Pam's Pennypinching With STYLE

Let the Press do the Pressing

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:37:14 GMT

I had somehow gotten into my noggin that a pants press would be a nice thing to have - as Hubby's khakis come out of the wash impossible wrinkled, and he has a tendency to give me a bit of a hard time because I am not enthusiastic about dragging out the ironing board to iron them.

The new ones can be $200-300 - but I had seen some for just under $100 on EBay - but couldn't bring myself to spend that much. Well - hubby found one in a local Out of the Closet thriftstore (lots of men's stuff there - ) for $20 - so I told him to get it. We could return it in a week - but I am experimenting with it - and altho it's not really designed for it, I am learning to more or less iron the khakis with the press. (There is a knack to it.) I can set it up in the living room & press while watching the tube - which is MUCH better than ironing - & any minor wrinkling can be dealt with using my trusty wrinkly spray of 1/2 water & 1/2 fabric softener (Boy, does THAT save a lot of work!)

We have found lots of great appliances at thrift stores - but this presser and the little movable AC unit are both gems (& would have cost mucho anywhere else). Ditto our portable dishwasher for the apartment - they are more expensive than the regular ones! But at a thriftshop - affordable!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:37:13 GMT

Books 4 Book Reviews

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:36:22 GMT

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They send me booksfree & I review them - Just starting with this program.

Spring Clear Out

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:52:32 GMT

Spent Monday with my buddy Eldon clearing out the bedroom. Sortta spring cleaning a bit early. Earlier I had already started with a cabinet I had, clearing it of miscellaneous books - Some we gave to the thrift shop, some to keep, and some which I haven't read. So we moved on to another corner -

My buddy is unemployed - so besides helping me (My allergies curtail what I can do as far as dusting goes...) we paid him for his work - $ he certainly can use. Perhaps you have an unemployed friend or neighbor who would like to help you out, too. It really helps to clean up with a buddy!

Bling Giveaway

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:43:56 GMT

Have run into giveaways on the net - including giveawaydiva - which you should check out if you like to win stuff.

This giveaway came from www.freestufftimes.com - and is called "Blogging for Bling" and it is for Chunky Bling, a site that has lots of lovely crystal jewelry - The Swarovski rings are a great deal for $8-$10, and they also have cool jeweled watches for as little as $8 ! I entered their name contest for a beaded, crystal watch - and this blog is another entry - but you should check them out anyway - as it's all very reasonable. (And they do parties, too). Here are some links for you all:

Bling Giveaway

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:43:56 GMT

Have run into giveaways on the net - including giveawaydiva - which you should check out if you like to win stuff.

Better Living thru Craigslist

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:32:33 GMT

Sorry, folks, I have been busy & neglected you all -

I troll craigslistla - which is particularly good, I understand - in the show biz jobs and the gigs sections in L.A. - almost daily - and I have gotten a LOT of nice things/experiences/jobs from that free resource.

Yesterday I actually had a chance to work out with Jane Fonda herself in a W. Hollywood studio on her new exercise program for Boomers. She said she had had a hard time getting people to come - can you imagine? Guess that's why it was why it was on craigslist. We were taped (having signed releases, of course) and put through a very good workout - and then shared our feedback. There was also talk about getting copies of the program (our tapes? I don't know....) - and it could always lead to being in the final video.

It was great working with and seeing such an old pro work. She even squeezed in interviews with Entertainment Tonight and People Magazine while she was there...The whole atmosphere was that deceptively casual & upbeat professional tone you find on well run sets. In my experience, the higher up the ladder you go in show biz, the more calm and sane the stars seem to be.

And the day BEFORE, I went to downtown L.A. to meet Darryn Songbird of Songbird ocarinas - because he is looking for someone to represent his Songbird brand of ceramic ocarinas on YouTube,etc. playing the ocarina. I ended up being given his larger necklace ocarinas - with an octave an a half. This ceramic flute has a nice mellow sound through most of its range - (& a $20.00 value). So now, I am teaching myself to play the ocarina! I do like to learn new instruments.....

Trying to get free tix to a medieval opera downtown - they are sold out, but my connections are still working it!

Oh, and I really like the new aerate 08 bodifying creme mousse Redken sent me to try. Even without blowdrying, my hair came out very soft and without stray hairs all around....Very smooth.

Going in to see the folks at the Med3 trials on Saturday - (Another bennie from craigslist!) It is worth it to take a look.

Life Goes on Frugally

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:05:24 GMT

The lights went out last night during a big rain storm - & we put candles up everywhere - So atmospheric! and we even had enough to give to our neighborhood lady - who otherwise would have been in the dark! I will have to take more candlelit baths - a Valentine's Day idea!

Also noodled in the dark on my concertina. Hubby always noodles on his guitar - but I almost always play the concertina on the boat?

I seem to have lost a pair of my reading glasses - and am on the secondary ones. Boy, am I glad I have those.

I have woven 2 little mats on my square little loom which I found with the rest of my old yarn while we were moving into the new storage area. They make nice coasters, I think. If I can make a bigger loom (apparently you can make ones out of cardboard) I am thinking of making placemats. Whew! In the 30's they actually made HUNDREDS of these little woven wool squares & made suits and dresses and coats - even bathing suits out of them! I don't know how they made them so neat, tho. But the modular patterns do give you ideas.

Otherwise it's been a quiet week here in Lake Woebegon come Hollywood.. Rainy & chilly. I took several potted plants out to get some rain water & an airing. Oh - someone took the funky fruniture I put outside in the driveway area into the TRASH! Hubby found it & retrieved it all. At least it wasn't stolen. But everyone knows who put it out there - so why didn't they just come to me instead? I keep on trying to claim some outside space & you really can't put out stuff that is too nice or it will get stolen - or just disappear! Here I am in S. Calif. trying to eke out a space to sit outside! How ironic.

But all's well that ends well - see ya.

