LOTS of rummage...yipee!

Crazy weekend, starting with Friday morning...up at 6a to shower & get kids ready early...had MOPS. Up late the night before making a salad for our Caregiver thank-you luncheon on Saturday...bringing it in Friday saved me a trip Saturday morning...

Cropped until midnight, finishing up this LO and completing another...



Up at 6a AGAIN on Saturday, to hit the first of the April-October Ann Arbor Antiques Market. I woke up at 4:40a and turned off my alarm, deciding I needed sleep more than rummaging, but woke up at 6a anyway (!) so I showered & headed out early.

Some awesome finds...a tin toy stove to start a display collection (Debbie Bliss inspired that, I believe), wooden blocks (from 50 cents to $3), a printer's tray to decorate a la AE, two vintage tennis rackets for a display down the stairs to the "man cave," some vintage tennis photos for same, and two mesmerizing paintings that I would love to know the origin of...


I couldn't stop looking at them, or thinking about them, so I had to have them. The second one is damaged. There is a big gouge out of the one girl's red hat, and damp or water-stain marks around a couple of toys in the window. They are rather large, about 18" x 24", quite darkened by time, but I am loathe to try and repair them lest I lower their value. Considering I got the pair for $48, any higher price would be interesting, but I don't think Antiques Roadshow is coming to town anytime soon.

After rummaging, I met the fam for lunch, then took Tess to a birthday party at the movies...I had the dubious task of sitting through the Hannah Montana movie. Now I have a couple of questions for Disney:

1. Nuns in an English boarding school? Didn't think I'd catch that, did you?

2.Are there really 5 year-old fans left to their own devices to discover Miley's secret? That was just disturbing.

3. What was the casting description for Travis? Must look 12 but have a voice like a 40 year-old? Did his voice change after you cast him? Where did you find him, Sundance? Are they cloning Robert Redford now? Obviously I was disturbed by the young man they cast in this role...

4. If that's Miley's Grandma, who were Vicky Lawrence and Dolly Parton playing on the TV series?

5. Thanks for reminding me that Brooke Shields and I are old enough to be Miley's mom. You guys really need to deal with the Dead Mom issue, BTW. That wasn't really a question, more of a commentary. Being a mom and all.

Thanks. You know where to reach me.

More rummaging...

...in Florida, of course! Church rummage sale, amen. They take some pride in what they're selling. Now, let's see how these PhotoScape page combos turn out:

Pretty cool, huh? (the PhotoScape program, I mean. I'll get to the frame in a sec...) Too bad it doesn't seem to have an "exit" option -- you have to close the whole program and start over to do a new project. Weird. I'm sure I'm missing something. Took E to find the crop option, so perhaps he can help me with this, too.

The bottom of the frame says "British Make." It's a heavy silver frame, 8.5" x 5" (frame opening is 7.75" x 4.25"). I could not for the life of me figure out how to open it, then found that the bottom of it slides back and the glass and backing slip out (see top photo combo).


Total cost?

25 cents.

I love church rummage sales.

My next find -- one more from the rummage sale, and another from Betty's Stamp Pad (WARNING: dangerously loud and annoying music set up there...lower your volume...and, most of her inventory is hopelessly out of date, as well as ridiculously expensive, but there was a find or two there):

From the rummage sale, a small Cuban cigar box, with the most gorgeous little clasp. I'd like to alter it, but it's almost too beautiful to cover up. Almost.

From Betty's, the wooden tic-tac-toe boards are perfect for altering. She had a really gorgeous sample which I completely forgot to photograph. Oh well, that leaves them open to my individual interpretation.

Cigar box? Another whopping 25 cents.

Tic-tac-toe boards? $3 a pop.

Supper Club Throw-Down

I knew I wanted to get to the Knights of Columbus rummage sale this morning as early as possible, but 8:30 a.m. wasn't gonna happen. I did managed to get Ben in the car by 9:00 a.m., though, so we scored pretty well. This rummage sale is like the January Australian Open...it's early, but it kicks off sale season, in a way. I'm going to try and hit more this year.

In addition to getting a full-length, bevel-sided mirror for Tess's room (because I do NOT need to see my entire body at once, thanks) and a quilting book I've been coveting (more to read than to actually quilt, since sewing is not my strong point) for $4 and 25 cents (!), respectively, I brought home a small cache of treasures for myself and for friends.
Not sure how bad the catfight for the 25 cent Twilight calendar (2009!) will get between Kelly & Buffy tonight at Supper Club. I may have to divide it in half, and make them share. Unless one of them already has it, which is completely conceivable (did I mention these women are ADULTS, not teenagers? Moms, to boot?! I just don't get it, and yes, I've read the first two books in the series. Eh.) (BTW, I still think Stephen King is a tool.) Ben is watching Thomas the Tank Engine as I write this, and while I respect Stephenie Meyer's difficult task of writing while raising her three boys, I can't help but think, why did she name the majority of her male vampires after Thomas characters?! Didn't she think we'd notice? Or was it completely subliminal on her part?

Onward (clockwise-ish). I couldn't resist the shabby chic tin flower vase in a frame ($3); it goes perfectly with my family room wall color, and made me smile...Tess has her own art case/clipboard, this yellow one ($1.25) is for me. I plan on carrying along scrapbooking supplies while we're on the road to Florida. She can have the stencils and crayons and markers inside (except for the owl stencil. SUPER adorable.)

I've wanted a cash box (75 cents) for a while, and I actually sort of collect (by accident) metal office accessories...I have a metal paper rack, in-tray, and a really cute metal paper carrier with a locking lid; this is a great addition and with dividers that might actually funtion for keeping our monthly receipts in order (after I scan the cards to use in scrapbooking...they are vintage-cute)!

Next comes all the tiny stuff. I got stuck at the toy tables (imagine that!) with Ben not wanting to move from all the cars for sale (lots of RC cars without remotes...bummer. Not that that stops a two and a half year-old, LOL), so I kept finding little treasures there, as well.

If Kelly doesn't win the Twilight calendar, she may have to duke it out with Debbie over the tiny, clear-lidded box of holiday Mickey Mouse playing cards. I think it would make an adorable mini-album, and Debbie is all about mini. Teeny, tiny minis. I did find a box of travel Dominoes for her to alter, because Kelly might get ugly if she loses out on the calendar.

The travel Monopoly game is all mine, though. Another Florida trip distractor. Check out the little money! Hee. Now if I could just stand to play board games with Tess. She is one sore loser.