Soul Carving

    Have you ever seen the "I Spy" book series by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick? We're big fans. I know several look-and-find type books are out there, but for me the I Spy series remains the best. Each picture is a true work of art - no cartoons of people exhibiting crude behavior, as in the "Where's Waldo?" books. And no need to strain your eyes to see an image that's not there! (I could never get the hang of those "Magic Eye" things). Over the years we've accumulated a good sized I Spy library from the thrift store and other book sales. They run about a buck-fifty each. My kids never tire of them. Sometimes they'll even ask to borrow the camera to take a snapshot of an I Spy scene they've created themselves.      In addition to the books, we've acquired quite a variety of I Spy paraphernalia. Let me share with you some of my favorite finds:       A while back I began collecting foam f...

     I'm a pretty frugal gal - don't like to spend too much if I can help it. Never cared much for name-brands anyway. The vast majority of my possessions come from local thrift stores and garage sales. But for me, it's about more than merely wanting to save a couple bucks. I love to buy something with a story behind it. The term "second-hand" rings like music in my ears. Anyone who has had as much thrifting experience as I do well tell you, after a while there's a kind of energy you build up around you that starts attracting the items you're looking for, no matter how unlikely you are too find them. I'll go into this idea in a bit more detail in later posts, but for now, let me just say that I've developed quite the knack for finding unique and personally meaningful items at some jaw-dropping prices. So, taking the advice of an admired friend, I've decided to dedicate a weekly post to my thrifting adventures. Today, let me show off a few smal...