Shopping While I Can!

The count down is on...only a few more days til I'm stuck at home recovering, so I thought I'd take every opportunity to see what I could see, because it could be a couple of weeks (or more) until I can get back out hunting for treasures.

One of my favorite shops just happens to be one mile from my Dr's office, so after my appointment the other day, I stopped for a quick stroll through the aisles to see what I could see. I saw a lot of fun things, but only two things couldn't be left behind.

I took some pics of some fun things and my favorite booths.

Last night I had an email from a very sweet, kind and caring blog friend. She read about my unfortunate jumping fork, and the next day while at an estate sale,found one, bought it and offered it to me for what she paid for it plus shipping!!! How awesome is that!?!? I've been smiling ever since I opened the email she sent that was titled "Hello and Fork!"

Not many people would do what she did, especially for someone she's never met before! I am so grateful and thankful that she did, and after a couple of emails back and forth, it feels like we've been friends for a long time!

This morning, I took off on another adventure and went to 5 more antique shops and malls. I started at the Swan Creek Candle store in Perry. Their whole upstairs is an antique shop. It may be small, but what it lacks in space, it more than makes up with character! I've only visited this shop 3 times (because I only recently found it), but it has quickly become one of my favorites.

Great day for wandering around antique shops-not such a great day to be out and about. 

My next stop was a resale shop in the same town. Ive visited it each time I went to Swan Creek, and each time is is more and more packed with stuff. I couldn't imagine it holding much more.

My next stop was Memories in Swartz Creek. I've been visiting this place for many years, and I've found some great treasures on many occasions -the staff there is wonderful!! I think it makes a big difference when staff is friendly-don't you??

I spent the majority of my time in the first room off of the check-out area. It was LOADED with linens-quilts, chenille bedspreads, blankets, aprons, tablecloths-I felt like a little girl in a playhouse-it was so awesome!!

After that, I visited Genevieve's in Burton-another somewhat new to me shop, it was only my third visit. I didn't find anything that had to come home with me, but I did enjoy my stroll through all the booths!

After that, I visited Collette's. I can't even count the number of times I've been to Collette's-I LOVE this mall! When I first started visiting  there was hardly any cars in the parking lot and a lot of empty booth spaces. Now, every time I go there are more and more cars in the parking lot, more and more shoppers and they are bursting at the seams with dealers!

 Look at the screen with the hooks and the stencils-what a great idea!!

 A bubble glass shot for a friend from work who is collecting this for a present.

 I always LOVE these kind of windows! One day I'm going to find just the right glue and be patient enough to let it totally dry!! 

 This pic is for another friend, who collects round, covered butter dishes...

 Their sign at the back entrance to the parking lot. 

 My last stop of the day was at Fratz. I'm sure you've read about my visits to this consignment shop before-I try to go pretty regularly-at least as often as I go to Collette's. 

 This is what I brought home. A quilted throw blanket from the first booth at Memories, some glass drawer pulls and a brass skeleton key from Memories, some bubble saucers from the resale/thrift store (for my friend) and a Harlequin pitcher from Collette's. 

Shh! Don't tell anyone...I also bought this for my youngest. He plans to get chickens again once he is done with school and has more time.I think he's gonna love it!!! He's wanted one for a while now, and this one was the cheapest I've ever seen it-another great buy from Memories!!

A fun day, topped off with a haircut and too much talking with my stylist-now I have very short hair (almost not enough for a ponytail) -but we got caught up and she shared her happy news that she's expecting!! Congrats Stephanie-you're gonna be an amazing mama!!

Tomorrow's another day, maybe another adventure...maybe a good day to stay at home since we're now in the thirties and there's snow mixed with the rain. If I do go anywhere, you know I'll take you along! If I don't...best wishes for a great weekend!!!

This might be an option for something to do tomorrow...we'll see!

Happy Halloween!!

It Just Jumped Off the Shelf!

Yesterday was a sad day...late in the afternoon, Mr. walked from the dining room into the sun room to let Lucy outside,and just as he entered the sun room, there was a loud crash and glass breaking sound. The sun room is very secure and the floor doesn't wiggle at all, so this was rather shocking to both of us and I ran over to check it out.

This is what I found...

The only one on Ebay right now is $199, and the only one on Etsy is $150...my $3 garage sale find isn't going to be very cheap to replace! :(  It had to have jumped off of a shelf, and over a set of Happy Pumpkin salt & pepper shakers and over a set of Happy Pumpkin candleholders before it hit the floor...very odd!

Today I had to have another procedure before my surgery next week, so I was home when the mail came. I heard a loud slam on the front porch, and was worried about what I'd find. I was waiting for a special package and I was afraid my package was going to be smashed. To my relief, I found my package on top of a giant package for my youngest!

This is what was inside...

It was safe and sound with a great packing job-whew!!!

