...'G' is for GARBAGE and GUMDROP Trees

'ONE PERSONS "GARBAGE" IS ANOTHER PERSON'S TREASURE"... (or something like that!)

"G" Is for...

GARBAGE!

DISCLAIMER: Retail names have been edited to protect my sourcing!!

'DUMPSTER DIVING MERIT BADGE' by SPOOFBADGES

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/683632418415209160/

  Okay, dear svelteSTUFF readers (all two of you - LOL)... this may not be 'news' to you, but by putting it out into BlogLand- it's kind of like 'coming out of the closet'...  I have become an addicted Dumpster Diver! (MUCH to J's chagrin...)  Yes.  ANOTHER 'aquatic activity' joins my regiment- first 'saleing', now 'diving'.

  DON'T shudder and get skeeved out!  It's REALLY not like that!!  I don't 'NEED' to do this for financial reasons!  It all started 'harmless' enough - searching out economical (FREE!) packing supplies in clothing/homegoods retailers dumpsters (nothing spoiled or smelly in there!!).  I don't actually 'go in' the dumpsters!   At 6'-0", with my trusty 'grabber' in hand, I can pretty much reach anything of interest.  Yes. I do wear gloves.

Mug by REAL PEOPLE GOODS

https://www.etsy.com/listing/658996185/dumpster-diving-travel-mug-funny

  My eyes were soon opened to Just.How.MUCH. good~useable 'stuff' is sent to our landfills!  Quite sad actually.  I won't get my 'soapbox' out and start lecturing about Corporate America's Policies!  I am going to show you a few examples though...

  

**MY size - worn all winter and kept my feet warm and DRY!!

THANKS 'TreeLumber-Land'

USEABLE!

Quality, very slightly imperfect items.  Jeans, Clothings, Purses...  Yes, Retailers spend their time trying to prevent 're-use' by destroying discards (ie: Cutting to shreds or SHARPIE scribbles all over leather).  Wouldn't this time be better spent donating to a shelter or Not-For-Profit Organization??
Thanks to the wonder of the Web, I have learned that High SPF, aerosol sunscreen cleans leather Beautifully.

Neighbor's cat 'GUMBALL' snuggling in her 'new' bed!

FOUR-LEGGED PAMPERING!

~POUNDS and POUNDS of bags of dry food!

~CASES of canned food

~Pet Beds 

~TREATS, Greenies, Toys and MORE!!

  Local Animal Shelter, Friends and strays have all been reaping the benefits!  Only sealed food is taken.  Recalls were checked.  This 'waste' resulted in 'BestBy:' dates within the month, or a dent to one can in a case, or a 'mark' on the fabric.  Animals REALLY don't mind dented cans, and we even discovered our NE wild birds will eat 'Tropical Bird Seed' in the middle of Winter (LOL!).  Now, if only this Chain Store would stop 'slashing' bags to deter use, a LOT more animals could benefit...  Luckily they manage to miss some! 

Card Store rotating rack which held Last Season's "Very Best", but this chain care enough to send this 'outdated' display to the dumpster.

DISPLAYS!

~ HANGERS!!!

~CLOTHING RACKS of all shapes and styles!!

  You know what I'm talking about here - those Heavy-duty, commercial quality, wheeled and swivel Beauties that we all dream of and drool over...  Stores change layouts, replacements are made, the 'old' are discarded to the dumpster out back.

Extended life of rotating card rack, as a JEWELRY DISPLAY for TREMORS CREATIONS!

  We have actually acquired SO MANY of these that I have been passing them onto neighbors and friends!!

MANNEQUINS!

~ Need I say more?

just go to my post for 'D'.

UPDATES:

'Miss Crane' (R) now has a head, and is grooving into Summer with Sesame Shimmer (L)

~AND~

 Her twin 'Miss Tommi' has moved out of town and taken on a new identity as 'Lorraine', in charge of Marketing!

TREATS!

~ HOLIDAY CANDIES!

~CHIPS, COOKIES & CANDIES!

~HEALTH & BEAUTY AIDS!

  Before you go into the 'EEEWWW' mode, ALL items were CLEAN, DRY, Factory SEALED and in a clean, dry bag without 'garbage' items!  Directly pulled from shelves for coming close to 'BestBy:' date.

  Many, Many boxes of Cereal, Pasta, Crackers, Chips and candy have been donated to FREE Food Shelves at local thrifts.

