the past week and reflection

Has it really been a week since I blogged? ETA: Er, make that 2 weeks. Well, you can blame it on this cutie who has been occupying my time:

Showing off his wannabe elfin ear. I can hardly believe he's a month old already. Where does the time go??

I'm planning to make this wrap, but while I wait for the housekeeper to wash the fabric, I've been using my front pack. Isaac loves it. He complained the first time I put him in it but it didn't take long for him to snuggle up and get right to sleeping. Adrian and I walked to the park with him last week during one gorgeous, windy day.

 

I've been working on a few sewing projects as well. Isaac doesn't have many clothes right now so I've been dreaming up things to make for him. Of course, dreaming and doing are two different things. I suppose he has pajamas to wear but you know, I want cute clothes for him. ;) I made up a pants pattern that I still need to tweak, I'll show pictures once he actually wears them. Adrian also has a shirt that I made and I really love it even though it's already getting small. I made it right before Isaac was born and have yet to take pictures. 

A few days ago Jeff kicked me out of the house ALL BY MYSELF to go thrifting. I'm still thinking about it. I ran to St. Vinnie's in Ish where I always have good luck. I actually took the time to look through women's clothing this time and found a few things for myself including a pair of Levi's. Woohoo! I really need new jeans. I also found pants for the boys. I called Jeff as I was speeding through the kids clothes and found out that Isaac already had his bottle an hour before so I figured it was best to head home even though I still had much of the store to dig through. Either way, I filled a bag for $14 so I was pretty happy. That was my first time thrifting since a few weeks before Isaac's arrival. Oh how I have missed it, I can't wait to go again! 

I'm feeling pretty good, both physically and emotionally. I can't remember if I've said it here, but I feel so much better emotionally/mentally than I did after Adrian was born. A c-section isn't something most people imagine for the birth of their first child so it was a huge disappointment when that was the outcome. I remember feeling so let down and disconnected from my baby for quite a while. I hid it for the most part and kept it to myself. This time around, after everything that we went through to have such a successful vbac (did I say, no complications whatsoever?!) I feel so great/happy/victorious/fulfilled. I was able to bond with Isaac so much sooner. I realize that not everyone has that instant connection, especially with the first, but having a birth that you're hardly involved in and then having your baby whisked away for the next hour or two certainly doesn't help.
A friend of mine--who had also had a c-section--commented that she thought it might be a disappointment after giving birth naturally just thinking about what you missed the first time around. Her comment really made me think. The truth is, I don't feel that way at all. Instead, I'm so happy to have finally experienced the process of natural birth. It's more like, "Oh! This is what it's supposed to be like!" rather than a reminder that I didn't have that choice the first time.

Isaac continues to be a happy baby. We were chatting with our downstairs neighbor today (telling her that we're officially house-hunting!) and she said he must be a good baby because she has hardly heard him cry. So true. He cries when he's hungry or wants to be held. And hello, he's a month old, of course he wants to be held. It's a good reminder for me to keep taking it easy, plus I just love snuggling him! He's starting to smile which is seriously awesome. I've been trying to get a picture but doggone, he just won't cooperate for the camera. He just melts my heart.

Tomorrow I plan to sew. Can't wait!

Favorite Green Blanket

These picture are from a few days ago when Adrian was supposed to be napping on the couch.

I don't have to tell you how well that worked out.

Day 2

Yvonne invited me to join her for a 30 day photo challenge. Since there are no rules and since there will be an addition to our family this month, I may be following it rather loosely. Either way, I couldn't say no! Day 1 was a self portrait so you can consider the last post day 1 even though it was technically a day early. Today's challenge is "what I wore."

I had to crop out my feet when I cropped out the cardboard box sitting in the corner...we're running out of room in this apartment. You didn't miss out, they were bare. We don't always wear socks around here and I didn't grab the boots that I would wear if I was to actually venture out today.
I've seen a lot of outfit posts with prices attached which is always really interesting to me, but I couldn't tell you for the life of me what each individual item cost. I can guess that the total outfit was under $10. I'm thrifty like that.

