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, January 12, 2014

It Was A Good Day

On Saturdays, The Bean still has his Saturday morning sleep late, eat cereal and watch TV routine (who wouldn't want to still have that life, right?) and The Breadman has a nap and/or watches some sort of a sporting event involving a ball.  Since they are "busy" I usually head towards the booth to straighten it up and hit the Super Cheap Thrift along the way.  Of course, garage sales too if I can find any.  But, yesterday, I implied I was going to the booth (where neither of them want to go or ever do go) and instead went into THE BIG CITY and went thrifting.  I didn't end up finding a lot, but I did enjoy a little bit of ME time. I may or may not have even gone to the old timey greasy drive-thru for an order of hand-cut hand-breaded onion rings and a Vanilla Coke, neither of which I EVER eat and eaten them in the car ALL BY MYSELF.  I did feel a little guilty when the boys announced they had each eaten a nineteen cent packet of Ramen for lunch. Ah, heck, I didn't feel guilty ONE BIT.  :D  (There was a ton of good food in the house, they just like Ramen.)

The days loot.  My first stop I almost left empty handed, but then I found the two wooden crates for 50¢ each.  They originally were for holding cassette tapes, but they work to hold about anything.  

The piece of pottery was 99¢. The little flowery baby shoes were $1.00.  The potter isn't my usual style as I am not a flower person.  More on that in a minute.

The AQ Chicken House has been located in Springdale, AR since 1947 and it is world famous.  Bill Clinton loves the place.  President Bush ordered food from Air Force one and they landed to pick it up on the way through.  There is a book in the lobby to sign and there are very famous signatures in that book from all over the world to politics to celebrities.  EVEN ME.  This is a Buffalo China plate  - I don't know how old it is, but I think it should be a quick seller in the booth.  

I hesitated for a bit on this big bag of cake decorating things for $1.99, but then I decided to go ahead and get it.  Sometimes I am silly about things.  Thank goodness I came to my senses.  In the bag were all these great old cake toppers, seventeen metal Wilton icing tips and some cake decorating booklets.  I have a special fondness for those sweet "Happy Birthday" toppers.

"Pop is Tops" is a good one too.  Does anyone call their Dad "Pops" anymore?

Those old blackboards in the background are Happy Hoppy Pupil Blackboards for handwriting practice.  I found them at the Salvation Army.  When I was walking in the door, Lara was walking out.  She had a few books and things for the kids, but didn't find much vintage.  I almost didn't go in, but I was happy I did after I found the three blackboards.  I think they surely must have put them out while I was shopping or Lara would have found them first.  If she would have, I would have been as happy for her as she was for me.  

So, about this piece of pottery.  It's matte white and old and really sweet, but I don't usually like flowery type things.  

But, one by one, over the past few years, I have found these three mate white vintage vases with flowers on them.  And, I sort of fell in love with them.

And this one fits right in.  So, now, I apparently collect sweet old flowery vases.  
Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily.  

The last find which was a really, really good and HAPPY find!

A beautiful PINK tree.  It's not old, it's brand new.  It was in the still sealed Walmart box.  But, it's a lovely shade of pink and pre-lit.  When I set it up and plugged it in, well, it just glowed this lovely pink shimmer.  The best part was it was priced $5.00.  No, wait, the BEST part is that it was 50% off so only $2.50.  I swore I wouldn't put the Valentine's Day stuff out until February 1st, but now I am DYING to put this pink tree out with all my hearts on it.  

Pottery - PINK Tree- Onion Rings  - Oh yes, it was a GOOD day.

14 comments:

  1. It was a good day I really like your vases they are very sweet. The pink tree is very pink can't wait to see it all decorated.
    Cathy

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  2. Oh ya, that was a good day! A very good day!

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  3. Only you could find a. Pink tree for 2.50! I swear the good stuff just gravitates to you. I have yet to set foot in a thrift this year.

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  4. It was a VERY good day! Love everything and my Grandson calls his Grandfather POPS!! Isn't that cute! Oh the pink tree makes me so happy and yes Valentine's day please!!!

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  5. I do ME days all the time. Last Friday I hit a local antique mall and then hit Sheridans which has my all time favorite frozen custard...a caramel pretzel crunch concrete. I sat in the car and ate it and read. Luckily this particular mall and Sheridans is across the river and in WA so it is a treat and not a weekly habit. Digging the cake decorations

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  6. I rather like the way your cat is looking at the pink tree~ kinda like
    "WTF is the Crazy Lady bringing into the house now? ...and where are all of those Tuna flavored Ramen Noodles??"

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  7. Pink tree!!! How fabulous! I need a Valentine tree...but I am such a stickler about space issues. My holiday decor storage spot is almost at capacity. So, I think I will holdout for a small white or silver tree. That way I can make it work for multiple holidays. What a great day! I should follow your lead and get out of the house!

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  8. Wow, what a deal on the pink tree - I love it! My other favorites are the cake toppers, and the pottery. Funny how easily a new "collection" can start :) I can't wait to see your Valentine's Day decorations!

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  9. dang it, now I want some onion rings.

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  10. Any day with thrifting is a good day. I thought of you when I saw the 1/8/14 posting on itsybitsandpieces.blogspot.com . She had a great idea for storage of bingo cards and flash cards. Check it out. Sheryl

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  11. And it was such a pretty day, finally, after so many crappy days. And I DON'T think those chalkboards went out after I left -- I just think I'm not as good as you are at looking in all the nooks and crannies. I get impatient and distracted. You've got the magic, I'm telling you. I love your tree. There were two old silver ones at that auction I was at on Saturday and I almost stayed to bid on them but everything was going so high, I knew there wasn't a chance I would get them. Good haul! I owe you an e-mail, don't think I've forgotten.

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  12. I commented earlier but I was having problems with blogger due to a windows update. We fixed it, but I'm not sure if my comment went through or not. I had never thought about a pink tree before, but it would be right up your alley as my mother used to say!

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  13. My husband bought me one of those pink Christmas trees a couple of years ago. I set it up in my sewing room during the holidays!

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  14. Nice haul! Love, love, love the pink tree! Such a fun thing. Can't wait to see it decorated for valentines day.

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