Nifty Thrifty Notion

Yesterday when I was collecting used Classroom towels and laying out clean ones, I realised that hardly any of the sinks had cloths to wipe up spills. As a result, the surrounds were all fairly dirty, between paint, food rinsing, mud, dirt and all the usual class messes. Unnecessarily gross!

Later in the day I was out getting school supplies in the Cash and Carry so bought a pack of cloths to start everyone off, and distributed them this morning. Then I remembered that in the Staffroom there were some old, worn tea towels and hand towels. I had bleached and washed them before Christmas but they were so worn there was no rescuing them to a state of respectability! So I pulled them out and brought them home.

This evening I cut all the old tea towels in half and zig-zag hemmed the raw edges to make child-sized classroom cloths. Hey presto! Eight new sink cloths for next week, soft and absorbent and ready to start a new life!

Now I just need to persuade the teachers to bring in a few more old towels for cutting down, and we will have three week's worth of cloths for each class sink. Two of those weeks for free!!

Howzat for a nifty thrifty notion?!!

Of Churi Dahl, Weirdies, and Thrift Shop

The Lady for whom Middlest has been 'au pairing' this month wanted some small alterations to her daughters' new Churi Dahl Dresses (spelling? my Gujarati isn't so good...) and they are so very pretty I took a few photos to show you!

The baby's dress: (purple trousers to match)

These are the cuffs on the trousers- aren't they gorgeous? The colour is bad, they are forest green in reality.

And the toddler's dress, which go with the green trousers:

I used to wear Churi Dahl in East Africa, both for smart and for comfort, and boy! in a really hot, humid climate they are the most comfortable garments you could wish for...as well as covering up so well that you don't get burned, which is obviously also an issue.

I have about five outfits myself, and a Hindi friend used to share her formal ones with me when we had 'big' occasions. I wore the most ornate of mine here in Ireland once when I had to attend a formal School Charity Ball, and no one seemed to mind. I love them, comfortable and you feel fabulous!

Today is the last day before School starts for Youngest, and as she had school meetings this morning I was ambling around town for a bit. There's a furniture display in Johnston's Court and I thought this chair was just hilarious:

But these metal wall ornaments were ace...

...and I wondered whether I could play with the design for an embroidery, redwork perhaps, or in black thread? or perhaps appliqué? Anyhow, I though they were 'my' thing!

And then, in the Thrift shop I found this suede shirt, brand new, with amazing cutwork all around the hem:

Actually by its length its more of a tunic...should be a useful garment!

I also got matching pillowcases for Middlest, pink, with pictures of shoes on....absolutely spot on if you only knew- Imelda Marcos had nothing on our Middlest (in the shoe department- as far as I know, Middlest's dictator tendancies are quite stunted)...and a lined school skirt for Youngest. I paid €3 for the grey skirt and another €3 for a packet of navy blue dye: new, the school skirts cost upward of €40. Bargain!

Now tell me, am I thrifty, or am I thrifty?!

(Actually, its call being stingy, I know!!!)

Brand Spanking New Transport a la Heckety

D'you like my new transport? Good eh!

You have to admit its a mega lifestyle statement in the green credentials, standing for-

endurance

thrift

simple living

longevity

It saves on heating because I have to pedal so hard to get up the hill home that I stay warm for ages...

AND...it even saves on household water use, because when it rains I arrive home clean so...no need to shower!

What more could one look for in a new vehicle?


Admit it- you're jealous!!