Wonderful Junk Day!

I got off work a little early today...but I have to go back tonight for a couple of hours. That's o.k.--I'd rather have a couple of hours off earlier in the day to hit some sales-especially on such a gorgeous day!!! My car is in the shop getting fixed. Something with the fuel injector, steering column and a nail in a tire (I swear I am a nail magnet!). So my youngest son got the pleasure short straw and had to drive me to work today.

He has a small pick-up truck so it worked out perfectly as a junkin vehicle! We went to a few sales and we returned 725 empty soda cans. What a nasty, sticky job!! We sell soda at cost during our church youth group meetings, and we sell a lot, but no one will take the cans back. I take them back when I get tired of seeing bags of them piled all over the place. I keep hoping that some day, someone will decide to do a good deed for the day and take them back (or the empty soda can fairy will show up) -no such luck! I guess the bright side is that I get paid to stand and feed empty soda cans into the re-cycler-even if I can't get that smell out of my nostrils and I feel sticky all over still!

There were only 100 sales in our local paper today, down a bit from last week. There looks to be about 12 throughout the whole weekend that are advertising the kinds of things I look for-so it really narrowed down from the original listing! We went to a couple of church sales that were pretty picked over a sub sale and a couple individual sales. I found some great things. I even got 2 hammers for $2 to send with Eric on his mission trip and a brand new fleece blanket (also a request for the mission trip) for $2. I saw lots of interesting stuff today-most of it very over-priced, at least for me it was.

Tomorrow I'll have a really small window of time to shop for treasures before I head over to my co-worker's house to help prep stuff for her daughter's grad party on Saturday. Then Saturday I'll probably have only an hour to try to find sales before I go back to set up and run the party for her. If you're a praying person and you think of her, her name is Linda and she's battling breast cancer. She is half-way through her chemo treatments and they are really wearing her out! I know she would appreciate all the prayers we can lift up on her behalf!!

Next week I got a bonus day off! I found out I have one extra vacation day left that if I don't use it by June 30th, I will lose it-so my boss told me to take Thursday off!! One extra day to get ready for our own grad party-YAY!!! Plus it adds in another day on my vacation-more yay!!!

Is it just me, or does it seem that things are starting to go for higher amounts on Ebay lately? I've been trying to finish up some of my collections with the one wayward piece here and there, and I am outbid every time and the items seem to go for way more than they were last year at this time...have you noticed this too, or am I just being too cheap? Good thing I have garage sales for a few months!!!

Here are the things I picked up today...

 Three plastic Adirondack chairs--fifty cents each!!! They will be PERFECT for the volleyball court! Do you know how hard it is to take photos when you have a dog who is a camera hog? I love my Maddie!

 Old cane chair-$2.

 Doll chair.

 Stained glass angel-$1...wayyyy too much time and effort for this to only be a dollar!!!

 Retro metal tray.

 You know I can never pass these hot pads up-especially at 10 cents!

 Three pieces of green glassware.

 Retro Campbell's bowl.

 Could this be Russell Wright?? For ten cents!!

  Seventy five cent tea pot!

 Funky retro ice bucket!

 I've seen things like this on other blogs that have been sprayed hot pink-might try it!!

 Tin beer signs.

 LOVE this! Might be spending a few months in the foster system!

Just a little creepy-don't you think??

I also picked up 2 Harlequin nut cups for ten cents each!!! I was doing the happy dance all the way to the car when I got those!!! I also got a few vintage crocheted hotpads, a vintage tablecloth, some old licquor decanters and two small and one larger Pyrex Butterprint fridgies! It was a fun day for finds!!!   Well...I'm heading back to work now, hope you have a great night!!! I'm starting to wind down and I'm getting tired...maybe I'll just sleep in the next couple of days and skip the sales...

Summertime Fun in Michigan!!

A few weeks ago, I got an email from one of my blog friends who lives in Indiana. She is planning a trip to southern Michigan in July and was wondering if I could recommend some things for her and her husband to do. That got me thinking about all of the wonderful things to do and places to visit in the summer in my state, and I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you!

Let's see how many I am able to come up with...

Upper Peninsula: The first attraction is to drive across the Mighty Mac-the Mackinac Bridge!

1. Take a ferry ride from either St. Ignace or Mackinac City to Mackinac Island-make sure you pick the ferry line that shoots the big rooster tail of water from the back of the ferry! Once you are on the island, make sure you visit the fort and take a bike ride or carriage tour.

2. Take a Vespers cruise under the Mackinac Bridge! This is a free cruise (free-will offering), sponsored by local churches, usually on Tuesday evenings right before sunset. The ferry leaves from St. Ignace and travels under the Mighty Mac-all while the sun is setting amid praise and worship songs led by the local church.

