I've had a week, so far, where there just hasn't been anything to post about. I've been working at my day job and doing all the mundane chores like cooking, doing laundry and keeping life in order. No great finds at the thrift stores and no great sales, either.
The only bright spot is that the sun is shining and it's in the 50s today (that automatically makes everything seem better)! I'm hoping that the weekend will bring some great sales and great buys . . .then some great posts, too.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Fun Finds on Friday!
I don't believe in luck, karma or fate, but happy things were definitely happening today!
Yesterday I went to a sale at a 'repeat' home -- they'd had one there a month or so ago and had promised to have 'lots more' soon. Well, it was pretty much the leftovers with the old price tags and new dust (I guess the dust is the 'lots more' they were adding. There were, however, one or two additions. I got these two aprons, which I think might be feedsack.
I also bought two pictures in matching frames, of Jesus and Mary with their Sacred Hearts (popular with some people, but definitely to a particular taste). Mary needed a new piece of glass, so this afternoon I took the picture out and look what I found!
There was another flower picture under Jesus. 
I have nothing against sacred art (in fact, I rather like it so I'm keeping Jesus & Mary for myself), but flowers have a much more shabby chic appeal.
From the sale yesterday and the two today, I got some great bargains:
Yesterday I went to a sale at a 'repeat' home -- they'd had one there a month or so ago and had promised to have 'lots more' soon. Well, it was pretty much the leftovers with the old price tags and new dust (I guess the dust is the 'lots more' they were adding. There were, however, one or two additions. I got these two aprons, which I think might be feedsack.
I also bought two pictures in matching frames, of Jesus and Mary with their Sacred Hearts (popular with some people, but definitely to a particular taste). Mary needed a new piece of glass, so this afternoon I took the picture out and look what I found!
There was another flower picture under Jesus. 
I have nothing against sacred art (in fact, I rather like it so I'm keeping Jesus & Mary for myself), but flowers have a much more shabby chic appeal. From the sale yesterday and the two today, I got some great bargains:
A dog planter and a percolator -- both $1 and both so filthy it was hard to see what they looked like
Two vintage games in their boxes
A sparkle plastic pitcher that takes me right back to my childhood. We always had a pitcher like this with orange juice in our refrigerator. Did everyone?
Two very old soap holders -- I think these went with claw foot bathtubs and they might turn out to be the find of the day!
Last, but not least, this Proctor Silex percolator, which comes apart so that you can wash the glass body.
This is the other happy occurrence. The perc was bargain priced because there was no cord. The dealers said that they couldn't find the cord anywhere (I figured I could pick one up at a thrift store). When I opened it up to clean it, there was the cord, neatly tucked into the coffee basket (just where everyone I know keeps theirs)! Happy dance!
And the last happy occurrence? The sun came out today!
I hope your Friday shopping was good -- check out A la Carte's 'Junkin Finds Friday' post to see what other people have found.
Two vintage games in their boxes
A sparkle plastic pitcher that takes me right back to my childhood. We always had a pitcher like this with orange juice in our refrigerator. Did everyone?
Two very old soap holders -- I think these went with claw foot bathtubs and they might turn out to be the find of the day!
Last, but not least, this Proctor Silex percolator, which comes apart so that you can wash the glass body.
This is the other happy occurrence. The perc was bargain priced because there was no cord. The dealers said that they couldn't find the cord anywhere (I figured I could pick one up at a thrift store). When I opened it up to clean it, there was the cord, neatly tucked into the coffee basket (just where everyone I know keeps theirs)! Happy dance! And the last happy occurrence? The sun came out today!
I hope your Friday shopping was good -- check out A la Carte's 'Junkin Finds Friday' post to see what other people have found.
Spring 2011 Flea Market Style
The Flea Market Style magazine for Spring, 2011 has hit the stores! I got my copy yesterday and urge you all to go out and pick one up. Every page I turned to had a great idea for making something fantastic from something found.I wish I could be one of the super-creative people who are featured in this magazine (as several of the bloggers I follow are), but for now I'll just be content to 'sit at the feet (or check out the blogs) of the masters'.
The one repurpose I can't wait to try is to turn old silverware into plant sticks by stamping the plant names onto the bowls of the spoons and the handles of forks. Now I'm on the lookout for a good source for inexpensive alphabet metal stamps. I have so many pieces of old silverplate already & you can always pick them up for very little at the markets.
