What I found at the 9 mile yard sale.....



Saturday we went to the 9 mile yard sale. My daughter picked up several bargains. She even found Shelby a Barbie riding toy for only $2.00. But I didn't fare as well as I had hoped. I found curtains I loved....but wrong size. I found baskets like I wanted but they were more expensive than brand new ones. Saw some cute glassware, but nothing that screamed "buy me". I was getting discouraged.

And then, in the middle of a long wooden table, sitting all alone I found my bargain of the day.

This beautiful teapot...

I love anything that has flowers and butterflies on it. Always have; always will. I especially loved the butterfly on the lid. She is so exquisite and detailed.

 

Add to that, the colors match my living room furniture so well.

It's like it was made especially for me. I gently picked it up and examined every little detail. No nicks, no scratches, no chips, no color fading, nothing. It was in pristeen condition. It looked 100% brand new. I looked at the lady and asked how much. I held my breath. I would have paid as much as $15.00. I loved it that much and I knew that brand new teapots in this condition start at $29.00. So she opened her mouth to speak and I know mine dropped open when she said "$3.00". Oh my gosh! You have got to be kidding me." I don't think I have ever whipped out my money so fast in my life. I grabbed this baby up right then.

She didn't have any bags (who has a yard sale with no bags???). Anyway, I didn't want the butterfly to get broke so I borrowed one of my granddaughters pull-ups and wrapped the lid in it and put it in her stroller basket. We made it home with no mishaps. I can't quit looking at it. I'm so excited. It always makes my weekend when I get a great find like this. 

When God closes doors....

We have all heard it said that when God closes one door, another door opens. I believe this is true. I also believe that the open doors are there all along. But because of our stubborn ways and willful nature, we are unable to see the open door God is providing us. We are too interested in doing things are own way, choosing our own paths. We will walk through the wrong door...day after day, month after month. God provides us instructions and courage to take the road less traveled and head through the open door.

But sometimes, when we can't see our way to do His will, He will close a door to us so we are faced to step out on faith alone and walk through the new door He has opened. When we do, we find joy and peace unknown. Opportunities begin to come our way and the benefits of obeying His will are innumerable.

It is a sad commentary on our lives that we have become so obstinate and so self-absorbed that when we pray asking for His help, we still want to continue trying to do it our way...or worse yet, try to tell God how He should handle it.

My prayer for each of you is that you take that step of faith and walk through the door God is providing for you. Do not be afraid or dismayed. Look at it as a new journey, an uplifting opportunity and a road to rewards that are beyond our wildest dreams.

Nine miles of bargains....



Today is going to be a great day. I wish all my followers who like thrifty finds could come along for the day. I'm going to the 9 mile yard sale on Hwy 411 (Old Newport Hwy) in Sevierville. It starts at 8:00. I'm not sure how many booths there will be in all, but I imagine there will be a lot. Most of the businesses on that stretch of highway are providing booths, bays or tents for people to set up in. All proceeds from the booth fees will go to support the Shriner's Hospital. Frazier's Lumber has around 30 booths leased out. And that is just at their business. We still have the rest of the 9 miles to learn about tomorrow. One lady posted about her booth on Craig's List. She said they had so much stuff they were overflowing.

I have quite a few items on my "wish list" for tomorrow. Things I'm looking for that I don't want to pay a fortune for. Here's a few of the items I'd like to find....

A toy box for the grandchildren's toys.

A vintage cookie jar

Glass Sugar and Cream set

Ivy Curtains

Quilted Valance that would go with any of the patterns in my quilt and pillow shams

Short, long wicker baskets


Hope I find something good to share with you.

Favorite Finds for Friday....

I've been to Etsy again. I love window shopping on there. Well, technically, I guess I'm actually "computer screen" shopping. I just love browsing through the various shops to see what tickles my fancy. Here are some of my favorite finds this week.

Found these adorable coasters at Peanuts Creations. She also has adorable face scrubbies and wash clothes. The color schemes are awesome and her prices are very reasonable for handmade items.



I love little birdnests and birds to set around the house. So when I saw this keychain, it was love at first site. It's a mother's keychain that represents a son and a daughter. Since I have twins (boy and girl) this is perfect for me. Visit A Cup of Sparkle and check out some of her other jewelry.

Mom had one of these every year at Christmas. I always loved picking it up and looking at it. She got it at a Five and Dime downtown. I'm going to have to get this for old time's sake. It's a bargain at $5.00 over at Corrnucopia

How adorable is this gorgeous white milk glass jewelry box for your rings and watch. I have never seen one of these, but it is very delicate and old world elegance. Hop over to Strictly Vintage and check out some of their vintage items.

