Things I Like This Week

Happy Fall! We are approaching my favorite time of year and it really fills me with gratitude. I thought I would share with you a couple of items I really like - some I have had for awhile and others are newer. I love to find new items that are pretty, or provide great storage. I love discovering new food products and gardening information. I just have a thirst for discovery and knowledge.

I had a very blank area in my living room when I moved the furniture around - yes, I move furniture often. I think it is my way of cleaning or maybe I just get bored with the same old same old. I had a metal container and put eucalyptus leaves (very economical) and a few flowers but it was lacking something. At Wal-Mart I found this grouping of branches that were pre-lit and battery operated. ( I think it is Better Homes and Gardens) I was not pleased that all the branches were the same height so I started snipping and cutting and now it nicely fills that empty space. So pretty at night !

You know how I feel about the Dollar Tree - Love it! This past week I found these awesome plastic folders with snaps. Look what great designs.  With all my paper ephemera I am always looking for economical ways to sort and store my collections. Did I tell you that you get 2 for $1.00 ?

 Woo Hoo!

This is one of my FAVORITE storage items. My fridge never seems to be organized.... I don't know why. However I discovered this clear egg storage with a lid. I fell in love and bought 2. I bought these at Wal-Mart - I felt they were a little pricey at around $10 a piece, but they are of good quality and I just look and know how many eggs I have. Do not put these in the dishwasher - wash by hand.

My brother-in-law recommended this rice to me and I can not thank him enough. This is a great product. This long grain rice is par-boiled and cooks beautifully. It is not sticky and each grain stands separately. I can not eat much rice but when I do - this is my go to rice. I buy mine at Wal-Mart.  I love supporting another Louisiana product.

Even though our thoughts are turned to Fall, the weather is not cooperating. It remains hot and dry and I still await the morning I awake to that cool, crisp air. I don't know why but I am reminded of this verse in Psalm 25:6

Remember, O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness: for they have been ever of old.

My Obsession With Vintage Paper Ephemera

So what is ephemera? The Ephemera Society of America (yes there is one) defines ephemera as "the transient minor documents of everyday life."  A collection of  printed material meant for one time or short term use. There has even been a discussion on how to pronounce the word - should it be ephemmera or epheemera? The winner is ephemmera! I love the story that ephemera tells - love letters of the young, tickets, stamps, stationery, valentines, banking, etc. The paper trail documents life.There are over 500 categories to collect. I also use ephemera in my crafting as well as home decor. 

 The above picture shows a sampling of some of my ephemera: business

  letterhead, Post Magazine (1954), postcards, old letters and photos. I will share my postcard collections on another post. A recent article entitled Collecting Memories - The Thrill of the Hunt really does define why I love ephemera.

 Love these items - Old Check, Top Value Stamps, Greeting cards, matchbooks, dance cards, and popcorn bag.

Here are a very more examples - Newspapers, maps, bookmarks, sewing patterns, brochures, and old educational materials.

I will give just a few more examples : trading cards, menus, advertisements, paper dolls, posters, calendars, business cards, sheet music, and on and on. 

I was very excited to read an article by a social studies professor from North Carolina State (John Lee) who advocates using historical ephemera as historical evidence. He has written a guide  how students can search for ephemera in their homes and online. Awesome concept.

Check out my vintage Etsy shop where I am adding lots of ephemera everyday - spanishmoss.etsy.com

Thrifty Artwork

I love to decorate my walls with pieces that make me happy. However, I refuse to pay a lot of money to be happy. As you know, I love to use what already exists. I buy artwork from various places but all of the pictures in this post are from Goodwill. These have been gathered over about 7 years. I have more pictures bought from other places - I will blog on them another time.

Love this magnolia that came framed in a rustic frame - lovely colors and great find. I think I paid $6.99. It looks lovely in my living room.

 This print was The Court of the Two Sisters - it came with the mat and I framed it with a frame from Goodwill that I painted black. Love the colors and it looks  great in my living room. The mat and frame were 3.99,

I LOVE this drawing that came matted and framed - it depicts the Soule Commercial College and Literary Institute of New Orleans. Lovely vintage yellowing - great historical print. I can not remember what I paid for this but I think it was $3.99.

This is a color illustration of The Old Absinthe in New Orleans. It came matted and framed and I think I paid about $4.00. Awesome colors and looks great in a New Orleans vignette on my wall in the living room.

 This is another New Orleans French Quarter print  matted and framed. I think I paid about $4.00. I love how they are framed in black. It stands alone  and reminds me of all things New Orleans.

 This is one of my favorite large picture of a man driving a team of mules in rural Louisiana. The mat was slightly dirty looking so I painted it. The picture remains one of my favorites and hangs in my dinning room. I think I paid $9.99.

When we moved into the new house several years ago I needed some kind of artwork to go above the fireplace. There are spotlights that focus on the space above the mantel. I discovered this wonderful acrylic painting framed and the colors were just perfect. Very European looking.  If I remember correctly I paid $12.99. It continues to be the perfect wall hanging for above the fireplace.

Share with me some of your artwork - any thrifty  ideas for wall art?

Two Weeks In September

 I thought I would let everyone know what I have been doing the first 2 weeks of September. One of my favorite things to do is go to Estate Sales. I went to one last Saturday and did find a few things for my Etsy shop. I also found some great ephemera. My junking side was out in full force! I feel as the years go by I am getting so much better at finding vintage items and knowing the price range. I junk on a very limited budget.

