Thrifty Thursday!

Well, today I feel like I've turned a corner, and I actually have begun to feel a bit more like myself. Finally! I actually stood for my whole shower! And as a bonus, I now fit comfortably into my lone pair of size 8 jeans. That's what losing over 10 lbs. in a week will do for you.... wonder how long it will take me to put it all back? :)

Anyway, I'm going to play catch-up and share a couple of things today, and they both happen to hang in my dining room:

This is a piece of embroidery I made last fall with buttons and a tiny crocheted doily I got mostly from a little antique store in Manteo. I mixed in a few from my prior stash as well. I love quotes, and in my search for one to go in the dining room, I couldn't find the one from Thomas Jefferson I was thinking of.... but came across this instead. I love the irony that it's a wine quote from a great source. :)

This next piece is very special. It is one of the last oil paintings my grandmother (my mom's mom) created before she switched to watercolors (she was a professional artist). It hung in the dining room in my parents house for years. As the story goes, my dad loved this painting, but my grandmother would not let him have it. You see, my dad was in seminary studying to be a pastor, and she didn't think it was appropriate for a man of faith to have a painting of wine bottles in his home. Long story short ... my dad completed his coursework, but decided not to go into the ministry. My grandmother then gifted the painting to him, letting him know in some way that his choice was OK with her. The last time I was home, I saw this painting stacked neatly in a corner with a few other pieces my grandmother had done, and I asked if I could have it for my own home. It now lives in my own dining room!

Why is this thrifty? Because you just don't know what treasures you may find in your own family that are totally worthy of display in your own home. So, obviously don't go raid your mom's house ;), but do have those conversations with your parents while they are still young enough to enjoy telling you about them. Spend some time learning about what they've collected over the years. You never know what you will discover.... :)