Whew! The holidays are over & I GOT THRU IT all! My fingerless gloves were a big hit with the younger set (along with hardbacks I had found at Dollar Tree!)  I also gave hubby books I had found heavily discounted at my favorite Barnes & Noble way before Xmas....Reading material makes such good gifts! & at the printed price, you look terribly generous!

Great success with new wrapping tricks: I stapled magazine pix of gifts to generic mall shopping bags - worked great & looked very artsy!  Also wrapped up books in magazine pages - I mean, you KNOW what they are - so just creating a gift "sleeve" is perfectly adequate - & boy, does it save person doing the wrapping - not to mention the pocketbook! Read a new interesting tip about spraying little packages wrapped in newspaper with hair spray to form a lacquered surface.  Gotta try that one.

We played Xmas music at church - I love doing that!  & we participated in neighborhood caroling - it was MUCH appreciated.  One elder gentleman said that he had caroled himself many times, but he had never realized what a pleasure it is to be caroled TO. (On that note - just showing up at someone's door at a special occasion & singing/playing to them, no matter how simply, is a great gift.  I sent my father a singing telegram across the country years ago & he was delighted to have a young actor show up at his door!)

Gonna write about thrift shops - as I had interesting experiences this year at shops I only go to when I am visiting relatives....But that's a whole OTHER story....

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Usually I have done all my Xmas shopping BEFORE Thanksgiving - but due to the fact we were unemployed last summer & beyond, I was behind....

So - I have been knitting fingerless gloves - or mitts.  I downloaded the easier knitting pattern I could find - FREE off the internet - & have been knitting away through my stash.  I even had to get MORE yarn from storage - which gives me a chance to go over my stash - Whew!  It IS large.  But yarn is so expensive, that when I see it for $1 or 2 a skein, I BUY it.  Hubby really has NO idea how much yarn is - especially if it's wool - & I wanted to make most of the mitts out of wool...At a pair of mitts per ball/skein or so - that would be $5-6 & I have knitted a LOT of them - 8?  That would be $40-48 retail (for materials) & I didn't pay 1/2 that! (And I picked up $1 hardback books at Dollar Tree to go along with them....)

Bargains do make me an impulse buyer, I admit....I picked up a cashmere/wool sweater in a lovely teal with a Saks label at a Goodwill in Santa Monica - It was pilled, but I knew I could fix that - & with some scouring with a special little de-pilling tool I have had for years, it's now very nice! (& for $6)...I also bought a wool felt hat for $1.98 (similar hats were in the Anthropolgie store nearby for $48-100!)

Hubby & I also stopped into McCabe's music store on the way to Santa Monica - & there in the bargain rack were all sorts of heavily discounted Xmas & religious music books - marked mostly $1 each & some for $2 - I calculate that we bought over $100 worth of music (per back label retail value) for less than $10!

We are recycling our gift bags & hubby dug up the gift wrap from last year - We are always very thrifty vis a vis wrapping.  I dug up the wooden African figurines I had bought for colleague over the last year & gave him a grouping in the recycled tissue & Santa gift bag from a gift hubby has received!  They were for his collection & he loved it!

We also have taken out our Xmas CD collection for the holidays.  A few years ago there were a slew of Xmas CDs at the 99 Cent Store & we stocked up.  So now, we have an extensive library of them - even Xmas Reggae! 

Playing Xmas music at a local church with a buddy of mine - so we have been playing & rehearsing.  Also, with my actress hat on - I have been cast in a project to be shot in January - so,in my own way, I have been busy!  

Treated myself to some skin care items with $10 discount from Amazon & $10 from Serious Skincare...which, I suppose paid for the shipping....I so rarely PAY for skincare items that I get sticker shock, & these were on the $20 or so, on the low end, too....But one has to break down every once in a while when all the freebies, etc., run out! 

We have to pay hubby's tuition for the renewal of his credential, too.  He did get into a pilot program through UCLA & it's $3000 instead of $6000 - but we still have to fork over chunks of $1500!  Had to put it on a new credit card (which has ruinous interest rates) - & we are pledged to pay it off FAST. On the bright side, we did have some money stashed for this purpose.....but credit cards DO come in handy sometimes....& since the cut in tuition is so great, we still come out ahead....

Oh, did I say that my friend & I went down to the Music Center at noon to hear highlights from Mozart's opera Cosi Fan Tutti sung by young singers? It was FREE. We even found a cheap parking space (a miracle downtown!) Such a lovely program! (That's almost the only way we get to hear such live music these days....)

And I am still getting my freebies (yesterday it was a sample of coffee) and magazines & I am reading my free subscription to the Wall St. Journal....(I like the liberal arts features.....)

So all is well here with us.  And I hope, with you, too....

Happy Holidays! Happy Winter Solstice! etc.

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Advent does mean "it's coming" in a sense - & I am sure that we all are scrambling about! 

I am knitting like mad, because - having not done my usual summer/fall Xmas shopping, I have decided to give everyone hand-knitted wool fingerless gloves.  I found a VERY EZ pattern free on the net & I dug up my yarn stash & needles & so on from storage.  It is messing up the living room - but I cannot really help it. I've already made half a dozen pairs, and it's 2 more weeks til Xmasin which to knit! (Hubby has NO IDEA, as usual about these things - a ball of WOOL costs $6-8 retail & I use about a ball per pair of gloves - so, the ones I have made already would cost almost $50 in retail yarn!)  Also made hubby a pair of wool slippers - my first.  None of these productions is perfect, frankly - but for that, get a machine, I say!

Decorated the apartment - & just as well, as we seem to be spending Xmas here - & going off between Xmas & New Years - trying to fit everyone in! Hubby went & got some pine boughs, so I could make my traditional holiday arrangements in vases around the apartment. Since I have never had room for more than desk top trees (I have several which I put up yearly) - I like having vases full of pine boughs, to get the piney Xmas tree experience.  And they ARE FREE at your local Xmas Tree stand - as they trim them, & they were just going to throw them AWAY! (Or you can get them for very little - hubby tipped the guy at the tree stand a few bucks - ) Then I decorate the boughs - you can even hang ornaments on them! 

I have picked up a few Xmas things on my thrift shop visits (One I know has good deals in decorative items, whereas everything else is nice, but not cheap...) But no more than $20 worth! And for an Xmas outlay that's not bad, especially when a box of VERY nice XMAS cards is included! 

But then I have never spent much in the Xmas rush - my idea of a splurge is buying a few $5 bargain Barnes & Noble books for hubby! (I always go to a certain Barnes & Noble, as they always have a better selection of bargain books...)

I do feel cozy - the wreath I snagged at a drug store sale a few years ago is on the door - & there are even little lights around what hubby calls my Xmas "altars"!  Because the trees are so small, I buy small ornaments to scale which I enjoy looking for.  I suppose it's back to my old dollhouse days, when I did the same! But Xmas brings back the child in all of us, no?

Hubby & I are playing Santa & Mrs. Claus for the 7th or so year in a row up at Channel Islands Harbor.  Hubby is a GREAT Santa Claus & I am Mrs. Claus & am generally a helpmate...(& they even pay us something!) The children are always so cute & we do enjoy it!

How are you guys holding up?  Baking cookies? Having parties?  Do tell!

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Not Perfect? Perfect!

By now, my readers, you should realize that I adore VINTAGE & have for years, even when it was out of fashion….But my slim purse (as they used to say) never stretched to what the connoisseurs would call REAL antiques.  But it WOULD stretch to finds from the thrift shops & elsewhere – which often had small FLAWS, which would ban them from an antique store!

For example, I am now wearing a cashmere sweater – probably 60’s or 70’s vintage….Lovely versatile beige, soft & warm…but I bought it for ONE DOLLAR at an animal thrift shop (It was on the dollar rack outside)….Why?  Because there are some very small holes in it!  But I know from past experience that they are easily mended - & ALSO that flawed as it is, I am more likely to actually WEAR it than if it were perfect.  Isn’t that ironic?  But true…A $200 sweater would make me terribly nervous!

At the same time, I bought some small ethnic dolls (50’s? 60’s?) - & then found out that one of the cutest ones, a Scottish lass had NO ARMS.  Luckily, I had some small wooden pieces that I could glue in as a substitute.  So much better than a doll that looked like a victim of the clan wars….

Over the years, I have sewn slightly ripped seams on expensive dresses – fixed zippers – done all sort of gluing – touched up costume jewelry (I just covered up a flaw in a 60’s Coro pin with silver nail polish.) And I have taken stains out. (It you want to see if the stain is perhaps doable – wet your finger with saliva & touch the spot….If it smears then there is a good chance that you can wash it out….)

I also have gotten good at fixing up all sorts of sweaters – another $1 light ribbon sweater seemed to have holes, but on closer inspection, the ribbon yarn had just stretched at pressure points in the sweater - & all I had to do was tighten the stitches there on the opposite side & voila! A very nice sweater….

I have to admit that over the years, I have come to really ENJOY my mending & transforming efforts.  So much more FUN than nervously plunking down cash I couldn’t afford! & with a nearly similar result in the end.  And who was the wiser?  Only those to whom I chose to boast about my cleverness!  Like you guys!

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We are “grapefruit” – that’s the secret language between hubby & me for GRATEFUL  (maybe because walking around saying grateful all the time in the real word feels soppy). 

The blog is back up (we had been having tech problems) and I am thankful to the tech guys & everybody else at Thriftyfun for fixing the problems we had been having.

Getting used to writing FIRST on Word – because I lost another post a few days ago – alas & alack.  Takes me a few days to get the steam up to go back & cover it again.

So – last weekend hubby & I went up to the boat.  The weatherman had been dissuaded us from going the 2 previous weekends & then the weather had been FINE, so we risked it.  We had a lovely day on Saturday in Ojai & then it did rain on Sunday – but it was worth it….

So – our splurge(s) over the weekend:

• At the Goodwill in Moorpark – I found several dresses for $4.99 each.  Two were new Target stock (worth $25 or so) – One was Joseph Magnin vintage (!) & another that just fit right. I buy dresses when I see them, because my squarish body is hard to fit – so, when I see the styles that fit me, I grab them…as I couldn’t just waltz into a store & pick them up!
• Also at Goodwill – a long-sleeved tee with shirring (also new Target stock). $4.99 = $25+ new.
• The one problem is the pants I bought – they don’t fit right – fine on the bottom but not on the top.  I don’t know whether to donate them or to try to alter them…
• IN OJAI – the find of the day – a 50’s? vintage camel-colored swing coat (no buttons) for $15!!! At first hubby said that it looked like a bathrobe, but he had to admit that it looks great ON. (I stayed up the night before last knitting a very LONG scarf in beige/white/brown to wear so the gap is covered in colder weather…)
• Also  two $1 sweaters which need minor repairs.
• At the LIBRARY store, we found some music (me Italian songs & hubby an old James Taylor songbook) & I found 2 old obscure mysteries.