Dolmen-sleeved sweater: Elle, thrifted during our sister's trip
Short-sleeved maternity tee: Motherhood, thrifted
Maternity jeans: A Pea in the Pod, borrowed from my sister, Amanda
White beaded necklace: vintage, belonged to Jeff's Grandma Sally
Gold necklace: vintage, belonged to Jeff's Grandma Sally

I really love this gold necklace. When Jeff's family emptied out his Grandpa's house, the kids were all able to go through and take whatever they wanted (this was a couple years ago when it was realized that Grandpa would never be moving back from the adult care home). Jeff and I didn't get to look through everything until we were in town a few weeks later after it was pretty well picked over, but I still found a few treasures, mostly jewelry. I specifically remember grabbing this necklace saying something down the lines of, "I don't know if I really love this, but it's a simple necklace that goes with everything." Then I put it on. I wear it All. The. Time. Literally, it never comes off. I'm glad I decided to take it.

Thrifty, Thrifty my Husband is Nifty!

Remember this vintage sheet? It's okay if you don't. ;) I finally finished a project with it. A little something for Restyle actually. I should have it listed next week. Aaaand, I still have so much fabric leftover. What to make next...

I've been meaning to get pictures of my thifty finds. Yesterday, in between appointments, we went to Salvation Army and I finally found a maxi skirt! I'm so excited except it's completely see-through so I still need to find something to line it with. All colors except yellow tags were half off and cheapskate that I am, I didn't want to pay full price for a long slip or nightgown. I also found 2 sweaters. One is a cardigan that I just love, I'm hoping it fits post baby. I'm basically over buying maternity clothes. With a month left, it's time to start working on my regular wardrobe.

Have I mentioned that I love thrifting?

We had a busy day yesterday. I already had 2 appointments planned so why not throw in another one? The chiropractor was able to squeeze me in last minute, something was out of place so I wanted to get that taken care of right away. We had a little time before my OB appointment, which was the fastest time ever BTW. It was at 11 and we were walking back out the door by 11:15. That has never happened to me before, I was quite happy with that. The only problem was, Adrian stayed and played with the toys in the waiting room with Jeff while I was with the doctor and he wasn't quite ready to go when we left. The mention of Border Grill got him out the door. Geez, we've eaten there way too many times in the past month.

After my lucky finds at Salvation Army we went to a workshop by one the newest Chiropractors in the Marquette area. I'm so glad we went. I met him a few months ago during 'ladies night' (an open house of sorts for the local businesses) and I told Jeff that I want to switch chiropractors as soon as we can afford to. The one we had gone to before (that I just saw yesterday) is a sports chiropractor and basically only does adjustments. After hearing so much about the chiropractor my sisters see out in Minnesota, I have been waiting for someone similar in our area. This guy is one of a small number of Certified Chiropractic Wellness and Lifestyle Practioners in Michigan. He was offering a special rate for his initial exam to everyone who came to the workshop. So, so glad we were there or we probably wouldn't have switched for a looong time. (The initial exam is really expensive which is why I hadn't switched before.) We all have appointments next week. (Did I mention that Jeff has his second week of vacation right now?) I can't wait to see what's wrong with us. ;) In all seriousness though, I'm excited to see how he can help us become the healthiest that we can be.

Today was a pretty slow day at home. I went through some baby clothes to see what I still need, I can't believe I'll be taking them out for real in the next couple weeks! Jeff is finishing up his P90X workout right now and Adrian is looking at library books. Tonight, we are going to check out the dogsled races. They have a ceremonial start in Marquette and for some reason, we've never been. Adrian sounds excited to see the 'doggies.'

BTW, I was holding off mentioning this, but it looks like today's the day; Jeff started P90X again and this time, he's documenting it in blog form. I'm pretty proud of him for really putting himself out there. What better way to motivate someone else to do the same than to show such vulnerability? He is so committed, I think it's his nature to become practically obsessed with something once he decides to do it. He has officially lost 12 lbs in under 5 weeks! Be sure to check out his blog and cheer him on! (He usually posts on Monday nights.)

