The Week in Junk: Not Much, But Anything Is Good

We have been having an uneventful Winter here with some days being worthy of Capri pants and t-shirts.  But, about two weeks ago the bottom fell out and the temperatures fell and we even had a couple of snowfalls.  Wheeeee!  Yes, I love snow and I prefer cold weather.  The first snow started with sleet and ice so the roads were really bad.  That all melted off and it just stayed cold. 

Monday, there wasn't any snow in the forecast at all.  I looked out the window about 4:00 and mentioned that there were some snowflakes falling.  Fast forward an hour later and it was white on the grass - thirty minutes later the street disappeared, the grass went under the snow and we were suddenly in a Winter Wonderland!  I posted a photo on Facebook and people five miles away were commenting "What?  What snow?"  It wasn't even falling there.  It seems that it really only happened in a small radius around my area.  It was really weird.  By noon the next day it was all gone again. But - there's more in the forecast this weekend.  Sorry Winter haters - I like it.  (Not sure I would enjoy seven month Winters like some people have or seven feet of snow like others have though...)

What?  You didn't come here for the weather report?  Sorry, Charlie.  You came here for JUNK. Well, the junk is in short demand as of late.  And the big booth is absolutely stagnant.  No sales whatsoever. I am really frustrated.  I know it's Winter and cold and blah, blah, blah, but I have NEVER had such horrible months as January and February.  The booth is fully stocked and neat - no messes because NO customers are in there messing it up.  It is really just SO frustrating.  Because nothing is selling, I don't really need to be out looking for MORE junk.  But that is what I do, so that is what I have done.  

What's that?  Oh, yes, sorry, - the JUNK.

A set of pink rhinestone Dominoes.  I might turn these into necklaces.  They aren't vintage.  But, they will fit into my game piece necklaces and I think little girls (LIKE ME) would love them.  They are quite bling-y.

I got all of these American Girl doll shoes and an America Girl Wheelchair complete with crutches and casts at the Hospital Auxiliary store.  When we checked out, I was visiting with the lady telling her how sorry I was that her husband had recently died.  (I have known them since I was six years old.)  She was talking and I was talking and I wasn't paying attention when she said the amount I owed so I just handed over the money and left.  I was about two blocks up the street when I said, "Did I just pay TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS for that stuff?"  The Breadman said that I had.  "Whaaaat?"  He said he thought I knew it was going to cost that much.  Uh, NO.....  When I got home I tallied up what I bought along with the AG stuff and it should have been about $15.00.  So, I overpaid $13.00.  Ouch.  But, I chalked it up to it being a Little Old Lady Thrift store and she is my friend and it is a charity store.  But still, oowie.  Luckily, the wheelchair looks like it should sell for about $30.00 on it's own.  (And, a couple of days later, I had a notification that I had won a full size Samantha American Girl Doll and book set in a sweepstakes.  So, there's more AG stuff to sell!)

I found these two vintage Ny Form Trolls from Norway yesterday.  I have them on ebay and HOPE they will do okay.  eBay is so fickle right now.  They are quite ugly, but quite collectible.

Oddly enough, The BEAN found the Wine Rack Booze Bra at the thrift.  We had seen it on "World's Dumbest" on TV.  I put it on the shelf, then decided on a whim to look it up on ebay.  They tend to sell for about $40-50, so I bought it.  It is new and unused and I cannot imagine anyone actually using it as intended, but it sure is an interesting thing.  Right?

This wee little pocket almost missed my attention at Goodwill.  It was on a shelf full of Made in China tacky little figurines.  He is really quite charming.  

This old Ben Casey MD game is fun with all the old graphics.  I am not familiar with the TV show because I am far, far too young to remember it.  HA HA HA Oh wait, I Googled it and it went off the air the year I was born so I AM too young to remember it.  Whew.  That was close.  I was almost old for a minute.  In that picture there is an action figure I have yet to identify, an old Fayetteville, ARK souvenir wall pocket and a bunch of printers blocks.  

