What do you do when you are lonely? (long and pic heavy)

12 years ago

DH's sweet grandmother passed away last Monday morning. Last minute tickets to Canada are very expensive so DH went on without me. Before he left, we went to the local garden center, purchased and planted a Miss Canada lilac and a Saskatoon berry bush in her memory. I hope to be half the cook and gardener she was. She was loved by so many but is now enjoying being reunited with her dear husband in the most beautiful garden imaginable!

During the week I had work to keep me occupied but then the weekend came. I knew I couldn't just sit around the house so I decided to go thrifting :) I had noticed a housing development near me was having a community wide garage sale so I started there. I went to about 2 dozen homes and found just a few things to buy. I am really happy with what I got and what I paid for them:

11 pices of china marked Signature Collection Select Fine China, Japan, pattern name Coronet. 4 dinner plates, 4 saucer plates and 3 dessert plates. I will have to hunt done another dessrt plate. Cost for all? $3.00!! A replacement desset plate is going to cost me more than that!

Next find was this cake plate. I have seen this style of plate at HG and Target and have always wanted to buy it but the price stopped me. It so closely matches my Candlewick collection without the Candlewick price tag. I asked the woman how much it was and, you ready? $1.00!! SOLD so fast I am sure she thought I was crazy!!

See the price on the box from Big Lots for the 4 brand new candles? See how pretty the long light blue tapers are? At the same sale they had a FREE box!! Free is one of my fav-o-rite words!

Total spent at the garage sales - $4.00!

While I was down that way I decided to stop into a GW that I rarely go to because their prices seem a bit higher than my regular GW. I wondered around a bit, seeing things I wanted but put back because of price. (OT rant) am I the only one that gets a tad upset when you see an original price on an item, from say Pier 1, at GW or any thrift store and the GW price is 50% off of that? I could have went to Pier 1 at the end of the season and paid that! (end of rant)

Then I saw this candlestick and wait, I saw it's mate! I turned it over slowly to see the price, sure it was going to be too high. Shut the front door!! $1.99 each! Oh yeah, they were coming home with me!!

Look, I hear you and I know all of my Easter stuff has been packed away. I am fully aware that yesterday and today's temps are in the 90's. But I ask you, dear friends, could you pass up those sweet little bunny eyes? Could you really pass them up when you see the price of $1.99?? I couldn't either!

So there you have my Saturday haul. Oh I stopped at DT and purchased the 4 placemats. My total for the day, a little over $14.00!

Shopping made the day pass quickly and it didn't cost me much. But hold on! I still had to get through Sunday! DH's flight didn't get in until after 5...So, after catching up on housework and a run to the grocery store to get DH his favorite angel food cake for our anniversary today, I decided to go to one more TS, my local ARC store. Am I so glad I did!

I love this little wooden crate! It is already nicely worn in the right places and the handles are so cute. Even though it has a hand painted pinecone I knew I would use it year round, in fact, I already have it decorated for summer. I will post a picture later if you'd like to see what i did. Price? A whopping $1.49!!

And now, my favorite find of the entire weekend.

4 of these dishes at $3.99 each. I checked and they are priced higher than that on the web so I am very very happy with them. I see a tablescape or two with them in my future.

Spending 2 days thrift shopping saved me this weekend. DH is home safely and it hardly cost a thing to keep my mind off of missing him.

Kath

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Comments (14)

Purplemoon
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
First, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to you and DH. I'm glad he made it home to celebrate. But I am so sorry to hear he lost his beloved grandmother. It is so sweet you've planted two bushes in her memory.

I'm glad you got out and occupied yourself during the weekend, and found so many nice goodies. Retail Therapy..
works good. You got some terrific buys.
Those Staffordshire dishes are really pretty!!

hugs, Karen
excessfroufrou
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
So sorry to hear about DGM. It looks like you found some fantastic stuff, and I can't think of a more pleasant way to pass the time. Your new candlesticks are lovely and quite the deal considering they came from GW. I love the cake plate and it was a whopper of a deal.
Frou
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phonegirl
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Kath, Happy Anniversary and hope DH made it home to celebrate with you. You found so many wonderful dishes and things while out shopping. Sounds like you found them at good prices too. Your favorite Forget-Me-Not plates are my favorite also.

Sweet little bunny dish at a great price. So glad you found the cake plate to go with your Candlewick collection. Hope you will post a picture of your wooden crate all decorated.

So sorry for your loss of DH's grandma but sounds like she was a sweetheart and left alot for others to remember her by. Your new shrubs you planted in memory of her should bring alot of smiles each time you look at them.

