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.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Thrift Finds

I'm almost ashamed to admit this (because it sounds perfectly awful), but I managed to hit two different thrifts while my Dad was in the hospital.  I went to Goodwill on Sunday to buy him a button down loose shirt to wear after the surgery.  See, that was a legitimate shopping trip - getting him a needed item.  Oh sure, I looked around too, but F-A-S-T.  (And, I may have just managed to find one of my Christmas Wishlist items on that very trip!)

The second trip was a few hours after he had the pacemaker implanted.  He was back in his room and doing fine.  But, he was really tired and needed to rest, so we left him alone for a couple hours.  We went to the very upscale and very pricey Mall that is in the same parking lot as the hospital, but after about thirty minutes of retail hell in Hot Topic, Abercrombie and Aeropostale, I could stand NO  MORE and had to find a thrift. 

 I've spent a lot of time on the internet looking at these German Christmas pyramids over the past few months.  We have several of the metal angel chimes that take candles and I wanted one of these wooden ones.  Well, I was more than surprised when I found one this Christmas.  In my very own Christmas tubs!  Apparently I found it last year close to Christmas and had forgotten all about it.  So, that was a happy find!  But, that didn't stop me from looking for another one.  I wanted a bigger one with a second or third level.  
 Sunday at Goodwill, I was taking a quick run through the Christmas stuff and I spotted a brand new cardboard box on the very top shelf and it said "Some Assembly" and "All pieces included" on it.  I never look at the new stuff in new boxes, but for some reason I took it down and peeked inside.  I was thrilled to spot the top of another Christmas Pyramid inside.  It was only $4.00, and I could tell that it was older and that it was just in the new box.  Lesson learned!  This one has the entire Nativity on it and is really sweet.  It really gets to twirling fast when all the candles are lit.  Now, I just need to happen upon a nice hoard of vintage candles!
At the other thrift, I found this German tree that takes the very same candles.  I do like it, but I am not sure I am in love with it.  So, it might get sold next Christmas.  (I tell you what I know I am NOT in love with and that is that terrible dust bunny peeking out from behind the bookshelf.  Eh gads! Time to dust).

I spotted an old popcorn tin under the table and picked it up. (Have you noticed how tiny popcorn tins are these days?  I used to love the old huge ones with metal handles for storing cat food and bird seed and stuff.  The little ones won't hold a thing!  Rant over...) I've been looking for a BIG one to store bird seed and thought I had found it.  When I picked it up....it was heavy.  I looked inside and spotted a bunch of very good very old ornaments and got very excited!  There was also some crap in there, so I unloaded that onto the table for the next guy and took the good stuff to the register.  

In the tin was this wonderful vintage German clip on bird.  
 And another one!  I have a few of these birds, but none like these.  Love the pink and teal colors.
 There was also a good amount of these blue and white striped candy looking spun satin ornaments.
 And some red and white striped ones too.  I've discovered this year that I like these old spun satin ornaments.  They work great on wreaths. And these striped ones are kind of sweet on the tree.
 I dug this vintage knit stocking out of a big bin.  It is HUGE as you can see.  I would hate to attempt to fill this thing because it would stretch and take a TON to fill it.  I made the mistake of buying The Bean a big stocking when he was tiny and I have a hell of a time filling that thing up. Especially since he only likes video games, gift cards, movies, CD's and other teeny expensive stuff.
 An old BINGO set, which I have bought too many already, but cannot seem to leave one behind, especially at the golden price of 50¢.  I love the old cards and the wooden markers.
 A crocheted cover on an old flue cover.  I like the fact  that someone took the time to make something utilitarian and kind of ugly, so pretty.
 A vintage candy tin.  I am trying SO HARD not to buy any tims because I have hundreds of tins.  But, I cannot leave behind any tin that once held candy or that was made in another country.
 This one fit the bill perfectly.
This old truck wasn't thrifted.  My Dad was going through some things he had bought at yard sales and thought I could sell them on ebay.  Of course, I LOVE this old truck.  It is dreamy.  But, I will be a good daughter and research it and see if I should sell it for him.  Until then, I thought I could "borrow" it and put some of my bottle brush trees in it.  

So, have you found anything lately?  I have all my Christmas thins DONE so tomorrow I am thinking a thrift run might be on the agenda - you just never know what might be out there!

9 comments:

  1. You found some awesome stuff my friend. I love those clip on birds...big score! That truck is so sweet with the bottle brush trees in it...I think finding an old truck is on my list for 2012. Hugs, Linda

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  2. great finds as always. I hit a thrift today while out dropping a gift off. I found a vintage table cloth for 50 cents I have to be careful what I bring home now days so very little in the way of thrifting.
    Cathy

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  3. Super finds. LOVE that truck. Have a lovely holiday!

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  4. Great treasures - Merry Christmas!!

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  5. I love the birds - so pretty! And now I want a German candle/pyramid decoration:)
    Glad your Dad is doing better!

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  6. Great price for the German pyramid! I also like the smaller one you already had. Merry Christmas!

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  7. I've seen those crocheted things but I never knew that they were flue covers! I thought they were some sort of weird potholder or trivet thingy. LOL I love the glass birdies! And I wish I'd known you wanted a pyramid thingy--I sent a brand new one to the thrift a few years ago! It was a gift from my MIL but I never had a place to put it so I donated it.

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  8. Fun finds! I'm loving your Christmas header! Happy Holidays.

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