Monogramming

[alexandra]

I have really lucked out. I have a friend who runs a monogram shop and she's taken all of my non-logo shirts and many of my jeans to her shop.  She's offered to monogram them for free.  I'm going for a tone-on-tone "A" -- the letter will be the same color as the fabric.  Since I never spend more than a buck fifty for shirts and two and a half dollars for jeans, I'm getting a lot of bang for my buck here.

I know this is so Lavern Dafazzio, but it will make my cheap finds look even more chic.  Since I am now short on clothes, I did manage to pick up a few more items to tie me over until I get my stuff back...

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

[Good Buddy]

Show us some pics when she's done Labern.

[valleythriftshopper]

I have really lucked out. I have a friend who runs a monogram shop and she's taken all of my non-logo shirts and many of my jeans to her shop.  She's offered to monogram them for free.  I'm going for a tone-on-tone "A" -- the letter will be the same color as the fabric.  Since I never spend more than a buck fifty for shirts and two and a half dollars for jeans, I'm getting a lot of bang for my buck here.

I know this is so Lavern Dafazzio, but it will make my cheap finds look even more chic.  Since I am now short on clothes, I did manage to pick up a few more items to tie me over until I get my stuff back...

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

I love finding stuff with my monogram on it at thrifts.  I found a set of water glasses with an etched monogram that matched mine.  You should have your friend do your pillowcases, towels, you could really go crazy with monogramming.  Of course, you have to think of nice things to do for your friend to reciprocate all the free monogramming!

[mccoysnina]

I have really lucked out. I have a friend who runs a monogram shop and she's taken all of my non-logo shirts and many of my jeans to her shop.  She's offered to monogram them for free.  I'm going for a tone-on-tone "A" -- the letter will be the same color as the fabric.  Since I never spend more than a buck fifty for shirts and two and a half dollars for jeans, I'm getting a lot of bang for my buck here.

I know this is so Lavern Dafazzio, but it will make my cheap finds look even more chic.  Since I am now short on clothes, I did manage to pick up a few more items to tie me over until I get my stuff back...

Thriftily,
Alexandra
www.livingwithoutmoney.blogspot.com

My grandma used to buy clothes (like sweaters and such) from stores that had monogrammed them  and either the monogramming was wrong or the item never got picked up.  She would buy them cheap and very carefully remove the stitching.  She got a lot of expensive things cheap that way.  Must be where I get the thrifthing gene from.
Jeannie

[AlienEeeter]

When I got my new place my boss gave me a bunch of her old silverware, which were monogrammed.  Good thing our last names both start with a 'B'! 

[genuineimitation]

AE - for a while i was collecting old silverware with monograms - any letter (sometimes it was hard to tell what the letter was!). however, it got too difficult. silver, even plate, just doesn't seem to show up in thrifts around here. i wanted to have all different place settings - we have a friend who sets a GORGEOUS table with all different silver- one place setting at each guest's place. it looks so incredible. my mom took that idea and started collecting dishes that way. she did this in the early 80's. at the time, there was a lot of dainty flowery pattern design out there.. in springtime the table really can be lovely if she gets all the right pieces out. it looks like a bouquet on the table!

[mccoysnina]

I once gave sit down birthday dinner for my MILs 80th  bday.  I wanted it to be a very classy affair and wanted to use the good china and silver.  I have however only 8 place setting of the good chine though and the dinner quickly outgrew that.  I neede 3 more place settings and my everyday stuff didn't even come close to matching.  My china is a silver leaf pattern on a white background.  So my DD and I went ot he thrift shop and I told her white china,  I don't care what pattern, just silver. We found a group of six plates, with cups and saucers for $4.  I bought them and took them home, ran them thru the dishwasher and set the table.  Was glad I had found more than I needed as I needed 2 more by the party.  I alternated china patterns, and silver patterns and glassware.  It was gorgeous.  My MIL was so impressed.  She raved about it.  Until I made the huge mistake  of telling her where the extra china had come from.  You would have thought I bought it a leper colony the way she reacted. I pointed out i had put it thru the dishwasher and that restaurants reuse plates all the time.  Didn't matter, she was insulted I used thrift shop china at her party.  Funny thing is, a few years later she showed me a book from Martha Stewart using mismatched place settings. And guess where Miss Martha had bought all her mismatched china?  For some reason it was ok once MS had done it but not when I did it. I never figured that one out.
Jeannie

[SeSo_Says_So]

I once gave sit down birthday dinner for my MILs 80th  bday.  I wanted it to be a very classy affair and wanted to use the good china and silver.  I have however only 8 place setting of the good chine though and the dinner quickly outgrew that.  I neede 3 more place settings and my everyday stuff didn't even come close to matching.  My china is a silver leaf pattern on a white background.  So my DD and I went ot he thrift shop and I told her white china,  I don't care what pattern, just silver. We found a group of six plates, with cups and saucers for $4.  I bought them and took them home, ran them thru the dishwasher and set the table.  Was glad I had found more than I needed as I needed 2 more by the party.  I alternated china patterns, and silver patterns and glassware.  It was gorgeous.  My MIL was so impressed.  She raved about it.  Until I made the huge mistake  of telling her where the extra china had come from.  You would have thought I bought it a leper colony the way she reacted. I pointed out i had put it thru the dishwasher and that restaurants reuse plates all the time.  Didn't matter, she was insulted I used thrift shop china at her party.  Funny thing is, a few years later she showed me a book from Martha Stewart using mismatched place settings. And guess where Miss Martha had bought all her mismatched china?  For some reason it was ok once MS had done it but not when I did it. I never figured that one out.
Jeannie