Punk
luvstocraft
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What a nice idea to plant something in memory of a loved one who loved to garden. I too am so sorry for your loss.

You chose just the right way to pass the time and just look at all the bargains you would have missed if you hadn't gone! Bet you were pleased when you saw the price on the candle holders. I agree, GW does seem to price their items a bit too high most times. Your cake plate was a wonderful find and I really love your forget me not dishes, what beautiful scallops. And, hey, you have to grab those seasonal things whenever you find a bargain for sure. Happy Anniversary! Oh, and yes, how did you use the little box?

Luvs
plainjane425
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
So sorry to hear of your loss. I think since DGM enjoyed gardening so much, she'd love the idea of plantings in your garden, in her memory.

On a happier note...Happy Anniversary!
Looks like you did some very successful shopping!
I love 'one stop shopping' at community TS's...seems you find such a variety of great things.
I have the same 'rant' with my GW. So many times I see items that are marked either the same price or higher than the store. Your candle holders were a great find..price and all, they were definitely waiting for you.
Lovely cake plate and cute bunny dish. My favorite are the pretty For-Get-Me-Not plates. I love their delicate pattern. I'm thinking their name is also fitting to remember DGM by.
I see great tablescapes using them and your other lovely dishes..which were also a great buy.

Hope you and DH enjoyed a nice Anniversary with his favorite cake.

jane
Purplemoon
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Jane, I hadn't even realized how perfect those Forget Me Not dishes would be to also remember DGM by and I hope each time Kath uses them, this thought touches her. Its so sweet.

hugs, Karen
maximavswife
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you all for the kind words and thoughts. DH made it home safely Sunday night. He brought me home some items that were DGM's that I will use in future table settings.
Jane & Karen, I also had not thought how perfect the forget me not dishes would be to use in memory of DGM! I now will think of her when I use them for sure.
Again, DH proves to be the perfect enabler. My anniversary gift from him is a beautiful 49-piece, service for 8, dinnerware set that includes a teapot, sugar, creamer salt & pepper shakers and serving pieces!

I am already doing up the tablescape in my mind :)
We will wait until this weekend to really celebrate our anniversary. I am truly a very lucky woman to have a fine of man as DH in my life! He is and always will be my best friend!

Kath
Marlene Kindred
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
So sorry about your DGM's passing Kath, but glad that your hubby was back home with you for your anniversary. You hit the mother load lady! I had to laugh when I read what you wrote about the candlesticks! "Shut the front door"....OMGosh, too funny! Such pretty dishes, candlesticks, etc. Way to go!
kathleen_li
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sorry for your loss, Kath.
Love all your finds, great dishes!
jeannespines
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I've never heard "shut the front door" either...except when maybe when I was hollering at kids/gr'kids running in & out of the house or the camper (esp!) LOL!

Wonderful finds! A great anniversary present! & so good DH could go for his DGM's memory. TFS, maxi...& of course, my fav is the white box w/pinecone...but I am lovin' those 'forget-me-not' plates, too! Great bargain $$$! Jeanne S.
neesie
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. By coincidence I also planted a lilac, a double white, for my MIL. I wasn't as quick as you, it took me a while to pick the perfect double white and order it over the internet at the right time of year. But now it's been two years and I think maybe in a few more we'll see it bloom.

Hope your hubby comes back with stories shared by his family and happy to see the new addition to your garden. Love your dishes too!
paintingfool
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What a beautiful thing to do in memory of a loved one. Your shopping finds are great, wish we had a sale like that in my neighborhood - but I already have so many dishes - but what the heck, one more wouldn't hurt!!
B
maximavswife
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
>>but what the heck, one more wouldn't hurt!!LOL B! I keep telling myself, "no more, no more!" Then I am saying, "oh but these are so pretty! Imagine this tablescape..." And they come home with me :)

Neesie~It was so good for DH to reconnect with family again! We have about 1 more week to go before he loses the accent though, dontcha know eh. :)

Marlene/ Jeanne~I first heard "shut the front door" on a TV commercial. Loved it and use it as my own now LOL.

Kath
christmascandy
12 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Kath,
My condolences on your loss. The bushes sound like a perfect tribute!
Glad DH had a safe trip and brought you some memorabilia from DGM.
How did you get him trained to be such a great enabler??
My DH just says "don't you think you have enough junk already?"
I, too, keep saying "you have enough dishes!" BUT, then I see something cute and different and just have to have it!! Dontcha know!! LOL
I love those Forget Me Not dishes and I think DGM was sending a message!

I think you had a great retail therapy session!! I like everything you bought.

TFS,
Candy

What do you do when you are lonely? (long and pic heavy)

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