Daily Frugal Tips

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:06:45 GMT

Just some frugal things I have been doing:

Found some sunflowers in the trashcan in front of a local florists when we were walking - with some trimming, I made a nice Van-Gogh-esque flower arrangement. Cost nada. (Flowers can be recycled from arrangments at churchs and events, etc. With some pruning, you can make a perfectly nice small arrangement for your home.) Used a leaky beer stein I have and put a plastic bag in it filled with water so it doesn't leak.)
Eating an almond snack out of the tin the Calif. Almond Board sent me - It holds @ 160 calories worth of almonds. (Or a handful 23 almonds aprox.)
Using recycled mousepad w/ wrist support from hubby's office. There are often useful office materials you can find at your office which you can recycle. - Old office furniture, equipment, paper, and so on.
Trying to download a free bird mating call from eNature.com - they are offering free mating call animal ringtones for Valentine's Day.
My suggestion about a frugal V Day is going to be published at wisebread.com by the frugal duchess!
Received a sample of "dried plums" ( prunes) from Mariani - in a nice little package and perfect to take along for lunch or a snack. Nuts or dried or fresh fruit or a piece of cheese & some crackers make a nice little lunch or snack. Easy to grab and bring along. I save little brown (& other small) paper bags to bring such lunches in. Reycled plastic bags work, too - I always save the ones the newspaper comes in & bags for flyers, telephone books, etc.

It really is a GAME. And I enjoy, for example, the sunflowers a bit MORE because they were on their way out & I could rescue them!

A Freebie Night Out

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:56:43 GMT

Even though we see LOTS of movies on cable, hubby really likes to sit in the dark in a theatre. He has been longing to go to the movies, but at the prices they are charging, I just haven't seen anything worth the $20-30 for the two of us, if I can just wait to see it on cable.

But a buddy got us in to a screening of YOUNG QUEEN VICTORIA with free passes and we talked to a woman on the line who went to free screenings all the time. So I decided to find more screenings for me & hubby. I am watching the offers in the L.A. Weekly, our local free entertainment paper (that's how we got into see YOUNG VICTORIA) and being quick as a bunny to respond to online offers from sites such as www.gofobo, as the passes go very fast!

So I snagged 2 passes to see the new Mel Gibson movie, EDGE OF DARKNESS. The line went across the street and down the block, even though we were an hour early - & hubby almost wanted to go, but I was sort of enjoying being out on Hollywood Blvd at night in a relaxed crowd so we stayed & ended up getting in - with FREE popcorn and cokes, too! We had parked down the street at the Hollywood and Highland complex, and bought coffees to drink on the line to validate our parking, so the whole evening only cost $2 for the parking!! It was a total break from routine, and a real date night for hubby and me!

Everyone is tightening their belts - and I realize that with my freebie skills I am really getting value out of our modest income! We go to free concerts, movies - and hear music all the time. And since I shop at thrift stores & dollar stores, I can indulge in pieces for my wardrobe, so I feel well-dressed all the time, too.

Last night it was rainy & I wore my lovely lined bronze vinyl raincoat which I had found at a thriftshop in Solvang, a tourist area, last summer in the heat for ONE DOLLAR. That's right folks. And our umbrellas either are from the 99 Cent Store or were freebies from a travel conference.

Speaking of the 99 Cent Store - I went in and bought a couple of long trendy scarves and trouser socks - not to mention a few pairs of stylish underwear. With that & deals on lotions and even vitamins and car additives, we really save a LOT of money there. If there is an item which is a great deal, like my Citrucel, I try to buy in quantity - and it will last me several months, saving me at what used to be $10 a box, some $50-60. Going back for some Benefiber for hubby - we saw it on the way out.

Hubby used to hate those dollar stores - but since he has seen how much money we can save there, he has gotten on the dollar store wagon, too! Great deals on sauces, soy sauce, and salad dressings, too. The pickles and relish we got up at the Dollar Tree in Ventura were outstanding, not to mention the odd catsup brand.

I allow indulge myself with yarn from the 99 Cent stores - with that & my thrift shop yarn purchases, I can pursue my hobby at a price that is reasonable. And i have gorgeous scarves for every occasion! Last night I wore my tweedy copper-colored fuzzy scarf which goes perfectly with my bronze raincoat. And the shearling boots I bought a few years ago at a sporting goods store on sale (for my winter trip to NYC). I had sprayed them with waterproofing, so I didn't worry about wearing them in the wet - & they DID keep my feet nice and toasty.

I really don't make much money - I never have - so I feel that my freebies are contributions to our budget in as much as we have saved the $30 we would have spent in a movie theatre instead of a screening, for example - hubby always likes to get drinks & popcorn...And we could go out and enjoy ourselves instead of thinking about money.

I know that members of my family are getting grim over their belt-tightening - but I refuse to succumb to that - There is too much STUFF out there for the picking - IF you know where to LOOK. So, COURAGE my pennypinchers!

Mall walk & Budget Shopping

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:07:12 GMT

Hubby & I went on a mall walk yesterday (Sat.) - I had a coupon from Sephora for some Bare Minerals makeup (from an email from their membership program) - & another for a little pearl bracelet from a jewelry store - which was motivating. I am trying to walk more - so any motivation is great!

We also were given some tiny hand santiziers as a freebie by one store - it's nice & small to fit in my purse. The bracelet is really NICE - I couldn't believe it!

We walked about & went into the Barnes & Noble bookstore - where we both found $5 books on the bargain table - Mine is a hardcover Knitting from up down book, which I had heard about - reduced from $25 or so! I would never have bought this hardback - Those are the kind which I stand & read for inspiration in bookstores. Finally found a deal on one, and I have already started a new project on my circular needles. We'll see how that goes. (Hubby had our parking validated at the bookstore - so the trip cost nada. We had parked on the fancy paid side...)

Using my M3 skin care regime - nice! Hubby was remarking how much women spend on themselves for beauty projects because he was watching HSN and a Lancome presentation. (I had gotten some little Lancome eye shadow & lipstick at a thrift shop for $1 over Xmas.) That's why I join all the clubs - like membership at Sephora - and the ones for the fashion magazines, and answer the L'Oreal questionnaires! Not to mention the skin care trial. (I looked it up on the net & whew! each tube was $35 & the whitener $100 several hundred dollars of skin care in my little bag!)

