Budget-Friendly Lemon Vignette

 

Lemons brighten any room, especially the kitchen. I created a quick vignette for my kitchen counter using budget-friendly items.

What I Did

First, I painted a thrifted ginger jar with white spray paint, giving it new life. This ginger jar was in my stash from a previous thrift haul. I paid $5 for it. I knew when I bought it that I would end up painting it.

Here's my thinking: When I go into the thrift store, I try to imagine how I would use certain items. Even if the item is not in my preferred color, I try to think of ways to upcycle it to make it into something that would work for me.

I arranged a few tall stems of faux lemon branches in the ginger jar. These were leftover stems purchased a few years ago.

To complete the vignette, I placed a lemon-themed plate from the dollar store on an easel. Easy and so pretty!

Not everyone decorates for the seasons. I do, just a little. Do you?

Conclusion

I ended up making three little vignettes for my kitchen counter using thrifted and dollar store items. I like the pops of yellow in this lemon decor. It really brightens things!

I am so happy with this budget-friendly refresh! I hope these lemon-themed vignettes provide a little inspiration.

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How to Decorate With Blue and White Decor

I don't know when my obsession with blue and white porcelain began, but let me tell you, I got it bad! 

I think that a large blue and white ginger jar can brighten any decor. My eyes are immediately drawn to blue and white home accessories whenever I enter a thrift shop or regular retail store. 

I will admit that there are periods when I will put myself on time-out and just abstain from making any purchases. I have to. Otherwise, I'd be broke! 

Best Place to Find Blue and White Pieces

But I've had a few good runs. First of all, the thrift store is the best place to score quality pieces at really good prices. But it's hit or miss. You might not find anything on your first trip, so you will have to constantly be on the lookout!

The teapot below was a thrift find which I used in a recent kitchen counter vignette.

Other Places to Shop 

Of course, you can always find blue and white porcelain pieces at retail stores, like Marshall's, Ross, and Hobby Lobby. I found several beautiful planters in various sizes at Ocean State Job Lot. 

I don't have a green thumb when it comes to indoor plants, so I didn't go overboard and buy too many planters. This time, I added only two to my existing planter collection. 

Can these planters be used for other purposes? I wonder.

Here are a few more thrifted blue and white pieces. I staged this little area in my home office. I just love this clock! I think I paid $4 for it!

Last winter, I used thrifted ginger jars and a few blue and white orbs around my fireplace. It was so pretty!

Conclusion

So, I hope that this was inspirational. Remember to check your local thrift stores FIRST, before heading to a retail store to find blue and white porcelain. You might save a few dollars and find a really unique piece!

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Women Are Winners

 

March is Women's History Month. I support all things that empower women.  Period.

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Can You Wear Pearls Everyday

Can you wear pearls everyday? YES! I like how pearls accentuate any outfit. I've considered myself a "pearl girl" since high school. 

During my early days of working in the corporate world, I wore pearls every day. Pearls made me feel empowered and very feminine. Single, double or triple strand; I wore them all!

So it should come as no surprise that I would endorse the wearing of pearls with flannel or other casual wear. Pearls will take any casual outfit to another level. 

My red and black flannel shirt is one of my favorites to lounge in. It sometimes doubles as a jacket. But when I add pearls, it becomes flannel-chic! Flannel-chic...that could become a thing! Haha!

Pajama Party Pearls

Several years ago, I coordinated a pajama party for our church's women's weekend celebration. We had rented space at a lodge in the Pocono Mountains and the event was awesome!  All the women attendees dressed up in their favorite and most comfortable pajamas. 

My pajamas were a little on the dressy side, so you know I just had to wear pearls, right? 

I slayed!

Conclusion

So, I don't think there is a wrong time to wear pearls. The only decision to make is size and number of strands!

What I'm Wearing In Top Photo:

Pearls: Thrift shop

Levi's Flannel Shirt: BonTon Stores

  

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Understanding the Introvert

I'm an introvert. Most of my days look like this and that suits me. I enjoy my own company.

Introverts make great leaders, organizers and friends, but it takes a lot out of us just to get "up" for an occasion like a meeting, party or any gathering. 

Oh, we'll do it and do it well! But it can be draining. Afterward, an introvert will need quiet time to recharge.

Sound familiar?

I've been like this as long as I can remember, but I wasn't aware of the "Introvert" tag until later into my adulthood.

Conclusion

Check on your introverted friends, Fam! But keep the conversation short...we need our space! Haha!

 

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20 Random Thrifting Facts You Should Know

 

How many of these random thrift facts do you know? Test your knowledge!

20 Random Thrifting Facts

1). Thrift shop – noun - Merriam Webster Definition of thrift shop: a shop that sells secondhand articles and especially clothes and is often run for charitable purposes

 2). August 17 - National Thrift Shop Day

 3). 1879: The Salvation Army comes to the U.S

 4). 1902: Goodwill Industries is founded in Boston

5). 1919: The term “thrift shop” is coined.

6). 1974: Buffalo Exchange opens first store in Tucson, AZ.

7). 1984- NARTS-- The Association of Resale Professionals. Founded in 1984. Has noticed an increase in resale shops. Helps members (shop owners) with educational and professional development.  Also provides consumers with an online SHOPPING LIST to locate shops in their city or towns when visiting.

8). 1995: eBay and Craigslist are founded

9). At a garage sale in 2000, a Fresno, California house painter noticed images of Yosemite National Park on glass plates of old photo negatives. After some negotiation, Rick Norsigian bought the lot for $45. He had a hunch the images were by the iconic nature photographer Ansel Adams, so Norsigian asked some experts. CNN reported that his find may have been worth than $200 million.

10). 2006: Nashville, Tennessee thrift shop find for $ 2.48 turned out to be a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Sold for $477,650

11). 2009: thredUP is founded ---an online thrift store for women’s and children’s clothing. 

12). 2011: The RealReal and Poshmark are founded for the resale of luxury goods, and as a peer-to-peer social networking resale platform, respectively.

13). In 2015, Zach Norris paid $5.99 for a watch at Goodwill, Phoenix. The watch was later discovered to be a rare 1959 Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Alarm. It sold for $35,000 

14). A bargain hunter picked up a $20 blue and white teapot in an online auction.  It turned out to be one of the first pieces of porcelain created in America. It was the work of John Bartlam, a well-known artisan from nearly 250 years ago. Though broken, the teapot sold at a  2018 auction for about $806,000. 

15). Re-wearing clothes reduces waste and pollution

16). Second-hand clothes are less likely to end up in landfills

17). Thrift stores make it easier to know where your money is going

18). Many thrift stores directly support charity 

19). Thrifting is cheaper

20). Second-hand clothing is often higher quality than comparatively-priced clothing

Bonus facts:

21). Thrifted clothing offers more room for uniqueness

22). Thrift shops allow for more creativity

Disclosure: Links may contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.