O Thriftmas Tree!

[SeSo_Says_So]

As you may all recall, we have been dealing with the "dreaded house remodel" for about 1.5 years.  This year, our house had been completely torn up just about until Halloween. Rather than attempting to get all the stuff down from our 1" by 1" attic and making another mess (groan), we decided to keep our decorating for Christmas confined to earthly delights found by yours truly during her thrift sojourns.  Hope you enjoy the tour!

First, our Thriftmas tree:



I had just about given up finding anything groovy that day in the thriftstore, when I spied this behind a clothes rack and  under alot of other "stuff". I had to "beg pardon" to two people and move the damn rack and dig before I finally was able to lift my treasure from its thriftmas hell and into the Thriftmas light.  When I got it to the counter, nobody could find a price on it. So, the manager gave me a price.  Out-the-door: 1.70.

Doesn't it have that great 60s handmade vibe?

Just about everything is this next photo is thrifted. I picked up the groovy bamboo screen almost 20 years at the Salvation Army. The buffet is part of my parents' first dining room set from the '50s. It's made by Basic-Witz and was quite the statement set in its day. I picked up all the ornaments at thrifts. The clay angel is a signed Mexico piece. The lamp was a buck earlier this year. As a matter of fact everything in this pic is thrifted except for a string of lights around the bamboo screen, the advent calendar and the Christmas cards The angel ornaments on the screen, thrifted, came in a groovy book from and by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The objet d'art in front of the lamp is a stone votive candle also from the SA.  The little gingerbread person was a dime.   



Here's our dining room in all it's thrifted/Thriftmas splendor:



The hanging pendant lamp was $5 at a church thrift. The thrifted  MCM dining room table and chair set is signed on the bottom by a store that went out of business in 1964, at least from the research I was able to do. I think it flows very nicely with the B-W buffet. (I also have the B-W china cabinent from the B-W set, but it is not seen in these pics.)

The runner was thrifted and has a blue and white "Made in Checkozolvakia" sticker on it. It's gorgeous. Of course, some of you may remember my vintage barvarian deer candleholder I found earlier this year. The metal star candleholder is vintage signed from Sweden. The planter is a thrifted, signed California Pottery piece and the plate underneath is very cool...it has the zodiac wheel around it and apparently was part of an ironstone set made by SEARS back in the 70s. I was able to find two for .25 a piece. Very groovy. The coral is compliments of my good friend, A. Ocean (no relation to Billy or Danny )

And, of course, there is my beautiful new wood floor in the pic

Finally, what would Thriftmas be without a fire?

At last! My beautiful new brick fireplace front! (Right above it, on this side of the fireplace, is my $2 starburst clock, but I'll save that for another sojourn )

Merry Thriftmas to All!

[Good Buddy]

Cool stuff.

Merry Thriftmas everybody!

[SeSo_Says_So]

Cool stuff.

Merry Thriftmas everybody!

And to you, the Missus, and the Wee One!
Merry Thriftmas!

[SplashsMom]

Merry Christmas all
and thanks for the tour. Great finds and creative placement.

[mccoysnina]

KEWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DD and I did our own version of a thrifted "Christmas Tree" this year.
I found a vintage lace dress at a ts marked $3, zipper started to wear out.  I bought it and took it home and we put it on an old dress form.  We hung jewlery all over it, pins, earrings, lots of vintage pearls, wrapped a silk stole I made from some scraps over one shoulder and covered the "neck" area with a Mardi Gras mask I bought at a local GW sale for $.50   It had been really great and we have gotten lots of compliments on it.  It is next to the regular tree and the gems catch the light and really sparkle.  It has been a lot of fun to have.
Jeannie

[SplashsMom]

I am so glad someone else did not think a "formal" tree was weird.
I did not have the dess form, but I picked up a jewel tone gorgeous purple velvet formal dress, size 3X, at the thrift store to use as my displace piece.
The comments I got from my friends were not as appreciative.
I was happy with it.

[valleythriftshopper]

KEWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DD and I did our own version of a thrifted "Christmas Tree" this year.
I found a vintage lace dress at a ts marked $3, zipper started to wear out.  I bought it and took it home and we put it on an old dress form.  We hung jewlery all over it, pins, earrings, lots of vintage pearls, wrapped a silk stole I made from some scraps over one shoulder and covered the "neck" area with a Mardi Gras mask I bought at a local GW sale for $.50   It had been really great and we have gotten lots of compliments on it.  It is next to the regular tree and the gems catch the light and really sparkle.  It has been a lot of fun to have.
Jeannie

Sounds neat, you should post a picture.  I found an old dress form at a yard sale a few years ago for 10 bucks.  I always wanted one to display vintage clothes on.  I had plenty of old hats & jewlery, but finding the right outfit proved more difficult as really good vintage stuff is hard to find or usually expensive if you do.  It sat around for a while and just took up too much space so eventually I sold it.  A friend of mine has an old dress form she said I could have too, if I ever do find that perfect vintage suit or dress I can use that one.  They are a lot of fun!