Got some more pretty underwear, 2 scarves & some trouser socks at the 99 Cent Store. I am really frugally chic!

Hello Mr. Sunshine!

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:39:42 GMT

It's finally stopped raining! Read today about a woman who filled three rainbarrels during the downpour. We need cisterns in L.A. for rainwater - as they did in Biblical times! But I live in an apt. & can't do any of that.

So what have I been doing?

Filed my late taxes via efile - did I mention that? So EZ - Now I no longer dread doing them for 2009.
Part of a skin care trial & received $$ worth of skin care to use - It's over 2 months - & whew, what a savings that is! Had my before pix taken today - Alas, my growing double chin! Gotta work on that.
Saved a knitting project - by making the square into a poncho by cutting a hole for the neck! I then stiched around it to keep it from raveling. Had to do something as it was much larger than I had planned!
Got a coupon for free Bare Minerals from Sephora
In the mail received a coupon for a free pearl bracelet! The jewelry store at the mall must want us just to come in....
Found some more trendy underwear at the 99 Cent Store...
Also found Citrucel fiber - which I had seen for $10 - 99 cents - the other jelly equivalent for fiber was $13 for the generic! So I am stocking up! I have gotten 10 which $100 worth of product!?!
Also bought some trouser socks, which are about the same price as in Target, in a pkg of 3.
Mark rec'd his tix for the free L.A. Philharmonic concert - hope mine are coming soon.
Hubby had the prescription lenses of my bifocals (which I use only for knitting in front of the TV) put into a $12 pair of reading glass frames he had bought at the drug store. So for $30, I have an extra pair of glasses! Cool. So smart of hubby.
Signed up for free movie passes online.

Just thought I would clue you in on the ongoing saga!

How are you doing?

Frugal in the Rain

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:48:45 GMT

It is pouring - strange for S. California - Here rain gear seems silly until there is a deluge - Luckily I have my 99 Cent Store umbrella - & 2 large ones I got at a trade show a few years ago. And I am so proud of my raincoat - it's bronze vinyl - lined - & cost me $1 last summer at a thriftshop in Danish tourist spot, Solvang, CA - (I don't go into the shops, but there are two great thriftshops I always visit!) Then I wear my plastic shoes, so if they get wet, nothing will be damaged. Also have some rubber boots if it's really bad.I I am saying all this because S.Californians don't adapt well to the rain & cold. They continue to drive too fast & get into accidents - and wear thin clothes & shiver! I am living proof that that is NOT necessary!

After postponing the taxes - even after an extension, hubby got on me while he was home on MLK Day to do them. I tried efiling for the first time - & was amazed that it was so EASY. Did the taxes in about an hour - altho we had to pay for it - Still the $60 was MUCH less than the $200 we paid one year because hubby brought the taxes to a tax preparer! (We didn't get any refunds that year, either...whereas when I do my taxes myself, we DO....??) Did get a refund, but it just goes to back taxes...Now I will have no trepidation about doing this year's taxes. (Just hope I don't get audited or anything...)

There was a break in the rain on MLK Day, too - & hubby & I went out for a walk around the trendy Vermont area - & explored. I window shopped & picked up a pan pipe at Goodwill for $4 - a bargain! We then had coffee at the French bistro - very nice. Just getting together with your spouse & sitting down in a pleasant place & having tea & coffee & a bit of cake is such a civilized European habit we should think about adopting! My midwestern mother-in-law has that habit, and we joined her on our last visit - and then continued to mall walk - Mall walking is a great solution for bad weather walking (hot or cold - or wet)- altho I tend to buy something - however small - every time..Hubby says I am easily pleased - it may be so, but I had a lovely afternoon. It was like a DATE. (& a cheap one, at that).

We are getting CDs of movies up for awards because I am in the Screen Actor's Guild. And there are some screenings which let in SAG members - altho most only let the folks in the movie Academy in. That's a nice side benefit. Have to hone in on screenings in Hollywood - there are lots of free ones - If you check the L.A. Weekly entertainment paper - or the online screening sites - like campuscircle.com - It's especially nice when we can go at the ArcLight a short way away - the parking there is free, too.

Also called in for free tix for the L.A. Philharmonic's community concert in E. L.A. in February. As my buddy says, "Free is our favorite color!"

Speaking of free, I realize that I award myself for my daily hours at the computer with freebies - applied today to try to win some mascara from Borghese thru Luxuryspot.com - and I filled out more surveys for L'Oreal. I haven't been able to participate in trials of products for them yet - but I get free product for every 5 surveys I fill out! Last time I got eye cream which in the store is $20! I did then pick up some anti-wrinkle wands at the drugstore because it was buy one, get the next one 1/2 off - & At $14, I got $7 off!. Not bad.

I do mix my cheaper & more expensive products - with great success, I may add! When I stay at home, some wrinkle toner & frankly cheap Nivea cream is quite nice. Have to wear something with SPF when I go out....And I always add a dab of with hazel beneath my eyecream - but you knew that! (& Vaseline on the top eyelid - gee, a pot lasts for months....)

We are feasting on homemade chicken soup - throwing in various veggies - perfect for this weather! (This is due to the stainless steel stock pot, with lid, I made hubby buy for $7 at a thrift shop a month or so ago, saying it was perfect for soup - & it is!) I love vintage American cookware - it lasts forever!

And I am knitting another project - a vest? Out of my stash - I am going to have to get used to creative knitting to just knit from my stash of odds & ends...But I realize that that's the sort of knitting I like - SIMPLE with varied color & texture. A machine does a much better job of straight knitting than I can ever do....And now my buddy is bringing me thriftshop yarn HE finds to add to the mix...But 9 balls at the really low price of $2 a ball would still be almost $20 & 1/2 the price of my huge stash!)

Got the electric heater on - & closed off the living room from the rest of the apartment - We have a lovely pocket door to close off the hall, bathroom & bedroom...and dressing warmly day & night! It's even nice to feel a bit chilly - all that sunshine can get too much at times. And luckily we are NOT in either a mudslide or a flood area! Staying home warm & dry is very cozy - & I am glad that the week is SLOW....