We had a pizza dinner with friends – our real Thanksgiving dinner, I suppose.

Sunday it was pouring, so we drove on home & used the two AMC free movie coupons to see the movie J. EDGAR – we usually see movies at home on cable – so actually sitting in a THEATRE with POPCORN felt like a terrible SPLURGE & all the more fun! 

I also redeemed the Torani coupons I got for their Italian syrups (for coffee, etc., originally used in coffee houses) which I received for being part of the She Speaks program.  The salted caramel is yummy in coffee - & the raspberry is super in champagne to make a champagne cocktail.  I am looking forward to other experiments with other flavors. I have tried the peppermint they had sent me…..  These syrups are reasonably priced (@$7) & LARGE bottles, so they are would make nice Xmas gifts.

Also redeemed the free PAM & Hunt’s tomato coupons – so I am looking forward to making a lasagna-type thing in the Pyrex baking dish I was sent as part of the Smiley360 sampling program. (The dish is $20 retail….)

I am knitting things for Xmas – some fingerless gloves are the latest experiment.  Finally seem to be getting the hang of them! Perhaps I will have the courage to go back to slippers if I get enough gloves done….their virtue is that they are fast.  Using yarn from my bargain stash & a FREE online patterns. (Note: there are LOTS of FREE knitting patterns on the net now!)

Hope you all are having a great Thanksgiving.  Despite trials and difficulties, we still have MUCH to be grateful  for, no?

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Generic is Good (& Cheaper) 11/17/11

This AM I was reading my Wall St. Journal (a FREE subscription, by the way  = $300 for 6 months!) & I saw an article comparing the new Kindle vs. the Nook.  This interested me, because I had finally popped for a cheaper generic eReader I found online.  (It's a Delstar- & can be found online for under $50 w/shipping.)  Now - the eReaders in the paper are the $99 Kindle Touch(w/ ADS ? & $139 without) vs. the Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch - $99.

Sure, these may be more sophisticated - but after a bit of a steep learning curve, I am delighted with my $45 Delstar!!  I don't know how much it contains - but I certainly know I don't need 3,000 books in mine! And it has buttons to move the pages, which works just fine.  I have been downloading FREE ebooks from sites on the net - the old obscure ones I like... (the complete works of 19th C. mystery/horror novelist WilkieCollins, anyone?) And I am enjoying it immensely.

I have even found a FREE CONVERTER for ebookformats at eHamster.com- which I have been fiddling with.  And I have found out that Barnes & Noble Nook books are in the epub format, which I can use on my Delstar w/o converting.  (& www.freestufftimes lists loads of temporarily  FREE Nook books from Amazon DAILY.)

Of course, new technology is fine & lots of fun - for those who are willing & able to PAY.  But my Delstar$45 eReaderwas frankly a SPLURGE even at 1/2 the price of a Kindle! (& it came with a cover, charger, and headphones....)  I don't NEED touch screen for this....& luckily I don't have tech snob buddies to put me down for my budget choice!

Did I say that I am thrilled that I will ALWAYS have something to READ?  (but the battery does go dead - so paper books are STILL desirable!)

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Generic is Good (& Cheaper) 11/17/11

This AM I was reading my Wall St. Journal (a FREE subscription, by the way  = $300 for 6 months!) & I saw an article comparing the new Kindle vs. the Nook.  This interested me, because I had finally popped for a cheaper generic eReader I found online.  (It's a Delstar- & can be found online for under $50 w/shipping.)  Now - the eReaders in the paper are the $99 Kindle Touch(w/ ADS ? & $139 without) vs. the Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch - $99.

Sure, these may be more sophisticated - but after a bit of a steep learning curve, I am delighted with my $45 Delstar!!  I don't know how much it contains - but I certainly know I don't need 3,000 books in mine! And it has buttons to move the pages, which works just fine.  I have been downloading FREE ebooks from sites on the net - the old obscure ones I like... (the complete works of 19th C. mystery/horror novelist WilkieCollins, anyone?) And I am enjoying it immensely.

I have even found a FREE CONVERTER for ebookformats at eHamster.com- which I have been fiddling with.  And I have found out that Barnes & Noble Nook books are in the epub format, which I can use on my Delstar w/o converting.  (& www.freestufftimes lists loads of temporarily  FREE Nook books from Amazon DAILY.)

Of course, new technology is fine & lots of fun - for those who are willing & able to PAY.  But my Delstar$45 eReaderwas frankly a SPLURGE even at 1/2 the price of a Kindle! (& it came with a cover, charger, and headphones....)  I don't NEED touch screen for this....& luckily I don't have tech snob buddies to put me down for my budget choice!

Did I say that I am thrilled that I will ALWAYS have something to READ?  (but the battery does go dead - so paper books are STILL desirable!)

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11/15/11

I don't know what prompted me to go INTO Chico's last Sunday - just to look around, I thought - as I can hardly afford their stuff, altho I love it all.  And - glory be! There on the sale rack were dresses for $15!!! (one down from $129 - the other from $49!!) - They were so cheap - thrift store prices, that I got the 2 of them & then discovered there was ANOTHER sale going on & they were further reduced to $10 each! Wow. What a deal! Two classic dresses of good quality I can wear FOREVER.

The reminds me of when I worked near two old fancy downtown department stores - Since I could go there on my lunch hour I would look & look & look- & they would mark down things all the time & over & over - until I could actually AFFORD THEM. (I got them, of course...)  That was years ago, & I still have some of those things!

Just goes to show you that even in expensive stores, there are BARGAINS if you look very hard....(& maybe often)...Go check out that sale rack in the BACK of the store!

P.S. Hubby found $80 Sperry Topsider boat shoes for $30 at West Marine (a boating store).  Even the sales people didn't know why they had been priced so low- Since he wears shoes like that daily to his teaching job - he bought 2 pairs!  Because such deals in boat shoes are harder to find, since they have become trendier!

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Out of curiosity, I have begun to keep track of the items I get as freebies in the mail and otherwise .I get LOTS of magazines free - and toothpaste, skin care, Carmex - deodorant, hand creme, eye pencil, vitamin sample, teabags from Twinings - and I also received a beautiful glass Pyrex baking dish from smiley360 - with coupons for PAM and canned tomatoes. The dish is $20 on the internet! I am eager to try it out!  It's part of a promotion.

Today UPS delivered 2 LARGE bottles of Torani coffeehouse syrups! this is part of a promotion through shespeaks.com.  I have already tried the salted caramel in my coffee - YUM! (The other is peppermint.....)

And I got my grey "Where's the BEEF" tee yesterday - nice t-shirt. I had designed one at the CAMEL site for hubby, but when it arrived, it was a bit too small - so I will inherit it.

All in all for the month of October, I calculated that I got $100 worth of freebies! (That's calculating, fyi - $1.50 for each of the sample toothpastes, etc. - because I was astounded to find that that's what they cost at the drug store! ) My favorite site is still www.freestufftimes.com - but others are catching up - Join all the membership programs you CAN!

I also nabbed some AnnaMarie Borlind skin care samples at the healthfood store - I don't know if they are aware that I frequent that particular store because they always have samples of some kind! (& I do spend an average of $50 per trip!) I liked this natural brand very much & the eye cream was particularly impressive - I think I will actually BUY some, as it's only $20 - not bad for that sort of thing....

WILL BE HAVING A GIVEAWAY OF CARMEX LOTIONS! Just email me @ pamphyila@yahoo.com with CARMEX in the title line - & I will get somebody as a winner & CARMEX will send you some (My package was $14 worth, I looked it up!)

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I do so much every day that is frugal - so here's more of my on-going rundown on my frugality:

• Got a FREE 26-week subscription to the Wall St. Journal for hubby (of course, I can read it, too.  I like the WSJ - but it is expensive....
• Rec'd my first copy of Martha Stewart Living mag
• Printed out my coupon for a reg. size hand cream at Occitane - a fancy store!
• Keep on trying to get a free mascara at L'Oreal on Facebook - but no soap yet.. (You can enter daily).
• Joined KMZT - classical music radio here in L.A. on AM & on the web - for points to win prizes. (I join all those things....)
• Joined Mommytalks.com to do surveys & win $ - I got $5 for just signing up.
• Joined the survey part of House Party.com - for more surveys....

ALSO - I dyed my slippers golden yellow using TURMERIC as a dye - washed the pink slippers & then put the powdered turmeric in the soapy water & rinsed until the water was clear.  They are now drying in the sun.  I never DID like the pink color!

And - I have been making flower arrangements using a combination of natural & fake elements.  Somehow I have been getting lots of large vases as presents - & I wanted to fill them inexpensively.  So - I found some eucalyptus-type leaves from a fallen tree - & sprayed them with heavy duty hair spray as they dried.  I did the same with a purple hydrangea a friend gave me.  They all dried out very well in our DRY climate here in L.A. I made an arrangement in the one large vase using some fake flowers I had, the dried leaves & 2 bunches of fake flowers I had bought at the Dollar Tree.  Turned out beautifully.

In addition - I picked some fallen fluffy tops of some sort of large grass plant we have around here - It was already down & partly broken off - so I didn't feel too vampirish in cutting it off.

I added it to an arrangement in another large vase, with some greenery I had, and the dried hydrangea - Then I sprayed it with heavy-duty hair spray - & in the last minute,as the hairspray was drying, I put on just a little touch of silver glitter to make the grass top look less dingy....Glitter is not normally my style - but it does look nice & the holidays ARE coming...

Did I mention that I had also brightened up some old rhinestone pins by applying glue & then silver glitter?  I also used silver nailpolish to cover the metal edges of one piece that was going grey & dull.  Nail polish is great for tiny jobs in upgrading costume jewelry - I also painted over a bird in a vintage pendant that I had with golden polish to match the gold background, as it has begun to look worn....And it's finicky - but I used black nailpolish to painted over the silver-colored spring on a cuff watch I had treated myself to at Urban Outfitters.  It makes the spring fade into the tortoiseshell color of the cuff.

Hmmm anything else?  Surely there is - but I will save if for next time, yes?  How are you all?

P.S. I WON $25 from thriftyfun for my tip on bleach spots!

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I do so much every day that is frugal - so here's more of my on-going rundown on my frugality:

• Got a FREE 26-week subscription to the Wall St. Journal for hubby (of course, I can read it, too.  I like the WSJ - but it is expensive....
• Rec'd my first copy of Martha Stewart Living mag
• Printed out my coupon for a reg. size hand cream at Occitane - a fancy store!
• Keep on trying to get a free mascara at L'Oreal on Facebook - but no soap yet.. (You can enter daily).
• Joined KMZT - classical music here in L.A. on AM & on the web - for points to win prizes. (I join all those things....)
• Joined Mommytalks.com to do surveys & win $ - I got $5 for just signing up.
• Joined the survey part of House Party.com - for more surveys....