I Want to Drive a Zomboni...

This boy has been killing us lately. I only wish I could remember all the funny things he does and says, how quickly this time goes!

Today, Jeff and Adrian were playing hockey in the living room and Adrian kept 'slipping' on the ice and falling down. Completely his own idea. He went to a hockey game with Jeff the other week and he hasn't stopped talking about hockey players since. Then, in the middle of the game, he stops and runs down the hallway to get his race car. Jeff and I were a little confused because he seemed to be having fun shooting the puck. A few moments later, he came zipping down the hallway on his race car. "Hafta cwean the ice."

He's too fast. And, he doesn't want me taking his picture anymore.

He cleaned it about every 2 minutes after that. And each time, when he was finished, he drove his "Zamboni" back to his bedroom. We just never know what he'll come up with next!

(That blue dot is a magnet, he thinks it's pretty cool that he can get it to stick to his car.)

We did get our winter storm, never did hear the official count, but I'm pretty sure we got over a foot of snow. It finally looks like January! I did get out thrift shopping in the middle of it. I found a really cool crocheted blanket for the baby...that Adrian already claimed. I'll have to get a picture. I also found some kids books, nothing super exciting, we just need some different books around here. I've also been keeping my eye out for a bigger bookshelf, but no luck yet.

Something super exciting is happening this week! Hopefully Monday. I'll keep you posted! :)

Vintage-Style Romper

I've been itching to sew lately, I still haven't done any real projects this fall. I found this pattern at St. Vinnies for 7¢! I think their patterns are usually a whopping 14¢ but the sale for the day was half off everything except yellow tags. I also found a winter jacket for Adrian (still hoping to find a nicer one but for the price listed, I couldn't pass it up as a 'just in case'), a yellow, silk shirt for myself, and another basic toddler pattern for shirts and onesies. I also had a $1 off coupon so my total was, wait for it...$2.17.
This pattern is from 1975, I plan to make the top sunsuit using this vintage sheet a found quite a while ago:

I'm not even sure what I'll do with it once it's done but I was so excited to use the pattern once I brought it home! It might be a baby gift or it might find it's way to Etsy. Hey, do you remember when I talked about opening my very own Etsy shop?? Yeah...I remember that too.

Thrifty Finds

I feel like I've been having good luck with thrift shopping lately--hopefully that keeps up once garage sale season finally gets here!
I went to an indoor [garage] sale on Saturday with my friend Heidi. I am so glad I did! There were a ton of boys clothes and I was able to find somewhere along the lines of 7 pairs of shorts and 6 pairs of pants that will fit Adrian this summer, fall...winter. He still fits into 18 months pants so who knows how long these 'new' pants will last! It's always fun to get lucky like that, now I can focus on tops for him, especially when he has enough that fit him now so I don't feel so desperate as to buy anything I can find!
I also found the animal puzzle (with the big red barn). When Adrian first tried it, he threw a fit. He was SO mad when he couldn't figure it out. Now, 4 days later, he can finish it no problem. Then he dumps it upside down and does it again. It's pretty awesome. So, I was at St. Vinny's today (a local thrift shop) and found 4 puzzles, grouped in 2's, for $0.74 each. (There is another, Elmo puzzle for older kids that isn't shown.) What a deal! Adrian couldn't wait to play with them. I'm so serious, he wanted to open them in the store! I might just hold onto the alphabet puzzle and give it to him for his birthday in August.
I found ties for the boys, Jeff always seems to be looking for striped ties and you can't beat $0.87 or whatever it was I paid for that. I'm hoping Adrian's tie will work with the vest my Mom is knitting for the wedding. I paid 3-something for the dress and it may actually become the dress I wear to the wedding. I really lost steam working on this dress, I think it was the navy, I'm not a big fan of dark colors for myself. I do still plan on finishing it and I'll post a picture when I do. Anyways, this dress should be a quick redo, I probably won't change anything, just resize it. I'm guessing it's about a size too big and it's pretty simple. Then, I just need to find a contrasting belt or make a sash to make it a little different!
I found Adrian's shoes about a week ago. St. Vinny's sells a lot of their kids shoes at $1 or less so I will always look, whether he needs them or not. I love, love, love, the blue and white striped Ked-style shoes! I want to find more for him! Unfortunately, these are in the size he wears now so he may only be able to wear them for a few more weeks, barefoot. ETA: Scratch that, I just put them on and his toes are right to the end. I guess we won't be wearing them after all. And the other pair are two sizes too big so I'm still on the lookout for shoes! I did find a pair of brown, leather sandals in the next size up that will work most of the time but I still need something for cooler, rainy days.
We're going downstate very, very soon and I'm hoping to spend some time at Salvation Army. (I know I've mentioned it before but it is HUGE!) That is, if we have any money to spare...

