...we Have 'ARRIVED'

We made it into the ETSY TREASURY!!

...LOUNGING 101

The past week has really started to feel like Fall here in the Finger Lakes of Central New York... waking up to brisk mornings in the low 60°... pulling on a sweatshirt until the sunshine warms the daytime temp up into the upper 70's ! Oh, I love the HOT weather, don't get me wrong. But, my true love is AUTUMN!! So, when my garden started looking like this, it was a GOOD thing! I 'may' have jumped the gun a 'wee~bit' with my early thoughts of Fall though, as the temps climbed back into the upper 80-90 this weekend!! HOT! All I wanted to do was lounge around in that new chair I got a couple of weeks ago, and really haven't had a good chance to properly test out. But alas, I felt W.a.y. t.o. g.u.i.l.t.y. knowing that this is the time of the year when I should be busy-busy-busy!

BUT WAIT!

~Put the Lounge chair in a nice sunny spot (in upright position...)
~Gather a heap of Japanese Lanterns and trimmers within arms reach on one side...
~Waste/compost bucket at side
~Nice cool drink on the rocks - easy arms length, yet out of harms way...

TA DA!

In no time you have soaked in some sunny rays - COMPLETELY Guilt Free - Gotta Love It!!

...a B.L.T. never tasted so GOOD!

DH has been waiting for this sandwich for a L~O~N~G time!!

(remember these little seedlings from early May... 'Grow Babies, Grow' ?!?)
... and 'GROW' they did!!

...just the motivation I needed!

On a chance stop at a neighboring town thrift I scored another box of 70's era horse-show ribbons. They look like they must have been part of the box lot that I purchased about a year ago and somehow got seperated. They have spurred me to re-open the ETSY Shop, lets hope they are still desireable!!

...from the home of the 'lounger'

More HAPPY RETRO STYLIN' from the home of my Retro Aluminum Lounger... ...all empty & 'brand new' with sealed, original recipe cards.

So, like me, the previous owner must have done more 'loungin' than 'cookin'!

(but don't they blend nicely with the tablecloth I happened to already have on the porch table?!!)

....HAPPY! HAPPY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MISS SHARA!!

STOP OVER AND SHOW HER SOME BIRTHDAY LOVE (8-15-10)

AT MONKEYBOX!

...did Mom & Dad mean 'EVERYTHING' when they said...

"that I had to SHARE" ??WONDERFUL Retro Aluminum Lounger complete with original perfect-cushions in 'almost-VERA' print ($4!!!!)

...Tuesday sale...how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

SWEATER CLIP 2010 #15 (.25¢)

SWEATER CLIP 2010 #16 (.25¢)

SWEATER CLIP 2010 #17 (.25¢)

SWEATER CLIP 2010 #18 (.25¢)

SWEATER CLIP 2010 #19 (.25¢)

A glove clip (.25¢) to add to my growing... 'collection?'

Yes, now that I look at the number of them that I have amassed (this is a VERY small portion), I guess it is Definitely a 'collection'.

A PURSE ASHTRAY (.25¢)

Have I mentioned that I have a 'small' collection of those too?

I guess that would make it '7 Ways' that I love the 'chance Tuesday morning' Yard sale!! Must be my E.B.O.R. (equal, but opposite reaction) for Saturday!

Saturday I headed out early for saling, hit a couple of individual sales - struck out. Did a street sale. My ONLY purchase for a quarter was this aluminum baby cup...

I decided that there were far better / more productive ways I could be spending my time. DH was working/photographing the race at The Glen, so I was on my own schedule for the weekend! Besides, I had brought a 'stack' of 'work home from the office'...

8-)

Yeh, this is the kind of work I don't mind bringing home! (For anyone who doesn't know, I work at a Hardware/Gift/Antique Store) We just wanted some 'Attention Getters' for the sidewalk in front of the store - light sanding, quick paint job in brite colors!

VOILA!

But, I decided I wanted to have a little fun with the High-chair...

...and how!

...The Rummage

I confess...
I am a 'Rummage Sale' Girl at heart.
Oh, don't get me wrong - I definitely don't shy away from an Estate sale, an auction, a yard sale, a garage sale, thrift shop, co-op, consignment store or a flea market- but given my choice... I'd always go for the RUMMAGE - particularly a 'church' Rummage Sale. Maybe it's because I'm not into buying 'furniture' and I'm more into 'smalls' (like scarves and jewelry). Maybe I just like the mishmash that comes from so many people donating to one location. Maybe I like the cheap prices that result from it all being donated and nobody having any sentimental attachment. Maybe it is just my Mom's fault... (I have found when all else fails we can always blame our Mom... right?!)

