20 June 2009

I know it seems like all I talk about is garage sales lately, and while I do love a good bargain, let me reassure you that there is more to my life than Saturday mornings. Truth is, there's SO MUCH more, that I can hardly find time or will to post any other day of the week.

Perhaps this week will be different. Maybe I'll write about something deeper or more personal. Maybe not. I am having to sort through some pretty heavy matters right now, so frankly, talking about spaghetti servers and button jars is just easier. And, fortunately, it is also a fun and productive way to serve my family. I love making home nice for my boys and our guests!

Here are some of the best things I found while I was out this morning:

$2.00 - Four (vintage?) bowls with hand painted lemons on them. I love these!
$3.00 - A brass hose nozzle (ours just broke, so this came just in time!), some bone meal for planting bulbs in the fall, week killer and weed/grass killer. I was due to buy all of these, so I was thrilled to find them at a moving sale, even if they are only half full.

$0.50 - Believe it or not, I actually came across another brand new Handy Stitch (the handheld sewing machine I bought last week). I lent the one I have to my girlfriend Katie this week and she liked it so much she said if I ever found another one to pick it up for her. Who knew I'd find another one so quickly! And, for fifty cents!!

$0.25 - "My Big Truck Book" - I absolutely love the Priddy Books, and Oliver is, of course, a huge fan of all things big and noisy. We have three or four books very similar to this already (they all have about the same photos in them), but it still brings him GREAT joy to sit down and read his "new" book over and over all afternoon.
$2.00 - more scrap fabric, fusible interfacing, candle wick thread and a Simplicity pattern for kids lounge pants. I think I'm getting closer to finishing my little project (and, yes, many of you guessed correctly - it is a RAG RUG!). As soon as it's finished (probably this week, for sure :) ), I'll post all about the details and about how you can make one for yourself!

$0.25 - "3 Hours of Listening Pleasure with Beethoven", a 4-record set. I don't have a record player, but I know a certain someone whose home is almost constantly filled with the sounds of vinyl on a turntable. And, since I'm expecting a visit from that someone and her charming family in just a few weeks, I thought I'd pick it up on the outside chance they might enjoy taking it home with them.
$1.00 - A brushed silver lamp with a white shade. We are working to pull our poor, poor guest room together for company this summer, and a lamp was one of the things on the checklist. And the best part, I got the "well done" nod from my husband. Love that nod! Love spending a dollar for a great lamp too!

$0.50 - a bouquet of blue silk hydrangeas. There is a plan for these, I knew it when I saw them. I'll share about that when I can.

$0.50 - Ten more green glass bubble votives like the one I got for free last week. I have an evening outdoor party planned for next month, I think these will provide cool lighting with tealights in them.
$0.50 - A box of nearly 20 off-white taper candles from Crate & Barrel. We go through these like crazy at our dinner table, especially when we are hosting company. It's good to add these nice white tapers to my stock. There's just nothing like candlelight to make a home feel relaxed and welcoming.
$0.05 - A wooden spaghetti server. I'm very excited about this!
$0.10 - A J.J.Cole pacifier holder - it velcros around your diaper bag strap so it's always easy to find. We loved having one with Oliver, so I picked up this one for my friend Katie who's expecting a baby boy (her first) in August.
$0.10 - A tiny mason jar for storing spare buttons in my laundry room. Another thing that's just been on my list to find.
$0.10 - A small calculator to keep in my purse for use at the grocery store. My cell phone has a calculator, but it's miserable to use. This will be very handy, I think.

Okay, so there is a tie this week for the "tuck-and-run find of the day".
Here are the winners, I'd love to hear which one you think is a better find!

$2.00 - Two pool loungers with carrying bags that I had actually considered buying at Target for $16 apiece last summer (yeah, I was planning to spend over $32...). I would share a photo of them here, but after enjoying them at the pool with the boys this afternoon, we left them there with some friends who were sticking around so they could enjoy them as well. Oliver likes to pretend they're boats!

$1.00 - A gorgeous lantern that I will be installing next to our front door this afternoon. We still have the standard, brass builder's fixtures on the front of our house, so this will be a definite upgrade. I think I'll wait until it cools down a bit though before I tackle the switcharoo.

Okay, I think that's it for this week. Did y'all have any luck? I really loved getting to read about all the treasures you found last weekend!

Give Mr. Linky your information so we can come and see what you've got!





13 comments:

Martha said...

You have inspired me to post to my blog again! I had so much fun reading your ys finds from last week and then clicking on the links that others left, that I decided to post today. Love yard sale-ing and always love a good bargain. Your lantern is definitely your "tuck-and-run find of the day." WOW, wish I'd gotten there first but since I'm in SC, not much chance.

Michelle said...

Great finds!

Unknown said...

I agree with Martha- that lantern is beautiful! You'll have to show a picture of it once you put it up!

Sandy said...

Great finds! I'm not sure if you have bug issues like we do in MI, but I know they make citronella votives if you need to put those in your bubble holders...really cute. My boys are the same as Oliver...they LOVE truck books, and we have that exact same book, and a few others with the same pictures in them as well. Can't wait to see the completed rag rug.

Anonymous said...

I for one LOVE reading about your great finds. And it's your blog. You can blog about whatever you want. I'll keep reading. xxxxx

Journeying Five said...

love the lantern and the votive candles...such a lucky day for you!

Amy said...

Love the bowls! I just posted my weekend finds! This is sooooo much fun!

Be Blessed,

Amy

B. said...

I look forward to hearing about your yard sale finds each Saturday! I am the same way too... talk about the fun stuff and not so much the other stuff...

Sheryl said...

seriously...amazing!! those are great finds! love the lantern, love the bowls, would love to go garage saling with you!!

the story of us said...

oh, we have a pool so the pool floats definitely count for me as your tuck and run of the day! :)
thanks for the fun! my girls even asked if today was the day you posted your finds! they are still in awe of the pumas from a couple weeks ago! :)

Anonymous said...

I really wanted to go garage sale shopping this weekend because your finds inspire me to find something! sadly, I didn't get to!

Christine said...

I LOVE the record set!! I wish we could bring our turntable with us so we could all enjoy it together. Thanks for thinking of us. :)

You know, I have a ton of clear votive holders leftover from Janie and Candice's weddings. If you have use of those for outside (I know they're not green), let me know and I'll bring those. I have plenty here at home, and the others are just sitting in storage. Seriously, let me know.

You do a great job! I think my vote would be for the lantern. Actually, I hadn't read this blog post, and my mom mentioned this particular find to me yesterday. She was so impressed.

Love you and your smart, thrifty ways. Can't wait to be there!

xoxo, Stinky

Tracy said...

how fun!