Beauty in the little things

The following bargains are posted not to brag, but to encourage you to not settle for less than your style, even if you are on a shoestring budget. If you are willing to buy second-hand, you can still have color and beauty in your home and wardrobe that you enjoy. It just takes a little more planning (shopping ahead) and time.
Some of my thrifting finds from Christmas and this month have been very exciting. I continue to be amazed and blessed at how the Lord provides. It is no wonder, as He is the creator of color and sound and nature. Of course He cares about the aesthetics... of course He would!These tights were both gifts, one bought and one handed-down. Both just what I would have chosen! The jumper was found at the Thrift Store...$1.79 with 70% off. I paid less than 50 cents for this dress! I invested $6.99 for the monogram. And Nana bought her the most beautiful white shirt to match. All in all, less than $8.00. I plan to use the jumper with a hot pink turtleneck and some tights she has for her Valentine outfit. (The tights are hot pink with red polka dots, another gift from Mimi!) She also wore three Christmas shirts, red overalls, a red skirt, and a smocked green and white check dress during the holiday season...all handed down from family.

Later I will post our desk we sanded and repainted for Jaybird. I forgot to take a picture of the final product.

And here are some recent finds for Lydie:

Some holiday wear, each $1.48. For the Halloween dress, there is time to take the dress to my sister-in-law to de-monogram/re-monogram free of charge! Long story short regarding the pumpkin dress, I eyed this dress for two years in the CWD catalog. I could not justify a $30 purchase on a seasonal dress, only wearable for a month or two. Lo and behold this dress was waiting for me, and a size 2, perfect for the fall!

I even found a treat for myself, an Easter dress...$1.40. What can I say? I LOVE polka dots!

While the joy is not in the "things", there is certainly much to be enjoyed in creating a home full of color, fun and comfort. The desires to maintain beauty and order in our home seem to be deeply ingrained in who I am. I love my role as wife and mother!