Pretty flowers! I do the same thing with beads but I strip old jewelry. Although I have been known to do belts too. Be sure to post pictures of your finished projects. I bet the flowers would make cool solar lights. I love those little vases too. Bob and I went to a thrift store today. Well we went there yesterday too. I just bought some books yesterday and Bob got some hardware for cabinets (knobs and hinges). I saw a dresser I liked and couldn't decide if I wanted it or not. When we were checking out, we found out that all furniture, books, glassware, etc. would be half off today! So we had to go back. So now you know what I do on my vacation days! lol!

Jeanne, the snowflakes are from Doll. Tr. and they start getting them in around August or Sept. If you wait until the actual holidays, they are gone! I also found the Santa hat chair covers there, and they hadn't actually put them out on the shelves yet. I never saw them on the shelves in any DT. I think everybody bought them as soon as they saw them! I had originally planned to use the green holly plates on top of the plaid Winter Bird plates, but they covered too much of the plaid, so I put them under the bowls. Luvs, the Mumm plates are the plaid plates and bowls. The Snowman plates are from the Country Santa Collection by Susan Winger, but just as soon as I don't want them any more, they're yours. Which should be sometime around the 12th of never, LOL Karen, as you know, shopping is my therapy and I need a lot of therapy!! Nana, the Snowman CP does have a Debbie Mumm tag. Lynne, I am planning on having Christmas put away by the end of today, although I am procrastinating by being on here! I am also putting out some Valentine decor as I put away the Christmas. Jane, I am a huge fan of plaid and amazingly, I found the table runner, placemats, tea towels and rugs all in that pattern at Big Lots many years ago. I don't think Big Lots has as many cool things any more. It seems like they have a lot of the same stuff other stores do now. Punk, the burgundy is a small part of the plaid and I thought the table needed that pop of color. So glad you agree! Marlene, thanks, I found 4 of those snowman goblets last year, and some more this year. All at the TS's cause I did't buy them when they were originally in the grocery store as $1 deals. Back then I hadn't found the enablers here, so didn't know I was going to "need" all of the dishes/glassware/flatware that I buy now! Kathleen, Thank you. Kath, I have left a lot of snowman decor up this year. It has helped me deal with putting away the Christmas decor, LOL. Thanks again ladies. You are such a wonderful and supportive group. You have no idea how much your wonderful comments help me deal with my life. TTFN, Candy

Hmmm...I could write up a HUGE list, I love my area thrift store. The best deals for this summer though... Pottery Barn decor for $1 each that I found in the catalog from the winter for no less than $50 each. A set of LeCrueset cookware still in the box for $25. A box of what the seller called junk...that ended up having an almost complete set of antique french flatware, several great ironstone pieces (my first ones - yay!), and more great antique and vintage kitchen wares than one could possibly hope for - for the bargain price of $5. OMG...I almost felt bad when I got home and researched what I bought. But I had to remind myself - one man's trash is another man's treasure...and this was a treasure for sure in my world.

I like to collect housewares: dishes and glassware and centerpieces like vases and candleholders. I find tons of stuff at thrift stores. I brought home 3 large ceramic vases on my first spree, and I keep going back to try to find more. They are getting harder to find. Glass vases are plentiful, probably because of floral deliveries. I buy things on 50% off days for $1-3 that I would never pay full price for because I don't need them that badly. A footed bowl, a fish griller, teapots, a variety of stemware (cheap stuff and nice stuff), any set of four dishes that speaks to me (yesterday it was palm trees, other times it was sushi plates, oval multicolored glazed salad plates, williams sonoma tuscan style low bowls). I've picked up candles and holders from crate and barrel, pottery barn, a nambe bowl, wooden candlesticks and a vase. Lately I have been finding these realistic looking faux apples (pink ladies, red delicious, granny smith) that I had never seen before. I have a whole closet full of fun stuff to set the table with now. It's fun to go down the street to my local thrift store and see what I can find. It's almost like you can find things that you have been searching for that are not currently available in retail stores. You also see a lot of repetition, so you can find things that go together if you visit a variety of thrift stores regularly. I get the best finds when the staff is restocking the shelves. Otherwise a lot of the stuff is picked over. Now I am at the point where I have to get rid of something to make room for something new, so I only buy if I want to upgrade or if I can make a space for it or stack it. I still want to find some amazing blue stemmed wine glasses though. When I see a beautiful one, there are only 1-3 and I need four. Or irish coffee mugs - ceramic or glass without seams, in sets of four. Those are harder to find.