I spotted the Ziploc baggie full of printers blocks at a thrift not exactly known for having much vintage.  I grabbed it then I worried about the price because I have seen random things in a baggie priced $25.00.  These were priced $2.00 so I threw them in my basket.  When I went to pay, the checker said, "Oh my.  I can't believe you found these on the shelf for $2.00.  I had these in the back for someone to research, but apparently they decided not to do that."  She laid them on the counter and I could tell she was not happy.  She kept doing big deep breaths - the time you fill up your lungs then puff out your cheeks and blow all the air out at once. She kept muttering and shaking her head while she rang up my other items.  Then she looked up and me - reached out and put her hand on my hand and said, "I am very happy that you are buying these.  I think they might be worth some good money - so be sure to research them and enjoy them.  I am happy for YOU to be buying them!"  I thought that was nice of her to say that because I certainly wasn't doing anything wrong.  I just found them and bought them.  

There was this lumber yard block.

A boy and a hot dog.

A cowboy on a wild horse.

I thought this guy was leaning on a trash can, but I guess he is leaning on a column?  Like a business man?

A bellhop holding a globe.

A set of wedding bands.  

 

And this.  A Coca-Cola printers block.  I got pretty excited when I saw this one.  It looks newer as far as Printer's blocks go - I mean they haven't used these in forever.  But, I bet it was closer to the end of their use when this one was made.  It's big  - about 5" long, so you can see the graphics on it on display.  

So, there you have it.  A few things - mostly all for sale.  The little wall pocket will stay with me, but I think that is it.  Oh, I did buy two watermelon potholders for my collection, and a gorgeous vintage feedack -  all three for the princely sum of 75¢ - that I intend to keep.  Greedy, greedy me.  

My Head is Spinning

You might remember that I was on the hunt for a revolving spinner rack from Harbor Freight.  They are all over the internet on blogs and on Instagram.  I love the good old hardware spinner racks, but I will NEVER find one in my price range, so sometimes new is okay as long as it looks vintage.

I went once and the shelf was empty.  Wah-wah-wah.  

One day a couple of weeks ago, I was looking for an excuse to get out of the house, so I called and TA-DA! - they were IN STOCK!  Zoom!  Zoom!  There was one on the shelf and I clutched it to my chest so no one would attempt to wrestle it away from me.  (No one tried).  When I went to pay, the nice girl at the register, said, "Oh, were you the one that called about this?"  I said "Yes!" and that I appreciated her telling me they were in stock.  She then said the loveliest thing EVER, "I had one under the counter for you so you would be sure to get it."  I asked if I could buy them BOTH and though surely she would laugh and say, "No!  Don't be so greedy! Save one for someone else!"  But she said, "Why of course!"  

I went home and between The Bean and I we managed to put it together.  It is simple enough to do, yet it seemed daunting when I opened the box.  There are twelve dividers that make six sections on two trays and six dividers that make three sections on two trays.  (WHUT?) Each section is held in place by three screws, nuts and washers for a grand total of 117 pieces of hardware including putting together the base.  The bag of screws is about as big as a bag of pinto beans.  But, it went together easily enough.  (My neighbors are pigs - ignore the mess).

A few days later we put together the second one while we watched "Ellen".  I save a lot of projects so I can do them while I watch "Ellen" and not feel guilty for watching TV in the middle of the day.  

I had intended to paint them.  And, I still might.  But, once I started filing it up with my DOODADS, I just couldn't stop.  One is for ME and my craft supplies.  One is to use for old keys, chandelier crystals, pocket telescopes, flash cards, card packs, Bingo cards and all that little stuff I like to sell at shows

Since I have so many things that I want to put in it and most of it is tiny, I decided to re-do the racks and make mine with all the six sections shelves and the one for shows has all the three section shelves.  I think that will work best for my needs. 

I am hoping that between this new rack and this old divided box I bought the other day, I can wrangle all my most coveted crafty things in one area and have it look good too.  At least that's the plan, Stan.

(Also, who am I kidding if I think that I will be able to leave that other rack just sitting in the garage for months at a time all empty and alone???????  I am picturing my cake topper. birthday candle collection in it already!  I could dump it out and still use it for shows.  Right?  RIGHT? BUELLER?) 

Writing Prompt: Lots of Questions

When I asked for some writing prompts, Janie had a lot of questions and ideas!  I relied back to her that I felt like this would be n US Weekly Magazine - "26 Things You Don't Know About (insert celebrity name)."  I'm certainly no celebrity, but here goes some of her questions and my answers.