How are you all in the SNOW?

Teeth etc.

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:14:11 GMT

Ugh - have a gum infection - which means another round of dental investigation, as I try to figure out the best way to proceed. Being a performer, this is vital! I am supplementing my antibiotics with LOTS of Vit. C & an herbal gum treatment - getting probiotics to protect the flora & fauna in the bod!

Is this going to be another "teeth & gum period"? I go through them periodically....Might be the time to get my implants & even consider veneers for my 40-yr-old dental work? I could then go whiter in color for my smile....

All of my Soc. Sec. $ is going to go for teeth for a while, alas...

We spend a lot of $ on meds & medical issues - so I try to save everywhere else. I have 2 pairs of eyeglasses with vintage frames I picked up for practically nothing - which saved a LOT on the the glasses - & was all covered by hubby's insurance.

Found a deal on 10 pairs of sunglasses for $10 + shipping at graveyardmall.com - and I ordered the bunch. I am always losing sunglasses, and somehow, I am down to one or 2 pairs at the moment & the pickings at the dollar store have been slim lately....But 10 prs should tide me over quite nicely! We will see.

Xmas was bountiful - but now we are back to pinching our pennies, per usual....How are you all? Holding on against inflation & all that stuff, I trust...(if you crunch the numbers, we all are a litle bit broker than before due to the change in our currency's value, oh, well....) At least hubby & I are very used to dealing with these issues with frugality - so no painful learning curve for US....

January & Back to Normal

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:27:18 GMT

Back to normal after spending the holidays with family visits & then a long wkend at the boat. Bless that boat.

Hubby made a new step for the boat by bolting & glueing a smaller thriftshop blue plastic step stool to what seems like a platform left over from step exercising (also thriftshop & also blue plastic). It's great & cost about $10 as opposed to $60 for one from West Marine! I love the fact that the colors match!
Picked up surplus plastic table, small bench from someone who was moving to put in our driveway space where we can sit. I like to use used stuff out there so that it all doesn't get stolen! I keep on putting chairs & little tables out there - but if they do disappear, if it was salvage, then it's not so painful.
Do you know people are uglifying their nice things so they won't be taken? I do the same with my used stuff. We have real scratches on the car(s).
Exchanged paperback books at Bart's in Ojai & received a $50.00 credit! (Also cleaned out a corner of the apt.) - Hubby was astounded & bought himself a book, and I got some music. What with our purchases, still have $20.00 credit left for next time! I get thriftshop paperbacks to begin with - so it keeps reading costs LOW.
Hubby found generic Zyrtec - which saved us some $ on allergy medicine - as the real kind is $$.
Starting to knit what I hope will be a squarish sleeveless top. Wish me luck.
Hubby also found more yarn for me at the thriftshop where he turned in the books that the used bookstore didn't want! (Got compliments on my tweedy scarves which I gave out.)
Remember that you can learn to do a LOT yourself. I myself have put down tile, painted, sewn, and knitted - And my latest self haircut looks very nice indeed!
We went to a very nice coffee house concert of one of our favorite Ventura musicians - Nathan McKuen - for the price of parking at the Staples Center - as hubby remarked!
Played mellow pop 70's music at local coffee house and the Deer Lodge in Ojai with our buddy George - and got free drinks!
Enjoyed the music of Arlene Kohl - another 70's revival singer/guitar player at the Farmer's Market in Channel Islands Harbor. Support your local talent! (We peruse the local "rags" to see who is playing where - a baroque concert at a church next wkend...)

Onward & upward for 2010!!

Whew! it's a new year!

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:01:49 GMT

Sorry, folks - I have neglected my blog due to the fact that this Xmas season seemed to be particularly busy - Hubby & I appeared as Santa & Mrs. Claus - & then we had to prepare for a last minute Xmas gig - paid! - and on to drive up to Bakersfield to see my brother & his family - and then turning around & driving up to visit my brother-in-law & mother-in-law up in Sacramento for New Years! Whew!

Luckily we had extra $ from the Santa gig + the music gig + the $ from my French commercial! And we rented a car (with an upgrade it turned into a van) to drive up to Sacramento to save our aging cars. Had an Entertainment Today discount - that helped, too. Not too much gas to get up there & back,either.

Gave everyone my handmade scarves - Still LOTS more - & I am contemplating what to do with them once everyone I know has gotten one...

My Spanish sister-in-law passed on one of her aborted knitting projects - with needles and some nice fuzzy yarn - and I took apart the scarf she had started, as the fuzzy yarn needed more yarn backing for my taste, and expanded it into a lovely tweedy GREEN shawl with all the greens (& touches of blue, etc.) that I had. Not to long to do - & very cozy. It's nice, because I didn't really have a green shawl in the repertoire...

Hubby left most of my luggage HOME on top of the bed we discovered in Sacramento - so I had to go shopping in the thrift shops of Sacramento - Various thrift shops do have different character - lots of biz clothes there - but I did score a few tops, some brand new boat shoes (!), and some jeans, + a pair of jeweled plastic J. Crew ballerina flats for New Years Eve. I pulled together an outfit from my thrift shop finds plus a grey Michael Kors sweater I have and wore the amethyst necklace I had gotten for Xmas - and was quite well-dressed for a home New Years Eve...(Still wish hubby would understand the difference between thrift shop prices & real ones, though....For the price of one $30 GAP tee I acquired a whole outfit of very good quality!)

Curiously,I found that the suburban thrift shops of both Bakersfield & Sacramento are pricier than I am used to - not that the prices are anywhere near retail! BOOKS were more expensive, I found - at $1.00 and $1.49 for paperbacks....but I recycle those, anyway - for exchange...)

We had put up little trees and it was easy to take them all down again! Although I miss the decorations - they will be fresh next year. That's a bargain tip - get nice bargain decorations that you can recycle year after year!

Now we have to adjust to the post-holiday exercise & diet season! The ads are everywhere. I didn't really indulge over the holidays - but everyone needs to watch their weight - so I am, too! Thought about joining Curves - but there is a $100+ membership fee - which makes it more than Bally's??

