Christmas Vignettes - Books!...

It was thrift shop day for me again today... meaning I got to play on top 

of the dress racks.  (OK - I didn't literally climb up there - but you know what I mean right?)

    Here is a glimpse of today's displays...

Tis the season to pull out vintage books with seasonal coloring.

 This children's book is not a Christmas story per se - but the

 coloring is perfect nonetheless!

I found this lion figurine and decided to incorporate it into 

a grouping.  Doesn't he look stately with the red berries?

And since Jesus is our Lion of Judah - he fits Christmas perfectly...

The men's rack had some things left over from last week's display

 (pillow, package ornaments, pretty book) - 

so I just added to them to fill it out...

And this one got a bit 'glitzy'...

Almost too much going on here - but as soon as something sells

 from it - it will be a little less 'cluttery'.

What a busy and enjoyable time of year.  

Don't get caught up in the hustle and bustle!  (I'm reminding myself)... 

But spend time each day with Jesus and allow His peace 

to rule in your heart.  ~Joyce

Thrifty Thursday - Pencils...

My thrifty tip for today?  Instead of buying more - use up the fragments!  

We all have them - fragments that is.  

Pencils for instance...

We have tons of them in our home from years of gatherings... 

but they just sit there - unused.  Why?  I guess we prefer pens.  

But my pen stash is depleting and the pencils remain.  So...

It's pencils for me for a while for taking notes and other scribbling'. 

 And guess what?

They're sorta nostalgic and fun to use!

How can you use up the fragments in your house?  

Stay tuned - there may be more 'fragment' Thrifty Thursdays ahead....  ~Joyce

Transferware vanity holder is available here.

A Thanksgiving Vignette...

At the thrift shop - we are well into Christmas 

as is common in the retail world.  

To serve my conscience and give the proper nod to Thanksgiving -

 I opted to do at least 1 display today for the special holiday.  

But when I scoured the shop for themed items to use - 

I could only find this one ceramic pilgrim couple...

So I worked with them best I could and was really happy with the result...

The rest of the displays I worked on were Christmas 

but I didn't get photos except for this one...

Within minutes of completing the Thanksgiving grouping - guess what sold? 

Yep - the little ceramic couple!

So now the display may not look much like Thanksgiving after all...

Hopefully we all express  some Thanksgiving every day anyway - 

holiday or not.

And have I mentioned lately that I am so thankful for you?  

Thanks readers!  ~Joyce

Fall Photos and Sad Family News...

Yesterday we spent just a bit of time in our beloved Mt. Gretna 

at our summer cottage - closing it for the season.  

I've been without my camera for most of the week (lost it) 

so now that its found - had to play a bit...

Even imperfect leaves are beautiful when they show their colors...

(Do you hear the comparison to you?)  :)

This photo features Pennsylvania Smartweed - 

the little pink flower in the foreground.

And now for the sad news...Just yesterday we had a family tragedy.

  A farm accident took our sweet 4 year old nephew home to Jesus.

 So our hearts are a bit heavy...but we know where our Strength

 comes from and are leaning on our Lord.

Blessings to you this day.  

And hug your family extra tight! ~Joyce

A Bittersweet Week and Thrifty Thursday...

No - not that kind of bittersweet.  Rather this...

I love bittersweet - but every time I find it - I'm in a place that's it's

 not permissible to collect it.   This past weekend was no different.

  Except this time we came upon piles of tree scraps from a recent

 bulldozing.  I figured brush piles should be fair game.

So I helped myself to a few twigs found lying on said piles.  

I won't lie - I still felt like a thief as I walked past people 

on the remainder of our walk.   But I'm loving my little spray of 

natural goodness on my kitchen shelves.

Please excuse my phone photos.  I lost my camera.  A part to get my former camera working again

 is to be delivered tomorrow.  Can't wait!  And hopefully my lost camera still turns up. 

I was actively using it - alone and inside - when I lost it.  Thinking I need a sanity check.  sigh...

And today's thrifty tip is over on my Facebook page.