We had fun making the tri-colored cakes and decorating them with all of my red, white and blue sprinkles. I think The Mister's co-workers will like them!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Firecracker Cupcakes
We had fun making the tri-colored cakes and decorating them with all of my red, white and blue sprinkles. I think The Mister's co-workers will like them!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Gram's estate auction
It is ironic that I should even be writing this post the day after I posted junk I brought home from the thrift store...I mentioned a few weeks ago that I went to Southern Colorado to help with my Gram's estate auction, and I wanted to write a bit about it.
My Gram loved pretty things, and she filled her home with them--lots and lots and LOTS of pretty things. We joked privately long ago that when it was time to clean out her house, we'd have some seriously stuffed closets to contend with, and we were right, although I think the extent of the stuffing of the closets shocked us all.
Originally, the plan was to hold a big garage sale. However, after eight 8" tables and the space under them were completely filled with just the Christmas stuff, they realized that a month of garage sales wouldn't be enough to clear everything out and contacted an auctioneer. The auctioneer recommended an estate auction where everything was to be sold in box lots, I imagine due to the sheer amount of items to be sold. My aunts and uncles and dad spent several weekends organizing and placing items in box lots, so when I arrived the day before the sale, there was not much work left to do.
I did have the opportunity to go through the boxes and choose some things to keep for myself, which admittedly was a big part of the reason I went down for the auction. On a previous trip down there to work, my Dad did try to choose a few items he thought I'd like to have, but the thought of all of my Gram's pretties being sold to strangers before I had the chance to choose for myself made me crazy! I'm so glad I was able to do it, because I rescued a lot of things that were special to me, that will remind me of my dear Gram.
The auction was held on a Monday morning. I thought that was unusual, but it didn't deter the shoppers. We had to have all of the boxes out on the lawn early because the sale started at 10:00 a.m. and the auctioneer said there would be shoppers there early to check out the boxes. Here's what the front yard looked like
And here's the back yard.
The auction started at 10:00 a.m. and the auctioneer sold off box by box. This was my first time ever at an auction, estate or otherwise, so it was interesting to see, but I'll admit that I just couldn't watch too much. It was disheartening to watch the things my Gram collected, the things she loved and used to decorate her home, go for pennies on the dollar. Even though we, the family, had our chance to take what we wanted and so what was left was obviously not precious enough for us to want to keep, it was still a bit hard.
There were a few sweet moments for me, however. One was my grandpa's birdhouses. There were dozens of handmade birdhouses in his garage, all made from scraps of wood.
Some of his birdhouses went for $12.50 each, which doesn't sound like much unless you consider that they were created from materials from the junk pile. I think he would have been pleased to know that people were willing to spend money on something his hands made--I know I was.
Another moment came when I was watching some of the boxes being auctioned, because I was waiting to see how much some particular items went for. Some women behind me were visiting, and one asked the other what she was shopping for. The woman (who I don't know and who didn't know who I was) said, "Oh, I just wanted to have something of Dorothy's." Which of course, made me cry! How precious to know that she regarded my Gram so.
The emotional moments were tempered by moments where I really just wanted to come home and clean out my closets! There was just SO.MUCH.STUFF. I'm talking boxes and boxes of rolls of ribbon, garbage bags full of unopened decorative paper plates and napkins, enough gift wrap to start my own business. Really, it was excessive.
One thing my Gram was known for was that she wrote notes and cards to everyone, and she had enough stationery that she could have written to everyone in town for a month! There were boxes and boxes of cards and notes, stuff from Hallmark and Current that was 30 years old at least. And what makes me a little bit sick is that even though she had all of that, the notes & cards I've received from her over the past few years have all come from Hallmark at $2-$4 each. They were on a very limited income (my 87-year-old Gram actually worked up until quite recently), yet she was spending money on those cards rather than using up the impressive stash she already had.
It was definitely an exercise in the adage, 'you can't take it with you.' It did make me stop and think, just how MUCH do I really need? Because friends, I too like my STUFF. But I need to be wiser about how I use my resources--time, money, space in my closets.