 This is the time of year I love to take photos and Michael has become a great partner - I love to ride the back roads and snap away. I am determined to get one of my photographs published in a Louisiana publication. More on that later.

 I saw someone posted on Facebook about making a wreath out of old picture frames. Wreaths don't have to be round, right? So I took an old frame - painted it orange and put on a crackle finish. I just started hot gluing everything in my stash that screamed Fall. I added a piece of burlap to hang.  

I am constantly seeking a good foundation and concealer for mature skin (we all know that is a code word for old). I have been happy with several brands but my skin seems to change as I am aging. I am currently in love with Maybelline Superstay Better Skin foundation and the concealer. I think the pair were less than $20. I only use drug store make-up because it is perfectly good and the price is right for thrifty Tina. What have you been doing this September?  

Product Reviews

From time to time I will do a product review on this blog.  Everyone by now knows all the benefits of Coconut oil. I have to admit I do not cook with it. I use coconut oil  on my very dry skin. Coconut oil can be rather pricey - I have used several different brands.  Thrifty Tina found the best price at Wal-Mart with the  LouAna brand - believe me it is just like all the others. FYI - coconut oil makes a great lip balm!

 Years ago I read an article about shampoo. Basically it indicated you should vary your shampoo - some weeks a strong shampoo and other weeks a light shampoo. I range from Loreal to Suave. However, as I get older I know I need a great conditioner. I am in love with this Kukui' oil conditioner. It claims it is hydrating + defrizz. It is thick and rich with a wonderful scent. I will also alternate conditioners but this is a favorite for now.

 Always watching what I eat due to diabetes and watching my weight I am always on the lookout for quality products. This Polaner preserve is better than 'real jelly' It is sweetened with Splenda and has 80% fewer calories than standard preserves.We enjoyed the strawberry but the Seedless Blackberry Preserves are superior. So good!

 Shout out to Dollar Tree. I found this chalkboard sticker reminder board that is erasable . $1.00

I plan on putting this on the side of my filing cabinet. It would also look great on the fridge.

There are so many products that we are bombarded with daily- but when I review a product it will be an honest assessment of the product. What products have your loyalty? Share with the readers what you endorse....... in a very difficult economy we need all the help we can get.Waiting on cooler weather, Tina

Collection #2

 Several years ago I was in Goodwill and noticed 3 of the cutest old plates. Three plates were marked $1.99. They just called to me - they were off white with  retro aqua blue and pink flowers. At the time I was not that experienced with vintage dishes, however I brought them home to research them.

 The back of the plate indicated the pattern was Boutonniere and it was produced by Taylor, Smith and Taylor. A little research indicated that the set was made through the 1960's and had been a best selling pattern. Awesome! Then I became a dish junkie - looking everywhere I went for this pattern. I started buying from flea markets, thrift stores, Etsy, and Ebay

 Each time I looked at the pattern I just fell in love - so delicate and it made me happy.

 I found large plates and a large oval platter. Yes!

 I bought saucers and cups... and then I located mugs in the pattern. I came to realize that these old sets of dishes have sooooo many pieces.

I then  found large glasses and small glasses. These are more difficult to find because of  breakage through the +50 years of use.

 Bowls and salad plates started arriving in the mail - I would buy 1 or 2 at a time.

 I knew this was a serious collection when I began asking for my vintage dishes for Christmas, birthdays, etc. Salt and Pepper Shakers, gravy boats and cream and sugar dishes, oh my!

I now have a condiment boat, gravy dish, carafe and covered serving dish. I have not bought any dishes in a long time and this post has me hungry to complete the set. I just realized I don't own the butter dish - oh no! the collecting bug is biting so hard. Wait. It is almost 12 o'clock and Goodwill opens at noon. Well folks, I guess you know where you can find me. What do you collect? Come on - I know you collect something. Share with the readers - Happy Collecting, Tina

Confessions of A Collector

My name is Tina and I am a collector. This is the first installment of my collections post. I recently set about trying to figure out why I love to collect things. I am a collector on a slim budget so the reason is not monetary. One collector referred to his collecting obsession as "a genetic disorder." I read an article that says collecting is good if you have a self awareness of why you collect. It  outlined several examples. Mine is easy - it is nostalgia and a connection to history. 

 Years ago I found a vintage pair of glass and metal salt and pepper shakers - they were so small and cute. I just had to have them.

  It was not long that another pair of vintage  glass salt and pepper shakers with metal tops caught my attention. It is just a pair -right?

 Oh no ! Another pair and now it is an official collection. Some collectors say a pair is a collection. I think 2 is a pair - 3 is a collection.

 And then the glass salt and pepper shakers with metal tops grew and.......

 grew and grew and grew. 

Once  you have a large collection you have to have a way to display them. So I found a vintage wooden cabinet with glass sliding doors. Notice that the bottom is storing some random wine glasses. This is just a filler so that as I collect more there will be plenty of room. I want my readers to know that I have good control of my collecting. Once this cabinet is full  - that is the end of this collection. If I find a pair of shakers I like - one pair has to go. I have several more posts related to my collection of vintage dishware, postcards, etc. Let me know what you collect - I am always fascinated by what people are drawn to and why. Have a lovely September Friday............. Tina