Thursday's Thrifty Tips---the vacation is over!
Good Morning!
We are back at Living Large on Less with a hodge podge of thrifty tips personally tested and tried during the past several months.
This year was our first to host the branding dinner for the main branding, there are two. As we were studying ways to make the dinner flow as smoothly and efficiently as possible, the idea of having individual pots of coffee on each table came to us. This would enable the men to get a refill without having to get up and retrieve it or wait for someone with a refill to pass by. At first Blessed Mama wanted to be on the lookout for bargains on thermal coffee karaffes (they are more attractive). However, we already had one of those airpots. Another one was found by Not of This World, Mustard Seed, Horsegirl, and their Grammie at a garage sale. That cinced it, we would use airpots instead of karaffes. Two more, one of them really nice and new, a.k.a. attractive, were purchased for an extremely low price at an auction this past weekend. Yea!!! Mission airpots for branding complete with very little expense. Tip = Once a need is determined, be patient. Wait and allow God to provide via gifts, sales, good buys, or unexpected cash resources to purchase. Don't get in a hurry and try to gather everything "right now". The saying "haste makes waste" is most often true. So, settle down, relax, and keep those eyes open! Oh yeah, be ready to enjoy the blessings coming your way.
OK, now for the decorating tip = Less is More. We know, we know. It's been said hundreds of times before, but it really is true. Less is most always more. Less fuss, less muss, less stress, less spending; it all adds up to more. More time, more relaxation, more freedom, more resources leftover, more peace to enjoy loved ones, friends, and the event.
Not of This World is officially a high school graduate. Not one to enjoy big shindigs, she desparately pleaded to skip the traditional reception and hooplah. Hmmmm, perfectly understandable to her non-conformists parents, but well, others who care still need a way to show their love and support. What to do, what to do....After praying and the above mentioned waiting....inspiration struck in the form of a quiet thought. Not of This World has been taking photographs for the past six years and has gotten some great shots. They need to be seen, but we hadn't found a way to do it. Viola'! A private photography exhibition! Why not? The pictures would be seen and those who care could show their support and love. It would be a win, win situation, and...IT WAS!
There will be a number of thrifty tips come out of the photo exhibition. Our first one is about decor. Not of This World's photos were to be the main focus, yet an elegant rather than stark feel was desired. Here are the decorations broken down.
That's all for now. Hopefully there will be pictures to follow. Right now though, it is time to get lunch, and we've got to hurry. Until later, Blessed Mama
We are back at Living Large on Less with a hodge podge of thrifty tips personally tested and tried during the past several months.
This year was our first to host the branding dinner for the main branding, there are two. As we were studying ways to make the dinner flow as smoothly and efficiently as possible, the idea of having individual pots of coffee on each table came to us. This would enable the men to get a refill without having to get up and retrieve it or wait for someone with a refill to pass by. At first Blessed Mama wanted to be on the lookout for bargains on thermal coffee karaffes (they are more attractive). However, we already had one of those airpots. Another one was found by Not of This World, Mustard Seed, Horsegirl, and their Grammie at a garage sale. That cinced it, we would use airpots instead of karaffes. Two more, one of them really nice and new, a.k.a. attractive, were purchased for an extremely low price at an auction this past weekend. Yea!!! Mission airpots for branding complete with very little expense. Tip = Once a need is determined, be patient. Wait and allow God to provide via gifts, sales, good buys, or unexpected cash resources to purchase. Don't get in a hurry and try to gather everything "right now". The saying "haste makes waste" is most often true. So, settle down, relax, and keep those eyes open! Oh yeah, be ready to enjoy the blessings coming your way.
OK, now for the decorating tip = Less is More. We know, we know. It's been said hundreds of times before, but it really is true. Less is most always more. Less fuss, less muss, less stress, less spending; it all adds up to more. More time, more relaxation, more freedom, more resources leftover, more peace to enjoy loved ones, friends, and the event.
Not of This World is officially a high school graduate. Not one to enjoy big shindigs, she desparately pleaded to skip the traditional reception and hooplah. Hmmmm, perfectly understandable to her non-conformists parents, but well, others who care still need a way to show their love and support. What to do, what to do....After praying and the above mentioned waiting....inspiration struck in the form of a quiet thought. Not of This World has been taking photographs for the past six years and has gotten some great shots. They need to be seen, but we hadn't found a way to do it. Viola'! A private photography exhibition! Why not? The pictures would be seen and those who care could show their support and love. It would be a win, win situation, and...IT WAS!
There will be a number of thrifty tips come out of the photo exhibition. Our first one is about decor. Not of This World's photos were to be the main focus, yet an elegant rather than stark feel was desired. Here are the decorations broken down.
- The openness of our great room provided the perfect place to host the exhibit.
- All of the pictures, plants, and decor were taken down and stored in an out of the way place.
- Not of This World's photograph arrangements were decided on and then hung accordingly.
- A black and white color scheme had previously been decided upon. That portion of the decision making had been made simple after the discovery of napkins in a favorite pattern.
- Knowing that she wanted to use white pillar candles of varying heighths, Not of This World was more than tickled to come upon a sale of them during an unexpected shopping trip.
- A pop of color was needed to polish off the look. Tulle was the product of choice due to its myriad of uses and inexpensive cost, however something else was still lacking. The unexpected shopping trip provided both the tulle and the missing ingredient. A roll of magenta-colored tulle provided the perfect amount of pop, and clear, glass stones with an opalescent sheen caught the flickering light of the candles beautifully. Both the tulle and the stones were on sale making their beauty even greater.
- The refreshment table was draped in a black tablecloth. A length of tulle was casually strung down the center of the table curling naturally. Stones were scattered down the center with white votive candles placed throughout. Beautiful serving trays in clear glass/crystal and silver (loaned to us by Grandma) were used to serve the refreshments.
- Other surfaces in the room contained similar arrangements with each one varying a bit. Vintage cameras featured in two of the photographs were put to use as decor.
- A beautiful bouquet of roses brought as a gift provided the finishing touch that drew attention to the featured photograph.
- Choosing to use vintage glass snack trays freely available rather than purchasing paper plates and cups enabled us to instead purchase an inexpensive fountain from which to serve the punch. Living Large on Less will at times involve a weighing of desires. Not of This World had to decide if she would rather have convenience or beauty. This time...she chose beauty.
That's all for now. Hopefully there will be pictures to follow. Right now though, it is time to get lunch, and we've got to hurry. Until later, Blessed Mama