The Snug Bungalow: That's What She Said: Hump Day

Instead of going out treasure hunting on Friday, this week I took a day off to venture forth on Wednesday. The original plan was for Ann (@magicsummervintage) and I to hit up some Salvation Army stores in the next city over. Wednesday is half price day at Salvation Army. Ann and I have been haunting thrift stores for decades and we know the tricks of the trade.

You can read Ann's version of this story here.

The original plan was bucked a bit when we found that there was a "digger" estate sale that morning. (A digger sale is kind of a big, delicious mess. Lots of things, in lots of places, much to dig through.) It held one of my holy grails. Something from my All Time Want List. A vintage ceramic flamingo vase. Yep, you heard right. I'm that girl.

I was pretty worried, since I had just scored something from my All Time Want List a few weeks earlier, and I didn't know how far my luck would stretch.

When we got to the sale, I had to explain to Ann and her cousin Kristen (Who boldly decided to pop her estate sale cherry on this trip.) that I had erroneously worn "shirt to show". This is a phenomenon wherein a person going to a concert of some kind, wears a shirt with the band they are going to see, on it. So they are at the concert of X band, and they are wearing an X band shirt. Like, we get it pal. You like X band. Geez, play it cool.

So, I was at the sale trying to get my grubby mitts on flamingo stuff and I'm wearing a shirt with flamingos on it. I'm basically the worst. Then...THEN Eastern European woman walks by me and gives me a look. Kristen and Ann immediately respond that she was looking at my shirt, and is probably there for the flamingos too!! I buttoned up my sweater. It felt and looked wrong, but it covered up the brunt of the flamingo disaster.

There was only one more number left when we got there, so Ann made more. Because we are organized and on top of things. And we aren't going to wait in a line with no number!

Of course when they opened the doors, 25 people were let in. We had numbers staring at 26, so we had to wait until the second wave! Every second was torture. I was sure Eastern European lady was in there, scooping up my beloved flamingos.

Once we were let in I was off like a shot. Into the room with the flamingos. Everything was gone...except the vase! Victory!! BEHOLD:

Now, generally when I've secured the object of my desire at any given estate sale, I drift around the rest of the sale in a state of satiated bliss. All tension gone, every additional find, just icing on the cake. Not so, this sale. Enter: Grabby Lady. Grabby Lady is not one of the cast of characters I recognize from Friday sales. She is no doubt a re-seller though. Grabbing up all the goods in a frenzied state, unabashedly reaching in front of people, and arguing with the employees over prices. In general, not minding her manners. Not the way to win friends, Ms. Grabby.

Through some miracle, I made it into one of the Christmas rooms before her. I say "one of" because there were three rooms of Christmas in this sale. I found good stuff in that room and happily scooped it up before Grabby McGrabbersons made her way in.

These flocked Santas will make their way to my shops at some point in the future.

Of course, finding this amount of honeycomb nearly made me faint dead away. And I've resolved to only keep ONE. Because, strength. (And also because, storage space.) The others will be for sale sooner or later.

Some fun bits for my shops.

These are keepers. For some reason, I love a chimney. There was just no way I could leave a silk plaid neon rainbow change purse behind! The little Florida purse was found by Ann. I have the little change purse version already!

Family members reunited!

I then went to the basement where the other two rooms of Christmas were. They had been heavily picked over and I didn't find any further delights. But, I did find loads of vintage plush! Most with original tags!

The basement also held an area filled with spring and fall decor. I found this awesome 18" honeycomb ghost! So big!

Speaking of haunting...I also found...these...in the basement.

While we were standing in the checkout line (Some of us with three bags full...much like Baa Baa Black Sheep.) Ann had a conversation with one of the employees who told us that they were also running another sale a few streets over. The phrase "table full of jewelry" was uttered, and that was pretty much that.

When we arrived a few streets over, we got pretty much the same numbers.

Well. Let me tell you. There was indeed a table full of jewelry. And when Ann descended upon it, Eastern European Lady passed a box to a guy, juuuuuust in front of Ann's nose, saying, "Here. Is this the Bakelite?" Turns out it was the Bakelite. Mere inches from Ann's face. Needless to say, we left shortly after. We did not buy things.

It was time for some fuel. Or maybe a consolation treat.

Off to cull the thrifts of Syracuse! An hour later we arrived...at an abandon building. The first thrift on our list was closed. Forever. We decided on a second location and were duly and justly rewarded for our travels.

Neon pink Chucks - in my size!! For $2.50!! And some other goodies to sell.

Another flamingo shirt. That'll help.

I also found this terrifying / supposed to be funny shirt.

Then, it was time for lunch, so Kristen hunted us up an awesome spot nearby to eat. A Mexican restaurant in an old church, called The Mission. Very amazing atmosphere and really great food!