Polka Dots and Flower Pots

A week ago our neighborhood had about 25 garage sales going on. With glee, I headed out with a zippered pouch of change and high hopes. I found this darling, oversized polka dot mug for just .25. I have a thing for polka dots, especially brown, and pink. Plus I'd decided I wanted to try, once more, to have a little house plant. I do well with outdoor plants, but I'm not as successful with indoor plants.

After looking at Walmart for a cute little indoor plant and finding none, I decided I'd really rather not spend any money on one...so I remembered that Geraniums can be started by cuttings. Google helped refresh the how-to's on that, then I filled up the mug with some leftover potting soil, and cut a nice healthy stalk off of one of my outdoor Gernaniums. You pull off the lower leaves, and tuck the little cutting about 2 inches into the soil. Water, and watch! It should root itself in the dirt, and begin a new plant. I'll know it is thriving when new leaves begin to grow. For just .25 and alittle ingenuity, my kitchen has a fresh bit of life and green in it...I like polka dots and plants.

Garage Sale Finds!

This morning felt like a garage sale day to me. And since we've only been to a few this year, I felt it was worth the late start to school. Craig's List gave me 3-4 to pursue, with hopeful words of 'most things $1!' It was a heady high that I experienced as many things, truly for $1 or less, were just the very things I had on my 'used goods' mental list of things to buy. First up...the lamp above. A lamp in the kitchen adds a warmth and coziness that I was itching for...and this little sweet lamp was just the ticket...for...$1. The brand new fabric napkin, in one of my kitchen colors, came home with me for .10, too. Oh yea.

Also on my mental list of 'things to buy' were toys for my Sunday School class of K-1st graders. Can you believe that this Build A Bear monkey and many outfits/hats/shoes all became mine for just...yep, $1! I will wash and sterilize them, and the kids will have a great time.

I've been wishing to purchase some pieces of fabric for random, spur of the moment craft projects. Pretty green toille, for free. :) A nearly new C'mas towel-.50, a miniature loaves pan-.50, and a glass jar just begging to become something clever-.50. Mmhmm!

Of course I always look for things my newlywed daughter might need. Linds, Tupperware containers for your pantry items...50 cents each. And that thing in the middle? A new Christmas Card holder for your wall. Compact and extra cute...for .50.

Oh boy, did I have fun!! For about $10 total, I got all of the above, plus a nice lamp shade to replace the ancient shade on our bedroom lamp, 2 more sets of toys for my SS class, and a set of very nice mixing bowls from IKEA. Thank you Lord for blessing my frugal soul today!

Got Envelopes?

Pretty, colored envelopes are so cheery. But after they've been written on, is there a way to repurpose them for another use? Yes!

Cut the corners off of the envelope.

Now you've made a cheery, easy-to-spot page marker for any book. I received this fun cookbook from a dear friend in the mail this week. The fuschia colored envelope contained her note. Now I'm using the corners from the envelope to mark recipes in the cookbook that I want to try. :) Sandy, I'll be thinking of you everytime I do one of the 101 Things with zucchini!