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!

A few days ago, I walked to a few local thrift shops. By myself! Jeff wasn't working that day and Adrian was napping. It was a perfectly wonderful day for a walk and going by myself with many hours to spare, I kind of felt like a single teenager again. I can't remember the last time I took a leisurely walk...
I spent several hours slowly browsing each store, drooling over Pyrex dishes all the while. Oh how I love vintage Pyrex dishes! I was on a mission to find a bookshelf but I didn't mind the other distractions. There is one shop in particular that always has tons of furniture. Really nice furniture. Like, crazy lots of furniture. This shop is kind of weird though, it gives me the creeps every time I go in but still check it out every time hoping that just once I'll find something I'm looking for. Like a mid-century modern bookcase. When I walked in, I didn't see anyone else, this is normal. I swear the guy that runs it is like a phantom. He popped out rather quickly this time (sometimes I don't see him at all) to say 'hi' and that he was having a sale--he's always having a sale. I asked about the bookcase style I was looking for and he clearly had no idea what I was talking about as he directed me to the basement and more 'stuff.' I looking around, as always, a little afraid to go in the basement. It is so crowded with stuff, you have to squeeze through tiny little walkways to get around and it's so quiet...anyways, I didn't find anything and breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I was outside again. I should mention that the guy running the place doesn't creep me out, he's kind of an absent-minded sort of person and has never bothered me in the least. He's just always hiding out somewhere and I can't see him or hear him. I don't know where he goes, maybe he lives upstairs??
I found a Pyrex percolator at another shop a few months ago and I went in there hoping to find a bookcase because I remembered seeing a bunch of furniture in the basement of that building. Which wasn't creepy at all, by the way. I was a little confused when I walked in and the whole store looked different, the people working there were unfamiliar, and the basement was closed off. Not to mention that the place looked half empty. Turns out, there were new owners, the previous owner moved across the street to another (humongous, old bank) building. Anyways, it was at this shop that I found this little lady and I wasn't even looking for one! I guess that's just how it goes!

This is the only thing I bought that day but man, I was pumped!

You'll notice it's a little crooked; I was playing around with it and didn't put it back just right.  This dress form is way more customizable than the ones being made now. And I got it for $50!

I'm so excited to start using it--just as soon as I can figure it out. It adjusts from the inside (I forgot to get a picture) and there are no measurements so it might be a little trickier than the newer models but I'm sure I will love it once I get the hang of it.
The manual was taped inside but it didn't give me any more hints. It originally comes with a stretchy sleeve that slips over the entire thing for a smoother surface for pinning (I'll have to post a picture once it's all adjusted to show why this would be useful) but it was nowhere to be found. I'm sure I can make something down the road if I feel like I need it.
If nothing else, I can start using it for making skirts right away, that should be easy to adjust for!

