thrifty projects and gifts...

It's graduation gift season...

and as is the case every year, I have a hard time trying to decide what to give for gifts.

Because I'm on a tight budget, I always try to find something creative and inexpensive

and at the same time usable...

So this is what I came up with this year...

A little bit of this

 {most of which was already on hand}

A little cutting and gluing...

 more cutting and gluing...

Add a white board marker...

Simple, but usable gifts...

And since I had several frames sitting around the house that I've been waiting to use,

I decided to make two more for myself...

One for the kitchen to use for a calendar/memo board...

And one in the bathroom for quotes and notes...

 I've picked up both of the frames at Goodwill for a couple of dollars over the last year.  The paper backing was gift wrap- purchased a while ago at Target. And I bought white board markers at the Dollar store.  It's a cheap and easy way to pass a little encouragement to your family...

we've all been having a good time posting notes to each other.  

This morning I was greeted with 

"Don't hate me cause I'm beautiful" from my daughter.

Tomorrow she'll probably find something like 

"True beauty starts deep within your soul"...

A fraud...

I just noticed I've been missing here for quite some time.  

No excuses

Just life being life.

That, and I realized recently that I am not the die-hard frugal girl I thought I was.

Let me explain...

The other night I was watching "Extreme Couponing" with my 20 year old son

{don't judge me, he is home from college for the summer and we were bonding}

He was in shock and utter awe over the shopping trips these people were taking.

Some of them not only saved money,

but they also MADE money by purchasing certain items with certain coupons.

*Being a college student he was also shocked by the hoarder mentality some of them deny having

and blurted out something like, 

"Hey, I'm fixin' to get me some of those Hamburger Helpers...that stuff's awesome!"

{Ewww...I stop at serving a box of that to my family.  Just can't do it.}

I'm not going to lie, that show gives me a headache 

and takes my stress level up several notches.

And so, here's the pitiful, honest truth...

I like a bargain

I like lots of bargains

But I'd rather have nothing if it means I have to spend hours and days 

searching for

clipping

filing

organizing

in order to take a trip to the grocery store.

{I mean no disrespect to those who make it a habit to clip coupons daily

more power to you, 

I think what you're doing to save your family's money is commendable...}

To my family:

I'm sorry, kids, but I'd rather you go without food altogether 

than have to endure such

mental gymnastics

just to put food on our table.

So in honor of everyone out there who just gasped at the disrespect I haveblurted out

I will see your coupon-frenzy

and raise you one website.

Go ahead, 

leave me to my TLC Extreme Couponing bad attitude 

and go save yourself some money HERE.

But just to prove that I have not totally lost all desire to save a buck,

here's a picture of a recent Craig's list purchase.

There's actually four chairs w/cushions and a ceramic tiled table with a firepit in the center-

it also has the option to change it out for an ice bin.

Not bad for $60.

I also purchased a futon mattress for a frame we had sitting around here for $30.  

Considering what each of these would cost new, I think they were pretty good deals.  

I may not be an extreme couponer,

 but I can hunt down a bargain when I need one.

MASSIVE yard sale..

I vowed NEVER to do one EVER again...

multiple times.

BUT...here I go again, giving in to the temptation to purge.

 Again.

This time, though, I'm tag-teaming it with my friend, Janelle and some other creative ladies..

 it feels much less stressful, much less pressure...

but let me tell you, IT WILL BE HUGE and you won't want to miss it!!!

Check out Janelle's description and and a peek at the last few years of

Barn Sales at her house:

 Here are the details:

{3rd Annual Barn Sale at Janelle's House}


128 Lancaster Avenue
Strasburg, PA  17579

~Friday, May 6th 4pm-7pm~
~Saturday, May 7th 7am-2pm~

This week at Goodwill...

Someone picked up THIS:

  {he also had to take a trip to Guitar Center for 12 strings}

 But, he was proud of his $14 purchase

And it really is quite entertaining watching him play

 I picked up these three sweeties

 The inside of the Vintage train case is in perfect condition.  

I didn't need it, but for $.97 how can you not purchase it for storage?!?

 The two plaid cases made their way to my oldest son's basement bedroom.

I'll have to wait until he's back from college to find out what he will store in them....

{his room offers a large amount of options to choose from-

shoes, magazines, books, cd's, junk, dirty laundry, etc etc}

 Anytime I find something old and well-loved, 

I wonder about its history...

Where did it come from?  

Where has it been?

Who used it?  

What secrets does it hold?

These two came home with me on a different Goodwill trip.

They were just the right color and just the right price

They are a little overly loved

but their flaws are somewhat comforting.

"Frugality without creativity is deprivation."

-Amy Dacyczyn

If you're looking for a freebie, 

head over HERE to one of my favorite blogs for a chance to win a brand new pair of running shoes!

And while you're there, 

scroll down for a peek at the sweetest dog EV-er!

SPRING freebies....

My friend Janelle over at Three Men and Their Ladies is having a 

Spring Giveaway...

If you want a chance to win THIS

Then head over HERE right quick!

Yesterday I signed up for another giveaway HERE

It's so similar, I would be happy for either one to come in my mail!

I've been thinking about putting together my own giveaway...

these two make me feel creative.

I'll get working on that and let you know when it happens!

It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! 

 ~Mark Twain

stumbling...

You know how part of the reason we "thrift-lovers" enjoy the hunt is because it's just challenging...

and the other reason is because we live in a throw-away society, so re-using something makes us feel like we're giving back...and the other reason is because it is cost effective and makes sense to our budget???? 

{Longest run-on sentence I've written today}

Yeah...well, I realize that I can easily over-spend by the sheer force of allowing myself to walk in the doors of my favorite Bargain Barn.  And, frankly, I probably have more stuff than I need simply because 

I liked it

and 

it was cheap.

For this reason, I am practicing self-control when I drive down Route 30 

and am tempted to turn Left into my favorite 

Goodwill Wonderland.  

As a result this blog has sat stagnant because I had 

nothing new and thrifty to be excited about. 

 I also have zero advice or suggestions 

that are worth writing down.

  {Unless, "just don't get in your car and drive out of your driveway" sounds like good advice to you.}

I guess you could say I'm in a creative funk.

So, to shake out of it 

or at least to see what others are doing with their creative juices,

I've joined stumble upon.

It's a massive internet conglomeration of 

everyone in the whole wide world and their sister

I don't really understand it all yet.

It's just too big.

But I think they're on to the next big internet craze.

It's like a great big marriage of Google, the blogging world, youtube, Martha Stewart, CNN, your local Library, Home Depot and every other random thing you can think of.

You pick your category of choice,

press "stumble"

and spend the next hour looking at everything you ever wanted to know about that category.

It's really crazy.

And somewhat overwhelming.

But sometimes I go there just because...

and perhaps in the hope of stumbling upon someone else's creative juicy-juice

and having it spill on me.

Like just now, when I stumbled, I found this place

Check her out, she seems to have a lot to say today about being frugal.

But don't be gone for too long...

I might actually slip in someone else's creative juice and 

post something worth noting.

Dear blog,

I have been unkind. 

I have neglected your needs.  

I have not filled you up with new things.  

I have not given you new tunes.  

I have taken a blogcation.

Please forgive me for being so harsh.

I didn't mean for it to happen.

But LIFE happened...

and you didn't.  

I promise to show you a little love very soon.

I promise.

Just give me a little more time.

{Google images}

♥ShopGirl