Hobbies as a child:  Hmmm.  I don't think I had any hobbies as a child.  I did have a collection of miniature animals but that was the only thing I remember collecting.  I used to ride my bike a lot.  We lived out by the lake - up on top of the hill that lead down into the lake park itself.  It was a long hill down, down, down and then there were curves and more hills.  I would ride all the way to the Marina and then ride back home.  Going back was HARD.  I had to walk my bike up all the hills.   I would be gone for hours and no one worried about me.  Sometimes my Mom would even pack me a sandwich and I would just be gone all day on my bike down by the lake.  Isn't that just a weird concept now?   I loved to write and to draw.  And, by write - I mean just my name in different scripts and coloring and drawing things.  My favorite thing to received was a new fresh pad of paper, crayons, paints and markers.  I still have a serious thing for Sharpies.  I had a Lite Brite and a shoe box full of Lego's that I played with at the dining room table.  I don't remember having a ton of toys, but the ones I did have - I loved and I played with every day and for years.  

My cousin sent me this photo not long ago - I had never seen it.  This is me with my little cousin. We are in my room playing in my kitchen.   I adored that stove and refrigerator.  I had play food, dishes and pots and pans.  But I was always pilfering things from the kitchen that were small and would fit in - boxes of raisins, cans of tomato paste.  From this photo I still own - the stove and refrigerator, the pots and pans, the wooden chair and the pink teddy bear in the mirror.  I guess because I didn't have that many toys is why I still have them - they just became part of my possession and I never let them go.  (I could have had lots of toys - I just never asked for more than I had and I loved what I owned). 

Were you a Girl Scout?  I was a Girl Scout for two years.  We had a leader then she waffled on us, so my Mom became the leader.  I went to a very, very poor school where most everyone ate free lunch and the nurse took a lot of the kids shopping for shoes and a winter coat each year.  I was bussed in from the lake - I was a rich kid according to some of the kids.  We weren't rich - we just weren't poor. 

Anyway, because of lack of funding, my Mom had zero budget to work with to help us go on field trips and to earn badges.  She managed to get us a tour of the Dairyette that was within walking distance.  We walked to the back of the playground at school and watched the airplanes take off at the airport.  We made Easter baskets and took them to the nursing home beside the school.  All on zero budget.  As for a badge - she found a tablesetting badge that she thought we could earn.  My Mom brought all our nice dishes, silverware, tablecloths and napkins in to the cafeteria and we all learned how to set a proper place setting.  Looking back, most of those kids probably didn't even have a dining room table, let alone all those nice things we used.  I hope they all do now and the remember how to set a proper place setting.  (Do you Susan?)  That's my 4th grade class photo -- they didn't tell us it was going to be picture day and we were all upset because we had on our uniforms.  It's a good thing we did because that is the only picture I have of me in it.  

Major in college…favorite class…did you graduate: I majored in Journalism, I loved all the creative writing classes and the graphic design classes.  I HATED Botany and anything that had to do with science.  Except meteorology - I liked that class a lot.  I didn't graduate.  I went two years and I lost my funding because my parents divorced and the figures said my Dad could afford to pay for college.  He couldn't.  I wish I had gone back.  I wish I had a degree now at THIS age.  Blargh.

First "real" job:  Since I lost my funding for school, I had to get a job.  I started working at the local grocery store chain where my Dad had worked my whole life.  I was not happy about it, but I threw myself into it and I worked HARD.  I worked in the General Merchandise Department stocking light bulbs, automotive, pet toys, etc. - all the non foods that grocery stores used to carry.  I mean, they still do - but not ALL THE THINGS like a Wal-Mart Super Center.  I worked at one store for a few years, an then they built a new store very close to my apartment, so I trasferred to that store.  I worked the HBC ( toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, pills, etc) for about a year and then I was named GM Department Manager.  This was just in the early 1990's, but computers were just so new that no one knew how to use them.  I had a chance to learn the computer system for the scanners, which was a new high tech thing too.  I would fill in for the scanning coordinator when she was on vacation, plus do my regular job.  The Main Office was just starting to implement computers into the offices and they got wind that I knew how to use a computer, so they called me up and offered me an OFFICE JOB.  I was a "Problem Solver" for about 100 stores - they would call my office with their problems involving paperwork, ordering, whatever and I would attempt to fix it or find them an answer.  I was also in charge of designing and planning all the planograms for the checkouts. That means it was ME that put those bags of balloons, safety pin packages and other impulse buys at the register.  I actually really liked my job and I loved all the people that called me all day long.  They had issues, but they knew I would fix them.  Or at least kill myself with kindness trying to fix them.  When word got out I was having The Bean, I got baby gifts from almost every store.  Hand made quilts, spit up rags, so much baby stuff.  It was just so nice.  The girl that was in the same office as me was a complete and total bitch.  I am not kidding.  We butted heads.  She took credit for my work, she was twenty minutes late EVERY day, she was late from lunch every day and so much more.  But she also kissed the bosses ass, wore tight skirts and plunging necklines and got herself a big fat promotion.  Having The Bean was my way out of there and away from her.  Hallelujah!  