Another great idea is using a croquet mallet as a curtain rod (attaching the mallet to the window frame with a cabinet door hinge). How clever is that!
There are so many great ideas in this mag -- hurry out and buy it. You won't be disappointed!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A Most Wonderful Gift!
I just received a most wonderful gift. . . from a most special friend!
A while back, a thing was going around on Facebook called 'Pay It Forward'. You put a post up on your status where you agreed to make something (handmade, obviously) for the first 5 people who commented. They, in turn, agreed to post it on their status and 'pay it forward' to the first 5 people who commented on theirs. I've been working on my 'pay it forward' projects but (except for the refurbished glove box, which went to my niece) they haven't been given out yet.
WELL...
A few minutes ago, this gigantic box arrived from my friend Kally!
It was so big that our mail lady didn't even get out of her truck with it: she just honked her horn and I went out and got it. It was light as a feather, so I don't know why she was such a slacker...
The box held the most beautiful & wonderful thing -- this gorgeous turquoise & red 'big gum drop pillow', to use Kally's own words. To get an idea of its size, the floor tiles are 12"x12". Isn't it luscious?
I feel like I just won the lottery or something, because it's so beautiful! Thank you a thousand times, dear friend!
A while back, a thing was going around on Facebook called 'Pay It Forward'. You put a post up on your status where you agreed to make something (handmade, obviously) for the first 5 people who commented. They, in turn, agreed to post it on their status and 'pay it forward' to the first 5 people who commented on theirs. I've been working on my 'pay it forward' projects but (except for the refurbished glove box, which went to my niece) they haven't been given out yet.
WELL...
A few minutes ago, this gigantic box arrived from my friend Kally!
It was so big that our mail lady didn't even get out of her truck with it: she just honked her horn and I went out and got it. It was light as a feather, so I don't know why she was such a slacker...The box held the most beautiful & wonderful thing -- this gorgeous turquoise & red 'big gum drop pillow', to use Kally's own words. To get an idea of its size, the floor tiles are 12"x12". Isn't it luscious?
I feel like I just won the lottery or something, because it's so beautiful! Thank you a thousand times, dear friend!
Button Bonanza - Part II
I spent most of Monday afternoon playing with buttons -- it took me right back to my childhood & playing in my mom's button box!
Most of them were pretty ordinary, but there were lots of colorful & novelty buttons, as well as a fair number of 'artsy' clothing buttons and lots of buckles. I think some of them are bakelite, and I'll need to do some research if I'm going to sell them.
I packaged most of the ordinary & colored ones in little bags to sell in the booth, but kept lots of them for projects:
Here are some pictures of the artsy buttons & buckles:
I wish I could sew clothing so I could use this awesome cellulose green hook closure!
These buttons are so cool -- the horn ones with the flowers & red centers are 2" wide!
The 3 large ones here are a deep purple & more than 3" wide...
I hope my dear friend Kally will see this post, because she makes the most beautiful & artsy-est garments of anyone I know -- she's a truly gifted seamstress. If anyone could show these buttons off to their best advantage, she could!
Most of them were pretty ordinary, but there were lots of colorful & novelty buttons, as well as a fair number of 'artsy' clothing buttons and lots of buckles. I think some of them are bakelite, and I'll need to do some research if I'm going to sell them.
I packaged most of the ordinary & colored ones in little bags to sell in the booth, but kept lots of them for projects:
Here are some pictures of the artsy buttons & buckles:Some of these buckles are HUGE! I'm sure the brown striped one and green ones are bakelite. The purple grapes are a hook closure -- so cool!
I wish I could sew clothing so I could use this awesome cellulose green hook closure!
These buttons are so cool -- the horn ones with the flowers & red centers are 2" wide!
The 3 large ones here are a deep purple & more than 3" wide...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Button Bonanza
I found a button bonanza at my local thrift today -- these bags had just been put out and I got first pick! 
I didn't intend to buy so many, but every bag I looked at had more wonderful buttons & buckles in it than the last. Have you ever seen so many buttons in one place? The cashier lost count and even charged me for one extra bag, but I don't mind because it's the Salvation Army & I know it will help someone out.
