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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Cat is out of the Bag!

Yikes!  Sorry about the cat refrence to my cat loving friends!  Well ladies, the reason it has been sooo quiet around here is that I was working on a HUGE project.

Welcome to www.ThriftDee.com  I am working on a project for television news that brings thrifty topics to the masses.  Here was my debut on 9News yesterday.


So tune in every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am on 9News for more ThiftDee tips.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Gift Guide

All you need to know this holiday season!  This is a great way to look at the holidays, and remember to start this trend with your family early!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!  Our family watches "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" every year after the dishes are done.  What do you watch?

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Goodwill Holiday Inspiration







I hate it when bloggers leave without saying where they've been!!  I get all paranoid that something terrible happened or they quit blogging or who knows what.  Well as you may know I blog for Goodwill and they have been keeping me verrrry busy!  Here is my latest project.  I think it turned out pretty great!  All Goodwill all the time!  You can see the digital magazine here.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Fall into Fall


I've added a little Fall vignette to the entry way. I'm not into gory or a cartoonish Halloween. Maybe it's because my boys are older and over it.  I like little touches of Edgar Allen Poe and subtle hints of darkness.  Remember that I am a chicken so I don't really want to scare myself.    I picked up some books at Goodwill with scary titles and black bindings, then added some dead flowers and a black crow.  sceeerrrry.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Step One.

You know how the first step to fixing something is admitting it is a problem.  Well here it is:
I am the worst parker EVER.  It's not like I was in denial.  Lot's of people remind me.
You know those little cards you can buy that say, Nice parking job (*&^!!, well I decided that I should just keep one on my car at all times to save someone else the trouble.
There was a man in the grocery store parking lot that was looking at my car as I came out with my grocery cart and said, very enthusiastically I might add, "You are the worst parker EVER!!!!!"  to which I said, "I know, right?  I am the worst!"    well he had no where to go from there.  Sometimes you just have to own it.
Which brings us to the Post Office the other day, my arms full of boxes, and this very nice man parked next to me in a lovely car is trying to get into his car.  Trying is the operative word.  So he says, "You parked a little close!", and I said, "But you seem so thin!"  "Sir, I am the worst parker EVER!"  (insert smile and shrug)  He turned sideways and barely squeeezed himself into his beautiful car, and off I went into the Post Office trying not to laugh at my absurdly horrible parking issues.
So yesterday when I NEEDED some cupcakes I had to park in the hardest parking lot in town it happened again.  It has the best Jewish deli AND an amazing cupcake place so it is always busy and there is NEVER a spot.  Well the best spot ever opened up just as I pulled in.  It looked tricky and I just did the best I could.
I promptly took a picture and sent it to my friends with the caption, "Close Enough".
I crack myself up.  I like the part where my tire is almost on top of the concrete barrier thing.  You know when you hit it you say, "We're there!"
I do try to get it right, and when I'm parking it does seem like it's going well, it's just when I walk away and looked back I'm shocked at how my car doesn't really match up with the lines.  
I really don't want to take drivers training again in summer school, but it isn't looking good.  

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A touch of Fall

Here's what I've been working on around here.  You know how the cobblers children have no shoes?  Well people who blog as their J-O-B well you get the rest!  Come visit me at www.ThriftingDenver.org and say hello!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Our little Vay-cay

 It is Fall already on the Central Coast in California!  We went to visit my son who is going to college there.  Lucky dog.
 Do you see the maniacal look on his face?  That is because I squirrel is about to climb up my leg and I didn't want to freak out and fall off of the cliff!  The squirrels are over-fed and will come right up to you for food.  (and to bite you, if you ask me.)  Monterey is the Native American word for "jacked up hair".  You have no idea how crazy frizzy my hair can get!  I put it up, but upon closer inspection I am not very cute bald.
 We were missing the little one!  awwwww
You know how skinny jeans and striped shirts with sparkly Top Siders look AHmahzing on Pinterest?  They look kind of shlumpadinka in real life.  We had a blast and I already miss my boy!!

Friday, September 14, 2012

I need to hire an assistant.