ALSO - I dyed my slippers golden yellow using TUMERIC as a dye - washed the pink slippers & then put the powdered tumeric in the soapy water & rinsed until the awter was clear.  They are now drying in the sun.  I never DID like the pink color!

And - I have been making flower arrangements using a combination of natural & fake elements.  Somehow I have been getting lots of large vases as presents - & I wanted to fill them inexpensively.  So - I found some ecalyptus-type leaves from a fallen tree - & sprayed them with heavy duty hair spray as they dried.  I did the same with a purple hydrangea a friend gave me.  They all dried out very well in our DRY climate here in L.A. I made an arrangement in the one large vase using some fake flowers I had, the dried leaves & 2 bunches of fake flowers I had bought at the Dollar Tree.  Turned out beautifully.

In addition - I picked some fallen fluffy tops of some sort of large grass plant we have around here - It was already down & partly broken off - so I didn't feel too vampirish in cuttting it off.

I added it to an arrangement in another large vase, with some greenery I had, and the dried hydrangea - Then I sprayed it with heavy-duty hair spray - & in the last minute,as the hairspray was drying, I put on just a little touch of silver glitter to make the grass top look less dingy....Glitter is not normally my style - but it does look nice & the holidays ARE coming...

Did I mention that I had also brightened up some old rhinestone pins by applying glue & then silver glitter?  I also used silver nailpolish to cover the metal edges of one piece that was going grey & dull.  Nail polish is great for tiny jobs in upgrading costume jewelry - I also painted over a bird in a vintage pendant that I had with golden polish to match the gold background, as it has begun to look worn....And it's finicky - but I used black nailpolish to painted over the silver-colored spring on a cuff watch I had treated myself to at Urban Outfitters.  It makes the spring fade into the tortoiseshell color of the cuff.

Hmmm anything else?  Surely there is - but I will save if for next time, yes?  How are you all?

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Just wanted to check in on my day-2-day frugality efforts -

Rec'd a nice sample  - Dial Nutriskin.  These sample sizes are perfect for me to carry along in my purse!

Finally WON a beauty giveaway - Think I am getting eyeliner - which I don't have.

Going to FreeGretchen a lot for her giveaways!

Signed up with PG to receive samples of both Head & Shoulders & Prilosec (where, they are giving away a LOT of Prilosec!)Get yours.

Lash tint seems to be working bit by bit....

See ya!

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Here's a recipe for eyelash tint that I am trying out.  Found it on the internet, of course -

You need 1 cup filtered water

1 tsp. olive oil (I used coconut oil)

2 cups fresh sage (or 1 cup dried)

1. Put the water on a pan on the stove
2. Add sage leaves, bring to a boil & simmer for 15 min. (for darker add a pinch of sage & simmer 20 min.)
3. Remove from the heat & let cool
4. Strain into sterile jar using cheese cloth (I used a coffee filter)
5. Cool to room temperature
6. Take small-necked bottle & pour in filtered water 1 tsp at a time.
7. Add olive oil to bottle using an eye dropper
8. Close top of bottle & shake well (You have to shake mixture before every use.)
9. Apply conditioner to eyelashes & brows daily, using mascara brush. (I am using a Q-tip.)

Now, I have heard of using sage to darken grey hair - so it must have some tinting properties.

I am applying it (it's the 2nd day) & I do think I see a slight difference in my lashes -  MIne are long, but very blonde, so without something to darken them, they disappear.  But with all of my allergies, I prefer not to wear mascara all the time if my eyes are in a sensitive state. 

This herbal tint is not irritating AT ALL - & I have also put on some petroleum jelly to make them sleek.  This will be progressive - so I will keep you posted as to how it goes!

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 Almost cut my hair today....so goes the old song from HAIR.  Well, no almost - I DID.

Altho it was more of a trim - not worth $20 for a cut & besides, then it gets too short.

So here is how I do it:

• Make sure my hair is LONG, so there is a lot of room for minor error.
• Cut your hair DIRTY, because it grips better.
• Use VERY SHARP scissors.
• I do this in front of a bathroom mirror -
• Put some newspaper in the sink to collect cut hair.
• I have a very basic side-parted long - what they used to call a pageboy - long bob.
• This cut won't give you layers, but just cut the ends.
• I pull my hair back in an oblong barrette that holds tight.
• I pull the resulting ponytail up so I can see it in the mirror behind my head..
• I cut straight across the flat ponytail.
• Then check cut without the clip.  Usually I have to do this a few times & reclip it and snip more, then even it out
• I wash the hair, & then when dry - check the cut & trim where necessary
• I curl pieces of hair around my finger & then snip them to give shaping around the face. (This method also works for trimming bangs: bring bangs together at the front of the face, twist & trim.)

This method is NOT for the faint-hearted!!! Altho I have never had any real disasters.  But I have to feel optimistic & brave the day I do it! The trick is to use the cut in the barrette as a guide line to which you can trim the remainder of the hair.  This time, I pulled up back pieces by themselves & trimmed them, as I wanted the back to be shorter. (Cutting with the clip gives you more length in the back than the front....)

The trick, again, is to establish a GUIDELINE.  For someone else with a cut with layers, you could use the layers already established to trim from. Just keep on pulling it up & checking that the cuts are the same length - & go slowly!!!!

Luckily for us, today's fashions don't DEMAND absolutely straight edges, they was they used to!!! So a very slight unevenness is OK!!!

Have you ever trimmed your own hair???

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Signed up for Pureology's "member group" - perhaps there will be samples coming out of it! (I repeat, always join ALL insider groups!)

Stretched my perfumed dusting powder by mixing it up with some body powder - it still is perfumed enough! (I use it almost exclusively as dry shampoo.)

Got a freebie packet of coffee in the mail.

It's raining in So. Cal!  And when it rains, it POURS.  Dug out the Duck Boots I bought this summer.  Hubby thinks they are funny, but I know that they are right in fashion...Always shop for winter bargains in the summer & vice versa!  I wore the $6 woven S,. American maxi dress I bought last winter all SUMMER. (The boots go with my $1 vinyl raincoat - a summer purchase 2 years ago!) I also bought another pair of never-worn low suede booties at a yard sale over the summer - cheap....So - shop off season & do watch the styles, as they give you leeway in what to WEAR.

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It's time for us all to go back to work/school, whatever.  I am determined to post frugal tips for you guys regularly.  Heaven knows, I have new sources of savings pop up almost every day!

One of my latest freebies is a set of SEVEN (7) samples of Genifique from Lancome - It's a "youth activating concentrate" -  or sort of a serum for your skin - I received a coupon from Lancome via email & went & picked it up at a convenient Lancome counter. Nice stuff.  And knowing me, I will get more than 7 applications from those packets! I used about 1/2 of one last night under my night moisturizer, which is nice, but not too "active." 

My day moisturizer is a new formulation that I am testing out for Johnson & Johnson! Free!

The trick to getting some of these freebies is to sign up for EVERY makeup ""club" you can find. (That's how I got into the Johnson trial AND got the Lancome coupon.)  There are many of them listed at www.freestufftimes.com. AND look for anywhere you can join if you go to the cosmetics site for any samples.....

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Ok - you can get blog burnout.  I find I haven't been blogging as much as I ought to - I was just reading something about online presence & reminded myself of that -

So - some ongoing tips on how we live frugally -

My hubby is a songwriter of 12-step songs, having been a friend of Bill W. for over 25 years - & he was written an amazing collection of songs - Some of these we have performed at various 12-step gatherings around S. Calif. - And as we got further & further into this, we discovered that to go any further we needed a more professional CD sampler.

But the COST!  Much more than we can spare, especially since my husband has been unemployed for over 4 months!  Lots of time to work on the music - but no money for studio time....

THEN I saw an ad in craigslistla where a student at a local Hollywood recording school was looking for musicians to record - gratis!

We went last night & spent 4-5 hours recording.  It was a great experience for both hubby & me (I sang backup) - & we came out with some pretty good demo material - GRATIS!  Wow - the studio was state of the art & the student engineer patient, eager & helpful.  All in all a wonderful & productive evening - for parking & a tip to the kid!

I have often said that some people PAY good money to have learning experiences - but the best way is to prepare yourself & throw yourself into a real situation! Last evening was one case in point.

You can get students to do all sorts of things!   In the past I have used students for:

1. Dental work at a dental school
2. Cleaning at a college program for dental hygienists
3. Hair cutting at beauty schools (I like the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica)
4. This recording session

I have also read about using students to do work on your car - mechanical & body work - getting student massages - and many other beauty school services.  Students learn about all sorts of useful work.  See if what you desire can be done for less - by a student!

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Yes, I took a vacation from my blog here - Thriftyfun was donating $5 to the Red Cross for each tip submitted - so I just sat around & wrote tips for them as a way to do my bit.

THEN one very nice post was EATEN by the computer somehow - UGH.

But here I am again - with tales of our frugal & broke summer.  I scavenged things from all the move-out items at the end of the month at the apartment complex near our boat slip - Whew! Packing materials for my buddies with the eBay store - figurines to put in the garden (free, so if they disappear it's no great loss....) Lots of nail polish for my craft projects (I already have used the BLUE on a metallic barrette) - Little boxes for my assemblage project - a wastepaper basket - a set of nice Glenlivet glasses - some bowls for the boat - & some things which I will give to my brother for Xmas - There was also a box of dishwasher detergent & some liquid soap - Hubby made fun of me - but why not take dishwasher soap?

It looked like a lot - but it's not, really - It's nice that there is a tradition of a sorts of leaving unwanted items in the clubhouse for everyone to take.  If you are not going to drop it all off at a thrift shop, why not?  It seems such a waste to just toss perfectly good stuff!  I rescued a large tropical house plant, which is now recovering in the garden.  THAT riled me - why put that in the garbage?   I get into plant rescue to add to my plants inside & outside the house - and root succulents - which is just a matter of sticking a piece in some SOIL.

We are probably going to participate in the Boater's Swap Meet in 2 weeks & my buddy is going to go to the swap/craft faire at Hollywood High School.  A place to sell extra vintage clothes. (Have to mend some of it.)

The set up at the boat works out well for us - as there are not really any extra costs & we can go & hang out by the water in our sailboat which is our little cottage by the sea - all on the cheap!

Even working some as an actress - which helps, as we are living on unemployment for the time being - Every little bit contributes to the exchequer!

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Check out instructables.com for all sorts of neat diy ideas! I am making my own tee tree oil toothpicks by just soaking regular toothpicks in water with a few drops of tee tree oil (which I have on hand,) Then leaving them to soak overnight in the frig.  Not quite as good as the ones I buy at the health food store - but soaking them in water makes regular toothpicks much softer & easier on the gums. And I am fiddling with how many drops of tea tree oil to add to the water they soak in.  DEFINITELY cheaper than $4 a box at the health food store! (& such a simple idea!)

