IT'S NEVER TO EARLY TO PLAN A PARTY!!!

I'm sure by now you know that I love putting together a party and/or setting tablescapes with a theme.

Well, today I was so excited when I met up with my sister, Maureen and she told me she had some brown plates that she bought me from Target.


She found them in the clearance section and they were such a great price she couldn't pass them up and she knew I would find some way to put them to good use.

Well, I already have a few ideas on how I'm going to use them. I can't wait!

Last Christmas I had my great niece, Trinity, and a few of her friends over for a Christmas Cookie party. We had dinner, made cookies and it was so much fun we all said we wanted to do something like that again for Christmas 2010.

Well, one thing you may not know about me but I never have the same party twice. The theme may be the same but it won't look or feel anything like the other one.

I knew I was going to have a Gingerbread theme. I figured after Christmas was the perfect time to find things for the party. But, nope! I didn't find one thing...Until later.


My other sister, Patty, went to Las Vegas a few months ago and she always stops at William Sonoma Outlet store.

She came home with this great set of Gingerbread items. I wondered how she could have known about my theme of gingerbread when I never told her.

The thing is she didn't. She just thought all these items were cute and they were marked down so low she had to get them. She figured, if nothing else, she would give them to someone for a gift.


Well I couldn't let her do that. They were perfect for my party theme. I shared with her what my plans were and that I thought she could keep them.

Since I live with her I knew if she kept them I could use them too. That night, she came to me and said "I want you to have the gingerbread set". Boy oh boy was I ever happy.

While all the plates have gingerbread men on them, each one is different. Don't they look great on the brown plates Maureen gave me today?

There is also a set of mugs that match the plates. Perfect for hot chocolate.

These spoons are so cute. They can be used to stir their hot chocolate and then they can be given to each little girl to take home and hang on their tree.

Yes, they too have the different gingerbread men on them. So cute!

About a month after Patty gave me that gingerbread set I found these sweet little napkin ring holders on clearance at Kohls. Only 49 cents. At first I could only find three and was sad about that but then as I was walking through the store I found one more in a different area.

I'm telling you, this theme was meant to be!

Then, today I went to the thrift stores and first I found the gingerbread man. He is actually a sugar shaker but I thought he would be cute as part of the table center piece. He was only 75 cents.

At a different store, miles away I found the gingerbread house cookie jar. I couldn't believe it.

It was only $3.99 and not one chip or crack is in it. I had to get it. There was no way I could pass up this deal.

Here it is only April and I already have my party for December planned and almost everything bought.

I tell you, it's never to early to plan. When you do, you save so much money and if you hit up the thrift stores you will have a party that is one of a kind.

Remember it's the little details that make the party stand out.

How about you? Do you plan your parties or tablescapes early? If you do, what do you have planned for the up coming months?

ANOTHER DAY OF THRIFT STORE SHOPPING

I was at the Goodwill when I saw this beautiful silver tray. I loved it the minute I first laid my eyes on it. I had been searching for one just like this. Then there it was.

I picked it up and boy was it heavy. I found out later it was 8 lbs! I turned it over and saw some Hallmarks on it. Then of course I did the magnet trick and it did not stick to it.

I had no idea if it was real silver or not but I knew that real or not I wanted it. So in my cart it went.


Look at how pretty and detailed it is. Of course this picture doesn't do it justice as everything was reflecting off of it.

I did some research and found out it is not sterling, only silver plated over copper. Then I did a bit more research and found it listed for sale for $220. So, even though it wasn't real silver it still was worth way more then then $25.00 I paid for it.

I've also developed a love for milk glass. Don't ask me why? I think it's because I've seen so many ladies in blogland who have collected Milk Glass and have it all displayed together. The whites look so nice in a big group.

Plus Milk Glass goes with everything!

I picked up the vase, the urn and the plate. There were more pieces for sale but I didn't care for them. I left them behind for someone else to treasure.

I think this urn is darling. I may put a little bird nest with some eggs on top for spring. Or I may put some pretty flowers in there once my garden starts to produce more for cutting.

I wanted this little plate because I have cloche jar and thought it would be perfect for under it. I have not tried it out yet to see if it fits but even if it doesn't I can use this for serving cookies or even to hold a candle.

I got this little pitcher after reading a posting on Eddie Ross blog. Have you ever read his blog? If not, you must go there. He used to work with Martha Stewart but now he is on his own. Wonderful tips and ideas can be found on his blog.

Anyway, he had a post about collecting little pitchers to use for when you entertain and serve salads. You can put the dressing in these little vintage pitchers.

