Last few summer sales...

This morning I talked my youngest into another day of treasure hunting with mom...and lunch at a new to us restaurant-Chipotle. I didn't have to talk too much, or try to hard, even though it was 8am, hearing the words free food, was what sealed the deal.

We went to a few garage sales, and a couple of estate sales. The first few sales didn't have anything like what their ads promised, or if they did, the items were way too expensive, or way too nasty and worn out, and in one case, things were nasty, worn out and ridiculously expensive!

One of the estate sales was a digger sale in a tiny little house. We got to the sale an hour after it started and there was still a line on the sidewalk. As we were standing in line, I saw a couple of Jadeite bowls on a table in the front window. I told Eric that I was going to check those out first thing. As soon as I told him, I saw a woman pick them up and walk away with them, but just as quickly, she brought them back, so that made me think they were either damaged or way too expensive.

As soon as we got in, I went over and grabbed them. They were priced really low, and the price was for the pair. They weren't damaged-just very dirty. It looked like baked-on grease and pancake batter. I took off in search of tablecloths, and got stuck in the basement looking through piles and piles of junk. By the time I got upstairs to the bedrooms, someone else had picked up a pile of great-looking tablecloths, boy was I bummed!!!

We made a quick stop at Trader Joe's, and then lunch at Chipotle. The food was awesome, but the staff working the counter must have all been new. It was really disorganized, and no one (except the guy running the cash register) seemed to know what was going on. There wasn't very many people when we arrived, but when we left, the line was out the door!!

After I brought Eric home, so he could go to work, I remembered about the sale I went to yesterday and the awesome vintage bread box that I was hoping to get at half-price today. Unfortunately, I remembered it about half an hour before they were scheduled to close! I still went, but I'm sure you already know, I missed it. It just gives me something else to look for!

I spent the rest of the day spraying old things to give them new life. I also sprayed the rest of the solar lights, and got a good start on the bowling ball lady bugs. I think that was a good start to the last weekend of summer!

Side note---The roasting pan from yesterday seems to be vintage. I found a couple online and their descriptions said it was from the 1950's. I'm glad I picked it up-the price I got it for seems to be a fantastic price!

This is what we saw/did/picked up today, and what I've been working on since I've been home. I'm not sure if I'm going to go to any sales tomorrow, are you??

Finally!! My Rose of Sharon bushes are blooming!!! Everyone else's have been blooming for over a month already!! Mine are always the last to bloom.

Hope you have a great weekend and a great end to the summer!!!

Too Good to Leave Behind!

After work today, I stopped at home and picked up my youngest and we took off to a couple of sales. One was an estate sale, that we ran into people that we know from church-no time for chit-chat, we were both on a mission to find treasures! I found a vintage nut chopper on a built-in shelf in the living room next to a fireplace. Odd place, but great price! It was filled with wooden BINGO chips-odd for a nut chopper-but the price was even better!

We wandered through the rest of the main floor and then the basement. There wasn't an over abundance of things in the house, and the basement was actually pretty sparse. It didn't look like too much was sold, it looked more like a small sale.

As we rounded the corner, my eyes riveted on a turquoise and black beauty! I quickly reached for my phone, but it wasn't in my pocket! I was charging it in the car while we were driving and I forgot to grab it. I tried to have my son email Auntie to see if she wanted it, but other people were starting to come down the stairs, so I grabbed it!

Very near mint-doesn't look to have ever been used!!

Then we went upstairs to the second floor and while we were up there, we came out on a little balcony of sorts and I looked down in the living room and saw something I totally walked passed on my earlier trip around the living room. We flew down the stairs, and when I got to it, I loved it, but not the price...the guy running the sale said he'd be making deals tomorrow since it was the last day. I'm not sure if I'm going back tomorrow or not. We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow.

By the time we got back to the car I was able to send the picture from my phone to Auntie's phone and she wants both things I picked up!! I felt like a picker!! I LOVED it! The prices were too good to leave them behind, and I knew if she didn't want them, that I'd have no problem selling them for more than I paid for them.

So, I got to go on the hunt, my favorite part, and find some fun treasures, and I don't have to worry about displaying and selling them.

