When I Use Disposable Items - Thrifty Thursday...

Is there a time and place to use disposable items?  Isn't that costly?  

For me - there are times that it's just not worth the time & effort to clean 

something, etc.   Let me share a few things that I go 'disposable' on...

1.  Shower Curtain Liners.  These can get gross.. and I don't want to

 daily be bothered to wipe them down.  Did you know that Dollar Tree 

sells them for - yep $1?  And if you're opposed to Dollar Tree - 

I've seen them other places for around $2.  I replace mine every 6-8 months.

I'm very willing to toss and replace for $1 a couple of times a year.

2.  Paper Towels.  Again - some jobs are just messy.  Too messy to

 use a rag and then wash it.  So yep - I use paper towels at times.

But of course - I also keep a supply of rags on hand and 

try to be eco-friendly when possible.

3.  Disposable Gloves.  I love these for messy jobs like cleaning silver, 

some gardening, when using certain cleaning chemicals, etc. 

 They're worth it to me to have on hand.

We could also talk about plastic wrap, paper plates, etc. and

 perhaps we will in another post sometime.  But for now - know

 that being 'thrifty' isn't just about dollars and cents.  Our time is a

 precious commodity and its hard to put a price tag on it.   

Take the time to be with your family,  your friends and of course - 

daily be spending time with the Lord.

We never get back the moments we just lived - Joyce

Vignettes With a Touch of Fall...

Did my weekly trek to the thrift shop where I worked on dress rack

 displays again.   These are a few from today's styling...

This first one was by far my favorite - but looks pretty 'orange' 

in the photo.  In real life - twas looking good.  See that burlap bag?

  It is a handmade craft show item w/ the original price tag in place -

 over $18.  Thrift store price?  $2!  Was super cute and not sure why 

I didn't bring it home.  And the plaid throw was only $3 or so.  

Loved it too... but I'm on a mission to declutter...

This is the back side of above scene... just using whatever 

I could find that fit the color scheme.

This one photographed the best I think... but is not selling.  

This is the dress rack display that often doesn't sell well.  

It is a tad too high to reach easily!  (At least for shorter people).

  But look at that texture - those are pillow sham covers.  Love 'em!

Just a bunch of this and that - leftovers from previous displays, etc.

  The gift wrapped package?  It's really a magazine!

I found these old aluminum pots that weren't being highlighted well.  

Now that they're in a display (1 on the back too which you can't see) - 

can't wait to see if they move right out.

I feel like I spend so much of my days 'rushing' right now.  Haven't

 figured out quite how to lessen that.  (And I need to - it's not healthy).

But I love doing these displays and try to to let them evolve at leisure.  

Toward the end I often have to rush again (due to the schedule of my day)... 

but they fill my love-tank for some reason.  And that's a good thing!

Thanks for joining me and hope you are enjoying -
 and not rushing thru - each day that God has granted!  ~Joyce

Lunch Special & Sign of Fall - Saturday Sightings...

I can tell Fall is in the air.  Big Bad Black Dog has begun 

to make use of her back porch sofa again.  

She hasn't been on it all summer! 

And speaking of dogs - spotted this cutey at an art show this week.

  Isn't he sumthin'?

And from that same art show in our beloved Mt. Gretna - they 
of course had emergency personnel on hand.  I liked this scene...

But most 'fun' is this sign we pass on a regular basis at a gas station.

  Seriously - anybody heading in there for lunch?
(sorry - it's zoomed pretty hard...)

Can't believe no one has pointed out that they should rearrange it a bit.  :)  

But makes for a good chuckle.

Keep smiling today!  ~Joyce

Old Locker Basket - Local History for Friday Finds...

I think I found some fun stuff this week.  

But my favorite by far is this old locker basket.   Turns out it is from 

our local Hersheypark pool (amusement park) from back in the day.

  I wish it was marked 'Hersheypark' - but knowing is good enough...

And this is the rest of my finds...

Those wooden child's hangers are available here.

Almost didn't get the brown transfer creamer because the bottom is rough.  

But everybody loves brown and it is unique so I picked it up anyway.  

 The purse is available here.

Some neat old boxes found their way to my basket...

 ... as did this guy.  

I thought he was a shaker at first - and missing his partner.  

But he's actually an actually an hor d'oeuvres holder.  

The holes hold toothpicks for serving.  

Cute huh?  

Stay tuned to the shop where these will appear in the coming week.

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Thrifty Thursday...

Here's a simple recipe that is even simpler if you have leftover

 cooked chicken.   In my case I had 3 leftover skinless boneless

 thighs that I had baked the night before w/ salsa and seasonings on top.

They became all the chicken that I used in this recipe.

(Told you it was thrifty!)  

  Basically - I cut up the chicken and added the rest of the

 ingredients & threw in the crockpot.  Then cooked on High a few hours.

(In other words - I didn't do half of these steps...)

My love had cheese on his - I didn't.  De-lish either way!  

And with these amazing chips from the discount store... 

