Thrift Therapy - It Will Cure What Ails You

This week has been so long.  So difficult.  So tiring.  The hospital, the Rehab Hospital, snow, ice, blah, blah.  I am just so sick of it all.  I was in dire need of some normalcy.  Today, I got it.

The Bean and I (Remember him?  Me, too.  Just barely) had tickets to a play at the Arts Center today for a Murder Mystery called "Laura".  It was set in the 1940's and the clothes and the set were wonderful.  This weekend are the actual dinner theater productions, but today was sort of a dress rehearsal with an audience.  The paper said it was appropriate for Grades 7-9, which I found interesting for a "Murder Mystery" in the first place.  Since it took place in the 1940's, everyone hit the Scotch pretty hard, they said "Damn" a few times and the leading lady said, "You must find me to be a bitch" one.  None of this bothered me, but when I was in the restroom at then end, some of the Mom's were hitting the fans at the "foul" language.  Frankly, I've heard worse on reruns of Friends, so it didn't bother me.  The Bean reads on a very high level and understands thing far beyond his age, so he enjoyed it.  And, I highly doubt he'll be throwing the "B" word in my direction any time soon.  Or hitting the Scotch!

After the play we went to the old timey Hospital Auxiliary Thrift store to do some thrifting.  Just what I needed!

I found a vintage PROBE game - I love these old letter cards.

Multiple copies of a bunch of old circa 1960 craft booklets featuring Ribbon Straw, Fun with Marbles, Flower Making, Chenille Stem Fun and lots of other fabulous 1960's crafts.  The Chenille Stem Booklet features how-to's for lots of chenille stem/spun head creations.  Hello?  I am all over that!  Most of these booklets are bound for my Etsy Shop.

A big vintage children's Book all about Hong Kong for 50¢.

A thick vintage book about all sorts of animals for 50¢

As I paid, the lady told me that books were Buy two, Get One Free, so I went back for another sweet vintage kids book.

I couldn't find one, so I chose this 1936 book about Syphilis.  The weird part about it is that it has a million handwritten notes in it and areas are underlined in red.  Someone had an overt interest in Syphilis!

A giant Ziploc bag revealed these two old molds and the two metal creme horn/ice cream cone forms.  The big cone maker is hand forged with really great patina.  I try to stay away from kitchen collectibles, but  am a sucker for the old hand made things.

Next we went to the new Goodwill.  It is gigantic.  Big as the local grocery store.  It was packed to the gills with stuff.  But, frankly, I was appalled at the prices.  I saw a set of four toadstool shaped napkin rings - not even old - just cute - picked them up, saw "Set of 4 - $10.00" and about died.  THAT'S TOO MUCH!  Even though it was full, I found hardly anything that appealed to me or that I was willing to buy. 

But, then I walked to the furniture area and sitting on top of a table was this:

*Pay no attention to my little helper*

A huge Redman Picnic Basket - the biggest I have ever seen.  You could pack a turkey dinner in that sucker.  It's BIG!  It still has the divider inside, which I always take out, but it's good to get it with it.  Now, I paid way more for this one than I have ever paid for any of my others.  I paid $15.00 for it.  I have been in such thrift withdrawl and had such a bad week that I decided I deserved it.  Poor me, poor  me.  I really do love it and it came to a good home.

Forget the Bean's video games in the background.  Here are my Redman baskets - all stacked neatly in the corner of the living room holding my craft supplies.  I'm still holding out for my holy grail - a Red Redman.  It will come to me one day.  I know it.  The top one looks red in the photo, but it's more of an orange-y brown.

One other item of interest at Goodwill was this box of Giant Sized Number Flash Cards.

Each flash card measures 11" x 14".  They really are Giant!  Wouldn't they be fun for altered art of hanging in a child's room?  There are four sets in the box.  I'll likely keep one set and sell the others in my Etsy Shop.

Getting back in real life - seeing a play, doing a little thrifting  - it was just what I needed.  (I won't let the fact that I discovered my beloved Taco Tico closed after 30 years, my favorite $1.00 Store went out of business and I had a dead car battery at the Rehab Hospital today get me down.) Today was a pretty good day in all.

Tomorrow is the Mardi Gras Parade.  Pretty much one of the best days of the entire year.  Yea, FUN!