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.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

It Only Took a Minute

Today was one of those days where I needed to do this and I had to do that.  We needed bread (yes, I am married to The Breadman, but we NEVER have bread in the house) and lettuce and cat food and Doritoes (you can need Doritoes, can't you?).  I had packages to mail at the Post Office.  We needed to find something to eat.  And we had to find a book that was released today for The Bean.  He is a bookworm - loves his books.  A new book in one of his series came out today and he had planned out exactly how many pages he could read each day of the last book so that he would finish it today and be able to start the new one today too.  So, we had to find it TODAY

So, we headed out to the Post Office, Sonic, the Bank, Wal-Mart and Target.  We left later than we should have and we really needed to get home.  So, time was of the essence.  We didn't have time for one more thing.  So, that obviously explains why I drove the car straight to Goodwill, right?  Something was calling to me inside there......

Before what I show you what it was - I must talk about how weird it was to find things that we had recently donated in there from my Grandmother's house.  I have looked at those items so many times, moved them from here to here, priced them, moved them again, boxed them up and donated them - I thought surely things were gone forever.  But, no.  I saw silverware, a teddy bear, some dishes, a lamp and a few other things.  I'm used to seeing things that I have donated at the thrift, it's just that I really thought that stuff was GONE when it left my hands for the last time.

But, enough about that.  What was calling to me?  Oh, my.  It's good.
Absolutely adorable porcelain babies from Japan. 

 Dated 1960 on the bottom (no pun intended).
 Possibly one of the cutest things I have ever, ever thrifted.
Priced at $2.50 each, but today was Green Tag day and they had green tags - so $2.50 for the pair. 

Love, love, love these babies. 

And, that, my friends, is why you must always make time to stop at the thrift. :)

*We did find the book.  All is well in Beanland.

**The photos are wonky because the flash quit working on my trusty camera.  I have a new fancy PINK Cannon coming this week and I cannot wait!  Happy late birthday to meeeeeeeeeee.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Weekend in Review

Yesterday I went to one good yard sale and bought a lot of things.  Well, I really only bought three things.  I take that back,  I only bought two things - one was free.  I bought a microwave cart which, upon getting it home won't fit where mine is now.  Drat.  It is nice - expandable Butcher Block top, doors and drawers for storage.  I think I might try to work it in somewhere else in the kitchen to hold my Kitchen Aid and use it as my Baking Station.  That will be a someday project as a lot of JUNK will have to go first!  The second thing that I bought - I actually bought 50 of them.  I bought 50 Beanie Bear Teddy Bears.  Now - before you think I have officially lost my mind.......they were mint with tags and tag protectors and they were only a quarter each, plus the lady ended up only charging me $10.00 for all 50 of them.  I consistently sell them in the Flea Market for $3-$5 each, so it is a definite money maker.  (Minus the ones that The Bean stole for his collection like the Princess Diana Bear, The End, etc.)  And, the free item, was a Redmon Baby Bassinet that matches my picnic baskets.  I have not allowed myself  to buy one, even though I do see them from time to time.  I have no need for it and I have no room for it.  But, geez - it is like new, it was in the FREE pile and the guy at the sale loaded it for me.  You can't get it much better than that!

Today The Bean and I went to the Farmer's Market with my Dad.  Our Farmer's Market is very full of vendors with fruits and vegetables as well as baskets, pottery, jewelry and other artsy items.  There is also a vendor that sells cinnamon rolls as big as your head and other gooey delights.  I go in mind to buy fresh produce, and I do, but somehow something gooey comes home with us too.  Today we chose a Elephant ear - a piece of puffed pastry dusted with sugar and cinnamon.  It makes a huge mess to eat it, but that's half the fun!


The Farmer's Market also features tons of artsy folks playing music in different areas, guitar cases open waiting for donations.  Today I had the misfortune to stand in a long line this.close to an Accordion player.  Not to be mean, the Accordion is a darn fine instrument and hard to master, I am sure.  But, it was right beside me, very loud and oh, so annoying. 



