I am sharing a few treasures I found today .....

.....on a power shopping trip. I am very pleased and again hooked on trying to update my house. I fell short of this for about two years while having babies, you see.

They were on clearance at TJMaxx and well, I couldn't resist b/c they were great deals!
But, for now please vote on pic #1 or pic #2 for a place setting in my dining room. You have seen it right?
Pic #1:

This is my current table setting and is my formal china, new placemats and new napkins. The napkin rings were my grandmothers and so were the glasses. Silverware was my other grandmothers'.

Pic #2:

Same placemats and napkins but arranged differently and w/ 'new plates'.

I found these plates today as one/two of my finds. They were $3 for the big plate (that looks like a charger) and $2 for the smaller one (that has flowers in the center--not really 'me' but I like the look). I bought these plates today in hopes of starting my own white 'china' collection, with the intent of hanging dishes and serving platters on the wall in my (red) dining room. The more I see this setting, the more I want more of it! So, tomorrow if they have more available, I am getting enough to set my table.
So, you see, I will should have enough to keep the table set like that.

What is the vote you ask?

Whether I should do the 'new' one of keep the existing one for my uncle's visit this weekend. I haven't seen him in about 12 years (long story) and he's coming for dinner on Sunday, our treat.
So, VOTE please!

Now, on to show you my other finds. I hope you can see them well. All were on clearance but one and that is a 'bowl' I FELL IN LOVE WITH and it was $8.

See:

It's hard to describe but hopefully you will see them in your area but it's made out of what looks like rolled tightly folded, I think magazine pages. It's so adorable and my plan is to put it in Gracie's 'new' room when it's done. This one favors pink and green so it'll go nicely since you know I have it all planned out by now.

Here is my next find...I've always admired candelabras but thought sterling (I swear I know how to spell it.....ugh) silver ones were a little 'much'. I found this one and snatched it up. It was, wait for it, $7.50! The bottom is like a frosted 'glass' instead of it being all silver. And yes, I know this isn't 'real' silver but I love it all the same. Just not sure if it goes in the middle of the table or elsewhere in my house.
What do you think???

(PS-I'm currently searching for a new table runner..that gold one 'fades' in the room)

Moving on...

Don't ask me what this box thingy is but I fell in love. It's kind of distressed white and has some Paris writing on the front. I think I'm getting into white (distressed) things..........hmmmm?

I want to hang it somewhere in or around the kitchen. Any suggestions? I'm thinking around the coffee maker and I'll keep Splenda Packets in there...? I know it's probably made for keys, but you all know I never do anything typical. :)

And my new wine stopper is right under it. You can't see it well (boohoo) but it's made of solid crystal or some material made to look like it and has an "A" etched inside it (not ON but inside). I love it! You can add this to my collection of A's, please!

Next my hodge podge of other stuff.

First, notice the Aqua Globe (back of box showing. sorry). I have wanted one for a while but found this one for $3.99 at TJ's. Steal. It's an orange one and doesn't really match my decor overall but I will find somewhere to use it.

Next, and you can't see it well, I found a cute hanging sconce-of-a-thing that was $2. It's between the magazine bowl and the candlestick, laying down. It has a dragonfly on it and a snail. I'm thinking of painting the whole thing black or red (another VOTE?) or leaving as it and putting it on my porch. If I paint it, it'll go inside....but WHERE?!?!? (You put a candle on the bottom).

Next, is the candle stick. It doesn't show up well here but it's gold with mirror tiles all around the bottom. It was $3!

Lastly, my black book. It is around 5x7 and was $5. It isn't a book, though....it's a storage 'box' as it opens and has storage. My intent was to get this one and a larger one and stack them but I forgot to grab the larger one. Remember, I was power shopping before picking kids up at daycare. BUT, plan to obtain one while grabbing my dishes. If black is gone, I'll snag a green one and pair them up or get a stack of three going and make an interesting color pattern (they had white, pink, black, and green---OH YEAH).

Total score today.........$55!

Updating my house and retail therapy.........PRICELESS!!

I'm baaaaaackkkkkkkkkkkk.

Stay tuned.