Unmet goals:  God lord.  Let's save this one for a post all it's own.  SO MANY.

Biggest disappointment: And this one too.  Lord a mercy.  SO MANY.

Favorite teacher and why: My 5th grade teacher Ms. Pollard.  She was young and sweet and kind.  She liked my Mom and my Dad.  She treated us all with respect.  Many years later when I was working at the grocery store, I saw her walking down the aisle.  I asked, "Are you or where you ever Ms. Pollard?"  She got so excited and had this huge smile on her face.  I said, "My name is Shar...and she said...Shara Richardson!"  She remembered me!  After I left the store to work at the office, she sent me a card congratulating me on my promotion.  

Time when you were the most embarrassed: Hmmmm.  This one is interesting. I can't think of one time when I was the MOST embarrassed.  Mostly because I am usually embarrassed about something all the time.  Like I come off like an idiot or act stupid.  I dread meeting new people.  I hear myself on the answering machine and I am afraid that I sound like a big old HICK and no one wants to be friends with a HICK.  Or I hear myself laugh and think, "Did that come out of ME?"  

Favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon when you were a child: Ride my bike or go on car rides with my Mom and Dad

Top 5 things you would rescue out of your house (excluding family and pets): My childhood Crissy Doll, my Great-Grandmother's wedding ring, the pottery rhino The Bean made in 3rd grade, my box of photos and my box of family Christmas tree ornaments.  I've actually thought about this a lot.  My things are important to me.  

Talents: I can touch my tongue to the tip of my nose, make a realistic cricket sound and spot a piece of brightly colored poster board on a street corner from three blocks away - YARD SALE!

Extracurricular activities in high school: Newspaper.  I was the Editor my Senior year and on staff my sophomore and junior years.  I lived and breathed that newspaper.  We typed up the print and did the payout by hand with t-squares and xacto knives.  I helped take the photos and we had our own darkroom where I processed them.  The printing press was in the next building, so I went over there during printing to oversee that.  We sold the newspapers room to room were I "coincidentally: always sold to the room where THAT BOY was.  Some day I will blog about that boy.  The one that got away.  

What your neighborhood is like: My neighborhood is full of twenty year old homes.  Most of them are rented out but we own ours.  We used to be friendly with all of our neighbors, but I don't even know any of them except the elderly lady across the street.  She brought us a pie when we moved in.  She said that no one stays long here.  We told her we weren't leaving - that was twenty years ago this year.  We have a nice city park at the end of the block.  We only go there if it is cold and snowy or flooded.  It's nice, but mostly for kids to play.  

Favorite holiday and why: All the holidays!

First date: Ugh.  Knew the boy FOREVER through school.  He asked me out at least once a week for years.  He asked me out one day after I moved into my apartmetn and for some reason, I said "Yes". He just stared at me.  'What?" He picked me up, took me to a fancy dinner, a movie, to shoot pool (Uh, I don't' shoot pool) and then we drove around. I finally suggested that we go back to my apartment - just for that fact.  To go HOME.  End of date.  But, he thought I was "inviting him up" if you get my drift.  Akwardness ensued and that was the end of a pretty good friendship.  And, yes that was my first date.  I never went on a date in High School or had a boyfriend.  I had a Capital "L" on my forehead.  Actually, the truth is - all my best friends were boys and they were very protective of me.  Any boy that acted interested in me got the once over by my friends and then the boy got the idea that I was with the other guy and it was just a big old mess.  Hence, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY.

Good lord, I can't believe I wrote all this or that any of you actually have hung on this long and read it all.  Writing all this was sort of cathartic.  Erase it from your memory.  Especially now that you know that I am a HICK that never had a boyfriend.  But, I can make that wicked Cricket noise!!!!

Heart and LOVE Day is COMING!

