Garage Sale Finds

Thought I'd share my score at the Kirkside Garage Sale from June.  Better late than never.  Spent a whole $3.00 total for all of this.

A map, some envelopes, pretty nature related cards and Christmas cards to make my cards out of, and some funky labels.

That glass dome below was a quarter (I've seen them for a whole lot more in stores lately).  A glass candy jar, some stemmed glasses probably being repurposed for plants, and some little blue bowls.

Once again, we, the followers of rules or signs, showed up at opening time and people were already walking out with boxes of stuff.  In any case, I did find some great things.  I usually have pretty good luck at this sale.  It all depends what catches my eye at the time.  Too hot for garage saling now until the fall.  Now I just have to find time to put some of this stuff to good use again.

More Bird Pin Finds

Skimming through some of my pictures I realized that I had not yet posted these.  I started looking out for water bird pins at flea markets and garage sales back before 2013 when I found the first one at the little flea market they have twice each summer across the street from our condo in Barnegat.  I posted about that one and the second one that I found at a little church festival my friend J and I went to back in 2013 (This post).

Not too long after that, my blogging friend Clare in CA send me another seagull pin that her husband found.  I was thrilled to add it to my collection.  (This post.)  And in June of 2017 at a local church garage sale I found another.  (This post.)

Ever since, whenever I go to a garage sale, rummage sale, or flea market, I keep my eyes open to find additional birds to join the flock.  I've seen a bunch on ebay and etsy but they're a little pricey for what I want to do with them.  

This past August I found this bird pin at that little flea market across the street.  I know this is probably supposed to be a flamingo, which we wouldn't find here in NJ, but at the time I saw it, with just my sunglasses on and most of the paint worn away, it looked like it could have been a heron.  The vendor only wanted a quarter for it and I was glad that I had one in my pocket.  I remember that when I picked this up it was so hot from being out in the sun that it burned my hand.  

Then, a couple of weeks ago, J and I took some time on a Saturday morning to visit a community garage sale and this little gem was found.  The only purchase of the day!

I think with the temperatures that they're predicting for this evening (33º) it's safe to say that fall is here and garage saling and rummaging will come to a halt until next spring.  

Garage Sale Finds

We happened to be home this weekend to attend a party and I was pleased to realize that the spring edition of one of my favorite garage sales was this weekend also.  So I abbreviated my "sleep-in Saturday" to get there when they opened but as is usually the case, the church grounds were already heavy with customers.  Nonetheless, my trusty "box man" dropped me off whilst he parked the car and after he did he dutifully found a box to keep track of my purchases.  I already had a couple of things in my hands by the time he found me though they weren't heavy at all.

A package of card making items for $1.50, a paper dove kit that was unmarked and they sold to me for 10 cents, and some little glittery flags also 10 cents.

This little recipe book was also unmarked and they gave it to me for 50 cents.  I bought it for the illustrations inside that are done in blue line work.

There are more drawings that I won't take time showing.

These glass items were a real bargain.  The two round containers were 50 cents each and the other four items were a quarter a piece.  I think they will make some nice succulent planters.

They always have a large selection of jewelry and I usually don't pay much attention to that but the heart flag pin caught my eye as I was passing and then when I did look through the shoe box found the starfish and bird.  I thought I might paint the bird white to add to my seagull pin collection and the starfish might go on a future beach-themed project.  The pins were $1.25 each.  

In the craft section there were 6 or 7 sets of Stampin' Up stamp sets marked at 50 cents a box - a real steal - but not hard to believe, I already had them all.  I also have these items but they were priced so low I couldn't resist.  The small punch was 10 cents, the larger one 50, and you can see that the stylus and kit were going for 50 cents..... a real steal.  I told HWNSNBP that if anything happened to me that I would be very upset if he sold my stamps for 50 cents.  He promptly told me "Don't worry about it.  You'll never know."

But our biggest deal of the day was getting a solar cover for our pool for $5.00.   It was marked "Make an Offer" and since it was a little bigger than our pool HWNSNBP originally passed it by. But as I was getting in line to pay for my "box" he asked one of the workers there what they were looking for. They told him to make an offer and he shot off $5.00.  The lady said she would have to check with one of the guys in charge and came back and told us they would accept that.  She did tell us that it was in two pieces because the owner had had it cut that way to make it easier to take off her pool. Sounded like a good idea to me.  So we added it to our bill.  As we were walking back to the car HWNSNBP told me that a new one would be about $120.  I think we definitely got a good deal.

