Fun Finds

Garage sales are picking up here, unfortunately I could only go to a few, as I had to work yesterday 8-1, the prime time for sales. I picked up a few neat things this week:

 a gallon bag full of seam binding and lace trim for $.50, a pair of bunnies for $.10, and a couple of cute napkin rings for $.50

 A bag of buttons for $1.00

 A vase for $.25, the blue bottle was free.

 a twig of stars for $.25, a cute ornament for $.10

and a couple of pillows for a total of $.50, the lady threw in the snowman one for free. I'm trying not to buy more snowmen, but it was free.

I'm planning on using the stars, buttons and seam binding for artwork, the vase was a replacement.

Any good deals in your neck of the woods?

A good week

It's been a great week for finds. Wednesday, I went downtown to see if I could find anything for my mother for Mother's Day. I decided to buy us a couple of tickets to a fashion show, my mom works at the sewing department of ISU, and we go to the ISU fashion show every year, so I thought this was a great idea. Plus, she's always saying she doesn't need more stuff, and she doesn't need more sweets.

While I was downtown, I stopped at an antique store and found some great things for me:

 the buttons cost $3.00 altogether, the scarf was $.50, and the cute little card was $.25

 these pieces were in a bag together for $4.75

 These were all in a bag for $5.00

 This giant dictionary (it measures a little over a foot tall, 8 inches wide and 4 inches thick), someone donated to the library, I got it for $1.00

Friday, I had a few garage sales to go to, as the fashion show was on Saturday at 10AM. I stopped at one on my way to work and picked up these:

 2 cigar boxes for $.50 each, three cardboard boxes for $.50, and a set of mini S&P shakers for $.75

 And this box of butterflies for $1.00, I really only wanted that blue one in the center.

Everything I bought this week, I plan to use in art projects. I'm trying to get myself into sewing more, and I've always wanted a cigar box to decorate.

Friday afternoon, I cut some of our peonies and put them in the teapot I bought last weekend. Their smell is so intoxicating, I love it.

What have you guys found this week?

A Wonderful Day

I had a great day yesterday. My friend and I went to a nearby town's citywide garage sale day. I spent around $30, most of it at an antique store there. Here's what I got:

 a rice krispie bar for $.25, a bag of flat marbles and sea glass for $1.00, two Winnie the Pooh toys for $.25, a cute little ladle and a toy turtle for free, a bag of formica tiles for $.25, a glasses case for $.25, a shotgun shell knife for $2.00, and two cookies that I ate for $1.50. Also, I bought two cushions for my kitchen chairs for $1.00.
My friend said we had to stop at the antique store, it was a great idea, I spent a little over $20 there, here's what I got:

 A teapot for free, I've decided it needs some big flowers in it, once our poppies bloom, I'll put some in it.

 3 bags of ephemera for $2.00 each and some seam binding for $1.00. In those packets are a handwritten letter, tags, receipts, buttons and even an envelope from Marshall Field's in Chicago.

two more ephemera bags for $5.00 each, and a bunch of buttons for $2.00. In the ephemera packs are cigar bangs, tickets, tags, metal pieces and some great gears punched out of paper.

I love the burlap bag, I hope I can use it in some artwork.

What did you guys find?

A little down

I've been really down lately, I think it's because I don't do much outside of work. I don't work a ton, I am over 30 hours this week, barely. A couple of weeks ago, my aunt and I went to an antique mall in a neighboring town, it was fun, but I didn't find much to buy. I have decided, I'm very spoiled with garage sales, I find it hard to spend more than $1 on things lately.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of Pyrex, but I LOVE this color, I may be looking for more things in this color. I didn't buy this, but I did buy a few things,

 Like, buttons, big surprise there huh? I also had to buy the Impala emblem, I love the Impala from the 60's, such a beautiful car. There's also a neat rock in the picture below.

 There's more buttons in the shaker, and a cute little glass.

