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, October 09, 2013

Mid-Week Junk Finds

I haven't really done much junking lately.  More unjunking - selling, loading up the booth and donating.  But, I still find myself under a massive pile of JUNK here at the house.  After several days of rearranging, sorting, making and clearing out, I needed a day out in public with REAL people. Sadly, when I do go anywhere, it usually ends up being a Thrift Store.  Today was no exception.  I ended up going to two different thrifts after bribing the boys with Zaxby's for lunch.  :)  You gotta do what you gotta do.
I found this big old crock with a truly heinous floral arrangement stuck in it.  I didn't want that dusty old thing, so I just pulled it out and left it on the shelf for someone else to buy.  I always check the flower area, I often find vintage pottery holding horrible old floral arrangements.  That photo above shows my messy front porch and staging area, but I wanted you to see that it is a big crock. 

I don't know why it has that one handle on the side.  It looks like a giant coffee cup with that one handle.  Hey - guess what, I went and did a little research and it is an Apple Butter Crock.  Interesting! 
This sweet vintage pottery duck is butter yellow.  It reminds me of Jemimah Puddle Duck from Peter Rabbit.  I am anti-Goose, anti-country duck, but this is neither.  This is sweet!  And, a keeper!

At one Goodwill I go to occasionally, the sign clearly states that books are $2.00, but they always charge me 50¢.  So, I always have to take a peek.  This book is about the Secret World of Elves, Fairies, Gnomes and Trolls.

It has really sweet drawings of gnomes and such which always pull at my heartstrings. 

A craft booklet for making animals out of paper plates.  Now, I have no small children, I am not a teacher, I do not babysit, I have no grandchildren...yet, I felt compelled to buy this book.  I mean, hello?????  Look at those adorable paper plate animals!  Maybe when I get snowed in this Winter I will make some paper plate animals.  It will be my secret if I do!  :)
 
Since we are on the subject of children's books and cuteness and sweetness and adorableness, this would be the WORST time to show you this jewel.

Wicked John and The Devil. 
What a sweet bedtime story to read to your little lambs before you tuck them into bed. 
It starts as all good children's books do -

THE FIERY GATES OF HELL. 
 
Try getting your kids to sleep after that

I thought this old industrial book rack would be good in the booth to hold sheet music. 

It holds books. But, would hold more papery type items. 

A Scrabble game for word making and a box of Greek Flashcards. 
 
The Bean has a fascination with Greek Mythology and Culture. 
I thought these would be interesting. 
But, it's all Greek to me. 
HAHAHAHAHA
 
Some newer and older cake decorations to add to my jar. 
 
This old green Bundt pan will become a Christmas Wreath.  It's funny that I found this today, because on Sunday I went to Goodwill specifically looking for Jell-O molds or Bundt pans to use to make wreaths.  This one was 75% off $2.99* - so CHEAP!
And, I found FIVE!  So with today's find, I am up to six in one week.  The funny part is that they were all spray painted, which I don't usually do.  But, I kind of like it.  The big orange one will become a pumpkin for Fall.  The rest will be Christmas wreaths. 
 
*The Breadman found a bunch of shirts today for work that were 75% off.  He was spouting off the original prices trying to figure out what they would cost.  The Bean did fast and immediate Thrift Store Math to the penny, which thrilled me greatly.  We aren't really great in the Math department around here like Trigonometry and the like.  But, we can do Thrift Store, couponing and Hobby Lobby discount math at the drop of a hat.  Really, which one do you do more often anyway?

7 comments:

  1. That devil book is supposed to be a children's book??!! Only if you want your child sleeping with you until they are 25!

    Can't wait to see the wreaths you make with those bundt pans. Very interesting. Wonder if someone else had a crafty idea of how to use them and that is why they are spray painted.

    Have a great day!

    ~Erica

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  2. I am amazed at your luck at the thrifts! Can't wait to see the wreaths you make and the cute child's book is wonderful...I'll pass on the Devil book but it would go with a great Halloween display for sure! Oh and thrift store math is much more usable for sure!

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  3. 1. WOW, that crock is AMAZING. Potters?
    2. Gyo Fujikawa is one of my most favorite children's book artists. His pictures are plum adorable. Great find.
    3. I LOVE the way those bundt pans look painted!

    As always, splendid finds! I hit the Salvation Army and Goodwill in S'dale yesterday, so let me assure you, you did not miss anything.

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  4. Thrift store and clearance sale math is the most used math with baking math being a close second. ;-) I bought that same paper plate craft book a few years ago to do with my kids!

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  5. You might want to look at the prices on Ebay and Amazon for that "Wicked John & the Devil" book. Not many copies available and ask prices are $300 to $449. I guess not a huge surprise that such a charming book hasn't been reprinted...

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  6. I wish I could get my GED math students to do their percents as well as the Bean does his! Also, I don't have kids, but I think showing them that picture from the Devil book and saying "This is where the children who don't listen to their parents end up!" would do wonders for behavior issues!

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  7. I could not help but chuckle about the fiery gates of hell! Does that make me bad?

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