...my very own blue bird!!

After the daunting day I had last Friday, I didn't venture out for any saling on Saturday!
However, while J and I were out cruising around on Sunday, we were tempted by a benefit FLEA/ANTIQUE MARKET. I think even more amazing is the fact that J actually made a purchase!!

Okay, you can't fully appreciate this until you have the full understanding of how a 'market adventure w/ J & S' generally flows... J truly has no interest in 'stuff', but goes along for S. He has learned through osmosis what S is looking for over the years. Once at a market J & S go their separate ways because S is much.Much.MUCH too SLOW and METICULOUS for J's taste. All he needs is about 30 seconds to survey a booth from a 10' radius to decide if their is a piece of HAEGER there or not, then on to the next booth. S (that's ME) needs lots of time to look through all of that jewelry for sweater clips and scarves for VERA!! J does an entire market in about the time S has done 4 booths, then he goes and hangs out in the food area... and everyone is happy.

Now, you can TRULY appreciate my amazement, when he came and found me at my 2nd booth to go look at something with him ~ that he REALLY LIKED ~ What did I think?

Yes. He done did good!

J wanted these two DUK-IT pedestal metal moderne design ashtrays for our porch.

Nice Job.

I bought nothing. My mojo was still out of whack.

~BUT~

As we were leaving the market we noticed signs for a HUGE garage sale, so we followed them... and followed them... and it was huge. All I found of the slightest interest was this Kokopelli windchime though.

Not exactly 'my thing', but for .50cents, I'm thinking I can cut it apart and use just the Kokopellis for a separate project.

I paid

I was walking out

Then I glanced at another table

and

there it was

just

waiting

for

ME!

...

...

...

Could it really be?

I picked it up

It was signed!

1996

The nose wasn't chipped!!

no price

I had to ask.

"How Much?"

"THAT?! Oh, A quarter would be fine!"

Indeed it is a Bluebird of Happiness!

I have several other LEO WARD glass birds that have been gifted to me, but this is only the second that I have ever found at a sale (and the first had a broken beak!). I am VERY EXCITED that another has escaped Arkansas!!

Even with the rainy backdrop (YES IT F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. RAINED TODAY!) I think he fits in nicely with the rest of his L.W. family on the windowsill!

Maybe this is a sign of a Thrift mojo turn~ about? Hope so, because our local 50 mile ROUTE 90 garage sale officially starts in the morning!!!
WISH ME LUCK!!!

I did stop into one sale early and picked up this little gem

2011#6 (Sweaterclip) $1

...HEAT + saling = BAD!!!

Did you just ever have one of 'those' days?

Friday started out normal enough. Yes, it was HOT. That has just been a given 'EVERYWHERE' lately - hasn't it?! I thought I would hit a couple of early morning sales on my way to work before it got too bad.

The first stop was a family clearing out their father's estate. They weren't dealing with the heat or any of the 'process' and just wanted it all to be GONE... so there were good deals to be had ~if you could avert your nose from the masses of people who hadn't bothered to shower during this heat wave (and NO, an extra layer of cologne DOES.NOT.HELP!). I would have liked to have stayed and dug longer but my nerves were getting frayed. I did grab this cup of eyeglasses ~ 'Dad' must have worn the same style eyeglasses for y-e-a-r-s!!!

I also fell in love with this set of Franciscanware 1950's Atomic Starbust China in Aqua, green and yellow. I'm probably crazy, but that left with me too!

~~Then onto unchartered territorty~~

I had read an ad for another sale, rather 'out of the way' for my route to work, but I was game. It was at a Very Nice looking 'horse farm' ~ big house, wrap around porch, lots of barns. Porch was piled high with 'stuff' - old and newer. As I was browsing, kinda got the feel that there were 3 generations living on the homestead - Mom/Dad (60ish?), Daughter/Hubby (30ish), Gdaughter(3ish). Okay, you know the scenario, you are the only customer so you get chit-chatting with Mom & Daughter ~ weather ~ hoarders tv shows~ yadda ~ yadda.... . They have SO.MUCH.STUFF that I can't possibly take it all in so I ask Mom if there are any scarves anywhere that I am overlooking? She says no, but she has a bunch inside she'd be glad to get rid of, just give her a minute... She came back with this Big rubbermaid tote - takes the top of and hands it to me. I find a step, sit down and start to dig through it. All 80's tacky, Polyester, nasties - I was feeling bad that she had gone to all of that effort to go get this out for me, so I was digging to the bottom, desperately searching for something, anything to buy - guess what I found in the bottom?! VERA? ... NOT!!!! How about packages of vintage, unused condoms! Yeh, that just made my morning complete. Alrighty now. I.will.not.be.buying.anything.out.of.this.tote.! My first thought was "Why would a 60 yr old?", then I realized these scarves were from the 80's and probably the condoms were too, as much as I may hate to admit it, that was 30 years ago and that would put 'Mom' in her 30's... okay... but 'why with the scarves?' OH, I try not to think about that connection!!!!!!!!!!! So, I neatly replaced the scarves back into the tote, and told 'Mom' that they weren't quite what I was looking for, but thanked her for getting them for me. She was fine with that. Good thing! Had 'Mom' given me the SLIGHTEST bit-o-attitude at the fact that she had gone through all that trouble for nothing, I would have whipped one of those little wrapped packets out of the tote in a flash and LOUDLY made some snide comment like "You might want to check the expiration date on these" ~ I'm sure her daughter would have been impressed ;). Anyways, it was just TOO HOT for that whole episode!! I bought NOTHING. I went to work.

