deals and squeals wednesday

this is a deal i came across last week - seems this week we've stuck around the house a little more. found these cute little party supplies at target . . which is perfect for my little monkey that will be turning 3 in december! my friend kara threw the cutest monkey party here and after finding these steals i can't help but want to duplicate it :)

you know it's hard being born the day after christmas, especially when you want to have a "friends" party because most people are still celebrating with their own families. this year though we will be out west spending christmas in arizona with my family so we'll get to have a party with aunts and uncles and cousins (oh my!)

most normal people would just buy party supplies if they needed party supplies . .i on the other hand . .well . . i just buy what's on sale and work the party around that! might not work so much when the kids get older!

reg price: $7.24 

(includes birthday banner, lunch napkins & beverage napkins)

clearance price: $1.12

now onto what's been happening in the craft room . . 

this has been a work in progress for quite the little while . .it hasn't taken quite as long as this one here . . but i'm hoping she'll be ready to reveal on friday (crossing fingers!) . .i don't know why i keep referring to this quilt as a "she" it definitely is more boyish if anything. my sister and mom both happened to give me the same fabric bundles (one for christmas, one for a birthday) and it was enough to put this large quilt together - maybe that's where the "she" comes from!

i pulled out these two books last night . .both can be bought at joann's fabric. they were the first books i got when i started showing interest in quilting. lots of cute, easy to put together quilts inside. the quilt above came from a design in one of these books that i altered a little bit. great books for beginners. different cutting techniques and variety of quilt styles. i was reminded that there are still a few designs i want to try out! happy sewing!

linking up to: wip wednesday and anything goes

deals and squeals wednesday

it's no secret i love me a good bargain . . and if you ask my family they'd tell you it's no secret i love telling them about my great finds :) that's why i'm starting "deals and squeals wednesday"!! it gives me a chance to review my week and share my awesome finds or just share things that made me squeal with delight that week - which is usually my great deals - ha!! 

let's get started shall we?

this last week i had a kohls 30% off coupon that i wanted to use before it expired. i love kohls, you can really find some nice things at great prices (in my opinion). i was able to score a few christmas items that i'm thrilled about (*squeal*squeal*) but it does mean hidding them away for the next 9 months . . if only we had more space :)

original price : $39.99

clearance price: $3.99 

my price: $2.79

 original price: $39.99

clearance price: $7.99

my price: $5.59

 these little gems had me DYING!! are they not hilarious??!!  . .and perfect for the "not so easy to shop for man" (i.e. brother & brother in laws) . .if only my husband was a hunter we'd for sure keep the deer head!

original price: $40.00

clearance price: $4.00

my price: $2.80

busy as a bee

okay maybe not THAT busy . . . but the time sure does slip away doesn't it?? no bargain hunting this weekend - we're preparing for our own garage sale, and depending on the weather tomorrow i hope it happens. if not . . then i'll be at the goodwill .. .where everything in the store will be 50% off (first sat of the month)!! make a note to check it out yourself!


now on to this cute little guy. found him at the goodwill outlet a few months back. so cute, so broken, so much potential! 

now i know i shouldn't post a before picture without an after picture . . but i'm still in the process of transforming him. just wanted you to know i am doing SOMETHING around here :) 


and since we couldn't spend money bargaining this weekend i decided to make a little money instead. 

found this crib at a garage sale for $5 . .it was taken apart and they didn't have the hardware for it. basically it sat in our house a little too long and my dear sweet husband took it to ace, picked up the hardware, put it together and i sold it on craigslist for $35. thank you cl for always coming through for me :)


and lastly since i like to add things to my "to do" list . .. i'm thinking of taking up couponing!! apparently that's not a real word but either way janae over at The Grocery Queen has totally inspired me. (and's she having a fun little giveaway so check it out) . . just scroll through her blog and you can't help but be amazed at how much FREE food she gets from clipping coupons. seriously your jaw will drop! if i was still in arizona i'd make her take me shopping every week :) 

weekend finds

 at it again this weekend. garage sales!! it's not even that i really love peoples trash so much .. (okay wait, yes i do) but it's more in seeing what kind of awesome deals i can score. 


there must be some medical term for people who are overly obsessed with great deals - any ideas??


