What is a monkeybox?

When I was a little girl, we had a pet monkey named Amanda. My Dad worked in the produce business, so each night he brought home that days culls in a big box - spotty cucumbers, pithy apples, limp celery, moldy oranges and the like. We called it a monkeybox. It was really just trash, but my Mom would take each piece of fruit and trim it, pare it and cut it up to make a beautiful fruit platter for Amanda. Even though it was deemed trash by one, it still had life left in it and was good for the purpose we needed it. That's how I live my life - thrifting, yard saling, looking for another's trash to be my treasure.

Friday, April 13, 2007

No, that wasn't me in the trash, I swear

Well, okay, maybe it was. I went to the next tiny town over today in search of an elusive yard sale. I found two and spent a whopping $4.75 combined at both. As I was driving around, I noticed lots of extra trash at curbside. Then I remembered that they have Spring Clean-Up in different corners (N/E/S/W) of town each week in April. I really just saw a lot of old scrap lumber, carpet pieces and yard waste and that's good because I have never really had the nerve to dig in the trash anyway. But, then something very large and very orange caught my eye. A Jack O'Lantern Blow Mold! Brakes! I scored that baby. Then I drove passed this really old fabulous house that I just love. They had quite a pile of stuff in front of their house. Suddenly, my shyness was gone. Beisdes, if someone recognized my rearend sticking up when they drove by, they have bigger problems with me than they realize. I zipped around the block and pulled in front of the pile. I was trying to figure out how I could have a peek without blocking traffic, so I just pulled on in their driveway and had a looksie. I got these three very old and very heavy drawers. They are huge! These will make excellent storage in the garage or shed. The smaller more desk drawer one will likely go on the wall somewhere as a shadow box. I saw that on "Decorating Cents" Trash to Treasure once. I also pulled out the old metal and wooden little rack. I thought it was rusted, but it was just dirty. I've already washed it and I think I will paint it either pink or white and put it on ebay in the Shabby category. (The old milk can was my first auction purchase at $5.00 when I was newly married and very poor. Probably too poor to be buying a $5.00 milk can. It sits by the front door all the time.) It was raining, so pardon the poor staging.

I bought this huge hammered aluminum ice bucket today for $3.00. I thought it was truly awesome, but when I got it home there was a rather large dent on the backside. Whoopsie. The Indian doll was $1.00, the roll of ribbon was 50¢, the Serta Sheep keychain was free and the wooden dog was 10¢. I also bought DS 20 brand new with tags Beanie Babies for 10¢ each. He loves them but refuses to buy the new high priced ones. Smart kid, eh?


This is the latest score at the Super Cheap Thrift. I spent $3.65 for everything. I normally keep away from souvenir plates, but these three were old and only 45¢ each, so I took a chance. The one from the San Diego Zoo has a monkey on it, so I needed that one, right? The purse is woven straw and handmade in Italy. The Bunny Book is now in the arms of my Annalee bunny that Heidi sent me. (Yes, my Easter deocrations are still up). The game is called "Song Bursts" form the 1980's. I am the expert on 1980's music (ha) so this will be fun. The silver heart is real silver and I love it. The wooden star shaped box had a facelift in a matter of hours.




I think our Saturday adventure this weekend will include cruising the trash piles. Uh, that's educational, I think. Saving our landfills? Protecting the environment? Yea, that's the ticket. Just call me Al Gore.

4 comments:

  1. Songburst! I have that and it's a pretty funny game. I actually had it new and we all loved it so much I had to scour the thrift stores to get some for other people as you can't buy it anymore!

    Love the plates, too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. If anyone asks, tell them you're celebrating Earth Day by recycling! Very apropos. Great finds! I can't wait to see how that little shelf turns out once you've painted it. That one has potential! I love your souvenir plates, of course! I hung my Colorado plate just the other day and it looks just great with the others! I'm always on the hunt for more. The star turned out really cute! Good find on the blow mold.

    Oh, and my Easter stuff is still up, too! I love it too much and I can't bear to put it away yet, plus I wanted DH to be able to see it. (comes home tonight!) Maybe next week I'll get around to cleaning it all up. Bleh.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can be there in about 8 hours, so wait for me to go trash picking. Just kidding, we are in for some Uggggggly weather tonight so I am battening down the hatches.
    But hey, if it weren't for the ugly weather, I would seriously consider driving up!

    Our city had a clean up last spring, and I DID drive around each week, but found NOTHING. They truly took it seriously and ONLY put out trash.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous2:20 PM

    You got some neat stuff...especially the Jack-o-latern blow mold. Are you going to keep it or sell it? His face is so cute. Have fun with all of your stuff.

    Libby

    ReplyDelete

I love my comments. I'd love to respond to everyone, but if you don't have an email address tied to your ID, please sign your name so I will know who you are! It makes it nice to know who is saying what. Now, leave a comment! Please? ;o)

I Can See You!



Look at my Visitors!

Fellow Junk Followers