Thrift Share: $1 Bag Sale

"Elf, Glamor Elf, Jolly Snowman, and a Wooden Santa walk into a bar..."

I mentioned on Sunday that by happenstance, the boys and I wandered into a Salvation Army $1 a bag clean-up sale (cleaning up the old building they moved out of recently). I thought I would share a little more that made it into the bag. The elf on the left has a present for a body and is a 'Made in Japan" sort of elf (my favorite kind!)

Santa Face!

We had a bunch of these when I was a punk in the '70's. Not the cool type punk (that was retro 80's), but the brat type (I'm not that old, although the dreaded 1-step from 40 is tomorrow. I still feel, hmm, 33-I've raised it a bit from last year). My youngest (4) spotted this classic and said, "Can we get the noodle face Santa?"

(Alabama score!)

OK, this was one of those things where I looked at the box a couple of times before the second thrift spider sense kicked in and said, "Gina, open the box..." Ninety-nine cents later Box was mine!

Yep, a complete Trout Fly Tying kit! Everything, including feathers of all sorts, is included and never used. Did I hear you ask if I fly fish? Um, no, but like a lot of your super thrift sellers, I would love to have a booth at one of the fabulous KY junk malls and I think this would be a super seller!

Thanks for looking! Check out other wonderful scores over at Apron Thrift Girl (and a bit of a shout out at the Extreme Thrifter who hit Louisville this past weekend-apparently I need to stay in KY on the weekends a bit more!) Oh, and one more shout out to all the followers and commentors I have here at the blog. You all mean so much to me!

Over the Pity Hill

I apologize for my horrrible photography skills. I cannot figure out how to turn off the flash and my apartment is basically a "living" tomb when it comes to light. Anyway, I thought I would share a few more of my finds from the past few weeks. I acquired them from various places like thrift shop, flea market or yard sales.

Feeling better now...I am over my pity party.

A granny purse! It has been so long since I found one. The print will go on the wall of bird prints (soon).
Religionalia (to use Kylie's word) I love, lotus rice bowls, a bowl marked USA, and the cute milkglass goblets (6).


I found this near Owensboro, KY. I love it. I hung it up in my apartment kitchen.

Gorgeous teak salad and serving bowls shown here. Now I need to purge a set (I think this one is the third set!) I think this one is the keeper.

I immediately loved the print on these plates. I only found two, plus two saucers. Why o why do thrift stores lose the rest of the set? Are they broken, scattered among the chains, bought?


Vera! Mikasa!


Oh, look! Darrell found Sadie the mule for his little cabin homestead.



Bottom of the bowl I showed yesterday. I love the shape and color.

Last, I broke my "no S & P sets" rule. These seemed pretty unique.

Mountains of Stuff

(My favorite find of the week is this gorgeous seahorse. It was a quarter and is stamped underneath with a tiny USA)

(Rise and shine, Sunshine! Needs a bit of a dusting!)


(It's a shoe shine box!)





(In a nutshell it is the history of the slate. Front view is in the group photo at the end.)

(Well, bad photo, but the slate has a painting of new Orleans. The bowl was made in Japan. My lovely seahorse rides in the bowl. I love these ornate metal frames-altho, not necessarily gold. A little Spanish cabinet for the doll house.)


Ok, the rest of the post below is a bit potty-mouthed. You've been dutifully warned.


I know. I created a new blog to neglect and ignore.It seems. This is not really a happy post, but I hope my photographs of hoarded crap make up for the rest of it. The thrift gods have been too good to me lately.

Life-on-the-other-hand. It has given me piles lately. And, by piles, I mean dog shit piles. I have no idea where to start. Do you even want to know? I really need someone to tell.

I started my first blog in 2004. I do not remember people wanting to be famous then. I think we were all just lonely. We needed somewhere to purge all of our piles.


So, I'll start and end with the weekend. I have not had so much on me at once in a long time.

First.