well i took off early friday morning (by myself) to check out this lady's big "quilters and sewers sale" and what to my wondering eyes should appear?? (besides that bag of tulle and batting i bought??) . . two practically new 12x18" cutting mats 50cents each.

thanks google images

when i got home i got on the joanns website and found out they retail for $20.99 a piece

SHAZAAAAM!! :)

 . . and since i told brady i'd be home around 10am . . and it was barely a quarter after 9 .. i snuck away to another garage sale i found on craigslist - where 95% of their stuff was $1

i scored on lots of necklaces - i'd post pictues but then my sisters would be wondering which one they were getting for christmas :) another thing i fell in love with was this awesome cheetah/leapord rug. she wanted $15 and i decided i'd come back on sat and if it was still there i'd offer $10 :)

saturday came and by the time we shopped some other sales and got back to this place they were packing up. i found a couple books and baby items for $1 and while i was "checking out" i saw the rug.

"oh you still have the rug?" 

"we sure do"

"well i'd love to take it but i don't know how much i have on me" - checked pockets and i had a whopping $7.50

nice lady said "just give me what you got - i'm sure she'll be glad just to get rid of it"

so for a measly $3.50 i brought home this beauty!!

not sure brady's so hot on us keeping it in the front room . . but then again i'm not so sure he's not hot on us keeping it there :)

estate sale

so this last week rose and i went "garaging" . . you know, it's always fun to look through other people's STUFF and see what their gettin rid of!! this lady was having an estate sale and though the word "estate" makes me think fancy smancy - why not be like the rest of us and call it a garage sale?? - we didn't hesitate. we went anyway and boy am i glad we did.

 this lady had loads and loads of these fabric sample booklets. they have anywhere from 50-80 or so 12x12 fabric swatch pages . . fabric lovers start drooling. i had to check my lip a few times as i know i was. they were 2 bucks a piece and with coordinating fabrics in each book all i could imagine was making beautiful quilts.

(i hope i will one day stop imagining and actually start acting!!)

she also said that any fabric that was a single cut was only 25cents . . .umm did i hear you right??

so i found these 3 beauties . . the black one was about a yard and a half and the other two were about 3 yards each. so for 7 1/2 yards of fabric i paid a whopping 75cents!! can you say UNHEARD OF?!! i guess with her stacks of material i wasn't really ripping her off . . more like doing her a favor!

. . lately . .

as of late i have gotten back into selling on ebay. it must have been 7 or 8 years ago when i first had any interaction with ebay. i bought . . and i bought . . and that was about it. then i somehow forgot it existed until i came across the following blog

http://www.mydeartrash.blogspot.com/ (you can also just click the top link on the sidebar) . . which became pure inspiration :)
anywhosers laura grew up down the street from me. she and my older sister were friends. she's been selling on ebay for YEARS and swears by it. i figure if it doesn't leave me swearing maybe i could get into it.


sooo i started back in march ( a couple months before we moved from new haven)


there were two places i went 1) to my closet and 2) the Goodwill Outlet

this lovely gap trench coat came from my closet - poor thing had been sittin in there for years. . . . all i know is i got it on clearance at gap and it's been worn twice maybe??

 it sold for $20.50

 

this lucky brand tote bag was found at the goodwill outlet (still had the $54 tags on it)

sold for $24.99

 

*a note about the goodwill outlet (it's for those of us too cheap to shop the regular good will) everything is priced according to weight. the more poundage you buy the cheaper it gets. the tote bag probably cost me $1 and this J-Crew jacket probably cost me $1.50

that being said . . this lovely sold for $42 !!

now don't be misled thinking i'm cashing in on the big bucks . . here and there maybe . . but what i didn't share were all the items that sold for $.99, $3.99, and $5.99!

it was the top 3 items that made me think - "oh this totally rocks!" but then reality set in and those lesser items made me think "is this really worth it?"

i've decided for me - it is! and that's why i've started back up again. nothing will compare to the hamden, ct goodwill outlet (seriously awesome) - so i've settled with good ole nashville's goodwill dollar days. it allows me to get out that shopping bug without spending our lifesavings ( as a certain husband might say). its' a way for this stay at home mama to make a little extra $$ while the babes is napping or asleep . . okay okay or sometimes while she's entertaining herself :)

i hope to update the successes each week. we'll see how it goes!