The Arkansas Farmer's Market has a wonderful program for Senior Citizens that gives each household a voucher for $50.00 worth of Fresh Produce.  My Dad gets the vouchers and invites us along to help him shop and he shares the bounty with us.  I used to feel guilty if he gave any of it to us, but he has to spend a minimum of five dollars at each booth and for five dollars you end up getting twelve huge ripe tomatoes or twenty cucumbers - it's more than he can eat before it gets bad.  I think in time they will adjust the vouchers to two or three dollars each or the Vendors will come up with smaller baskets to buy for that amount.  Between what he bought, what we bought and what we shared, we ended up with tons of wonderful fresh veggies and a bag of ripened peaches that I cannot wait to slice up.  Also, my first garden ripened tomato on a TBLT* is on the list tomorrow.  (Turkey Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato).  Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Nearly everyone buys a huge bouquet of fresh flowers.  There are so many to chose from and so many varieties.  One Vendor had only sunflowers and they were gorgeous.

After we shopped, we did one of my favorite things - watched the people come and go.  Most people bring their dogs, so it is a spectacle of people, babies, kids and dogs.  One lady even had her cat!  I saw a Great Dane big enough to ride and a teeny tiny bog smaller than my hand wearing a teeny tiny orange Polo Shirt and every sort of dog in between.  I also love the old architecture around the square.  This building houses a very upscale jewelry store, but people were going in and out of it like it was the Dollar Store.  I think I would be nervous to even go in the door!

 I love this old upper part of a store front.  I wonder who Mrs. Young was?  1887 was a good year to be her, that's for sure.
This is the second story of the bank.  I love the little turret on the side.  I bet whoever used to live there looked out the window and watched Mrs. Young next door!

And lastly, I spotted this sign as we were walking around:

 
Rear entrance...snicker...is there any other way?

So, what did you do this weekend?
 

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Junk

I am sooo ready for Fall.  I am ready for these 100 degree days to be O-V-E-R. I am ready to go to some digger sales, ready to find some Christmas junk.  Last year I made one Shiny Brite Wreath and put it in my Booth and it sold immediately - like thirty minutes after I put it out.  The owners requested that I make more and they will put them throughout the store.  Which is great.  There's only one problem - I have not found one.single. Christmas ornament this entire YEAR.  Where are the boxes full of glass ornaments?  Come on Fall and people cleaning out their sheds and garages.  Mamma needs some Shiny Brites!  (I use the term Shiny Brite, but I, of course, mean any old glass ornaments.)

This morning while longing for Fall and a digger sale, I spotted an ad for an Estate Sale three minutes from my house at the lucky address of 1111, so I proceeded to fly out the door and GO!  The yard and the garage were chock full or neat-O cool stuff.  Things right up my alley.  I got excited.  But, then I saw what I hate most - NO PRICES.  Oh, I hate that!  I can't pick up twentyhundred things and say HOW MUCH HOW MUCH HOW MUCH?  Or can I?  I inquired about a Santa Blowmold and she told me a quarter.  Hey, things are looking good, I thought.  Then I picked up a Baby Sinclair Dinosaur and she told me he was five dollars.  The link shows that they will sell for about a hundred dollars, but the one I was holding was really, really dirty, his face had marker on it and his talker was broken.  He would have needed a ton of work and cleaning and he still wouldn't have been that great.  When she noticed that I put him back, she must have decided that  I was a tightwad.  When I picked up the next item, a vintage child's book called "Kitties" she said, "You aren't goin' like the price of that one".  Then she told me that I could "have" it for ten dollars, but not to tell a soul that she practically gave it to me.  When I put that back, she let out a big siiiiigh

I did manage to find a few things that weren't terrible overpriced.  The aforementioned Santa Blowmold, a neat old crate, a stack of I really do not need because I have a ton of them but I cannot seem to leave them behind tart tins, four giant old green springs, a neat old pulley and a Bakelite Viewmaster.

The big old springs looked like Grasshoppers or something that I could fashion out of junk.

