The Start of a New Collection

A couple of weeks ago when we were all sick I was housebound for a couple of days.  I laid on my pallet of quilts and blankets in the living room and surfed the internet on my phone.  That's when I discovered that you can do anything on your phone that you can do on the computer.  Like SHOP!  Uh-Oh.  Not a good thing for this junk-hunt starved person to figure out. So, I headed to ebay to do some "looking".  I never buy on ebay unless I have some money stashed in my PayPal account.  And, I just happened to have some money squirreled away, so off I went to "look".  :D

I bought this fun Plumpee Rubber baby at a sale last summer and I am sort of in love with him.  Even the Breadman and The Bean say "Hey Plumpee" when they see him.  He's just this fat little round guy that makes me happy.

So, imagine my delight when I spy a lot of Plumpees!  

Woohoo. 

 I got this sweet little fat yellow Plumpee baby.

And, this fat pink baby girl Plumpee.  

Now I have an entire Plumpee Family!  

Three Plumpees is enough for anyone right?

Then why am I obsessed with finding some more?

Because THREE is just the START of a collection.  Right?

The Week in Junk

I do still go thrifting.  I try to go a few times a week since Goodwill is right up the street.  And, if I find myself within a close proximity of any other thrift on any give day - I am there!  I'm tryiing to find new merchandise for the booth and always, always hoping to find a treasure for ME.  I still thrift for the joy of adding something to one of my collections.  Finding things to resell is just what I do while I am there hunting for things for me!  You do that do, don't you?

This week's treasures.  Or not.  I'll let you decide.

First of all I went to a real live GARAGE SALE today.  Oh, sure it was a huge disappointment and basically just a table full of baby stuff.  But, still - it means that Garage Sale Season is COMING!

I did spend 50¢ on a sweet denim jacket for Hazel. :)

I always keep her dressed.  I prefer vintage clothes or holiday clothes.  But, sometimes she just wears cute stuff.  

I avoid glass and I avoid vases.  But, this lovely vintage E.O. Brody vase is heavy and well made.  I only have one vase in the house - I usually just use a Mason Jar to hold flowers.  But, I think this nice old green vase would be lovely with my favorite flowers.  It was 50¢ at the Super Cheap Thrift.

This odd old red handled object was 25¢. I have a pretty good sized collection of old green and red handled kitchen tools.  I'm not really into them anymore so I am considering selling them.  But, I don't want to be sorry that I sold them.  Have you ever sold off a collection and then been remorseful?

A pretty cut glass butter dish.  I bought it for the booth, but I am tempted to keep it for Thanksgiving Dinner which is the one day a year I set a fancy table.  It was 25¢ at the Super Cheap Thrift.

A vintage handpainted cup for 25¢.

A sweet vintage Easter tin.  My Mom has one of these and I have always loved it.  So much in fact, that I have already thrifted another one just like it.  So, this one might and I stress MIGHT, go to the booth.

An A&W Root Bear (yes, Bear) glass.  

Three sweet vintage floral cups for 10¢ each.

This old bank isn't in working condition, but I am hoping to fix it.  I think when you drop a penny into the top, the cowboys arm pops out with a gun it in like he is going to rob you.  He is a bobble head to boot.  I just need to fix that spring in his arm.  

 A sweet 1950's Picture Dictionary.

  I love the old graphics in it. 

An old handmade broom that I discovered was made by the Student Industries at Berea College in KY.

 My research shows that they still make brooms at Berea College.  But, I can tell this one is an older one.  I think it is interesting to think of a bunch of college kids sitting around making brooms.

I bought this big copper compote at the Flea Market,  There is a booth that sells donated items for the Animal Shelter.  They sell their things super cheap since it is all donated and for charity.  So, I search the booth every time I am there.  This was only $2.00.  I know I can use it for holidays or even to display things in my booth.  I don't usually like copper things (it makes my hands stinky), but I do like this.  

