Weekend Adventures

I started the week with an extra day off (Monday), and I ended the week with an extra day off (Thursday). I think I could get used to only working 2 days a week! It almost feels like a vacation, or what I assume retirement must feel like. Now I am super jealous of Mr BHTS who only works 3-12 hour shifts a week-he has 4 days off to do whatever he pleases. I know 12 hour shifts are long, but he usually only works two in a row. Sometimes he gets every-other day off. I think I'd like that!

I didn't do much on Thursday. Just some groceries and errands for the house. On Friday I went to my first church rummage sale of the season-walked out empty handed. I also went to an estate sale, and two garage sales-nothing there either! Then I went to a couple of thrift stores. One of them has an 80% off room in their basement that is always fun to look through. It's the same place my youngest found the happy pumpkin Fiesta candle holders and shakers for me right after my surgery.

I was getting ready to head up the stairs, because nothing was jumping out at me, when I found a vase. It looks art deco-ish, and is only marked USA on the bottom. I found a couple in online auctions that are listed around $30. I'll keep my eye on them, this one was $2.12. Even if I end up giving it away, or keeping it, it was pretty cheap. I'm not sure if I bought it just to keep from being skunked all day, or if I really like it...it's ok, but not my usual style.

After I got home, my guys agreed to go with me to Ann Arbor. I've been wanting to visit Cost Plus World Market ever since I found out they carry a Jadeite-ish cake pedestal. As it turned out, my oldest needed to drop some paperwork off at his work anyway, so he was happy to tag along. I really enjoyed wandering around the store. So much to see! Lots of new,old-looking stuff. Most of it was way out of my price range,but a lot of it gave me great ideas to watch for the vintage real deals at estate and garage sales this summer.

I bought it. They were out of the smaller size-I would have bought one of those as well.

This morning, Mr wanted to go to Harbor Freight again, and wanted me to ride along. If a Harbor Freight ever opens closer to us than 30 minutes, I know where he will always be! We decided to go to the store in Ypsilanti today, since we've been to Livonia and Flint recently for other adventures. Of course, I mapped out a couple sales to visit and an antique store.

Our first stop was at Salt City Antiques in Ypsilanti. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this store!! So much vintage eye candy. I felt myself grinning ear to ear as I was walking through taking it all in. There is one bad thing about being a collector for many years...your list of gotta-have-its gets smaller and smaller!

I saw LOTS of things I'd love to take home with me, but nothing that I just had to have. I did take some pictures though, so I could share the vintage awesomeness with you. If you ever get to Michigan, or southeastern Michigan-take a quick trip to Ypsilanti (pronounced: ip-sil-anti) and stop in at Salt City. You will be glad that you did!

We tried our luck at a garage sale and an estate sale-no luck. The estate sale was in a sub with huge houses-not my usual type of sale, but the pickings have been very slim, this winter, of sales worth visiting, so we thought we'd take a chance. It was a beautiful house, and the sale was run by my favorite estate sale company...but both of those things didn't make it into my kind of vintage-goodies sale.  I picked up a certificate frame at the estate sale for $1.

After pretty much striking out at the sales, we went to HF. As we pulled in the driveway of the strip mall, I saw a sign for Ollie's. We've seen commercials, but have not been to an area where this store has been, so we didn't know what type of store it was exactly. I announced I was skipping HF, and going to Ollie's. Mr. didn't want to miss out, so he went to Ollie's with me. The best way to describe it, is kind of like a Big Lots on steroids. It was full of all kinds of closeouts. Discounted even lower than when they were clearanced out of the regular stores. We got a few things, and he was able to get what he was looking for at HF before we headed home.

I put an old hanky in the certificate frame and decided to pick up a few frames from the dollar store to see if I could put together a collage of hankies on the wall. The frames I'm looking for need to have a minimal frame, with glass, and they need to be really cheap, because I'd like to have 15-20 on a wall. I found some, but instead of being picture frames, they had pictures in them already and they were called "wall art". I bought them with the intention of taking the backs off, removing the "art" picture and replacing it with a hanky.

Easier said than done! The "wall art" picture was glued in! I got a utility knife and got one apart and put the hanky in, but as soon as I got it all back together, the frame broke. It is a super cheap, flimsy plastic that wasn't meant to be moved around. The second one, I slipped with the knife and cut a big chunk out of the plastic frame. So I gave up on cutting the "art" out. I tried stretching the hanky over the whole thing and taping it to the back, but I could still see the "art" through the hanky. Plus I like the look of the hanky under the glass. Oh well, at least I tried. Tomorrow, I'll be returning the leftover "wall art" things. and at least I know I tried. I'll have to add document frames (metal ones) to my garage sale shopping list for this summer. That frame worked out beautifully for the hanky idea.

 Metal frame-very sturdy-easy to use.

 Dollar store "wall art"-not such a good idea

For dinner I tried another new to me idea, something I saw online. Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches (those are not new to me) with the bacon woven together and baked in the oven (that's the new to me part). It was very easy and it turned out just like it looked online! I was pleasantly surprised. Some of those wonderful looking online things are disappointing. I cleaned out my flowerbeds and did a few things around the house, it was so nice to be outside today!! Blue skies and puffy white clouds-the temperature wasn't too bad either!

Hope you have a great weekend!!

A Rare Monday Hunting Day!

After my parents got on the road this morning, I sent a text to Auntie to see if she was up for a spur of the moment adventure. I don't get Mondays off very often (unless I'm on vacation, or unless it's Labor or Memorial Day), so I thought it would be fun to hit the road to see what we could see.

