Valerean

I doubt I'll be able to beat this bargain in the next two weeks, so I'm calling these two pair of pants my thrift of the month. The light sweat pants are Calvin Klein, and the black dress pants are Avenue, and both are new with tags. As you can see from the tag the sweat pants retailed for $59.50. The dress pants originally went for $42.00. I like to wear sweat pants in winter when I walk the dogs, and that was the original reason I was willing to bid $7.99 for this lot. I also liked the one-cent shipping they were offering. I had no challengers and won them for that price. Along with the one-cent shipping, tax and handling the lot cost me a grand total of $10.14. Together they retailed for $101.50. Savings: $91.36. Thrift your clothes, my friends.

For my third altered stuffy I had this little penguin to work with, which was brand new with tags. I used lace, metallic silver chenille, a tassel, an old brooch and a vintage rhinestone earring to transform it into my version of Glinda the Good Witch. As before all the elements are removable, and I think it came out really pretty. That completes this little Halloween upcycling project. I had so much fun I might make this an annual event. :)

If you like high fantasy, special effects, and all the magical powers, fantastic creatures and morally ambiguous characters that are rife in the genre, there may be no better choice than the Chinese xianxia dramas, which take all that to the extreme. I haven't watched a lot of it, but when I heard Yang Yang ( You Are My Glory ; Love O2O ) ended a two-year hiatus to direct and star in The Immortal Ascension I decided to try a few episodes. It turned out to be interesting enough for me to watch all thirty (note upfront: this is just part one. They're hoping to make two more installments over the next ten years.) Premise: Han Li, a poor and somewhat clueless boy from a no-name family who tries to break into the lofty world of magic-wielding cultivators. Along the way must endure constant trials, attacks by good and bad cultivators, go on quests and pretty much run himself ragged as he tries to learn the powers, spells and techniques that will allow him to attain immortal...

Since I didn't win any of my wannabuts last time I bid, I tried again with three new lots of brooches, yarn and embroidered linens. These are items I want to thrift but only for a set minimum price. This brooch lot is bigger and nicer than the one I just lost, so I went a little higher with a max bid of $14.00. Lately jewelry is really attracting bidders, so did I get lucky? Alas, no -- even with the higher max I was quickly outbid. The winning bid was a whopping $126.00. Since I've lost twice I think I'm going to have to use what brooches I have for the project I want to try. For this vintage linen lot I bid $10.00 as my max. Wasn't to be mine; the winning bid was $71.00. I doubted I would win this big yarn lot for $10.00 -- and I didn't. It went to the winner for $29.00. Since I've lost out twice, I think I'll give up on the brooches and the embroidery, and just focusing on the yarn lots, as I still need some colors for a holiday proje...

While looking for backing fabric for the Halloween quilt I visited The Old Packing House , my favorite antique place in central Florida. When you walk in and turn left you'll find a wonderful section of in-new-condition fabrics of all shades and colors (mostly prints.) I got lucky, I was able to find the fabrics I needed for the rest of my Halloween projects and fall/Thanksgiving projects. The things I like at The Old Packing House are really reasonably priced, so I also found some charming handmade decor pieces I can use for Halloween, and a gift for my favorite person. I couldn't resist this little Halloween quilt, either. One final, fabulous find was a bag of 25 vintage handkerchiefs. I use these for stitch practice -- and I just ran out -- so I'm thrilled to have them. By supporting local antique sellers and artists I'm able to put my money directly back into the community, which is the greatest bonus. I don't need a Michael's o...

Thanks to Writer's Block book shop in Winter Garden I got hooked on Blind Date with a Book self-gifts a few years back, but lately I'm seeing the concept expand to include things other than books. It's especially nice when the items you're blind dating are used or thrifted, as that gives them a second chance to be appreciated (and saves money, too.) My recent find of a Blind Date with a Cookbook was a lovely surprise -- I may steal this idea to make a blind date holiday gift for a neighbor who like me enjoys reading cookbooks. How about a blind date with a puzzle? If you have a puzzle lover in the family, you can pick up sealed/unused puzzles at thrift stores very cheap. This would also make a fun kid's gift as well as something a senior might enjoy. A blind date with a movie could be a cozy alternative to going out. You could also build a whole treat basket around this gift with popcorn and candy you'd usually get at the theater. For your cra...