Strawberries, Treasures, & a Paper Clip....Oh My!

Hello everyone! Just a quick post today. I've had training every day this week and tomorrow as well. I have been pretty brain dead and just haven't gotten around to posting in a couple days. I feel like I am back in college with all the new information I have to learn! Anywho...I have a quick tablescape to share and a few treasures I found today after training. 

So, you may remember my strawberry plates I found a couple weeks ago. Well, I have been wanting to do a tablescape with them since I bought them home and finally got around to it today. I cleared off my 

beachy themed table and searched for things to go with the strawberry plates. It is nothing fancy, but here is what I came up with!

I started with my everyday dishes. The dinner plates are white with a green rim and the salad plates are green with a white rim. They worked perfectly with the strawberry plates since they have the same shade of green in them. Everything in this place setting was thrifted except my everyday dishes (TJ Maxx) and the flatware which I have had for over 25 years. My hubby earned points through a safety incentive at his job when we were dating and he was able to get this Oneida flatware and a tv with his points! I placed them in my hope chest and we have been using them since we married...almost 25 years ago!

I bought the napkin rings on my Pennsylvania trip for $0.99, the napkins were I think $0.25 each and so were the glasses. The plates were $1.59 for the set. The placemats were $4 for a set of 6. The topiaries were left from a bridal shower I helped hostess and were $2 each. The floral flower pot in the center was $3 and I have had the bird and other items for a long time. So...around $15 total for what I think it a sweet and simple table...:) Any ideas for what I could place in the flower pot? I'm brain dead!!!

After my training today, I ran into my favorite consignment shop to reward myself for sitting through 6 hours of torcher very informative information! I found a couple treasures...I'm sure you are really surprised...lol! First I found this Diamond brand enamel bowl for $2. It is so pretty and has some chips around the edge which just gives it character. It is living in my craft room for now.

I also found these two bowls/candle holders with ocean creatures on them. They will be pretty in a future tablescape....probably next summer since I just removed my beach/ocean themed tablescape. They were $1.50 for the pair.

The last thing I found and my favorite is this adorable old blackboard. It is hinged and has these chains on the side to keep it from sliding open and falling. It is double-sided as well. I think I am going to paint the frame aqua blue (kind of like this one) and place it on my desk at school. On my side I can write a quote or list or whatever on it and on the side that faces the students, I can write something they are learning. I just love it....it was $2.99! My friend Kathy who owns the shop commented on how neat she thought it was and told me she had just put it out today....boy am I glad I decided to go in and look around!!!

This next picture is something I won at school in a drawing on Monday.

You are probably thinking....big deal, it's a paper clip! But.....it's not just any old paper clip.....it's a giant paper weight paper clip! I got to choose from several small prizes and this immediately jumped out at me! I LOVE office supplies...:) I love back to school time when the stores get all the new school and office supplies in...I am seriously like a kid in a candy store! I love the way everything looks and smells....the crayons, pencils, you name it! I can browse those aisles for hours! So, I just had to have this awesome paper clip! See how big it is...:) You are probably thinking...she has lost it....that training must really be getting to her! 

Nope....I just love office supplies! Another little obsession with office supplies is that I ONLY buy Crayola brand crayons, Scotch brand tape and real Post-It brand post-its.....and, I prefer Ticonderoga brand pencils! No cheap stuff for me....period! There's a difference folks....no, really there is! 

I'm an office supply snob...lol! 

OK....enough about office supplies....you really didn't need to know all that! Maybe this training has gotten to me...maybe I'm just really tired...maybe both! Sorry I am now rambling....I really didn't mean to ramble! I promise I didn't.....please forgive me & until next time.....