A Jewelry Store? A Bookstore? An Art Gallery? Yes to all!

It's no secret that I love to read! I've mentioned many times in previous posts that I like to go to a special Goodwill Store that we have close by that has books, books and more books! The best thing is that most of them are 80 cents! You can't go wrong with that! Even buying online books at 99 cents can't beat my bookstore. I've also mentioned many times that someday I was going to take pictures of this store and write a post about it. Today is that day!

A little background...the reason for my title to this post is this bookstore has many faces. It's a bookstore, true, but it's also a nick-knack store, a jewelry store, an art gallery and much, much more! 

Here you see books! What I love is that the employees that work here have this store super organized. They have signs posted above each section that says whether it's Fiction, Non-Fiction, Education, Health, Parenting, Religious, Cooking, etc, etc...you get the idea, right? The books are all alphabetized by author in each section!

And in little nooks and crannies, like on the shelf at the bottom of this photo, they tuck little treasures, like dolls, candle sticks, looks like there is even a Santa Claus cookie jar down there! Darn, wish I had seen that!

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Here's the front entrance and they have a bookcase there facing the outside with some of their newer inventory of books. I usually grab about three or four books the second I come in!

And I forgot to put in my title that this is also a Hallmark Store!! Well not really, but see that nice, neat little section of different greeting cards? Nothing goes to waste once donated to Goodwill!

Also look carefully and you will see lots of other goodies, see some purses hanging on the wall behind the cashier? They also have some vintage jewelry back there too!

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Another shot of books and they also sell boxes. I've bought some of these boxes many times to move and sometimes just to store some of the books I've bought and read and need to return to Goodwill so someone else can benefit from them!

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I could spend hours in this place, which is why it's nice that they have created such a nice little reading area. All of this is donated stuff and almost all of it is for sale, but these tables and the little couch and a few chairs on the other side are not for sale but for customers to just sit and relax and look at books. 

The store has regular customers that come in and sit on weekends and just pass the time, just like a Barnes and Noble Bookstore...except without a Starbucks. 

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Another shot of books! As you can see there is a never-ending supply of books coming into this store constantly! Can you also see those posters and pictures set alongside? There are treasures to be seen everywhere!

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Another shot of books! When you read as much as I do it's really a nice option to be able to have such a huge selection for such a great price...plus, when I finish I donate them back so the Goodwill continues to profit from the books and someone else gets the pleasure of reading these books over and over again! Win-Win!

I thought this was an interesting little corner to share because this is all their vintage books. I've been looking for a first edition copy of the book, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney. It was a book I read over and over as a child until it fell apart. I always check out this section and hope that one day I will come upon it. That will be a happy-happy, joy-joy day!

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And say you come with someone that is not into books...well they won't be bored, just tell them to stroll over to the Art Gallery! I love this section!!!

Here's a shot from the entrance, this room is located at the back of the store and there's lots of natural light which is perfect to show off all this cool artwork you can buy. It's all for sale! Someone that really loved ballet must have recently donated!

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More artwork! Isn't this fabulous? And all hung and displayed so nicely. And the store is so clean!!! 

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Can you see why I love this place and constantly rave about it and devoted a whole post to it? And I'm still not done!!! Yes...there is more to see!

I probably should have started with this photo as this is the front of the store. 

Where to start! Ok, so on the shelves to the left you see magazines. Yes, they even salvage magazines, lots of Oprah's and Southern Living and others. More artwork of course, probably their newest arrivals! And lots of little nick-knacks on the shelves and even on the floor! You can see in the background what appears to be jewelry, it is!

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This is a very cute section too. They don't sell the little bookshelf itself, trust me I've asked because I love it, but it is always filled with lots of cute little treasures!

And because I was so busy taking photos I wasn't really paying much attention to what was on the shelf and now I see that little angel blowing a kiss!! Love it! Shoulda bought it!

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And now...my favorite section in the whole store...oh c'mon....who am I kidding, the whole store is my favorite. But you know how you save the best for last? Well I always save looking at the jewelry for last because it is my favorite part.

I have found tons of cute bracelets and necklaces here for great prices! And the great thing is the pieces I find here are unique one of a kind items that no one else has!

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And I didn't leave empty handed. Along with all these great pictures, look what's in my shopping cart?

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I think that book in the front is one my mom or sister threw into my cart because I just looked around here at home and I don't have that book and I know it's not a book I would have been interested in. But the low-carb cookbook and the Atkins book behind it I will love going through.

So this is why I don't own a Kindle. Owning a kindle would keep me from the pleasure of visiting this great place filled with books and treasures and jewels and artwork and would probably put Goodwill out of business considering that I visit this place almost every weekend...but wouldn't you if you had it in your home town?


 

Mosaic Monday - Beautiful Hand Crafted Jewelry

I've been pretty lucky in the giveaway department of late. Recently I won a giveaway hosted by Della of Della Grace's Life.

Della is very talented at so many things I don't know if I have enough room to list them all. She's a delightful blogger, I love reading her blog! She can be insightful...yet random. She takes awesome photos; many of which I would swear were taken by a professional. The cool thing about her photos is that she takes them herself using a timer on her camera. How she knows exactly when to pose, smile, jump, throw things is beyond me! She's currently attending junior college, she raises Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats, she an Allstar 4-H'r. What drew me to her blog is that most of the outfits she puts together she uses pieces she purchased at thrift stores! And on top of all that (as if that wasn't enough) she cooks, sews and makes jewelry.

I got tired just typing all that and she does that all day, every day. Again, a very talented young lady.