Whew and whew again! Happy New Year everyone!!

What's up Santa?

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:34:31 GMT

Have been working as an entertainer for Xmas - so haven't been blogging. Hubby & I worked as Santa & Mrs. Claus at Channel Islands Harbor - (He got a suit, I had to put together my outfit) - It was drizzly & chilly - but the kids were adorable & hubby is a great Santa.

Last night my group The Pickwicks was revived for a holiday party down near the airport. Hubby, Eldon Turner & I played and sang and rang bells & jingle bells & a good time was had by all. In the last minute we had to "fluff" our equipment set up, but luckily there was a 99 Cent Store in the neighborhood which saved the day. Besides the ribbon and so on - I actually found a pewter VERA scarf (must be 20+ years old) which was real SILK for 99 cents. One never knows what one will find.

I wore my $12 wonder dress (acquired from Graveyardmall.com a few months ago - there were so cheap - I bought a black AND a red one). I twisted the top to give me a V neck & added a black jacket I had had for years & the tights that I had gotten 2 for 1 at the drug store for being Mrs. Claus (one blue pair and one black) - and the brocade mules I had gotten at a thrift store. Oh - also the earrings from the thrift store in Ojai - and bracelets from the old ladies' thriftshop in Camarillo - & a combination of a ruffly scarf from the 99 Cent Store & a gold sequined one from another thriftshop. One's wardrobe does come in handy at times like this.

Have started to give out the holiday scarves - and fashion photographer Peter Brown wore his to his photo shoot for designer Cynthia Vincent & got compliments from Cynthia and another fashionista! And another friend I gave a scarf to loved the orange in the knit - which went with his orange emergency jacket - and declared that it was great that the garter stitching knit made the scarf grip at the neck and not slip - an advantage I hadn't noticed before. And another lady admired the pink one I wore as Mrs. Claus & said it was a nice length & width (i.e. - long and slightly skinny). It's a flattering shape for me....

Using the gift bags we receive from Maker's Mark (they have been sending us stuff for years....) - but I am putting old greeting cards on them to somewhat disguise the whiskey bottle pattern! We also got Maker's Mark tissue - and I still have some wrapping paper left over from last Xmas.

Found some little ornaments at the old ladies' thrift shop for $.25 each - nice wooden ones - which I added to our little tree which we put up in what Mark calls an "altar" area near the desk. I also bought 2 bunches of Xmas foliage from the Dollar Tree - which I cut up with wire cutters - and secured the tree into a Santa cocoa tin from last season - with gilded pine cones & such. I glammed up the straw wreath for the door with blonde fake poinsettias from another Dollar Tree bunch - and added a gold bow and a red ribbon to tie it to the door. Looks great - for a $2 outlay....

But really, I have not bought a lot this year - just recycled decorations from years past - which is a nice thing to do anyway...And the angels - and other figurines and such - were bargains of years past.

Mark found me a lovely bouquet of roses and lilies at the supermarket on Sunday night for a pittance - and I mixed them up with another bouquet we had picked up at the Farmer's Market - My buddy told me that if I take the pollen tips from the lilies very carefully, they will last longer. I never knew that. I am pruning the roses, as the outside petals get dried up - but it's been almost a week now - and I still have my flowers!

Mark has put on the recording of us at the party - It's so nice to enjoy making music and make some $ with it, too! We can do this forever! Looks like we are reviving our musical partnership with our buddy Eldon - for fun & profit. We hooked up with a very nice lady with an entertainment company who books all sorts of little events and parties - She stopped by & was impressed & more work will be coming from there. And we are so versatile - we have done Xmas music - & 70's pop & standards & children's music & Renaissance music & classical & church music....You ask for it - other than hip hop - we got it..

Now that's an example of how to make $ from your hobby - if you want to call our music making a hobby. It does help to defray the expenses of instruments and so on...And it's such fun!

How are your holidays going? Hope everything is very festive!

Almost Xmas

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:26:35 GMT

Hooray! the trim/cut I did myself to my hair yesterday worked out fine! My hair was so long I just couldn't stand it anymore, and I haven't been able to get to a hairdresser - & I was reading about hair cut "sales in L.A. of cuts being reduced from $265 to something like $165 !!so I took out my new sharp shears and did my old DIY cutting tricks. (1) make sure your hair is really LONG, so there is margin for error (2) I cut off the back by gathering my dry hair up in a flat barrette, and then holding it up in front of a mirror, and cutting straight across (this may take a few tries) (3) I then straighten out the ends dry and (4) I trim around my face by twisting the hair in wisps and cutting little bits to soften the edges. (This is supposed to work for bangs, too.) (5) Then I check when hair is clean and wet for any last minute cleaning up.

I also renewed my streaking by applying plain household hydrogen peroxide to the new growth area at the top and front of my head several times - until the blonding more or less matched the rest of the old hair which had been streaked. I just put it on and then let dry. The front is fine now, but I will have to do more in the back crown later. Now I will shampoo with colored shampoo - 1/2 blonde & 1/2 red (ditto for 1/2 & 1/2 colored conditioner) letting the shampoo stay on for !5+ minutes....

I have a very simple cut with a side part - so it's not too hard. Although, of course, a professional would have given me layers - that's for my next real hair cut!

As an actress I try to keep my hairstyle more or less the same -otherwise I would have to get new professional pics taken all the time! And I like to use mine UP - not throw out the old ones! I don't know why in show biz it is considered to be good practice to throw $ at problems, rather than keep overhead low, as in any other business! And what's more - if you maintain more or less the same flattering hairstyle, as did, for example, old movie actress Claudette Colbert - you will gain an ageless quality all we females need. It's all about trying to develop your own professional style.

Went to Santa Monica for an audition and stayed and windowshopped on the 3rd St. Promenade - bought myself a bargain cocktail ring for $5 - with a big black "stone" - I then customized it by painting the raised pattern around the stone with a blackish sparkly nail polish - and got an effect of marcasite, which really made a difference to the ring. I had looked at similar ones for $30 - but the cocktail ring trend will probably be fleeting - so this one will do fine. (Note: colored metallic nail polish is great for repairing/resurfacing/enhancing the finish of inexpensive costume jewelry. You can use auto touchup paint, too.)