From a buyer's standpoint, I learned that auctions are the way to go if you want a whole lot of stuff but not spend much! I've read about the goodies Barbara and Colleen have scored at auctions, but this was the first time I'd ever seen it for my own eyes. From a resale standpoint, that is the way to go. I have no doubt that if I visited any of the antique shops in my Gram's town, I'd find items from her estate in booths there. And why not? The price was right for certain. I'd love to attend an estate auction as a buyer but the only place I can find around here that does auctions holds them on Sundays, and I don't shop on Sundays so that's out for me.
The whole experience was bittersweet. It was sweet to be in my Gram's house one last time, to look at the things she loved that so expressed her taste and personality. It was sad to know that my Gram and Papa's house is really gone, at least the way we remember it. My uncle did have an outlook I found comforting--he said that he saw the auction as a way to spread my Gram & Papa throughout the community, for us to share them with others through their belongings. He saw it as a good thing, a joyous thing, not necessarily a sad occasion. I like that point of view! My Gram and Papa were lovely people, and I think their community was better for having them in it.
My Gram loved pretty things, and she filled her home with them--lots and lots and LOTS of pretty things. We joked privately long ago that when it was time to clean out her house, we'd have some seriously stuffed closets to contend with, and we were right, although I think the extent of the stuffing of the closets shocked us all.
Originally, the plan was to hold a big garage sale. However, after eight 8" tables and the space under them were completely filled with just the Christmas stuff, they realized that a month of garage sales wouldn't be enough to clear everything out and contacted an auctioneer. The auctioneer recommended an estate auction where everything was to be sold in box lots, I imagine due to the sheer amount of items to be sold. My aunts and uncles and dad spent several weekends organizing and placing items in box lots, so when I arrived the day before the sale, there was not much work left to do.
I did have the opportunity to go through the boxes and choose some things to keep for myself, which admittedly was a big part of the reason I went down for the auction. On a previous trip down there to work, my Dad did try to choose a few items he thought I'd like to have, but the thought of all of my Gram's pretties being sold to strangers before I had the chance to choose for myself made me crazy! I'm so glad I was able to do it, because I rescued a lot of things that were special to me, that will remind me of my dear Gram.
The auction was held on a Monday morning. I thought that was unusual, but it didn't deter the shoppers. We had to have all of the boxes out on the lawn early because the sale started at 10:00 a.m. and the auctioneer said there would be shoppers there early to check out the boxes. Here's what the front yard looked like
And here's the back yard.
There were a few sweet moments for me, however. One was my grandpa's birdhouses. There were dozens of handmade birdhouses in his garage, all made from scraps of wood.
Some of his birdhouses went for $12.50 each, which doesn't sound like much unless you consider that they were created from materials from the junk pile. I think he would have been pleased to know that people were willing to spend money on something his hands made--I know I was.
Another moment came when I was watching some of the boxes being auctioned, because I was waiting to see how much some particular items went for. Some women behind me were visiting, and one asked the other what she was shopping for. The woman (who I don't know and who didn't know who I was) said, "Oh, I just wanted to have something of Dorothy's." Which of course, made me cry! How precious to know that she regarded my Gram so.
The emotional moments were tempered by moments where I really just wanted to come home and clean out my closets! There was just SO.MUCH.STUFF. I'm talking boxes and boxes of rolls of ribbon, garbage bags full of unopened decorative paper plates and napkins, enough gift wrap to start my own business. Really, it was excessive.
One thing my Gram was known for was that she wrote notes and cards to everyone, and she had enough stationery that she could have written to everyone in town for a month! There were boxes and boxes of cards and notes, stuff from Hallmark and Current that was 30 years old at least. And what makes me a little bit sick is that even though she had all of that, the notes & cards I've received from her over the past few years have all come from Hallmark at $2-$4 each. They were on a very limited income (my 87-year-old Gram actually worked up until quite recently), yet she was spending money on those cards rather than using up the impressive stash she already had.
It was definitely an exercise in the adage, 'you can't take it with you.' It did make me stop and think, just how MUCH do I really need? Because friends, I too like my STUFF. But I need to be wiser about how I use my resources--time, money, space in my closets.
