Ta-Dah? (#2 with a little less gusto)

There once was a girl who made curtains for her living room. She felt so good about the way these particular curtains turned out, that she thought she would make one large curtain for her bedroom. Now, you should know that this girl had a LOT of help measuring for the living room curtains. Then, because the turned out so well the girl got a big head and measured for the bedroom curtains on her own.

She made the curtain up and pressed it with the iron getting it ready for its big debut. But, alas! SOMEone measured the fabric incorrectly! The curtain was too small! For shame! Then SOMEone remembered that SOMEone's grandmother had given SOMEone an old crocheted tablecloth once upon a time. It was old and stained and had some holes in it. It would be perfect to help SOMEone cover up their heinous mistake.

Voila! Hey, presto! (yes, it was actually meant to be a half curtain, thank heavens!)

Aaaand....They're Off!

Last weekend was the official start of yard sale-ing season. I have the biggest car with back seats that fold down flat and a hatch back trunk so, I am the driver. I picked up HB and Alicia and then a new friend named Karla and we hit the open trail.

Our first stop was "Our Mother of Sorrows" Church sale. Which leads me into a whole mind-circle regarding Catholic names and getting people to like your religion. Our Mother of Sorrows isn't quite making the grade there. Along with Our Father of Depression and Our Children of Cutting Themselves, Our Mother of Sorrows ranks right up there with worst church names ever.

Now, this sale has been good to us before and we catch it almost every year. We always check out the tent first. Large pieces of furniture huddle under the tent. This year HB bought a $2 bentwood chair right away (painted aqua, score!) and then fretted about an armless loveseat in aqua velvet with some cat damage at the corners, but nice clawfeet on casters, too. It was marked $10 and we debated over ways to fix it and if it was worth $10, which it almost certainly was. Karla said that HB could take a reupholstering class and learn to fix it herself. Finally I suggested that we go inside and shop and if it was still there when we came out it was clearly a sign that we should purchase it.

We shopped. Some of us more than others. Karla got a sweet picnic basket with all the table settings for 50 cents, I got two tiny things, which were my only finds the entire day and HB did in fact end up getting the love seat. Alicia found a little doggie and a garbage can. These girls have bought more garbage cans than I care to tell you about. I guess that is what happens when you "like things clean".

On the way to pay for it, the old man tending The Tent asked her what the price was. She told him $10. He countered, "How about five?" She responded by hugging him, obviously. He then giggled and commented suggestively, "How about THREE?" He posed for pictures with her and then we rammed it into the car. Along with the chair, our finds and four women. The set up was just ever so slightly illegal. But, we really hazed Karla pretty good. "Hi there. This is your seat, here in this cramped position with no seat belt between a chair and a love seat and about forty bags of stuff until we get to where we are going."

This is the second time she has taken one for the team this year. The first being the table.

The love seat bit HB and drew blood. She stopped it with super glue. People who work at hospitals know weird things. Don't even ASK what spewtum is, you don't want to know.

HB's second bentwood chair of the day. TV trays that Karla and HB fought over for a minute, frightening the old lady who was having the sale. HB conceded and Karla came home victorious.

Round One
HB: Aqua chair-$2, Pyrex dish-50 cents, vintage linen with embroidered barware in orange & green-?, Sapphire puff pillow-50 cents, Santa head mug- 50 cents, pink plastic tray-?, ship picture-10 cents.
Alicia:Doggie figurine-?, Orange stripe garbage can-?
Karla:Wicker picnic basket with full table service-50 cents

Round Two
HB: White bentwood chair, orange glass pitcher with glass stir stick & another boat picture-$5 total

Karla: Bag-50cents, white ceramic and wood light-$1

All in all a very good start to the season. This next weekend is going to be wild! Stay tuned!

Deadly Store

You know you have one. We all do. That store that you try like the devil to avoid. The store that eats your money, turns you into a drunken sailor and skews your reality into an alternate one where you are rich, filthy stinking rich! OK, so maybe we all have a few such stores. But, for me, there is one that really takes the cake...and my credit card...and my checking account...and my linty couch change. One World Goods.