Most of my Xmas shopping/making is DONE - so I mostly can avoid the crush during the season - it was nice to walk in the middle of a weekday along the Promenade - for exercise in the brish weather - and avoid the crowds....

Happy holiday time to you all!

Goodwill Blk Friday

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:51:45 GMT

Hubby & I drove up to the boat after Thanksgiving - no traffic! and went to the new & old Goodwills on our way. Hubby scored in the new one - & got 2 sets of sheets -& car seats for the Thunderbird - (we saved $40 there over new & the items were still in their packaging!) Hubby also bought some pairs of pants for himself & found a pair of cargo pants for me on the dollar rack. I just found jewelry - a bracelet & what I think is an amber necklace - (it was $.50 or something - so who cares?)

At the next Goodwill, I did find some clothes - a tshirt, some paperbacks, 2 mohair sweaters to take apart for yarn - some yarn and thread for my craft knitting -

Other thrift shops! We also stopped into 2 thrift shops on our way to Ojai on Saturday to hear hubby's buddy play at a coffeehouse that has a nice patio - I found a pink fleece hoodie for $2.99 and also a nice tote bag in an interesting golden green patent -

But we really SCORED at what we call the animal thrift shop!! Someone had brought in a batch of yarn of all sorts & hubby offered $10 for the lot & they were glad not to have to mark it! Whew! a whole BIG bag!! I also found a fashion ring for $1.99 - (I had bought bargain yarn at the Oriental bargain store, too @ $1 each - but the colors were limited... & I had found some ecru embroidery floss up around the 2nd Goodwill for $.20 a skein - so I will experiment with that, too.)

The only problem now is to find a way to STORE it at home. I like to have it OUT to check for color combinations, so that complicates matters! But for about $22 or so - I got a LOT of yarn - which should keep me busy.

So - here is a tip - CHECK your local thriftshops for YARN if you want to keep your material costs WAY DOWN.

P.S. Hubby had several slightly used tires put on the Mercury & with that & an oil change/fluid check - it only came to $85!! I have had good experiences with getting gently used tires from our mechanic's place! They will last as long as the car, hubby predicts! (& NEW ones would have cost a LOT more!)

We are actually a bit ahead for once. What a change! Still waiting for the check for the French commercial I did - and we are going to make $ playing Santa & Mrs. Claus at Channel Islands Harbor 12/12 - Want to pay off the back bills & then bank some $ - for emergencies & travel? Onward & upward - even in the holiday season!

P.P.S. Almost forgot to tell you about the nice RING I got at the church thriftshop in Ojai! - It's got a hall mark - & I can't figure out whether it's silver or stainless steel - but it fits nicely over my wedding ring for exra pizazz - at $1 I could hardly go very WRONG!

Turkey Day

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:36:36 GMT

Spending a quiet day at home because I almost lost my voice yesterday & felt crummy - recovering & to the boat on Friday.

Do you know that you can download FREE Xmas & other music @ amazon.com? - Go to free downloads & click on name of artist to get entire albums rather than single songs. Listening to an early music album right now.

Going to wear my $10 Target sale dress (I had a $10 off Target coupon, so $20- $10 $10) again for Thanksgiving dinner + thrift shop leopard ballet flats & sale leggings. Total $25?? Hubby got compliments at work last week on how sharp he looked & everything he had on had come from a thrift shop! We do get better quality that way. Hubby's wardrobe has never been as nice.

We have a lot to be thankful for! Thanks to all those folks who get such nice things into the thrift shops we frequent! And let's remember the charities which benefit from our thrift shop purchases!

Recovering

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:51:04 GMT

Got over what I think was the flu & then caught what seems to be a cold. Bummer. Taking my Chinese Jade screen pills with astralagus - good for the immune system...Plus the ginseng I usually take and LOTS of vitamin C. My body is just eating it up. (You will see it in bright yellow urine if it's not, forgive me for being indelicate...)

Stopped at out favorite Sta. Paula Goodwill - in addition to ANOTHER new Goodwill in Moorpark & found things on the dollar rack - including a nice salmon colored golf shirt for hubby. I have some pants hubby urged me to buy - which I haven't tried on yet - but they were on the dollar rack, too. I also got some lovely Clark slipons in a blood red leather for $3 - and in Sta. Paula I found gold flats and some nice golden leather loafers. (They had damage at the heel - so I glued down the leather rip and then colored the worn areas on the heels with colored eyeshadow of the right golden color. Worked fine.) Also picked up lots of $.50 paperback mysteries in Sta. Paula.

Hubby is pleased with our $500 Thunderbird - which seems to be running fine. Maybe we lucked out. I am sure we could now sell it for more than we paid for it & invested in it to clean it up. The old truck is being recycled/sold to a friend who needs transport and only drives locally up in Ojai.

Found a great bargain site - www.dollarextreme.com - where they have gadgets for under $2 with free shipping. Great for gifts. They even sell some jewelry - so I spent some of my PayPal $ on a ring for under $3 - we will see how it works out. Had my Pinecone research $ transferred to my PayPal account - They said so many checks were being STOLEN that they couldn't take responsibility for them, so this is the better way, and very FAST. I got my $3 for the survey within days in my PayPal account - which is linked to a PayPal Mastercard, which makes it very easy to pay for things on the net....I also have my little Associated Content royalties paid into my PayPal account - It's all pin money for me. (The dollarextreme referral came from www.wisebread.com - which is a great source for frugal inspiration.)

Hubby found a whole chicken for $3 which we cooked all day in the big new vintage stainless steel pot I found last weekend. Added rosemary - yummy. Lots of soup left to eat. Oh, also picked up a slew of spoons at Sta. Paula - because I am so tired of us running out of them between dishwashings! They are mismatched stainless steel - but who cares? I don't think anything but my dress silverware has ever really matched! As long as it sort of coordinates. Same with my dishes.

