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.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

I'm a Winner, You're a Winner

Holy cow! I just realized that my last post was my 500th post. My, I am a gabby gal, aren't I?

Business First:

I won another giveaway last week. This one was by Vanessa at Bloom Right Here. She lives in Arkansas too, so the box arrived super quick. There were all sorts of goodies:



A little jar of buttons, Bing-O pieces, jewelry findings and other goodies; sheet music, flash cards, dictionary pages, rick-rack, lace, button cards, vintage greeting cards, old postcards and all sorts of fun goodies that just have my creative juices flowing big time! Thank you Vanessa for such a wonderful giveaway!

So, do you feel a theme to today's post? Giveaway....500th post.....Hmmmmm. Yes, it's time for me to do another giveaway. Oh, I do love giving treasures away! As usual, my giveaway items will be hand selected for the winner. So, leave a COMMENT on THIS post and tell me the three things you would love to find at a yard sale or a thrift store. I will do my darnedest to fulfill your dream and send you one, two or maybe even three of your dream items. (No ipods, cars, BOSE radios or other costly items, puh-lease!) I will use the random Bean-erator to pick the winner and then I will start shopping.

So, go on...leave a comment with your perfect three! (Mine would be a vintage tablecloth, a piece of matte white pottery and an Annalee doll. Bliss.) Don't forget to leave your email addy or make sure you have a link to your blog. If I can't find you, you can't win. Sorry. *Winner to be announced Friday night at 9:00 Central.*** So HURRY!

21 comments:

  1. Am I REALLY the first one to comment today? WOW! LOL!
    500 posts!! Congratulations on the amazing feat! I just can't imagine it! : )
    Gee...I don't think I can think of 3 dream things to find at a thrift or yard sale! I suppose I'm always looking for that perfect vintage Santa....buttons....and I love to find vintage postcards.
    Good luck to everyone who enters Shara's giveaway!!

    Jan

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  2. oh my gosh! 500! Congrats! Thank you for stopping by today! Let me think....three things I'd like to snatch up at a yard sale....without copying you too much....number one would be an vintage table cloth....anything milk glass....anything aqua....OK! Thats three!

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  3. Wow--holy smolly 500 posts!! Congratulations to you :) I always enjoy stopping by, you make me smile without a doubt with every post!

    As far as my 3 things, well I"m all about my artwork these days so I would like to find things to incorporate in it:

    1) a variety of old handwritten letters (it would be extra bonus points if they were love letters)

    2) cool vintage postcards (french would be extra bonus points) LOL

    3) Bingo cards (the thin paper ones) or things with numbers or funky lettering that I can cut up and use (can't think of an extra bonus point for this one unless you found those little wooden bingo numbers...ya..that would be extra points for that find)

    :) here's to another 500 posts!

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  4. I would love to find a tea cup and saucer,a pretty mirror,and some sweet baby boy shoes.
    I really like this giveaway and the question was fun to answer!rachel@daddyrich.net

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  5. oh, goodie! i love giveaways!! 500 posts...WOW! don't know if i'll ever reach that lofty number!! my 3 favorite things would have to be... red or green bakelite dice...vintage rickrack or ribbon...and vintage sewing items like pincushions, needle cases etc. have great collections of all the above, but it always makes my heart beat a little faster when i find them...what a junk junkie i am!! =} *elaine*

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  6. A give-away by Shara?! Wouldn't miss a chance on that!! Hope you enjoy writing your posts as much as we all LOVE reading them!! As for the perfect 'Tri-fecta'... you know mine - Sweater Clip, Vera and Haeger (or maybe a chalkware tacky fish!). Congrats on the BIG 5-0-0!

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  7. An impressive milestone! You started your blog when you were in grade school, right?

    Let's see, three dream items...a Steiff terrier, an yixing teapot, and a Heywood Wakefield desk.

    All for fifty cents, of course!

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  8. 500! Congratulations! It's funny - I thrift and garage sale all the time, but I am struggling with naming three things. Hmmmm...
    1. vintage wicker shelf (for sweet girl's room)
    2. vintage sports pennants (for the boys' room)
    3. surprise me!

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  9. An Annalee doll? Really? I am surprised.

    Other people's answers were interesting.

    Right now I am really hunting for more canisters, always hoping to find good 1930's fabrics (I heard there are a lot of feedsacks in some places in Arkansas, any truth to that?), and erm, dunno what else. LoL

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  10. Congratulations on 500 posts and for winning the giveaway!
    I would love to find buttons, vintage jewelery and skeleton keys at yard sale or thrift sales. Thanks for doing this!
    Have a great day!
    Kim

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  11. Gave you a shout out on my blog. I know, shocking that I posted something!!!

    My list is easy...anything junktacular,craptacular and handpicked by you.

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  12. I absolutely LOVE reading about your finds. You have opened my eyes up to a whole new world. When I get the time I am going to spend a whole day visiting thrift stores!!! Congrats on the 500th post...that is awesome!! Please keep gabbin'!!!I love it.
    3 things I'd like would be a vintage cakestand , vintage tablecloth and old tin containers. These having some pink in them somewhere would be the ultimate!!!!

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  13. 500 posts, WOW! My perfect 3 would have to be a whole set of full size vintage sheets, an awesome old suitcase and old photos or papers, instant ancestor types. I would also like to commend you on the way you are raising the Bean. With an appreciation of the past and of the sacrifice of others!

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  14. Way to go...500 posts! And I'm just getting started..LOL.

    I am almost always on the lookout for old vintage glass Christmas ornaments (you know...the Shiny Brite kind)...anything lily of the valley...and lace...love love love it!!!

    Take care and hugz,
    Michele

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  15. Very cool! Congrats on 500!! I am looking for old wooden spools, flower frogs and anything with the number 19!

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  16. Anonymous9:36 PM

    congratulations.

    arlene,
    West Bremerton florist

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  17. WINNER????????

    You're a DOUBLE winner for not only have you just won a giveaway but I've just awarded you a site award.
    Come over to my place to collect Hun!
    best wishes
    Sharie

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  18. 500?? Wow. I'm creeping up on 200 after 2 1/2 years lol. Well i've loved every post you've done. :)

    My thrifting trifecta? Vintage sewing notions or fabric, anything Waverly or Le Creuset and vintage aprons of course!

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  19. Wow, Shara, you have been finding or winning some very fun things lately! I have hit a creative wall and some fun yard sale finds might spark my juices again. I need to get out there and hunt!
    Here is my list:

    Old Handwritten recipes

    Vintage postcards from Italy

    Vintage greeting cards for holidays: Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July...

    That is just a start....

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  20. Anonymous12:43 PM

    Oh Shara what would I do without your posts????!!!! The days you don't post are bleak pickings. You know about our fire last year so you know that I have had to begin anew to recreate my once bountiful collections..how I envy some of your yard sale "finds". We go "yard saling" on most Saturdays..since I cant walk without my bulky walker I sit in the car and send DH and our DGd with lists..Right now the top of the list are BUTTONS...bags of craft supplies like ribbons and laces and a hand egg beater (its so much work to get out the electric jobbie to make a little batch of instant pudding.
    Can't wait to read the next 500!

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  21. What a milestone! Your blog is always interesting to read. Congrats on your 500th post.

    There are so many things that I'd love to find at a thrift. Three of them would be:
    1) vintage fabric
    2) vintage train case
    3) Legos

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