We had quite a list of places to pick from to plan our trip. We both really wanted to go to Lake Odessa, but they are only open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. So, we ended up going to Perry, to the Swan Creek Candle Store (antiques are upstairs). I've been there a few times, and even though it is really small, I always find things to look at, admire and even a few things to buy.

We drove a while and stopped at Memories Antique Mall in Swartz Creek, but they are closed on Mondays-boo! We were so bummed! Then we went to Holly, and were really sad to see that Water Tower Antiques is out of business, and the building is for rent!! Boo!! We did stop at Battle Alley Antiques-it's much less creepy to me now that I've been there an handful of times.

There is another antique shop down the road and across the street, but they were closed today too. I guess Mondays are not very high shopping days for antique malls, because it seems a lot of them are closed on Monday.

We ended up travelling south west and made our last stop of the day at Livingston Antique Outlet. This week is their big spring sale. I was surprised to see the big discount signs in most of the booths. Some of the booths were as high as 35%! We wandered around the mall, and we both found something we couldn't live without.

I wandered into a booth that had a 25% off sale sign and looked all around, and my eyes came to rest on a Kitchen Kraft stacking refrigerator set. I very rarely see them in the wild, and when I do, the price is sky high. When I looked at the price, I had to do a double take, and then couldn't believe my luck because I was going to get 25% off of that price!

Here are my finds for today.

I picked up the Washington hanky and the Hoarder Dishorder pitcher at Swan Creek, and the Hawaiian Islands hanky and the KK set at LAO. 

Another fun day! I like the idea of starting my week off doing what I love-hunting for treasures!!

Spring is Finally Here!!

Last Saturday was the Spring Open House at Williamston Antiques. Auntie and I have gone to it more times that I can remember. Every time I think about it, I have to chuckle when I remember my youngest son used to like to tag along just for the food! They put on a nice spread of appetizers and punch on a big table as soon as you walk in the door, and every year it is such a treat and very yummy. They also have a big sale, which makes it fun to hunt for treasures,knowing if you find something, you're going to get a discount on it.

After we left Williamston, we visited Mega Mall and The Little Red Schoolhouse. I found a couple of things at Mega Mall, but nothing I couldn't live without at Williamston or LRS. I don't mind going to places and walking out empty handed. It is fun just to hunt! I especially like to see what new things dealers have brought in, or what new ways they've decorated their booths. It's always very sad to me, when I see booths that look neglected, or when the dealers haven't taken time to freshen things up. Some booths in some antique malls that I frequent, have looked the same for 4 or 5 years (or more, in some cases). Keeping things fresh and new is a LOT of work, but so worth it for dealers, because it brings the buyers into the booth.

The divided "wedges" will hold a Fiesta relish tray insert pretty nicely!
A happy unexpected discovery!

No markings on the bottom. I have no idea who made this or when. 

Just to give size perspective...yes, I got another honey whip jar.
I can't resist-especially when they are less than $2.

Life at our house on Sunday was normal. Quiet, resting up, catching up on a few minor tasks and getting ready for the new week. Monday and Tuesday were volleyball evenings, and Wednesday was a playoff and final game for one of the leagues I play in, My team came in second place. We should have taken first place. We beat ourselves, but it was still fun. We had a celebratory/good-bye get-together at a brew pub near the gym that we play at. We won't see each other now until September when our league starts up. It made for a really late night, but I'm so glad we did it!

On Friday, my parents came in from Florida. The hauled their camper, and had two 12 hour days of driving, in heavy rain, construction and heavy traffic. They spent the weekend, and we had a great time catching up. We squeezed in a trip to Hobby Lobby, and Costco, a sushi run (I was surprised to find out my Mom likes sushi!) and dinner out at a local tex-mex restaurant.

After church on Easter Sunday, we cooked like crazy! We had enough food for 3 times as many people. The best part of big holiday meals--leftovers!! I sent some home with my parents (they left this morning), and we've got enough for a couple of dinners.

 This is my oldest son's version of fruit pizza. He had to work on Easter, and they had a potluck, so he decided to make this!

 This was my version-egg shaped!

 Strawberry Trifle-sent to my cousin's house.

 Strawberry and blueberry trifle for us-doesn't look as nice, in a trifle bowl with a pattern in the glass. 

 Dyed deviled eggs! Always a big hit!

 Grilled turkey-smokey-YUM!

 Potato salad

 Festive Fruit Salad from Taste of Home-don't forget the dip!!

Sweet yeast rolls from GFS-first time trying them, won't be the last-YUM!

Here are some pics of other fun things Auntie and I saw on our adventure the week before Easter weekend...

 I'm always keeping an eye out for round covered butter dishes for a friend from work. This one is oval, and seems to be much newer that what she normally collects. I've never seen anything like it before.

I took a picture of this, because I'd like Mr. to make me something like this, but out of wood-to put bowls on. 

I LOVE this dresser!!! 

What a great idea! I gave my mom a vintage style Texas map, and we've been trying to come up with a way to use it and give it as a gift to their summer/lake friends who are from Texas.

I have a little foot stool with hairpin legs that would be really easy to take apart and use for this!!

More vintage cabinet love!! Maybe when we redo our kitchen I could incorporate some of the elements of the old cabinets I fall in love with when I see them in antique malls. 

This looks like it would be a fun project, and it would be perfect for my parents U.P. yard.  

I have always wanted to try this, but never had enough nerve. This is the first time I've seen it in person and not online. The next suitcase I find, will become shelves-I can't wait to try it!! 

I still love these, even if they aren't very popular or "in style" right now. Mr made me a couple on his lathe a couple of summers ago, and they are awesome!