I sprained my ankle by putting my foot into a hole. I actually cried (I have a really high tolerance to pain, but OMG). This began my four day weekend. I so needed this weekend.

I also discovered that I have a tooth that needs attention (old filling from childhood gone bad).

It was cold. Before my foot twisted, my mother and I went to a few sales. Most were slow or bare or cancelled. I bought only a vintage tool chest and a few McCoy planters. I did find some great vintage ornaments in a freebie box.

We also hit up the weirdest 50% off thrift store sale ever. The sign read "50% off All Items" and then listed a bunch of examples. It ended dot dot dot "and more". Turns out "Bric-a-brac" was not included. Sigh. I did find a couple of granny square afghans for a buck or two (love) and some vintage sheets (all included in the sale). I put one on the couch back and this motivated me to paint at least one wall and hang my galleria of religious art (pix soon). Monday saw another 50% sale at the gee-w. This one, unlike the Sally Ann one, was fabulous and the prices very good. I was selective on my purchases (hard) because I am to the point I need to purge from my binges.

Anyhoo...It turned hot. Record setting hot.

Fast forward and many bills not expected paid (car repairs ect) and I was travelling back to our little city from the big city (my northern life to give you a point of reference) on Memorial Day and I decided to put on cruise control. I have been having car troubles and had been in the city to see a mechanic (who found nothing wrong except worn tires).

I have never mentioned this here. I am a law enforcement officer. A strange one that is not seen in the public eye often like a traffic officer. I work in a specific area related to my science degrees. This is not important, really, except as a minor detail to what I am about to tell.


I was pulled over going 60 mph in a 60 mph limit area. It was a classic he said, she said. We are both officers. I know what I was travelling. I gave him this detail only to let him know I am fully aware of laws and regulations. I told him I have no issue owning up to my mistakes. He insisted I give him my badge (I was, of course, off duty and the badge had nothing to do with his accusation). I refused. The situation became heated. He called for a goonie back-up to intimidate me (yeah, I am 5'03 130 poundish). He told me to get out of my car on a busy highway to fetch my badge (never asked for license and registration at this point) which was in my work bag in the trunk. He refused to identify himself, give his badge number or his agency when I requested. He gave me details of other cars I supposedly passed at 74 and these cars were never seen by me. My car is black, non-descript, popular brand. These were not the traffic pack I was travelling with on that day. My husband was in front of me in another vehicle conveniently not mentioned by the officer. He and my children saw everything. I felt powerless, but I am not powerless. I will be going to court to contest the 74/60 citation. I have a clean record and am a semi follower (read: I am on the road 70% of the week and I do not hurry). I speed only in small doses (5 mph perhaps) even on the high-speed interstate highways and I will always fully own up to any overage. I use cruise to control my speed.

There are officers who are out for themselves. They will not admit to a mistake. They feel intimidated by other officers. They will not listen and/or think. They promote themselves with dirty tactics. Sad, really...This is not me. This is him. I believe justice and ethics are the biggest importance to any law enforcement job. Any job. We are both employed to serve and protect. I am also a trained observer and he broke several "rules" with me. I know what is expected of him unlike 80% of the general public he is probably harassing. This corridor of road is the main highway through our little city and everyone knows or has been harassed by him (he does not work for the county or city). Everyone knows you do not hurry to get to the three redlights through the main drag. My FIL said he is an a-hole (very uncharacteristic for him to say something like this about a person) and was not surprised. I am related by marriage to most of the county commissioners where this occurred and the judge is a family friend. If I was speeding, I would have never, ever contested the ticket. I would pay it and be angry with myself. The county officers know this about me because the one and only time I have been pulled over in the area was for 8 over. I told him to write me a citation and apologized. he refused even after I insisted. I would have apologized to this a-hole too and taken my fine with integrity on Monday, if I truly had been speeding. I was innocent. How do you prove this guy is either a jerk or made an honest mistake he was embarrassed to own up to? It really made me think about my own position and I will be extra careful to not wrongly accuse. How's that for finding the positive in a shit situation?