First Week of June - A Little Catch Up

The first weekend of this month HWNSNBP and I had a few things going on starting with that first Saturday.  My plan was to get a head start in the morning and take my "boxman" to the Kirkside garage sale.  Since my goal at home is to purge things I was careful not to pick up things that I really didn't need at this time.  I picked up two clear glass canisters and a package of graphic coasters all for less than 75 cents which went into the box (and honestly, I really didn't need them but for 75 cents it was worth breaking my self-imposed moratorium).  Then I spied this old cardboard box with the words "table tennis" on the outside.  I got that look from "the boxman" as I gravitated towards it.  I know, and he confirmed it later, that he was thinking that this was just a box of junk.  But as it turned out it was quite a find.  The net and the balls were okay, but the 4 sandpaper paddles were like a gold strike. My husband and his buddies play beer pong...... the original beer pong, not the kind where you throw the ball at the cup.  They play doubles ping pong with four cups on the table, alternate serves and drinking when the cup is hit during play.  They take this very seriously.........the pong and the drinking.  What did we pay for the box?  50 cents!

His plan for later that day was to open up the pool.  And when he took the cover off this little guy was staring up at him.  It's an above ground pool so we're not sure how he got in there except to say that after looking up frogs, it appears that this is a tree frog, so I supposed he could have fallen from a tree onto the cover and found his way in.  

He looks a little more at home in the weeds.

This was taken passing the home of a coworker who lives just around the corner from us.  Her yard was full of wild phlox this spring.  This picture doesn't do it justice.

The colors of the elements on the card below were really much prettier IRL.  I was in such a hurry to get it in the mail that I neglected to check my photo.  The greens and pink are so much more vibrant than they appear here. This was done with pieces I found in my scrap box - something I've been trying to go through and use up.

And in some stores now - Ranier cherries - my favorites!

We have 5 more eggs in the nest box.  Glad to see that the bluebirds are keeping busy this year!

Snowy Egret and Garage Sale Finds

"Did you come all the way here just for the community garage sales today?"

"Really! You drove all that way just to go to some garage sales?"

Yes, and we got lucky in finding you, Snowy Egret, perched near the side of the road across the refuge.  I wonder - were you people-watching?

Whatever it was doing, it was very content and calm and just a tad bit wary of the car stopping.

So, there was this community-wide garage sale down in Barnegat last weekend and I coaxed HWNSNBP into driving down for the morning and he indulged me and our good friend J and drove us throughout the neighborhoods for a couple of hours of curbside shopping.  

And I even managed to get him to stop at one thrift store on our way home scoring some more goodies for the day.

Speaking of goodies..... there were paper and crocheted doilies.

One sale had a bag full of handkerchiefs for $2 and I picked up a couple more for 50 cents each at another home.

Some of these were badly stained, but the hand-crocheted edgings are so pretty (and I believe the one on the very bottom is tatted).

I fell in love with this old Christmas card with the beach scene and when I went to pay for it, a woman who was visiting the home of the seller remarked that she wouldn't have been able to part with that if it were hers.  The seller said he didn't even realize that he had something like that and they both agreed that it should be framed.  (I'm thinking about that.)

This little book was under some baskets and I really loved the colorful book jacket and then when I opened it up...........

I loved the illustrations.

I couldn't find the price but the seller there was eager to make a sale and she checked inside the book and it was marked $1.50 but she gave it to me for $1.00.  

At the thrift store I perused the stationary bins and found this cute card for 25 cents.

And these three sets of cards for 40 cents/4 in a package.

Yes, I know......... I make my cards that I send, but I loved the graphics on these and they were so cheap I thought I could possibly use them if I ever resumed my art journaling.

Oh, and don't let me forget this pack of GO FISH cards (the complete set) for a quarter.  Art journal or framing somehow for the condo?  I'll have to think on that one too!

And one last purchase, which was actually the first of the day.  I told HWNSNBP that he could buy this for me as it was marked 25 cents and I didn't have a quarter on me at the time and he did.  It's just the right size for a battery operated tea light.  

All together I spent about $8.00.  It was a good day for Saling!

White Horse, White Birds, White Pumpkin - Charmingly

My good friend J and I attended a fall festival at a little church down the shore last weekend. There was a path through the woods that they were using to give horse cart rides to those that were interested.  We didn't take a ride but we took some time to admire this beautiful white horse.

Besides having crafts and vendors there, they also had a little rummage sale area where I picked up two wooden stools for a steal.  They need some sprucing up which I hope to get to soon and share.

I also found another seagull pin to join the one I had found at a flea market some time ago.  Here's the old one......

And the new one.  The furniture cushions at the condo are "wearing" them.  I've been keeping my eyes open for more to join the flock and was thrilled to find this second one.

Staying with this "white" theme, I picked up an artificial white pumpkin at Mike's that weekend also.  They were on sale so I went for it.  I have something planned for this pumpkin, but I need to get myself in gear to move forward with it.  I did take care of another project this past weekend though.

