On Sunday afternoon I ran some errands and one thing on my list was trying to find some new dishes. I set out to find cute, inexpensive items that will spruce up my food photographs.
I mentioned on my Wish List that cute dishes were something I was in search of and not everything I found Sunday may necessarily be considered “cute” but they are functional. And sometimes being practical trumps cuteness. Sometimes.
Here’s the loot.
First up, a box for Skylar. I love her little art projects and artwork that she makes. But it’s everywhere. Not anymore. Enter: This Box.
Now all artwork will be contained in this box. I hate messes and random half scribbled on pieces of paper laying everywhere! Clutter, no more.
Next up, some napkins/placemats that will make nice backdrops for blog pictures.
70 cents? Score!
Next up: These pieces would fit the definition of “Cute Dishes” in my book.
A cute bowl with a ribbon threaded through it. I wonder how this will hold up in the dishwasher?
A cake stand. You know, for all those cakes I make. Kidding.
I am more of a Biggie Microwave Banana Cake girl lately but for when I do make that cake, the stand will be perfect.
I wonder how Raw Vegan Almond Butter Cookies would look on the cake stand? And call it a no-bake cookie stand, instead.
Finally, new plates for me!
I had no intention of buying new plates, but for $2.99 each, I couldn’t pass these up.
My everyday dishes are from Pottery Barn, circa 2005. They have been washed thousands of times and have been wonderful. But, they have seen better days.
Not to mention, the beige/pale yellow hue does nothing for food. Read: it makes food look worse.
I have no idea how I’ve blogged for almost 2 years with these dingy yellow plates, but for $2.99 x 4, I am now in business with crisp, white, square plates.
I didn’t “stage” this lettuce, i.e. I threw it on a plate while I was unwrapping my loot and snapped away.
And the photo was taken at night with zero natural light coming in.
Then I put the new green 70 cent placement underneath. And another improvement happened, I’d say.
Then, I put it all away.
And I remembered that I have dishes I don’t use. But should use. I did a post on Shopping in my own Kitchen (and Closet) and need to re-read my own post!
From my last post on 6 Words, thanks to everyone who played along with your six word phrases to describe life, happiness, and love. Some of you came up with some great ones!
Thanks for the compliments on the 6 word phrases I chose. Honestly, I rattled those off in like two minutes. That’s how my brain works. That type of stuff is easy for me. It’s things like physics or calculus that my brain doesn’t do well with.
But let’s not talk about physics or calc.
Let’s talk snacking: No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
These take about 5 minutes to make. And I chose this dessert to show how the old yellow plate isn’t “bad”, it’s just the balls aren’t popping off the page or anything.
Questions:
1. Best thing you ate or did over the weekend?
Scoring at Marshall’s on my new dishes!
2. Are you off from school or work today?
I’m not. So don’t rub it in.
3. Do you like shopping at places like Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Homegoods, etc. where you can find great deals but the inventory is unpredictable from week to week and while you’re there, you have to be willing to root around and dig for the deals?
I won’t lie, when things are out of order, messy, (i.s. Skylar’s artwork laying everywhere), and I get overwhelmed and want to bail or not shop in places like that. And in my former life I did. I never understood how my mother actually liked going to places like that.
Currently, however, for household goods like dishes, kitchen gadgets, bedding; socks, accessories, luggage, purses, those types of stores can be a gold mine and I can hang. I scored all of my loot in this post for $32 bucks, after tax!
But I still am very overwhelmed by buying clothes there and usually don’t. I see sports bras packed into racks with workout pants hanging off with a man’s cardigan sweater on the floor with an odd white tennis shoe nearby and I am instantly turned off and can’t even sort through the clothes. Good deals and all. Oh well.
What’s your comfort level with the disarray and one-of-a-kind nature of discount stores?
Happy President’s Day to all who are celebrating it. Enjoy your day off!
P.S. If you’re just catching up on posts from the weekend, here are mine since Friday
I love Homegoods!! I go there all the time just trolling the aisles for cute things…lucky for me it is attached to TJ Maxx, so I hit that up as well. Marshalls is my fave for clothes :-)
I love your new dishes!!! I use my cake plate for serving lots of fun cookies and finger foods to family and guests! They are much more versatile than given credit for!
Woo, love the new square plates! I didn’t get the day off either, but that’s okay. I enjoyed yoga and my favorite cereal today, so that made up for it!
LOVE those square plates! I can’t wait to go shopping for new kitchen accessories myself! I was busy all weekend but was off from work today and it was super nice! I got to go for a long trail run in the nice warm weather and some great studying done!
Yay for inexpensive dishes!! Love Marshalls, you found some great items!!
xo
thanks for all your comments today, linda.
I LOVE Marshalls they seriously have the CUTEST stuff and best prices, I have almost bought those little cake dishes so many times but was concerned about how to wash them you’ll have to let me know how they work!
i have no idea if i will ever really put much in those bowls other than for photography purposes, but will keep u posted!
those stores are a great hunt! if i have a little time i love exploring for random cheap treasures :) i didn’t have off today either and the best thing i did over the wknd was eat at salt! what a fun hip place :)
hey averie!
score! you did so well at marshall’s! :-)
best thing this weekend? well, besides it being a three-day weekend, spending time with some friends, attending a sports game, and cleaning (yes, I wrote that).
today was “Family Day”, so no work for me! it was only instituted as a holiday a few years ago.
we have Winners and HomeSense here and I like shopping at both. the trick? shop regularly and only look at the end-cap racks (where the new stuff is), shoes, housewares, and accessories. otherwise, going through the racks takes time and patience. another tip: don’t try stuff on at the store. if you’re going regularly, try stuff on at home and then take back anything that doesn’t work for ya.
xo
great tips! :)
I take it a step further and shop at the Goodwill! I love getting dishes and clothes and just about anything there!… but especially dishes.
You scored some great deals on the plates!
I love getting new dishes!! I’ve also found some great, cheap ones at Pier One.
And I always try to hide my fiances clutter…it sometimes works.
i hide scott’s clutter too…amen girl!
I have found amazing plates at the thift store! I do wash them like 3 times just in case but usually I can find some in a great condition. I may never go to a real housewears store for dishes again! I’m a dishtowel/napkin addict, go a lot but probably not compared to many bloggers.
bloggers have the corner on the napkin/dishtowel market, for sure! i havent had luck with thrift stores for dishes lately but marshalls/tj maxx is so cheap, i am not complaining.
I love your new plates and that art box for Skylar!! I can’t wait to see that cute cake stand in use for something, too :)
I’ve never had luck finding cute dishware at our TJ Maxx here – but I have scored some deals in the clearance section of Bed, Bath and Beyond. I love a good discount – means I have more money to (over)spend on overpriced food :P
Best thing I ate this past weekend? I loved your pancakes that I made!! Oh, and the banana oat cake I just had along with a chocolate-coconut donut hole wasn’t so bad, either ;)
pancakes, oat cakes, donut holes…i am flattered :)
LOVE the new dishes!! I need some great white ones soon too!! Makes your food pop in photos for sure!
The cake stand is adorable too, you will have too make a yummy cake soon!!!
Hope your day is great love!!!
My blog moved but Im still learning wordpress! xoxo
thanks for the POP info :)
love your new site girl, it looks great!
I love shopping for new, fun blog dishes. I usually head to Target, Ross, Marshall’s.
I have never heard of Marshall’s … is it like Winners?
yes pretty sure it’s the same concept!