So, I left IN to go back to the KY life and the car died several times. It took me nearly an extra hour (on top of the usual four) to get to the apartment. It is a newer car. It needs repairs. They could not find anything wrong on Monday when I travelled to the big city to have them look at her. We also bought new eyeglasses and contacts for the husband. Insurance for eyes and teeth is just crap. It does not matter that I have the good benefits at work. It hardly covers anything ($136 was covered with a much higher bill and we probably pay $5-10 dollars a paycheck for the privilege).

Outside this blog I am always cheery. You would not know me like this shit here. Bare with me, por favor.


I miss my babies. I want to be in one geographical location. This back and forth is wearing me down.

I hear myself whinging and I feel so down right now, but my troubles pale when I look at the world and remember there are others who are facing much bigger mountains of stuff than I am. I have to keep my perspective and look past my own self-sorry mentality.

This is not an easy task. Mountains are just so hard to see around at times.

Thrift Share Monday: Limits

Here's a little teaser preview of some of the treasures I found while yard salin' Friday with mi madre. As I mentioned earlier, the deals were fabulous (I mean like 10c and 25c price tags), but the vintage was not abundant. I got a late start getting to my mom's house (about 45-50 minutes from mine) and we picked a popular addition to shop (maybe we should have ventured to one of the town-wide sales in near-by areas). Nevertheless, since I really went without expectations and a set limit to my funds (cash!), I had an open mind.

I only have a small bit pictured above (what was left in the trunk when I left IN last night; the rest is back home being cleaned or already put away).

(My usual, terrible photos...I think I really need to practice! I am in constant awe of some of the photography I see on blogs)

The taller shelf is not new (it was the one I talked about last week).

The smaller curio shelf is new (50c)

Vance the pig was a star on one of the late '80's Pee Wee Herman movies. He is still in his original packaging. I actually have a thrifted Pee Wee from many moons ago (late nineties!)

Books (like I need a hole in the proverbial head): Spanish dictionary, Hardy Boys, two Alfred Hitchcock novels, a hiking manual, and a McCall's cookbook

'Real English Ironstone" creamer holds a succulent (put in there by me)

A great planter (I am researching this pottery)

A couple of craft kits

A embroidered and pom-pomed pillow

Vintage sheet set (just the pillow case on middle shelf); cloth napkins; and two pieces of not-vintage, but cool fabric (top shelf)

Two cute Scottish dolls (not usually a doll collector, but I couldn't resist their tartan kilts!)

And the wonderful old world art with a mustard yellow, velvet background that will be going on the wall of religionalia (of course, I didn't get to it this weekend...:(

I will do a part II this weekend because I left the cool stuff behind. I found a handmade tulip quilt (my most expensive purchase); afghan; a corning ware percolator coffee pot (brand new only 25c!!); farm ledger; and a great wooden turtle ottoman/step stool thing and many, many more items. I even brought money home!

Linking up to Apron Thrift Girl, Her Library Adventures, Pennyworthy Project and Magpie Monday.

Thrift Share Monday: Leftovers

Despite not being terribly religious*, I *heart* Religionalia, especially if it is from 1920's-1950's era. I am partial to the Catholic items (long before I had a Catholic husband and now sons) because of the fact that women were more prominently represented, motherhood is honored, and they tend to be a little more on the kitschy side of things (my absolute favorite side of thrifty things). Take this little nun, for example, found slightly broken and repaired at the yard sale I've already told you about (hey, she is right at home among my shattered and reglued ceramics!) I love her and she will fit in with the collection soon to be housed on the wall with my vintage/antique religious certificates.
Look more Religionalia! A Mary planter found for 60c at the thrift with 50% off I visited last week. Her middle finger is missing, but we love her all the same. She can still give us the ol' bird with the other hand should she find it necessary. She is sequestered inside another cacti cache pot (as a book I recently checked from the library explained that planters without holes are called). And, because it fit behind her, a milk glass (hobnail) wall pocket is also showcased for your viewing pleasure.