Get what you are entitled to! We are having some repairs done to our bathroom in our apartment - fixing the faucets - painting a wall that has peeled - & I have a notion that it's because there will be an inspection of the building on Thursday! Peeling paint is considered a "habitability" issue - & they have to re-paint! (That's how we got our wood floors in the living room - there was a HOLE in the floor!) We do little things ourselves - but one advantage of living in an apartment is that THEY have to call the PLUMBER.

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 There are friends of mine without health care - here are some pointers:

Remember if you retire early at 62 & ARE DISABLED you may qualify for Medicare!

There are LOTS of free clinics and support for meds and such.  Just ran across a great site - www.Needymeds.com - Even connects to disease-related support & discount drug programs.

The drug companies may actually be able to GIVE you FREE meds! I was broke once & qualified...Check with the drug mfg. of whatever you have been prescribed -& ask for SAMPLES if you are having a hard time paying for drugs - Also confer with your doctor about reasonable-costing meds - They don't always think of that when prescribing.

Do your internet research - In just a quick & easy search of resources for that 62-year-old, I found city-based resources, county-based resources, and food programs - They are THERE if you LOOK.

Remember that you must be somewhat aggressive & consistent in looking for support.  Don't give up at the beginning!  (For ex. disability SSI is routinely turned DOWN the first time.  You have to apply several times & it helps to have an advocate.  You can find advocates who will work on a contingency basis - that it, take the $ later from any lump sum payments - on the net). Perhaps you can get a friend or relative to advocate for you when looking for support.

It is very hard - I have been thru it myself - but with some doing, you, too, can get support!

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All of my life is a "life hack" as the kids now call it - but I do have some new ones & old ones that are bearing fruit:

• Revived some old rhinestone pins by applying pearly nail polish to the places where the stones were missing & then sprinkling with silver glitter.  Worked great & the pieces are very shiny now (& you can't tell it's glitter, either....)
• Freebies I have received - Covergirl natureluxe foundation & gloss balm free thru the Bzz Agent program - I try them & pass along coupons & reviews!
• Got a new book from Random House
• Hubby is now reading NEWSWEEK, which I got free for him.
• Got a really cute hip flask from Copenhagen snuff - I am going to use it for ice tea!
• Rec'd a Clinique mascara (Gee there are alot of those sorts of samples - ones doesn't need to buy mascara - (or shampoo - or tooth paste)-
• Went thrift shop shopping on our little Spring Vacation - & found some good stuff -
• YARN, lots of it - both cotton & wool! (cotton reg. $6/ball - & wool reg. $10+) So I found literally hundred of dollars of good yarn for my projects.  Already started to knit a cotton scarf last night while watching a movie.
• Found scarves - one silk chiffon - the other a polyester - but both scarves were under $2 each.
• Found some good shoes - pink Dr. Scholls with open toes (they were extravagant) & black clogs - both $3.99/pr.
• Yoga pants - $3.99    Silk Chanel-type sweater $3.99 (that was a STEAL)
• Some tshirts from the $1 rack (I always stock up)
• 2 wine glasses with winery logos - $.50 each ( have a collection of them)
• A fine black straw hat $1 (I couldn't resist at that price.)
• Lots of paperback pulp fiction - $.50 at a library sale - $1 elsewhere (I go thru them like popcorn).
• A very nice long summer dress - looks new - with a tropical floral design. $4.50  (orig $70+)? Carribean Joe - a good label.  I think I got this due to size issues, as it was labeled a 2X - & it isn't really - probably a size or 2 smaller - but it just fits me. (Remember about being flexible @ sizing when shopping at a thrift store - or anywhere else.  Just read another article on the net about how certain lines have sizing all over the map & they do NOT correspond to each other!  When in doubt - try it on - even over your clothes - if necessary.

Trip news: On the way I went to several wine tastings - & we found the bargain ones! $8 instead of $12 by looking at a card from the Tourist Info office.  Hubby also found a 1/2 deal for dinner at Solvang . Shop around for those sorts of deals.

We hit several festivals - one in Solvang & one in San Luis Obispo - where we ate BBQ outside.

Those seemingly silly bargain brochures they give away at gas stations, etc. actually WORKED for us in finding a budget motel room in Morro Bay.

We went to a State Park - Montana d'Oro near Morro Bay- Gorgeous! & I confess that I gathered some rounded rocks from the stony sea shore.  It really looks like Monterey!  (I am going to put the larger stones in the garden & perhaps use the smaller ones for craft projects like jewelry/.....)

I really can recommend the Southern part of the coast of Central California!

I also did a lot of window shopping at all the boutiques I couldn't possibly afford!  (But I had already done my shopping & wasn't feeling deprived at all....)

And we WALKED & WALKED & WALKED - a REAL WORKOUT.

Educators may not make oodles of $ - but they do get nice VACATION times!

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Just wrote an enthusiastic post about (among other things) all the high end cosmetic samples I scored for $1 each at the rummage tables at the AA Convention where hubby & I were doing music.  Hit them first for the best selection!

BUT THE WHOLE BLOG POST WENT INTO A BLACK HOLE!  Help!! So here is an abbreviated version

So I will just briefly say that I found Clinique & Lancome samples of skin care for $1 each & Estee Lauder lipsticks for $1 - and books - & even a turquoise necklace for $2!!

And we WON TWO raffle baskets (the odds are good at events like that)....One has 100+ movies & the other is a BBQ picnic set!! (& all the $ went to a good cause).

We even made some $ - How nice to have a "hobby" or "interest" that pays for itself!

More later - do you have activities that can be self-supporting??

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Wearing my Laise Adzer Moroccan rayon boho dress to sing with hubby tonight.  I knew I would get use of it.  I love hippy/boho-influenced stuff & here in California it has NEVER gone out of style! It 's like the stuff I admire at my favorite shop sTienda Ho on Main St. in Sta Bartbara, but never can really AFFORD.  But by keeping my eye out, I landed one in a $10 thrifty shop bag sale, as I told you. (With the panama hat I landed as booty after I did the Mad Hatter's Tea Party gig as the Red Queen.)

The trick to vintage is to see what's currently in style & then look for the vintage equivalents.  The designers are very much influenced themselves by vintage clothing - so you would be surprised at the vintage stylistic notes in the NEW clothes - & the vintage ones are usually of much better quality - not to mention CHEAPER if you get them straight from the source (yard sales, thrift shops, etc.)

And for the next day I am wearing a bright blue/black striped rayon floor length sun dress which I bought last year for practically nothing in Ojai at a school thrift shop. I knew I would get some use out of it.  I like to wear long dresses to perform in, especially in the summer....

It;s nice that LONG maxi dresses are back in style for summer, too!  But I would wear them anyway....Keeping an eye on fashion, & it is now SO easy with all the fashion coverage on the internet!  - it keeps you from going too outlandish!

But by this time, I have certain trends in my wardrobe - & I know what suits me better than anyone....

NOTE:  you may have to do minor repairs on bargain vintage - Watch the inside should seams in older garments & reinforce them!

The funny thing, is that you could wear vintage & then turn around & sell it for as much (or more than you actually PAID for it!  That helps justify my collection to myself.....As I periodically take it to market...

But with the kind of life I lead, I need lots of kinds of clothes (They were looking for Medieval peasants w/their own costumes last week .  But I don't have anything mud colored!)

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Some of my frugal notes:

• Cheapism.com has a LONG list of places to get FREE eBooks!
• I have been enjoying the free old books I have downloaded from www.gutenberg.com onto my Kindle for PC app on my computer - all GRATIS.
• Touched up my hair with hot coffee around the hair line to disguise some grey (?) hairs. Otherwise, I am using highlights from plain old hydrogen peroxide (on dirty hair) & rinsed hair with cranberry juice, as I am worried about my irritated scalp. Also tried my red/blonde Roux on my hairline. Looks ok.  (Hubby has NO idea how much I save on my HAIR.
• Where did I see a tutorial about making your own jump rings for handmade jewelry?  (I think it's on You Tube). They curled 20 gauge wire around pens or markers & such & then clipped them with a wire cutter.  I think the wire of paper clips will work for this too.
• Trying to make a pair of $1 thirft shop jeans fit - fine on legs, but tight around the middle - Cut a gusset at the back seam & put an elastic from the button to the closure to close the zipper area.  Almost worked - but the rise is VERY LOW.  I am thinking about something like a belly band (maternity style) to compensate for the low rise, etc - and maybe put in a fabric gusset...I do like the grey/black material!
• Wearing my bargain Laise Adzer (sp?) to hubby's music gig this weekend. Pink is in style, so I am OK. & I can layer it.
• L.A. now has a SECOND classical station, as Kmozart had reappeared at AM 1260 & on HD radio, whatever that is - Great to have a choice!
• Doing my own taxes as usual, so I am filing for an extension electronically. (Remember this year we have until Monday April !8!!)

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After almost a MONTH, hubby & I got to spend a 3-day weekend at the BOAT!!! (It had been raining on the weekends, there had been tsunami concerns & hubby had gotten so sick he went to bed for a few days...)Happily all of our lines held & the boat was fine - but we would have expected that our buddies would have called us if there had been a problem.  (There were a lot in the nearby Ventura Harbor.)

So, after having been very good about shopping - we stopped at all of our haunts & of course, found great STUFF! Goodwill has some sort of deal with Target, as I have probably mentioned before & they have NEW Target merchandise - very cheap!  usually at a 75% discount from former retail prices!)  I found 2 new pairs of shorts for the summer - a fuchsia shirtwaist, a sun dress - and then items from the dollar rack! And hubby found some khaki slacks for work....(Oh, & I found a nice khaki sunhat, too)...

Along the way I have been finding cheap bangles (some of which I think are actually silver) - & some engraved glass stones with mottos - so good for presents - @ $.50 each!!  The bangles were $.75 -

In Ojai I went to the church thriftshop downtown & got: a pair of tropical print linen pants and some balls of very nice mohair yarn (50 cents each!) On the dollar rack there was a red & white print linen jacket - with "broken" zipper - I took it anyway & once home, coaxed the zipper back to zipping!

Then we did stop off at what we call the animal thriftshop - were they were having a $10 bag sale - & I managed to stuff it with:  a pink rayon hippy Laize Adzer dress (w/a $149 tag?), a black stretch jacket, some pants, a thai silk bouse, and a silk green Chico's casual jacket.

I know I said I would hold off the clothes buying -but these were all such STEALS!  (Oh, I did spring for a vest made out of golden threads from the sale rack of a trendy store in Ojai.  It was under $30 & a steal for what it iS...)

All very high quality stuff! I love Chico's & other finer clothes brands/shops - but I only can afford their stuff in THRIFTSHOPS.  (& having window shopped in the stores, I know what the stuff costs new!)

A real orgy! but the stuff is great & I have been very good lately - so....I admit it, I indulged myself!