To sit next to me on an airplane ride and talk to me about Lutheran theology.  You heard me.  My husband and I didn't get to sit next to one another so I picked the next best seat, the one with the young man holding a sleeping baby.  If you were on an airplane in the 90's and had to listen to two screaming children that was me.  Soooorrrryyyyy!  Anywaaay, so I'm sitting next to this young man and an adorable sleeping baby in a pink onesie and we get to chatting.  Turns out he AND his wife are Lutheran ministers traveling with their 3 children.  I am normally TERRIFIED to fly but I felt really safe sitting next to a minister holding a wee baby.  That is good flying karma in my estimation.  He was really interesting and so cool and hip.  Thank you Reverend Flying Buddy!  (are you available for my trip home?) 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Faith is all it is.



 My son the 66 year old Rabbi.

Ok so my son is 16 going on 66.  He vacillates between wanting to be a physicist or a rabbi or both.  So the other night we were discussing faith and crazy religious beliefs.   I personally believe that ALL faiths sound crazy to ALL other faiths.  That is a fact.   Sooo as I am trying to make my point I say,

"What if aliens came down and we told them that our religion believes that a baby boy's genitals must be altered on his eighth day of life, then we cater a party."   (bris or circumcision...look it up)

The aliens would think that we are all crazy!

Whereupon he says,

"Who is to say that aliens are bipods anyway."

wait. what?

That is just sad when conversing with your baby son requires a dictionary.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Cats

Awwwww...look at these adorable kitten bookends that I came across at Goodwill the other day.  

***Aunt Peaches, please stop reading now***

Now I can say awwwww because these kittens aren't real.  A real kitten gives me the heebie jeebies and here is why.  The answer is actually two fold.

1.  Every time I saw a kitten when I was a kid,  my mom (a farm girl) would say, "Aaaarrrrrrggghhh! Don't you dare touch that strange cat, you could get ringworm!"  The dreaded ringworm.  That I DID get by riding my friends horse in shorts.  So there's that.

2.  My brother got a kitten once when we were kids.  It had some sort of disgusting illness that made it have diarrhea and then it died.  (Sorry if you just spit out your cornflakes.)  ringworm maybe?

And that is why this photo grosses me out. Amen.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Boss

 This is the actress Kathleen Robertson that plays Kitty O'Niell on the tv show Boss.  You can catch it On Demand or maybe on Netflix.  I love her smart-girl/naughty secretary look!   The buttoned up hot librarian look is really hot this fall, and since I enjoy dressing like Don Draper's secretary I am alll set.
Now let's talk about Kelsey Grammer's character.  He is soooo scary!!  He plays the fictional mayor of Chicago.  If you get in his way watch out!!!   Does anyone watch television on the television anymore?  It seems like I watch entire seasons On Demand or on my IPad.   I started out watching Breaking Bad on Demand and I was soooo addicted!  Boss is coming in a close second.  As for most of my time I blog for a living so it makes blogging for fun.....well less fun.  Now that my boys are back in school I thought I would have more time, but so far not so much!!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Back to School

Ahhh the first day of school.    NO,  teachers do not want an apple-shaped anything.  We want lattes.  (I'm no longer teaching, but I speak from experience.)
One of these would be lovely.
Or how about a ruler themed shot glass from Goodwill. (Wash them and don't send alcohol to school with the kiddos.) A bag o' coffee would be much appreciated. Yes I know some people don't drink coffee. I can't imagine it. So I choose not to believe it.   Oh wait!! Coffee or Chipotle. Either one works. Happy Back to School!    Enjoying your day off?   (I kid!)   One of mine is starting college this week, and the other is a junior in H.S. I will just be happy if they remember deodorant.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Tea!

Remember when the girls and I had tea at British Tealeaves for Katie's Birthday? We were so inspired we decided to head to Goodwill to see if we could put together a mis-matched tea party. Easy. We did it in three stores in one day. Yes I need a caffeine boost to keep up! Those girlies can shop! (they learned from the master.)

