My love of Pyrex

My poor Pyrex collection is not growing. I am having a hard time finding any pieces at good prices. I was looking online today and found some pieces on auction sites that I am going to watch. If the prices don't go too high, I may bid on one or two of them. Here are the top 10 that I found that I am going to keep an eye on. 

I finished a Pinterest Challenge

I see so much on Pinterest that I love and I am trying to do one Pinterest challenge per week if I can. I picked an easy one for my first week. Remember the little candle I showed you last week?

I picked that as my challenge, only added my own little twist. I gathered up all my goodies and my tools. 

I removed the packaging from the candle. 

I cut my ribbon to length and laid the candle on it. 

I hot glued the ribbon in place. 

I pulled out a few strands of raffia and cut them to the desired length. 

I tied the raffia around the material. 

I used wire cutters to cut the loops off the back of the button so it would lay flatter on the candle. 

I glued the pumpkin and the two little corn cobs on the raffia using hot glue. 

When I get ready to decorate for fall, here is where I will be setting it. 

Do you like it? I was very pleased with the result. I can't believe I found something to make, I bought the stuff and actually completed the project! All within a matter of day. Way to go, me!

Bargains and Bliss

I have been having some good luck with bargains at yard sales lately. I went to seven yards sales Saturday (can we say exhausted!). By 1:00, I was over it. But on my way out Boyd's Creek, I passed nine more that I didn't even stop at and another four on Chapman Highway. I can't help but wonder what I missed at those, but I was too tired Saturday to care. 

I did find some decent bargains. I picked up another book for just .25. I love having a stash of books on hand so when I finish one, I can start right on another one. And buying them for .25 cents, reading them and taking them to the local book exchange and getting a credit for $1.00 is always a good deal. I have never heard of this author, but it looked liked it would be good. 

This cute little tray was too pretty to pass up for just .25 cents. I have no clue where it will go or what I will use it for, but I just fell in love with it. I am thinking in my bathroom that has the pink flower wall paper. We will see. 

It is rare to find more than a set of four placemats. Even rarer to find them in good shape. I found not just four or eight, but TWELVE of the same kind. I asked the man running the sale what he wanted and he said his wife left him in charge and he didn't really care as long as things sold. He asked if .75 cents was too much for all 12. Uh...SOLD! These can go in my linen reserve and be used for patriotic holidays with a red, white and blue centerpiece or at Christmas with Candy Canes or Valentine's day with hearts. 

Remember my little snowflake Pyrex casserole dish that didn't have a lid or a stand? I found the stand a few weeks ago and found what I thought was the right lid Saturday. But unfortunately it wasn't. I'll put it in my lid drawer because someday down the road I may find the perfect casserole dish that is missing a lid and this one might work. 

But the best bargain of the day? This little 15" TV for my home office. She had it marked $5.00 but since I go to church with her she insisted I just take it home with me for free. I argued, but she won. So my price was FREE. It has a perfectly clear picture and works great. I had this little stand that my Daddy made so I snatched it from another room for now. When we moved, we had the cable guy run me a cable to my office so I just need to get a cable box. And now I have another shelf to decorate. I'll have to scout around the house to see what to put on these shelves. 

But the find of the day, the one that sent me into a state of bliss was this Indiana Glass chip and dip bowl from the 1970's. Not one single scratch, chip, or mar. It is in perfect condition and had all three pieces. I have been looking for one of these for over a year. I am beyond thrilled. 

And how much did this lovely set me back? A mere $2.00. I would say that was an awesome deal. 

At church yesterday morning, I had a surprise from my secret sister. When I opened it, I found this little tea set. It will look gorgeous in my collection.

A Foundation of Faith

A deep and abiding faith in God is the true foundation of life. It is my absolute most favorite word and instills such hope and joy in my life. Through darkest valleys and deepest fears, my faith in God has been unshakable. 

I have this little book called Learning the Word: A Made Easy Handbook on Studying the Bible by Mark Waters. It's an awesome little book. On the subject of faith he has a quote that I just love. 

"When we have an atom of faith in our hearts, we can see God's face, gentle, serene, and approving." - John Calvin

Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Israel, Rahab, Paul, Peter and many, many more have illustrated to us time and time again the importance of faith in our Lord. 

