...$69.65

(...and NO, I didn't have anything in nickel or dime increments - I found .15¢ on the ground while packing up. )

(We weren't able to get a photo without a customer or two in them, not a bad thing (I guess!). )

The rain held off (for the most part), and it was a fun day! Proceeds didn't amount to too much, but we did get rid of a LOT of junk - so it was all good.

This was the 'First Annual' Tailgate sale held by a local church. They have a rummage sale every summer, and decided to expand this year to include outside vendors while they were having their sale. Made sense to me! At $10 a spot x 18 vendors - that was a nice addition to what they would make for a rummage sale! The minister came around to talk to each of us, to see if we needed anything, and explained that their goal in trying this was as a way of getting the community to interact more. They hope to make it an annual event. Various members of the church stopped at each vendor a various time throughout the day to deliver messages...

"There's free coffee for the vendors at..." "If you need it, the restrooms are at the top of the stairs, down the hall on the left...""How have your sales been?" "Any suggestions for next year?""Hamburgers are ready!"

They were a sweet group, and wonderful hosts!

(the Lanterns and the dried Artemesia ended up being one of my big sellers of the day!)

Since this was a first, I had no idea what to expect... would people be looking for junque'? crafts? antiques? plants? fruits & veggies? baked goods? I had the junque' angle covered! I also threw in a few bunches of dried 'weeds' to try and intrigue the 'junk free zoners' into thinking Fall! There ended up being a good variety of vendors running the full spectrum, but I was the only one with Japanese Lanterns!!

...packed!

...all packed and ready to head out early tomorrow morning for the 'tailgate sale'. WISH ME LUCK!

...flashback TRAUMA

This morning while sorting a box of books, I stumbled upon a couple of MACHINISTS' HANDBOOKS that struck fear into my heart!... Throughout grade school I had always, Firmly said that I was NOT going to college. I was a good student, took all of the college prep classes... but was NOT going to college. I had taken some vocational courses, and Sr. year I had a co-op job as a secretary / word processor for Kodak Office - great pay, yet it made me realize in a hurry that I did not want to do this for the rest of my life! So a couple of months before graduation I decided I wanted to go to college. What for? What for? I had always enjoyed and been half way decent at art... maybe?... Mom voiced her worry at this - she didn't whole-heartedly dismiss the possibility, but she tried to discourage it "I don't want you to be frustrated for the rest of your life..." "there isn't much of a job market for artists...". So, we compromised... Computer Animation. The only school in our area with a program was RIT - $$chaching$$!! I was going to be paying the bill, and didn't see this to be possible. I found a SUNY school that had a Computer Graphics/Engineering course - MUCHO cheaper, and one of the Profs from RIT was heading the program - cool! That is, until my first day of classes... I soon discovered it was an Engineering course! - Circuit Theory / Electricity & Electronics... Mechanical Design Principals... FORTRAN (yes, I'm dating myself with that one!!)... Calculus... Computer Numeric Control... . OH, what had I gotten myself into?! One of the first books that I had to purchase was The Machiner's Handbook - SCAREY!!

Designing & Calculating (and drawing on the computer)... gears, cams, pitches, teeth,

angles, tolerances,...

Oh those charts! The formulas and calculations! The craziness of it all!!

I was determined. I was going to finish what I started, I wasn't about to quit! A few of the courses took me a couple of tries, but I did succeed. THANK heavens I was able to fit in a couple of art courses, architectural drafting and even an Interior design course to soothe my 'right brain' tendancies!

(In case any of you are wondering as to my final career path - graduated, took a job doing Computer Drafting w/ an Engineering/Architectural firm; nudged my way into their Interiors Department; they paid for me to go to back to school part-time to get an accredited Environmental Design / Interiors degree and head the Dept.; less than a year after completing my degree, I was on my way back from a job-site and involved in a bad car accident that had critical effects on my vision (something essential for doing interior design!!)... so now I work part-time for an Antique store! It has definitely been an interesting journey with many detours!!)

So, here's looking back at Freshman Year of college... and wishing all the wide-eyed kids out there the BEST of LUCK, as they start on their journeys!!!

... It's Coming!

"IT'S IN THE TREES

IT'S COMING"

(HOUNDS OF LOVE; Kate Bush)

This morning I stepped out on the back porch to find it a refreshing 54°, the sun was just coming up over the hill and hitting the herb bed... It's almost here! We are on the edge of Fall - 'Fall Eve', so to speak!

(insert Deep Breath, exhale, add Big Smile)

With Fall comes 'Last Hurrahs'... State Fair, farmer's markets of pumpkins and squash, festivals, and Bazaar/rummage sales.... I am preparing to participate in a local church 'Tail gate Sale' this weekend, so the back porch is in total chaos as I gear up for a 'release program'!!

Yes. The temps are supposed to get up to the high 80's today, so no lightweight sweaters/jeans yet - but it's all GOOD!

IT's COMING!!

...culmination of it all

Anybody recognize this??I recently saw this posted on one of my 'daily reads' -GREAT way to use up some of our plentiful crop of tomatoes!! A few small alterations (we used Jalapenos instead of Bell peppers, and swapped the tuna & crab for sausage & kielbasa already in the 'fridge) . DH declared it 'the best meal we've ever cooked' - and he took the photo all of his own initiation!! THANKS for the recipe Suzy!!