I saw this on the way home from my cousin's house tonight...

It was a great night for it-very calm and great temperatures. I'd love to take a balloon ride sometime. My dad bought my mom and her friend a ride when I was a kid, and the balloon took off from our front yard!

I see there is a big Antique Spectacular in Louisville, Ky this weekend...are you going?? I'd LOVE to go, but I can't justify a 6 hour drive there and back just for treasure hunting-especially with Midland coming up soon. If you go, please take lots of pictures and post them-I'd love to see them!!!

Side Trip

I didn't go to work today. I had a doctor's appointment and some tests scheduled and I wasn't sure how long they would take. They were very quick, except I have to go back next week for another test and another one on the 18th. Oh, the joys of getting older, I guess!

After I got home from my appointment, I decided I didn't want to sit around the house for the rest of the day, and I didn't feel like laundry, dusting or mopping (the never ending trio at my house). I searched for some Wednesday garage and estate sales. I found a few, Mr actually went to one that was very close to our house, but it was all tools and guy stuff. None of the others seemed like anything worth getting in the car for though.

While I was searching, hoping to find something worth while,  Mr got the mail and found a flyer from Harbor Freight, so he suggested I look for something near one of those stores. We ended up visiting Collette's, Menards, The Treasure Shack, and Sonic on the way to Harbor Freight.

Mr. even bought something for himself at Collette's! I got some great treasures there too. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should seriously consider a trip. It's a really big place, with lots to see, and buy-a big mix of all kinds of things.

We got some more mulch at Menard's to finish up the last flowerbed, and I picked up some super cheap solar lights to put on my hot pink, outdoor chandelier. I also picked up a pendant light fixture to make a mason jar, hanging light fixture for over the table in our sun room. I can't wait for the weekend so I can get busy painting the solar lights and putting together the jar light ---pictures coming soon!!

I was happy to sit in the car, read, and sip my diet cherry limeade while he wandered around his store. I was kind of disappointed that he was done as soon as he was-it was a great day to be out and about, blue skies, puffy clouds and lots of sun-with just the right amount of breeze.

These are my treasures from Collette's...

These are the solar lights...

They come apart very easily, so I couldn't resist a quick trip outside to spray a little pink-I think they are going to look great!!

Auction Box Lot

Last week, Mr. got an email from a local auction business. We've attended a couple of auctions over the years from this company. He has attended more than I have, because they seem to specialize in tools, farm equipment and guy stuff-stuff that I have no interest in at all!

While he was looking through the pictures, he noticed some Fiesta and some glassware, so he emailed the link to me. It was for an online auction where bidding was open for 4 days. After the auction closed, they would automatically charge your credit card for the items you purchased/won, and they gave you one day from 9am-6pm  to go to the location to pick up your items.

Since it was local, I bid on 15 items. Not all of the items were for me, Mr. picked out a few things and my youngest picked out a couple of things. During the last day, I got email after email telling me I was outbid. I was fine with it, because I bid my highest bid on everything-which wasn't very high because I didn't "need" any of what I was bidding on. It just would have been nice to have won some of the Fiesta.

I was surprised that I won the box lot that I did win. I didn't bid very high at all. I kept waiting for the email telling me I was outbid, but it never came. I won. I paid less than a dollar each for everything in the box lot. It was a box full of criss cross items-refrigerator dishes, mixing bowls, cereal size bowls, a relish tray a cobalt small refrigerator dish and a couple of extra lids and a one pound butter dish lid.

Today was the one day to pick everything up. It was also the day that a major storm rolled through as I was leaving work. The pick up location was only 11 miles from my work. I thought it was going to be further away because the address was Holly-so I was expecting a really long drive in a serious downpour. I was beyond thrilled when my GPS showed it was only 11 miles away!!

This is what I got...(sorry about the super dark, super grainy cell phone photo)

I hope they do more of these online auctions!! It was great fun and I didn't have to give up a whole day for only one thing (or nothing).

The week without thrifting or sales...

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and kind comments and emails regarding my last post! Even if we don't have the same beliefs, or convictions, it's nice to be able to agree to disagree, yet still remain friendly!

