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.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Valentine's Day Decorations

I love Valentine's Day.  I still remember making my shoe box for school and going around desk to desk and putting in the Valentine's in everyone's boxes.  It was so hard to pick the right ones for each person - "You're swell" - well, that one went to the boy - you know which one...wink*wink*.  The best part was digging out the Valentine's in my box and seeing which ones each person picked out for me.  I hated the ones that the "MOM'" had written out instead of the kids - usually the boys, of course.  How was I supposed to tell if Bradley loved me when his MOM picked out the card and signed in Bradley in all frilly looking cursive.  Sheesh!  This is important stuff Mom, stay out of it!

It doesn't seem like I have that many V-day decorations until I start displaying them.  Most everything is small and condenses into one storage tub.  I have to keep track of it in storage or it gets lost in the mass amounts of Christmas, Halloween and Easter.  Thanks to Sarah's Heart to Heart Swap, I have a ton of wonderful handcrafted Valentine items that I just love.
A few weeks ago, I thrifted this wire metal holder thingamabob for $1.00.  I really didn't know what I would do with, it but it looked like something that might come in handy someday. 
When I got out all my Valentine's I started sticking them into the holder and it worked perfectly.  I rotate it every once in awhile, so it's like I have a different display every day.  There are all sorts of treasures stuck in there from friends all over Blogland.
More Heart to Heart items from the past five years.  Some favorites in the cloche - a wooden cake stand with an inverted glass hurricane candle holder (that I found on the  curb for FREE) on top. 
A Valentine Bunny that I made in Kindergarten about a hundred and fifty years ago.  My middle name is Lee and I went by Shara Lee for most of my childhood.  (And still in my adulthood to my Aunt's - right DoDo?)

My Valentine Tree filled with more Heart to Heart items, hearts, and sweets.  It is getting rather full! 
But,that won't stop me from adding to it.  :D
A sweet little vintage Japan flocked girl that I scavenged from a box along the way.

There are a lot of sweets on the tree - cupcakes, ribbon candy, pies, candy, conversation hearts.
My coveted Chocolate Covered Cherry boxes.  We always sent my Grandmother a box of Chocolate Covered Cherries for Christmas and Valentine's Day.  And, although I am not terrible sentimental about my Grandmother, these do sort of make me think of her.  Most of these have been found at yard sales with things inside them - buttons, ribbon, etc.  The Roxbury box was found full of vintage hotel soap by Laurie and gifted to me.  (And, oddly enough, she just listed the soap in her Etsy shop).
Lots of things.  I am dying to find some old heart shaped Candy boxes.  Vintage ones - the larger one especially - bring big bucks on ebay.  But, I just want some for my collection. 
My old four pane window - L O V E in each section with a vintageValentine tucked in for good measure.
One of my real actual vintage pieces - such a sweet planter. 

More Heart to Hearts, gifts and Vintage Valentines.  I love this old grate for displaying paper items.

Oh  - I found a bigger flower for may candy box and even added in some pink festooning. 
Now I really like it.  It's more me!

Another old window complete with my Shiny Brite encrusted heart wreath (Iwill hate to pack this up next week).  Those blocks that say "Be My Valentine" were one of the first things that I bought for the house when we first bought it.  You can change them for each holiday and it is a real pain finding the right sides to make them say "Merry Christmas", "Happy 4th of July", etc..  I was considering getting rid of them due to their cutsey factor and 1990's look.  But, The Bean informed me that they are VINTAGE (in his eyes) and how he remembers always helping me make the new holiday out of them.  So, they will stay in our house.  And probably in his too!

I plan on having a lovely Valentine's day despite thefact that The Breadman asked me if he was supposed to buy m a card.  :(  He always does and I usually get some flowers, but he does say some dumb things sometimes that sort of take away from the niceness of the day.  Men are just weird, huh?


8 comments:

  1. Such fun to see.I have those holiday blocks.It is a PAIN to figure out the spelling.I actually just put them in the box of junque to sell come Spring.I decided I'd spent enough time freezing or sweating my rump off on the porch trying to spell them out only to realize no one can read/see them from the sidewalk anyway!Happy Valentine's Day.

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  2. O, very sweet display! I bet you have the most fun house (so many things to look at and many vintage to boot!) I love the planter and it looks great with the boxes.

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  3. I have been married 35 years and just this morning my husband says ok just tell me what you would like for valentines day. I have to admit that maybe I am at fault for this problem. I worked in a flower shop. (I told him no flowers) I work next door to a candy shop (oh no candy) I tell him that resturants are over priced on that day. Cards are big for me and bring home take out so when I come home from work I don't have to even think about cooking. And I don't even care if it's pizza. I don't have to cook.
    happy valentines day
    cathy

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  4. Shara I really enjoyed seeing all your Valentine decorations. I don't have very many myself but slowly have collected a few since I started blogging. Its such a pretty holiday to decorate for! ~~Linda

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  5. Love your decorations :o)
    Your 'thingamabob' is for holding necklaces and earrings...I have one very similar, though I think your use as a holder is better :o)

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  6. Looks like that cherry box fit right into that collection (does it still smell like soap?) Happy Valentine's Day!

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  7. I think Valentine's Day is almost my favorite "holiday" just because of all the red and pink and hearts and flowers, etc. I don't decorate for it but I certainly love looking at everyone elses stuff. You've got so many wonderful things. Happy Vee-Day to you!!!!

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  8. Lovely! Don't you love looking at all of the wonderful gifts from crafty blog friends? I keep many of mine on a cork board in my craft room and they always make me smile. :)

    And I'm sure my husband will say something dumb today, too. He usually does. ;)

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