How I'm Getting Crafty This Christmas...With Just $10

This piece of holiday decor just has...a little TOO MUCH Christmas going on. 

A few weeks ago I hit up a few thrift stores in hopes of finding some fun fashion, and maybe a few pieces of thriftspiration for the upcoming holiday season. And for under $20 total, I came home with a few bags of decor and more. A few of those finds are saved for upcoming posts. but this particular piece is something I can feature in all of its merry detail. 

Overall I like the shape, or what I can see of it under the heavy-handed application of faux poinsettias. The candles though...a little dated. And all together...it's a little...much. Okay, a lot of much. It's just too much. 

But the key to thrifting for anything, whether it's fashion, furniture, or even holiday decor...is to see the item beyond its current state. 

Look at any secondhand item with an open mind. See it not just for what it is, but for what it COULD be. 

The first thing I had in mind was to swap out these dated trumpeting angels with something simpler. To me, the shiny brass of the tree is elegant enough that it doesn't need two gigantic glass candles flanking its sides. It's time to tone down the Christmas and to bring this holiday castaway into the 21st century. 

After a quick trip to Michael's Craft Store for some supplies to make my creative Christmas vision a reality, I busted out the hot glue gun. That's all it took...a hot glue gun, scissors, and just a bit of burlap. 

Simple. Modern. 

And there it is! My too-much Christmas decoration, modernized and re-imagined. Two white taper candles (cut down a few inches to not dwarf the tree) and a garland of faux pine needles from Michael's...a total of about $6. 

After cutting the candles to size, I glued them to a small square of burlap, and glued both to the candle holsters. I also used a tiny glob of hot glue to hold the ring of garland in a circle around the base of the tree. That's it! I love, love, love how the garland is light enough to not overpower the piece like the poinsettias had been. Because the base of the tree is actually very pretty. 

$4 for the Goodwill rescue piece and $6 for the supplies (with garland to spare)...this $10...and ten minute up-cycle is a Christmas miracle! 

There's so much holiday spirit at Let's Go Thrifting headquarters that I can't even squeeze it into a single blog post. So stay tuned for more ho-ho-ho-liday thrifting magic...AND for a special crafting post featuring Grafix Shrink Film! 

How are you getting crafty this Christmas?

Saying Sweet Goodbyes To Summer

Picket Fence Crate, $3 from Good Stuff Thrift

For some, spirits begin to drop as the temperature does. As that first autumnal chill in the air blows in, many mourn the loss of summer. I don't think I'm one of them, as my seasonal love is for the fall. But nonetheless, the end of the season approaches and I find myself just a little lost. Without boring all of you with the details, I'll say that I've been enduring yet another medical setback. And perhaps my gloom over the end of the summer stems from my feeling that I've done nothing this season but be poked and prodded in search of whatever is causing my abnormal blood chemistry. 

So while I have down time during a medical leave of absence from work, I decided to say my farewells to summer in hopes of greeting the fall with a positive change. I'll soon be changing over my summery fruits and florals for an autumnal color palette. But until then, here's just a little peek at this soon-to-end seasonal decor. 

Starfish from the Seashell Museum. OC Pier photograph taken on last summer's vacation.

I usually keep this photo displayed all-year-round, but for spacial issues may move it into the bedroom in favor of displaying some more seasonally appropriate items. Though I do love this shot, and can still hear the waves rolling to shore when I look at it.

Floral garland, $2 from Goodwill.

As you can see from my Instagram account, this garland was thrifted back in the spring. But I loved how it looked atop our entryway coat closet, and decided to display it through the summer. 

And what do you think of that orange blossom decorative tray? While it does have spring/summer vibe, I like the design enough to incorporate it into our permanent decor.  You'll get a better look at that $3 find in a future post. 

So as we say our sweet goodbyes to summer, let's hope that the fall brings us a welcome change we might each need in our lives. 

Coming up on future Let's Go Thrifting posts...

• A Look At My Quirky Kitchen
• How To Make The Most Of A Small Bathroom
• Let's Get Frugal: How I Got A Brand New Craft Cart Entirely Free

Buttered Syrup Or Bud Vase?

Waffles. Pancakes. French Toast.  Mrs. Butterworth's has seen a lot of breakfast since her big debut in the early 60s. Back when Pinnacle Foods bought the sweet 'n' sassy missus, the major selling point of the product was the perfect percentage of butter in the syrup. But for me, it's all about the amber glass and matronly shape of the bottle.

First, I took a whiff. While I didn't detect any scent of syrup, I took a good look at this early Mrs. Butterworth's bottle and instantly thought: bud vase. And in went a few fuchsia poms. 

Now she'll be at breakfast as a piece of tabletop decor.  Isn't that sweet? 

Join the link party at Sir Thrift-A-Lot. 

The Man Cave: Thrifted Artifacts, Dirt Cheap

As a self-professed collector and purveyor of cultural artifacts excavated from the secondhand, it greatly surprised me on just how little I knew about how the other half lived. 

But on recent trips to the thrift, I've been drawn away from the cute designer clothes and bags to the slightly more...masculine aesthetics. We all remember the story of how I came about finding a brothel token from the Mustang Ranch on my first rummage dig at Impact Thrift. 

Well, these finds were unearthed from dusty boxes and bins just a few days later. It wasn't until now that I cleaned and staged them for photos. And it wasn't until I began the staging process that I even realized the connection. It's all man cave approved! 

Whiskey! Women! Pool! It's complete debauchery, I tell you. 

After showing off my newly assembled secondhand man cave on the Let's Go Thrifting Facebook page, I invited fans and friends to play a Name That Price guessing game.

Well, since I scored every single find from an unprocessed bric-a-brac sale...I had to dig these artifacts from the rubble. But the price was well worth it...

And here it is folks, the grand total. 

$6!! 

Mustang Ranch Brothel Token and Key: $1

Vintage owl: $1

Bar room mirror: $1

Dickel Whiskey pitcher: $1

Vintage pail: $1

Vintage pool balls, all of them except a missing 11 ball: $1

Thanks for playing, everybody! And many thanks to Impact Thrift Stores for hosting the biggest, company-wide rummage sale this thrift blogger has ever seen. 

What man stuff are you thrifting for your caves?