The crate is cool - I plan on using it for display with some of my pottery flowerpots. each one should fit right in a cubby. Or I could use it flat with things in it at a party - cups, silverware, napkins, etc. 

The old pulley will hold up a hanging basket until one day when I am lucky enough to find a cool old scale to hang from it. 

So, despite the high prices and the lack of actual prices at all - I managed to score some goodies.  Kind of wet my whistle for what is to come this Fall.  I HOPE!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Clinton House Museum

Everyone knows that Bill Clinton is from Arkansas.  But, what you might not  know is that he and Hillary got married at a house they owned right here in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  He was a Law Professor at the University and their little house was only a block away from the University.  We drive past the Clinton House Museum a few times a week, but we had never been there.  But, today is Bill Clinton's 65th birthday, so in honor of that, the Clinton House Museum had free admission.  You know me - If it's FREE, then it's for ME!  Wheeee!
It's a really neat old house with lots of interesting architectural accents and character.

This is a replica of the dress that Hillary wore on their wedding day.  They got married in the living room and this where this dress is showcased.

There is lots of fun old ephemera from his days from Congress to Governor to President.  When I was a kid, we always went to the Rodeo of the Ozarks Parade in Springdale.  We would sit in front of the Grandstands in front of the Chamber of Commerce.  As the parade passed by, the dignitaries would leave their cars and come sit in the Grandstands.  We always sat on the corner, right where everyone stepped out of their cars.  Bill Clinton was there a lot throughout his career and always shook our hands as he made his way to the Grandstands.
This was a neat piece of artwork all made out of enlarged pixels.  Here he is wearing a Hog hat - the sign of a true Razorback fan.  This is how I always remember him looking when we saw him at the parades.  Well, he wasn't wearing the hog hat, of course.  But, he had all that curly hair and was kind of cute.  My Mom had a HUGE crush on him!  :D

Bill had a little Karmann Ghia back in the 1970's that he would drive around town.  He was good friends with Don Tyson, who had a lake house up the road from our house and he would often drive out for the weekend.  It wasn't uncommon for him to drive past our house and toot the horn at us if we were outside.  Times changed and he would arrive in a limo or black car until finally there was an entire motorcade involved.  After he became President, he would still go out to the Lake house for visits.  My dad still lives out there and the Secret Service would often come to the door and ask him to move his car further up into the driveway and remind him not to carry any weapons or alcohol around needlessly.  (As if my Dad walked around with an SKS and a bottle of Jack Daniels on a regular basis). 

(Yes, you are looking at Bill Clinton's actual bath tub.  Your day is now complete.)

One more Bill Clinton story.  When he was the President and visiting the area, The Breadman and I went to see him leave at the airport that was a block from our little house.  Back then, you could just line up to watch and there wasn't much security involved except for a line of Secret Servicemen lined up with holsters and sunglasses on eyeing each person in the crowd.  As we lined up, the Clinton's arrived in their Presidential Motorcade (which was promptly driven onto Air Force One  - which makes sense, but I had never thought about how the car gets to each place!) and Bill made his way up to to the people waiting.

He walked along the line of people, shaking each person's hand and greeting the people he knew personally.  He went down the line, very systematically shaking each persons hand and making eye contact.  I was three people back in line, but I had my arm stuck out to shake his hand. But, somehow he missed my hand and continued up the line.  He got about two people up and continued to shake hands and scan the crowd.  As he glanced back, he made eye contact with me and stepped back to shake my hand.  I thought it was impressive that he was making eye contact with everyone and actually realized that he had missed someone.  My Mom's theory of him spotting a twenty-something brown eyed girl in the crowd was less than flattering (for him). 

So, those are all my Bill Clinton stories.  It was interesting to see the house and all the things inside.  It was especially nice since it was FREE today.

And, to top it all off, for Bill's birthday, we all walked out with an RC Cola and a Moon Pie.

Happy Birthday, Bill!

