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.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Candles, A Game and A Cat

It is still raining. It hasn't stopped since Thursday afternoon and isn't supposed to stop for a couple more days. It is pouring right now with thunder and lightening. The street, the ditches and the yards are all under water. Heaven only knows when anyone will ever be able to mow again. It may never dry out!

I've had a bit of diversion including a bit of happy mail this week. I am a stalker reader of Magpie Ethel's blog. Her collections and creations are just so darn yummy. She collects lots of vintage graphics, packaging, old craft supplies, vintage Christmas goodies - oh, the list is endless. I swear, she has a knack for vintage crafty goodness. I recently saw this post about her vintage Birthday Candle box collection and I was bitten. I had to have a collection of my own! I already had a few gifted to me from family and Heidi (IT'S A BOY! Yahooo!) and I found a few at a yard sale, so my collection had begun!

I made a comment on Magpie Ethel's blog telling her that she had started my love affair with birthday candle boxes and you know what?

She sent me these fabulous vintage boxes from her very own collection! Now, wasn't that nice of her? Thank you Laurie! I adore them!

This morning I ran to the Super Cheap Thrift Store in search of a windbreaker for The Bean. We are taking a mini trip next week and we need something lightweight in case it rains or gets chilly at night. He has sweatshirts, jackets and coats, but nothing that fits into the windbreaker category. They had boxed up all the coats and jackets, because it is May 5th after all. But, it is 51 degrees and raining so I'm thinking they could still be selling a jacket or two.

My only find of the day was this old Jeopardy Board Game. Hmmmm..I wonder what I paid for it.....Why, oh why do they write the price on the dadgum box with Magic Marker?????? Sheesh.

I love the old graphics on the inserts. The green, red and blue things are clickers for "clicking in" when you know the answer. That is pretty much why I bought the game - for those funny clickers. That and I thought it would be interesting to try and answer 50 year old "current event" questions.
Another diversion is playing with my silly kitty in the evenings. As soon as we finish dinner, she goes and sits by her toy basket and waits for playtime. She has the usual mice and balls, but she has no interest in those. She likes Mama's pipe cleaners and pompoms from her craft stash. I flip the pompoms and she catches them and brings them back to me every time. I've never known a cat to play fetch. I made the pipe cleaners into rings and throw those to her to catch. She usually bats them with her paw. But, sometimes, much to my amusement, one lands on her ear and she doesn't realize it. Then she walks around the living room with it hanging on her ear the rest of the night. I call it her halo. She is spoiled. And very much loved!

7 comments:

  1. Your cat playing fetch is TOO FUNNY! I just found the Magpie site, and am LOVING it too!! Isn't it horrible how bloggers turn us on to NEW collections?!! Like we need more help. My most recent 'hmmmm... that's pretty cool' is Georges Briard. Don't ask me why!!

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  2. Sometimes I can very, very carefully get those prices off with a mr clean magic eraser.

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  3. We had a cat who fetched, but ONLY those ribbon rosettes you stick on presents. You could throw them anywhere in the room and she'd bring them back to you, mumbling something kitty-ish as she came. The photo of your kitty is hilarious! Our dogs are great, but MY cats are the best!

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  4. Thanks for the kitty story and pic. You know I needed a good laugh today.

    Yes, kitties do fetch. Mine has a particular type of jingly ball(not just any jingly ball will do, and she likes for you to hold up a piece of newspaper so she can jump and shred it with her claws.

    Goofy animals.

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  5. I recently picked up a vintage pack of candles, because I saw Laurie's collection too! Just what I need, another collection. But the graphics are so cute!

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  6. You are free to stalk by blog whenever dear! Glad the candles went to a home that appreciates them!

    On the magic marker price - as sarah and jack mentioned...my best friend is the Mr. Clean magic eraser. Good luck!

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  7. I have never thought of looking for vintage Birthday candles! Oh my, I will so be looking for some.

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