Almost, But Not Quite, September

It's not September yet.

And boy is that a good thing - especially after I recently declared that, starting in September, we wanted to Do Less, So We Could Do More.  Which means we are putting a ka-bosh on our spending.  No more eating out, perusing the thrift stores for good deals and, definitely, no stops for iced coffees when the McDonalds down the street opens back up. *sigh*

But thank you, Lord, for these last days of August.  Because I KNOW that the good Lord knows how badly I need my retail therapy.  And I KNOW he knows how I thrive on finding a good bargain.  And so I KNOW he blessed me with these few last minute good deals just so I could satisfy those urges and amaze you at the same time. *snort*

And I know that you all now think I am nuts.  But none the less, I have found some true treasures, IMO, this last month and truly am thankful that it was still August, and not September, so I could purchase them.

My first good finds came from a rummage sale that Keith and I stopped at.  The lady hosting this sale had items priced to sell and I came buy so it was a win-win.  (I will NOT say anyone was "winning". Ugh.) Anyhow, this is what I came home with:

We already owned the cat but he HAD to be in the picture.

Item #1: The sewing box.

Item #2:  The cutie patootie stool/bench/end table thingy.

Item #3:  Sunshine in a pot.

 I cannot forget this sunny yellow tea kettle.

Just looking at it makes me happy!  This was the most expensive purchase of the day but at $3 it was still a steal.

Total cost for this trip $4.50.  Not bad, huh?

The sewing box will end up being re-purposed for stationary, I think.  Yes, I still write letters.  Sadly, it seems to be a dying art but there are few things that thrill me more than real 'live' mail.  When I get a card or note in my mailbox, I want to do a dance and sing a song of joy. Why not spread the joy?

My next purchase was found at my local thrift store.  I had been "hinting" to Keith that I wanted a storage bench for the living room.  Even going so far as to download several different DIY plans to build a bench - however, I could tell Keith was not thrilled with the idea of building this bench.  Lucky for him (*snort*) I found this:

Again, a solid piece of furniture and even though it's a little taller than a standard bench, in a pinch I can throw a couple of thin cushions on it and use  it for extra seating.  The color of the wood is beautiful and the detail on the door very retro without screaming "70's" or overwhelming the piece.  In fact, it was the detailing on the door that caught my eye when I first saw it.  Here's a close up so you can capture it's full gorgeousness.

Oh, and FYI, I paid $24.99 plus tax for it.  (Does anyone else ever wonder why thrift stores don't just price their items $1 or $25?  Do they think that marking it $ .79 or $24.99 will increase your retailing experience?)

But now on to the purchase that thrilled my soul.  Literally.  I cannot express to you how giddy this purchase makes me.  I got "them" a local church rummage sale.  This particular church has a huge rummage sale every year and it is an e-vent.  However, this year I almost forgot about it.  (E-gads. I don't even want to think about it.)  Anyhow, I did remember (it must have been divine intervention) and son #3 and I decided to walk over to the sale since the church is only a couple of blocks from our house.

We walked into the door of the church and I spotted a flash of green.  Not lime green.  Not 70's green. But a lovely shade of summer grass green.

I heard birds sing.

I plowed through the crowd, dragging Colin behind me.  When I got close enough to see what was flashing that beautiful shade of green at me I think I swooned.  Not quite a faint. But it was at least a sway.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and said a quick prayer, opened my eyes and looked at the price.  Oh, yes!  $40 - totally in my price range.  I snagged the price tag and flagged down a volunteer to let her know these were SOLD.  So what did I get for my 40 buckaroos?  I got four of these:

There's that darn cat trying to steal the show...again.

No, not the cat.  Heaven knows one those is enough. I am talking about that beautiful chair. Isn't it heavenly?  Great lines.  Lovely, happy color.  Got that vintage look without looking like they are stuck in 1970 (even if that was a great year.) Here's a closer look at the arms.  So sa-weet.

Now for those that have seen my humble abode, you may be wondering where in the world I am going to put four of these chairs.  Well, two are going into my living room.  They are just the perfect little pop of color that I was looking for.  One fits perfectly under the desk in our messy office and brightens up the space so nicely.  The fourth chair will eventually go in our bedroom  - as soon as I can make room for it.  For now it is hanging out in my hallway. *sigh*

But I found something else out, quite by accident.  They look wonderful around our country kitsch kitchen table.

And, yet again, the cat...

I am thinking that with these chairs around my table I have the perfect excuse to have some ladies over for lunch - especially now that school has started and we all have empty houses.  They pair up perfectly with these items that I got at Target last week (drum roll, please...) for 75% off!

Woot!  Just a little remaining taste of summer.  After all, we need to hang on to it as long as we can.

Well, there you go.  My last little shopping spree before the hammer comes down.  Oh, it was worth it.

And I learned a little about my style.  I like clean lines and current styles.  And I also like the comfy, cozy warmth - and a little bit of whimsy - that vintage items bring in.

So I have titled my style (one more drum roll, please...)

Metro Retro

Catchy, huh?

HGTV, eat your heart out.  (Ok, so maybe I stole that move from Emily Henderson but I think she'd approve.)


What is your style? Having you found any good deals lately? And are you brave enough to join us in our "No Spend September"?