In this situation, I think it may actually have something to do with fond childhood memories.... My mom - the ever devout Methodist (have I mentioned before what complete opposites Mom and I are??!!) was the Co-chair of our small town - country church Rummage sale for about 25 yrs with 'Ruth'. Now, these two didn't take this job lightly! They worked for weeks diligently washing, laundering, ironing, hanging, folding neatly, pricing each and every item with a paper tag (pinned to cloth items, scotch-taped to hard items). I'm trying to remember why... it was the 1970's... save $'s? sticky tags not readily available in hick-town USA? Anyways, you get the idea. They took pride in this fundraiser. Just the two of them - and to keep us kids 'amused', we could play in the donated hats and scarves and high heeled shoes - BUT we had to line the shoes back up NEATLY and fold the scarves when we were done!!!

'Ruth' has long since passed away, and the new generation has taken over on the Church Rummage sale. Mom (in her late 70's) still volunteers to work 'checking out', but the sight of those "...piles of clothes just tossed on the tables, unsorted and everything is just a quarter a piece, regardless of what it is..." just tears her apart!!

Friday morning I was striking out BIG TIME with the local garage sales!!! It got to be 10am, I had been to 6 or 7 sales and I had bought NOT A THING!!! Then I remembered reading on Craigslist about a town having a Blueberry Festival this weekend with townwide garage sales also. The Church rummage sale was to start on Friday. It was a bit out of the way, but what the heck, it was a GORGEOUS day, and maybe some of the garage sales would be open early too.

SO GLAD I DID!!! Not a LOT of purchases, but SO WORTH the drive! At the RUMMAGE Sale I was able to grab a bag of Hankies, and when I got it home for closer inspection, I found that it had about SEVENTY vintage ladies handkerchiefs - florals, holidays, hand-crochet trim - you name it... all for a little over a nickel a piece 8-)!!!!

...and at the RUMMAGE sale (in a .25¢ Box) I found this cute little sugar with the lid in avocado and orange (NO CHIPS!) - and as I dug deeper in a box I found a matching creamer (NO CHIPS!), then a cup (NO CHIPS!), then another cup (NO CHIPS!), and finally a third cup (again NO CHIPS!)... but no fourth cup.

WHEN I FLIPPED ONE OF THEM OVER ....

~ ~ HAPPY DANCE ~ ~

(sorry, but I happen to REALLY like the oddball HOLT HOWARD - not the rooster/coq rouge stuff!)


OH, it's almost 8am - gotta run, it's SATURDAY SALING time!!!!!

...I had help...

This WONDERFUL Royal Haeger religious figure was riding shotgun while I was in search of the perfect pair of colored spandex shorts Friday!! I was on a mission & running short on time last Friday, but I HAD to do a quick stop at one of my favorite thrifts (since I was in the area)! Walked in, and what was the FIRST thing I spotted? A Royal Haeger (2010 #20) Figural Planter in Gold Tweed (One of DH's favorite glazes...). No chips! For $2.50!!

...yes, there is something wharped about the price tag on the forehead of the Virgin...

... Out of the closet...

Some may remember this 'hippy cool' dress... for those who don't, you can get a brief reminder at MONKEYBOX! (and no, it's not a VERA, it's an HKC of California!).

This gem came into my posession Nov. '08.

Last Thurs. there was a message on our machine that it was 'ready' and I could pick it up at my convenience.

A week prior I had taken it (and another dress with similar needs) to a local woman who does seamstress work in the evenings (the same person who had done the beautiful work on my Mom's 50 yr. old wedding gown!!). ALL of the seam threads rotted and had to be redone - "No problem.". Easy for her to say! While she was at it she also gave me an extra 1 1/2" in the hemline, and tried to assure me that it wasn't TOO SHORT for a 42 yr old. I still am not completely sold on that, but I wore it anyways (with a pair of spandex shorts underneath!!).

Friday the sales really stunk, but it just didn't matter, because 'I brought home' the biggest treasure of all!

Saturday, my HKC saw the Light of Day, in what I guesstimate to be the first time in about 40-50yrs at a Very-casual, park wedding in Oodles lovely town of Skaneateles, followed by reception/lunch on the mailboat.

• 1 1/2 yr hanging in the closet
• 25 lbs lost (no thanks to me - strictly a side effect of some migraine meds!)
• $7.50 WONDERFUL Seamstress
• 4 hrs at the Outlet Mall looking for the perfect colored spandex shorts
• Most generous Blog-Buddy-Shara
• Special day of feeling like a million bucks in my vintage frock - PRICELESS!