*Have you ever met a President?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Week in Junk

Life has returned to normal and I have managed to fit in a little junking again.  I thought I would be sick of stuff after the Estate Sale, but none of that stuff was my taste and I had touched it and looked at it all for so long that I was ready to get out and look at some different junk.  Does that make sense? 

On my birthday, after we all went out to eat, I snuck next door to Goodwill for a late night junking trip.  I had no idea that Goodwill was open until 8:00 at night.  Although, honestly, if I am not home by 5:00 pm, I think I will turn into a pumpkin.  I just don't like to be out at night - even when it does stay daylight until 9:00.  This is the Goodwill that opened about two weeks ago (the one I forgot to go to on Opening Day!).  When it first opened, it was full, but not stuffed and prices were a bit higher than I liked.  But, this week, the store was packed to the gills and the prices were much more reasonable.  I had a $20.00 Birthday Bill burning a hole in my pocket, so I shopped until I dropped!

When I saw the Hawkeye Basket, I held my breath until I looked at the price.  It was the first thing I saw and I wanted it!  $5.00 was the magic price, which also happens to be my max price.  Whew.  The Kangaroo Valet is always a good seller - it was in Pulp Fiction - so people collect them.  The baggie is chock full of miniatures for my Itty Bity Collection.  The Rubber  Face monkey will either live with me or go on ebay.  Haven't quite decided yet.  You know me and monkeys, right?

Speaking of monkey's - Let's take a time out from junking to show you one of my birthday presents.  Let's see if you can guess.  I am in my mid 40's and my Mom bought it for me.  Hmmmmmm...what would she buy me?

How about a giant sock monkey?  Makes sense, right?  It's just what every gal needs.  For the record, I think he is wonderful!

Okay, back to the JUNK!
One last silly find at Goodwill - a set of Davy & Goliath Finger Puppets.  I loved Davy & Goliath when I was a kid.  "Oooooooooooooh, Daaaaaavy."  I bought a few other things, which in my advanced age, I forgot to photograph.  Harhar.  I got a Wilton Pewter ABC Baby Cup and a few other things too.

Today, I dropped the boys off at the movies to see Captain America***.  (I simply could not go see one more movie involving Super Heroes, Robots or Talking Cars!)  After I dropped them off, I had an ALL ME day.  I went to the Flea market, a Thrift Store, Hobby Lobby and Joanne's (my first trip there) all by myself just like a big girl!  I only looked at what I wanted to look at  as long as I wanted to look at it.  It was awesome.

 Two boxes of poker chips - 75% off 75¢ which is hard math so let's just say CHEAP.  :)
 An Owl Bank - Be Wise.....Save.  Going to the booth because owl sell like hot cakes.  Figuratively speaking.
I had been looking at this old scoop for a few weeks.  The color coded tag had finally worked down to the 25¢ bin, so I bought it.  I am ho hum on the color and the heart is very 1990's County to me.  But, the scoop (yes, it is shaped like a duck too) is hand carved and cool.  Maybe a coat of white and some scuffing up will revive it. 
Another item in the 25¢ area - a sweet bird figure. 

Four small vases the first two will go to the booth, the pottery piece will stay with me and I strongly suspect The Bean will snag the orange glass piece for his collection.  Those first two have a name, but it escapes me - anyone?

The last thing which I really did not need, but seems to be my newest obsession - a crocheted baby blanket.  It is tiny and perfectly done.

Tomorrow there is a sale close to me that is a house full all for sale.  The ad reads, "No offer will be refused."  Boy, are they going to wish they had never put that in the ad.  I know from experience - people are CHEAP!  (Even cheaper than me!  Shock!)

***When I dropped the boys to see Captain America, I had tossed the idea around of going to see "The Help" by myself.  I've never been to a movie by myself and I decided against it.  When I was leaving the theater, a bus from the local Assisted Living place came pulling in.  The boys told me that when they got drinks, there were nine people in wheelchairs and three on Walkers waiting for refreshments.  When "The Help" let out, they had to wait while the people literally rolled out of the theater in wheelchairs, rollerators, walkers and canes.  It was a funny sight when we are used to families and couples at the movies.  Good for them for getting out and going to the movies, though.