Oh Wow. I love this canister set. The blue/green would go so good with my new kitchen decor. Only problem is. I don't need a canister set. I just need a cookie jar. Of course, I could use the big one for cookie's and the other two could hold hot chocolate packets and tea bags. Hmmm. There's a thought. This is over at It's Still Life.

I have always loved Carnival Glass. This is an adorable sugar creamer set from Vintage Homes.

Well, I'd say you just about lost me for the rest of the day. I made the mistake of searching for teapots and teacups on Etsy. I could spend all day picking out my favorites. So I'm just going to close my Friday finds by showing a few that I really fell in love with. Of course, there teapots & teacups...what's not to love?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/REdesignkc?ref=top_trail

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ABBEYGIFTS?ref=top_trail

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SwirlingOrange11?ref=pr_shop

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SwirlingOrange11?ref=pr_shop

How unique. My last name starts with K.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Jrisco?ref=top_trail

Have a great weekend!

Do you recall.....

Every once in awhile, my sweet tooth gets the better of me and I have a craving. For what, I can't figure out. Although, I love Hershey Bars and Milky Ways, I long for some of those old time favorites that can longer be found. I scoured the internet to see if any of my old "friends" are still around. Some are; some aren't. But here are some of my old favorites that I wish I could run out to the corner store and buy some.



You can still find Smoothie's and Mallo Cups. But it is rare. They are not much bigger than a 50 cent piece now. They still have the "points" in them. Except instead of saving the for gifts or a case of candy bars, you now save them up and send them in to get a $1.00 coupon off a new package. So let's see, I have to buy a stamp, an envelope and spend gas to go the post office, just to get a coupon back for $1.00. I'm thinking.....no. But I will still eat the candy bars. I love them.

This was one of my favorites. I've never had anything that even remotely resembles it in flavor. It was just chocolate covered caramel with peanuts in it. I can close my eyes and taste it now.

Another one from the Hollywood Candy Company that I loved way back when, was the Milkshake candy bar. It was similar to a Milky Way, but the nougat was more of a malted milk taste to it. Delicious.

Another favorite from days gone by is Charles Chips. Of course, we always called them "Charlie's" chips. They were delivered by truck, just like milk and eggs were back then. Mamaw Eden always had a delivery. Some Cracker Barrels are carrying them now. I bought some not to long ago. All I can say is, sometimes it is better if we go on memory instead of being able to taste the real thing. Not sure what the attraction was. Must have been the collectible can because the flavor sure didn't do anything for me.

I can still be found sipping on Pixy Stix or munching on Sweetarts. Somethings just never go out of style. I occasionally have a Necco wafer or Sugar Babies as well.

And I loved, loved, loved Hot Dog Bubble Gum. I found some at a nostalgia candy store not too long ago and you would have thought I won the lottery. I was so excited.

Flavors and fragrances can take us back in time to a simper way of life; a peaceful existance; a time when worries were far away. To this day, if I'm feeling stressed, I can pop in a piece of Bazooka bubble gum and blow bubbles to help blow my stress away.

What are some of YOUR favorite blasts from the past?

Just some stuff and a giveaway....

I am wondering how many adults out there who no longer have kids at home actually dress up for Halloween. I have longed for those days when it was okay to put on a costume or portray a new look for the holiday. I would love to be Morticia Addams...just for one night. Of course, I'd have to lose quite a few pounds, grow a lot taller, lose the curly hair, grow it long and die it black. So, forget the Morticia Addams dream.

Since I have become an adult, I have dressed for Halloween on a couple of different jobs I worked at. We normally had a theme. I remember one year, our theme was Pajama Party and everybody had to wear their favorite flannel p.j.'s and house shoes. My house shoes were a pair of fuzzy Pekingese House slippers that looked exactly like the little puppy above. We were scheduled to have a finance meeting that day. I was in with the boss for the meeting. As I sat there taking notes, I noticed he kept getting distracted. Finally, he laughed and said "Let's reschedule for Monday. I can't have a serious discussion with you while you have those hideous things on your feet." We adjourned.

My sister and I have started a new blog together. Stop by and follow us at Piggy and Wiggy's Place. Yes, there is story behind the name, but you can read all about it on our blog. We will be using this blog as a place to feature good deals we find, thrifty treasures, crafts we make, trips we take, home decor and new recipes we try.

When you visit Piggy and Wiggy's Place, check out our Pampered Chef giveaway that ends on October 14th. Some neat little accessories to make your holiday baking easier.

This time of year....

I'm riding the Tuesday Train.

(If you can, please take a moment to post a comment. I have been getting emails and phone calls from people who have not been able to comment and I'm not sure why. I changed some settings this morning and am interested in seeing if my comments are working now. I really appreciate your help in testing it.)