It looks like I took another little blogging break! We headed downstate for the weekend so I could make it to Jenna's bridal shower. Our showers are usually a surprise and bridal showers are planned by the bridesmaids. We got in on Thursday night but since Jenna didn't know the plan for Saturday morning, we had to sneak around a little bit. She called Dave on Friday and told him she would be coming over. Of course, he couldn't very well tell her not to without giving away the surprise so we ducked out to my family's house and spent the evening there. The shower was a success on Saturday morning but I have no pictures because I forgot my camera back at the house. Here is the happy couple (I swear, Dave can't take a normal picture...)

I was able to make it to Salvation Army while we were down! I always look forward to that and I scored a few deals with the 5 for $5 sale that was going on. One of the dresses I found *might* be for the wedding. I need to restyle it first to know if it will work for sure.
I finally made a plan to go out to coffee with some friends while I was in town. Soon after I arrived, Jeff texted to say Adrian was running a fever of 101.9 under his arm which, of course, means it's even higher . I knew he was warm when I left but I was hoping it was just from teething since he had been sporting some red circles on his cheeks that afternoon (a sure sign of teething for him). Well, that temp is too high to blame on teeth. We texted for a while as I debated whether or not I should stay. I finally left, picking up some tylenol on the way back 'just in case.' I've never had to give him anything like that before (we always used homeopathic pain relievers for his teeth) and I was hoping I wouldn't have to now. Since it wasn't high enough to be considered dangerous, I let his body do it's thing and by early morning his temp was back to normal. I don't think I've ever heard of a fever lasting such a short time so I don't know what that was all about. He's been fine ever since. I'm so disappointed that I had to miss catching up with the girls but it was definitely reassuring to be near my sick little guy! We'll be back down before I know it so I'll just have to try to get out again!

one for you, three for me

Because I always like to see what treasures other people find on their thrifting travels, I thought I would share mine! At one time, I would have walked right by every single one of these items but now, I am so excited about them and can't wait to start working playing with them!

Oh, I'm so sorry, I already removed the shoulder pads from the shirt on the right!

These shirts will be refashioned into something more attractive--the button-down shirt will lose that scarf. Something about that combination of crazy dots and matching solid color reminds me of a clown...



This wool skirt will lose some length and the sheet, well, I haven't quite decided what to do with that yet. I loved the print but I can't decide if I want to make curtains, a comforter, or a dress with it. I'm leaning towards a dress because I think the colors are a little different than what I want for my home. Of course, I should have material left over so maybe I'll make a throw pillow to try it out. We shall see!

I bought some of these with my Etsy shop in mind but I guess I'll wait until I'm finished with them before deciding whether or not to keep them for myself. Shoot, maybe this shop wasn't such a good idea after all...

a few things

>Sometimes I don't capitalize any words in my title because I don't remember the correct way to do it.
>That goes for a lot of my grammar actually...
>Jeff and I are going on a date tonight! I'm so excited! We don't get out often enough and I recently talked to another friend who wanted to switch babysitting with someone else. Now I have 2 people to call if I want to go out without Adrian!
>I had another appointment with the chiropractor this morning. Adrian cried the entire time. Again. I can't wait for him to warm up to that place! I have a few sore spots today on my neck and back which is to be expected since my entire spine is being realigned. There is hope for a straight spine for this lady!
>I am currently working on a skirt that looks similar to this. I am hoping to get it done for tomorrow's feature!
>I am thinking about going to a workshop set up by Lanni Lantto next month. Except, now I'm not so sure, I just saw that the time is 1-3pm which is my little dude's nap time. I'll have to see if I can work something out. They meet three times.
>I fully plan to convince Jeff to go thrift shopping tonight. Do you think it will work? We still have Christmas money to spend and we have been looking for a bookcase. Wish us luck! (Well, wish me luck, first!)

Jeff needed to run a few hockey-related errands in town yesterday so I took the opportunity to hit up Goodwill. I have been wanting to get there for quite a while but had never set aside the time. He dropped me off (and took Adrian!) with the question of whether I would be fine for that long because it might take awhile. I assured him I would and there were plenty of other departments to browse if I was indeed left waiting. I barely made it through the women's department before he called and I was saying, "You're on your way already?!" There's never enough time for resale shopping!