Tonight was Pizza on the Grille! Fresh from the garden Basil pesto, sliced tomatoes, chopped onions, fresh mozzarella and gouda - mmm....

It's nice to pretend that we are healthy eaters... In reality the NY State Fair starts this week, so these will be some of the last garden fresh meals we will see for a while! Bring on the fried dough and the greasy sausage!!

My 'exciting' saling finds of the weekend are definitely NOT photo worthy!

~At the start of the saling season I was hoping to find a 'decent' vacuum for my attic studio - the hose on my ancient cannister had a 4" crack and was rendered unusable. So, in the mean time I had been putting the broom and dust pan to work! Call me what you will, but I just can't bring myself to using our 'Good' main house vacuum on the dusty crevices in the attic! Saturday morning I happened upon my 'dream machine'... an upright Hoover with hose attachment, new belt, new bags... $5!!

~About two months ago, DH asked me on my way out the door one Saturday morning "Hey, if you see any of those BIG metal tomatoe cages, will you grab them?". Well, we won't be able to use them this year, but I did 'grab' a few on Saturday. We are set for the 2010 garden!! ( @3/.25¢, I don't have any objection to storing them for a few months!!).

Like I said.... NOT photo worthy purchases!!

...here fishy fishy fishy...

AGAIN... a Friday of lackluster saling. Time for another 'WOW! Somebody else thinks ___ is fun/cool?!!' Todays entry goes out to Mis Elaine and her Miss Priss Fish.I have a definite weakness for these chalkware, 50's-70's, TACKY, red-lipped fish!!Not to worry. They have NOT taken over the entire house... AND they are NOT visible to general visitors!! They are all confined to one of our upstairs hallways which leads to the ~where else~ Master Bath!
So Elaine, if Miss Priss ever comes on the market - let me know so that I can get the adoption papers in order!!

...4'o-clock & Human velcro!

You KNOW it's going to be one of 'those' days, when it's Monday morning, on your way to work, and the weather person on the radio declares a 'Human Velcro Warning' for the day! Yes. Us Northerners are heat-wimps. I personally LOVE the heat, but when heading to work in a no-A.C. building, I tend to just wilt.

While surfing the blogs today, I had another "WOW! I've got/collect ___" moment. The item of the day was 'Four O'clock' flowers. PROTECTOR OF VINTAGE was trying to grow them with no luck in the flowering department. Since I lack for ANY motivation in this heat.... I thought I would show photos of our Four O'clocks...

...more Fours...

...and Rose of Sharon...

...and Roses...

...and Phlox...


...and ?...

AND, guess what I found peaking out amongst the green...

Despite the heat, Fall can't be far off if the Japanese Lanterns are turning orange!!

... 8*15

I fear the 'dog days of summer' (defines a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progressare) upon us... Temperatures have been above 85° with high humidity for the last few days, and, though I love the heat, my motivation has plummeted! In keeping with Friday's "nothing" saling, it was a Saturday of saling with only a smidgen of interesting 'stuff'. This complete set of billiard balls w/ rack and sticks did manage to capture my attention ($3). That was it.

I did, FINALLY, get the rest of my Madison Saling finds washed and presentable. This is what my clothes line looked like this morning - just one more thing for my neighbors to quietly shake their heads and wonder about!! How could I possibly pass by this stack of 'COSTUMES 3/$1.' ? They washed up beautifully, but sadly only the two florals on the left fit.

Just to really keep the neighborhood 'quizzical looks' going, these were also on our clothesline this past week!! We don't have kids, and NO plans for any, but these Sweet Retro, ruffly butts stole my heart! Why are the 'funnest' things always in the FREE pile??

I don't want to forget - if you haven't already, stop over to MONKEYBOX and wish Shara a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

...I got nothing.

Hit NUMEROUS sales this morning... got nothing.

In lieu of a 'Nothing' post, I'll share another "Wow, you mean I'm not the only one that likes_____". This one goes out to Dime Store Thrift's recent post on 'Quirky Coasters'...

Not sure if you can read these (though the photos on the coasters really are a must for the full effect!!), so I'll decipher - starting in upper left, going clockwise...

"i'm not here to make things better, only to observe and pass judgement"

"listen her you flat chested, broad a$$ed, penciled-in eye browed, tupperware statchin' wench! give me back my deviled egg carrier"

"you know i'm not wearing any underwear."

"someone should have warned lisa's mother about the pitfalls of using a discount sperm bank."

Okay, so here's hoping that Saturday will be more fruitful ...

...what's in your cage?

I have to share a couple of 'Madison Saling' conversations while they are still fresh...

First, a little background: In Madison we stayed with one of the roadtrip crew's brother & his family. Our hosts are minimalist to an extreme... except the youngest son - 'L' (8th grade). When he heard that 'the girls' were going saling Saturday morning... "Is it okay if I go?"

