Thrifty Treasures.....

I love yard sales and flea markets! Last weekend there were quite a few of them advertised but I just didn't have enough time to get to them all. I'm soooo glad I did get to this one. I was driving my niece home and we noticed it. I had wanted to go there but with her sleeping over and Tori having to serve the 8:30 mass in the morning, I just didn't know if we were going to make it. But we had to pass it driving my niece home so we stopped. I'm so glad we did!

I found these houses that I collect. Actually, my father had collected them. They are ceramic houses that you put out at Christmas time called Dickens Village. I remember my dad buying them and they were not cheap. After he passed, my mother split the collection between my brother and me. I love the ones I got from his collection! I've never been able to find them again and I've seen different ones on sale at places like AC Moore or Boscov's but they weren't the Dickens Village ones. Well, we walked around this flea market that was all along the outside of this one high school. They had a few vendors inside and we weren't even going to go in there but Tori insisted. I told her we were doing this fast! We went in and it was getting a little warm so I didn't want to hang. We walked all the way to the back and on the very last table, there are these houses. The Dickens Village houses to be exact. They even had the original price tags on them from a store that I know my parents have gone to. I asked the woman and she says $70 for the whole collection or $10 a house and I'll throw in some of the little figurines with each house you buy. I didn't have $70 on me. And in my head, I couldn't justify just spending $70 on those houses when I knew I had to get so much shopping done for the kids in the next few weeks. So I treated myself to 3 houses. I got the Ebenezer Scrooge house, the Oliver Twist Fagan's house and the cutest little house that has a chocolate shoppe and book store called Brown Brothers. One of the very first jobs I ever had when I got out of high school was at a place called Brown Brothers Harriman. It was a private bank, not a chocolate shoppe but it reminded me of that so I got it! The woman gave me the Scrooge figures that go with the house, some cute little kid figures and a really neat news stand with figures to go with the other houses I have at home.

When I went home to show G he told me we should go back and get the rest of them. I told him that I'd rather spend $40 on something else for myself. And each of the kids needs new sneakers and some summer clothes. And I could go on and on about other things that are needed. But I'm kicking myself now. Ah, maybe I'll be at another flea market one of these days and I'll see them again. Then I'll know it's a sign from my dad that I should get them.

The ones I got are going to look so great with the ones I already have and I can't wait to put them all together at Christmas time!

Now I'm eager to see if there are any yard sales and flea markets going on this weekend! I love getting a thrifty treasure!