For the piece de resistance -  The end/beginning of the month is a good time to "scavenge" in the bins in the apartments up at the boat, as people are moving out them & dumping things willy nillly. So I went around & collected some bubble wrap & other packing material for my friends who are selling on eBay - & then found someone moving out/doing Spring cleaning.  And landed the decorations off a Xmas wreath - a hat box - a shopping bag - some fabric - an angel candle holder -  & a glass panel for crafting, a plastic dome from a lamp, & to top it off - a perfectly good watch, which was just sitting there.  On a whim coming home, I put it to the correct time, & do you know, the darned thing even WORKS!  It's a bracelet version & I really like it, too!

Mark doesn't really like my scavenging - but I did also find him a nice black nylon zippered case - he likes to put his musical accessories in cases -

I like crafting, & I can't resist steals in thrift shops - The plastic dome I put into the hanging flower bracket that I am trying to make into a lighting fixture - just fits, too. And I just HAVE to start knitting!!! (I put away the new materials in the oriental box I scavenged from the apartment a few weeks ago....)

So, I think our energy footprint is fairly low.....& boy, did I have a good TIME! WE women do love to SHOP.

And this way, I don't break the bank at Monte Carlo!!! (& end up nicely dressed - a plus in L.A.)

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Just won a free book via www.muse.com site.  I always enter contests for books and things - I don't win very big - but when you consider the retail prices of books, it's not too bad!

For some reason hubby encouraged me to go to HIS favorite Valley thriftshops on Sunday.  But I should have known - he has thrift shop ESP - & what did I find, but practically new Sperry Topsiders in his size for $7.99 - They are in a nice light spring color & perfect for him.  We used to get our Topsiders at Big 5 on sale - but I think Sperry has re-thought it's distribution plan - They have, however, just opened a store in the out in Camarillo, CA - I would have considered shopping there - but this was even a better DEAL.  Hubby sprayed the inside of the shoes with anti-disinfectant spray & then used my foot powder.  Hubby dresses better than he ever has - from thrift shopping!

I found a silver-plated dish (have to look up the hallmark) - & a leather bag for $7.99!!! Now, I think this was a case of mistaken identity - perhaps they thought it was vinyl?  But  a leather bag at that price is impossible not pass over.  Now that I have dragged hubby thru Nordstrom's & Macys a few times - noting the prices of the leather handbags - he no longer can carp at me snapping up an $8 find - (I recommend that tactic to all of you bargain hunters.)

Of course, the same day he found an amp for $20 - like the ones he had been looking at new at Radio Shack for $80! (He has a gig coming up with his AA songs at a local convention & is getting equipment together....we also bought a stool for $10....)

Going slow on the clothes unless it's cheap or fabulous - Also picked up a large ceramic vase at one store & some fancy dried /dyed queen Anne's lace & made an arrangement to put next to the TV & cover all the wires....Those are the little niceties I enjoy getting from thrift shops - fancy dried flowers that I couldn't afford otherwise....When one is thrifty - one can afford to treat oneself!

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Hey - if you are new to dollar stores like DOLLAR TREE & the 99 CENTS store - you can go to www.dollartree.com to see what they offer.  They even sell items here by the case - if you need that much! It's doesn't cover everything, of course - like the relaxation CDs I have bought there - but You can see the range of the usual merchandise - & more specifically, what you local Dollar Tree will be stocked with....

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Just received a free book from booksneeze.com - It's a $13 value & I am supposed to review it on their site - no prob. I have done book reviews in the past in exchange for books I wanted to read - not a bad trade....The publishing house have extra copies floating around all over the place....

Also check out the Random Read It Forward Program - & become an eHarlequin insider & you will get free books, too. 

Not to mention free downloads - freestufftimes lists them daily - Even without an eReader you can put them on an eReader program for your PC.  And try Gutenberg project for old free classics...

It's been pouring here - we are caught inside & all that FREE  reading matter makes it a lot cozier....

PS They are not free, but Dollar Tree now has brand new paperback & hardback books for $1 (You could read them carefully & keep them clean & then give as gifts!)

PPS I always look at the bargain rack at Barnes & Noble - That's the only place I allow myself to buy books there....

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The torrential rains here in So. Cal have kept us home & inside. No boat! Last Sunday, I actually asked to do my editing work long distance on the phone + internet - the rain was SO bad, and hubby & I really didn't want to have to fight our way out there.  I don't do it often - but it worked out fine - except with interfacing MAC to PC I almost lost an hour's work! Luckily I found it in the "temporary files".  WHEW!!!! Remember that your computer has such things - & keeps work temporarily...& send documents in Rich Text File when you are interfacing with another program - RTF -It makes the document easier to convert.

I have a free program called CC Cleaner, which gets rid of temporary files and cookies and such - & helps the computer to run better. With all the surfing I do, sometimes the computer seems to get tied up in knots & then a run of the CC Cleaner helps it out!

We are keeping to budget - which is a lesson - because I think it's because we have been staying at HOME.  I did buy some yarn & trimmings at the local thrift store - no clothes.  I am on a clothes hiatus, I have so much stuff....Only GREAT things & of course, cheap nice t-shirts!

Out buddy George lost a lot of his clothes in a fire - so we went to the Sta. Paula thrift shop with its wonderful dollar rack & bought him some things. At $1 a piece, we could afford to!

Then, because we knew he needed money, we bought a djembe drum (with case) from him. It's a lovely drum, & as I have been drooling over djembe drums with ceramic bases for a long while, I knew it was still a deal. We give at home.

The neighbor lady across from me is old and ill & she is frankly always "borrowing" money from us for medicine & the bus & so on.  She may be a bit out of it - but she is an El Salvadorean refugee and has had a very hard life.  So we figure that it's our way of giving - we give at HOME.  And I try to give her little things on the holidays and so on - to brighten up her rather drab life.  Now that I have learned some Spanish, we can communicate better & I know that she is grateful, as she brings us food and so on when she can -

Having good neighbors is a benefit - It adds to your security as well as creating a friendly atmosphere - I saw a commercial about security systems in which they said that most of the robberies occur during the DAY.  Well, not here - even though we are in a modest neighborhood.  There is always someone looking out for the security of the "house."  So no electronics are necessary!

My friends are selling lots of things on eBay - vintage clothing & such - I really have to look at my collection & put some up for sale.  I have some beaded bags & they have gone through the roof.  Perhaps it's time to unload some.......?

It's Spring after all - spring cleaning & all that - I have my generic Zyrtec allergy pills by my bedside, so I won't forget to take it...& I did have some killer sinus headaches last week - a bit of homeopathic Tree solution & some Sudafed helps - & my freebie neti pot with the salt water to cleanse my nasal passages! I do it all....

How's the pollen by you?  I look it up on a free pollen forecast from the drug companies so I know how to dose myself.....I am my own allergist at this point...as I am my own doctor for many other minor ailments.  But it's better than having someone in my nasal passages with a scalpel! I stay away from doctors as much as I can. 

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I confess, I am a hopeless scavenger - it's very hard for me to leave perfectly good stuff in or by the trash! And this week, there have been some pickings:

• Sunday up in Calabasas, an upper class neighborhood where I work - Hubby & I found a set of 3 brown metal folding chairs out for the trash.  Now - these were slightly rusted & not for inside - but I keep on trying to furnish my apartment with OUTSIDE chairs - & these are good enough for that - & not so good that anybody will STEAL them! And if they do, they were FREE, so who cares?  Washed them off & fixing the broken plastic on the seats with duct tape....
• Also found some items out by the trash when I went to get the chairs from the garage - a Pier !-type box/side table, a corner rattan stand & a chrome garbage bin.  They are used, of course, - but not hopeless.  I think I am going to try to leave the box outside as a side table & the corner stand could either go outside for plants, or inside the apartment in the corner...& perhaps hubby will approve of the garbage bin.  (If not, we can always take them up to Venturat to sell at  the Boaters Swap Meet on 3/25.) Hmm,.what else can I sell???

My neighbors, heaven help them, are prone to leaving good stuff out by the trash bin.  Stuff that I would have dragged off to Out of the Closet, but as Armenians, they don't seem to have gotten into the swing of things there.  They actually were embarrassed the few times I have had yard sales here - as they don't get it that it's an old American custom & doesn't mean to advertise that we are as poor as some of the Mexican ladies who hold perpetual yard sales on corners around here! Just thrifty!

I have an old oil painting that I rescued from the trash when an old neighbor lady died - I just washed it off & touched it up & hung it in my bathroom.  And you know, similar ones go for $20+ at some thriftshops  - & it even has a nice frame.  Who cares what the steam from the showers & baths do to it!

Oh, & I found hubby wearing one of the free tshirts I got over the internet for him. 

Another idea - I have found internet freebies offers that you can share with your friends - & I am signing up my acting agent and other friends to get those.  The one I could even personalize with a Happy Birthday greeting to my agent! & voila! a GRATIS present.....

I also had sent off for a FREE 3-day Metro pass - which I am giving to my neighbor, who is quite poor.  Hope it can help a bit.  She is our charity.  We give at HOME.(But we did donate to the American Red Cross for the disaster in Japan.)

NOTE:  I do find all this radiation threat from Japan very worrisome - & find myself looking up radiation exposure charts on the internet to see if the news media is being frank with us.  Not that there is much one can do besides cover oneself up & wash yourself off when you come inside & stay inside.  (Thank heaven I avoid xray exposure.  The last thing one needs is extra radiation....)

We did not go to the boat last weekend due to tsunami warnings - as there was an advisory & who knew what could happen? I assuage my fears by always thinking of an escapt route to take if necessary - altho I think the Channel Islands do protect us somewhat....And when I get scared, I always stock up on more disaster supplies - water & so on....helped me in the Northridge quake.

I bet you Midwesterners fell better than we do out here in California.  Keep the faith.

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Went off to the dermatologist for my scalp issue & ugh, got "1st level care." - So he didn't know much more than ME.  I suppose I could have avoided going to the doctor all together - but I want to get RID of this crappy dry scalp!

Got stronger reading glasses - Always pick "generic" eyeglass frames - which are the most thrifty & which I like the best, anyway! (Don't want to pay a premium for a designer name...) So, my glasses will be $65 in the end - some of which is paid by my husband's insurance...

Stopped off at a local thrift shop I don't normally go to - (I was in S. Pasadena) - Found some black jeans & a white sweater on the dollar rack! And picked up some painted metal plant/candle holders with leaves on them to use as jewelry "trees."  I had been looking at them at Urban Outfitters and elsewhere  - but they were, of course, pricey there - Here I bought a set of 3 for $1.25 each.  Now I have draped my jewelry I wear artistically on the holders!

Also bought some small things for hubby for his coming birthday - as he is always with me, it's hard to shop for him....

Took a scenic route home through neighborhoods I don't usually visit & stopped off at the Atwater district shopping street & took my walk up & down looking at things. (Have to get myself MOVING.)