Oh - yesterday I also download CC cleaner - a FREE registry cleaner - as I am trying to clean up my relatively old computer to make it run faster. Also defragmented the hard drive and got rid of old cookies and my web history. It is a bit faster now.

So that's the update. I am still under the weather and watching movies etc. on TV. Not even knitting - altho my buddy Eldon has found a lot more yarn for me, which I am looking forward to! But the rest was probably good for my wrists, which were a bit overworked. Also made 2 rings out of black rubber Halloween rings I got for practically nothing at a yard sale - and shaved off the top and then inserted a single pierced earring I had - and taped the back shut with black tape. So now I have 2 black pinkie rings - one with a amethyst stone - the other a red stone. The amethyst one is particularly nice. A nice use for orphan pierced earrings! Especially when fashion rings cost $7 to $10 for plastic ones at the stores.

Oh, I did pick up a nice large brass fashion ring at the Farmer's Mkt. for $5 - and I saw in Ojai that the rayon shawl I had picked up for a dollar or 2 actually cost $16 retail! That's why I have my bargain scarf and shawl collection! Wore several of the checked ones I had gotten at the dollar store last weekend to coordinate my outfits. Also found a $4 grey/blue fleece jacket with a zip down the front in Sta. Paula - which is perfect for the boat. It was chilly up there last weekend. But we do love to get away...

Signing off - We picked up cranberry jelly and stuffing mix at the Dollar Tree for when we cook our turkey - but we may just go to a restaurant this year....

It is beginning to be the holiday season - no? But no Black Friday here! And you?

A Nite Out

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:55:15 GMT

Had a sortta business networking cocktail party last night & went out with hubby. It was fun to go to a place we hadn't been to before - very classy - & we parked around the corner on a surface street rather than valet park (the car probably ended up in the same place, anyway - as valets usually just park in the neighborhood!)

It has been fun dressing up & dolling up - just to show hubby & myself that I still know how to DO it. Resurrected a batik jacket of mine, added the new jeans I had bought last season for practically nothing - added my silver jewelry, and a light yellow sweater tunic underneath, and wore my "new" thriftshop leather shoes - A nice ensemble if I do say so myself - my uniform a nice jacket/jeans (or nice slacks) + a top + a scarf + my good jewelry. Works almost every time.

Used the new mascara that I had somehow gotten in the mail from L'Oreal along with a full size eye cream! My oh my, these new mascaras DO lengthen & don't clump! I have to say, I was impressed with this Telescopic Explosion mascara - it DID noticeably lengthen. (This is one of the freebie mascaras I have snagged recently - I also have Cover Girl & even a small Chanel...) The cosmetic cos. seem to be giving away LOTS of great samples! I also have a full-size Olay 2X moisturizer, and some Clearasil sensitive face wash....not to mention the little packets that arrive...

I also have a TON of magazines! I have never had so many in my LIFE & they are all FREEBIES, too!

Back to our evening. It is nice to get dressed up and go out - and all things considered the evening wasn't TOO expensive. I stuck to light beer - but $7 each? (Hubby remarked that you could buy a 6-pack for that!) But all the other drinks were worse - But I wasn't there to drink....

I spend a lot of my time nowadays in my old comfy jeans & tshirts or sweatshirts here at the 'puter...So It's nice to remind myself & hubby that I still clean up nicely! And a change from the routine...Mix it all up occasionally, I say! Even that can be done more or less on a budget!

One More Postwkend Update

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:42:42 GMT

Hubby & I had recovered enuf from the flu to spend a night at the boat on Sat. night. Yeah! Still gargling with hot salt H2o & tking a LOT of Vit. C....Gotta totally lick this thing...

We stopped off at what I call the "old ladies thrift shop" in Camarillo - that supports a senior meal program - & has senior donors. No yarn - which is what I was looking for - but found a brand new white cotton spa robe in a big size which fit Hubby, I always grab those, & he does need a new one. And I also found a large vintage Revereware stainless steel stew pot with lid for $4.50! We are making lots of soupy things now that it's cooler - & this pot is perfect. Using it to make turkey soup right now. (Add cider vinegar + salt to bones/carcass to start off a nice frugal & yummy stock...& cook & cook & cook....) And I snagged a whole bunch of $.50 classic murder mysteries, my secret failing...There was one Chico's ensemble that tempted me, but I was trying to stay with the budget. Now I am still thinking about it! But I did get a Liz Claiborne hot pink cotton top & a light yellow sweater tunic, both $1 each + a pr. of vintage earrings with mother of pearl chunks for $2....We also stopped into the Dollar Tree & I got hubby some of his non-Alcohol cough medicine (he's been coughing, me not) - and various sorts of glue to fix everything, and throat drops & 10 relaxation CDs they have as extra Xmas gifties (Very nice music & I had to grab them, as they tend to go fast). Some folks will get CD + scarf....

Proud of myself that I embellished a "jelly" ring (of the same material as all those bracelets) with a little orphan single blue gem stud that I had been given. I poked a hole through the material, & bent the prong to hold it to the ring & it's fairly sturdy. Now that I look at the stone closely, I think it could be a tiny opal (I had thought it was a turquoise)...If I could figure out how to get more rings like that, perhaps I could do the same for my other studs which I received at the same time...I like the contrast between the gem stone & the "rubber" of the ring...

Also want to glue the art glass stone back to the ring blank. I have another one - & perhaps I can manage to glue another art glass piece I have to another ring...It's feeding my ring mania - as I have taken up the style of wearing multiple rings...& you have to have larger sizes or adjustable sizes to wear on fingers other than the ring fingers...Bought one for $3 next door to the thrift shop - wonder if I paid too much! They had the rings I had gotten at the Oriental bargain store in Sta. Paula for $7 & mine were only $.99....It's ok if they are base metal, because I won't wear them all the time, unlike my other rings - which have to be sterling or stainless steel...