Monday, August 15, 2011

They Say it's My Birthday


I was sort of cute when I was two.

Four wasn't a bad year either.
*That's Grape Juice in my Goblet.*

We won't discuss this year's "number".  But, I think it's going to be an okay year.

*I may have figured out my fear of creepy clowns - TWO cakes covered in clown heads.  Ahhhhhhhhh!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Estate Sale is O-V-E-R!

Whew.  It is OVER.  Well, sort of.  We still have some things listed on Craigslist and a lot of random things to box up and donate.  But, the SALE is OVER.  Wooohoooo!  It was so much work to get ready to have not to mention the actual having of the sale.  I got up at 5:00 am and then had to travel about thirty minutes each way each day.  So by the time I got home Friday night I was exhausted.  The house has these weird steep steps that led down into the den, which is a converted garage, and they are very difficult for this 5'2" shorty to maneuver.  I mean I can do them once or twice or maybe even ten times in one day, but I honestly think I walked up and down them a thousand times each day.  By Saturday night, my knees and legs were screaming.  But, last night I got about ten hours of much needed sleep and some much needed rest and I feel much, much better.

Here are the stories and things that I want to remember and some things I learned as well.

We had a big sign on the door that said OPEN AT 9:00, so people started lining up about 8:30, which made me happy because I envisioned NO ONE coming after all my hard, hard work.  The first guy in line decided to turn around and lean on the house while he chatted with the other people in line - they all seemed to know each other so they must be the local yard sale-ing crew.  Anyway, where he chose to lean was where the doorbell button was, but he didn't realize it.  After about ten minutes of straight DING DONG * DING DONG * DING DONG * DING DONG * DING DONG we gave in and opened the door.  I opened the door and said "WHO IS RINGING THE DOORBELL?" and they all about collapsed laughing and pointing at the guy who turned every shade of red.  I laughed and smiled at him so he knew I wasn't mad - I knew it was an accident - and said, "You can all come in early just so he will quit DING DONG'ing!"

When I stepped aside to let them in, I had no idea that nearly everyone of them was going to RUSH to the  jewelry table and whip out their loupes to look at every single piece.  Well, sorry, this ain't my first Rodeo - I had already done that.  There wasn't a drop of gold or silver on that table.  There was still plenty of good usable jewelry and lots of fun costume jewelry and some things worth some money.  Just not silver and gold.  My Grandmother was the type of person that wanted lots and lots of cheaper stuff rather than a little bit of good stuff anyhow.

Some people can be rude.  No matter what an item is priced, they want it cheaper.  Ten dollars, no they want to pay five dollars.  Ten cents, they will give you a nickle.  Every single time.  But, people can also be very generous like the guy that I charged a dollar for an old razor and he said it was just like his Daddy's so he gave me six dollars.  People truly need things area are grateful for what they can find at yard sales.  We had a young Native American woman and her three small children come in the house.  I noticed that she was buying towels, washcloths, sheets, blankets, bars of soap, half used bottles of cleaning products, etc.  I asked her if she was setting up home and she said she was trying to start over and it was hard.  I don't know what the circumstances were behind her needing everything, but the more she bought, the less I charged her.  She ended up spending $25.00, but I think she left with over $100.00 worth of things at our prices, so probably $500.00 worth of stuff that she might have gone to purchase or not have had the money at all.  She was so happy with her things and we were happy that she found them.

Everyone has a story and they are DYING to tell someone.  I am not kidding.  I cannot believe the stores that people told us.  It was like we were a captive audience so they just stood in front of us and talked and talked and talked.  One man stood and told us his entire life story including how his 30 year younger wife left him for the Preacher and how he needed a house and how he was an Architect and yadda yadda and all we had actually asked him was, "What is your dog's name?"  When he left, he let in a lady who talked for about twenty straight minutes about her ex husband dying while she looked for her twenty dollar bill.  When she finally found it and handed it to The Bean, she kept digging in her purse for some unknown reason then looked up and The Bean was looking at her twenty because it looked different.  She had actually handed him a 1950 $20.00 Silver Certificate instead of a regular twenty.  Then she had to dig in her purse again to find the other twenty and just kept on talking.  When she finally left, she turned around and said she would be back with her daughter.  We all just did a big air suck, like "Oh God, NO!"  She didn't come back.  Whew.  She was nice enough, but golly she was a talker. (Wouldn't that have been a nice treat to find a Silver Certificate in our cash drawer at the end of the day?)