I can hardly wait to finish up my work on my day job so I can play with my new (old) buttons! My head is fairly spinning with ideas for projects to use them on...
I didn't intend to buy so many, but every bag I looked at had more wonderful buttons & buckles in it than the last. Have you ever seen so many buttons in one place? The cashier lost count and even charged me for one extra bag, but I don't mind because it's the Salvation Army & I know it will help someone out.I can hardly wait to finish up my work on my day job so I can play with my new (old) buttons! My head is fairly spinning with ideas for projects to use them on...
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Pics from the Sale of the Year
As you may have read in previous posts, this weekend my friend Bargain Hunter and I went to what she calls the 'Sale of the Year'. I got lots of stuff and (if you read yesterday's post) even had so much that I forgot a box and almost left some of it there for the dealers to sell again!
Anyway, here are some pictures from the sale. I love to pick up box lots, because they're a little like a treasure hunt -- you never know what you're going to find in them. I've always found at least one good thing in them & usually more.
Anyway, here are some pictures from the sale. I love to pick up box lots, because they're a little like a treasure hunt -- you never know what you're going to find in them. I've always found at least one good thing in them & usually more.
The 'stuff' from the Sale of the Year
The canister set I almost lost -- before cleaning
After cleaning (it's amazing what Soft Scrub and elbow grease can accomplish!)
A box lot of plastic dishes
Here's what was in the box
A box lot of plastic Christmas 'junk' revealed all of this! I'm really happy that the tree toppers, sled with reindeer, beaded candy canes and the snowman were hiding in there
The light-up snowman works (and doesn't need rewiring)!
A lot of it unpacked & cleaned (the puzzles are from a Flea Market)
This clock jar and burlap coffee mug might be the only two things I end up keeping. I've been looking for a clock jar at a bargain price for years and it was in the forgotten box! I think I was the more stressed about that than losing the $20!
Being a history buff (and basically nosy, as I think most history people are), I love to pick up scrapbooks, letters, diaries and anything else that gives me an eye to the past. Maybe that's why I collect old things, too. Anyway, I got this scrapbook for $5 and was happy that the dealer felt it had no value at all.
I was so excited to see the pile of papers stuffed inside -- I could hardly wait to get home to go through them!
Everything in it is from the war years in the 40s -- mostly from 1944 & 1945. There are lots of old newspaper clippings about the war -- even one that says that television will be an important thing after the war ("83% of people say they'd like to have a television receiver in their home"). There are also lots of artistic pictures of rural scenes, children, birds & animals that used to be popular in magazines, plus old greeting cards, postcards, church bulletins and paper badges from Sunday School classes. It's so much fun to look at it all!
The canister set I almost lost -- before cleaning
After cleaning (it's amazing what Soft Scrub and elbow grease can accomplish!)
A box lot of plastic dishes
Here's what was in the box
A box lot of plastic Christmas 'junk' revealed all of this! I'm really happy that the tree toppers, sled with reindeer, beaded candy canes and the snowman were hiding in there
The light-up snowman works (and doesn't need rewiring)!
A lot of it unpacked & cleaned (the puzzles are from a Flea Market)
This clock jar and burlap coffee mug might be the only two things I end up keeping. I've been looking for a clock jar at a bargain price for years and it was in the forgotten box! I think I was the more stressed about that than losing the $20!
Being a history buff (and basically nosy, as I think most history people are), I love to pick up scrapbooks, letters, diaries and anything else that gives me an eye to the past. Maybe that's why I collect old things, too. Anyway, I got this scrapbook for $5 and was happy that the dealer felt it had no value at all.
I was so excited to see the pile of papers stuffed inside -- I could hardly wait to get home to go through them!
Everything in it is from the war years in the 40s -- mostly from 1944 & 1945. There are lots of old newspaper clippings about the war -- even one that says that television will be an important thing after the war ("83% of people say they'd like to have a television receiver in their home"). There are also lots of artistic pictures of rural scenes, children, birds & animals that used to be popular in magazines, plus old greeting cards, postcards, church bulletins and paper badges from Sunday School classes. It's so much fun to look at it all!
I think the scrapbook & its contents are my favorite buy from the Sale of the Year (aside from the clock jar, of course)!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)