Where is the thrift at the Thrift Store?

Yesterday I had to go get fabric at my fave fabric store for an event I am planning. It just happens to be across the street from one of my fave thrift stores. It's a Goodwill that receives a lot of Target donations, so I usually find some great items or clothes that are brand new.

I have really cut down on my thrifting habit the past few months (can you hear hubby clapping) so I was pretty excited to go to this Goodwill and get a "fix". So I perused. And perused. Then perused some more. Everything was.....Just. So. Expensive! I'm like, Where is the thrift in a thrift store? Is it me or are prices getting jacked up at these places? Even a child's tee shirt was $4.99 that I could get brand new retail. However I did find some cute Children's Place tee shirts and a pink Hurley jacket for my daughter.

The only thing I got for myself was this cute pink thermal pot. For $7.99! Barely used, but wow that's kinda steep. But it will be perfect for a Picnic Tea Party that I have planned in my head..........along with all the other tea parties that are in there, just waiting to be planned.

It cleaned up really well, after I did my thorough hot water and denture cleaning treatment. Whenever I buy a thrift item and it can't be put in the dishwasher, I use denture cleaning tablets (I get a box from the .99 cent store) and put a few tablets in the item (tea pots, etc.) with hot water to get the cleaning bubbles inside hard to reach areas especially the neck of a teapot. Then wash with antibacterial dish soap and hot water, rinse really well with hot water. Generally it is not a good idea to use dish soap inside teapots as it may altar the taste of the tea. So I only do it the first time I purchase one new or used. Thereafter I just use really hot water with a clean sponge that doesn't have soap on it, and rinse well.

Would you like to join me?
I have been wanting to host a blogging Tea Party for the First Day of Spring, so maybe this thermal tea pot will be my inspiration and reason to go ahead and DO that Picnic Tea Party, or something else. If so, leave a comment and I will make a graphic banner for a tea party invitation to put on your blog. I don't want to do it if it looks like I will be having tea by myself!

Name Correction

If, per chance, you have Googled my name from the TeaTime Magazine feature and are trying to locate me, the magazine miss-spelled my name.

It is spelled Risa Provencio - not - Risa Provincio ........

*eye twitching*

He Loves My Heart

I hope everyone had a romantical Valentine's Day! Since the two out of three of my kids were home sick with a fever and strep throat (again! the second sick-o round this month!) I was not able to do anything special. Usually I make a really nice Valentine's Dinner with candles, and I let the kids drink sparkling cider from plastic champagne flutes and have "fancy" yummy stuff for dessert.

But not this year. They got Pick-Up Stix that hubby got on the way home after picking up prescriptions. So it was not a "love is in the air" day, but more like "germs are in the air". And because I have been in lock-down with sick kids I wasn't able to get dear hubby anything. Not that we really do romantic gestures anyway, because we both think Valentine's Day is overrated.

However, he did bring me a gift from Brighton. I kind of chuckled (internally) when he handed me their signature yellow-y, very graphic gift bag with the bright printed pink tissue paper. And the chuckle was because....well, he always gives me Brighton. Not that I'm complaining, it's just that a few years ago when I first discovered Brighton jewelry I was really into it at the time and loved their bracelets. But ever since then, at Christmas, Mother's Day, my birthday or special occasion, it's a guarantee I'll get to add to my Brighton collection. I don't have the heart or know how to tell him that I'm really not into that kind of jewelry anymore. (gosh I hope he doesn't read my blog!)

But, for some reason this gift meant something more. It was much more significant than the others:

It is from Brighton's Go Red for Women, in support for the American Heart Association. He chose it as a gentle reminder that he wants me to have a healthy heart. Sometimes he is concerned that I don't take better care of my health, which is true.

After I opened it and gave him a hug, he said "You can take it back if you want, or exchange it."

Nope. Even though I have plenty of bracelets, this one is a keeper.

And so is he....

Photos from the Photo Shoot

Thanks to Stephanie Warner of All About You Photography & Design, she provided the images from our photo shoot for the TeaTime Magazine feature. There were so many to choose from, it was so hard to decide!

So here are my favorites, located in my photo gallery. I also included "behind the scenes" photos of us setting up the shoot. Talk about having a hard time trying to get cute for the head shot, after sweating it up from the set up! I could have seriously used a hair & makeup stylist. But when you are on a budget, cute gets crossed off real quick.

Click here to view the photos.

Thank you to so many of you who have left congratulatory comments or emails regarding the feature! I've heard that you can find TeaTime Magazine at Borders or Barnes & Noble, possibly WalMart but it is all hit or miss depending on their distribution and supply. So the best way is to call Hoffman Media at (888) 411-8995 and then press 1 to go to Customer Service to purchase a copy of the March/April 2008 issue. Do it soon, because once it becomes a "back issue" the price increases!


Okay.


Sigh.


*tapping fingers*


..........just waiting for Oprah's peeps to call.........


*tapping fingers*


Or Martha.