*Of course the SUNSCREEN & STARBUCKS coffee are staying with us!!

THANKS Sea Vee Es!!

So, maybe I'm not making a huge dent in the big scheme of things, but Every little bit helps - right?  

...and the smiles that I have received from the beneficiaries of some of these 'treasures' is enough to fuel my passion!

Just in case 'GARBAGE PICKINGS' aren't a 'true' collection, I will recap one of our other 'G's"

"G" Is for...

GUMDROP TREES!

An 'oldie, but Goodie', that never gets 'OLD' in our house.  Check out past posts:
~https://ssveltestuff.blogspot.com/2014/02/they-are-magically-valentine.html
~https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2611406560113541885#editor/target=post;postID=4725827149284258834;onPublishedMenu=template;onClosedMenu=template;postNum=1;src=postname

BE WELL

and

en JOY!

...S & J

GOOD MORNING!

The sun is FINALLY shining in Central NY!

Temps in the 60's (today)!

Life is GOOD!

I forgot to post Our favorite 'find' from the night Rummage Sale last week...   The first thing that J spotted ((and grabbed)) were Two 24" wood letters.  They ONLY had two of them - or else we would have taken them all, but isn't it Ironic - and FUN, that the two they had were an 'S' and a 'J'?!!

I'm trying something different (ie: 'playing around') with my blog photos and layout, so bare with me... 

The last couple of weeks have been a plethora of sales - Estate & Rummage!  We have had some FUN FINDS and some FUN ROADTRIPS in the process.  Here are some of the 'goods':

An old metal dust pan
...just waiting to be given a little TLC.
I've been wanting one of these for a while!

LOST ANGEL BOWL - $6.95
Pretty good 'chance' find!  Check this final sale price!

CUTCO Knife Block ($1)

AMETHYST GumDrop Tree!

S&P 'Tree' -
BUTTERFLIES!!!!

Retro-Resin MUSHROOM!

MacKenzie CHILDS mug ($1)

and J's favorite 'quarter' find, a
"Hawaiian
Village" GOOD LUCK tiki glass/mug!

NIP #60 Serta Sheep

We were recently the recipients of our FIRST FreeCycle item:

... a white Cheapo-but-functional 6't x 2'w 'book case'!

and, enroute to pick it up, I garbage picked a similar size in 'wood tone'!!

Now, shelving is a 'hot commodity' - always the FIRST thing scarfed up at any sale!!  To get TWO - free for the taking and TLC, was a shear stroke of LUCK!!

The 'wood-grain' one is getting some paint and a sprucing - then headed to our new 'booth'.  The white one will be getting some paint, then I have plans for it at our house!  I will show photos as this materializes!

Hey, it's almost Friday...  and you know what that means!!!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE

and

HAVE FUN!

...all that glitters

...Tis the season,

and the L.A.S.T. of our trees is decorated

FINALLY!

The 'ever-Holiday-present' GumDrop Tree!!

This tree gets 

...'decorated' 

...'undecorated' 

...'re-decorated

WAY MORE than it 'should' during each Holiday!

One last shopping trip to The Sunday Market for this year...  

MY first ever 'find' of Mercury Picks (all for .25¢)
KEY purse clip .50¢
Purse hook w/ dragon fly .50¢
Sweater Clip 2014 #16 $1.
Sweater Clip 2014 #17 (child's w/ rhinestones - WOO! HOO!) $1.
LOTS of Glittery gold-tone BLING for ME!!  
...and the vendors were looking to sell~
ALL of this goodness for $3.25 !!

Hope everyone's frantic preparations are winding down, and you are getting a chance to ENJOY!!
HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS 
to all of my Wonderful Web Friends!!!
(catch you in 2015!!)

...they are magically ...? VALENTINE ?

All I have for you today is a picture of Vintage 'STUFF' decked out in Valentine Glam...

 ~Sorry~

 pickings & motivation have been mighty slim in the chillin' NE!!

What would a 'HOLIDAY' be without our Gumdrop tree?!  Well, here is your WARNING:
**Though they may look ((cute)) DON'T try to use mini-marshmallows on one!!!**

I would like to say that they are 'MAGICALLY DELICIOUS' in the whimsical tone of the Lucky Charms elf... and though after about a day, they become the consistency of Lucky Charms Marshmallows, after about 2 days they turn to dust when you try to remove them from the tree.  

CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED!!