Well, for gosh sakes' didn't MIL eat at restaurants where the dishes had been eaten off by others and then washed?? And yes, I soooooooooooooooooooooo totally understand abuot the MS permission thing. Some authority figure has to give folk "permission" to do something, you know, somebody who makes money or has great mass appeal, social acceptability.  I have family members like that. I have been thrifting for years and years and I was considered one step below child molester. Now that it's "all the rage", it's OK. Of course, no one will every acknowledge that I was doing it 35 years ago, lol...Rachel Ray, MS, whatever says YOU"RE ALLOWED...so. Geesh! Human Nature!

[mccoysnina]

Guess we are way ahead of the curve on thrifting.  Maybe the rebel gene and the thrift gene are the same one?
MIL did ask DH and I to take her to our favorite thrift a couple of years ago.  Although she had on her best "I will endure this with my nose in the air" attitude.  She bought more than I did.  I didn't find anything and she found a framed cross stitch teddy bear, a Bible guide and a tshirt from Colorado that she gave to DH.  For about $3.  I think she finally got it.  Although MS had to tell her it was OK first. Not good enough that I did it but once MS did, OK. 
MIL used to get ticked off at me because a lot of my kids play clothes came from yard sales or thrift shops.  I figure, if they are going to tear them up and get them dirty, who cares.  I alwasy washed them.  Didn' t matter. MIL always had fits over this but thought nothing of getting used clothes from other family members for the kids to wear.  What was the big difference I don't know.  But apparently there was one. 
Jeannie

[valleythriftshopper]

I find that some people who lived during the depression era are like that.  They had to make do with second had stuff out of necessity so they don't know why you would buy second hand if you could afford to buy new.

[mccoysnina]

I find that some people who lived during the depression era are like that.  They had to make do with second had stuff out of necessity so they don't know why you would buy second hand if you could afford to buy new.

That is definetly my MIL.  Everything had to be brand new.  DH hated the clothes he had to wear growing up.  Everything starched, pressed, spotless.  God help him if his clothes ever got dirty.  Apparently that was breaking a Commandment.  MIL used to try and chase after my son when he was little, to wipe his hands and face is they should get the least bit of dirt on them.  I finally had to tell her if she didn't leave him alone, I'd find another sitter.  She backed off but I could tell it about killed her.  DS got daily baths, wore good clothes when appropriate, got regular haircuts.  If he got grubby playing outside, he would clean up at the end of the day.
Jeannie

[genuineimitation]

  your poor MIL would have gone into shock around here 
the first years at school, my kids pants ALL had at least 2" of ground-in red clay around the bottom hems. i gave up trying to get rid of it and realized it proved they were getting plenty of outdoor exercise!

and, yes, i think that older people are more concerned about dirt and disease - it was a real threat 50 years ago, and still is in other countries. just having clean water is such a blessing we all take for granted..

[mccoysnina]

your poor MIL would have gone into shock around here 
the first years at school, my kids pants ALL had at least 2" of ground-in red clay around the bottom hems. i gave up trying to get rid of it and realized it proved they were getting plenty of outdoor exercise!

and, yes, i think that older people are more concerned about dirt and disease - it was a real threat 50 years ago, and still is in other countries. just having clean water is such a blessing we all take for granted..

I don't know where you live, but your story reminds me of a camping tirp my family and I took to NM when the kids were little. I had bought DD a whole new package of underwear just before we left.  By the time we got back, every pair I had packed for her was ruined.  Ground in red dirt all over the bottoms of each one.  I could never get them clean no matter what, so finally just pitched them all. And never figured out how she got her underwear so dirty but not her shorts.
Jeannie

[genuineimitation]

[/quote] And never figured out how she got her underwear so dirty but not her shorts.
[/quote]

osmosis

[mccoysnina]

And never figured out how she got her underwear so dirty but not her shorts.
[/quote]

osmosis
[/quote]  Quite possibly.  That kid was dirt magnet.  Not surprising though.  Until she was in school, all the kids in the nieghborhood were boys.  Kid grew up to be tougher than nails.
Several years ago, she went kayaking with her dad, brother and various scouts on a family kayaking trip.  They came to a spot in the river where there was a waterfall.  Guy after guy wiped out, ending upsdie down in the water.  All of a sudden, my little red headed Lara Croft comes sailing over the falls, and makes a perfect landing.  DH said it wasn't bad enough the only person to successfully make it over the falls was a little girl, but she then paddled her kayak to the shore, pulled it out of the water and back upriver, and did it again. Make you wonder how this kid ended up working at a fabric store.
Jeannie