Ugh.  There were the new parking meters I had heard about - which only took $1 (coins?)/quarters or an ATM card.  I threw in one of the quarters I usually save for laundry, and with the 3 mins. left on the meter for 18 mins. in which to walk. Did find a new used book store that is actually BUYING books - and passed on the info to my friend who is looking to sell a library from a clergyman he knows.

Also picked up the brochure from a dance/exercise studio there.  They have "community" classes very inexpensively - That's a hint for you all.  Yoga/Ta Chi and similar places often offer cheaper "community" classes in a reflection of their one spiritual heritage....($5 instead of $15!) But very early....

Had an audition yesterday,  for which I had to drive all the way to Santa Monica - & then I got lost & had to use my emergency reading glasses & pull over to read the map.  It was one time I could've used GPS - but maps are much less EXPENSIVE & you can learn the terrain from them, too....There had been hassle about confirming the audition - but I got there very early & it was such a big call that it didn't make any difference! (It would be nice to make some $ from all that.)  I had to turn down a very little job for $ yesterday - because my agent had sent me on the S.M. call - but I tried to be very sorry all around.....It was no big deal - but even pin money...

I have clothes which I save for "good" and for auditions - & I take them off as soon as I get home & get into my t-shirts & jeans....makes everything last longer....That's a benefit of living in a modest neghborhood. 

On Thursday morning on my way to my doctor's in Pasadena, I was filled with gratitude - the mountains were lovely in the distance, and I drove through Los Feliz by Griffith Park and thought to myself what a nice part of Los Angeles I live in.  That's why I have stayed there all those years -

Right now amazon.com is offering a FREE Kindle download of an old household manual - THE AMERICAN FRUGAL HOUSEWIFE by Lydia Maria Francis Child -  It's one of those old-fashioned 19C? early 20th C Household guides.  I ran into an old volume like that when I was in high school, and it helped to get me started on my frugality program.   Lots of interesting old remedies and so on.  And some down-home old time American frugal philosophy, much of which still holds true today.

A Kindle would be nice, but did you know that you can download free books to a KINDLE program on your PC?  Freestufftimes.com has almost daily lists of FREE Kindle downloads - and the Gutenberg project has all kinds of interesting free books, as well.....I have been sneaking in peeks at my Kindle books while I am on the computer.

P.S. Because my scalp has been irritated, I used cranberry juice on my hair for red highlights and rinsed it with cold black tea.  That, and the usual hydrogen peroxide for my streaks - It all worked, too! Answering surveys online for free mascaras - They are giving that stuff away - I haven't BOUGHT one in ages.

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Sitting here warmed by a $6 electric heater hubby picked up at the thriftstore when I complained of the cold. We had good luck to find one in a cold snap here.

What have I received in the mail?

• Magazines, of course
• My daily subscription to the Wall St. Journal
• A bottle of Kiehl's lavendar lotion (for filling out forms for L'Oreal)
• A bottle of Frizzease which I won from Marie Claire

My el cheapo navy fedora arrived, too, which deserves some time here....I was surfing the net and looking for duplicates of the slippers I had found at the Thurs. (Tues.?) Morning store - and landed up at www.haband.com - You may know the name, as I believe it's them who advertises heavily in the Sun. ad supplements. Somehow I landed on the sale page & notices that they were selling men's "rain hats" for $3.99.  Now, by the look of it, this was the same sort of hat selling fashionably for $15+ - & the shipping was FREE, so I treated myself to a navy nylon fedora to add to my fedora wardrobe.....And sure 'nuf, it was EXACTLY the same model I have & have seen elsewhere - in navy nylon - but not a shiny kind.  In short - a GREAT stylish fedora for $3.99!!!

This validates a rule I have formulated over the years - If an item is in style & there is a generic equivalent - shop generic & save lots of $$.  That would be getting olive tshirts & camo pants at an Army-Navy Surplus Store.  My ex was big into that, & we shopped often.  I was surprised at the good deals I could get - even for me.  And he got boots & so on.

Lots of clothing is really uni-sex, as they used to say in the olde dayz....except that the placket for the buttons goes one way for men,  & another way for women (ditto the fly, I think). But who notices?  So if you find something in men's wear that you like & it fits you, why not?

The secret for both generic and men's wear is that the makers are not slaves to fashion, & produce the same basic items day in & day out - which makes the finished product cheaper than the fashionable ones! I looked at the ads that came with my hat - & perhaps someday I will venture to buy some jeans or something there....I do like plain generic clothing I can accessorize.

THOUGHTS ON HEALTHCARE

Making great progress with what ever was affecting my scalp - & by the time I see a dermatologist, It will be 3/4 cured! There was an interesting article in the latest FORBES magazine about Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business prof, who managed to have a heart attack, advanced -stage cancer & a stroke all within 3 years.  And he survived it ALL.

He was very pro-active in his own care, finding that diet affected his diabetes as well as his coumadin dosage - and he bought his own testing devices to take home & put them to good use - When he had a stroke, while waiting 3 weeks to see a speech therapist, he went out & bought himself Rosetta Stone's ENGLISH & began to re-teach himself language! (It can be done - my own father re-taught himself language after his cerebral episode, too)

One of the conclusions of the article were that much self-care would be emphasized in the future.  Now I just thought that self-care was a result of my crummy ins. plan - but it's all over now.

Altho how we are all going to train ourselves as diagnosticians is almost beyond me. (There is, however, a lot of info on the net nowadays....)

The moral is the same old one - don't get SICK if you want to be frugal! Invest in your own HEALTH!  End of life care is terribly expensive - so hope to just conk out as my grandmother did, without any real illness before her death...She dreaded "the old people's home" and so do I - One needs to see life and noisy kids and animals and all rather than being around sick people all the time!

I don't think I am doing too badly - my contemporaries are all grey or white-headed! and look years older than me.  I don't know about my innards - but I am doing the best I can there, too!

And knock on wood - no cancer or anything like that for me! (What was that prof doing to his body to have 3 such serious calls in such a short time? He doesn't seem to ask himself that - but he does seem to have been driven, which couldn't have helped.... )

That's Pam's rant for the day!  How are you all?

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Had to share this test of one's frugality - Look in your trash!

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=a821945f-b4ce-4159-9910-09b1708fe34a

Check out cheapism.com - I get it on my facebook page & there are lots of great links!

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Here are some more "steals" that didn't fit into the V Day post:

• Went scavenging & found a brass bucket (with a label that said someone had paid $20 for it at TJ Maxx) and a clean bunch of narrow ribbons that had been on a circlet of some sort. (Hubby poo-poohed it - but the bucket cleaned up very nicely, as I knew it would...)
• Do you know that Dollar Tree has both hardback & softback books for only $1?  I bought a couple for hubby for V Day. (Give them as gifts & no one will know...)
• Succumbed to a deal on Groupon via email & bought an L.A. Magazine subscription for only $5 (reg. discount price $10).  Couldn't resist.
• Made a pendant with an extra cocktail ring, a stray cufflink & a little leather bracelet - all knotted & hanging on the grey grosgrain ribbon I had picked up at the Dollar Tree.  They sometimes have good deals in good ribbon.
• Read that you can beef up your video or cell phone camera by using a 2X lens from a pr. of dollar store reading glasses (taping it on) & make close pix clearer.
• Just had to tell you that the $3 Dansko clogs I bought the other week at Goodwill would be $100+ if bought new.  It does help to recognize good brands!
• A note on gums:  They get inflamed & you get pockets & you have to get rid of them.  Either you do so by good home care (flossing, using tree oil tooth picks, dental rinse & brushing) so the gums shrink - or go to the periodentist to have them cut the gums. I have had both & prefer the home shrinking method myself!  Just postponed a referral to the periodentist due to my great improvement in my gums! (P.S. the state of your gums also varies according to the state of your health - I had been run down & now have build myself up - vitamins & all! = better gums.)
• Listening to my bargain CDs - the opera set I bought at Barnes & Noble & the Dollar Tree Farm Aid 2 CD set.  I used to be good at the dollar bin in the old record stores & now have transferred that talent to other bins. Bought  classical compilations for $1.99 at thriftshop when up in Sacramento over Xmas.
• Going to make a case out of the original box my new uke came in for the old uke. You cover the box with contact paper & contrive a handle.  The best is the plastic strip type that comes with other boxes to carry them.  Save them to re-use.  They come in handy.  Every instrument deserves a CASE!

How are you all doing on your bargain hunting??? Life is so short & we can enjoy it even on a shoestring!

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NOTE: I say "Frugal V Day" because it was just Valentine's Day - but really you can take this advice & use it for any sort of celebration -

We, like a lot of other folks, have been broker than usual - but that did not deter me from having a Valentine's Day celebration for hubby & me!

And do you believe it?  I got almost everything at the DOLLAR TREE!  On the Saturday before V Day most of the obvious V Day stuff was gone, which pushed me further into the innards of the Dollar Tree & you know, I think it helped me out!

I did get a small box of Spiderman chocolates w/a heart - basically because it said "You Are Awesome!" & I liked the sentiment.  Then I got a box of dark chocolate raisinettes & a box of Mrs. Fields cookie candy.  And a bottle of what looked like special root beer - because hubby likes it & doesn't drink alcohol.

I did find a kit for 2 cute door hangers with a V Day love theme - & some red gift bags, some red heart gift bags (2 4 $1) & some tissue paper (recyclable around our house).  Bags (& tissue)  are always good to have when you have multiple little gifts.  And of course, the bags can be used again, too.

I poked around in the bin of CDs & found FARM AID 15 - actually TWO cds with all the artists hubby likes! Great buy!

I also bought some household items - like Murine eye drops, vitamins, ear plugs plus some large pretzels I like - so I spent @$25 before tax - & 2/3 of it was for V Day.  Not bad.

Then, when I was in Big Lots looking around for some more bargain Atkins Diet shakes (I found them, too) I went through the bin of $3 movies and bought 2.  We have been fished out in terms of free movies on cable lately, and with the better On-Demand movies costing $5-6, I figured it would be OK to buy some, as it would be cheaper.  (And we can always pass them on to family & friends....)

It's amazing how many perfectly good films which have sunk in oblivion are in those bargain bins! I chose the ones I got by the quality of the cast, not a bad tactic - & Got 2 "Manly" movies that would appeal to hubby.  We watched one V Day evening & he enjoyed it very much. (I can dominate movie choices, & don't go for modern war flicks, but this older one I got was OK.) Still have to see the other one - a crime drama.

Hubby had been shopping at our local Smart & Final, which has good deals, & got the champagne on sale (&I think my chocolate hearts, as well....)  He also bought a large frozen lasagna.  And do you know, that lasagna is better than the one we get delivered, because it isn't as terribly SALTY as the one from the restaurant.  We are going to buy more of THOSE.