This past week has been a busy one. Although, I really can't remember a time when we had a week that wasn't a busy one. Here it is Sunday evening, and the eve of a new week, with new adventures. There wasn't any time last week for treasure hunting, just a bunch of appointments, the worlds worst pedi on Thursday, and a wedding yesterday.

Today, after church, was catch-up day. Grocery shopping, a little yard work, a little housework, and a little float around the pool. I can't believe it's almost time to close it up for the winter!! Between the rain and the cool weather, we haven't used it much this year.

I also did a little rearranging to try to fit some lonely Pyrex pieces onto the shelves, and to give a repurposed lamp a new home. Were you able to do any thrifting this week? What kind of treasures did you bring home??

There was a local auction company hosting a online estate auction this week. Mr is on their email list, so he sent the link to me. I bid on 15 items, and every day I was getting outbid emails. I only had one lot that I was winning going into today, the last day. I thought for sure I'd be outbid because my bid was ridiculously low. I just found out I won! Now I have to drive to Holly on Tuesday after work to pick up my box lot!! I'll have pictures later this week.

We're hoping this week to be able to have outdoor sand volleyball at our house again, Tuesday evening. It has rained the past 4 Tuesdays, so it's been a while since we've seen everyone or played.

 A $1 garage sale lamp with a vintage cake dome for the shade.

 These pics are for Anny...here are some more shots of the yellow bowl with the lid from a few posts back...it is Pyrex.

 This is my HUGE Pyrex collection and vintage kitchenware collection. Most of this was originally bought to sell in my booth, but after cleaning it up, I wasn't able to part with it. For now, it's all in my vintage kitchenware foster care system. Some day, if I don't have daughters-in-law that like it, I will sell it, so someone else can enjoy it. For right now though, I love looking at it every day. Dusting it is not fun though! All of my fellow Pyrex collectors will "get" this picture and enjoy it too, everyone else, usually just raises their eyebrows and makes a small grimace because they can't understand the fascination with it. I can't really understand it myself-I just know what I like!

 I need to learn to "just say no" to Fiesta sauce boats! There is one more shelf of them in the five vintage colors. I do use them, at Thanksgiving and Christmas-just not all of them.

 This was the table decoration from the wedding yesterday.

These were sandwiched between two mailing labels, printed with our names and our table number, and they were waiting on the table in the entrance, when we arrived at the reception. Then...my phone battery died, and I couldn't get any more pics. Everything was very pretty, and it was a really fun reception. 

Ignorance is Bliss...

Remember the tag-line in my blog header that says something like...All about my adventures at garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, antique shops and LIFE? Well, this post is about the LIFE part, so if your're a reader looking for a vintage fix, you may not find this post up your alley. I'm posting it because it's about my life and what's going on right now. It's mostly for my benefit as I work through/figure out/learn/process.

For the past two weeks, my facebook feed has been blown up with friends and family members taking the ALS ice bucket challenge. At first I chuckled at everyone's squeals when the icy water was poured over them. After a while, it seemed everyone was doing it. Part of me wondered if I'd get nominated to take the challenge. Part of me thought I'd squeak by unnoticed. In the back of my mind I could see myself doing it, and nominating someone else. It's for a good cause, right? Bringing attention and money to further research for finding a cure for ALS-seems like a no-brainer. Sign me up-I want to help...now comes the sticky part...

Today, I read something that was a huge eye-opener. It was a blog post educating readers of the ALSA's endorsement of using embryonic stem cells in research to try to find a cure for ALS. My first response was just thinking to myself, I didn't know that. Next, I went to their website to see if I could find out for sure what their stance was.Their website explains what embryonic stem cells are and the different types, and that while they represent a "major medical breakthrough" they have also raised "a great deal of ethical questions."

So, then I wondered if there was a way to use embryonic stem cells without destroying the embryo. I couldn't find a single site that said it could be safely done without destroying the embryo. By that point, I was glad that no one has nominated me, because it represents a moral dilemma for me. I'm pro-life. I believe that an embryo is a human life, and not just some cells that have come together. I've stood out on the street in my town for years on Right to Life Sunday with my kids and by myself, in a silent vigil, praying and trying to bring awareness to what abortion is really doing. I've participated in a local run/walk to raise awareness called Run for Their Lives.

