankle (I know, weird, right?). 

The front desk person gave us a number for a cab company.  We even asked her how much she thought the ride would be.  She estimated $50 each way.  We were all about being safe in an unfamiliar city, so we booked the cab.

By the way, neither one of us is very cab savvy.  Our combined cab rides equals 4.  Ever.  To say we were pretty nervous is putting it lightly.

This is getting pretty long, so I think I'll make this a series.  This little 2 day trip packs in a whole lot of stories, lemme tell ya. 

{full moon - halloween style}

I saw this while driving around this week and had to capture a picture for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy!

If you can't tell by the picture, those are pumpkins standing in for bum cheeks!  Very creative, thought I.

{introducing thrifty thursday}

I am a lover of thrifty finds and love to share my finds with my friends.  That includes you, oh friends that live inside my computer!  So I'm going to start sharing my thrifty finds with you on Thursdays.  Sound good?  Alrighty then, let's get to it...

Yesterday was Wednesday, and around these parts that means half price clothing at the Salvation Army.  My cute little hubby was in need of some shirts & sweaters that didn't drown him (he's been dropping pounds like crazy) so off I went.

Keep in mind that I only paid half of the ticketed price.

All in GREAT condition.  A GAP sweater in bone ($2.50), an Old Navy long sleeved polo shirt in a cute stripe ($2.50), and a Tommy Hilfiger button down in a navy & white check ($2.00).  Not bad, huh?  I know!

I also found this darling skirt for my daughter for next Spring & Summer...only $1.50.

To finish up the clothing circuit, I got myself a wardrobe basic, long length Old Navy T-shirt in salmon...great for layering.  Only $.50.

And here are my most fabulous finds for the day:

(remember...you can click on the pictures to enlarge them if you so desire)

Three large red, glittery, beady, beautiful cone tree things.  Perfect for the upcoming holiday season.  They look like they are brand new.  The smallest one was $3, the middle $4, and the largest $5.  That means I only spent $12 for this large piece altogether.  I put the paper towel holder in that 2nd pic so you could see the large scale of these babies.  Way cool, huh?  Love 'em.  I might dress the large one up with a ribbon bow when they come out for good after Thanksgiving.  What do you think?

Have you found any thrifty deals lately?  I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

{mt. laundry - wfmw}

So it seems like laundry multiplies like bunnies.  Just when you think you are caught up (yeah right), Mount Laundry rears it's evil head and cackles a monstrous laugh.  "Muuah...haah...haah."

OK - so maybe that's just me.

I like to do a chore and be done with it.  None of this never-ending stuff.  I have come up with a system that helps me to feel a little bit better about laundry. 

Monday - Parent's darks

Tuesday - Parent's lights

Wednesday - Towels & sheets

Thursday - Taylor's clothes

Friday - Zach's clothes

This way, after I'm done with the laundry for the day, I am done with laundry for the day.  Check.

What a weight off of my shoulders when I can say that laundry is done for the day. 

It works for me.

 

I've gathered some laundry room inspiration for y'all to drool over:

 

(photo source: Country Living)

 

 (photo source: Women's Day)

 

(photo source: This Old House)

 

(photo source: Rate My Space)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{finally some fall decorations}

After seeing so many adorable Fall and Halloween decorations on my favorite blogs, I finally found some energy to do something in my own home.

 

I should have taken a before picture of the sorry looking floral foam stabbed with cute fall flowers and greenery that I purchased from the Goodwill for about $2.  I re-discovered it in my garage this morning.  It had been there a while.  I knew it had some potential.  This is what it looks like now in my cute Southern Living cake stand/chip and dip/flower arrangement piece.  I am a lover of versatility.

 

I  like to use this piece in the center of the kitchen table to hold useful things like salt and pepper and napkins.  But look how pretty it looks all dressed up for fall.

I also placed some gourds and mini pumpkins in a hurricane. 

 

I know I haven't gone all out for my fall decorations this year, but something is better than nothing.  And maybe I'm not done yet.

For more things people are finally getting around to doing, visit Tackle it Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Mom.