This One's for The Ladies

The back story for those of you who don't know me IRL--I'm usually at the Pacific International quilt show this weekend hanging out with friends I only see once a year.  (Hi ladies, I miss you!) We arrive from all corners of the West and descend on two wonderful people (Hi, Lin! Hi, Liz!) who host us year after year and make us believe that we're actually welcome.  We're gullible that way.

Instead I'm at home (it happens to all of us at some time or other) having a regular vanilla weekend instead of the usual yearly wild and crazy craft-and-spending marathon with the group nicknamed "The Ladies" once upon a time by twins too young to go with us.

Or it would be vanilla if I hadn't decided to pull up my big girl panties and create a crafty weekend on my own.  It might not be quite as wild (okay, it's not even close but I'll get more sleep),  still I'm doing my best to get my money's worth from my debit card and spend-spend-spend as fast as I can.  


Hey, I have an extra fifteen bucks that I would have spent on admission to PIQF.  Money which would have been well spent to find my favorite merchant vendors conveniently located all under one roof for my spending pleasure.  Number two, I'm not undertaking an eight-hour roundtrip so my gas bill is practically nonexistent and there are plenty of good local places that will be happy to take my money.  It's perfect weather and the yard sales here this weekend are A-Maz-Ing! Lastly, school gets out about two seconds before Christmas so I might as well do a bit of early holiday shopping too.  See?  Spend-spend-spend!


Our tradition is to gather at the end of the day and share our booty.  You'd think that we'd know what everyone bought after being in the same places all day but there are LOTS of us and each of us inevitably produces a surprise or two during show-and-tell. I'm not physically there to participate, but thanks to the Blogosphere I'm sharing my goodies with them (and with you).   

Get ready for Show-and-Tell. The numbers?  They're a good idea that wasn't so good and I'm too lazy to redo the collage.  So just please ignore the man behind the curtain them. 

First up, frames.  They've been popping up in garage sales, thrift stores and dumpsters practically begging me to take them.  Gold ones for paintings (minus the liner soon).

I love the floral duvet in the guest room--it makes a lovely stand in for an actual bit of art.  And can there be too much aqua in one's life?  I think not.

Fancy and gold.  And I know exactly the watercolor that's going in there.

(Think clematis in full bloom.)

Some frames have already been repainted to match the new look of the laundry room.

Some are waiting for a makeover.

And some are every bit as ugly as they look here.

Thank heavens for the transformative powers of paint.

I've never before seen a terra cotta frame--a bit of added shine and my sleepy cherub will have a new home in this curbside surprise.

One person's trash, my free treasure.

Have I mentioned how much I love roadkill?

Free works for me.

I would have grabbed this tool chest just for the hardware!

 

With this old chocolate advertisement transferred using CitraSolv (if I can find any) on top

  it should be irresistible.  Graphics Fairy, I love you.

Moving on...
I'll be Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz for Halloween.  Ruby slippers are hard to come by I found, but I this sparkle paint on a pair of Mary Janes from GW should fool anyone.

I tuck a pair in every coat I own--cold hands at recess are not fun.

  Not to alarm anyone but winter is only nine weeks away. (Not that you SoCal and Arizona gals know anything about that!)

I used my 40% off coupon at Michaels.

Christmas is only ten weeks away (feel free to panic).   Glitter is essential to holiday survival. I have plenty of plans for this spray-on glitter.  

(Hey, KC, I found Santa! Yeah, THAT Santa.  Maybe the stocking will make it down to your place this year.)

As long as Christmas was on my mind, I picked up these place card holders for Casa Encantada's rather majestic dining table.

I won't be there to enjoy the Albuquerque festivities, but I know the recipient will love the red color.

These knobs match two I already have. 

2+2=a cute new look for the vintage sewing cabinet at a thrifty price.

Have your imagination add greenish water, a pale rubbery worm and a spooky label from The Graphics Fairy...

and I'll have a creepy lab specimen for the Halloween display.

I used two coupons on the Michaels run and came away with this lovely clutched in my thrifty little hand.

Spend-spend-spend is good.  Save-save-save is even better!

My forty cents a yard red rickrack may be my favorite buy today.

Because it's gonna make my redwork tea towel even cuter.

(Somebody in the Bay Area better be taking photos so I get to see some of your loot.  I'm not naming any names. )

(Jen?)
 

There's still one quilt shop and two fabric stores I haven't visited yet and my debit card is still working. The weekend is young and I'm just getting started!

Wishing I was there,