From a buyer's standpoint, I learned that auctions are the way to go if you want a whole lot of stuff but not spend much! I've read about the goodies Barbara and Colleen have scored at auctions, but this was the first time I'd ever seen it for my own eyes. From a resale standpoint, that is the way to go. I have no doubt that if I visited any of the antique shops in my Gram's town, I'd find items from her estate in booths there. And why not? The price was right for certain. I'd love to attend an estate auction as a buyer but the only place I can find around here that does auctions holds them on Sundays, and I don't shop on Sundays so that's out for me.
The whole experience was bittersweet. It was sweet to be in my Gram's house one last time, to look at the things she loved that so expressed her taste and personality. It was sad to know that my Gram and Papa's house is really gone, at least the way we remember it. My uncle did have an outlook I found comforting--he said that he saw the auction as a way to spread my Gram & Papa throughout the community, for us to share them with others through their belongings. He saw it as a good thing, a joyous thing, not necessarily a sad occasion. I like that point of view! My Gram and Papa were lovely people, and I think their community was better for having them in it.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Weekend junk finds: Jadeite, rhinestones, vintage tablecloths
I didn't get much of a chance to go out junking this weekend because The Mister was busy and honestly, I just wasn't up to hauling the kids in and out of the car at every single garage sale. Maren has turned into quite the little garage sale shopper and she's good company, but Porter is, well...not as good company. ;) So I waited until Saturday afternoon when The Mister was home and set out for the thrift stores instead, as both Goodwill and ARC were having 50% off sales.
I did find a few fun things to bring home. There was a Jadeite mug which I'm 99% sure is a repro, but it will look just great in my collection and for 75¢, I'm not a stickler for authenticity! I also found two pair of earrings for the Box of Happy, and a pair of fun sparkly rhinestone pins for my collection including one that's a peacock with a red aurora borealis body. The goodies are sitting on a first for me--a 25¢ vintage tablecloth! That one was found a church yard sale. It's soaking in OxiClean right now but even if the few spots don't come out, I don't think I mind much for a quarter.
A bit later that day at the ARC store, I found a vintage Wilendur tablecloth in a pattern I'd never seen before. After looking at my tablecloth books, I now know the pattern is called Penn-Dutch and it was produced in a variety of color combinations--the one I found was turquoise, orange, yellow and green. Unfortunately, the condition was pretty bad, and even though it would have only cost $3.00, that felt like an outrageous sum after paying a quarter for a vintage tablecloth an hour before! I left it behind.
I know I've seen Vintage Textile Soak advertised on blogs and in magazines--have any of you used it? Is it really better than OxiClean or Biz? I've been able to get most stains out with a good soak in OxiClean, but there are a few that are stubborn--I'm looking at the cutest aqua floral cloth right now with some yellowish stains that just won't come out. I'd love any feedback that you have about VTS.
What did you find this weekend?
A bit later that day at the ARC store, I found a vintage Wilendur tablecloth in a pattern I'd never seen before. After looking at my tablecloth books, I now know the pattern is called Penn-Dutch and it was produced in a variety of color combinations--the one I found was turquoise, orange, yellow and green. Unfortunately, the condition was pretty bad, and even though it would have only cost $3.00, that felt like an outrageous sum after paying a quarter for a vintage tablecloth an hour before! I left it behind.
I know I've seen Vintage Textile Soak advertised on blogs and in magazines--have any of you used it? Is it really better than OxiClean or Biz? I've been able to get most stains out with a good soak in OxiClean, but there are a few that are stubborn--I'm looking at the cutest aqua floral cloth right now with some yellowish stains that just won't come out. I'd love any feedback that you have about VTS.
What did you find this weekend?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Weekend junk finds and New stuff in my shop
This weekend's junk finds serve as another reminder that good, old junk can still be found in the suburbs! Sometimes I get so hung up on the old houses=old junk theory that I bypass my local sales, thinking they'll just be full of baby clothes and old VHS tapes (because frequently, they are!).
This jewelry was found at a sale within walking distance of my house! The sale didn't look like much from the street, but when I got up close I found a card table absolutely covered in little bags of jewelry that had belonged to the seller's aunt, a woman who ran a folk dance troupe somehow connected with the UN. I was able to find goodies to replenish my Box of Happy:
Which was running low in a few colors. I'll be keeping the bright red beaded necklace, and I'll have to perform some repair work on the pretty blue moonglow Lucite necklace at the bottom of the photo.
