A 'Friendly' Tuesday!!

I am easing back into 'normal' life and trying my best to 'Dial it BACK' as my sister, Deanie, says!

Tonight as I write, I have candles burning in THREE rooms! Two are actually clean and undecorated.

The den was first and this morning I finished the living room.

I just smile every time I walk by!!

Next year I may stay home and spend the entire month of January deep cleaning as I take down the decorations.

I don't want to be all work and no play - and since this WAS a Tuesday - I decided to PARTY all afternoon with my friends!

First of all, I had lunch with my good friend, Brenda. 

We ate at Fuzzy Taco and it was delicious!

We had so much catching up to do - and she has a one hour lunch time - that I didn't think once about taking a photo! She and I have decided that if we don't PLAN it and put it on the calendar - we will never DO it!! So plans have been made for dinner and dominoes at our house next month!

That got my day off to a good start!

I dropped back by the house and picked up my next door neighbor, Stephanie, and took her with me as we hit up all FIVE of my 'routine' thrift stores! I don't usually shop all five every week but this was a special day. We made the rounds starting at my old faithful Goodwill on Beltline Road.

I found several treasures but the BEST treasure of all was looking across the shelf of glassware and seeing my good friend, Virginia!!!! I was so excited!!!! We criss crossed each other through the store visiting all the way. We even checked out together! Thank goodness for Facebook which is what we use to keep in touch! Talk about planning things, we are going to get together for a fifty cent Starplex movie - will next week work for you, Virginia???

We went next door to Thrift Giant and browsed but neither of us bought anything.

I KNOW!!! Unbelievable, right??

Our third stop was to the DAV on Rock Island. I think this store has been in Irving longer than I have and that's over 50 years!

I got a kick out of seeing Stephanie's face as we went past the work area on our way to the furniture section. She stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes got big as saucers!!!

It really WAS a bit overwhelming!!

Once again, we didn't buy a thing!

We drove on down Rock Island to MacArthur and visited our friend at The Curiosity Shop.

This is one of my favorite places!

She ALWAYS has SOMETHING I can't leave without!

For $6 I bought a vintage advertising wooden yardstick.

I had a very special one hanging right here on that nail by the side of my closet that hung there for 34 years. I used it in November to draw a straight line on a denim quilt I was making. Then it disappeared somewhere in my rather small sewing room and I haven't seen it since!

The REASON I need a yardstick on that nail is the attic fan is located in the ceiling of the hall and I use a yardstick to stick up there to close the louvers when I turn it off.

Now that I have a replacement, my treasured old one will turn up any time now!

Another thing I bought there was a pint of chalk paint.

I have been wanting to paint something with this paint for years but just haven't done it - yet!

I chose Gray Linen and plan to paint the big dresser in the guest room.

I have several plans for the guest room this year!

Then there's the copper and brass polish I purchased,

The shelves in the foyer are full of copper and brass things.

Soon they will be shining like new!

We swung by Union Gospel Mission on our way home and for the third time today, I didn't buy anything!

Now for the 'treasures' I found at Goodwill.......

A super comfy 'house dress!'

At home I only dress in clothes I can sleep in and this one is just that!!

The last few days I have looked like a bag lady on a very bad day!!!

See what I mean??

That pink flannel nightgown is over 30 years old and light than air now.

I whacked the sleeves off at the elbow a few years ago.

The funny denim apron is to hold my phone and camera.

I used to never get to my phone before it quit ringing. Now I wear pockets!

Also my sister showed me an app on my phone that counts how many steps I take each day.

6,945 so far today. I think you are supposed to take 10,000 so if I can go back to walking the neighborhood I should be able to do that many!

I really do wish I had taken a pic of myself today because I look SO much better than I did yesterday!!!

More treasures......

I could NOT resist this coffee sign. 

The burlap is sandwiched between two pieces of framed glass.

Facebook

My friend, Virginia, posted this on my Facebook page after she got home this afternoon.

She said it went perfectly with my coffee sign!

I also bought two sturdy boxes - brand new! They are printed heavy cardboard and just $3 each. 

Louis Dean added a band of brown duct tape around the bottoms for extra strength and attractiveness.

Three really pretty glasses for next to nothing - and they are unbreakable!

Win! WIN!!

We seem to break a lot of wine glasses around here so I am always looking for these smaller sized ones. I like to say that I can fill it again since it's so small!

That's the end of my shopping but I had one more friend on this Friendly Tuesday!

I visited my dear Reaoma who was my neighbor for 17 years before they moved to the country where we visited them every summer. We always laugh and I tell her all about what shenanigans I have been up to and we have a good time.

I am very blessed to have these friends in my life!

You may be wondering where Ruth Ann is!

She is spending some time on her beloved farm and, while I miss her, I am so happy for her!

She loves her farm the same way I love my step son's ranch!

While the kitchen isn't ALL cleaned up tonight, I lit a candle anyway!

I am loving the quilt my niece made at Christmas so much I decided to put it on the table where I can see it more. There's a round piece of glass over it for protection!

The tablescape isn't finished. I just put out some coffee things to go with my new sign. 

Hopefully I can pull it all together in the morning.

Speaking of morning - the Quads are returning for regular Wednesdays again!

That means I need to keep with my routine for going to bed early.

I hear football is on out in the den so Louis Dean won't even miss me!!