[oceangurl]

Seso your house is really "coming along!" Thanx for the tour you have some awesome "stuff" and really are quite practical and thrifty, you go girl! ;)and Merry belated xmas to all, I was out of town with family but had a nice quite one, just agreed this yr to not exchange but of course I broke the rules and gave to Mother and Father and then gave small tokens of love to my two sissies, their significant others and two of my brothers and one nephew. I did manage to go to the Goodwill on Christmas eve day (they were open to 4...surprise surprise, I guess for us "die hards..lol!) and took Father along for the ride seeings as Mother was preparing food etc..So there Dad and I plunked along and I got to spend 2 glorious hours in there , if Mother was there we would only spend a half hour seeings as she tires and legs hurt etc...anyhow Dad picked out a steel burnished sculpture of two xmas trees and a deer in front of it, it had a spike in back of one of the trees, I explained when he showed it to me that that was meant for a candle, so I went over to the area where xmas stuff was and proceeded to "fit" it with a tall dark green pillar candle, he then found a old sleigh made out of steel and dirty pulled  by a deer (which when we got home he sprayed gold with spray paint and it turned out fabulous) in its sled he placed a green xmas tree with glitter, I believed it was made out of resin and some fake evergreen . I was amazed that we got all those items (when I got home and looked at the receit) for $1.00, seeings as xmas items were half off. He was so delighted with his "treasures' because I bought them for him and then he was going to give them to Mother. I managed to score a pink nightgown, chemise style, a cute pink tshirt with rhinestones, a sweet summertime skirt with pinks, lavendars and greens, and a little cute black "guazy" dress from the gap...total....$17.00! Not bad for the day before xmas, and I was happy, Dad was happy, Mom was happy and my hubby was happy cuz I was! Gee how bad is that that I had to get my "fix" the day before xmas? But like I said I wasnt the only one there so .....lol!

[valleythriftshopper]

Yes that fireplace is gorgeous!

[SplashsMom]

...he then found a old sleigh made out of steel and dirty pulled  by a deer (which when we got home he sprayed gold with spray paint and it turned out fabulous) ... I was happy, Dad was happy, Mom was happy and my hubby was happy cuz I was! Gee how bad is that that I had to get my "fix" the day before xmas? But like I said I wasnt the only one there so .....lol!

Spread the cheer - nice to make others happy
I am impressed not only with your great finds but also that your Dad fixed his up so quickly.
Please (everyone) keep reporting on those great items. I love reading them. Even tho it will make me anxious for spring and winter has just begun.
I was alone for Christmas which meant I got to watch all those once a year movies and I found myself searching the interiors for great items you all have listed as vintage finds. Was fun.

[SeSo_Says_So]

Oceangurl, your post is very touching! It sounds like a wondeful Christmas Eve, and your finds sound stellar. My mother and stepfather always get such a hoot out of the thrift stuff I send them, because it is very personal and found for them and only them. This year, for example, I sent my stepdad a book of Noman Rockwell's art--he loves the guy and was thrilled!  I am very happy for your decorating thrift and, of course/as usual for you, the clothing finds are killer! You go, gurl!! (That pink nightie sounds divine.) Now that is Christmas decorating at its most thrifty!

Actually, hubby and I were thrifting on Christmas eve as well...we wanted to visit our thrifts and drop off cookies as a way of saying "thank you" to all the volunteers and employees for a great thrift year.  Hubby found a great Perry Ellis 100% cotton button-down collar shirt in a fabulous color (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr---why does he always find the clothes??) at 1/2 price and got me my third Christmas present:  3 incredible "Safari" by Mann animal mugs: the lion, the elephant, and the hippo. The artwork on them is just great, even the cashier commented on them. They were in perfect condition, which is surprising, considering they are from 1976 and had sat at the thrift for almost two weeks (a little pricier for the thrift folk here, I think.) When I first saw them, I thought: "If they are still here in a few weeks, I'll get them" And they were, so hubby did for me   Also found the double "Frieda" DVD and three lovely vintage hankies...flowered and faded and soft cotton, just the way I like them. Fine way to spend Christmas eve, if you ask me! BTW, the thrifts were busy, so we weren't the only ones shopping for bargains!   

[SeSo_Says_So]

...he then found a old sleigh made out of steel and dirty pulled  by a deer (which when we got home he sprayed gold with spray paint and it turned out fabulous) ... I was happy, Dad was happy, Mom was happy and my hubby was happy cuz I was! Gee how bad is that that I had to get my "fix" the day before xmas? But like I said I wasnt the only one there so .....lol!

Spread the cheer - nice to make others happy
I am impressed not only with your great finds but also that your Dad fixed his up so quickly.
Please (everyone) keep reporting on those great items. I love reading them. Even tho it will make me anxious for spring and winter has just begun.
I was alone for Christmas which meant I got to watch all those once a year movies and I found myself searching the interiors for great items you all have listed as vintage finds. Was fun.

Well, Merry Extra-Special Christmas to you!!! And many more!  It was definitely fun to be out in thriftland on "the eve".  There was a great vibe in the air. Of course, we now have the "12 Days of Christmas" to thrift and see what all those who need receipts will be donating.  We had on a bunch of movies, too.   What movies did you watch?

[SeSo_Says_So]

Jeannie, Splash's mom, Oceangurl, Valley, GB, thank you for taking the time to "take the tour", lol and your compliments.  We are very proud of our home and our thrifted treasures!

[foutchie]

It's lovely, the furniture takes me back to my childhood and looks so inviting!

[daswitzer]

My Hubby received several thrifted movies this year.  Why not just spend $1 for a used movie?  He'll probably only watch it once anyway (in fact, he's watching one RIGHT NOW!).  He got two Lord of the Ring movies, Bridge to Terabithia, The Patriot (mel gibson) Shergar (horse movie) White Fang, one Stallone movie and Gladiator (russell crowe).  I received several classic Disney movies, because I collect anything Disney.  I personally prefer the VHS Disney movies, because I like the boxes too.  Since they are no longer available in stores, they had to be thrifted, which is great!