One older man came up to me and said, I know it took you forever, but thank you so much for pricing everything.  I hate it when things aren't priced.  I told him I was practically a professional at going to yard sales and that is my pet peeve too.  I told  him I knew people liked to haggle, but at least it gave us a starting point.  He agreed and said that I had done an excellent job.  He returned the next day to have a look around and tell me all the people he had sent over to shop.  Including his wife  - who made an impression on me when she bought some framed dog portraits - that story later.

For those of you that looked at the Estate Sale blog I set up and were wondering about he half mannequin.....My dad bought a bunch of those when JcPenney's closed down and then he passed them out to the women in the family as silly jokes.  He gave one to my Grandmother, who used to have a pretty good sense of humor and it turned out to be one of her favorite things.  No one even looked at it on Friday, but the first guy in the door on Saturday wanted to know if the mannequin was still there.  He had driven all the way out there hoping to get it for his vintage store. My Grandmother would be happy to know that it will be used at a store again and I now have a cool new vintage store to check out. 

One of the first guys in the door wanted to buy a stack of cement blocks.  He offered a really low offer, but frankly, I didn't think anyone would ever want to buy them. Plus, I certainly didn't have it in me to move and unload 35 cement blocks.  (As it turned out, I could have sold those damn blocks about twenty times that day - who knew?).  When he paid he told me that he would be back the next day, so I asked him his name so I could make a SOLD sign.  He told me that his name was Don, but there were two Don's there but he was the good looking one.  So, he became Good Looking Don the rest of the weekend.  Well, when Good Looking Don came back on Saturday to pick up his blocks, not only did he take his pile of blocks, but he walked around the house, the garage, the shed and gathered up all the stray ones including the ones were were using to hold doors open and using to stand on to reach things.  I still can't believe he took every single one.

The second lady in the door was a lady that had been there on Friday.  She had bought a bunch of fabric the first day.  She found some more that she wanted and laid it on the table.  I said, "That will be three dollars, please."   She said, "That is more than I want to pay."  Like that was okay - just pay what you want and be on your merry way.  I said, "Well, then how about TWO dollars?"  She said, "I don't even like this material, it isn't what I used for my quilts" and held a dollar out to me.  For some reason, this got under my Mom's skin and she said, "You can have it for a dollar fifty".  She just kept saying dollar fifty, dollar fifty and finally the old lady pulled two more quarters out of her purse and huffed off.  It was really the principal of the thing - she came back for that darned fabric and wanted it for zilch!  My Mom was not going to let her get away without that fifty cents.  Cracked me up!

I called one lady the "Skunk Eye Lady" - no matter what price I quoted to her - she would just stare at me and give me the skunk eye until I came up with a better price.  She was this tiny old lady probably about eighty years old, but she just gave me this look.  Gave me chills!  I bet her husband and her kids got that look a LOT!  Brrrrr!  She, of course, came to the sale three times.  But I figured her out and we ended up getting along pretty good.  She was watching me go here and there and in and out and she said, "I know a little girl that is going to be tired tonight" and I said, "I know! I know!  Me! Me!" and she laughed.  (Calling me a "little girl" was a good call on her part - she got some lower prices than she was geting when she was giving me the Skunk Eye.)