So, I picked this one up. I also thought it would be great for syrup for when we have company over breakfast or brunch.

I was thrilled to find these pink depression glass glasses. Now to be honest I am not 100% sure if these are real or not. I do collect depression glass and am pretty good at being able to tell the real from the fake.

I'm leaning on thinking these are reproductions because they seem a little to thick to be real depression glass.

In either case, I couldn't pass these up. First of all they were pink! Plus they were only fifty cents. Well, they were marked .99 but they had 1/2 off green tags and these happen to have the green tags.

Real or fake, who cares. I like them and can't wait to serve some pink lemon aide in them this summer while we sit outside by the pool.

This was the last little item I got. It's such a pretty little dish. Though I have no idea what to do with it.

I just loved the blue with the pink hand painted roses on it. I'll put it in my room for now.

Don't you just love days when you find all kinds of treasures when you hit up the thrift stores. I do.

Well, I think I got my thrift store shopping fix taken care of. At least for the next few days or so.

Oh who am I kidding...I'll be stopping by the very next one I drive by. With new items being put out every day you never know what you will find.

BIRD CAGE GARDENS

Do you remember when I posted about finding these bird cage gardens? If not you can click on the link and read all about them.

Well, ever since I first saw them, I fell in love with them and knew I had to have one of my own.

However, they cost way to much for my budget.

Not having much money was not going to stop me! I knew if I kept looking and looking I would find a great cage and then I could just add some moss, dirt, flowers and a cherub that I already had found at a thrift store.

Well, let me tell you, it's not easy to find a nice bird cage in my area. I put an add on Craigslist and Free Cycle. I did get one reply from Free Cycle and I drove a few cities away to pick up the cage.

It was not very nice. It was just a plain cage for a cockatiel bird and not well taken care of. But, I thought I would still plant it and could make it cute. After all, it was free.

The cage has been out there for weeks waiting for me. I just wasn't excited about it. So off to the thrift stores and antique malls I went to find me a different cage.

I was shocked to find out even really small ones at the antique malls ran $45 - $100+.

All of my thrift store shopping found not one bird cage!

That is until....

I found this one! I saw it and almost ran to it, trying to not knock over anyone that got in my way.

I couldn't believe the price was only $5.99! Could that really be the price? After all the thrift store I was at was known to be a bit on the high side.

I just knew that if I carried it all the way up to buy it I was going to be told I must have switched the tag because the price was really $30.

So I left it there. I KNOW! What was I thinking?

That night I couldn't sleep. I just kept thinking about how crazy I was for not getting it.

It had a cute little top. It was white like I wanted. It was a good size. It even had little hearts on the doors.

Plus it had a great iron stand!

I just knew that if I went back it would be gone! Yet, I had to go see.

I almost fainted when I saw it was still there. That's it! It was meant to me mine!

So I grabbed it and went to the front. Guess what! That was the price after all. I was so happy!

So now I have my own bird cage and I'm excited about turning it into a little garden. I just have to decide where in my yard I'm going to put it so I know if I should get shade plants or sun loving ones.

Either way, I know it's going to turn out cute.

Oh, by the way, I will still plant the other cage too. Who knows, it could turn out to be darling too!

THRIFTED CHRISTMAS FINDS FOR UNDER $3.00

I decided to get out and go to a few thrift stores. I wasn't looking for anything really but you never know what you may find.

Today I found several items to add to my boxes and boxes of Christmas items I have.

This cute little ornament still had his tag on and it's hand painted from Italy. I couldn't pass him up for just a quarter.

I know most people will think this snowman is ugly or funny looking but he stole my heart and for 75 cents I had to bring him home to get added to my snowman collection.

I do have a Santa collection but I didn't even put them out this year. However, I couldn't leave this one sitting alone at the thrift store when he was only 30 cents. So home with me he came!

This little vintage candle also called out my name. Well, I think it was my name.

I thought these ornaments were pretty too. I'll pack them away for next year with the other ornaments I got since I didn't even put up a tree this year. I know, what a Scrooge!

This ornament is so much prettier in person. I love it.

Yet another little snowman was just waiting for me to buy him. I love finding cute snowmen.

I almost passed up this Santa. He is a vintage plastic Santa that looks like he is from the 50's. I'm not sure why I got him. Maybe next year I'll do a 50's theme area on one of the tables.

I couldn't pass up this Shiny Brite ornament. Since it's blue and white it will go in my blue bedroom.

I don't think I did to bad for spending less then $3.00. Everything Christmas was on sale.

I walked around a little bit, got some treasures and didn't break the bank.