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, October 18, 2009

Weekend Wrap Up

Friday morning started off with the dryer quitting. *Sigh* A quick trip to Lowe's and my trusty No Interest/No Payments for 12 months coupon and I have a new dryer. Saturday, The Breadman picked it up and, with help from The Bean, they got the new one put together (cord put on the back) and I got the old one out of the house. Thank goodness it did quit, it was absolutely packed with lint in the back and the dryer hose was full too. I fear we might have had a fire eventually if it wouldn't have needed replaced. Our utility room is in an interior room, so the duct work goes up the wall, across the floor of the attic and then outside. It is really wonky and hard to keep cleaned out. The new rule is, every three months we will move the dryer out , clean the back out and clean out the entire dryer duct.
With a new dryer and part of the utility room clean, I decided it was time to clean out the shelving above and get it completely organized. We have a small house, so I have to make use of any and all storage space that I can find. A few weeks ago I bought a label maker at a yard sale and it is my new BFF.
For on top of the dryer - new containers one for Fabric Softner, one for Lint and one for Lottery Money* - That's the spare change I scrounge up in pockets and in the washer. The Breadman asked, "Why are we saving the lint?" We aren't saving it - I just toss it in there and dump it every few days. (I don't have a trash can in there.)
*Arkansas just got the lottery this month. Year after year the citizens voted and it never passed. But, it finally passed this year and TA-DA it is here! Woo-Hoo. Now, I'm not a big gambler, but it is fun every once in awhile. Yesterday as we were going to buy some handy storage containers for my cleaning frenzy, I decided that since I hadn't been to a garage sale all weekend, that I would spend my $10.00 on lottery tickets. I bought five tickets and I won $10.00, so I got two more. Then I won $15.00. So, I kept $10.00 and got one more ticket. Then I won $40.00! So, I kept $30.00 and go two more tickets. Then I won $15.00 and got $10.00 and one more ticket. Then, I think I won $20.00. I kind of lost track of it after awhile. But I know I had $10.00 in my wallet when I got there and I left with $60.00. So, I made fifty bucks in about thirty minutes. Not bad!
I only went to one thrift last week - so they are meager finds.
A dainty 14kt cup with "Forapresent" on it for 50¢. It's something political or official - I'm trying to Google it, but having trouble finding out exactly what it means.

This butterfly caught my attention in the jewelry case. It was heavy, well made and signed, so for $1.00, I bought it.
When I found the Rebecca Collins jewelry website, I got really excited, because nearly everything was several hundreds of dollars. Then, I spotted the butterfly. I anxiously scrolled down to see the price........ten bucks. Come on! All those $500 and $800 items and I found the ten dollar one? Apparently, it was mass produced for Neimen Marcus in 2000. Oh well, I still like it. (But, I would have lurved it for $800.00!)

A piece of my beloved matte white pottery for $1.00. (It's Royal Haeger, Sue!) It was high on a shelf by the front door. When I took it down, it had the doorstops and a bunch of screwdrivers in it. I threw $1.00 at them and ran out the door before they realized I took their storage container! I haven't found piece of pottery in months and months. It's funny, because I just boxed it all up for the winter too.

Today, The Breadman left to run an errand and when he got home, the door wouldn't open from the outside. Or the inside! We finally got it open, but I am so glad that we were both in and out so we could get it open. We had a brand new lock set in the garage that someone hadn't gotten around to putting on the door yet *cough*cough.* But, it's on now.
Hoping for a calmer week, some thrifting and lots more organizing. And maybe a few more lottery tickets.....Wish me luck.

7 comments:

  1. Morning Shara...Thanks for stopping by. It's funny, I do the same w/table cloths on tables but not one person asked if they were for sale. I had a whole suitcase full of the better ones & sold all but the machine made lace one...never fear...still have 2 underbed storage boxes full...cannot part w/ my favs! I'm only 1 person...why did I need 4 Christmas cloths! My hubby was at Lowe's Sat A.M. getting a new shower head...when he turned on the shower Friday night the old one split & dumped the contents of the hot water heater in 2 seconds! I requested...no, demanded, that it be fixed by the end of my sale...oh those aching muscles! have a great week *e*

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  2. My dryer vent is similar, it goes straight up for 3 or 4 times the recommended maximum and I have to have it cleaned out on a regular basis. I'm having the chimney swept today, they'll also do the dryer vent. Hubby got on the roof the other day and attempted to clean it out, but I think he made it worse! I think I'm going to insist we clean it out more often.

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  3. Carmen Judge9:45 AM

    Shara - the mug is actually printed with For A Present - they were given to friends/loved ones as gifts. Rachel Ashwell really likes them and featured them in her first book (I think, maybe it was her TV show). Sometimes they say Remember Me or something else sweet like that. Great finds as always! :) Carmen

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  4. "For A Present" is what your mug says. They were gifts long ago. Kinda like snowglobes now!! hehehe!

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  5. I better check my scratch off tickets and see if I'm a big winner like you!!
    Bummer about the dryer..happy that you have a new one.
    The garage sales are done until spring and I haven't had time to go thrifting..tomorrow I'm thinking.
    Deb :)

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  6. LOVE the Collins butterfly!! Nice grab!

    Glad the Royal Haeger found a Good home! The nerve of some people, using them for 'junk' storage!!

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  7. Yay for a new dryer, I guess? We actually did have one catch on fire. Thankfully, we were home.

    Love the pottery!

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