~WE HAVE NO A.C. @ WORK ~

THANK GOODNESS the AC works in my vehicle!! After work, I got half way home, then had to sit for 1/2 hr ~stopped~ due to a couple of accidents closing down 'the' road, then I was detoured 1/2 hr off route to try and get home.... Do people forget how to drive in the heat??

One bonus was that the detour DID take me through a small town with a THRIFT store!

Can you believe I bought a scarf?? That I even looked at / touched scarves? The lure of VERAs is just too great! This isn't a VERA - but it is a Burmel - just thinking Fall makes me deal with this heat a little bit better!

Okay, to heal all of the wounds of a REALLY, REALLY, DISTURBING FRIDAY ~ the Thrift Karma tossed a sweet, sweet Sweater Clip my way for only .99¢ (2011#5)

I didn't venture out to any sales on Saturday.

I think I shall wait for this weather to break, and just spend a little time listing in ETSY 8-)!

...'Queen Tag ~ a ~ Long'

Recently when I told someone we were going up to ME/NH for a long weekend they asked if this was a 'vacation' or a 'tag~a~long trip'... and this had me baffled until they explained the difference. A 'tag~a~long trip' (as they fondly refer to it in their house) is when one of them has to go away for business and the spouse 'tags~a~long' for the roadtrip and to take full advantage of all of the hotel's fringe benefits!!!

Got it! This was DEFINITELY a Tag~a~long trip! J was photographing in NH... and I was lounging by the pool and doing site-seeing in ME 8-) ! ...and nights we were hanging on the PIERS with these little guys!

...and walking the beaches any free time we had

and doing LOTS MORE of this (to hold us over until we get back again!)

We even managed to sneak inside a few THRIFTS, though, even I found it difficult with beautiful weather and sites to be INSIDE!! Now I must do some research to see if this is a MacKenzie Childs piece - paint looks right, mark on bottom looks right ~ but VERY faint....

AND!!!

Royal HAEGER 2011 #8

State Plate for Illinois ~ This is only the 2nd State plate we've found - now we have ME & IL!

...just not a 'pattern' kind of person!

You would think that a person with a college degree should be able to handle a "SKILL LEVEL: EASY" crochet pattern... wouldn't you??

Well, it's not the case with this girl! I may be trained in reading architectural floorplans and specifications, but put a crochet pattern in front of me and forget it! I have a serious mental block when it comes to crochet patterns, and why I thought it would be different with these 'EASY CROCHET FLOWERS', I'll never know!!

After seeing those 'Plarn-look-alike' flowers the 'other vera' is putting on her bags, I was bound and determined to figure out how to make one though! Soooooo.... The other night, armed with a ball of my orange plarn, crochet hook, and laptop computer (for pattern!) I settled into my favorite chair on the porch, bound and determined I WOULD MAKE FLOWER! (okay... maybe not an identical 'flower', but a flower of some sort would be good!).

Okay, so here is the first attempt. My spirits were still okay at this point. I'll give it another try.

ALRIGHTY NOW.

Attempt #2 (front right) is done.

I'm starting to lose a bit of patience with this.

Less than impressed.

Mosquitoes are biting

This is NOT looking at All like the freakin' one on the computer.

J just came out and gave it some backhanded compliment that I REALLY didn't need.

I think that is enough for day one.

Next evening.

Same set up ~ New roll of plarn... maybe yellow will make a difference.

Oh, and I'm giving up on the pattern ~ I'm winging it

Yep, I think Free-style is more my style.

#3 is still wonked out, but I'm getting closer.

#4!

Now that's what I'm talking about.

Played around some more 'free-stylin' and got some bigger petals.

Fun, but WAY.TOO.TIME.CONSUMING!

Bring on some button lovin'!

The little flower baby originals go together REALLY quick (after the Plarn is made!).

OH the possibilities and Color Combos....

Pins for bags, jackets; hair clips, magnets.... mmmm

I think you'll be seeing lots more of these little ones!!

...the ERRIES of July!