Faith can move mountains, it can calm roaring waters, it can provide a path through the darkest midnight. 

Our faith should be the one constant in our life. The unshakable foundation, the one straight path that will lead us to the rewards our loving God provides for us. 

Faith should be the very foundation of our existence. 

Yard sales, Pinterest, and the one that got away

Because of Hubby's work schedule now, his days off are Thursday and Friday. I've been planning my week around that so we can both take Friday off together. Yesterday was an awesome day.

It started off with a few local yard sales. I picked up some cute things. 

Like this little basket for Christmas. I am either going to use it for Christmas Cards we receive or to put Christmas napkins in. 

Love this clock. It's not old, but it gives the illusion of an antique clock. I needed a clock in my office and just couldn't find one I like....'til now.

I didn't find any Pyrex, but I did find this oval vegetable bowl from Glasbake in their blueberry pattern. I really like the pattern. I paid $1.00 for it, but saw it online for $12 and $20 so I guess I got a good deal. 

This was just too cute to pass up. It's a miniature cookbook in a wire basket. 

And I knew right where I wanted to sit it. 

You remember I am on the hunt for recipe boxes. That is my newest collectible item. I wanted a wooden one. Well I found one. They had painted it red, but I really liked it. It's a lot like the brown one Mom had when we were growing up. 

Total spend at yard sales today....$4.25. Not a bad day. 

As we were driving by a storage unit, we saw someone having a yard sale. When we stopped, it was my neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus. I picked out these three books and Santa wouldn't take my money. So I took him a bag of cherry sweet 100 tomatoes when I got home as a thank you. Going to try a recipe for crunchy cranberry muffins. I'll share it when I do. 

After the yard sales, we headed to the new Publix Market and the new Kroger Market in Knoxville. Since I left my phone in the car, I didn't get any pictures. But just let me say two things. Publix Market? WOW! Kroger Market? Not so much. The Kroger was nice and they do have a super duper houseware department, but nothing else much different from a regular Kroger. But Publix? I will have to return with my camera one day to do it justice, but I could spend all day in the cheese, deli, bakery, produce area. Unbelievable. 

We journeyed from there to AC Moore. I have started collecting items for my Pinterest challenges I plan to make for fall. My pledge is to complete one project per weekend. I need ribbon or material for this project still and some kind of fall button. I'm going to Joanne's and Walmart today to find what I need. 

The one that got away....

Well, actually I let two things slip by me yesterday, despite hubby telling me to get them. The first was a roll of ribbon at AC Moore. I really liked it and I thought it was exactly what I wanted for another Pinterest project. But I wasn't real sure and the price was $3.99 (yes, I am cheap when it comes to my crafts). And I knew Walmart ribbon was cheaper so I didn't get it. When I got home and was looking at my Pinterest challenge folder, I realized that it was EXACTLY the ribbon I wanted for this project. I may go back to AC Moore and get it today. I am so mad for leaving it there. 

Well, off to see what today might bring. 

I have rubbed off on my niece.....

My niece Amy called me yesterday. She had decided to pop in to a local antique mall. While walking around it, she spotted the red Pyrex bowl to the primary colors set. Being a wonderful niece who loves her aunt very much, she called me to see if I wanted it. Uh...YES! She said you could tell it was used, but still in great shape. So she bought it for me. She lives in another state and her mom is visiting me this fall so as bad as I want it, I would rather wait a month or so than risk it being shipped. but at least I know it is mine, all mine and I will have it soon. 

The inside is in perfect condition. And since I plan to use it, I am thrilled with the shape it is in. 

Then she called me back later and said I had rubbed off on her. (She must be reading my blogs too much) because she stopped at a yard sale. Now, Amy loves a bargain and she doesn't mind scouring antique stores, but I don't believe she has been to a yard sale in five years. So this was a major statement coming from her. And how did she fair?

Five straw wreaths still in their wrappings, a lovely glass vase, a white Fire King oval casserole and a brown Pyrex casserole. Her total cost? $2.75. I have taught the child well. 

She has some Pinterest plans for the wreaths and vase. She is also working on another Pinterest project and expects to finish it in the next day or so. I know that will show up on my blog as well. 