Then, as I'm sitting on the couch with my laptop, watching t.v.with my son while skipping around on several sites, I get a pop-up that my aunt has nominated me. So, now I'm at the point where the rubber meets the road. I have a few different options. I could ignore it and hope it goes away (put my head in the sand), but know even if I sneak by everyone else, I will still have my aunt asking me why I didn't do it. I could just do it and pretend I didn't find that article earlier. I could post a comment on facebook, which more than likely will get misinterpreted by someone, and I'll look like I'm acting all holier than thou, when I'm not. I could quietly just donate money to another pro-life ALS research organization,  I could post the article that I read and try to explain my reasons for not participating, or, or, or I could come up with a bunch of reasons/decisions/options and do nothing.

A couple of people in my own household think I'm making a big deal about nothing and that I should just let it go, ignore it, it will go away. I thought about it, but something keeps gnawing at me. Had I been challenged a couple of hours earlier, I would have done the challenge, and nominated three more people to accept the challenge because I didn't know all the details. I'm wondering if I'm not the only one who thought it sounded like a good cause to raise funds and awareness for with a fun thing, that everyone seems to be doing, without understanding the underlying issue of embryonic stem cell research.

I really had to dig and search to find a research facility that only uses adult stem cells, or umbilical cord cells and not embryonic stem cells. I can and will make a donation to that facility, because according to their website they value human life and do not consider embryonic stem cell research an option.

I'm not trying to diminish the need for research and a cure for ALS by any means. It is a terrible disease and my heart goes out to people suffering with it, and people who have watched loved ones suffer with it and have lost or are losing their loved ones to it. I just wish there were more organizations out there that could help fight for a cure without using embryonic stem cells.

It seems like any way that I respond to this had the potential to offend or hurt someone's feelings. So, I've decided that I will contact my Aunt, privately and explain why I can't do it for ALSA.org, but that I will do a donation to another facility that matches better with my beliefs. Then I guess if anyone sends me a message asking why I didn't do it, I can privately reply to them my reasons. I'm pretty certain that everyone who really knows me, already knows where I fall on the whole pro-life pro-choice stance anyway, I just don't think they'll realize that it is tied into this decision. I had no clue that it could be tied into icy water, squeals, laughter and trying to do something helpful and good.

When I came home from work tonight, I was looking forward to a quiet evening, vegging out, and not thinking about anything more than getting dinner on the table because this week has already been a roller coaster-and it's only Monday!!

Mega Mall Flea Market

After church today, I went with Auntie to the Mega Mall Flea Market. We made a quick trip of it and zipped through all the booths and the store in record time. The place was PACKED again-and well worth the trip. LOTS of things to see and buy.

I found both of these in the store, and both of the booths that I found them in were having a sale, so I got a really good deal!

Auntie had this waiting in her car for me...

She bought it when we did the thumb sale, and when she got home,she realized she already had one-so I put my $4  in her cup holder and now I'm the lucky new owner!! Yay!!

Can you believe it Erica?? More gooseberry!!! Hope you find some soon!!

Another Great Event!

Today was the Spina Bifida of Michigan Fundraiser walk. It was at Waterford Oaks Park, and it was such a beautiful, fun day!! Our team this year was called Zoe's Court, and we had a big group. Not the biggest group there, but pretty close!

This walk helped to raise almost $30,000 for research, help and support for families with loved ones with Spina Bifida in Michigan. I was so blessed to be a part of it, both last year and again this year. After the walk, we all hung out together visiting, catching up and then playing some volleyball-a perfect end to a great day!!

 Glitter nails-painted really quickly!

On the way home, we were able to stop at Sonic again--Eric got a sour apple Nerds slushie, and I got my favorite a cherry limeade-YUM.

Zoe did a great job! The route was a mile and a half this year, so it was a half mile longer than last year, and it had a few hills that were a little challenging, but she did GREAT! She made it all the way through walking the whole route-way to go Zoe!! She even said "Eric, you look really cute in your tutu!" She was thrilled that a lot of us wore tutus with her.