Monday's Fun Finds....

I so enjoy reading blogs of friends and customers that have a day to share their newest treasure found while hunting in their favorite thrift and antique stores. I am always able to feel their excitement for the simple pleasures in life. I cannot tell you how many times I come home wanting to share something found that fills a need, makes me laugh, or makes our home a bit more cozy. I love the chance to dust off something forgotten or neglected and give it new life. I will second what so many of my friends who share this passion will tell you. It reminds them of how Christ has picked us up out of a grand mess, seeing His plan for our lives that has been covered by years of neglect, wounds, and struggle, and will make us lovely sometimes for the first time with his love and gentleness. Now, what I do with little treasures from a thrift store obviously could not even compare to what He does for me in my life, but it does give me a small glimpse of the excitement He must feel and the joy He must find in seeing us bloom. So, with all of that said, I am going to start sharing my Monday finds. I have mentioned before that Monday is Matt's day off, so every Monday morning is my time to get out of the house alone and have some time to think, and be alone-oh yeah, I said that already. Hum, yes, that in itself is a treasure:)-I love being with my kiddos every day, I cannot imagine it any other way! But, I have finally gotten to a place where I can say without any hint of guilt somewhere in there, that I need some time away from them and THE HOUSE and that it actually does help me to be a better Mom, wife, and person. My mind is able to think on things that never pop into my head at home and I get to interact with strangers which can either challenge or encourage me. Monday mornings are sacred to me, they are slow and refreshing with the added bonus of finding treasures to create with! The wonderful benefit of being my own buyer for the shop is that i come across things for my own family without filling up my schedule with shopping trips. Here are some of my latest finds.
This clock I found a few weeks ago and almost cried when I came across it. I was standing in a very long line that is pretty normal in the first store I hit on Monday morning. But while I was waiting I spotted this behind their counter. At first I thought, "I really do not want to pull myself out of line to get this" and attempted to put it out of my mind. But, this was one of those times I would be haunted if I did not grab it. The reason that I was so taken with it is because, Joslyn, my second grader has really struggled to understand how minutes work on the clock, and I have struggled to find how to relate with her learning style in this subject. But this clock was exactly what we needed for her to visually understand and connect what I was teaching her. The numbers rotate to show four different forms to help them understand time in whichever way it is given to them. This one was a big "thank you Jesus" moment for me. Teaching our kids sometimes bears a heavy wieght on my mind and when that lifts for something like this, it is AWESOME! I had already determined in my mind that i would pay anything for this, but to my surprise, it was only $5.00 and in mint condition! My only wish is that i had had it for our older two when I was teaching them how to tell time!

Here is last weeks find...
It is delicate looking but is actually very heavy! Must be a glorified paper weight:)~ But it ended up on my desk which needed some attention anyways and it gave me a good reason to clean and reorganize it.

Here is today's find...
Now, the picture is absolutely precious! Child like faith and purity bowed in prayer with the wonderful creator! Another one that almost makes me cry. I will love looking at this everyday! But the frame was not so charming. That was the fun part~ I knew I had a beautiful frame that I had refinished in a weathered look waiting in the garage for the perfect picture! Here is the finished product-it makes me completely giddy!
And here is where I have it now. Put in a place i will pass a hundred times in a day.
The picture was $1.95 and the frame had been $1.45 when I bought it a long time ago. I love it!

I have a Birthday edition favorite finds in the works and am very anxious to show that to you, but one of the finds I bought with some of my birthday money is at the cleaners:) and the other one is a work in progress and should be finished in a few days! I actually used my gift money on me instead of the shop-haha. My grandma always gets mad at me if I spend it on something other than myself, so for this year Grandma, I will make you smile with what I did! You will be proud.