***Well, darn it.  I didn't win.  But my hopes of that Junker's Road trip WILL NOT DIE.  We will do it - we will!!!!!  If any of you won, please email me for my bank account info.  Thank you!  :)

I went to Walgreen's, Wal-Mart and The Dollar Tree today and I saw all the flowers and candy and balloons and I was reminded that I hadn't shown my Valentine's Day stuff yet.  'Cause I know you are all on the edge of your seats just about to DIE to see it all.  Ha.

I have an old window and a shelf hanging over the couch and on another wall over two chairs.  I use them for everything - as you have noticed.  Sometimes people think it's a mantle when they see the shelf.  I had a whole set of those giant flash cards, but I have sold them one by one.  But, I had to keep the big Valentine one.  Old sign letters XOXO, some candy boxes and a few Boyds Bears.  I used to have a lot of those bears, but I got rid of them all since they don't' fit into my vintage decor.  But, a few sweet red themed ones made their way into the Valentine's Day bins.  

Because fo my new crafty love - the pinwheel - I am turning everything I can find into pinwheels.  I grabbed a few old Valentine's and made some pinwheels out of them.  They are on red and white stripey straws with some white ric rac and red Baker's twine.  I put them in a striped popcorn container and glued a vintage Valentine on the front.  

I picked up this little vintage leather covered bottle last week at the thrift.  I'm still researching it, so until I figure out what it is, the heart made it work in this display too.  

 Bad lighting so bad photo.  :(  Love that huge honeycomb heart and the pompom garland I thrifted late after Christmas one year for cheap.  I glittered the wooden K-I-S-S letters.  Does anyone else have those silly solar moving guys from the Dollar Tree?  They seem to jump into my cart. Silly things, but they are cute and funny.

The famous white shelf.  What would I do without this shelf?

Chocolate covered cherry boxes, vintage this and vintage that.  

More of the same, but different.  I bought the little plastic treat baskets in a box lot this summer.  

I long to find some old candy boxes with the flowers and lace.  Until then, I doctored up these new ones with vintage flowers and lace.  

I've participated in the Heart to Heart sway over at Sarah's since the inception, I think.  I have so many handmade Valentine's from clever and creative bloggers and artists all over the web.  It's one of my favorite things to get out each year and admire each little piece.  Plus, I get a new box full each year!  You can click on that link to see what came this year and what I sent.  HINT:  It's that red and white striped envelope that says Heart to Heart on it.....  I put all the bigger ones on an old receipt holder.  

Yes, the dollhouse is still in the house.  :)   But, I think it will soon move to the front porch and then to the Junk Ranch this Spring.  Until then, a little Valentine fun.  

More Heart to Heart swap things, lots and lots of vintage Valentine's and some other fun stuff.  

Any excuse to use my red toy phone is good enough for me!  I bought that new Valentine cut out book to cut up as it suggests - but, I just can't bring myself to do it!

Annalee cupid mouse I found at the thrift where I never find anything.  

Mini flash card.  *This might be what I sent to the swap - a fat pack of them.  

And lastly.  The PINK tree.  Oh, how I love this tree.  It glows the most magnificent pink glow. It is covered in all the ornaments I have made and received and some sweet things people have gifted me.  You can't go wrong with a vintage toy truck either.   

Happy Valentine's day to YOU from me.  

Sorry about that roadtrip.  

It could still happen though!

When I Win The Lottery....

"My friend Carol gave the writing prompt: "How about what you would do if you won the lottery? I know we all DREAM about it."  So since the Powerball is at HALF A BILLION DOLLARS, this seems like a timely post.  

Let's all say that together.  A half a buh-buh-buh BILLION.  With a "B"!  

Son of a nutcracker!

They say money can't buy happiness, but I am pretty sure I could be pretty damned happy with a half a billion in my bank account.  *After taxes would still be a whole LOTTA cash.

So, what would I do?  I would travel within the United States.  I don't fly - I've only taken three trips by air in my adult life. I am suffer from terrible motion sickness so it is not fun for me to fly. The first trip was from Tulsa to St. Louis which is straight up and straight down.  *PUKE*  Then we got on another plane and flew non stop from St. Louis to Hawaii.  We flew and we flew and we flew for hours and THEN the pilot announced we were JUST NOW getting to the ocean.  "UH, perhaps we should stop for some FUEL????"  *MORE PUKING*  Then, we got on another plane and flew from one island to another.  And then.....we got on a freaking BUS and drove to the other side of the island.  Puke, Puke, Puke.  It was awful.  (Until I woke up in freaking PARADISE the next day...).