Here is our tea party with my two nieces Anna and Alexis. It was so nice to have them in Colorado at the same time. We are all spread across the West, so having them together was tremendous!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Tea Party!

No, not that tea party.

A real tea party at the adorable English Tea Leaves Cafe in Parker, Colorado.  It was Katie "The Intern's" birthday, and she is seriously the go to expert on all things London at the moment so off we went.  It was really girly and fun.  If you would like to enjoy Afternoon Tea, then you need to call 24 hours ahead for a reservation, so we just had a delicious lunch and beautiful scones that are hand made on the premises everyday.  Yummm!  The girls had Vanilla and Snowflake teas, and let me tell you they both were delish but the Snowflake was a huge hit. 




The owners are British and lovely.  You have to go try it out!  Thank you so much for such a great time.  It prompted us to go straight to Goodwill to buy our own tea party supplies!  Can't wait to show you our little party we plan on putting together!!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

All Girl Summer!

I went from a no-girl house to a three girl summer!  From your left is Katie "The Intern", Anna (my niece) and Kelsey (my son Brock's friend)  We have been lunching, coffee-ing, and Goodwill-ing every day!  I am having soooo much fun!!

Monday, July 23, 2012

How Many Bags can Katie the Intern Carry?

Meet my intern Katie. She is working for me this summer, and I can already tell that I will go into withdrawals when school starts. She is soo helpful, organized, funny and works for latttes and Goodwill clothes. My dream girl!!
 Just load her up until she tips over!
I found the orange skinnies at Goodwill.  See them here.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Colorado Shootings

Some of you may or may not know that I happen to live in the town where the Colorado Theater Shootings happened.  Our family is fine only by the grace of God and the fact that my younger son was travelling home from Egypt and his flight was delayed in London.   My husband planned on bringing my sons to the midnight movie, but at a theater a few miles away.   I have been very quiet about my son's travels to the Middle East because he was there during the regime change and we have been pretty nervous about it.  He is finally home and safe in his own bed.  Our hearts are broken in Aurora.  It is so sad for Colorado to be known for mass shootings and terrible tragedies.  It is just a sad state of life as usual right now.  My children are older, but I cannot imagine having to discuss this with smaller ones.

My friend and former debate partner who is the mother of seven wrote an amazing blog post about dealing with this tragedy especially with children.  You can read about it here.  I have finally walked away from the news coverage and I'm tyring to move forward thinking about the family of the victims and the parents of the perpetrator.

Please continue to keep the community of Aurora in your hearts and prayers

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

My J-O-B!



I've been styling Goodwill parties for a few news shows.  Good thing I have my new Summer Intern Katie to help!



Watch the news segments here.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I Love Thrifting Day!


This is Lisa who is also known as The Goodwill Gal!  I swear we were cut from the same cloth.  I thought we would be best friends for life, but then she saw all my GDub stuff in the basement and called me a hoarder.  Hey!  Takes one to know one!  Moving forward.
 Here we are cleaning out the Stapleton store.  It was 50% day, what can I tell you.  Look at my cart.  Yeah about that hoarding thing... DeeAnna, Lisa, Gina, her friends, Diana, Kathe with an E, DeAnna, Elaine, and Josette!  Thanks for joining us ladies!!
After lunch most of us went to the Monaco store.  I'm hoping that Lisa and I didn't run off the rest. (mostly her) A quick stop at Starbucks and we went to the Belleview store.  There is no photo prof of this for some reason.  Then Lisa took some photos of my "office" where my collection of GWill things live.  She was amazed! (jealous/might turn me into the tv show hoarders)
I was very busy collecting things for a tv spot that I'm shooting on Friday morning!  (that is my excuse for having a full cart everywhere we went!)  Stay tuned for the video.

Friday, July 6, 2012

What I do in my spare time...

Then go to Goodwill to look for cowboy boots.  Hope to see you tomorrow for the big thrift tour.
#ilovethrifing

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

I Love Thrifting Denver Style

Got the t-shirt and celebrated by dressing up as Rashon Carraway!  Get ready to thrift Denver!