Two keeper state plates from the box lot bought at the yard sale. Kentucky (of course) with a fabulous pastel rainbow effect (Made in Japan) and Brown County, Indiana. I also threw in two pins I bought at the 50% off sale in the photo. One says Flint Creek (25c) and the other a silver butterfly. They are sitting on another recent find (from a couple of weeks ago), a gorgeous maple wall shelf. The wall shelf, the nun and Mary, and other collected religious artifacts will soon be a vignette on my wall. Stay tuned for photos (maybe even this weekend if they would quit being so darn short).


And, because they were sweet and cheap, I grabbed these pastel kissing Dutch children the same day I found the shelf (at a KY flea market). I can only say, it is definitely a Small World in my kitschy universe.

Linkin' it up with the usual thrift parties: Apron Thrift Girl and Her Library Adventures.

Oh, and reason for crappy photos tonight? Yep, you guessed it: more rain in Louisville!

*Not to be confused with spiritual! ;)

Thrift Share Monday: My Own Barn

I already shared with you my fabulous owl lamp find (I love it! I do have to ask, though, how come so many lamps in thrift stores are missing the shade?), so I am going to show you some of my (mostly) Indiana discoveries this week. Well, except for this shelf and stack of books. It is hard to see (with my great photography skills), but the books are A Series of Unfortunate Events. I originally found 13 in the series for 50c at GW. I thought it might take some time, but I thought it would be great to find the entire series for my eldest boy (and even the other one later on). Well, a couple of weeks later, at a Louisville flea market, I found 1-9 for $2 each (perfect condition!) Now I only need the remaining 3 to call it a set!

I also found the cool handmade shelf. I love the rough little swallows, but not so much the rough cocks on either end (not pictured). Nevertheless, I love it and it is big. I need display space and am trying to decide whether to paint the shelf or not.

OK, back to Indiana...I found the Doc Martin sandals and Born shoes at a thrift store for $2 each pair. I actually have a black pair of Born shoes identical to these red ones (also thrifted), but I paid more for them. Not pictured, I also picked up 2 Made in Japan planters (a white Victorian girl and Swan for the bathroom collection).

The best finds this week (besides my cool owl lamp) came from my own barn. As I was reminded by Hubby Dear (when I mentioned yard sale season would commence soon in No. IN) to keep purchases to a minimum (i.e."It has to fit in the Pod"), I did not do too much weekend thrifting. I also started going through the boxes-o-crap I still have stored away. Most of it is auction lot stuff, stuff I have thrifted through the years, plus a bunch of boxes of vintage fabric a neighbor's daughter gave me after her mother died. I took most of it in and found some great vintage pieces (tablecloths, quilt squares, dresses, fabric, curtains). Down in one of the boxes, under the folded linens, I found a tin. Look what was inside!

All in all there are about 20 squares with about half finished, some started and others untouched. Unfortunately, this particular box of stuff was stored in her garage for years and then was put in my barn because of the smell. I washed most of the fabrics, but didn't open this tin until later in the day (I also found another full of old buttons). I need to gently clean them with something to remove musty odor (I can tolerate "old smell" really well, but these are beyond tolerable; however, their cuteness factor makes them so worth saving). I hope to make the quilt she apparently had planned!

I will tell you an eerie story about this particular neighbor. She was fairly healthy for her age (late 80's/early 90's). After she died, I helped the daughter clean up the house (this was partly why she gave me the box of fabrics. She had planned to toss them, but I expressed interest so this was my "payment"). On her wall, LH kept a calendar. She would write in her doctor's appointments or other outings. On the day she died, in her scratchy penmanship, she had written: "Stay Home". This was the only day she gave herself this particular appointment.

Every Monday, check out the rest of Thrift Show & Tell at the fabulous hostess' blog: Apron Thrift Girl.

For an Australian adventure in Thrift Show & Tell: visit Her Library Adventures.