So, short story long as I tend to do - I would get one of those huge RV's that you see on Sunday afternoon on The Travel Channel - "EXTREME RV's."  It would be like driving down the road in a luxury suite from the Bellagio.  Except, I would have that thing vintage-d OUT.  It would be like a huge Airstream full of vintage goodness. Lots of places to sleep for all my friends.

I would travel from one coast to another - Grab The Bean, swing by for Lara, then down to Texas for Carol then up to New York for Sue then down to KC for Marci and Laura, swing up to get Heidi and Melissa, then on up to get all my Portland buddies like Amy, Laurie, Kathy and Erica.  We could hit all the junk shops and junk shows along the way and it would be MY TREAT!  Vintage goodies for everyone!!!!  Who's IN? Drop me a line and stand by the road - We'll swing by for you!

I would have to come home, so I would have  nice house.  Not a huge mansion.  Well, it would be huge, because honey, I could buy a lot of vintage goodness with half a bill'.  There is a huge pasture across the street from where I currently live and I have often talked of "when I win the lottery" I will buy that huge piece of land and build a great big house right in the middle of it.  It would have the best of everything as far as what I think is the "best".  None of those foolish gold toilets or crystal chandeliers as big as an iceberg.  I would buy all new things for the house but it would have an overall vintage feel.  

I'd have pink Smeg Appliances and awesomely vintage looking things everywhere.  Even know all I really want in life is a bright white kitchen and lots of shelves to hold my things.  I think I could swing that with my new fat bank account.  Nice big TV's in every room including the bathrooms.  An awesome sound system because I am a music lover.  Maybe I'll spring for a private concert from Justin Timberlake.  A bit of a splurge.  :)

I would have a huge pool that looked like the ocean - but only deep enough to stand up in since I can't swim and I really don't want to swim.  I just want to splash around and float.  (I mean, what else will I have to do on the days there aren't any yard sales?  Well, OF COURSE I would still go to yard sales.  You can't squash that habit that easily.)  Hey, since I am splurging, perhaps JT would like to be hired on as my POOL BOY?  I'd have the Pool Master guy design it so it looked like it had been there forever - lots of organics and boulders.  There would be an island in the center and the Treehouse Master would design a tree house to go on the island.  There will be bridges from the treehouse to the house.  (I have thought about this - trust me).  There would be a hard surface that would come out and cover part of the pool so it would be a dance floor.  I would BLAST "Uptown Funk" and I would DANCE.  Now, I do not dance as a general rule.  Because I think people are pointing and laughing at me when I do dance.  But, since I could pay people to hurt those people, dance I will.  (Picture Elaine from Seinfeld with a bit of Master P on Dancing with The Stars.)  'nough said.

I would hire someone to cook for me.  I cook everyday from scratch and I get so tired of the mess and the work.  I also think I would try more things if someone else cooked and placed it in front of me.  "Oh, that was delicious!"  What was it?"  "Truffles in a brown butter sauce with blah, de de blah, blah, blah."  "Oh, gross.  But YUM!"  Since money is no object, I would eat lots of healthy things like seafood and organic fruits and vegetables.  But, then all that healthy eating would go down the drain.  I used to dream of my own self service ice cream machine like they have down at the Chinese Restaurant (my favorite thing there), but I think I would put my house on the Blue Bell Ice Cream route and have him deliver all the ice cream.  ALL THE ICE CREAM.  Every flavor in every size.  Mmmmm.  

I would still be thrifty as far as not blowing money on crazy things.  I would follow a budget and live my life much like I do right now.  I would just be FILTHY FREAKING RICH!  :D

Good luck to all of you on the Powerball drawing.  If someone other than me is going to win, then I hope it's YOU!  Just send the Blue Bell guy over my way just once, okay?

The Week in Junk: It's Been a LONG Time!

