Recent Finds....Old & New!

Hello everyone! Hope this finds you all healthy and happy!

Today I'm sharing a few recent finds.  I've been trying really hard not to overspend on unnecessary items recently, but I let myself purchase a few fun items at the Bullseye Playground (Dollar Spot) at Target last weekend. I love this area of Target! I have a paper straw obsession and incorporate them into my seasonal decor so I had to have these fun ones to add to a summer vignette. I especially love the pinwheel ones! As you can see, they were $1 each.

Here they are in another item I had to have! I am obsessed with black and white stripes lately. Well, actually black and white anything, but especially stripes. This adorable little pitcher was $3 and will look great in vignettes all around the house.

And speaking of paper straws, here are some more that came home with me for $1 each.

I love the sweet ribbons and trims they get seasonally now. There isn't a lot on the roll, but they are great for small projects. I like to have a variety in my stash and for $1 each I couldn't pass these up.

Same for the baker's twine. I love the wooden spools it comes on...they can be reused after the twine is used up. They were also $1 each.

I thought these slate tags were just the cutest. I will probably use them like chalkboard labels and tie them on baskets. I could only find this one pack. I would have liked more. 

There were 2 in a pack for $1. So cute!

I bought these adorable arrows to decorate with for Valentine's Day. I'll share my very minimal decor soon. These were also $1.

I like having these treat bags on hand for goodie bags for a variety of occasions. I love the cello bags and these were a smaller size than I normally find. 

These Valentine's tags were so cute! I need to come up with a little something for my co-workers for Valentine's Day so I can use these. There were 4 per pack for $1.

I bought these tiny note cards to use on gifts. They were $1 for 8 cards.

I picked up these cuties at the Dollar General to use in my planner for Valentine's Day.

I had to pick up some things to decorate my niece's bridal shower at Hobby Lobby and couldn't resist picking up these journaling cards that were on clearance for a couple bucks. I don't have much fall themed scrapbook stuff.

Although I have been trying to stay out of thrift stores, I did pop in last weekend and this weekend as well to look for chairs for my dining room table. I need four matching ones and have been unable to find any. I have been very strict with myself to not buy too much used stuff as well as new. I am trying to downsize my decor items and collections and I can't do this if I visit the thrift stores too often. LOL! I did buy one item last weekend. I have a couple other pieces in this pattern and just love it. This sweet sugar bowl was $2.99.

I'm really glad I popped in yesterday looking for chairs because I found these. I have been wanting some since I first saw some like them. I love milk glass and the simple design on these is just so beautiful to me. I have a few floral ones hanging in my craft room but these will be so nice in my kitchen at Christmas.

Someone had made them into candles so I had to remove the wax but it was easy. i just ran them under hot water, stuck a fork in the wax and twisted and they popped right out. I paid $1.99 each for these. I really wanted them! I love it when I find something I have wanted for a long time. It makes me so happy.

And the candles aren't going to waste either! They were a pretty pink and light green color.

I also found another item I have been wanting for quite some time!

A plaid Thermos! They are so pretty in hot chocolate stations at Christmas! I was so excited to find this one and it is in perfect condition. It was $1.99. 

As I was leaving, I spotted these adorable dinner plates. Not something I would use on a daily basis, but I thought they would be cute for a birthday supper or to hold a cake or cookies. They were 2 for $1 so I bought them. I can always bake cookies for someone and give them to them on the plate for a simple birthday gift if I choose not to keep them.

Love the pink rim and sweet little polka dots!

And, that my friends is it. I really have been remembering my word this year...intentional, and have been trying not to spend too much on junk things I don't need, but every now and then it's fun! I will be back in a couple days to share another post from my Prague trip. I have 2 or 3 more to share with you, as well as my Valentine's decor, bridal shower decor, and my almost complete pantry! Lots going on around the Hunt house as we prepare for Miranda and Shahid to visit in March. I am just a little excited!!! I know I just saw her in December, but she's my best friend! The rest of my family is so ready to see her and meet her fella! :) Hope you all have a lovely Sunday and week ahead. 

Until next time.....

 

 

Prague.....Part 5 (The Zoo)

Have you been to a zoo recently? I hadn't been in years but while I was in Prague, we decided to spend one of our days visiting the Prague Zoo. It is an amazing zoo and was voted #4 in the world last year. It was a dreary day and extremely cold the day we were there but we had a good time in spite of it! Here's a map of the zoo. It is a very large zoo and we were unable to see it all before they closed. 

The plant life was beautiful. They had an area set up like a rainforest and it was warm and balmy inside even though it was freezing outside. 

I thought the color of these berries was so pretty.

These two ladies are even prettier. This is Miranda and her cousin Ashley. She was so happy Ashley was able to come visit her too.

This peacock was perched up on top of a wall. I just love the colors of peacock feathers.

Not sure if there were llamas or alpacas.

Elephant hinies...LOL!

A hyena,,,his coloring was very pretty. He was sort of ombre.

I was intrigued with the vending machine. Oreo was about the only recognizable brand I saw other than Milka, which wasn't in this shot.

All bundled up...and still freezing.

There were lots of fossils! I took lots of photos to share with my kinders when we learn about them in science.

I thought this hill dotted with sheep and the cute house at the top was so pretty. I like how the camera focused on the berry branch and limbs.

Cheetahs

Cavorting donkeys...they chased each other all around their pen and kept biting each other. 

A pretty shot of the sun starting to set.

My favorite wild animal...the tiger. There was lots of tigers, both indoors and out.

A pretty lion.

This was my favorite memory from the zoo. I don;t remember what this pretty little cat was, but it was sleeping so peacefully behind this thick glass enclosure. I snapped the photo and this is what I instantly got.....

a not too happy looking stare! LOL! I guess it heard the click of the camera and it let me know.

I love gorillas too. They are such intelligent creatures. This one was steadily stripping the leaves off his limb and eating them. The enclosure was so neat, with lots of things for them to play with and climb on.

Pretty pink flamingos.

A cold looking penguin....I felt a lot like this little guy looked.

I took more, but it was just so difficult to get good shots on this dreary, cold day. The sky was quite beautiful while we were waiting on the bus outside the zoo. The colors reminded me of cotton candy.

The last photo I took was of the main building from outside the zoo. I bet it is beautiful in the spring and summer when that vine is green. I wanted to take pictures of the animal footprints in the sidewalk leading to the zoo but I didn't get a chance to go back to that area. It was so neat!

I hope you didn't freeze while touring the zoo! It was fun seeing the different kinds of animals. I have always enjoyed visiting zoos, but hadn't been since my kids were young. It was a fun day but was I ever glad to get out of the cold. I hope your week is going well. I'm happy the weekend is almost here. I am decorating for my nieces' bridal shower tomorrow evening and then hope to get some house cleaning and organizing done this weekend. We have been working on the pantry. We never started on it when we remodeled the kitchen. I am super excited to be doing it finally! But, I have everything piled and stacked on the kitchen counters and floor and it is getting to me! I'm ready to be done! Have a wonderful Friday!

Until next time.....