2nd Hand Christmas Shopping

Redeeming stuff from 2nd hand stores is one of my favourite things to do. I love it when I find something that someone else thought was worthless, and then bring it home where it will be used, loved and appreciated.

Then there is this wooden ornament. I found it while volunteering at the ReUse Centre last winter, in the bottom of a donation box. There I was sorting donations, and as I was just finishing up a box, I reached down and picked this heart up that said "Merry Christmas" on it. I was stunned! The reason I was so surprised by it, was that I had made it in the 1990s, and either given it away or sold it in a craft show, and here it was. I knew it was my work, but I turned it over anyway to see if it had my signature on the back, which it did. I decided it was destiny that I should take the heart home for my Christmas tree.

I bought this "TV Blanket" at Goodwill last week. It is a lovely patchwork mini quilt (47"x47") with an ultra soft backing. This gem, I imagine was handmade by somebodys grandmother or great-grandmother. It still had a strip of masking tape with a handwritten "Genevieve" on it when I purchased it for $6.99. I image that it was crafted by a granny who thought it would keep her sweet little grandchild warm while watching a favourite cartoon or some such thing. Unfortunately, it likely didn't "match" something so it was thrown into the giveaway pile. Lucky for me. This blanket is perfect for sitting on my chair, sipping tea on a cold winter's night or watching a favourite DVD. This is my Christmas gift to myself ;)

Finally these items, were also great finds at Goodwill. I can't reveal too much about them because I plan to use them as Christmas gifts. Let's just say that Santa loves brand new handcrafted items that appear on the shelves at these charity shops!