Bangin' Bangle Friday: Channeling My Inner Phoebe

One of the nicest things about having my girl home in the afternoon (as opposed to her pulling 13 plus hour days practicing for a play or musical) is getting to catch up on our TV shows. Lately we've been reviving our love for 'Friends.' Do you have a favorite Friend? While I'll admit to a lifelong girl crush on Rachel (she must smell FABULOUS!), I myself am more like Phoebe. Dear, sweet, daffy, blonde Phoebe. With the fabulous jewelry.

Right now we're at our busiest time of the lawnmower/etc. year. It's not unusual for my husband and I to fight for bathroom and lunch time on a typical day. Not fight EACH OTHER, fight FOR it. The days are beyond busy, relentless, frustrating.......yeah, it's great.

So, I need all the help I can get. Today I threw on a bunch of gypsy/Phoebe inspired goodies to spice things up (SPICY!). With my $10 Sears watch, I wore a bunch of ethnic beaded stretch bracelets, complete with carved tribal animals. These beauties retailed for $5 at Closet Mentor.

On my right hand.......the beyond beautiful abalone and brass ring came from the Kohl's clearance rack for $3-$4. The brilliant glass beaded bracelets retailed for $6 from Goodwill. As crazy as my day was, my jewelry pepped me up every time I caught a glance of wrist or finger. Bottom line: my jewelry makes me happy.

I'm not about impressing people with my stuff. I love color, style and bling for MYSELF, and for the happiness it brings me.

Thrift Score: Rediscovering Snail Mail

One of the best things I've found at thrift stores is unused stationary and note cards. TONS, as a matter of fact. I have found them unopened, in beautiful gift boxes. They are sold for pennies on the dollar, which makes them a fabulous deal. Have you priced thank you notes lately? Unless you come across a great deal at the dollar store, very nice quality note cards can be found for $10 for a box of 8. That same unopned box at Goodwill can run .50-$1.00. I've also found the boxes of everyday cards........you know, like your grandma used to send? MY grandma would stock up on the boxes that included birthday, anniversary, new baby......so she was always ready.

How much nicer the world would be if we revived snail mail. Email is wonderful, texts and phone calls are great, but nothing beats getting something in the mail. Something that isn't a bill!

When I was a kid, my mom made my brother and I write thank you notes. We HATED it. NOT writing them wasn't an option, so we bucked up. As I got older, it became apparent how grateful people were to receive those handwritten notes. We were not only required to thank the gift giver, but also put something newsworthy in the note. People would always tell my parents how much they appreciated receiving them.

So, when I had kids, I passed the thank you note gene along to them. Like their mother, Brendan and Claire would rather peel grapes than write an actual note, but they do it, because they know how important it is. Why? I've beaten it into their little brains. Haha, just kidding........a little.

We live in an ungrateful generation. We as a whole expect goodies, but do we deserve them? And when we receive them, do we thank the giver? Not as much as we should. We've actually had family members tell us they're not giving gifts anymore, because they never got a thank you from anyone but Brendan and Claire. How sad is that? Sad enough that MY kids miss out because others were never trained to say 'thanks.'

If you know me personally, or you're a long time reader of my blog, you should know by now I'm the first person to admit my faults and mistakes. There have been days when I expected a knock on the door from Child Protective Services. I ain't perfect and I never will be, and I don't hold myself up as a paragon of virtue.

We DO write thank you notes. They are an excellent way for kids to practice their writing skills. They nuture goodwill toward mankind.

And they're especially nice to find at thrift stores :)

Changin' The Name Of Mah Blog

First of all, I've noticed something.

When I do a 'true confessions' type blog post, like today's overspending, or 'keep your hands off my stuff,' or 'never buying new again,' i get my most reader views. You DO like it when I'm a trainwreck, don't you?

If I made this a Kardashian fanblog, my views would go through the roof :P

Anywho, I am changing the name of my blog. I will always be a Madre, and I will always be a-Musing, but a blog about thrifting might be better suited with a name like 'thriftnerd.'

Make it so, Number 1.

I Overdid It This Month :(

'Um, dear? The amount you spent at Goodwill this month is the same amount I need to spend on that part for my truck.'

Whoops.

Good things, like bad, CAN be overdone. You can still gain weight on sugar free food. Too many trips to the Humane Society can result in way too many pets.

And....too many trips to the thrift store can do as much damage to the checkbook as any other store, if you don't plan correctly.

Granted, I started out with the best of intentions (always). I was finishing up Claire's prom ensemble. I was shopping for gifts. I was on the lookout for formals for two people. We needed new shoes. And on and on.

My husband's comment to me yesterday made me stop and think. Please don't ask if I was gracious when he pointed it out. That's a blog post for another day :/

I went through the checkbook ledger for April and found out (gulp) that I had indeed spent $202.76.