Back in September she hosted a giveaway of three separate jewelry pieces that she made herself with her own two talented hands! She called one the Windows Necklace and you can see a picture of that by clicking here. She called the next one the Red Letter Necklace, again click here to see that one. And last but not least, the Audrey Set which came with a pair of matching earrings.

I lusted after the Audrey Set since I love Audrey Hepburn & I loved the colors of this necklace...and lo and behold! I won!

I'm posting the photos of the Audrey Set which Della posted on her blog because her photos are much better and show the true detail and coloring better than my photos. (Oh...and by the way, the red cloth you see in my mosaic above is from a different giveaway I won recently! I know...I told you I've been lucky in the giveaway department of late, maybe I should buy a lottery ticket huh?)

Can't you just see Audrey Hepburn wearing this set? Wouldn't it have looked beautiful on her in this photo?

I've already worn the necklace and earrings about 6 times and I love them. They go with so many things, especially since I tend to wear a lot of black, white, grey and pink to work. Sometimes I wear the necklace with the clasp to the back and sometimes with it to the front because the clasp itself is so pretty.

Thanks Della for making this thing of beauty and for being generous enough to give it away! Everyone else, go visit Della, tell her I sent you and admire her blog, it also is a thing of beauty as is Della herself!

Also, I'm linking up to Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Please stop by there, say hi to Mary and visit some of the other Mosaic'ers.

Iwanna Wednesday - It's a Bangle Thang!

Lately I've been on a jewelry kick. I think it all started a few Friday's ago when my sister Lisa and I went to Macy's and I wandered around in the jewelry department. I think I caught a virus, a jewelry "bug".

And you know that they say about jewelry. Oh...you don't? Well what they say is:

"Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles" ~Sonja Henie

So in the spirit of taking people's minds off my wrinkles (not that I actually have any) and being that this is Iwanna Wednesday and I can Iwanna anything; be it imaginary, extravagent, not invented yet...pretty much anything IWANNA, what Iwanna is. BANGLE BRACELETS!!!

When I was in high school, I remember having one exactly like this one. I loved it. I wore it every single day. But somewhere between high school and today (and no, we don't have to know how many years that was) I lost it. So Iwanna just a simple gold bangle like this one.

Or maybe Iwanna one like this. Still very simple and elegant and something I can wear everyday with almost anything right?


But then I got a little greedy and I thought to myself, "Self...if one bangle is good, wouldn't a whole bunch of them be better?" So Iwanna these now. Hmmm, maybe these on the right arm and the two above on the left arm? Hey...it's my Iwanna Wednesday, why not. And they're solid gold so I could wear them without fear of any nickel allergy.
Well, then again...you know what they say about Gold right? You don't? Oh geesh, alright, well let me fill you in.

Gold! gold! gold! gold! Bright and yellow, hard and cold! ~Thomas Hood

That makes sense, right, hard and cold. Maybe since the weather is getting colder and clothes are getting bulkier, maybe Iwanna something like these.

Bold and Bulky! Now Iwanna won't be Sulky! ~ Iwanna

Huh? What do you mean that's cheesy? I thought it was rather clever!

But as it's almost time for the holidays, how about these below? These are perfect with all the colors of Christmas, I think Iwanna these instead.


But then again, you know what they say (why do "they" always have so much to say?)

"Don't miss all the colors of the Rainbow looking for that Pot of Gold"

Maybe I should listen to they and look for something a little more colorful. I think Iwanna some of these. Aren't they beautiful?

"May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer." ~Irish Blessing

Iwanna so many pretty things, but always remember, even when you Iwanna everything. . .

I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, while character comes from within. ~ Titus Maccius Plautus

Iwanna Wednesday - Butterfly Rings

Welcome to Iwanna Wednesday! The day I get to be me and show you things that I want, which is why I'm nicknamed Iwanna!

You know how I tell you that my sister and I have a weekly thing of sharing Friday Nights. We go out to dinner and then try to do something fun.

Last friday we went to a favorite place to eat, Carrows Restaurant. I know, I know...Carrows? Well you see, they have this Asian Chicken Salad that is the best salad ever! We could eat that salad three times a day for the rest of our lives and never need anything else...well maybe some pie or ice cream, but other than that...just the salad! Delicious! Iwanna eat this salad again this Friday!

After dinner we decided to go to the Mall (Valley Plaza, sound familiar JarieLyn?) We started out at JC Penneys where my sister Lisa bought a blouse and I think some shoes and bought me some socks. Then we headed over to Macy's so she could take a look at the MAC Makeup.

While she was looking at MAC I strolled over to the jewelry section and was just kind of looking around until my sister came up and we both instantly saw this ring.

And we both instantly picked one up to try on it we both instantly got it stuck on our fingers! Honest we did! Luckily we were able to get them off but it was a struggle. Iwanna this ring, but unfortunately it's not real gold and I have a problem wearing anything that isn't either 14 carat gold or nickel free. Sucks to be me! I know.

So today I was shopping online to find that ring which is made by Guess and I came across these other beautiful butterfly rings that Iwanna, cause I do so love butterflies!

Iwanna this one! It's so pretty and guess what? It's made out of acrylic, so I could totally wear this one!


Iwanna this one so much as well. It's so delicate looking and I love the coloring. This one is copper. Not sure what my skin would do with copper, but it might be worth the rash just to wear something so gorgeous!


I loved this one because I love anything with green on it! And being silver it wouldn't give me a rash quite as quick, but I still would get one eventually :-( But still...Iwanna it!
And here's the perfect one for me...it's made out of felt. No nickel, no rash. Cute isn't it? And it comes in a rainbow of colors. Iwanna one in each color please.

So what about you? Do you like jewelry? Wishing for anything special for Christmas? Iwanna hear from you so leave me a comment and let me know.