Hello 2013!

Happy New Year folks! I have been reflecting on the last year over the holidays. Having a baby in February was a life changing event in many ways... Ever since I was 14, I worked summer jobs when I wasn't in school, and never really took any breaks. The longest vacation I took was four weeks to get married and it felt so luxurious. I looked at maternity leave as a big holiday, thinking I would garden, nap, blog, thrift. I got a little less done than I wanted but it has still been great!

The little guy turned 10 months old on Christmas day, and I am gearing up to return to work next week. It will be part time at first, then back to the full time grind at the end of February. I feel very lucky that I have been able to take this much time off, but still have mixed feelings. I am anxious about being away from him, but eager to get that independent part of my working life back!

One of the things I enjoyed this year was baking no-knead artisan breads at home, and then moving on to sourdoughs with my own homemade starter. I hope you all are interested in hearing about it, as I am hoping to write some posts on it. It is a great frugal means of having good real bread, and I use my vintage kitchen goodies to prepare it!

Thanks for sticking with me and my sparse posts through the year. I hope things become a bit more "normal" in the new year and I get a little more thrifting in!

Reselling Vintage Le Creuset

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Ours was busy and fun, and we are enjoying the rest of the holidays!

I have been buying and selling vintage Le Creuset cast iron pieces here and there. Sometimes I see a smoking deal and sometimes I am just looking to pare down my own collection... I am always tempted to keep them, but it is probably a good idea to keep things moving!

Photo courtesy etsy seller peachychicboutique

This beautiful set from the 50s is in the pastel "Elysees Yellow" colour and came with a 5 quart dutch oven and a small saucepan. I purchased it off etsy for $40 plus $15 shipping and flipped it for $120 locally.

I think my buyer still got a great deal, as the set was in great shape. Apparently Marilyn Monroe owned a Le Creuset set in this colour! The original etsy seller doesn't ship to Canada but my sis picked it up for me across the border.

Another piece I sold recently was this flame coloured large #20 saucepan with wooden handle. I had actually found the orphan lid in the wild while thrifting a couple years ago, dreaming that I would be able to find its bottom.

I caved and bought a lidless pan on ebay for cheap, reunited them, and sold them to another happy local buyer. I spent about $20, and was able to sell it for $50.

I rubbed a little mineral oil on the old wooden handle because these get pretty rough over time.

I like to keep my collections kind of light because I have a tendency to hoard my thrifted goodies! Hopefully I will be able to stay disciplined and keep only the items I really love and get lots of use out of!

Starbucks Christmas Mug and Coffee Set

Here is my third and last thrifty find from the Holly Bazaar.

I normally wouldn't buy a thrifted food item, as in the bag of Starbucks Christmas Blend coffee but it was the brand new mug that caught my eye! I am actually not a coffee drinker but my dad is, so I figured for the three bucks, he could use the mug and toss the coffee beans.

When I got home, I saw that the underside of the mug was stamped 2012, so I thought maybe this coffee isn't stale after all. I let my dad decide, and he inspected it and concluded that it was sealed and probably ok... All in all, three bucks well spent, me thinks!

Thrifted Christmas Glass Ornaments Handmade in Ukraine!

So at the Holly Bazaar I went to last weekend, I figured we had arrived too late to snag anything good on the ornaments front.

Luckily, I am an under-the-table-box-rummager. There were half empty Martha Stewart decorations and boxes of mismatched ornaments, all marked $2. Then I spotted an unopened box of great looking bulbs.

Also two dollars! The box said that they were handcrafted glass ornaments made in the Ukraine and originally cost $25. Ulp.

I am still hoping to find a box of vintage Shiny Brites someday (I have never seen any in the wild) but these were a great score too!

Vintage Pyrex Measuring Cups!

Last weekend in Vancouver, a seniors centre in a nice part of town held heir annual Holly Bazaar, a sale of baked goods, handknit goods, and thrifty stuff of course!

Hubby manned the stroller so I could swoop through the crowds unhindered and I spotted a vintage Pyrex D Handle measuring cup... Then, I saw that it was nested inside a larger 4 Cup that matched!

Curiously, both were priced at $2 a piece.

The awesome thing is that I had gone into a Salvation Army a few days before and left empty handed. The best thing I saw was the exact same Pyrex 1 cup, but with a badly chipped handle. I think this was meant for me!

I am so glad to have this little set. The only problem is that I have a few more measuring cups thqn anyone really needs... Honest, I did not set out to collect measuring cups!

Linking up with the fine folks at http://sirthriftalot.blogspot.com, Apron Thrift Girl, and a-living-space.blogspot.com!