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.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

In and Out in 11 Minutes

Yesterday, as I carried in my latest treasures from the thrift store, I wondered what my neighbors must think of my daily shopping sprees. I figure they think I am crazy going to the thrift stores and bringing so much stuff home. But, then I looked at my bags - Dillard's, JCPenney's, The Gap and Aeropostale - a store which I have NEVER heard of - then it occurred to me. Holy Moley, they probably think I go to the Mall and shop all day spending DH's hard earned money. Now I wish they KNEW I was shopping at the thrifts instead of the..ick...Mall. Speaking of the Mall, I actually did go to the Mall last Friday. I was in and out in 11 minutes. And I mean in the parking lot and out on the street in 11 minutes. I am not a Mall person. I do, however, wear Merle Norman Cosmetics and the Mall is the only place you can get it. Our local CBS Affiliate is in the Mall and they have a little door outside the studio that leads into the studio and into the Mall. I have figured out how to park right oustside the door, sneak in through that door and go straight up one of the short halls to Merle Norman. In and out in 11 minutes. Now, that's the way to shop. I was delayed a minute or two by a big rack of sweaters outside Dillard's that said, "75% Off." Even at 75% off, they were still $40.00. Eh, hem, not a deal, in my book. I could have been in and out in 9 minutes. Bad, Dillard's.


Back to my treasures from yesterday. I think my best find was this silver bowl with three votive candle cups attached to the edge. It still has the original price tag from the White Barn Candle Company for $35.00. I paid $1.50 for it. Although it truly isn't my everyday style, I think I can use it at the holidays with orange pomanders, cloves, cinnamon sticks and evergreens in the center or even some vintage glass ornaments. I can probably use it at my PTSA Teacher Appreciation lunches to hold candy or something too. But, truthfully, once I saw that $35.00 price tag versus the $1.50 price tag - I had to grab it. Right now it is housing my collection of marble eggs. I like it, but I don't think I will keep it out for now. I do need some new candles for it though. Some of my other finds were the two different sets of vintage metal trays. The larger red ones are a set of four and the smaller black ones are a set of seven. The smaller back ones actually have photographic images of flowers on them. The red ones are transfer printed. They were marked 50¢ and the ladies at the register couldn't decide if they should charge me 50¢ each or 50¢ a set. We decided on 50¢ each, even though 50¢ a set would have been the bomb. In the end, I paid $10.30 for everything which includes a little clock, a shirt for DS and a Glo-worm (my third in a week) that aren't in the picture. I an in love with the Blue Fairy Book. It is dated 1930 and in very good condition.
It has beautiful vividly colored plates inside. I have a set of fun bookends, so I suppose I need a small collection of old neat books. Like a hole in my head do I need a new collection. But, will that stop me? Oh, probably not.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:14 PM

    The colors on the book page are beautiful and so fresh looking. That book may be worth something for the author or illustrator.

    Libby

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  2. Ohhh, you found a vintage Blue Fairy book! Lucky! I love vintage children's books. There are reprints of this book in paperback, but the older hardback ones still resell well. I think Waldorf homeschoolers like to use these for their curriculum.

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  3. I've never heard of the Blue Fairy Book, but I thought it was in good shape and so sweet. It is illustrated by a Richardson and that was my Maiden name - so it is going in my collection for sure! ;o)

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  4. If you EVER see a "Little Black Sambo" or "Bingity,Bangity School Bus" Little Golden Books at a reasonable price PLEASE let me know. I had originals of both and they got destroyed over the years. the LBS can be found on Ebay, but you know how thrifty I am. I cannot justify paying their prices for a replacement. I just know ONE DAY I will run across one I can afford.

    ReplyDelete

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