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.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Accidental Collection: Watermelon Potholders

I know I have blogged about these before, but with the recent mention in Martha Stewart Living I decided to have a little photo shoot with my collection.  I really don't even know how I started collecting these.  Actually, I don't even think of it as a collection, but rather more of a rescuing.  I see one at the trhift or at a yard sale and I must rescue it.  Some little Granny or Auntie crocheted that potholder and now there it sits with a 25¢ price tag on it.  So, for a quarter, I bring it home.  I started tossing them in this old freezer basket and before I knew it, it was nearly full.  My last count was over 50 and I bought two more yesterday.  I have recieved these in the mail from some of my blog buddies - both old and new (the potholders...not the buddies!)  I have red, pink and every shade in between.  I had some yellow ones, but they just didn't feel right, so they are in the booth.  I have large, medium and small; whole slabs, quarters, slices and wedges.   
I even have these little teeny ones which I have never had the courage to wear.

I've never gone thrifting with the idea in mind that I would find a potholder - I never even purposely look for them.  They just find me.

Do you have any items that you always pick up?  Do you think of it as a collection or do you rescue things too?  What is it that you rescue?

5 comments:

  1. Shara that is how my collection of Orphan S&P's started. I rescued an lonely blue & white salt shaker and then started finding other lonely S&P's and before I knew it had a collection. I still rescue them and love them because they are often left behind since they are not a pair! I love your watermelon potholders... :)

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  2. In my case, it is crochet. Because I am addicted to it, I crochet obsessivly and I rescue quite a bit of it from thrifts, yard sales, etc. And anything Texas related, of course!

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  3. Ha ha! I was going to ask if I was a granny or an auntie? ;) Love it!

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  4. Thanks for sharing those. My mom had one when I was growing up and I forgot about it. I don't see them when I'm thrifting. I collect crocheted potholders too. I know what you mean about rescuing stuff. I usually buy the handmade things that some sweet lady made by hand that is sitting there untouched with a cheap price tag. What fun to see your 50 watermelon slices. That is a great, unexpected collection!

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  5. I totally get the "rescuing" thing...especially when stuff costs a dime. Your watermelons are delicious! Suddenly, I can't get enough strawberries. Hope you and yours are safe sound.
    xoxo
    Pam

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