Thrift Share Monday: Rainy Day Blues

It is rainy today here in Louisville and, coupled with the boxy-ness of my shotgun house apartment, light is horrible and so are these photos (we'll just pretend I am a brilliant photographer and I can actually blame the rain and architecture). OK, truth is I am horrible at pictures and learning to use my blessed camera has been on my 'to do' list for years. Anyway, I am determined to share at this week's thrifty parties: Her Library Adventure and Apron Thrift Girl .

Check out these gorgeous hands! So delicate. how in the world did she make it through the bins of a thrift store without breaking one of those siren red nails? Oops! Unfortunately, a not so delicate hand (mine) dropped her upon bringing her home (head popped off, but her nails stayed purrfect!)

Vintage wrapping paper, a couple of books...

Atlas of Kentucky

Cute cement basket planter and cherub fabric

Shadowbox frame and McCoy gravy boat(?); I did not notice it was McCoy until I brought it out for the photo (my horrible photo does not do it justice). The mark is really light and probably went unnoticed by the GW price police as well. "Baby Owl" mold...I have no idea what I will use it for, but for 60c it was too cute to pass up!

So, there you have it. A quick sampling of some of the past few weeks treasures. I have more, including a great handmade shelf with carved swallows, but I am too tired to deal with blogger and photographs. I am being a really lazy blogger lately (too much work crap occurring at the moment and it is stealing my drive to do anything non-work related...even, gasp, thrift!)

Thrift Share Monday: March Roars

First up for my Thrift Share Monday show and tell are these boring soup mugs. The weird thing is I was thinking a couple of weeks ago that I wanted a matching set to replace all our odds and ends bowls. These were $1 each and fit the bill for our soup. Oddly, though they look new, these babies are almost 20 years old (made by Westwood in 1993). Realizing these mugs are almost 'vintage' makes me feel a bit old.


OK, I spent way too much for one of these items (hint, a very iconic item from the late 70's/80's). Definitely more than the 90c it originally cost someone. I used to steal my older brothers Mad magazines and fold the back pages! These will probably be gifts for both my brothers. I actually found 46 of them in perfect shape and in the end I couldn't just pick a couple (I bought them all!)


A whole bunch of odds and ends stamps (sadly, not a complete set). They are scattered on a great, unmarked chick transferware plate I suspect is not vintage.

The sweet, wooden bird art was handmade in Somerset, KY. I love it. The little squirrel was a 79c bargain that had to go home with me for no particular reason. The Asian pot is missing its lid, but I plan to put a succulent plant in it anyway.

Lately, I have been finding silhouettes. This one has "circa 1880 P. Wolf" on the bottom. I think they mean the image as there is no possible way this is that old. Cute, nonetheless, and when I find a third one I will hang them somewhere (I have a girl with poultry somewhere around here).

I also found a great hippy sundress by a designer called Bila. Unfortunately, I did not try it on and it looks horrible on me (I was with youngest child so in a hurry; the dress makes me look like I have another on the way). And, not pictured, are the great vintage rabbit planters I found and made into a springtime display at the IN house (forgot to photograph). Chocolate eggs fit perfectly inside them! ;)

(Excuse typos tonight...tired and spellcheck is being a bear!)

Check out Apron Thrift Girl and Her Library Adventures for more wonderfully amazing thrift/flea market scores.

Thrift Share Monday: Spare Thrift

(Cute pillowcase)

So, ever since I started participating in Thrift Share Monday, I realized two things:

1. I don't always have the patience and eyes for good thrifting as other fellow thrifter (I still say the glory days of the late '80's/'90's are gone, but maybe I'm just lazy...or cynical).

and

2. I thrift way too much (something I did not notice until I deliberately started sharing my finds); I sometimes forget what I bought until Monday.

(Cute dish linen)

I do love Mondays, however, both at Apron Thrift Girl and Her Library Adventures and seeing and reading all about the wonderful things folks find out there (which brings me to 3. I need to find time to hit more estate sales!)