I found this striped shirt for around $3 and was slightly disappointed when I looked at the tag after buying it. It is by Merona which is sold by Target. I probably could have found it cheaper than that on clearance. Oh well, I like the stripes and I have a lot to work with since it is many sizes too big. I haven't decided what to do with it yet, I have way too many ideas which leads me to believe that I need to upcycle more often! You'll be seeing this again on a future Friday!


I also got this blazer for $6.99. I plan to resize it to fit me, remove those shoulder pads(!), and use it as a dress coat this winter. It might be slightly warmer than the one I've been using for the past 6 years. (And that's not an exaggeration.)
I had been hoping to find a dress to refashion but I didn't have any luck. I know there are at least 3 other resale shops to search but I suppose I could work on the projects I have piled up for now!

Feature Me Friday

Until further notice, I will call this feature "Feature Me Friday." A special thanks to Amanda for being so clever! I'm not very good at coming up with titles...I'm sure you had no idea considering my blog is called "Heidi's World" and I didn't even come up with that myself. But that was years ago!

This week--or the last few weeks actually--I have been working on reconstruction. I bought this skirted suit at a bazaar this summer with the intention of resizing the skirt. I love the pinstripes! It was only $1 so if I messed up, no big deal. I didn't have any plans for the jacket. I'm not really a jacket wearing girl. It would probably have looked cute with jeans--if I wore that sort of thing. At the very least I might have resized it to fit me just to learn a few thing about resizing. And then passed it on to someone else so it wouldn't hang neglected in my closet.


A few weeks ago, I finally got to work on the skirt. It had a seam right down the center of it with a pleated slit which I thought was really weird so I decided to redo the entire front as well as resizing. I already figured the whole project would be an adventure because I would need to hem it up quite a bit since it was way too long on me. I should say now that I liked the pleated slit, just not in the center front. I thought it would look better in the back which meant I had to move the zipper and basically turn the skirt backwards. That still left me with a seam down the center.


After what felt like hours of seam ripping (oh, how I loathe seam ripping!) I started thinking about what shirt I would wear with the skirt. I jumped on the suit when I first saw it because I need dress clothes so badly. Having another skirt in my possession would be great but I still don't have very many tops to go with. I have even fewer that I actually like. I started thinking about the jacket again and had an 'aha!' moment. I could use the jacket to make the top to a dress! As soon as that thought came into my head I knew what I wanted it to look like. I would do a classic shape and maybe throw in a little something extra to make it more fun and playful. The pleated slit at the back would fit right in! I made some sketches, which honestly I rarely refer to, but sketching is definitely a weakness for me so I've been trying to do it often whenever I create something.


Right now, I have the basic outline of the top and bottom done. It has been such a slow process because everytime I come to the next step I have to stop and picture the completed project in my head and how it should look. I'm learning and making things up as I go. As helpful as a teacher or a video would be right now, I've been too stubborn to search for one. I know I can figure it all out and I think I'll have a better grasp on construction and sizing if I teach myself with trial and error. When I'm constructing this dress, I'm making it slightly bigger than it needs to be just to get it finished. Then I'll go back and resize it to fit me. If I had a custom mannequin I could be sizing as I go but as of now, I have been holding pieces up to myself to see how they fit. I can always go back and make it smaller but once everything is all trimmed up I can't make it any bigger! The tricky part that I see coming up is fitting the skirt to the top. It's way too wide right now. I know I'll have to do some pleating or gathering and I'm not really sure how to go about doing that just right. I may actually have to google a few things!



That's what I've been up to this week. I'll have to show you my progress next Friday!

Have a super fabulous weekend!