One of my first purchases of the day were the two old glass coffee filter rods pictured at the top. When we got back in the car 'L' asked me what they were, so I tried to explain the best I could. Then he asked me how much they were (he's VERY consciensious with money!!). I replied "Ten cents"... 'L's reply: "EACH?!"


Later that day we found the roadrunner sweaterclip that I showed in my last post. Again 'L' asked what it was, and I explained while demonstrating on my sweatshirt. He had a rather glazed over look to his eyes, as I'm sure any teen enduring a lecture on 1950's fashion accessories would! That evening, the crew and I went for a walk in the 10 acre woods that our hosts own. After we had been gone for a while, 'L' came out on their ATV... 'to make sure we weren't lost'. He had just gotten out of the pool and had a towel around his shoulders. When he stopped to talk with us, he was adjusting his towel as it had loosened during the ride. He looked up at me and said 'I NEED a sweater clip!'. Guess the boy was paying attention!!


The next two photos are the start of a series. I have been reading so many blogs lately, where somebody has shared something that I said 'WOW, you mean I'm not the ONLY one who likes ___ ?!'. I am going to start sharing some of my recent 'WOW's'. So, in keeping with the 'need for sweater clips' and Magpie Ethel's recent post involving a dear bird cage (and all of her commenters regarding their own birdcages), I would like to show you a couple of 'MY' birdcages....
These two cages are host to 'some' of my sweater clips (the rest are hung 'valance style' above our dining room windows. I do have more 'cages-in-waiting' in the attic, just hangin' out until I can find the perfect spots for them on the main floor!!(this photo also shows some of my 'Gold Tweed' Royal Haeger, as well as some other mixed pieces)

... what summer is made for

It was a WONDERFUL, relaxing weekend roadtrip with the 'bestest' friends to hang with family......see new sites...

...visit some Ohio wineries...

...and even hit some sales! (Madison, OH just happen to be having it's 'Old Tyme Days' while we were there, so the saling was extended Wed - Sunday!!!)

All topped off with fresh picked blueberries over ice cream - drizzled with chocolate, of course!

Just when I thought things couldn't be any more perfect, we hit a sale and uncovered this great 'Road Runner w/ turquoise eyes' sweater clip...

~and~

A cylinder pottery vase - no idea of maker (May be Haeger, or it may not), but I love my 'souvenir' of our OHIO ROADTRIP!!

The long weekend was jam packed with fun, as was our vehicle on the way home! Thus, I had to sadly leave this behind - and all I have is a photo...

Ah, but it is good to be home, pick our first tomato for dinner and have our first fresh BLT's of the season!!

More tales from our saling adventures in Ohio once I've had a chance to unpack and wash some thing!! Now I'm going out to try and catch some of PERSEIDS - wish me luck!!

...Wed. & Thurs.?!?

(isn't this some of the greatest contact paper ever? .50¢)

I was recently informed that in the area of Ohio we are roadtripping to this weekend, Garage Sales are normally held on Wednesdays and Thursdays!! What's up with that??? I had big hopes of finding some hidden treasures while in what was once known as The Pottery Capital of The World , home to some of the GREATS like McCoy, Homer Laughlin, Weller, Roseville, Hall and MANY MANY MORE!!

To get a quick fix, before my l-o-n-g weekend (sans saling!!), I made a stop at one of my favorite thrifts Thursday...

These retro 'burlap' cups keep calling out to me - as if I don't already have a shelf full of four different styles! At .10¢ each, how could I turn my back on them?

Some Christmas Love - also at .10¢ ea.



Look what was sitting on top of the linen basket! A set of SIX pristine VERA napkins ^insert Happy Dance^ ! (.20¢ ea)


Last, but far from least... A square VERA scarf (.75¢). Kinda reminds me of my peacock feather header... kinda.

Now I must go pack. Soon I will be picked up for our journey to the shores of Lake Erie. Hmmm... if I pack quick, I might be able to fit in a couple of Friday sales!

...mmm mmm, SUMMER!

What says SUMMER better than an evening of harvesting and baking?! Dill-Cottage Cheese Bread, Mixed berry & rhubarb pie and Zucchini-Choc. Chip cookies... YUM!!

... destination crew

(sorry for the o-l-d photo, but had to have Something...)

The 'crew' (college bestest buddies) is roadtripping to Madison, OH this weekend. We are invading A's brother's home and hitting some wineries. Anybody out there in blog-land familiar with the area?? Would love any 'gotta see/do' suggestions!

...with the rain comes a rainbow

Rainy day on Friday, led to slim saling. I did manage to uncover a few things worth hauling home...
A. CAISE signed bronze Art Deco lamp - missing flutes and a couple of chipped fingers, but I still like it!

Swivel Stamp holder - speaks for itself!

Just plain FUN! Retro case

The pure BEAUTY of Saturday MORE than made up for the rain on Friday!! Couldn't have asked for a more picture perfect day for that niece of mine...

...since the Bride was a little girl, she has HATED wedding cakes - and always said she wanted to have pie at her wedding. And PIE she had! A whole table full of them made by her loving relatives... Apple/Raspberry, Strawberry/Rhubarb, Key Lime, Apple, Cherry... DELISH!!