Well, we are officially heading into my favorite time of year. I love October through the end of December. There is much going on and lots to look forward to. My top 10 list this week are my 10 favorite things for the last quarter of the year. See how many of my items are on your list as well:

1. The changing colors of fall and the fallen leaves: I love the smell of fresh raked leaved and the smell of leaves burning.

2. Trick-or-Treat: I love helping out in our Trunk-or-Treat at church. There is always something fun going on. I usually bake and donate candy so I'll be free to enjoy the evening. I also love actual trick-or-treat night. I love seeing the children from the neighborhood come by in their various costumes. Of course, most of the neighborhood children are now teens and we only get a one or two to come by on Halloween. I'm very excited about this year because our new neighborhood will be more accessible and there are more children around that area. Not to mention, I will now have a front porch I can sit out on to hand out candy.

3. Once Halloween is over, we get to look forward to Thanksgiving. The big turkey hubby fixes every year, the multitude of side dishes guaranteed to tempt your taste buds. We always make enough to have left overs for the four day weekend. I go crazy with baking because I never know what anybody will be in the mood for.  Thanksgiving is also a time for celebrating my daughter-in-law's birthday. So one of the desserts is always her choice. Her birthday is close to Thanksgiving so we celebrate it when we are all together that day.

4. Of course, the day after Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite shopping days in the whole year...Black Friday. Bargains galore. Thanksgiving evening after the dishes are done, the food is put away, and the families have returned to their own homes, I sit down with some no-bake oatmeal cookies and a cold glass of milk and go through all the Black Friday sales papers and make a shopping list and itinerary for the big day. (If you are aware of my love for lists, this shouldn't surprise you).

5. Putting up the Christmas tree ranks right up there on my list of favorite things about this time of year. I love getting out all my Christmas decor and deciding what is going to go where. I'm one of those "multi-lights, assorted ornaments, tinsel and icicle type persons", as you can tell. There are certain things that are very sentimental to me and they get put in a prized location. One is my little poinsettia basket Mamaw Eden bought me. One is a ceramic Christmas tree that my oldest grandson painted me years ago. It always sets with a ceramic reindeer that my mom made for me about 25 year ago.

6. The next big excitement comes somewhere between or around December 10th - 13th. My twins (aren't they just adorable) and I celebrate our birthdays together since their birthday is just 3 days before mine. That is one of the main reasons I like to get my tree up early. I love having the house decorated for my birthday. I always have. I may get a real tree this year. The discussion is still up in the air between me and hubby. I think I will probably win this battle. He seems to be softening. Although, to be honest, his main stand on the issue is "Whatever you want.", which sometimes means it doesn't really matter one way or another to him. So I'm apparently the one on the fence about it.

7. Amidst all the family functions, I also have our church functions to look forward to. There is the church Christmas program, the church dinner, our Sunday School class dinner, and Secret Sister Christmas exchange. Lots of fun and tons of great food.

8. Then comes the magical night of all time. Christmas Eve. Our family gathers together for a feast of sauces, dips, cheeses, bread stix, just tons of good stuff. Not to mention, as always, a variety of desserts. We exchange gifts and just enjoy being together. I normally track Santa on Norad Santa Tracker. It's cool. You can see where he's been and exactly where he is. The grandkids are usually pretty excited that night so it just brings magic to the night. Of course, I'm always a little let down when they leave because it makes me miss all those years when my children were little.

9. Christmas Morning. Unfortunately for my hubby, I'm still one of those that gets excited and can't sleep good on Christmas eve. I'm usually up bright and early the next morning. But I try to lay in bed until a decent time so he doesn't wake up. It usually doesn't work. We have maintained many family traditions, even after the kids got married. Santa always filled stockings and put gifts under the tree. We never went into the living room until everybody was up and we would go in together. Hubby and I still exchange stockings and gifts and we still wait and go into the living room together. Over the years, the gifts have gotten less expensive and we don't buy as much as we used to, but it's just the thought of keeping up our family tradition.

10. New Year's eve is another tradition that we do every year. Our first year as husband and wife, I pulled my back out trying to move a couch by myself. I was hurting pretty bad and had never been one to party on New Year's eve so we opted to stay in. My mom wanted the kids for the night, so we tried to think of something fun to do to make New Year's eve special. We got out the Monopoly game and decided on a nice friendly game. We fixed fruit and cheeses for a snack. Hubby had a glass of wine and I had chilled grape juice. It was so much fun that it became "our thing" on New Year's eve. Thirty years later, we still ring in the New Year the same way. Of course, I'm ashamed to say that it is also a tradition that he wins the game....every year. I think I won one year, but I'm pretty sure I acted pathetic enough that he let me win that year. 

Well, that's my top 10 for Tuesday. Hope you have an awesome day.