Some thrifty new plates for Christmas treats!

On Friday, an old colleague had asked to buy some signed copies of my new Christmas book, so of course I was happy to drop them off. Now while I don't do Black Friday shopping, my late mother was fond of visiting thrift stores and antique stores on Black Friday since so many people are usually at the malls and big-box stores. Goodwill, interestingly enough, does temperature checks and requires masks these days, so that's been one of the few places I've been happy to shop lately. There weren't many cars in the lot of one of our two local Goodwill stores, and when I stopped by, I learned that everything in the store was half off through Sunday. While I didn't find anything I just loved at that first store, the discount prompted me to stop by the second store, too, and I went home with several things I just loved. This charming handled plate/tray marked $1.99 was half off? Why, that's Dollar Tree pricing.

This plate (marked "Circus" and "Fragrance Collection") was just 75 cents, and isn't it pretty? I'll line it with a paper doily and deliver treats on it, so this plate may be enjoyed even more than the treats!

And this isn't a plate, but this ceramic tissue box, in mint condition and just 75 cents, may well be the prettiest one I've ever seen. It immediately went into the guest bathroom downstairs.

And it reminds me so much of my sugar and creamer from Fitz and Floyd. The shades of pink are a little different, but I just love a big, bloomy rose. (I also found a pewter bread plate I'd been wanting, and my whole bag of goodies was only $4. Score!)

My other fun "plate" find of the day, from Rockin' B Antiques, is one I'll be using as decor, because I'm not going to plop food on top of Baby Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, but isn't this lovely? I'm always drawn to these old plates with that gold floral design around the edges, and I can't believe I've never seen this design before. I love vintage Christmas decor, but it's rare that I find vintage Christmas items that depict the spiritual meaning of the holiday. This was perfect, and I thought the $10.99 price was reasonable.

This is easily my favorite vintage Christmas find of the year so far.

And it was made in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1956. Its proximity to Georgia is yet another reason I'm surprised not to have seen this design before!

And since it's Cyber Monday, I have one other happy shopping experience to share, one that has little to do with tea—at least not directly, anyway. Fellow blogger and tea lover Michele of The Nest at Finch Rest recently hosted a giveaway featuring her daughter's soap company, Fresha, and that caught my attention because I usually buy fancy soaps for both my daughter-in-law and stepdaughter each Christmas since they like them so much. But this year, I'm not buzzing around to fifteen different boutiques in search of soap, so I'd written that off. I looked at this company's lovely website and was instantly impressed, so I ordered a bar for each of the girls. When the soaps came—quickly, and beautifully packaged—I sure wished I'd ordered some for me … and will once I'm through shopping for others. This Pretty Pink Apple goat milk soap is a work of art. It smells so clean and fresh and not overly perfumy at all, and that frosty swirl on top is even prettier when you're seeing it live!

And when I saw this soap named Cozy Cashmere, I knew it needed to be a gift as well. Those creamy tan and ivory colors just look so rich and smell so luxurious, but not overpowering. (The soaps are carefully wrapped in pretty tissue, but I couldn't help untucking them for a moment to savor the fragrances.)

I do love a pretty package, but most days, I'm just happy if Amazon gets it to me uncrushed, you know? So to receive a package with a pretty, tiny envelope containing the receipt, a lovely thank-you card, some wrapped candies, and a darling little yummy-smelling sample soap for me (oh, what plush lather!) … well, I was just bowled over. I've grown so accustomed to "so-so" customer service that "excellent" customer service and packaging truly gets my attention. So I've said all that to say this: This year, I'm trying to purchase more gifts from people and small businesses that I know (or in this case, whose mothers I know) rather than supporting the same ole big guys who don't know me or care about earning my business. So if you're in the market for some soaps or soap gifts, do yourself a favor and check out Fresha Soap Co. right here. Even with shipping (and you can choose First Class or Priority), the prices are quite reasonable, and for those of you who like a soak in the tub, there are bath teas too! (No affiliation, and I wasn't asked to write this. Just a ridiculously happy customer!)