3. Saulte Ste. Marie-travel about 60 minutes past the bridge and visit the Soo Locks. You can spend hours wandering the souvenir shops, or take a tour of the Valley Camp Ship Museum, or a Soo Locks boat tour. There is even a roadside park, just outside of town that you can have a picnic at and watch the freighters pass.

4. Tahquamenon Falls-located about a hour north/west of the bridge you can get some great photos.

5. St. Ignace-lots of great souvenir shops, fudge shops, and the Deer Ranch-where you can see live deer and feed them!

6. Kitchitikipi Springs- I used to love this state park as a kid-you get to ride across natural springs on a raft with a glass bottom -the water is so clear you can see everything!

7. Need a place to worship on Sunday morning? Stop by Glen Memorial Baptist Church on Truckey St. They are a small church that is very friendly with great music and great preaching.

8. Garlyn Zoo-heading west on U.S. 2 stop in for a quick visit-you'll be glad you did!

9. Antique shops in Curtis and Manistique--small but packed with loads of treasures!

11. Antler's Restaurant-Saulte Ste. Marie-off the beaten path-outside of town-a fun atmosphere, you'll never find another place like it!!

12.The Mystery Spot just outside of St. Ignace-sure it's touristy, but it has it's own little charm.

13. If you have your passport, you could take the bridge to Canada from the Soo. There are some malls close for shopping, if all of the Michigan wilderness and fresh air is too much for you.

14. Brevort Lake Campground-the best place to camp in the U.P.

15. Take a copper mine tour in Hancock.

16. Visit a real ghost town-Fayette.

17. Climb Castle Rock-just outside of St. Ignace

18. Take a trip to Pictured Rocks-along Lake Superior.

19. Visit the Porcupine Mountains.

20. Plan a Michigan Lighthouse tour.

21. Don't forget the St Ignace Car Show!


Northern Lower Michigan:
1. You have to spend some time in Traverse City-it's a beautiful city with lots to do.

2. Need to fly in to northern Michigan, but don't want to drive from Flint or Detroit? You can land in Pellston!

3. Garland Golf Course-located just outside of Lewiston.

4. You need to check out Petoskey and spend some time riding the waves on Lake Michigan.

5. Visit Hartwick Pines state park.

6. Visit the Cross in the Woods shrine.

7. Feels like an outdoor water park kind of day? Visit Thunder Falls in Mackinac City.

8. Take a few hours to visit all of the shops in Mackinac City or take in a movie-and don't forget to have lunch at Scalawags-YUM!! My favorite!!

9. Relive the past at Fort Michimilimackinac when you are near Mackinac City.

10. Visit one of many wineries in and around Traverse City.

11. Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes in Glen Arbor-near Traverse City.

12. Don't forget the Cherry Festival in Traverse City!

West Side of the state:
1. Allegan Antiques Market-located at the Allegan County Fairgrounds the last Sunday of the month April through September. Admission $4.

2. Visit Michigan Beach Towns-along lake Michigan.

3. Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.

4. Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park and Water Park.

5. Saugatuk - unique shops and art galleries

6. Funky Junk Vintage Flea Market in Grand Rapids.

7. Take your family and your car on a 3 hour ferry ride from Ludington, Michgan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin on the S. S Badger.

8. Antiquing in Allen.

9. Take in a race at the Michigan International Speedway.

10. Airzoo in Kalamazoo.


Southeastern Michigan: 
1. Visit Knightsbridge Antique Mall in Northville.
2. Visit Livingston Antique Outlet in Howell.
3. The Detroit Zoo.
4. Catch at Tiger's game at Comerica Park.
5. Ann Arbor Antiques Market at the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds in Ann Arbor.
6 Treasuremart (antiques & Collectibles) in Ann Arbor.
7. Michigan Challenge Balloonfest in Howell.
8. Detroit Institute of Art.
9. Henry Ford and Greenfield Village.
10. Take a tour of Michigan's Rouge Plant.
11. Ann Arbor Hands on Museum.

Mid Michigan:
1.Williamston Antique Market in Williamston.
2. Mega Mall (antiques) in Lansing.
3. Lamb's Gate & The Salvage Yard (antiques) in Grand Ledge.
4. Potter Park Zoo in Lansing.
5. Frakenmuth-Michigan's Little Bavaria.
6. Tour the Capitol Building in Lansing.
7. Visit Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad in Flint.
8. Grandpa Tiny's Farm-working Historical farm in Franekemuth.
9. Michigan Antiques & Collectibles Festival in Midland.
10. Canoeing and kayaking on the AuSable River in Grayling.
11. Renaissance Festival in Holly.

Not bad! I came up with 65 FUN things to do or places to visit in Michigan! Send me an email and let me know if you try any of them-I'd love to hear about it!!

Congratulations to My 2012 Graduate!!!

Today was the BIG day!! Eric is no longer a high school student!!! Congratulations Eric!

Apparently, Spiderman wears pink flip flops and attends high school graduation ceremonies...