That morning I found another interesting sale not far from my house. When we got there, I thought I heard the sellers mention that everything on the driveway was FREE--and there was a ton of stuff! I picked out a few things--a vintage Christmas corsage, a few tiny pieces of vintage pottery--and approached the seller to pay, only to be told again that it was all FREE. When I asked why, she said that the previous day there had been a terrific thunderstorm while they'd been running the sale. They'd had to run for cover to the garage, leaving all of the merchandise out in the driveway to be rained upon, and the lightening was so severe that they were afraid to go out and get it all. Thus, much of the stuff got wet and they felt like they couldn't charge any money for it.
There were a few boxes of damp books, but most of the stuff displayed on the tables was perfectly fine! There were more things I would like to have taken (a few vintage items, a few useful items) but it honestly made me so uncomfortable to take it without paying that I just couldn't do it! It was weird. (I did take the corsage and the pottery--I think my total for those items would have been about $1 so I didn't feel too bad, and come on--who could leave behind a vintage Christmas corsage?)
I've been working hard to refill my sad, neglected Etsy shop with some fun items--go check it out! Here's a sampling of what you'll find:
This jewelry was found at a sale within walking distance of my house! The sale didn't look like much from the street, but when I got up close I found a card table absolutely covered in little bags of jewelry that had belonged to the seller's aunt, a woman who ran a folk dance troupe somehow connected with the UN. I was able to find goodies to replenish my Box of Happy:
Which was running low in a few colors. I'll be keeping the bright red beaded necklace, and I'll have to perform some repair work on the pretty blue moonglow Lucite necklace at the bottom of the photo.
That morning I found another interesting sale not far from my house. When we got there, I thought I heard the sellers mention that everything on the driveway was FREE--and there was a ton of stuff! I picked out a few things--a vintage Christmas corsage, a few tiny pieces of vintage pottery--and approached the seller to pay, only to be told again that it was all FREE. When I asked why, she said that the previous day there had been a terrific thunderstorm while they'd been running the sale. They'd had to run for cover to the garage, leaving all of the merchandise out in the driveway to be rained upon, and the lightening was so severe that they were afraid to go out and get it all. Thus, much of the stuff got wet and they felt like they couldn't charge any money for it.
There were a few boxes of damp books, but most of the stuff displayed on the tables was perfectly fine! There were more things I would like to have taken (a few vintage items, a few useful items) but it honestly made me so uncomfortable to take it without paying that I just couldn't do it! It was weird. (I did take the corsage and the pottery--I think my total for those items would have been about $1 so I didn't feel too bad, and come on--who could leave behind a vintage Christmas corsage?)
I've been working hard to refill my sad, neglected Etsy shop with some fun items--go check it out! Here's a sampling of what you'll find:
Monday, June 20, 2011
Father's Day gift: plants + old junk
I always struggle with coming up with a good idea for a Father's Day gift. My dad isn't into the typical "Father's Day" stuff that retail stores push right now: he doesn't drink beer, golf, fish, root for a particular sports team, fix things with duct tape or wear a tie on a daily basis. (The Mister doesn't fit any of those categories either, making things doubly difficult!) Two things my dad does like are 1) plants and 2) old stuff, so I decided to combine the two.
Last weekend I found these tins at a garage sale. I also found this old wooden cheese box:
I combined the old junk with plants, and here's what I came up with:
The old cigar tin is now home to a lemon thyme and the cheese box houses three tiny ivy plants. The previous owner had used these containers for plants as well, and there were even holes punched in the bottom of the tin for drainage. However, to protect the tin's bottom from being rusted out and the cheese box from being warped, I lined the insides with a piece of black plastic trash bag before I put in the pots.
My dad was also in southern Colorado last weekend for my grandmother's estate auction, so I was able to give him his gift in person. This was vital because he lives 10 hours' drive away from me so mailing this gift was not an option!
