...Tiffany, Lucky and MINARDI??

Friday, a friend offered me the rare chance visit a local factory that produces high-end hair care products.  Since they are an employee, they were able to get me into their 'seconds' area, where a tote-FULL can be purchased for $5.



Let me give you some background info here so that you can fully appreciate this whole scenario...  (I'm NOT bragging, mind you, I'm just REALLY LUCKY!! and it's a good thing, because I'm REALLY LAZY when it comes to my hair!) *My hair tends to be on the long side (around shoulder to mid-back length) - short hair would require more than an annual or semi-annual trim to maintain a 'style', plus I wouldn't be able to just pull it back into a pony-tail or braid it on mornings when I was running late!  *Being almost 45 and of natural light-streaked hair I have never colored (okay, in the 80's I did do a neon orange thing with my rat tail, but we don't have to go there!) or highlighted my hair - and have only found (and promptly pulled!) one Grey.  *Through friends I found this Great Lady who cuts hair out of a salon in her house for.....  $5 !!!
Getting the picture??
LOW MAINTENANCE... NO FRILLS, What-so-Ever!!

So, that is me.  J is 'hair-challenged'... need I say more?  Yet, he is pickier (sp? word?) about his shampoo than I am!  My main splurge is on 'Leave in conditioners'.  SO - I filled a bag with each 8-) !!  There were names there that I had never heard of (Ion? Joico? Kpak?), but an aisle over was a Factory Sales Rep doing their thing for a 'potential customer', so I eavesdropped, and learned more about hair products than I EVER needed to know!!!
I DID make sure to go find some of these MINARDI line that they were talking about ;-)

The next morning after I got out of the shower, with all of the NEW hair care smells in the air, I put on my LUCKY jeans that I got this summer at the Maine outlets, and the TIFFANY bracelets that I have been picking up while saleing.  I took a look in the mirror, and I almost wasn't sure who that girl was looking back at me.  Time for reflections and housekeeping of a different sort - maybe time for a little 'soul keeping'... perhaps.  All I know is that  one song kept going through my head...

You may find yourself in another part of the world
You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
You may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife
You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?

Can any of you name or relate to that song?



...of Foam ...and Fabric!

A few photos to get you in the ELEVENTH month frame of mind!

Not an ABUNDANCE of Thanksgiving Decorating has taken place around the 'Chateau',   as my 'hoardes' are rather limited for this occasion!
Yes, I'll give you all a minute, as I'm sure you have all fainted at the thought that MY 'hoardes' were lacking in ANY department!!

I guess that it is one Holiday that has always slid in/slid out so quickly, that it is hard to go Over-the-Top about!

I did have an old work buddy and her new baby coming to visit on Thursday though, so I figured if decorating was going to happen, it should be N.O.W.!!!

Is it just me, or after company has left... does anybody else out there feel at a loss?  The house is clean.  The fridge is stocked.  Baking done.  ...and here I sit.   Ten a.m.   By myself. 
NOW WHAT???

 

Decide that I can look at the Summer 'Garbage Picked' Costco step-stool in the 'someday' cueing line on the back porch NO LONGER (after all, Winter Snow will be here SOON)!!

It had GREAT bones, just needed cleaning (somebody had used it for a LOT of painting!!), some tightening of it's bolts, polishing of the chrome, and, OH what to do with the seat?!!

While I had A.L.L. the stuff out... there were these two stools that we had bought while out saling s-e-v-e-r-a-l years ago... (and I quote) "Oh, those will be easy to recover!"
I always forget, it isn't a 'difficulty' thing, it's a 'motivation' thing!!
(we have been using these inside - they have NOT been on the back porch!!)

Off to the Attic studio to dig out those two big boxes of fabric that I had been packratting away...
(You know I much prefer being called a 'Packrat' to a 'Hoarder'..., don't really know why,  just sayin'...)

Foam - check!  I picked out six fabrics that would be do-able and gave J the final picks during his lunch break.
Fabric - check!

Ta ~ Da !

This isn't the prettiest...
 yeh, it is better ~ that much is definitely true.
It is The.Comfiest.Evah!!
The Best part?
done.

and....

sweaterclip 2012 #20 .50¢
Most BORING clip award for 2012.  I'm thinking it may become the base for a
SEAGLASS SWEATERCLIP!



