See these little retro beauties? These adorable end tables or nightstands? That just need a little TLC?

$3.88 a piece at the thrift store, my friends.

Let’s give the Lord some praise.

I also found some funky new lamps, some great glassware, and the sweet little wall plaque that I mentioned in the previous post. I’ll post pictures after I get everything polished and shined and placed.

And oh! I bought a desk for $10 (A DESK! FOR TEN DOLLARS!) that, after a little paint and hardware rehab, is going to be the new headquarters of BooMama: The Blawg.

Because as much as I love blogging from the living room bar, I fear my back is going to cave in on itself if I continue to sit on a backless barstool while I painstakingly produce my exceedingly pedestrian prose.

For the last several weeks I’ve wanted to change up a few things in our house. I feel like I’ve been staring at the same arrangement of the same accessories for the last sweet forever, and I thought it might be fun to do a little “sprucing” in the decorative department. Not anything drastic or expensive, mind you – but most definitely something different than, you know, those three candles that have been on my coffee table since 2001.

In short, I need to mix it up a bit.

This house was built in the early 70’s, and it has the sort of groovy 70’s vibe you might expect. I’ve mentioned before that we have a large bar in one corner of our living room, and the bar pretty much dictates that our decorative scheme has to be at least a smidge funky. No matter which way you try to work it, there’s just not much about an oversized wet bar that screams “SIMPLE ELEGANCE.” Since our furniture is pretty traditional, any hint of retro has to come from accessories.

And that, oh internets, is the heart of my decorating dilemma.

Also: I do not want to spend much money. Because I am somewhat cheap.

Well, yesterday my friend Leigh called me from an estate sale that was right down the street from us, and she said that I needed to get over there. RIGHT THAT SECOND. D. and I love the house where the estate sale was being held, and several times I’ve remarked that I could just TELL that the house was filled with groovy goodness. Since Leigh knows my taste really well, I stopped what I was doing and popped over there.

And can I just say? It did not disappoint.

I found a cool end table for $25 (TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS, y’all). I found this metal leaf tree thingy for $6 that is straight out a Partridge Family episode and is going to look absolutely perfect in our den. Then there were a couple of classic cookbooks, some kitchen utensils (the cooks who are reading will understand how giddy I was when I found a Le Creuset skillet for ONE DOLLAR), a pair of salt and pepper shakers that would make Carol Brady proud, some great Christmas decorations, and a beautiful copper planter with a matching base.

When all was said and done, I had two huge bags of accessories – plus a table – for $60. Even better, I found things for my house that won’t be in any chain store, things that I wouldn’t have been able to find anywhere else. That tickles me to death.

And I will now employ the use of some visual aids.

Here’s the table I bought. It needs to be cleaned and polished, but I think it’s going to be perfect next to D.’s chair.

And my Partridge Family leaf tree – oh-so-groovy, don’t you think?

And I just have to show you one of the cookbooks, mainly because D.’s reaction was, “Um, was she trying to match her dress to her wallpaper?”

I told him to stop that blasphemy right that second because if not for Helen Corbitt, there would be no Paula Deen. Mrs. Helen was the original Southern hostess with the mostest, and WE WILL HONOR HER MEMORY IN THIS HOUSE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

And I love me a woman who can work a bold print like that, y’all.

So here’s the plan for today. I’m going to take $40 to a thrift store. That will give me a total re-do investment of $100 – which is mighty reasonable, I think. At the thrift store I’m hoping to find a couple of fun things to hang on my walls, along with a few other accessories. If I hit the gently-worn jackpot, I’m going to get the living room all spiffy and revamped once I get home – and sometime in the next few days I’ll post some before and after pictures.

CAN YOU EVEN STAND THE EXCITEMENT OF IT ALL?

And I’m trusting that since Mrs. Helen is living at our house now, she will be perfectly capable of holding down the fort while I go shopping.

She’ll probably even make some lovely canapes.