Speaking of vintage - much to our surprise, our "$500" car is turning out very WELL. Hubby worked on the exterior & detailed the interior & touched up the paint job and so on & I can't believe the results! Runs pretty well, too - rough at the beginning, but I don't think it had been driven in a while & there was gunk in the works, which seems to have burned out...It's an 80's Tbird with some sportscar still in it (do they still make Tbirds?) & it turns out that there is a reverse "cachet" in having an almost vintage Tbird (another 10 years & it will really be a classic!) Hubby loves the car, as it has a big engine & it reminds him of his sportscar bachelor days. Good. I like to see him happy. And me? I am simply astounded that the thing cleaned up that well (it was grodie when we got it.) And it's a nice looking car. Whew, they made them sturdy then - real steel..Makes you realize the changes we have gone through since the 80's - That was the tail end of true American craftsmanship, I think....(which makes me think back to the stainless steel soup pot - probably from the 50's or 60's & made to LAST.)

What we have seen - If I get cooked by solar radiation in 2012, I will have lived a full life (although I would prefer that the calendar just coils back on itself & any changes are on a spiritual plane!)

How are you guys? It's always nice when you check in.

Tking Care of Health Biz, etc.

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:23:40 GMT

Hubby & I are slightly ailing - so we are taking all of our resistance nostrums - that is, Wellness vitamins(using the leftover drops I got once by accident) - lots of Vit. C - and ginseng, astralagus and so on. I even took some the Chinese Gan Mao Ling remedy (which is for colds that begin in the throat - it's so inexpensive - but strong, so I save it against the time I need it) and Echinechea and Goldenseal! And I am also gargling with hot salt water for my scratchy throat. And we are resting a lot. Especially in the flu season we need to take care - Although at 50+ I think I have had all the flu bugs going around - We have them every winter! So at least we have probably developed immunity....

There are so many mechanical ways to deal with flu symptoms, too - you can clear your lungs with a tea made up of Chinese Five Spice seasoning from the grocery store plus thyme - serve hot with honey (honey also has antiseptic qualities). That will serve to break up the mucous in your lungs and help you to expel it. You can also inhale steam - I have a facial steamer I picked up at a yard sale for that - but you can also just breathe in the steam from a mug of hot tea - or put your head under a towel over a steaming wash basin of water, and inhale the steam. It's sort of a diy nebulizer. Allergy sufferers will know what I mean.

Keep on taking your vitamins - the B's and all - and eat regularly and well and sleep enough - all to keep the system up and running in a healthy way.

Knitting away - mixing the cheap dollar store yard with my thriftshop wools and so on. Thinking about getting a Knifty Knitter for hats - Have any of you used one? And what size? I don't need the set of 3 - because I rarely knit for babies! But my baby "blanket" is done - I do hpe everyone likes the scarves they are going to get!

All for now - going for a nap....See ya...

/+-+

Wkend Shopping

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:25:23 GMT

Turns out I rarely do any shopping except on the weekends with hubby - so it does look as if I am going a bit mad buying stuff - but I suppose when you balance that out with not spending ANY money during the week (not even for Starbucks or fast food drinks!) that it all evens out.

We stopped off in at a NEW Goodwill on the way to the boat - and I landed a nice tweedy cotton sweater - perfect for fall in So. Cal for 99 Cents - and a fab wool vest with fox-like fur trim for $3.99 I think and a basket and some crewel yarn and a few books - for about $10! The Dollar Tree had more of the long scarves in black and white, which I got and spot remover -

In Sta. Paula I remembered that what I call the Oriental Bargain Store has bargain yarn - and I bought $20 worth (at $1 a skein) - Utilitarian - but nice and the price was RIGHT. My buddy has asked me to make a baby blanket as a gift for a couple we know - so I was glad to get more acrylic yarn in the right colors for that project. Also picked up some lavender yarn at the 99 Cent Store - along with MORE scarves! And I got more books at the Sta. Paula Goodwill - I just looked at the categories I needed and nowhere else not to be tempted! - so I was very good.

Found a lovely vintage wool sweater at the new Goodwill for $1 - which was too SMALL for me - but I will mend it and put it in the winter things to sell to the vintage store. Should be able to make $ on it.....

And of course, eventually the books can be recycled at Bart's Books in Ojai....So it's OK if I spent $1 for some....

Bought a thrifty book at Goodwill to give myself inspiration. That's how I initially honed my pennypinching skills - having first learned some basics from my mother - I then really made a study of pennypinching literature! My favorite book was HOW TO LIVE ON NOTHING - which seemed to have been written in the 40's in a sort of "back to the country" movement - I like the older books because they offer intriguing tips about older ways to save/conserve/repair and so on....Maybe someday I will finally write my own.

I do have better tips on wardrobe than the Yankee thrift book I read through -because I suppose Yankees are not much on style and more on utility! But here in L.A. - one has to be a bargain fashionista to keep up - even with my low profile lifestyle! That's where all the scarves come in...

Oh, I also picked up a burgundy L'Oreal lip gloss at the 99 Cent Store - great on top of my regular lipstick fro Wet N' Wild.

In the mail received some facial wash from Clearasil - which Glamour has asked me to try as part of a beauty panel trial - I am getting products all the time from my panel memberships. If you remember, I received Olay's 2X moisturizer last week and some pricey shampoo, too.

Brought some business magazines to my writing client - and asked him for a scalpel - since he works for some surgeons and has them around - Thought it would be good for tearing apart some sewing projects I have to do.

Also my buddy showed up Friday to help me go through my closets - We actually made some PROGRESS and have a box to recycle - and he took away a bag to give to the Out of the Closet thriftshop around the corner....

So, so far, so good - after registering our bargain Tbird we are broke agin - but my Social Security check is supposed to hit the bank on Wednesday -we will see how prompt they are!

More later - How are you all coping? Hmmm?

P.S. A note on mending jeans. Even though we think of jeans as BLUE, there is often a lot of GREY in that blue, especially when they are worn. When they stretch or have to be mended - the underlying white cotton shows up and highlights the mend - I have found that using GREY washable marker (or even eye shadow) tones down the underlying white to blend in with the rest of the worn denim - and it gradually fades irregularly to blend in even more - masking the mending - You always want your mending to fade into the background as much as possible!