A Overdue Thank You...

Yep, it's long overdue.  I have send along a thank you and shout-out to my girl Sonya @ Dime Store Thrift.  Some time back she was kind enough to send me a ball chain.  Think military dogs tags.  Sonya had the cutest compass on her chain, I think it might have been a cracker jack toy???  I say for certain.  Well, that began my quest to find a pendant...something to wear on my chain.  I've been searching for probably a month.  I have been very resistant to buying something new.  My patience has paid off, I found this pendant at a garage sale.  I'm pretty pleased with it!  I do notice from this picture, I need to clean it!

Since I'm sharing, I'll add the other goodies I came home with that day.

A couple more jewelry pieces and some pottery.  I didn't even realize 'til I took this picture my two brooches are an exact match to my pottery piece!  The aqua piece is McCoy.  The yellow is unmarked.

An entire bag of sewing notions. 

 

Cute needle cases.

Pin Cushions.

Box of pins.  This is a nice box.  I like it...forget the pins, although it's full.

This day was certainly better than last Thursday....

Rednesday Quilt and Menu Board

Wow!  I didn't realize my last post was Saturday!  Here it is Rednesday!  Are you going to visit all the Rednesday posts?  I always try to, spread the love!  Make sure to give lots of it to our wonderful host, Sue @ Sue Loves Cherries!

It's been pretty warm here in Iowa, muggy as all get out!  So my outside time has been limited.  Even in the house you'll find me in the basement, in my crafting room.  It's also where the kids spend more than their fair share of time.  In their playroom.  Seems a little odd calling it their playroom these days, they are 15 and 12.  The only playing going on is Nintendo!

It's a bit more grown-up looking now...just another room for me to hang quilts!  (Notice quilts in corner!) When we have a house full of guests it doubles as an extra bedroom.  The sofa is a sleeper.  Not really my style anymore, but the condition is nice so it will do fine in their room!

I just finished this quilt a few months ago.  The first quilt I've finished in a long time.  I'm much more interested in card making now.  I mean I have quilts EVERYWHERE and you can only give so many away!  They are expensive to make and you really need to be sure the recipient wants a quilt! 

Anyway, one of my favorite things in this room is my menu board.  I got this at an auction about 8 years ago.  I was the sole bidder for $1.  Now it was not in this condition.  I had to spruce it up.  I had to cut off the bad portion {SIGH.}  Then, with help from my great uncle, I framed it.  I only wish it fit in my kitchen!  The obvious place for it to hang!  I have NO wall space in my kitchen...darn open floor plan!

Have you notice my obnoxiously large photos?  What do you think?  I changed to the new Blogger updater and Extra-Large is an option.  If only I took better pictures....

Always a Holiday

It's about time I start sharing the auction and garage sale finds found the last two weeks.  The pickin's had been slim up to that point.  Then, I hit two good auctions on consecutive weekends.  Followed by a couple good garage sales just two days ago.  So, I need to start sharing. I've bought lots of holiday decor.  That's a constant theme!

The first box lot looks promising...but it's hard to tell.  The box is FILTHY.  Some pinks, golds, but a couple boxes of patterned ornaments, too.  The bonus?  There's some Halloween items tucked inside.  I don't want to spend too much time looking, I'm trying to play it cool.  I bid $5 and it's mine.

After considerable cleaning and tossing one box top beyond repair, this is what was left.  So-so!

This is the best of the best, I guess you could say.  I still say I got my $5 worth, I love the pinks!

While we are still taking Christmas.  These came from a garage sale this past Thursday.  Thursday used to be THE day to have and go to garage sales around here.  I can't get out of that notion, even though they aren't as good as they used to be!

This little Gurley turkey came from an auction!  It's a horrible story!  I had to lug home SIX boxes of junk to get Mr. Turkey for $1!!!  I know some of you might be tempted to ask, "What was the junk?"  Come on now, you know it's junk if I'm the only bidder of this huge lot.  It was hideous Christmas junk!  I don't even want to think about it.  After winning the bid the auctioneer looked me in the eye and said, "Make sure it all goes home with you."

My flags came from the same July 3rd auction as the Christmas ornaments.  I guess no one was feeling patriotic.  One person got their bid in before me, but after my nod the bidding stopped and they were mine for $4.  They are both 48 stars and the one is a bit unusual.  The stripes are crocheted.  I didn't decorate for the 4th this year...GASP!  I did pull out a few items to take this picture, though.