HAPPY FALL!

...XXXmas free zone?

Recently, while browsing through my 'usual blog-reads' I realized that it was like a switch had been flipped and things had gone from Halloween directly ALL CHRISTMAS with no thought what-so-ever to that little month in between

 ~ NOVEMBER~ !!

November.  Thanksgiving.  My Birthday.  The end of Autumn.

Not a month to be taken lightly in MY book.  So, I decided that I would make svelteSTUFF an XMAS free zone until 11-27-12! (well, aside from what might appear in the ETSY photo in the side bar...).  BUT, then it happened!

I stopped by a local thrift in search of some PURPLE (or Fall colored) ornaments for a project I have brewing...   WHAT should I find all mashed up flat down in the depths?!?  Oh, it's NOT MY TASTE by any means - but I KNOW that there are a LOT of Pink Tree lovers out there ~ (YOU know who you are ;-)   ,  So I figured I should grab it quick (and if it isn't good for resale I've got a sister-inlaw that I will score SERIOUS brownie points with!! - so one way or another, this THING is Out of MY house!)

Well, anyways, just has to share the PINK, FOO-FOO tree as a parting farewell to XMAS... until we rejoin our regularly scheduled program!!

(OH, and to add insult to injury - I got home and plugged it in - it is a FIBER OPTIC tree none-the-less! 

 'EXTRA SPESHUL'!!)

...twenty-two nickels.

The weekend in review

FRIDAY: ten nickels...

2012 SWEATER CLIP #17 .50¢

 SATURDAY: two nickels...

2012 SWEATER CLIP #18 .10¢

 SUNDAY: ten nickels...

2012 SWEATER CLIP #19 (TRIFARI) .50¢

Sweater clips are not the only 'bling' that I have been bringing home of late... Yes.  It is a sickness.  Sometimes I think that I need to go through a 12-step program, a detox of sorts.  Then I rethink it. WHY? I ask myself.  Most of the baubles in this photo cost .10¢ - .15¢, the most expensive was STERLING and that was $1.00!  I enjoy them. I wear them. I re-create with them.  They don't take up much room to store. It's a win~win... RIGHT?!?!?!! 

...from Sea to Shiny Brite 'C'ing!

This past weekend was the 'infamous' PUMPKIN CARVIN' (27th annual for 'the crew') !!!!

J chose to practice his photography skills while I was 'playing' @ cleaning!  cool effect though...

 Of course in prep, there was the standard Cleaning, rearranging, Halloween decorating... oh, and breakage!

NOT TO FEAR! NO HAEGER WAS HARMED - YEH!!!!!!  This week we have moved onto glass.

My 'ALL HALLOWS EVE' decorating went a little more 'literal' this year, and the 'cutesy' decos were left boxed up. I'm doing a NOD to All Saints' Day /Day of The Dead and anything 'SPIRITUAL'...

Friday... I was scheduled to meet up with one of the members of 'The Crew' (pre-carving), on her way into town so we could do a little 'STUFFING', and a little 'SEA GLASSING' 8-) !!

New in package prize ribbon, Retro scarf (how could I resist that pattern?), Mini bowling pin, Bakelite Handled chrome sugar/creamer, retro Trick-Treat bags - TOTAL $2.19

VERA 2012 #17 .25¢

Ahhh... SEAGLASS, or rather 'LAKE'glass (with that single Cougar picking up more than glass! ;)
**Beach conversation**

L: 'So what anniversary is this?'

S: 'Depends on "what" you are talking about.  11, 27 or 14.'

 Time to get home and get down to BUSINESS!!

*While carving... continuation of beach conversation...*

S to L: 'Did you figure out the anniversaries 11, 27, 14? '

J: '11 is OUR anniversary'

A:'Is 27 the number of years we've been carving pumpkins?'

S:'Yes, and 14 is MY accident.'



 Saturday morning we added a 'new twist' to Pumpkin Carving weekend... 'Crafting'!  L had a desire to attempt the ever-popular ornament wreaths she had be seeing and hearing about, and I had a multitude of supplies in the studio, so....

When the 'arsenal' of glue guns and Shiny Brites came out 'the weak of heart' departed for the safety of their own homes and the golf course!