 I had Sunday off, and I was pretty depressed. I have very few friends outside of my job, and with the exception of one, we don't get together very much. So, I've been bummed about not doing fun stuff with friends. I also decided, I really miss garage sales, there haven't been in any in my area yet, and I keep talking myself out of ones further away. I also had tentative plans to go to a neighboring town's citywide garage sale this weekend, but I don't think that's going to happen. I did find a church rummage sale I've been to in the past, that I think I'll check out.
Today, as I left my apartment to do laundry, I found this gorgeous plant at the bottom of my stairs. Needless to say, I had to stop and take a moment.

What's been happening in your lives?

My Easter Basket

Here's what I got myself for Easter:

 lots of chocolate,

 a light-up bunny, puzzle egg, sparkly bunnies, felt egg stickers, a stuffed chick and a frog keychain.

I went to a garage sale today and was sorely disappointed. Mostly everything was furniture, I really wish people would say that in their ads. I'm not going to be visiting a sale if it's all furniture.
I'm still waiting for a cool sale. There's an apartment building a block away, that has a sale every spring and fall, and I just don't feel like garage sale season has started until I go to their sale. This year it's in May, so a little late.

This weekend is our semi-annual book sale at the library. I have to work tonight, but tomorrow is half price day, and I plan to go in when we open and just take my time. I hope I find something cool.
Also, on Wednesday, my aunt and I are planning on visiting an antique mall in a nearby town. I'm still waiting to see if I get the time off, but it's looking promising. I hope to visit the booth that's filled with buttons.

What are you guys finding?

Happy Easter

I didn't have any Easter swaps I was participating in this year, and my mother suggested I create an Easter basket for her (though later when I brought it up, she seemed surprised), so I did. Here's what I'm giving her:

 The basket I got last year in another Easter swap.

 I included a couple pinwheels, some flowers and a butterfly pick.

 Some candy.

 There's two packets of riibon, a bunch of clay flowers, a bunny, and another pinwheel.

These eggs are a version of some I saw for sale at Hobby Lobby. They had egg ornaments that were painted with an image on them and some glitter. I decided instead of paying $3.00 to buy them, I'd make my own. So, I picked up some paper mache eggs, painted them, added some images I had laying around my house, and covered them with Mod Podge.
The pink one has a wild rose and a goldfinch, the rose is Iowa's state flower and the goldfinch is the state bird. The orange one has a couple bunnies on it. The yellow one has some butterflies from a napkin. The purple one has a couple of vintage advertising images on it. The blue one has some daisy images from wrapping paper on it. The large eggs cost $.69 each, the small eggs were $.29 each, I got the paint for $.25 for each color, and the images were in my collection. So, 5 eggs for less than $5.00.

I hope you all have a great Easter weekend.

Long time no see, sorry about that. I honestly haven't had much to post about and like I said before I can't post from my Kindle. Last weekend I went to a church sale with a friend, and I learned that it does not good to have a list of things to look for if you don't write it down and/or forget it. I do know that linens and craft supplies were on it, and I accomplished getting some of those.

The doily has a note on the back saying "Doilie from box of Linens - Ives - Late 1800's to 1910 probably older", it was priced $6.50. I saw it and thought I didn't want to spend that much money on it, but I finally decided I couldn't pass it up.
The two ribbons were a steal. I have no idea how much is on them, but they were both a quarter. The top one is velvety, the blue is velvet. The bottom one is sewn onto the background, very cool.

I've been in a slump lately, I'm not entirely sure why, maybe I'm waiting in anticipation for the garage sales to start, maybe I've been working too much, maybe I haven't done enough art, I just don't know. I know I am sick of getting crap or no mail everyday, a nice little surprise would be great. Today, I got something cool, check out my other blog, here, to see what it was.
I have been working a ton lately, last week I was pushing 40 hours, and this Saturday is my first day off in two weeks. Today I had an evaluation, I have mixed feelings about it, but I won't elaborate.
I have a little extra money since I got my tax refunds back, but I'm so not into spending it, it looks like I need some new things soon, so I will be, but I really don't want to.
There have been a few sales popping up, and I know there will be more soon, and I can't wait. I'm now off to spend some money on some comfort food and just take the rest of the day for me.