 A full set-finally!!!

Except for the replacement for this one that was smashed in shipping a while back. It looks pretty good from a distance, doesn't it!?!? Up close, not so much!

It seems that I whenever I find these bowls for sale, that they are coming from Canada, and boy is the shipping high!! I might have to get a passport so I can make some thrifting trips to Canada to save the shipping charges!!!

"There's Nothing But Tools in There."

Friday morning I left in search of an estate sale that had absolutely nothing that I was looking for. I wasn't excited about what I would find, or wondering what kind of prices they might have. I did enjoy the drive-it was a beautiful day. Why would I go to a sale where as I was walking up the driveway, I was told by a guy walking out, "There's nothing but tools in there."?

I went there as a look-out for Mr.. The sale was very clearly advertised as a guy's sale. It had great pictures of all kinds of woodworking tools and what really caught his eye was three lathes! I got there about an hour after it opened and the road was lined with cars.

It was a long walk up a very long winding driveway, marked with stakes and caution tape to keep people off of their grass. The sale was in an outbuilding. Not really a barn, just a building that had the sole purpose of being a woodworking shop.

Let me tell you, it was v e r y   a w k w a r d walking in to this sale! I wasn't the only woman there, but the other two were either working the sale or with a guy. I tried to get a good look at one of the lathes, but two guys were standing in front of it talking and blocking it. The price tag was gone, so I figured one of them either bought it or was going to buy it.

The next one was absolutely huge! It had a SOLD sign on it, and the last one was pretty much the same size as what he has, but a lot older and in a lot rougher shape. While I was in there, I overheard a couple of guys talking that they were in line 2 1/2 hours before the sale started and they were still there an hour after it had started! The whole time I was there, I felt like the many men who were there were wondering why I was there. More than likely, they didn't even pay attention to a lone woman, at a guys sale, and the awkwardness was all in my head.

I can count on one hand the number of sales I've gotten to early, and maybe only one or two were more than an hour early. Do you go super early? What's the earliest you've ever gotten to a sale?? Do you hang around and shop for a while? Or do you move through and on to the next sale?? I like to move through and on to the next sale. Very rarely do I stay for long periods of time-usually those houses are the ones that are packed to the gills with goodies that require a lot of time for looking and digging. I think the house I shopped at the longest was a sale in Manchester a few years ago. I think it was also the place where I stood outside the longest waiting to get in -and it was worth it!!!

After the tool sale, I visited a couple of garage sales, a thrift store and a church rummage sale. I decided to head further east to just kind of see what I could see. It was a beautiful day, I didn't have any commitments, and I just felt like being out and about.

I ended up in Waterford and had a great time wandering around two nice little shops. One was new to me, and I'm looking forward to a return visit soon! The other I've been to a few times. I was even game for a stroll through Dixieland Flea Market, but it doesn't open until 4 on Fridays, so I had to skip it.

I did get to meet up with my SIL for lunch-we don't get to do that very often because we live an hour apart, so it was really nice that we were both off on the same day and had the time to meet!!

Saturday was just the usual housework and volleyball in the evening. It's going to be really weird to go from 3 nights a week playing volleyball to 8 weeks of not! The last time I went that long without playing was back in 2003!! I'm really going to miss it!!

Today I'm spending today catching up on emails, working on inventorying my Pyrex collection and catching up on my favorite blogs. Hope you are having a great Sunday!!!

Here are some pics from my travels this week...

 This was the big one! The picture doesn't do it justice-it was huge, and already sold!

 Stopped at a light and looked up to see this beauty!!

The Hunt-a new to me antique shop-looking forward to many more trips to this cute little shop!

 Such a wide variety and prices look pretty good!!

 Next time you're in Waterford, stop by and wander through-you'll be glad you did!!

 Picked this up at the church rummage sale for $1-still in the package-not that old.

 Very big piece of material for fifty cents-for a friend who is recovering some random chairs.

 Found the littlest guy to the four piece set-now I only need to find the 7" and the set is complete!

Enjoying my sun room today and my corner cabinet!

My Week in Pictures...

It's been another week of getting ready, and waiting. Doing all kinds of things that I won't be able to do while I'm recuperating. By the time I actually have my surgery, it will have been the longest six weeks of my life! I'm not stressing, not worried, not obsessing-just ready to move on and start feeling better!

 This is what happens when you ask someone in your house to "deadhead the hydrangea" -Yikes! I've been babying this for 3 years, I think it's a lost cause!

 View from my sun room window.

 Late blooming Rose of Sharon bush.

 Love, love, love this girl!!!

 Still pretty, even if it's on the compost pile!

 Happy Pumpkin candle 

holders!!

 Ornaments a co-worker picked up for me at a garage sale last .

 bumper stickers I got in the mail for free!

 Not old, but I love it!

quarter license plates for my state of Michigan repurpose project.