This handmade rabbit shaker will go in the folk art collection.  Or maybe the Bunny Collection.  Or maybe the pottery collection.  Or maybe the Easter Collection.  (See why I HAD to buy it?)  He fits in the palm of your hand and when you shake it, it rattles.

This neat old sprinkler was $1.00 and will go on the porch in the gardening tool collection.  

And, the one thing I always, always ALWAYS hope to find at each and every thrift or yard sale - a good old tablecloth.  This one is lovely with aqua stripes and big pink flowers.  It was one very happy find today at the Super Cheap Thrift for $2.00.  I consider vintage tablecloths to be the holy grail and most wanted item when I am thrifting.  I can always squeeze one more into the cabinet.  And, when they day comes that I can't (and that has happened) I sort them out and take the least favorites out to the booth.  But, I keep a lot.  But, you knew that, didn't you?

So, I get to keep the vase, the sprinkler, the tablecloth and the bunny.  I'll think about the butter dish and the copper compote.  The rest will go to the booth.  That's not a bad week of thrifting, I suppose.

Did you find anything this week?

PS - It snowed this week!

But, it was gone by that afternoon.  :(

What's Up?

It seems like I haven't really blogged in ages.  I try to keep up with the usual holiday posts and check in from time to time.  But, my every other day ramblings have gone to the way side.  I have a lot to say and I have been through a lot.  But, golly, the last couple months of last year were just so, very BAD, that I just talked about bad stuff all the time.  It gets old thinking about it, living it, talking about it, writing about it, dreaming about it, etc.  

My Mom is still in the fancy rehab place that is about six minutes from my house.  She got cleared to remove the splint on her left arm and she is using it pretty well.  She is still in the back brace and the neck brace, but she goes to the doctor on Tuesday FINALLY for the first time since this all happened.  Hopefully she will get an idea about how much longer she needs to wear the back brace.  They said anywhere from 3-6 months and it has been three months this week, so maybe she is closer to being out of it than not.  

My Mom in her neck brace and back brace.  Looks comfortable, huh?

Her right arm still hurts like crazy all of the time.  If you barely brush your hand across it, the nerves go crazy and it feels like hot coals are being poured over it.  She can lift her arm, but still can't use her fingers for much.  They work her in therapy really hard though, so by the time I see her in the early afternoon, she is worn out and sore from the therapy, so she can't use her arm that much.  All of the Aides and Nurses love her.  I'm not kidding - I mean they love her - she is friends with all of them and she gets special treatment from them.  She is happy enough there, but really more than ready to go home.  I'm nervous to think of her going home and not being right up the street from me in a safe environment all the time with round the clock care.  But, hopefully, she will be much better before she gets to go home.  

My Mom hiding from me in the lobby.  They have this crazy huge furniture that makes no sense.  She rolled over and hid behind the sofa.  I could barely see the top of her head peeking out.  See - we keep our sense of humor around here!

Her first time outside in two months.  

The Breadman's job is okay.  He does have shorter hours than he did before which is still really hard for me to handle.  I know that sounds mean, but gosh, I need the house to myself to get my things done when I can do it.  Plus, he is particularly grumpy since he started working again.  For some reason, he has no patience with me being gone in the afternoon until about 6:30 with my Mom.  He thinks I should have dinner ready at 6:30 even though we have ALWAYS eaten at 7:00 for the past 22 years.  But, whatever.  I don't know if he is jealous of my time with my Mom or what, but for Pete's sake - she needs my help right now.  He understood that when he was unemployed and he helped me keep up with the housework when I was gone night and day back then.  Christopher helps a lot.  And, he's completely capable of cooking and doing things.  But, really should a teenage boy really be required to do those things all the time?  Don't get me wrong - that boy helps all the time and does things without me asking, like finishing up the towels and starting dinner.  I try to think about meals ahead of time and cook things in the morning so all they have to do is reheat it, but it is really hard to cook dinner at nine in the morning!  Having The Breadman grumpy with me is not helping my mood either.  I feel completely stressed to get home and make him happy.  Meanwhile, I would rather give him a raspberry.  Pbthhhh.  I know he's stressed out starting a new job at this stage in his life and I try to be understanding.  But, jeez, my life isn't exactly going where it should be right now either.  :(