After spending the right amount of time being horrified at myself, I regrouped. Most of what I bought wasn't frivolous, but I'm on a budget. I don't go to Kroger and mindlessly spend. I have a list and I stick to it. I have to do the same thing at Goodwill.

Now, the reason I posted this VERY personal experience is to dispel the myth that I never make thrifting mistakes. Au contraire. Should I come across too smug and sure of myself, God is bound to allow me to fall publically, or else I can disclose it myself.

However, this is NOT the opportunity for you to say, 'oh, I would NEVER do something like THAT.'

Pride goeth before a fall, blah blah.

Serendipity..........or Gigantic DUH

Am I the only one who reads a unbelievably easy but marvelous tip and hits her head with her hand, saying 'WELL DUH!' Why can't I come up with that on my own? Must I always be spoon fed?

Thankfully, every now and then I myself get hit with the easy but awesome. Human nature being what it is, I tend to forget those more than the negative stuff :P

Case in point: today's lovely DIY bracelet. It's actually a necklace that I bought from Goodwill, hoping to take apart and make a bracelet. I bought it for $1, brought it home, sat in my TV chair (I do my jewelry making while turning my mind to goo) and absent-mindedly started wrapping it around my wrist. Low and behold, it fits! It looks great with my old Forever 21 brown boho ring, too.

I've tried wrapping necklaces around my wrist as a bracelet before, but they're either painfully tight or waaaaayyyy too long. This time, it worked! It sounds numbingly easy, and you're probably thinking, 'did she really waste a blog post on this?', but now I'm intrigued and want to go back and look through my necklaces again.........

If this has never occurred to you, because you're too busy working through string theory or just matching up your toddler's socks...........you're welcome oxoxo

Rockin' Ring Wednesday: 50th Anniversary Trip Edition

As I write this, my in laws have completed the first leg of their 50th anniversary trip, having just touched down in Atlanta. A few more thousand miles to go........and tonight, they'll be sleeping in Hawaii! How exciting for them! The weather has GOT to be better than the misery and dreck we're enduring here today in Central Ohio. Claire especially must be thrilled in the downpour.....she and the cast from 'Hello, Dolly!' are trekking around Delaware, visitng nursing homes in their costumes and singing for the enjoyment of the residents. I'm sure the rain must add much to their finery :X

Anyway, even though Spring weather has been pretty touch and go lately, there's no rule saying we can't brighten our days with some springy-bling! I absolutely love this ring, for several reasons: 1.) it's matte gold, and that always looks classy, 2.) it's ORANGE, and that's one of my favorite colors (think creamsicle!), and 3.)it came from Plato's Closet, for a cost of $5. Winwinwin. Win.

I have several spring time fresh pieces of jewelry I trot out on especially yucky days. Now if only I could hoist this ring aloft, like Dr. Who and his screwdriver, and help the sun to get the hint!

Collecting? Or 12 Step Program?

Yes. I bought another one. I also filled it up.

Not too long ago, I posted pictures of the ways I organized my jewelry, and kept it all within my sight so I could see it every day when I got ready for the day. I THOUGHT I had my bracelets all organized, but then I found another organizer at Goodwill.......and when I brought it home, I FILLED IT UP!!

So, now I have two large (and one small) hanging bracelet organizers. A week later, it has paid off in that I have worn bracelets that hadn't been added to the rotation in a while, due to me not seeing them.........because they were all mashed together. With the added organizer, everything is laid out much better.

So. Now that I've attempted to justify all of this, let me mull a bit.

I have a LOT (Understatement Of The Century) of bracelets. True, most of them cost between $1-$3. There are some pricier pieces in there, but they are in the minority. It is just too dang easy to pop into a thrift store, Plato's Closet, Closet Mentor, or an antique store, and come out with at least one gorgeous and cheap bracelet. In the past, you've seen a lot of these bracelets require a good dose of brass polish, or bead reconstruction/restringing.

I have big bracelets, to be worn on their own........medium sized bracelets, to be grouped with other like sized pieces, and small beaded and chain numbers that are worn with my watches. I have 3, by the way.

I'll admit it. When I filled this latest organizer with absolutely no trouble, at first I was horrified. WHO HAS THIS MANY BRACELETS??? Good grief! Then, when I stepped back, I realized it truly is a collection. Some people collect figurines, or paintings. Pokemon cards or first edition hardback books. Record albums.

In high school, I collected unicorns and gnomes. I also had a stick pin collection.

When I finally started breathing again, I realized my bracelet collection has cost me very little money. It's not a collection of fine china or Hummel figurines, for pete's sake. I don't schedule my life around my aquisition of bracelets. When you're running out for milk or bunny food, and you pop into Goodwill for 5 minutes and find a beautiful brass bangle for $3? Barely a blip on my screen.

I always go back to, 'am I being a good steward of what I have?' With my new organizer, I am. I can wear every bracelet I own, because I see them all with a glance. If they sat there and gathered dust.....THEN, I'd have a reason to feel guilty!