Deals

Every one who knows me well knows that one of my biggest thrills in life is finding a good deal. I love yard sales, thrift stores, clearance racks and Craig's list. Next to actually finding a good deal, telling someone else about it is almost as thrilling. So here goes, my two most recent deals:

1. Dishes. After fifteen years of use, my dishes are looking worse for the wear with chips and markings from silverware. I've always loved my all white dishes and I still do. I think they set a nice table. They can be dressed up or down, color choices for table linens are unlimited and they show off the food well. I told Matt that I wanted new plates and bowls in my pattern for Christmas, but then--I found them-- a (nearly) full set of Mikasa French Countryside dishes. The woman who was selling them had gotten new dishes and was selling her old set, including the butter dish, salt and peppers, platter, vegetable bowls, gravy boat and cocoa mugs. I got all of them for a fraction of what it would have cost to replace just the plates and bowls in my own set. And since they're all white, I can mix them with what I already have. I'm tickled.

2. Dollhouse. In September I saw a dollhouse at a local store that I really wanted to get for Lydia for Christmas. Matt saw the price and said, "No way." I started looking at the thrift stores (too well loved) and on Craig's list (still more than I wanted to spend). The other night I went to the local store to get some things I needed. I saw the dollhouse again. It was sitting on a cart by the registers. I asked if it was the last one. The gal at the register said it was. Since it was the display model, it had all the furniture screwed down. I asked the manager if he would sell it to me for half price as once all the furniture was removed, there would be a bunch of holes in the floors. He agreed! This store never discounts anything. I thought I'd scored the big one. However, the next day, the inventory manager called me and told me I needed to bring the dollhouse back to the store because she was not allowed to sell it. It had to go back to the vendor, she said. She told me she had one more new dollhouse partially assembled in the back and I could have it. I said, "But I got the one I have for half off and I don't want to pay full price for a new one." She said, "Wow, you got a good deal, but I need the one you have back. I'll talk to a manager and we'll just exchange the display dollhouse for the new dollhouse straight across." I took the dollhouse back to the store and got the other one. It was fully assembled (saving Matt the hassle) and the furniture was not screwed to the floors! Woo hoo! The big girls helped me unload it when I got home. We're all convinced that Lydia will LOVE it (shhh--don't spoil the surprise!).