I've always read in articles that when you have a sale that the people that buy your things aren't paying for the memories or the sentiments attached to the items.  And, that is true.  However, when you buy something there just might be some memories attached and they might want to share them with you.  I personally like stories attached to certain items like my Aunt Margie photo I recently bought.  So, my Grandmother was a professional photographer and owned a prominent studio in Topeka.  She did all the portraits of the Governor's that still hang in the State Capitol and the House of Representatives and Senators from Kansas as well as Miss Kansas each year.  She was well respected within the city and state for her photography.  She also loved dogs and always had one or two dogs her entire life.  She loved to take beautiful portraits of her dogs.  These portraits were nicer than most people can afford of their actual children.  In the house were all these professionally framed portraits of all her dogs.  I knew that no one was really going to want the dog photos, but the frames were old ones - ornate and heavy and worth a pretty penny back in the day and even now to those of us that love old frames.  So, I priced all these portraits for the value of the frames only.  When one lady came along and made a bulk offer for all of them, I commented that those were all my Grandmother's dogs.  She said, "I don't give a damn about the dogs."  Well, I must say, that took me aback and I blurted out, "Sorry - it's just that these are my DEAD Grandmother's DEAD dogs and I thought I might mention it."  A little bit later, she came and handed me all the dog portraits that she had carefully removed out of the frames.  She said that she was an artist and only wanted the frames anyway.  Which I already knew.  I didn't want the dog portraits in the first place because we all have smaller prints of them already.  The point to this very long paragraph is that she was rude, but she figured it out and apologized in her own way.  She got a good deal on those nice frames too and she knew it.  Now, does anyone need any dog photos?   
One last story.  The old man next door came over fifteen times in two days to look at the washer and dryer.  In and out.  In and out.  He really really wanted them - he knew they were practically new, but he wanted them for practically nothing.  He kept low balling our already low price.  Friday passed and no one bought them, so he took that as an opportunity to offer even less for them on Saturday.  He would stand in the laundry room and just stare at them for like thirty minutes straight, which, in my eye was his ploy to keep anyone else from looking at them.  He magically reappeared at 3:45, fifteen minutes before the sale ended, to offer one more, even lower price.  Niiice.  Like he was doing us a favor by "taking them off our hands". Cue the angel choir when the front door opened ten minutes before we closed down and a nice lady and her Reverend husband came in and bought the washer, the dryer, the refrigerator, the deep freeze AND the oven for $1200.00.  SCORE!   The old man hoped in and started offering MORE than he was offering earlier, but my Mom just told him, "Sorry,  They are SOLD."  I am pretty sure the old guy has enough money to go buy three of each at Lowe's, but he is a real penny pincher.

Starting last night and still today, people are emailing me asking if things are still available.  I have sold quite a few things since we closed up last night, so that is helpful to get the house cleaned out.  I honestly never thought about even doing that.  Have you ever emailed about things after a sale? I guess it's a good idea.  I just never thought about it.

I learned the art of haggling, even though I do not haggle at sales - start out high and work your way to what you wanted in the first place.  It worked nearly every time. 

I also learned that when you fifteen year old son is the only male at a sale, people expect a lot out of him. He was carrying dressers and cement blocks and concrete cowboy planters and bags of stuff and chairs all day long.  He was a sweaty hot mess.  He did it willingly, it was just that people expected him to do it.  I also learned that he had a secret desire to own something in the house that I had no idea he wanted.  Something that horrified me to the core. 
OMG, as they say.  I said that it is NOT allowed in the house as we have no room for a five and a half foot metal armoured knight inside.  He will stand guard in the garden for now.  The funny thing is that most of the family hated this thing for numerous reasons including his not child friendly sharp spear and is sharp edges that sometimes catch on your clothes.  Everyone was delighted to see him go in the sale, including my Uncle who had a fervent desire to shoot him and run him over with a truck.  But, now he lives at our house, where the family memories can live on forever!

Well, once again you made it through the entire post.  You win a MILLION DOLLARS!  Woohoo!  *I kid.*   Thanks for reading and hanging with me through all this mess.  It is nearly over and I cannot wait! 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Estate Sale

Tomorrow the shoe is on the other foot - we will be the ones having the sale - not going to the sale.  I am nervous as a cat about it.  I have seen people be SO rude at sales.  At my MIL's sale, the people were just awful - "Where's the gold?"  "Where are the antiques?" "Where is the glassware?"  Uh, poor people die too, ya know?  When we got there, the people were lined up down the driveway.  As we walked up to unlock the door, the first lady in line shoved The Breadman and said, "HEY! I am first in line."  He dangled the keys in her face and said, "Then you might want me to open the door -huh?"  We really should have thrown her off the property!

