southern fried gal

If ever you find yourself in my hometown of Alma, Arkansas and you appreciate a good bargain then I highly recommend you visit A to Z Gifts located North of the city on Highway 71.

A to Z has been around for years (more than I care to admit given my recent birthday). People come from all around to shop here these days – especially around Christmas. It used to be a quaint little shop where you could find a little bit of everything. It was always a treat to stop in and see what they had to offer.

Now there are several HUGE buildings with even a little bit more of everything – furniture, sporting goods, home decor, etc. This is the inside of the home decor and gifts building. It’s HUGE! I will say this. If you are going to shop here you need a healthy portion of patience, time to look, and the ability to say no to things you really don’t need no matter how good the bargain.

With that said, here are a few of my scores from a recent visit…

This print was only $1. The walls in my dining room are in desperate need of something and for $1 this will do. I’m on the lookout for a cheap frame that will most likely be sprayed with oil-rubbed-bronze paint. Wish me luck!

If you have been around my blog long you know I’m a sucker for fake plants with a natural look. It’s not always practical or in my budget to go real so I go for the next best thing. This huge branch was only $2.95 and screams spring to me. I can’t wait to give an early spring arrangement or maybe a door bucket height with this piece. Or maybe I’ll curl it up into a wreath and dress up a lantern.

I love the look of paper whites at Christmas and in January. I hate the smell. I found the perfect solution – faux real! (I crack myself up sometimes) The larger plants were $1.95 each and the smaller, non-blooming ones were $0.95. I think the small plants will make it seem even more real. I plan to nestle styrofoam in an urn, top with reindeer moss and punch these in. I can’t wait – is it time for Christmas decor, yet?

This is probably my favorite of all the finds. My dear friend, Kimberly, is a designer and she uses wraps and throws to add color and texture to her tablescapes. I have been on the lookout with not much luck until I found this beauty for only $5.95! It probably won’t make a debut until after Christmas but I’m still tickled with this find.

And finally I found this long, lime green sheer and satin scarf for just $1. I should have bought more at that price. I’m sure this will find its way into my Christmas decor.

So if you do the math I got all this for around $26 plus taxes. That’s not a bad haul for so many items and the great potential. Since I snapped these pictures I have already visited again. This time I scored mostly Christmas inspired loot. I’ll share soon.