Thanks, Amy, for my bowl and for giving me a blogging topic for today. One good thing about featuring you in my blog, your Mom will get busy to get me some more stuff of hers for another blog.

I love when you can depend on family to provide you with blogging topics.  

WARNING! I have been reorganizing again

I don't know if I have ADD, if I am obsessive compulsive, if I'm hyperactive or if I just plain get bored with things staying the same. Whatever my problem is, I am redoing the kitchen as far as moving things from one shelf to another. My Pyrex is in two different places and one is hard to get to so I forget what I have and never get to enjoy looking at it. I just have a few pieces, but I still want them to be accessible. Here is what I have done.

The Baker's Rack (Before) While we have a lot of cabinet space, we don't have much drawer space. So we use the wooden antique cigar box for our silverware. But the Baker's Rack is at the end of the kitchen where it turns to the utility room and it was inconvenient. And I just didn't like the look of it sitting there. I do like having two of my Pyrex bowls on the top, but would like more of them here. 

So I moved things around and like it better. (After)

Now my main Pyrex pieces I use are sitting here where we can grab them. The extra wooden spoons in the crock look cute on the little "dresser". I keep recipes in the drawers. It is the ones that are hand written on notebook paper or printed from magazines. I need to eventually put them on recipe cards. 

The second shelf is my cookbooks and the two recipe card boxes I have. One is for desserts and one is for "real" food such as barbecue, chicken recipes, breads, etc. The basket is nothing but dessert cook books. If you look close, I'm sure you will see a Hershey's theme going on. 

The top has some of my other Pyrex. The bowl inside the yellow bowl is an old Homer Laughlin bowl that an antique dealer traded me for some items years ago. And in the middle is my new Early American Pyrex piece I got this weekend. And beside that is my Pyrex Bar Code promotional piece a friend gave me.

Now we move on to the other rack. Here are the middle shelf and bottom shelf. (Before)

Here is the middle shelf (after)

And the bottom shelf (after). It still needs some work, but it is the one shelf you barely see as it is in the back corner by the table.

Top shelf (before)

Top shelf (after). I love my blue stuff all being on one shelf. The lamp has got to go. I just need to find a replacement before I move it. I want something in a brown or copper wrought iron look. I still need a lid for the juice pitcher and for the casserole dish. Why I never find things with their lids is beyond me. 

Next came one of the kitchen counter that holds our snack bowls. You will see it used to have the recipe basket of dessert books and the yellow Pyrex bowl. 

I moved the silverware box over here and one of the little Pyrex bowls. I like it better.

I have moved and changed the tops of these cabinets so many times that it isn't funny. I just couldn't figure out what to put up there. (Before)

So, I went shopping the house and closets for baskets that weren't being used for anything. And this is the end result. Still not sure if I like it, but it is way better than the stuff I had stuck up there. (After)

The fridge and the little shelf over it.  (before)

The after isn't any better. This is the only place I could display the cake taker the because of the diameter of the tray. Still not sure if I want to keep it or sell it. Maybe I'll just wait and see if I find someone who is looking for one. The shelf is pathetic still. It could be arranged nicer if the cake taker wasn't in the way. I just sat some extra items on the shelf for now that I didn't know what to do with. I'll have to work on that later. I did all this after supper last night. By the time I got to this little shelf, I was exhausted and my mind didn't know what to put where. 

Hubby is off today and he has actually agreed to take me to some yard sales. We used to go to them all the time and he loved it. But he normally works on Thursday's and Friday's until recently. So we are going to hit a few sales today and tomorrow. 

On a final note....

In April 2011, I introduced you to one of my dear friends and faithful followers, Ms. Norma. She was celebrating her 8th anniversary of her Lung Transplant. Click the link to follow her story. She is now into her 9th year of a transplant that she was told might, at the best, give her an extra 5 years of life. God has performed miracle after miracle for Ms. Norma. She has had some complications earlier this year and is making regular trips to Vanderbilt for procedures and monitoring. This past trip resulted in the finding of a hole in her native lung. They are hoping it will close without having to do surgery. They can hope, but I will pray. A much better success rate with prayer than with hoping. Please say a prayer for Ms. Norma that God will pull her through this as He has so many times before. She is a strong Christian and her faith knows no bounds.