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.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

The Week in Junk: Finds and Freebies

Friday morning I was getting ready to go hit some yard sales when my sweet friend Paula sent me a text, "Are you ready for another load?"  Paula has the sweetest most fun booth at Daisies and Olives called Emma's Back Porch.  I adore everything in her booth because we have similar tastes.  Every once in a while she cleans out a bunch of things she is tired of or cleans out her garage and she does the most remarkable thing with it.  SHE GIVES IT TO ME.  For free.  I feel so guilty about it because she gives me better things than I can ever find when I am out thrifting.  The last time she brought me a load, I took her to my rusty stash in the back yard and she picked out some yard and garden stuff she could use and sell.  So, that lifted my guilt A LITTLE.  Bot not completely!    

Here are some shots of what she gave me and what I found at the thrifts and yard sales this week.


Trunk shot.  The guy across the street was mowing and was watching me display things in the back of the car so much that he almost tipped the mower over.  Honestly, he should be used to my shenanigans by now.  



Everything in this show was from Paula except the square Longaberger basket I found for 50¢.  The lady at the thrift shook her head over that one.  "I'm happy for you, but I really wish they would price things better sometimes" she said.  I always buy cheap Longaberger, but I really have zero luck selling it so I usually just use it for displays.  *Did you hear they are closing down the giant picnic basket office at Longaberger?  Nooooooooo!


I love this big pink parasol.  I found it late in the day on the third day of a sale.  Why didn't anyone else buy it???  I'm going to take it to the Junk Ranch and although I plan to sell it, I have a feeling I might actually USE it.  


The trivets are from Paula and I bought the rest.  I love finding those sweet old baby hangers for my collection and to sell.  Now that I see those tins  - I realize that I had one more in my pile that didn't make it home with me.  And it was a really good one. Dangit AGAIN.  As I was bringing tims up to add to my pile, the lady at the sale said, "Where are you finding these things?  I have never seen them before?"  *(This happens to me all the time, I swear!)  I told her that she had boxes of popcorn and cookie tins under a table.  "I know that" she said.  "Well, there are tins in tins in tins."  I learned a long time ago to shake tins  - there are almost always more in them or something else.  


Case in point - I found these in a tin in a tin in a tin.  
She said, "Huh. Never seen those either."



All thrifited - "No job is finished until the paperwork is finished" plaque will go to the college booth because Bathroom Humor sells.  Do you see those giant wooden spoons?  They won't even fit in my sink!


I picked up these old relay batons mostly for the colors, but I've never seen any out in the wild before.  now.  They will go to the Junk Ranch.  Maybe someone will have an idea for them. 


The tag on this said it was a twin size sheet, but it is way too big, plus it has a seam down the middle and the fabric is too heavyweight for sheets.  Its big enough that I think someone could reupholster a chair or make lots of pillows out of it.  


This old quilt isn't that attractive, but it is heavy, well made and still has lots of use in it AND it was only 50¢, so you can't beat that with a stick.  Why would anyone sell a quilt for 50¢????  I like a good old quilt for covering things up, protecting the seats in the car, picnics and cat naps.  Literally - the cat loves it.  


These sweet deer bookends have worked their way into my bookshelf, but they are to be sold.  I think?  So cute.  


This tiny tin was too sweet not to pick up even though it is missing it's lid.  I can find something to put in it.

I hope you found some good junk this weekend!  Or better yet - your sweet friend brought you a load of goodies!  :)

9 comments:

  1. Those are some dang long "spanking" spoons LOL

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  2. I love seeing all your cute finds. Love the deer bookends, so sweet! I could fill several bookcases with pottery if I let myself, oh wait, I have!!
    hugs,
    Linda

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  3. I know you were busy thinking how cute you're going to look at Junk Ranch twirling that parasol, but those deer bookends are totally saying, "Keep us! We're adorable!!"

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  4. Another weekend, more junk. I will need to start shaking tins...

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  5. Yes, they are closing down the basket!!! Longaberger makes it sounds like they are consolidating offices because they want to be "closer to the basket workers", but we all know they are running out of money. Oh wait, your junk!!! You are so luck to have a friend who gives you her stuff! If you lived closer I'd let you raid my basement!

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  6. What a wonderful collection of treasures. A dealer friend and I swap stuff all the time. We have booths in very different areas and different stuff sells. Or we'll do some work for each other and pay each other in junk. For example, I arrived extra early at an estate sale to get our numbers. She rewarded me with 2 dozen rusty bed springs. I helped her prepare for her yearly yard sale and she repaid me with salvaged windows to sell in my booth. :)

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  7. Those deer bookends need to work their way to Virginia! I'm a steampunk, industrial type gal - stop making me like cute things! Who am I kidding - I love it all.

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  8. I bought Hanna those deer bookends for Christmas a few years back. Which reminds me....I better call her and make sure she has them moved out of Nori's reach :-)

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  9. Wow, you find great stuff and the prices are out of this world!! I like that mint tin - I'd use it as a planter for mint!

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