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, February 27, 2009

Let's Run Away

I woke up today with only one thought - I want to run away. Not forever. Just for the day. No responsibilities, no grocery shopping, no laundry, no homeschooling, no watching the cats to make sure they are okay, no vacuuming, no nothing. Just a day of nothing.

So we headed out to see where we would end up. (Although I had a pretty good idea where I wanted to end up when it was all said and done).

On the way to nowhere in particular, we passed by this entrance to a house. Not a Country Club or a fancy-schmancy hotel, just a house. Albeit a three story house with a pool, lighted tennis court, lighted basketball court and seven car garage. Man, the junk I could store in that garage.....

I suspect their entryway cost more than my entire house. See the call box? You have to be "buzzed' in.....
And, we passed by this driveway which I think must lead to a gnome home surrounded by red capped toadstools and tiny gnomes. Or not.

This is "my"house. I love it. Whenever I am in the area, I go look at it. It's not that big or fancy, it just looks like a house that I would love and I could scatter junk about and it would still look nice, yet homey. When I win the lottery......it shall be mine.

And now for your consideration - "The World's Dumbest Driveway".

I wish there would have been a car parked in the driveway. It is seriously the dumbest driveway ever. It never ceases to amaze me.
See how steep it is? I do hope they don't put their kid on a tricycle and send him down it. Wheeeee!

So, where did we end up on our quest to do nothing? I bet Oliveoyl knows.
OOPS. The store of fabulous things of all sorts for practically nothing. Yippee!

This full size house sits in a teeny tiny spot inside OOPS. Oops is huge. Bigger than a Wal-Mart Supercenter.
There are pallets and pallets of candles. Home Interiors candles, Hannas Candles (QVC) and other brands of candles. I bought a huge White Chocolate Home Interiors soy candle for $2.50. Be careful with that candle, Bean!

Because, "You brake, you buy!"


I've never even ventured into the floral section. It's probably 5,000 sq. ft. or so. I am so not a floral person - silk/plastic floral anyway. They are getting ready for Memorial Day, so the cemetery flowers were a bit out of control today. The do have this big display of fake food that I wanted to photograph, but the workers wouldn't leave. Big fake cheese wheels, sausages, loaves of bread, heads of lettuce, pineapple rings, bags of grapes, etc. It's the realistic stuff like they use in deli displays. The Bean was rather obsessed with a large bag of rubber spaghetti. I'm amazed that he didn't purchase it.
These gnomes were about 3.5 feet tall. Rows and rows of gnomes in various poses. $39.99 if you're so inclined. I thought gnomes were supposed to be small?

I bought a few things, but nothing stellar. I usually pick up small things for gifts, swaps and for myself. I'm completely smitten with birds and eggs right now, so I found a few things along those lines for myself.
After we left OOPS, we headed to the newest Bargain store in the area. The store that should be outlawed. The most evil-est store ever.
The Little Debbie Store. I mean seriously. A complete and total store of nothing but Little Debbie Cakes. I said, "Oh we'll just go look around. We won't really buy anything." Famous last words. Most of these boxes of cakes were 3/99¢ or 2/$1.00. One was 99¢. Luckily, we have that new freezer in the garage all but empty. Now it's full of Little Debbie Cakes. Have you ever tried the Fancy Cakes? They are like little individual wedding cakes. And, now they have Mary Englebreit packaging, which makes them all the more fabulous.
Tomorrow there is a real live garage sale advertised just up the street. And there is snow forecasted. What will happen? Tune in tomorrow for another exciting post! (ha)

8 comments:

  1. Shara,

    I don't know which store I'm more jealous of...the Oops or the Little Debbie! I think the latter of the two. lol I love me some Little Debbie snacks but I can't buy them because I have zero self control and can literally scarf a whole box in like a day and a half! So delicious. Crap, now I want some Little Debbie snacks. lol

    Have a great weekend!
    Lori

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  2. What an absolutely cool place - and I hope you didn't brake anything! Found you on Jodi's site - she's a great gal and I'm envious of your win - her art is amazing. Stop by and see me some time; I think we share a fondness for all things junk:)

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  3. Are you kidding me????? Little Debbies 2/1.00??? Such a deal!!! I am obviously in the wrong state!!

    You always manage to find the coolest places!

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  4. Anonymous6:23 PM

    I know you have mentioned this store before ... but I can't remember the name! It sounds like you had a great day. And, you're right about that ridiculous driveway. Can you imagine if there is ice? the car will slide right down into the street!

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  5. Anonymous1:06 PM

    I love your pictures of "Oops", Shara! Has it been around for awhile, and did it used to be called something else? I remember being little and always going to a store that looked like (in my foggy memory, anyway) Oops...I know we would buy discounted things there (I think?), and I remember especially going there before dance recitals to find the perfect color satin ribbon for my tap shoes!
    -Courtney

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  6. Hey Shara...enjoyed the post about OOps...we don't have anything like that here! Got Big Lots, but they don't have all that much ...oh well, have a good week, and make sure you check out my blog...*elaine*

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  7. Thank you for stopping by my place. I can't believe you are so close! Just when you think the internet is so BIG, a neighbor drops by. I love seeing photos of places I know on your blog. In fact, a good friend of mine runs the Little Debbie store. I cannot bring myself to go in there for fear that I may not come out with any money. (and $50 worth of swiss cake rolls!!!)

    Come back by soon, I'm adding you to my followed blogs.

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  8. Oh I want "your house". That is just what I want too but sadly we will have to win the lottery in order to buy that also. Especially in the state that I live in :) It's beautiful!!! My husband wonders why I drive past houses I know I can't have but you understand, must be a girl thing!!!

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