The night before we had watched the Grammys with come champagne & lingerie & on V Day we continued (all lingerie from thrift shops in perfect condition!) Hubby got his card (downloaded from the internet & colored in by me) & all the gifts on V Day evening - & oh, hubby brought me some flowers, too.  Quite a celebration! And much less than any dinner out where you have to appear fully dressed....

During the weekend, hubby had taken me shopping for a new uke - as I already needed to upgrade & after some shopping we found a nice one for $29 - less than the price online!  It does help to shop around on the net even if not buying there.  I have to admit that I would never have bought this model off the net - as it looked cheesy - but the sound was so nice, that I picked it over a $50 one! Strange how that works - That's why it's good to TRY instruments first IN PERSON before you buy - as quality varies from instrument to instrument & even the best mfgrs. have duds.

THAT was supposed to be = to my V Day Dinner - but we managed to dine by candlelight ANYWAY. And it STILL was less than dinner! 

See? It CAN be done.  There is so much out there, that you, too, can glean goodies.  Try it.

We have been together for 10 years now.  Not as much as some - but we keep the love light burning....

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Just linked up with Suzy's Sitcom, a craft site http://www.suzyssitcom.com/2010/12/feature-friday-faux-metal-wall-art.html

Here she has a tutorial for FAUX Cast iron from toilet paper tubes??? Daunting. (I would have looked for it in the decor section of Ross!)

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One of the biggest concepts I picked up from my freshman anthropology course is that in cultures there is always the ideal way of doing things versus what people usually do.  That is - think of a royal wedding versus your own!

i suppose in an ideal world I would get all my clothes from Macy's and Nordstroms - but the truth is that I get them from thrift shops! and it's the same stuff.  I picked up a lovely M.Fredric folkloric jacket - yellow with folk embroidery - with the tag still ON in my neighborhood Out of the Closet for $7! (M. Fredric is a higher brand retailer & the jacket would have cost @ $75-100 new.  I can't afford that but I can afford the $7 - even though my husband bitches.)

I realize that in my early days in Hollywood, I did a lot of DIY projects for my wardrobe - although at the time one had to be sneaky about it! I cobbled together jewelry, made myself a clutch from a straw placemat when I couldn't find a suitable one - decorated my own hats & of course, sewed & mended & dealt with stain removal.  (Dry cleaning   = $$$)

Now, of course, the diy strategies appear in fashion magazines like In Style...

Another example of real vs. ideal is my ukulele experience.  I had been intrigued by one & then hubby found one with a case for $20 in a 2ndhand store.  We strung it & then had to re-glue it when the old glue went.  Hubby even made a new bridge for it by hand from an old wooden clothes pin! He was certain that it would never really be playable & was just a toy - but I have proved him wrong.  I can now tune it up (using the online uke tuner) & I am teaching myself how to play with FREE materials downloaded from the net..

Now - in the real world, I would have bought a uke for at least $50-75 -plus case - Plus $15-20 in materials =  at least $100.  I spent $20 or rather hubby did.  Sure, it took some ingenuity.  That's how I got my $25 concertina - it needed fixing & I figured out how to do it.

There is SO much material now on the net about instruments & maintenance & repair.  Even patterns to BUILD them...and oodles of music. (Oh, & I made a nice flexible pick for the uke by cutting up a plastic card Victoria's Secret sent me!)

Funny thing is that  3/4 off ratio seems to be true for many of my purchases - and 75% off is a REAL savings, no? 

Hubby & I both came from very comfortable homes - but on my hubby's teacher's salary we can emulate the style we grew up in - with all of our BARGAINS! That really is my success.  To be able to have the things I want on my shoestring of a budget!   Luxuries CAN ber affordable if you finagle.

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One of the biggest concepts I picked up from my freshman anthropology course is that in cultures there is always the ideal way of doing things versus what people usually do.  That is - think of a royal wedding versus your own!

i suppose in an ideal world I would get all my clothes from Macy's and Nordstroms - but the truth is that I get them from thrift shops! and it's the same stuff.  I picked up a lovely M.Fredric folkloric jacket - yellow with folk embroidery - with the tag still ON in my neighborhood Out of the Closet for $7! (M. Fredric is a higher brand retailer & the jacket would have cost @ $75-100 new.  I can't afford that but I can afford the $7 - even though my husband bitches.)

I realize that in my early days in Hollywood, I did a lot of DIY projects for my wardrobe - although at the time one had to be sneaky about it! I cobbled together jewelry, made myself a clutch from a straw placemat when I couldn't find a suitable one - decorated my own hats & of course, sewed & mended & dealt with stain removal.  (Dry cleaning   = $$)

Now, of course, the diy strategies appear in fashion magazines like In Style...

Another example of real vs. ideal is my ukulele experience.  I had been intrigued by one & then hubby found one with a case for $20 in a 2ndhand store.  We strung it & then had to re-glue it when the old glue went.  Hubby even made a new bridge for it by hand from an old wooden clothes pin! He was certain that it would never really be playable & was just a toy - but I have proved him wrong.  I can now tune it up (using the online uke tuner) & I am teaching myself how to play with FREE materials downloaded from the net..

Now - in the real world, I would have bought a uke for at least $50-75 -plus case - Plus $15-20 in materials =  at least $100.  I spent $20 or rather hubby did.  Sure, it took some ingenuity.  (That's also how I got my $25 concertina - it needed fixing & I figured out how to do it.) I reminded hubby all through the process on the uke  that people used to make ukes out of cigar boxes - so I could make a usable instrument out of this old one by repairing it!  Note:  I see on the net that somebody in Canada sold a uke of my brand for $95???)

There is SO much material now on the net about instruments & maintenance & repair.  Even patterns to BUILD them...and oodles of music. (Oh, & I made a nice flexible pick for the uke by cutting up a plastic card Victoria's Secret sent me!)

Funny thing is that  3/4 off ratio seems to be true for many of my purchases - and 75% off is a REAL savings, no? 

Hubby & I both came from very comfortable homes - but on my hubby's teacher's salary we can emulate the style we grew up in - with all of our BARGAINS! That really is my success.  To be able to have the things I want on my shoestring of a budget!  " Luxuries" CAN be affordable -  if you finagle.

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Here in the West we are somewhat cold, but nothing like the feet of snow you are dealing with! And for that I am grateful!  However, it is chilly enough for folks to wear the watch caps I knitted this winter! I am going to make another one as a gift....

There was an article on blog her @ being a thrift store shopaholic & I can identify with that!  We have several thrift stores we go into on a regular basis & I usually can find great stuff - I was trying not to be a spendthrift this time so, I just bought a few things - & hubby found golf shirts (he wears them to work) on the DOLLAR RACK! I found a barrette for $.69 - cheaper than a dollar store....and at another thrift shop I found some craft supplies very cheap - metallic cord in red, silver & gold - and wooden beads. 

I like to fiddle around & make my own jewelry - & have already put an old pendant on the gold cord I got - very nice! (And I found a pair of vintage fake turquoise screwback earrings from the 50's for $1.99. Nowadays all the new earrings are for pierced ears - so I have to grab old ones when I see them.)

I have been trying to entice myself into walking - & hubby & I went on another mall walk on Sunday, as it was raining.  Everything was so EXPENSIVE - but I now have a little game I play with my husband where I find items of dress which I have recently picked up for a song & then I show him the price tag of what's in the mall store! Ka-Ching! (& I think it makes him more aware of how frugal I really am.....)

Oh, I found a nice pair of cloggy shoes (clogs with a back) for $2.99 at a Good will - & discovered that they are VERY comfortable! One can even walk in them & they were Danish & of fine leather, too.  I can't really wear boots due to the climate out here, as I get overheated - but I can wear substantial shoes to give my jeans the feel of wearing boots...& I have found a few lovely pairs lately - (I also rotate them on my feet, as I have a fallen metatarsal - that bone in the middle of your foot) & over the years I have found that wearing a different pair of shoes every day helps me keep my feet happy....It's one reason I have duplicates - because I can't wear just one pair all the time....

Went to Bart's used bookstore & picked up some books on our book credit - & hubby got some music.

Also - a friend was having an estate sale - & I picked up a few things there - One is a wonderful vintage dark wool cape with soutache all over it.  It was just so beautiful at $8 I couldn't resist - Also picked up a solid wood side table(for the living room by the door) for $8 - and some glass doorknobs (I had always wanted one) & a hula record so I can learn hula songs to play on my ukelele.

Mark hadn't wanted to go to the sale - but the woman who had just died had lived to be 96 - so I knew there would be some nice little vintage pieces there....There was also a nice mirror - but we didn't have enough cash for it (& I do have a mirror, altho I am not crazy about it).

I kept on reminding hubby that I could SELL everything for more than I PAID for it....I envision a great yard sale when I am really an old lady and selling my vintage jewelery collection off - Or sit there on eBay - It's nice to know it's all there...and in the meantime I can enjoy WEARING it all.. 

I can identify with the Blogher thriftshop shopaholic - we both have lovely clothes that we want to cook up some occasions to WEAR!!

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Yes, boys & girls - it's National Bubble Wrap Day -  this emblem of modern shipping was developed in 1960 in my old home state - N.J.!

I always recycle my bubble wrap - & it was interesting to read the uses people have put this stuff to - One funny one is as a burglar alarm by either putting near the door in a room - or on windows - both so the intruder(s) would make lots of popping when them came in! One kid said he/she used it to alert him/her to their parents coming in...It's also good for insulation - a point for all of you who are freezing this winter.  Put it on your windows to keep out the cold while still letting in some light....

They also recommended lining your fruit/vegetable bin in the frig with to prevent bruising of fruit (mine is never that ripe...) Any other funny uses for bubble wrap you know other than just popping them for the fun of it?

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Yes, boys & girls - it's National Bubble Wrap Day -  this emblem of modern shipping was developed in 1960 in my old home state - N.J.!

I always recycle my bubble wrap - & it was interesting to read the uses people have put this stuff to - One funny one is as a burglar alarm by either putting near the door in a room - or on windows - both so the intruder(s) would make lots of popping when them came in! One kid said he/she used it to alert him/her to their parents coming in...It's also good for insulation - a point for all of you who are freezing this winter.  Put it on your windows to keep out the cold while still letting in some light....

They also recommended lining your fruit/vegetable bin in the frig with to prevent bruising of fruit (mine is never that ripe...) Any other funny uses for bubble wrap you know other than just popping them for the fun of it?

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Altho I usually shop at thrift & bargain stores, it is fun to window shop & look at nice things & see how much they really COST.  Hubby & I went down to the 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica - he likes the street entertainers, so I can leave him outside when I go in some place & pursue the wares.  Also, Anthropologie has nice sofas & arm chairs to men to sit in, just like the old dept. stores.)

I love the goods in Anthropologie - but I think it's the FIRST time I have actually BOUGHT something! They have sale racks 'way in the back - which besides clothing also have the little things in the store like fancy hooks, pillows and so on.  And there I found a wonderful hanging letter "D" to put on our apartment door - 1/2 price! It was still $8 - but I have looked high & low for a nice house number - most are so icky - I was wearing one of my vintage straw fedoras & even got a compliment from the girl at checkout!