March may have it's 'IDES', but July has it's 'ERRIES'...

and as any of you that know me at all realize, berries are a PASSION of mine!!! Mulberries! Raspberries! Blackberries! Wild Black Caps! ... Our backyard has them all, and July is Prime Season for stained fingers 8-)

So, my main consumption since the 4th of July has been picking berries... and eating berries... and washing berries... and eating berries... and baking... and eating... and freezing... and eating... and preserving... and, well you get the idea! It is such a short period of time, I just can't get enough of these little darlings!! Each evening after it cools off I go out to pick until dusk, then just sit on the porch and eat until my hearts content - Mmmm it doesn't get much better than nice, fresh raspberries... still warm from the sun 8-). (Yeh, some vanilla ice cream would be nice, but that would involve getting up and going in the house ~ TOO.MUCH.WORK!!). Oh, I have modified a Rhubarb Bar recipe to include Wild BlackCaps that is out of this world!!

TWO of my favorite church rummage sales were held Saturday morning ~ HaPpY DaNcE ~

Texas Ware Confetti Bowl .75¢ in flecks of aqua/brown (did you see in the first photo how wonderfully it is working with my berries?!), 2 Vernon-Ware Tickled Pink berry bowls, and an 8Cup NIB Krona Stainless Steel Measuring Pot w/ Cover $2. ! I think my mind is still in the kitchen and dreaming of those berries - what do you think?

I NEVER buy tablecloths (unless they are VERA!)... but I couldn't resist the BRITE colors and GREAT GRAPHICS of this CALIFORNIA state cloth! It does have one light stain that you can see between S & W on the compass, but it is really light, and other than that it is crisp and Perfect - did I do okay for $1. ??

A paper mache' PAMPLONA MEXICO bracelet in bright cheery colors .50¢ and a box of 9 vintage ornaments. The ornaments were just plain balls that I normally would have passed on, but it was such an odd grouping of colors together - (1) shiny silver, (1) shiny gold, (1) shiny red, (1) turquoise, (3) frosted pink, (1) frosted purple, (1) matte olive green that they had to come home with me. DON'T ASK.

...and a CLASSIC VERA!

2011 #18

$1.00

Now I see the local Market Stands are starting to have baskets of these beautiful little

'ERRIES'...

(another of my favorites!)

*Have you ever put these little beauties in your freezer (whole, but washed & de-stemmed), then on a HOT, STEAMY day popped one in your mouth ~ straight from the freezer ~ whole ?

YUM!!!

...'play days'

Aren't fellow bloggers the best?!

Last week, spurr of the moment on a Tuesday, one of my best buds from college (A) and I decided to do a 'girls' day' on Thursday - go exploring of some "new-to-us" towns... I sent out an impromptu SOS to Tam of ToLiveToLoveToLaugh ~ who I 'thought' lived in one of those towns, but 'actually' lives an hour away 8(... ! Well, the sweetie that she is, had me in touch with another kind soul (Liz) by Wednesday morning, who P!R!O!M!P!T!L!Y! had an entire days worth of itinerary to me - Thrift shops, bead shops, restaurants, coffee, markets, nature hikes... What a gem! THANKS GIRLS!

The day started with a Perfect weather forecast, and we met on 'old stomping grounds' (familiar to both of us) at a 'halfway town' for coffee and bagels... Before leaving town to set out on our day of adventure we hit a few shoppes and a local thrift (where I picked up a few things -destined as parts of Xmas gifts, so sorry NO PHOTOS!).

~Stops at roadside farm markets~

~Just enjoying the scenery, the day, the chit-chat and the company!~

'Detoured' to another small town with a few small shops I had always wanted to check out. We found a good-sized 'STUFF' shop upstairs to go prowl through!!

Another STUFF shop tucked in on a side street produced a couple of little gems for ME!! (glove clip - $1, Red Atomic Pin - $1).

Back on Main St. one of the shops had a H.U.G.E. selection of that 'other vera' (as in Bradley). I had to take a picture of this bag - I think that she is dipping in on this idea of the 'PLARN look' - though not actually recycling!! Kinda FUN though! Now, I just need to figure out how to actually crochet those flowers 8-) ! (my crochet knowledge is limited to straight lines!!).

~Back on the road to our Final destination~

We made it!

Just in time for Lunch!! I had purchased a CHEAPO certificate off of Restaurant.com, so we knew exactly where we would be 'dining', and it was GREAT! (But, Liz said it would be, so I wasn't worried!)

~All refreshed (Don't Worry! Only one drink each) we went walking and shopping!~

~We found Bling for LOTS of inspiration~

~We thought we were a bit lost for a while in search of BEADS, then realized it was in this great old Ghost painted wharehouse!

~We went in search of a couple of Thrifts on the other side of town - but never found them, (by that time we were both rather tired & hot, so when we didn't find them 'easily'... we didn't try 'too' hard!)

The drive back included Lots more beautiful views and sites... and a quick stop at a new winery - ANYELAS (http://www.anyelasvineyards.com/produce-from-the-garden/) , a farmer's market and then we called it quits for the day!

The rest of our Holiday weekend has also ended up being a 'staycation', with 'play-days' - but I will spare you all of the details... and just leave you with 2/3 of a TRI-FECTA 8-)

HAEGER 2011 #7 - 6 1/2" square Tidbit Dish $2.50

VERA 2011 #17 - square 100% polyester

HAPPY 4TH!!!