Friday afternoon my Dad mentioned that there was a big Estate Sale in the next town over from his house.  Since I am still without a car, I put it out of my mind.  Saturday morning, my junker friends started sending me texts about the same sale.  It has been forever since I have been to an actual Estate Sale, not to mention to any sort of sale at all.  So, once I had some wheels on Saturday, I headed that way.  I took the Interstate (which I NEVER, ever take - I hate the Interstate and all it's insane speeding idiots) and tried to follow the Google Map on my phone without driving off the road.  I finally got to the intersection in town and headed what I thought was the right way, but I ended up deep in a subdivision with countless cul-de-sacs.  I finally got on the right road, found some signs and headed the right direction.  When I FINALLY got there - heck it was a house I knew because I lived my whole childhood right up the road.  Had I known that, I would have just gone the back way and gotten there lickety split with no stress.  But, it was TOO LATE for that.  :)  

Along the way I also stopped at two other sales, much to my delight.  I bought a few things along the way, that I probably wouldn't have bought if I would have realized what I was going to buy later in the day.  Does that make sense?  Don't you wish you could see all the things you will see all day at once so you could make better decisions and save money?  Oh well, I had a fun day, spent less than $20.00 and got some fresh air.  If you can call digging in a garage "fresh air.  (I can and do!)

Vintage books.  I tell myself NO, but then I get suckered in to those old covers and I can't help myself.  I did cut apart the old blue dictionary tonight and make bundles of pages for the booth.  I made 21 rolls and priced them $2.00 each for the booth.  So, $42.00 for a 50¢ book is not bad.  I sell vintage dictionary pages with great regularity.  The High Roads book is an old school reader.  I have a collection of those that I need to thin out, but this was a new old one to me.  "The Cave Twins" will go to Lara for her twins that she threatens to lock in a cave sometimes.  :)

The pantry at the Estate Sale brought me old jars full of birthday candles, cake decorations and swizzle sticks.  The rolling cookie cutter will go to the big booth.  The cookie cutters were thrifted this week and will go to the booth.  Except the lion - that's a new on for me so into the GIANT jar it will go.  I found the wooden crate in one of the bedrooms on one side of the house so I used it to hold all my purchases.  

Then, when I was in the pantry, I spotted this crate top so I tried it and it was a perfect fit.  

From the garage - this great old heavy toolbox.  When I paid, the man took forever looking through it to make sure I wasn't getting some treasure in it. 

 I assured him that I only wanted the toolbox so if he wanted to dump it out it was okay by me.  But he left all the junk in there.  And when I got home I found a Liberty silver doll and a diamond ring. Not.  Ha!  Wouldn't that have been one HELL of a story?  I did find a few things to keep, but nothing of value.  The metal junk will all go in my scrap bucket.  

I crawled under a table to get this old metal box.  I loved the green color.  

Open it up and there is this cool old metal tray.

Take that out and there is another old metal tray under there.  

Take that out and there is a divided section at the bottom.  

So many storage possibilities.  When I saw it I thought it would be a good Junk Ranch item.  But then I took it apart and kind of fell in love with it.  I think it will hold all my jewelry making supplies and keep them all organized.  Plus it will look so much cooler than a plastic storage box sitting out on the table.  

 On to the small stuff, which you know I love.  Great old piece of pottery and a handmade cubbie of sorts.

The handle is an old spool cut in half.  I love old handmade things like this - so much time went into making such a wee thing.

A slew of old office supplies.  I love that old stapler still in the original box.  Those refills are rolls of wire for a stapler that makes it's own staples.  They sell for about $20.00 each on ebay.  

Basically if I liked it, I put it in my box.  It was half off day, so things were pretty cheap.  Plus, I tend to buy things that other people just aren't interested in or just don't see.  I love all the old jars and the lids.  "Aloha!"  

1961 Fishing license from Germany, Canasta and Bridge score pads, an abacus, a handful of keys, some old scoops and a few other things.  

I don't buy souvenir spoons as a general rule, but these are quite old and interesting.  The baby spoon will go in my collection.  

I always like finding something that belonged to the homeowner that represents them as who they were in life.  

Oh, I found some Christmas.  Tiny bits here and there.  If I didn't buy a tiny bit here and a tiny bit there, I wouldn't have any vintage Christmas.  I never find massive hoards of it.  *sniff.

Three tiny Christmas wood carved stamps.

A big tacky kitschy plastic Christmas wreath.  

My friend Kristie was arriving as I was leaving and she spotted this old piece of wrapping paper. It's small, but really fabulous.   

Lots of NOS gift bows.  I am working on a birthday section in the booth so I will add these to it.  I think birthdays are overlooked holidays as far as decorations and preparations.  I want a stock of old cards, gift warps, candles, etc.  It's a work in progress to say the least.  

And last  - a silly roly baby toy.  

So as usual, some things to sell, some things to keep and some things for making.  A nice Saturday out and some fun junk to boot!