Big Lots had  "Charm Packs" of fabric squares for $3.  I picked one with fall colors.  There were 24 in the pack.  What to do with them?  I made yo yo's.  And then I stitched the yo yo's together to make a little mat for the pumpkin.  It covers up that empty space in the middle perfectly.

Pretty cute, eh!  

White Elephants

Saturday morning my "boxman" and I ventured out to the annual Rescue Squad White Elephant sale.  Though we arrived at about 8:50 there was already a considerable line of people braving the almost freezing temperatures, waiting for the door to open at precisely 9:00.  There was no mad dash or pushing, but an orderly procession in the door, past the stacks of boxes, and into the main room lined with rows of tables covered with community cast-offs just waiting to be found as treasures yet again.  One had to look carefully both on the tables and beneath as there was much to choose from.  

The first look was at the table with glassware and the like.  I have a fondness for blue and white and therefore these three serving pieces we carefully put into the box, their purchase to be thought about as we continued our trek.  There were three dinner plates stacked along side of them, but they were chipped and since there were only three I let them sit on the table for someone else to find. 

The little blue bottle vase and the wire teapot were found next, and the bunny was in someone's hand when it caught my eye.  I found myself willing her to "put it down" though she was telling her compadre that it would be perfect for *****, then she thought twice - or fell under my spell - and put it down.  I sashayed around her and swiftly lifted it without making eye contact with the other two shoppers, and calmly kept going.  (I may paint her, or add a real fabric skirt and the teapot will most likely at some point hold a floral arrangement or perhaps an assortment of tea or candy.)

The boxman tried to follow me, diligently holding the chosen vessel for our treasure hunt whilst we both were jostled and cut off by other treasure-seeking shoppers.  There came a point when we became separated, he filtering to the front of the room, me to the back.  A glance across the room to find each other and a nod from me to tell him to stay there as I was nearly done with my perusal of the book and craft corner with no lucky find.  He looked a bit distressed just standing there, I felt I could not take more time searching for an old atlas or any book that held maps.  That would have to wait for another time.

On my way back to him I spotted the quartet of angels.  They are little pastel beauties that look quite a bit washed out as pictured in the sunlight, but they will serve as little gifties when needed.  At 50 cents each, I could not leave them overlooked on the shelf.  

My final sweep was fraught with indecision.  There were three of each of these items.  I knew in the back of my mind that I had seen both used creatively recently, but not remembering exactly in what capacity, I only picked up one of each.  I've since remembered seeing the paper tape made into paper lace using punches, but still have not figured out what to do with the rolling pin.  But they were only a quarter a piece.  

By the time I got through that area and walked back to the linen table, it had already been pretty well picked through and I had had enough of the human pinball machine we were part of so we checked out having spent a total of $6.00.   

The card at the top was made using all SU products.  The elephant is from the Patterned Occasions stamp set stamped in VersaMark on Island Indigo paper and then embossed with white EP.  The banner was stamped in Tangerine Tango on paper of the same color using the Hearts A Flutter stamp set and die.  I added Tangerine Tango and Lucky Limeade ribbons, a punched flower and a sticky jewel.  I used sellabration DSP on an Island Indigo card base.  

Fall Garage Sale Finds

Last Saturday was the fall garage sale at the reformed church down the road.  I like these sales because they always have a lot of merchandise priced very reasonably.  I've never come away empty-handed and this time was no different.  HWNSNBP actually picked out the cut glass bowl  - we were looking for a nice glass bowl to float some of the large dahlia's in the week before and didn't seem to have anything suitable except a decorative stemmed glass.  This was a bargain for a buck!  The clear glass canisters were 50 and 25 cents and they'll join the small collection I've started of clear glass canisters.  I couldn't resist the small all- white teapot - it will join the other all- white teapots I've picked up at previous sales.  It wasn't priced but I didn't flinch when they said $2 because I really wanted it.  

These appear to be small candle holders.  They had such a sweet little blue flowered pattern on them.  Not sure what to do with them yet, but I'll have to put them somewhere where I won't forget about them for next spring.

This crafty stuff was all bargain priced.  Three rolls of floral tape for $1, some upholstery tacks also for $1.  Four packages of shoelaces for 25 cents.  A rubber stamp for 10 cents.  A stylus and brass stencil for 25 cents and on the lower left you can barely see three small wood and wire sleds priced at 25 cents each.  

Some doilies and napkins for 25/50 cents.  I also picked up a large white eyelet tablecloth for $3  that did have a hole in it, but we can "embellish" around that.

And it seems that I just can't pass up these balls of cotton thread any time I see them, especially when they're priced at 25 cents.  

Thankfully I had my "boxman" with me.  It was a chilly morning but having him with me meant less time spent out in the cold.  He drops me off while he parks the car and while I start perusing the tables he finds a box he knows I probably will fill - and it all did fit nicely into that one box.