Finding Contentment

Le Rooster is in the kitchen

It all started back in September or October, when I found this guy at our local Goodwill for a couple of bucks. I don’t know why I bought him, he just spoke to me. We had purchased our first chickens about six months earlier, and I was in love.

We can’t have a rooster because of the noise ordinance in our city, so maybe I thought I would substitute with this guy. Not to mention that his patriotic colors spoke to me of a love of our nation. I bought him and hung him in an empty spot on the kitchen wall.

After weeks and weeks of looking at him, I guess I decided somewhere in my subconscious that I needed to redecorate my kitchen in chickens and roosters. For me, redecorating a room is a labor of love that often takes years. That’s because I’ve never been able to afford to just go buy everything I need to redecorate. Instead, I start looking everywhere for frugal finds and treasures. I purchase things at thrift stores, yard sales, and occasionally, at an actual store. Bits and pieces at a time. And it takes forever. But I don’t mind – I love the joy of the hunt and the treasures are more precious to me because I couldn’t just go out and buy them on a whim.

Over the last few months I have hit the jackpot several times. Here’s what I’ve bought since the patriotic rooster came to my kitchen.

First my husband and I picked out this picture among many on clearance for about $10 at Wal-Mart (I had to take the photo at an angle to avoid a glare).

We both fell in love with it because it represents what we view as the perfect home. It gives me a feeling of peace every time I look at it. And yes, you probably can't see them but there are some tiny chickens running around the barn yard.God hasn’t decided we need that home yet, but he did bless us just weeks ago by allowing us to purchase the home we have been renting for the past seven years. This spring we will be repainting every room in our 1605 square-foot, 4-bedroom home. No more blah, boring, beige walls!

Shortly after Christmas I was in Wal-Mart (once again) when I saw these kitchen curtains.

How perfect are they with their patchwork chickens and roosters? Unfortunately, the curtains were definitely not frugal at $20 per set. Still, I had some Christmas money to spend, and my husband encouraged me to spend the money on something I really wanted, even if it wasn’t frugal. So I purchased three sets of the curtains (the last they had at the time) and brought them home. Two sets went here on the double windows over my kitchen sink, and the other set will soon hang over the window on my back door. If I get an extra $20 any time soon, I may go buy another set to go over the window in my pantry (the pantry has a window because years ago it was a back porch).

With the roughly $15 I had left over from my Christmas money, I purchased these three metal canisters from a Burke’s Outlet.

They had a lot of “chicken décor” so picking something was hard. But I liked the old-fashioned feel to these and the fact that only one of them had a rooster on it – I didn’t want too much of a good thing!

And then came the treasures I found today. My husband and I went to Home Depot to price some materials we would need for a few projects around the house, and he offered to stop by my favorite store – Goodwill.

That’s where I found these brand new items for $4.

They were beautiful, and would fit perfectly with my new theme. On the bottom of one was written the name of the artist – Susan Winget. I looked her up on the Internet when I got home and discovered I loved all her stuff! And then, through her Web site, I discovered that she lives and has her studio on a farm 30-45 minutes from my home! I will definitely be on the lookout for her stuff now, and have bookmarked her Web site just in case I get any more “mad money” as a gift one day.

However, I have a mystery you may be able to help me solve. The two smaller Susan Winget items are obviously salt and pepper shakers, but I have no idea what the larger one is. It has holes in the top and a place to pour stuff into the bottom. Any suggestions on what it could be or what I can use it for? It would have to be something that wouldn’t “clump” as the holes in the top mean it is not airtight.

I looked all over Mrs. Winget’s Web site and found the collection (it’s called “Le Rooster,” isn’t that cute?) but couldn’t find these particular pieces. I thought about emailing and asking her. Do you think it would be offensive to an artist to know I got her stuff at Goodwill?

Oh, and here is what else I got at Goodwill: Martha Stewart’s “Good Things” and a book called “Grandmother's Kitchen Basics & Solutions.”

The “Le Rooster” items, two good books, a board game for the kids and a paperback book for my daughter – all for about $8. Not bad, huh?

Great finds!

07:46 PM, Saturday, January 19, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

I just came to visit the homestead and came across your blog. I am from homeschoolblogger. I also have been contemplating the rooster/chicken theme. My only inspiration is a little plastic rooster just bigger than a quarter. I have no idea where it came from! I like the colors and it has made me look around at the possibilities. I will check out Goodwill myself soon! Blessed be your day. Come visit when you can.
www.homeschoolblogger.com/allpurposewoman

Chickens!

12:45 PM, Sunday, January 20, 2008 .. Posted by bodkin

I too love chickens. We found an old incubator in our fruit cellar when we first moved to our old house. It inspired me to start collecting chickens (19 years now!) and we put them in our back parlour - we call it "The Coop". I will try and post some pictures on my blog in the future.

Well, here's to all of us crazy chicken lovers.
Your friend,
Shan

your roosters

11:07 AM, Tuesday, January 22, 2008 .. Posted by 50s housewife

Your roosters are adorable! I wonder if the larger "shaker" is for sugar? I really don't know...

Untitled Comment

05:34 PM, Tuesday, January 22, 2008 .. Posted by tractorchick72

Hi there! Your roosters are adorable :o) I have no idea what the one canister is and I even went on a search of the net looking for it LOL, but to no avail :o( I'm sure there is somebody out there that knows. Thank you for adding me to your friends list :o).

Have a great day,

Tricia

Love the roosters

02:07 PM, Saturday, January 26, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

I think every 'country' style kitchen needs something with rooster/chickens on it. I just love what you have found. They are great.
I peay you are having a wonderful weekend. It was great catching up on your blog.

Cindy
homesteadblogger.com/highhopesacademy

Great Finds

03:27 PM, Wednesday, February 13, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

I collect roosters,too,so I know what you mean about the excitement.Could that piece be a garlic keeper? Just a thought.And congratulations on your great find!
Sincerely,
Gayle