Another way this store of stores wrangles me in is that they are a not for profit. They have goods made by artisans in poor and developing countries and then they give the money right back to them! So, I have to buy things there, right? I mean, it's my civic duty or something. My duty as a human being and fellow citizen of the world. It's practically the law! *whew* Now I feel better. You understand, right?

I was forced to go into said shop just the other day. Since it's the law that I do so, plus I had a few birthdays to shop for. Man, if you can't find something wonderful in this shop for each an every woman or girl in your life then...you know some weird ass people.

I love my thought process as I walk through the door. It's so easy to lie to yourself. "OK Sarah, just in and out. Get the presents and go, go, go! You can do this!" Then I stop at the first kiosk knowing full well that there isn't anything on there that I am looking to buy for the birthdays. Then the second one. Then the third. By the time I make it to the frames and jewelry I'm a goner. It's all, "OK, one thing for the birthdays, one thing for me, one thing for the birthdays, one for me!"

So, without further ado, I present my purchases. I actually tried to style the photos this time. My hand isn't so steady when I use no flash and I'm horrible at lighting, so just pretend that they look awesome and make you want to run right out to One World Goods, ok?

These are earrings for my friend Meghan. It's her birthday. I'm giving them to her tomorrow!


Since I found the perfect gift for Meghan, I rewarded myself with this card. I cannot get enough lanterns. I'll frame it sometime this week and hang it in my bedroom.

Then I found two pairs of earrings for Nick's sister. Sending those out tomorrow too.




These earrings are so affordable and so unique. Man, their jewelry really does me in. But, I fought valiantly and though I also found a picture frame for my friend Daria (how did I forget to take a picture of that?), I only bought one more thing for myself. Behold.


It's a crocheted flower pin with beads lining the edges. They had so many different beautiful colors! I only got ONE! See how strong I am? It feels so good when you hold it. It has a nice weight.

I also went to a sale at a church and got a few things. Nothing that great, but my purchases totaled $2.00, so who's complaining?

I got this vase to sell, but it looks great with my other stuff so, I guess we'll see.



Just the Velvet tin, I already had the coke diner tin.

The First Cut Is The Deepest

The first sale outing of the season, a household sale in Chili. It was still pretty cold last week when we were out, not to mention, it was the third day of the sale. But, it was Saturday and sunny and we were game. The garage was packed with seasonal decor. Lots of Christmas and recent Halloween costumes. It was freezing in the garage. We stayed until our fingers were numb and lady luck made it worth our while.

Alicia found TWO finials for HB. I found two reindeer for Alicia. HB found a few really great ornaments for herself. Much silent screaming ensued. Especially because of the finials. She usually finds about 4 a year. Two in one shot is pretty great. The one with the star is plastic and the brown /gold one is glass. Oh, did I mention they were 25 CENTS EACH? Yeah, they were.

There wasn't a whole lot left in the house, but HB did manage to score quite a bit of stuff: vintage cat-eye glasses, pretty footstool, crazy awesome box with art deco ladies on it which holds very long matches and a Christmas tablecloth with holly & candles.

Alicia got a Star Trek book (don't ask) and some great blue star earrings.

I ended up with a bunch of neon colored drink stirs (I have no drink stirs at my house, how is this possible?) a pewter cup which is an award of some kind, some fuzzy pumpkins (geez, I love plastic) and a book about the Littlest Majorette - for someone special. Then there was this incident where I got really excited over this cylindrical cardboard item that I thought was a kaleidoscope, when in fact it was not. I realized this in slow steps as I gasped with delight, holding it to my eye, HB began to laugh so hard she almost fell down, and I couldn't see though either end of the cardboard. But it's cool, because the thing actually held cinnamon scented matches for Christmas. Score!


So, feeling pretty good about our haul, which totaled $10 all together, we decided to go to a nearby thrift store. I scored 4 shirts, Alicia got a great/insane blanket (why did I not take a picture of this?) but, it was HB that really brought home the bacon. And you all know how much I love bacon.

The coup of the day was HB's new (vintage) enamel topped table with glass knob on the drawer. Blue and yellowish-cream swirl pattern enamel the likes of which I have never seen. Glorious. $30. Boom. Fit in my car, Alicia took one for the team, riding with it the short distance back to HB's. A glorious end to a glorious day.


The thing is absolutely perfect in her new kitchen. Bask in the glow of it's glory.