Christopher, (I MEAN, THE BEAN!) is doing fine.  He goes with me a lot to see my Mom and he stays home a lot too.  He doesn't have a drivers license yet, so he is sort of stuck one place or the other.  He loves to be home, so that is a good thing.  Our homeschool schedule is pretty much out the window right now, but he keeps up with a lot of it and we do extra things in the evenings and weekends.  Luckily, he old enough that he knows all the basics so it's not like he isn't learning to read and write!  :D  Actually, he is studying for his GED since he is home schooled.  The best thing we did for him was get him an iphone for Christmas.  We are able to text, face time and keep in touch so much better with it.  Not to mention, I got cool points!  He is just the nicest person.  I can't believe I helped make that kid.

So, as if life isn't crazy and busy enough.......I'm going to double the size of my flea market this month.  I literally have a thousand things in my booth now, so doubling it is going to mean taking in a lot more things!  Most of the booths are the type that you walk past and shop while you pass.  But, mine is deep and stocked well, so everyone steps inside to shop.  I like that - it's like I have my own little store.  So, when I do double it, I'm going to put a bookshelf across half the entrance so they have to come in and go over to the other side to see what's in there.  The shelf will only be about three feet tall, so they can see what's in there, but have to actually come it to get it.  I have an old window I am going to hang up and make it like a store window peering into my booth.  A lot of the booths are really getting a certain "look" to them and I want mine to have it's own look.  It will be hard work for a few days and then I will have to stock it up, but I know it will do well.  I hope to double my sales by just increasing my rent by $30.00.  I might even start buying some small pieces of furniture.  I'm also making an entire wall of items that you need to find to make all those crafts on Pinterest.  Chandelier crystals, marquee letters, flash cards, BINGO cards, checkers, dominoes, Scrabble words, PROBE letter words, etc.  I already have  a lot of those things, but I want to represent them specifically for the Pinterest crowd.  I still stand by my "No Cheveron's" and "No Nylon Netting Wreaths" -  I hate that stuff.

So, that's what's up.  Sorry for cutting on The Breadman or being a downer.  I actually stay pretty upbeat on a day to day basis.  I'm just really, really, really, really, really, REALLY tired trying to do it ALL.  But, it is what it is and I'll just keep on plugging along until it gets better.  And, it will get better.  I know that.  :D

Thanks again for all the well wishes, cards, emails and thoughts that everyone has sent me.  I really do appreciate each and every one of YOU!

Happy Heart Day

We've had our Little Lady for eleven years.  

But, I just spotted this heart on her side a few weeks ago.

She has to lay just a certain way before you can see it.  

Whenever I see it, it makes me happy.

Hope you have some happy in your day today.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine Candy Box Collection

When I think of Valentine's Day, I tend to think of candy.  Oh, who am I kidding - I associate ALL holidays with some sort of candy.  :D  Easter = Malted Robin's Eggs.  Halloween = Candy Corn  Valentine's Day = Boxes of chocolates.  Specifically Chocolate Covered Cherries.  

I found my first Chocolate covered Cherry box by accident - it was at a garage sale and I actually bought the contents of whatever was in it and only discovered it was a Chocolate Covered Cherry Box when I got home.  That was the ROYALE box on the bottom right corner.  The rest came from Etsy and a couple were Happy Mail Surprises.   That's an old Brach's Chocolate Covered Cherry Ad in the back.  I need to get it framed.

I also LOVE the old heart shaped Candy boxes with flowers and lace.  And, I am NOT a flowers and lace kinda gal.  I am always on the lookout for a big box chock full of vintage ones at a sale, but haven't been lucky enough to find ANY yet.  I did find this one last week at Goodwill.  It was missing the flowers, but thank God I am a hoarder so I dug around in my tacky plasticky flower bin and found those pink roses.  I think it looks like it came that way now.