Everybody needs a life sized knight....right?  I actually already had an email about him. 

So much jewelry - not particularly vintage and not the good stuff - just lots of costume jewelry and lots of QVC Cubic stuff. 

Anyway, we are ready for this sale to start and end.  I have touched every single item in that house a thousand times.  It is all just stuff to me now, although I think my Mom and Uncle might feel differently once stuff starts walking out the door.  Me too, actually.  Who knows.

Here's the website with all the photos:  Estate Sale.

Wish us luck!

Monday, August 08, 2011

It's Birthday Month

It's Birthday Month around here.  First comes my birthday, then three weeks later, it's The Bean's birthday.  I'm not overly happy about the age I will be turning this time, so I am just not going to mention it.  And, The Bean is going to be Sweet 16 which means driving, high school studies, studying for his GED (because he is Homeschooled), moving out, going to college, getting married, having babies and forgetting his Mama.  Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.  Okay, so maybe I am jumping the gun a bit on some of those things, but it feels like he is growing up just way too fast and I can't stop it.  *Sniff*

Oh, wait.  What was this post about - Oh, yes - BIRTHDAYS.  I remember! Any resemblance to a holiday is a good enough excuse for me to throw up some decorations and vintage stuff.  Today I gathered up all my vintage Birthday decorations and went to town. 

This isn't as perfect or as neat as I would like it, but I was putting it together when the washing repairman*** was here (YIPPEE - I can do laundry again.  My most hated job, but now I am thankful for it.) Anyway, he was giving me looks like I was weird for playing with old birthday stuff. Sheesh.  Doesn't everyone????

I'll have to fluff it and make it neater, but at least it's out.  That Happy Birthday book is one of my favorites.  It was the sweetest illustrations.
Cake decorations, vintage candle boxes, my beloved Toasting Glasses, and some other fun things round out this shelf.

Party picks, more candle boxes, Cake decorations and a sweet Annalee Birthday Mouse.
Even more candle boxes, a crepe paper hat like my Great Grandma always made and some other goodies.  I love old birthday cards and paper goods too.
Well. Somebody is not happy about having a birthday. Just sayin'.
I put up my Happy Birthday Banner that I won from Jerusalem a couple of years ago.  Below that are more cake decorations and party favors.

I love these old cake toppers - spun heads, pipe cleaner bodies, old beads - what could be better?

***I sent an email to GE Customer Service and voice my displeasure with my new GE washing machine quitting already.  I told them about my multiple trips to the laundry mat and the heat and how it had been three weeks without a washer, blah, blah, blah.  I really never thought it would amount to anything, but I have recently learned that it is good to vent and get it off my chest rather than holding it in.  Anyway, short story long (ha), I received a very nice email saying that the repair company would be there today and that I would be receiving a check for the laundry expenses.  Now, wasn't that nice? I wasn't even demanding, just told my story and had the right person hear it. 

P.S. It is raining right now for the first time in over two months.  I've never heard such a wonderful sound!

A repaired washing machine, rain and a birthday - Hey - this week is starting off A-okay!

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Uh-Oh

I did a bad thing.

I bought another globe. 

That's two in less than a month.

Uh-Oh.

One more and it's a bona fide collection

Uh-Oh.

I never even see globes and I certainly don't need another collection, but when I saw this awesome globe at the Super Cheap Thrift today, I had to have it.  Especially when I noticed the ubber modern Lucite base.  Not that I'm into modern stuff, but it just made it look cool.
But, what really makes it special is that it lights up!  Terrible photo, I know.  But, you can still appreciate the coolness of it, can't you?

I will not collect globes.  I will not collect globes.

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