Weekend Treasures

Whoops, I thought I had only missed a day or two of blogging and now I'm realizing it has actually been 4 days!
We had our fall services at church this weekend so I guess I have forgotten about my blog. My Grandma and Grandpa were in town as well so we were fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with them!
On Saturday morning I went to Stacey's garage sale (she gave me all the baby clothes a few months ago). I didn't know if I would get anything since I'm not really looking for more clothes right now--although now I'm realizing that I probably should be, I just don't have the space--but I'm SO GLAD I went! I have been looking for a jogger and a Pack'n Play all summer and I saw both the moment we pulled in! So, thanks again Stacey, I'm so glad I went! I have had to borrow a Pack'n Play several times this summer and I had been borrowing a jogger from Kate when we ran all summer. It's so nice to have my own now!

Oh yeah, and guess what? I was telling a friend about my awesome finds right after and she said she has three-THREE!-Pack'n Plays and she has been trying to give them away!

Brown and Cream

I love this sweatshirt.


I love that it cost 50 cents. Plus or minus 50 cents, can't remember.


I love when he keeps the hood on.


I love when it stays on through his nap, even if he did wake up crying. Which, I can assure you, had nothing to do with the hood.

What happened to my happy boy?!

Weekend Treasures

My only find this weekend was a pair of dress pants. I didn't own a single pair, until now. When Jeff and I fly under his company name we are supposed to be somewhat dressed up. Considering how often I need dress pants (I've gotten away without them up until now!) I was happy to find a decent pair at a garage sale.
I only went garage saling on Friday and I was pretty lame. I just wasn't in the mood. Maybe because I had grocery shopping to do when I was done and who wants to do anything once they finish running all over town? I wasn't having much luck anyways so I called it quits earlier than usual. I won't be going out this weekend because we have our annual St. Johns church services in the Keweenaw. (For which, I am really looking forward to. I get to see my family!)

Weekend Treasures

I wasn't planning on hitting up the garage sales this weekend but then realizing that I do actually want a pack'n'play for camping (next weekend!) I headed out to test my luck. I did not actually come across a pack'n'play but I found a few other things:


I've been going back and forth as to whether or not I want a carpet steamer and finally settled on this one for $8. I figured I can rent one for a few hours at about 3 times that price so I bought it. Plus, it has the attachments so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to use it on our car seats!


A [classic] Halloween costume for my assistant (pictured in first photo). I was thinking about making a costume for him but when I saw this for a buck I decided to chunk that idea. For this year anyways. Someday I'd like to make a Halloween costume but I'll have to start it in January.


It's so hard to pass up books. The baby books were 10 cents, that sure beats the store price! I really enjoyed the Harry Potter books, I'm slowly collecting the series in hardcover. I mean s-l-o-w-l-y. This is the second one I have. I bought one full-price but hopefully I'll be able to find the rest at garage sales.


When I was downstate the other week I was really hoping to find clothes for Adrian. I think one sale had them but nothing that I wanted. Luckily, I'm not desperate right now so it's fine but I did manage to find a few things on Friday. I especially love the cream and brown striped zip-up. I really need to go through his clothes again and see what specific items he needs in what sizes. I know he doesn't have very many blue jeans and sweatshirts (if any at all...) but that's about as knowledgeable as I am about his clothing supply right now. (Not pictured: a baby blue lightweight knit vest. It's still sitting in the dirty clothes pile so I forgot about it!)


Lastly, I found this covered dish for 50 cents. I'm on the look-out for glass and ceramic containers and dishes with lids. I have a glass dish that is close to this size and I have really been wanting another!


It says "Fire-King" on the bottom. This doesn't mean much to me but, it sounds vaguely familiar. Maybe that means something to you?

Not pictured: I also found a [possibly brand-new] wooden baby gate for Jeff's mom and dad's house which has an open stairway to the basement. It's tucked away in the closet until we see them again so I didn't pull it out to photograph but I'm sure you've all seen one of those!

I thought it would be fun to share my finds, it's kind of interesting to know what other people look for! I would say this is going to be a weekly thing--even if I only find one item for a quarter--but given my track record...I'll just take it one day at a time!

Happy SUNday! :)