For The Mister's gift, I used some of the AMAZING Star Wars printables from Sandy Toes and Popsicles. They turned out really, really cute! I'm so thankful that my friend Amy told me about them last week--she saved my bacon! If you have a Star Wars-lover in your life, go check out the printables--they are not Father's Day specific and could be used for a birthday party or any other occasion. They are clever and adorable and extremely easy to make.
What did you give to the Dads in your life this year? I need ideas for next year!
Click here to see what I made for Mother's Day gifts this year.
My dad was also in southern Colorado last weekend for my grandmother's estate auction, so I was able to give him his gift in person. This was vital because he lives 10 hours' drive away from me so mailing this gift was not an option!
For The Mister's gift, I used some of the AMAZING Star Wars printables from Sandy Toes and Popsicles. They turned out really, really cute! I'm so thankful that my friend Amy told me about them last week--she saved my bacon! If you have a Star Wars-lover in your life, go check out the printables--they are not Father's Day specific and could be used for a birthday party or any other occasion. They are clever and adorable and extremely easy to make.
What did you give to the Dads in your life this year? I need ideas for next year!
Click here to see what I made for Mother's Day gifts this year.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Scooby Gang in felt--now available on Etsy!
Remember the darling felt Scooby-Doo puppets that my friend Rachel made for Maren's birthday gift?
Now you can get a set of your own, because she's added them to her Etsy shop, SprinkHaus! The detail on these puppets is really incredible. She can even customize the Mystery Machine with a name of your choice. Rachel is also makes Yo Gabba Gabba puppets in a boombox case, and Star Wars puppets in a Millenium Falcon case. You had better believe I'll be ordering a set of Star Wars puppets for Porter's birthday!
Now you can get a set of your own, because she's added them to her Etsy shop, SprinkHaus! The detail on these puppets is really incredible. She can even customize the Mystery Machine with a name of your choice. Rachel is also makes Yo Gabba Gabba puppets in a boombox case, and Star Wars puppets in a Millenium Falcon case. You had better believe I'll be ordering a set of Star Wars puppets for Porter's birthday!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Ships Ahoy!
I'm back from Southern Colorado and my grandmother's estate auction--whew. I'll post all about that later when I've organized my thoughts.
Did you watch the Tony Awards on Sunday night? I missed part of it because we went out to dinner, but I was thrilled that I didn't miss the one part I was most anxious to see:
The tap dance number from "Anything Goes" with Sutton Foster! Girlfriend brought it, as usual. She is simply incredible! We were lucky enough to see her perform in The Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway a few years ago, and she was amazing in that as well (she was Tony-nominated for that role too). Several years ago, she appeared on an episode of one of those makeover shows on TLC. She was very charming, down-to-earth and even a bit mousy--not at all what you would suspect an accomplished Broadway leading lady to be, and it only made me like her more!
Unfortunately, there's about a 0% possibility of me getting to NYC this year to see Sutton in "Anything Goes" so I'm going to have to do my best to create that feeling here, which means two things: tap dance lessons, and nautical fashions.
I've already gotten a start on the nautical fashions part, with this cute rope stripe tee I picked up at Target last week. You could also go with this anchor version:
Both are only $14.99, a fraction of what a ticket for "Anything Goes" will cost you right now! I simply adore nautical-inspired fashion--red and white stripes, boatneck shirts, rope espadrilles--and I'm thrilled every spring when those styles inevitably resurface and I can get my sailor on again, even though I live in land-locked Colorado.
As for the tap dancing, I've taken lessons at various places over the years and I've always loved it, even if I won't be joining the chorus of "Anything Goes" anytime soon. Most recently I took lessons at the local rec center but quit because my knees were bothering me and my tap shoes didn't fit anymore after having a baby. I think it's time to get a new pair of shoes and start practicing my time steps--do you think the teacher would be put off if I wore my new Target tee and a sailor hat to class?
Did you watch the Tony Awards on Sunday night? I missed part of it because we went out to dinner, but I was thrilled that I didn't miss the one part I was most anxious to see:
I've already gotten a start on the nautical fashions part, with this cute rope stripe tee I picked up at Target last week. You could also go with this anchor version:
Both are only $14.99, a fraction of what a ticket for "Anything Goes" will cost you right now! I simply adore nautical-inspired fashion--red and white stripes, boatneck shirts, rope espadrilles--and I'm thrilled every spring when those styles inevitably resurface and I can get my sailor on again, even though I live in land-locked Colorado.
