Thrift store finds on a quick trip

I had to run into town to see my husband's grandfather at the hospital, so decided to go by the S.A. while I was there. I didn't have a lot of time, so I had to kind of hurry through. Not pictured is a nice white dress blouse, which I've been needing but figured it wouldn't photograph too well and I mean, really, no one is going to get very excited about a white blouse, except me, lol. It was a John Paul Richard brand, looks nice and only $2 or $3.

Ok, the pictured items are a lovely knitted blue scarf which was $2. I have a dd who knits, but she has only made me one little scarf, even though I've hinted very strongly for another, so SIGH, I had to resort to buying one at the thrift store. (Emily I hope you read this!) Also got a few pieces of restaurant china. I'm trying to build up enough of a collection of pretty patterned pieces to make it my everyday dishes. The cup was $3, a little high to me at a thrift store, but it is cute, and the saucers were only $1 each and see how the green one coordinates with the cup, very sweet! The platter is Made in Portugal and was $5. Again, a little high for this cheapskate, BUT it's been there a while and I keep looking at it every time I go in, so today I gave in to the call. If I don't keep it for myself, I figure one of my dd's will steal it from me, especially the youngest, as she likes more modern looking stuff. My oldest dd, though, like me has a platter fetish. I would be embarrassed to actually count the number I have. Sometimes, it's better not to know these things, don't you think? I got this nice chunky chain necklace for $1 and I think it would make a good base for a charm necklace. It needs a hook for a closure, but I should be able to make something work. The new white photo mats were nice and only 50 cents each, as was the book which is about Gypsies. Looked very interesting. And the cute little bird nest with the tacky flower(going bye-bye) sitting on a stump was $2, probably as much as it cost new, but oh well, now I have one to use in an assemblage piece.

Speaking of assemblage, I am working on a piece that I think will be finished soon. It started out with me trying to do a deMeng inspired piece with a electrical outlet as a base, but has ended up where you don't even see the outlet anymore and is actually an art doll/shrine, I guess. I think I am going to call it a da Vinci bird/shrinelet. Now, aren't you curious? You'll have to wait and see. That is if I'm really talking to anybody. Sometimes I think I'm just talking to myself, but that's ok, too.

Also, I finished almost a collage piece on a square fiberboard base today. Still lack some finishing touches and then I'll scan it to post here. I need to be finishing up a 4x4 page to send to a friend in swap. She sent me the loveliest page and now I'm not sure about the one I was going to send her. I keep thinking I need to art it up some more, but then sometimes my style(if it can be called that) is more simple and I keep telling myself that is ok, but I don't want to disappoint either. Do you ever feel that way, scared that what you send is not good enough?

It is a beautiful day here in Alabama. We are enjoying some lovely sunshine, made even more enjoyable by that fact that it follows some heavy rain. February brought us a good bit of rain and with what we got Monday night, our lakes are almost back to normal. Hallelujah!