L's BEAUTIFUL gold/red LARGE wreath.  J came home and dubbed it the "MACY's" wreath!  Guess that says it all ~ not bad for a first attempt... huh?! (brat!)  If only J had taken this photo so that it came out CLEAR!! (must have been the hot glue burns on my fingers)

L was really on a roll, so she did a second, 'FALL~WINE wreath' for the member of the crew that went AWOL when 'the guns' came out, it's to be an early XMAS present, and now I have ruined the surprise by putting this photo on my blog - but I couldn't help myself.  She is awesome!!

What was S doing while L was working her magic?  Attempting her FIRST lightbulb 'thing'.  Bah.  NOT impressed.  We'll just leave it at that.

Maybe as a surround for a vase?
OR
Maybe it will just go in the discard pile with my failed 'Canning Jar Lid' Wreath...

 I CAN'T leave you with THAT image!!

SO,

Back to our CURRENT SEASON 8-)

 

HOPE YOU ARE ALL ENJOYING OCTOBER TO IT'S FULLEST!!

...always be prepared!

Friday morning I had NO INTENTION of going SALING (honest!!).  There was Lots that needed to be done at the store, and I was headed in early (7:30am), prepared for a l-o-n-g day.  BUT, what should I see when I was 10 minutes away from work?

A 'little sign', on a side road, as I detoured around construction work, ESTATE SALE FRI & SAT 9-2

 

Soooo....  I kept driving to work...  and I worked for an hour..., then F.I.N.A.L.L.Y., I could stand it NO Longer!  I explained the situation to my boss.  He told me I had better hurry, or I would miss all the good stuff!

 

I got there, and there were only 2 cars... no lines??

Did I have the right house? Right day? Right time?

Yes.  I went in.  I was the only customer there!!  They had done NO ADVERTISING!  Actually, they had done Very Little.  Parents house.  Kids came in and took what they wanted, donated the clothes to the local thrift, stacked the boxes from the crawlspace storage in the two bedrooms, then they put out SALE SIGNS and opened the doors.  No real organization. No prices.  Half the boxes had never been opened.  Kinda creepy.

 

I found a corner that had 'Holiday Boxes'... HALLOWEEN... I broke the ancient duct tape seal - Junk (bummer!), EASTER... pealed back the old duct tape, again - Junk (bummer!), onto the stack of CHRISTMAS boxes.  Now mind you, I'm still all.by.myself at this 'estate sale'.  Upstairs, in a corner bedroom,  just digging through dead peoples stuff... Really, almost wishing other customers would show up and hoping that the couple holding the sale aren't ax-murderers or something... but I've got more important things on my mind, like sealed Xmas boxes (like 'candy' to small children??).  After opening several more DUD CHRISTMAS boxes I open one that looks like it might have some okay stuff in it (I pulled out some mid-century plastic ornies...), rather than digging through to the bottom, I just grab the box and decide to 'get out of Dodge' while I can! 

 Last night, in the comfort and security of MY HOME, I unpack the contents of 'The' Christmas box...

 There was some of the usual 'junk'.  Some already in the garbage.  Others destined for donation.

And there are some funny little picks - not spun-heads, but along that line, with chenille limbs.  Destined for the ETSY shop.

 OH! and a set of 4 of those GREAT little Birdcage spinner ornaments!  I had to get those on Ebay quick before I got attached to them!! 

and handpainted Poland oversized Balls, and 1920's bells, and indents, and a few 'distressed' ones that I won't mind sacrificing to future wreaths, and atomic plastics, and, and - 51 keepers overall!!  ((sigh))

As well as the box of Christmas, I also purchased a large tote of crochet/hankies from the estate sale.  When I asked them how much for the two, they himmed and hawwed and we settled on $10.  They wanted to get rid of things - and obviously there weren't a LOT of customers!!  I haven't gone through the linen tote yet.  That is for another day 8-)

I guess you just have to be prepared to adjust your plans when an ESTATE SALE sign gets thrown in your path!!

...'tis the season!

Let the Hallowed decorating begin!

... throw in a few Fall Craft Festivals with Church Rummage Sales to really get you into the SPIRIT, and Life is Good 8-)!

Sweater Clips 2012 #15 & #16 (.50¢ each)