...and a tossed salad (not shown) - twas a very thrifty meal.

Hope you like it!   ~Joyce

Vintage Cottage Scene Prints...

Is cottage style still well - in style?  Probably not like it once was.  

But I'm still drawn to it.   And today I realized I have several

 thatched cottage scene pictures in the shop that are 

authentically vintage.  Just look how sweet...

This one even features crewel or embroidery work...

And the pressed wood frame on this one is gorgeous... 

not to mention who wouldn't want the cobblestone path?

And one more with children walking hand in hand and country geese!

Do you like cottage scenes?  Do they warm your heart?   

They do mine!  ~Joyce

(Click the colored words above each picture to purchase.)

Vignettes...

Haven't shared my thrift shop displays with you for a while.  

So here are some from today...

First up - this would be an ice bucket turned 'planter'.. 

I only do one men's rack display...

This display has been the same for several weeks so I'll need to change it soon.  

It sits on a tall dress rack and things don't sell well off of it.

(Helps to keep me humble!)

This one is very simple and started with the book.

Pitchers - looking pretty all in a group!

And lastly... this display is in honor of a dear volunteer that died

 unexpectedly Sunday night.  She priced our hats, hankies and scarves.  

 I think she would have approved as she always encouraged me

 when I worked on displays.  I will miss you Doris!   ~Joyce

My Saturday Sighting Becomes A Milestone Moment...

Out and about at yet more yard sales this AM - I spotted this...

I hurried past thinking I'll get some of that 25 cents-an-ear

 corn on my way back... just enough for lunch.

Upon stopping I noticed the sign said 25 cents a dozen!  What?

 

A quick chat with the owner & I soon learned there was nothing amiss.  

She was simply well supplied and wanted someone else to benefit

 from her 'leftovers'.  Oh my!  Now anyone else who has no corn in

 their freezer would have surely taken most all that was there at this price.  

But you see - at 53 years old - I have never 'done up' corn by myself.  

My story in brief... 

I have a rare neuro arm disease that started when I was 16. 

There have been many things over the years that I haven't and

couldn't do.   Definitely not corn.  We have simply done without

 except what people have given us at times.  But my arms have improved 

in the last while and today I found myself wondering if I might now 

be well enough to give corn a whirl.  My Love assured he'd help if needed.

So I got a few dozen and we husked, cooked, cooled...

dried...

and the hard part for me... cut corn.  About 3 1/2 dozen.

Let's just say I cried some happy tears today. I did corn!  

And I did it all myself - except for help with husking.

 Granted - I didn't do a lot... but enough that now if I want to make

  baked corn - I'll actually have something to make it with.  

Cause we all know - baked corn with store bought corn just isn't the same.  

I'm just a little giddy and think I smiled through the whole process.

  I've been offering prayers of thanksgiving for sure.

Thanks for rejoicing with me!  ~Joyce

My Pretty Friday Finds Include a Soap Haul...

Sometimes you just run across an amazing find.   

Such was the case at my first yard sale stop today.

See all that soap?  For whatever reason - it was $2 for all 

and included these fancy bars...

The cookie cutters were super cheap at another sale 

as was the flannel pink roses blanket.

I was also smitten with a whole pile of Dawn dolls and outfits...

And treated myself to a lacy yellow maxi skirt for $2

The plaid camp blanket is from a previous week 

that I never got around to showing you.

I find that finding 'finds' is one of life's greatest things. :) 

Happy Friday Every one! ~Joyce

How to Use a Cookbook for Budget Meals - Thrifty Thursday...

Thrifty cooking and meal planning begins at the grocery store.  

I've shared about that in this post.

Today I'm sharing an easy way to do that planning...  

its all about the style of cookbooks you use.

Now of course - you can do Pinterest and web searches for what I'm 

about to show you.   But I've discovered that those searches alone 

cause me to miss out on a lot of recipes.  And... I need less screen time.

So... Are you familiar with the Taste of Home or Quick Cooking magazines?  

Then you're probably also aware that every year they make a

 hardback compilation book of recipes.  These sell new for about $25.  

BUT... they are plentiful at thrift shops and yard sales for $2 & under.  

Just pick some up when you see them.  I have several.

In the back of the book - you can search by main ingredient -

such as 'sausage'.    Here's what I did for planning tonight's supper...

I started with a search in the back of a book for 'sausage' - 

as that is a bargain meat that I have on hand right now.

I was looking for a main dish - and found several that will work

 with the sausage and ingredients I have.

I happen to also have a pack of turkey bacon open - 

so I zeroed in on

 'Zesty Sausage and Beans' (or a version thereof).

And here's a link for the recipe online (now that I know the name).

Done!  I find this planning method to be quick & simple.

I did it last night in my 'quiet time' before bed without a 'screen'.

  Love it when a meal comes together!  Of course there are other

 cookbooks that offer similar elements.  But these are readily

 available for cheap and I love the pretty pictures.  

Now I'm off to get my thrifty supper in the crock pot!  ~Joyce