Saw some touches that were interesting - including just using glitter glue on the cables of a sweater shrug to embellish it.  Simple - but I would not have thought of it.  And I was pleased to see that shoes similar to the light colored leather oxfords I bought at the Animal thrift shop up in Ventura for $5  were going for $168 - on SALE! (Oh, those are nice shoes I got!)

I also broke down & bought a cuff watch at Urban Outfitters - another place where I have never bought a THING.  But it was a tortoiseshell cuff watch & absolutely GORGEOUS.  So I guess that's my V Day present in advance....The bags you get at the stores are so nice, that I intend to keep them for storage...

 Dropped in Barnes & Noble to look thru the craft books, I am on a hunt for inspiration - & skimmed Irma Domachek's (?) new book - PSST I made that - Loads of great & simple ideas that don't take a lot of skill to pull off - Also looked at some books with simple one skein patterns. 

The parking was only $1 in the parking structure - & we picked up Yoshinaya beef & chicken bowls to have at home.  (I love the food, but not the atmosphere there.)  We had also stopped in at McCabes Music Store to window shop the music & instruments.  Saw several things I have - but didn't pay retail for!  It reminded me of the cost of music - which is the reason I scour used bookstores for any music whenever I go in one.  I picked up a vintage clarinet tutor up in Grass Va. over Xmas.  It was printed in 1910 & I had no idea that it is still IN PRINT - & that the new editions cost @ $40 - whereas my atmospheric old one was about $10...still not CHEAP by my standards, but a savings nevertheless.

Oh, funny how things are - we stopped in a music store on the way to S.M. & I asked about prices for refurbishing a clarinet - & wondered if he had any pads, as I needed 2.  He quoted me $650 - twice as much as the other music store I go to - but he DID give me 2 FREE pads! (A set cost $20 - & I only needed 2 large ones.) Another example of getting stuff because you don't seem to NEED it!

Looking in the net for storage ideas, as I am planning to re-do my the back wall of my bedroom as a dressing room/closet.  So many options - but I will probably end up with contact paper covered cardboard boxes - especially since I want to put them up high & don't want to be conked on the head if there is an earthquake!

At the 3rd St. Promenade it was fun to look at the fedora hats - which ranged from $15 to $48 there.  As I said, I wore one of my vintage ones - don't remember where I got it - but not over $5 or so...I have always loved fedoras, so it's fun that they are back in style - & just when I have hair issues! So all the headbands & hats come out.... & I managed to dress well enough on that shopping trip to be treated well by clerks in the stores - a feat! Little do they know that the suede leather bag only cost $7 - or that my upscale leather wallet came the the Salvation Army in Pasadena!

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More bzz agent stuff - Go here to join Covergirl's 50th anniversary celebration -

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More bzz agent stuff - Go here to join Covergirl's 50th anniversary celebration -

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Hey - I have been a bzz agent for a few years - & participate in campaigns & get stuff to blog @ - Here's the latest deal:=, really cheap subscriptions to Cosmo & Marie Claire

<img src="http://img.bzzagent.com/image/cosmo.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=1693928954&Campaign=3058761820&Uid=48357&token=f26431ad926006a57897edf9314e7b27" alt=""/>

You might want to look into becoming a bzz agent, too.

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Finally couldn't stand my hair anymore, so I took my good scissors to it! Over the years I have developed a simple way to trimming my hair - I have a side part - & put my hair in a flat barrette in a low ponytail & then flip the ponytail up behind my head.  Then, standing in front of my bathroom mirror - with a wet paper towel over the sink to catch the hair bits, I can just cut straight across to trim the ponytail - which ends up trimming most of my head at the same time.  I have to then do some more trimming on the sides in the front - & generally clean up the cut - but it gives me a very simple cut slightly longer in the back than the front, and quite adequate & it didn't cost me $35, either.  (I still have that "thing " in my scalp & I couldn't stand to undergo the scrutiny of a hairdresser right now & the cheap cut I can pretty much do myself!)

Chanced upon an "esy" pattern for a ruffled scarf, which, if you used wider fabric, would copy the one I saw in the gift shop at LACMA! http://www.allfreesewing.com/Accessories-to-Sew/DIY-Beginners-Ruffled-Scarf

They also have a list of "Anthropologie" inspired diy pieces.  As I have said before, we artsy types love the store Anthropologie, but can't afford it - so we go there for sheer inspiration.

So many FREE patterns on the internet! I have been surfing, looking for a pattern for my next project - as making hats in L.A. when the weather is 80 degrees seems silly...Downloaded a few & have been going through my bargain stash to see what would work...My advice is to simply do a Google search of something like "Knifty Knitter + poncho" & the search engine will pop out a whole list of links for you.....I will keep you all posted on how the new projects come along..

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Finally found a graphic I could cover my "el cheapo" dollar store date book for 2011 - In past years I have splurged on more expensive ones on sale in January at places like Barnes & Noble -But altho last year's date book was lovely - it was so HEAVY, that I found myself taking it OUT of my purse  & not carrying it with me. What is the use of THAT? (Note:  Early January is a good time to look for deals in the year's calendars & in datebooks! They are all on SALE them.)

So - in another frugal move hubby & I went to the TARGET holiday FREE day at LACMA (L.A. Co. Museum of Art) on MLK Day. I wanted to see a costume exhibition they had there - & it WAS lovely & surprisingly informative.  I now know what "shot silk" is!

The museum is 3 or 4 times its original size & has lots of nice places to sit in the shade - as the various buildings are connected with outdoor corridors.  In the plaza there was a booth (I always go to booths!) It was for the FREE Jr. membership to LACMA - (The Arts for Nexgen) - & the postcard for it had a lovely graphic of the beginning months of the year.  It was, I realized, a perfect graphic to cover my dollar store datebook with - so I cut it nicely with the papercutter, glued the pieces on front & back with a gluestick - & then covered it all with clear contact paper. Lovely! What an example of artsy frugality.

I looked in the gift shop - In the olde days I would salivate over the goodies - but now I just window shop & think about achieving the same effects within my own budget.  It was interesting to look at all the scarves they had -  (I was wearing one of my own light weight creations.)  And of course, I always look intently at the jewelry.

Ironically enough,  I was wearing my new TARGET fedora  - which I had bought the day before with the Target gift card I had received for Xmas. As usual for me, I looked at the sale racks - & the hat was 1/2 off - the price I had paid for one at a thriftshop - & a nice light weight black tweedy pattern..   I like to play milliner - so for a trip to LACMA, I had added a purple ribbon with a bow as a hat band & added a few vintage flowers....That way, it went with my outfit....

The other thing I bought at Target was a spangled red nightie -  sexy, yet comfy - an interesting combination. And with the # or so left, we bought some yummy Lindt chocolate at the register & cashed out the remainder of the card - a $l.60 or so!

I had headed for the mall because I had received an email from Sephora's Insider group that with the email I could pick up a nice sample of mIneral  makeup/brush & concealer. I picked a darker color for shading, as I had stocked up on L'Oreal mineral makeup at - of all places - Big Lots before Xmas.  (That stuff costs @ $15 each!) I have had good luck in getting makeup deals at Big Lots over the years. (Also mallwalked!)

I looked at the only thing Sephora had for hyperhydrosis (sweating) - but @ $48 for towelettes, I will use my sage concoction & keep on hunting. (It was warm at the museum - so I was glad I had brought along my no-lint woven hand towels I had cut into quarters! I think I finally used the whole thing! I also cool myself off with some cologne I always have in my purse .And I wear clothes that won't wilt - & the hat covered my sweaty head & wet hair!

Whew! It just said on the radio that it's 80 degrees in downtown L.A.. I don't envy you guys with snow, but I have to admit it's hard to figure out what to wear when it's so warm in JANUARY!

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Somehow it's much easier for me to clean up if someone is with me - so, since hubby is home, I decided to tackle the pile of books and so on in the bedroom - & doing some much-needed dusting!

Made a pile of books for re-cycling to the used book store - & a pile for the thrift shop - & a pile "to read" & a pile of books to keep - (lots of them were on Zen...so my heart is in the right place, anyway...)

Organizing my yarn stash - put some into a large black shopping bag in the living room & some more in the top & bottom of a very large black paper box I was given after Xmas  (they are so good for storage). I put all my knitting needles in plastic bags from the morning paper (good shape), & tried to sort the yarn according to color... I like to use what's on hand, because, frankly, all those plastic storage boxes and so on are too costly for me! (I am collecting all the newspaper bags in tissue boxes to better organize them & have at least 2 boxes full of them.)

I have salivated at magazine & internet spreads about the "well-designed closet" - but who can afford THAT? (I did, however show it to hubby to give an idea of what SOME [people do DO...so he would understand my frugal efforts...)

Ha! We are so old school, we even do all of our own house cleaning!  I tidied also up the bathroom sink area & he then washed it for me. Used some celluloid "cup" shapes I had received with a present to organize all the little tubes of skin stuff, etc. (& recycled a tube top when the little top from my eye roller went flying....I like to collect a variety of tops, to use when the others eventually go missing...)

Looked up the silver plate hand mirror I had picked up in a thrift shop in Sacramento.  It was worn - but the flower design was nice & I could tell it was old due to the aged & beveled glass of the mirror.  There is a silver mark - but it's faint & I can't make it out - but it's certainly worth more than I paid for it! (under $5 or so - as I recall....)  Estimate it's pre-WWI - so about 100 years old.  I can only collect cheap & slightly flawed antiques - but even that is fun...& one must remember that a collection can be recycled for money, if the occasion calls for it!

Oh, and hubby & I  also took down our Xmas decorations yesterday & packed them away for next year - and hubby bundled them off to storage. Are you all cleaning out, too?

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Still on hiatus before hubby goes back to work - puttering around

• Mended leather watchband which is going around the buckle - where the prong of it goes in - put clear porous adhesive on back & front - colored in front with black permanent marker - I will eventually have to get another watchband - but as this one is only worn THERE - it will prolong its life quite a bit....
• Have to glue my fabric boots - the sole is coming off - Asking hubby to get some household cement - Boy, that stuff goes FAST.
• Thinking about how to cover the inexpensive pocket calendar I got at the dollar store...
• Rec'd  a nice big box & bag from a buddy - I like to have them for storage & he's recycling!
• Tried to recycle at hubby's brother's - but even tho he is an environmentalist, I wonder what happened to all that tissue paper....
• Almost time to put away Xmas decorations - I will include Xmas cards this year, as I found that they were good for putting on presents as name tags (I cut off the front page of the card for that -
• Got a lovely pair of  scissors from my Holiday thrift shop trips - which I can hang on a string around my neck & not LOSE!!
• Now's the time to think about organizing,,,,,

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