As for the tap dancing, I've taken lessons at various places over the years and I've always loved it, even if I won't be joining the chorus of "Anything Goes" anytime soon. Most recently I took lessons at the local rec center but quit because my knees were bothering me and my tap shoes didn't fit anymore after having a baby. I think it's time to get a new pair of shoes and start practicing my time steps--do you think the teacher would be put off if I wore my new Target tee and a sailor hat to class?
Monday, June 13, 2011
Weekend junk finds
I managed a quick bit of junking this weekend. I only had Friday to go out because I was expecting company on Saturday morning. Many of the subdivisions around us are having their neighborhood sales every weekend this month, so I didn't have to drive far to find anything!
I found this great wrought iron plant stand for $2.50. We're in the middle (the very messy middle) of refinishing our deck and making it a place we actually want to be, and part of that plan is adding plants! I picked up two tropical palms on sale at the grocery store the day before and was thrilled to find that one fit perfectly in the plant stand! It may get a coat of spray paint somewhere along the way.
Friday, June 10, 2011
October Afternoon 5 & Dime collection
I used to be a scrapbooker. My crafting interests have changed and expanded so I don't really scrapbook anymore, but I will always love paper and glue so I try to keep abreast of new products in the scrapbooking and paper-crafting world. One of my very favorite companies is October Afternoon because their designs are all very vintage-inspired. I posted last fall about my faux flashcard book from their Thrift Shop collection, and I still love it:
One of their newest collections is called 5 & Dime and it's right up my alley as well! The colors are bright and cheery and the images are really fun. Here are some of my favorite items in the collection:
Chip n' Stick (adhesive-backed chipboard shapes)
Miscellany (a big packet of die cut shapes, buttons, seam binding and other goodies)
Shape stickers
Tin pins (adhesive-backed metal badges about the size of a quarter)
I also purchased the Collection Kit, which has two sheets of each double-sided patterned paper design. I love that the patterned papers are named after penny candy.
Root Beer Barrels
Circus Peanuts
and Bubble Gum, among others.
You can't purchase directly from the October Afternoon website, and it seems tricky to find any online scrapbook shops that sell the entire line. I purchased my items from this ebay seller and was very happy with her communication, shipping prices (she combined so the cost was very reasonable) and shipping speed. I'd definitely order from her again. Now I just have to decide what to make with all of my new goodies!
One of their newest collections is called 5 & Dime and it's right up my alley as well! The colors are bright and cheery and the images are really fun. Here are some of my favorite items in the collection:
Chip n' Stick (adhesive-backed chipboard shapes)
Miscellany (a big packet of die cut shapes, buttons, seam binding and other goodies)
Shape stickers
Tin pins (adhesive-backed metal badges about the size of a quarter)
I also purchased the Collection Kit, which has two sheets of each double-sided patterned paper design. I love that the patterned papers are named after penny candy.
Root Beer Barrels
Circus Peanuts
and Bubble Gum, among others.
You can't purchase directly from the October Afternoon website, and it seems tricky to find any online scrapbook shops that sell the entire line. I purchased my items from this ebay seller and was very happy with her communication, shipping prices (she combined so the cost was very reasonable) and shipping speed. I'd definitely order from her again. Now I just have to decide what to make with all of my new goodies!
Thursday, June 09, 2011
DIY FAIL
Remember the red chair I've been working on? I'm sorry to say that it has a new home...in our local landfill. As much as it kills me to throw away perfectly functional furniture, this poor thing was beyond saving. In fact, I put it out for the garbage pickup last night and while I was working in the open garage, noticed more than one car of pickers sloooow down to have a look at it..and then hit the gas when they saw its sorry state!
My last report was that I had decided to strip the chair of the red paint, but the stripping hadn't gone quite as smoothly as I'd hoped. I thought for certain that we could use our new pressure washer to easily remove the rest of the gunky paint, but that paint was stubborn. To even hope to remove it, The Mister had to use a high setting on the pressure washer, which terribly splintered the wood. It's possible that some major heavy-duty sanding might have helped that issue, but even still there was red paint gunk that refused to be removed. I finally just gave up.