At the same July 3rd auction I won these vintage postcards.  I pulled out the uninteresting stuff.  What's left is Christmas, Easter, New Years (see the cute horseshoe) and St. Patricks's Day.

I was really happy about the St. Patrick's Day cards.  I don't have much for this holiday!

The auction calendar seems to have dried up, so sales and thifting look to be my only sources for a while.  We may be back to slim pickin's, you never know.  Never fear.  I have more to share, so stay tuned!

I just thought I'd mention.  I am going to my 25th school reunion tonight.  Sunday morning instead of curling up with the paper, I'll be curling up with Google reader.  See ya then!

Rednesday Yummies

Hello Rednesday friends!  I'm a little late today...golf again.  It was excruciating.  Our heat index today is 110°.  It's VERY humid to boot!  Like walking into a sauna.  We're expecting some severe storms to night.  Hopefully not too severe and hopefully it cools it down a bit.

Today I'm sharing pictures of my garden girl and out first decent tomato haul.  Our first tomato came really early this year (June 24th) but it's been sparse pickin's until now.  The plants are just filled, though.  It won't be long and we'll be overloaded with tomatoes and start giving them away.

These are the best looking tomato plants I've ever had.  I really don't like using chemicals in the garden and will only do so as a last resort.  In years past this has meant that my tomatoes, although producing, looked awful!  Well, this year we had a wet spring and the tomatoes were showing signs of blight right away.  I found this product called Soap Shield from Garden's Alive.  They sell lots of environmentally responsible products.  I would HIGHLY recommend this product.  The directions said to apply every week to 10 days, but let me tell you, I only applied it twice.  It's been 6 weeks since my last application with no signs of disease.  I am VERY happy with the results.

I love this picture...even though it's a little out of focus.  This is two tomatoes grown together.  Doesn't it look like a heart?  Coincidentally, the tomato is called "Juliette."  One of our favorites.

Yum!  Yum!  I think Italian sausages with peppers and onions will be on the menu this week!

Please make sure to check out the other Rednesday posts over at Sue Loves Cherries!!!

I'm Still Here! Got Some Glass to Share.

Hey there my bloggin' buddies!  I know, you know, I've been totally absent from the blogging world this past month.  It wasn't intentional, just life with LOTS of baseball and golf!  I contemplated whether or not to remain in the shadows and refrain from posting today.  It seems any time I am at home I feel pulled in about six different directions and posting is not one I need to add to the list.  I miss it, though.  I miss all of you!  Yesterday I spent SEVEN hours catching up on e-mails and my Google reader (don't tell my husband, he doesn't understand!)  So, for the time being, my slate is clean and I am ready to share!

So, where do I begin?  It's a rainy day, so it's no use taking photos of my newest auction buys.  Let's focus on glass items today.

This is a small pitcher I bought probably 15 years ago at a garage sale.  At the time we were living in Chattanooga, TN.  I paid 50 cents for it and I remember debating whether or not to buy it.  Funny how you remember the weirdest details.  I think I got my money's worth.  A few years ago I saw this same pitcher in Country Living magazine.  It's Blenko glass.

These salt and pepper's are near and dear to me.  These are from my cousin's service station.  They came my way via my great aunt.  She had an incredible salt and pepper collection.  My mom has been selling them for her on Ebay, but she let me have these.

Check out the sides.  Deco stripes.

This is a recent garage sale find.  (The rice is temporary, I thought it might photograph better.)  I fell in love with this jar when I saw it on __________ (fill in the blank.)  I saw it on somebody's blog.....I want to say Sue's or Carol's.  Want to help me out girls?  If my memory is correct, her's didn't have a lid.  Well, mine didn't have a lid either.  I was fairly confident I had a lid at home.  I had to steal it off another (plain) jar, but it worked.

Most of this resides on my Hoosier cabinet.  It has changed a bit since my last photo.  Here's part of it.

Lastly, some milk glass cups.  I do like some milk glass.  I wouldn't say I love these, but I'm in love with idea of these.  I dream that someday I will have a nice luncheon for my friends and in them I will serve an appetizer of tomato basil soup topped with handmade croutons and freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Someday.  'Til then, they are packed away!

I actually have some other posts started and saved as drafts.  So, you should be hearing more from me.  Can you believe it?