Office Update

I have been cracking the whip on myself to finish all the projects I had started around here. I've made pretty good progress but just haven't sat down long enough to write them up for you. Ah, you know that's not true, don't you?  The part about not sitting down long enough, not the part about making progress. Truth be told, I'm a professional sitter-downer.  I could open my own business if there was a call for it. Too bad I don't know anyone who needs help with their sitting down. So, here I am sitting down, with a plethura of projects to tell you about.  I've made a few changes in the office that have really helped me out; given me more storage and inspiration so I thought I would start there.

Remember my stamp pad caddy? I wasn't happy with having to take out all the stamps to find the color I liked. I wanted them individually displayed. So I've been keeping my eyes open for something that would work better. I see these wooden cassette holders all the time at thrift stores, some bigger and some smaller. I chose a bigger one so I would have room to grow.

The slots were too small to hold a stamp pad so I took some heavy snips and cut every other horizontal slat to make the spaces twice as tall. Perfect!

Countertop Salt Jar

I cook a lot. I think I might have mentioned that. So I wanted a salt container that I could leave out on the counter that I wouldn't have to go to the spice cupboard each time. I've seen some salt cellars at specialty stores that were incredibly expensive and didn't have a wow factor for me. So, I set about re-creating something in my own style.

Over the next couple thrift store visits, I found a perfect little white crock for a couple dollars. It had no markings and clean lines.

Back at home, I searched online for an image I liked and saved it to my computer. From one of my favorite fellow bloggers, Just Something I Made, I'd already learned about inkjet waterslide decal paper. I LOVE it! You can make so many cool things without having a pricey machine, just using your printer. Cathe from JSIM recommends getting the decal paper from here so I did and was happy with my order but I've since seen it on Amazon too. Maybe you can even find it locally?

I Have a Secret.

I have a secret. Only a handful of people know about my secret addiction, people who won't judge. All my discretionary income goes towards feeding my addiction. When its been awhile since I had any, all I can think of is how to get me some. But its time to come clean with everyone. My name is Terry and I'm a thrifter. Sure, it started innocently enough. My frugal grown daughter got me started and went with me the first several times to show me the ropes. I was in sketchy neighborhoods that I never  envisioned myself going but after awhile, they started to feel like "my people" and I was very comfortable, maybe too comfortable. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure I want help. I'm definitely not sure I want to tell you where I get my stuff and risk losing it. Can I trust you? Maybe I'll just tell you how I pull it off and hope no one tries to pull an intervention off on me. 

• ·        Do thrift stores have a lot of junk? Oh yeah, in fact it's probably mostly junk, maybe 90% even. But that leaves 10% treasures for anyone willing to look beyond the junk. The more you go, the quicker you'll get at spotting the good stuff.
• ·        Do thrift stores have a nasty smell and lots of dust? Yep. I call that smell "MONEY" and soap is readily available for your hands and purchases when you're done scoring your deals.
• ·        Don't thrift stores have only old discarded crap? Nope, not so. I have found many brand new, still in the box, brand name, high end items. But even those old (we call them "vintage") items are one of a kind and will surely set your home apart from everyone else's.
• ·        What if I make a buying mistake? I was scared too initially. Some stores allow you to return items (Goodwill does) and even when I can't, I know that I paid so little for something, that it wasn't a huge hit to my budget as if I paid retail and I move on. Plus keep in mind you’re supporting a good cause.
• ·        Don't know where to thrift shop? Try googling "best thrift stores in _____."  I'm pretty lucky that Colorado seems to be a thrift store mecca. Some cities, even huge ones like Houston (where my daughter lives) just don't seem to have as good of thrift stores and believe me we’ve tried. But still you can always find some worth shopping if maybe not get the best deal in the world. When my daughter comes to CO, we do our favorite routes and are in "thrift stupor". Grab your sister or friend, stop for a treat and have yourself a cheap, glorious day!