(No.more.dresses.)

This week I am bringing in the crap I have been lugging around in my trunk all week. Last Monday, a federal holiday and a glorious extra day off for me, I went to lunch with my mom. We hit one thrift store which I had not been to in ages. Apparently, in my absence, the store has expanded. They now have a "vintage" section with ok prices. I found a few things: embroidered dishtowel and pillowcase, a couple of embroidery kits, and a (barely) vintage flannel dress (80's). The thrift also added a 'silent auction' section in the store. I do not like these (bad for us out-of-towners). I saw the most gorgeous framed first communion certificate dated 1917. I wanted it and was going to bid (I had a figure of $25 in my head for the high bid), but when I looked the bid was over $70 and it still had weeks to go. I had to walk away.

(My favorite find-Purgatory Certificate)

Then, for the rest of the week, I was on a travel assignment for work. My colleague (and friend) hit a GW and an antique mall. I already shared the GW finds, but the purgatory certificate is the sweet find from the antique mall and helped me (almost) forget all about the silent auction certificate (and it was reasonably priced at $6). This one will share wall space with some other religious type certificates I have thrifted over the years (all dated from the early part of the last century). I plan to add my own kids certificates to the collection (oldest child will have first communion this spring) and maybe my kids will add a purgatory one for me one day ;). it always bothers me someone disposed of these important documents. Some are even framed in heavy, ornate frames.

Today, I saw they are building a new Goodwill here in Louisville (Hey, Sena By the Bluegrass, did you notice it yet? It's huge and out by The Gene Snyder & 60!! I wonder when it will be open?), but I ran through another one. I am trying hard to be selective because I will be moving stuff again soon. I found several items of interest, but only purchased a new Fiona Apple CD, a great chocolate brown dress (the cashier said, "Oh, this is definitely your style!"), and a newer scrabble game.

I wanted to go on to another one, but I stopped myself. Time to switch gears and get ready for the big spring/summer move. I am beginning to finally feel excited!

(Sorry about crappy photographs...)

Thrift Share Monday: All Seasons

This weekend as I pulled items from a box of recently thrifted knick-knacks, I suddenly realized that I had almost all of the seasons and holidays represented in one box o'crap. I found examples of spring (with a bonus Valentine's Day item), summer, and fall (I am leaving out winter although I have plenty of that kitsch too-I am just tired of the season and don't even want to consider it tonight!)All of these items have been gathered since Christmas in various towns and sources east of the Mississippi.

Spring: bunnies (of course) are represented by the Avon candle holder (love it) and the vintage cookie cutter; the little girl is carrying a basket and possibly an egg; the egg houses are a collection my boys and I have been gathering at yard sales and such (easier to find than Xmas village stuff and cheap!); I almost thought I had nothing for St. Patty's day until I discovered the Irish Coffee towel among my treasures. Can you spot the St. Valentine's Day representation?


Summer: June wedding month (I plan to remove the vintage cake topper and use the wedding bell jar in some other way); NIP Homer Simpson chia head (Ok, it seems summer-y to me); the pig cookie cutter (perfect for a Southern style BBQ event); the Dutch boy cookie cutter (hmmm, maybe he should be with spring since I think tulips with Holland); a bi-centennial storage jar; and an Annual from 1959 depicting camping girlies (this book has great illustrations in it).



Autumn: My favorite time of year and what better represents the return of cooler nights? Owls, of course! I found 8 of these cute glasses at a thrift near Cincinnati (50c each); I also found the Great Tales of Terror book for 50c recently; a darling set of ABC cards with vintage French illustrations (reproduction); and last, another ubiquitous cookie cutter (I thrifted all of the cookie cutters together if you can't tell)-this one, of course, represents that #1 fall-ish fellow Jack!


There you have it-a year of thrift in only a few short weeks of (cold, dank, miserable) winter!

Join the thrifting fun at Apron Thrift Girl and Her Library Adventures!