I like the little chair and I'm really bummed that I had to toss it. :( If I had just been smart and used spray paint in the first place, I'd be sitting on my cute bright red vintage chair right this very minute. Instead, I'm on the hunt for a new desk chair that I can paint. Ah well--I guess in DIY, you win some and you lose some. It's obvious which one this is.
My last report was that I had decided to strip the chair of the red paint, but the stripping hadn't gone quite as smoothly as I'd hoped. I thought for certain that we could use our new pressure washer to easily remove the rest of the gunky paint, but that paint was stubborn. To even hope to remove it, The Mister had to use a high setting on the pressure washer, which terribly splintered the wood. It's possible that some major heavy-duty sanding might have helped that issue, but even still there was red paint gunk that refused to be removed. I finally just gave up.
I like the little chair and I'm really bummed that I had to toss it. :( If I had just been smart and used spray paint in the first place, I'd be sitting on my cute bright red vintage chair right this very minute. Instead, I'm on the hunt for a new desk chair that I can paint. Ah well--I guess in DIY, you win some and you lose some. It's obvious which one this is.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Weekend junk finds
The neighbor girls that are Maren's best friends have a mom who loves yard sales and thrift stores just as much as I do. She brought them home some Build-a-Bear clothes last weekend, and oh, was Maren envious! She asked me if we could go yard-saleing to look for clothes for her bears too--Uh, no need to ask me twice! Unfortunately we had to take Little Brother with us so our saleing time was limited, and even more unfortunately for Maren, we never did find any Build-a-Bear clothes (apparently those are a hot commodity at yard sales!), though we did pick up a darling handmade red hooded cape for her Felicity doll. Even though Maren didn't find what she was looking for, I scored big at two sales!
The first sale was a normal garage sale not far from my house, held by an older lady who is a committed crafter. From the looks of her sale, there's not a craft out there that she hasn't tried at one time or another over the past 50 years.
From her I bought all of these fun vintage cake decorations, including the uniformed bride and groom in the middle.
She had everything--boxes and boxes of fabric, ribbon, trim, vintage Christmas doo-dads, millinery flowers. I bought a ton at her sale and now I wish I had bought more!
The other sale was an estate sale I'd been trying to get to for two days but was thwarted by a sleeping child and a set of bad directions. I finally rolled in at noon on Saturday, half-price day, and knew immediately that this was the type of sale I wish I'd been to on opening day.
The prices were yard-sale-cheap, even before the 50% discount. My shopping abilities were seriously hampered because I had to keep track of a very cranky toddler, but I grabbed and stuffed where I could.
$1 Jadeite? It has a flaw but since it's for my own collection and not to be sold, I don't mind one bit. I found a pint Hazel Atlas canning jar that may end up turned into one of these.
There was also a big box of vintage wrapping paper with some really great Christmas, wedding and baby shower prints that will be fun to go through in more depth. (My vintage Christmas wrapping paper collection is getting totally out of hand; that might be a good project for this summer.)
A nice little haul for only two sales! Now that the big kids are finally out of school, I'm planning to hire a babysitter each Friday morning so that I can go estate and yard-saleing without the kids. Maren and I may still head out on Saturday mornings in search of Build-a-Bear clothes, which sounds like fun to me!
The prices were yard-sale-cheap, even before the 50% discount. My shopping abilities were seriously hampered because I had to keep track of a very cranky toddler, but I grabbed and stuffed where I could.
$1 Jadeite? It has a flaw but since it's for my own collection and not to be sold, I don't mind one bit. I found a pint Hazel Atlas canning jar that may end up turned into one of these.
There was also a big box of vintage wrapping paper with some really great Christmas, wedding and baby shower prints that will be fun to go through in more depth. (My vintage Christmas wrapping paper collection is getting totally out of hand; that might be a good project for this summer.)
A nice little haul for only two sales! Now that the big kids are finally out of school, I'm planning to hire a babysitter each Friday morning so that I can go estate and yard-saleing without the kids. Maren and I may still head out on Saturday mornings in search of Build-a-Bear clothes, which sounds like fun to me!
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