I've found several very old chocolate tins at various sales and thrifts.  Love that purple Louis Sherry Confectionery tin.  That's a Chocolate Treasure Chest on top.

This very old Whitman's Chocolate treasure chest is really neat.  It's big and I think getting it as a gift would have been completely and totally awesome. I bet the chocolates were wrapped in gold paper.

Last year I was stalking the candy boxes at Walgreen's when I spotted a GIANT Whitman's Sampler box with two and half pounds of chocolates.  Holey Moley!  The holy grail of chocolates!

On Valentine's Day there was a knock on my door and there stood my Dad holding THAT giant box!  All for me!   On the rare occasion I have been gifted a box of chocolates, I tend to be a bit stingy with my sharing.  I want the caramel.  I want the little Postman.  I want the Nougat.  It's MINE.  All mine!  

*insert evil chocolate coated laughter here *

Well, did you know that it is virtually impossible to "hide" a candy box as big as the coffee table?  Or to be able to sneak a chocolate when everyone an see you lifting the lid from across the room?  :(  I had to share.  But, there was plenty to go around.  

That box is now the crowning jewel to my Candy box collection.  At Christmas, we had an open house at the Flea Market and someone brought one of these boxes of chocolates to sit out at the refreshment table.  I coveted it for about a month until it was finally emptied out and asked about it.  

"You want that?  Take it!"  

You don't have to tell me twice!  Now I have TWO.  They hold my Valentine's decorations perfectly, sit on a shelf nicely and look perfectly delicious all at once!

**PS.  I think Chocolate Covered Cherries are loathesome and they do not cross my lips.  Any other chocolate covered anything is fair game though......:)

Heart to Heart Swap

I have been participating in Sarah's Heart to Heart Swap for several years.  I used to do a lot of swaps, but I quit doing any a couple of years ago except for the Heart to Heart Swap.  The rule is to make 14 identical Hearts or Valentine's and send them to Sarah, she sorts them out and sends you back a box with 14 different Valentine's in it.  It's always fun to see all the ideas that people come up with.  Since I have been doing this swap for about seven years times the 14 ornaments each time - I have a LOT of great items from artists all over the internet.  Some of my favorites from the past stay out all year long.

Here are this years Heart to Heart items!  I can't add links to blogs since only a few actually signed or put a card with their items this year.  :(

A pair of decorated bobby pins.

Sarah made these great milk cap flowers in old spools.  I love it!

Bubble gum machine hanging.

Handmade paper hearts with flower seed to plant this Spring.  Clever!

A nice handmade card.

A heart covered in old book page flowers.  It has a sweet vintage graphic on the back.

Another sweet  handmade card.

A set of six glass stone magnets.

A paper quill garland.

There's a tag on top of this hose with "Love Shack" lyrics on it.  I love that song so this one made me smile.  My other booth of handmade items is called "Glitter on the Front Porch" after that very song.

A crocheted heart garland.

A lovely glass tile pendant made by my friend Rebecca.  I wore it today!

A decorated Matchbox touting "Chocolate - It's not JUST for Breakfast" complete with some delicious chocolate by my sweet friend Lynn.  

*Lynn just let me know that her ten year old grand daughter, Grace, made that wonderful flower seed handmade paper!  What talent for anyone let alone a ten year old!  Thanks Grace!

And a nice romantic heart made out of an old book page.  

Lots of great ideas!

Where's my contribution, you may be asking?  Well, I forgot to take any photos of it.  That's typical me - get it all ready and ship it off without every photographing it.  I sent glittered key pendants.  I glittered a vintage key and sealed it.  Then I added a crystal to it, strung it on a piece of pink cording and packaged it up with a few pink crystal hearts.  I think they turned out cute and I hope everyone else liked them as much as I liked theirs!

**Here it is!  Thank you Lynn for sending me a photo of my own swap.  :)

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.  A day of love and kisses and chocolate and flowers and lovely dovey cards and being ignored by The Breadman.  Oh well........