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Hunting for treasures…

Since my kids were little I have been going to garage sales. When they were really little and we did not really know what our style was yet, I went out almost every Saturday.  I would put four kids in the car along with snacks and drinks and away we went.  They loved the treasure hunt and they learned that what you buy in the store depreciates more than half by the time you get it home.  Poppa was not raised to do such things so he would just sit back and hear me tell of my triumphs and finds.  A few years ago, he asked if I wanted him to come along.  I said sure and since then I cannot even think of going garage sailing without including him. Now we go garage sailing about once a month.  He has become so good at finding the signs and making the crazy doughnut turns at the next street to get back to the sale we just missed.  I love him.

This weekend, as I opened my eyes, he asked if I was in the mood to go hunting.  In about an hour we were in the car with 3 of our boys who happened to hear our plans.  I am very selective of what I bring back these to our home and this weekend I made a very big score…at least to me anyway.

I love typewriters, not sure why.  It might be because that is what I had as a child but the older they are the more I love them.  I have about 4 vintage typewriters stashed away in rooms of our house but for a long time, I have had a picture of a black vintage typewriter to put on a small table in our foyer along with black picture frames on the wall about it.  I bought the picture frames a year ago and have been hunting for the typewriter since.  Everytime I find one it is way too expensive (like over $100..um not).  Well, I finally found THE ONE.

Can you believe I got it for $20?  The dust on it was free but I will clean it up and it will be perfect.

I also found lids for some of my vintage Pyrex bowls which work great for food storage in the fridge and at an Estate sale where the contents of an elderly couple life was being sold off.  This was not a really pleasant sale.  The people selling the estate seemed to be very unattached to the things they were selling and everything was overpriced and stickered which makes negotiation harder.  I felt a little sad because I could tell by the coziness of the home that this was someones love nest and here all their possessions were being sold off to the highest bidder.   It turned me off, the business of it all.  These people were just cashing in.  I saw a lady who had found a bunch of family pictures and was nice enough to sit with the boxes and seperate them thinking that what she was doing was so meaningful to the family selling off the estate but out of the corner of my eye I caught them disregarding her.

As I was leaving with nothing, we passed a hallway closet and my son found this vintage can of pringles.  He thought it was so cool.  I took it from him and said “yes Nick, its cool but what will we do with it?”  Then I noticed there was something colorful inside.  I popped open the lid and inside was a complete set of Prismacolor pencils.  They seem to be vintage and had never been sharpened.  I had Nick ask how much and we were told the “pick up sticks” were .50.  I happily paid my .50 and ran to the car to show Poppa my new treasure.  These are my favorite brand of colored pencils, they are so smooth and colorful and my last set is almost done so these were a great find.  I told the kids I would not be sharing this set with them this time and they laughed.  They are not so nice to good pencils…

The pringles can is now on Nick’s desk which he will use to hold who knows what and the pencils are in a jar on my bookshelf.  The typewriter is on the livingroom piano out of reach of little hands, waiting to be cleaned up.  It was a great time with my boys.  Everytime I use those pencils or see that typewriter, I hope to remember our treasure hunt.


If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)

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vintage childhood



I have mentioned my disdain for plastic toys…with the exception of vintage Fisher Price.  I am a 70’s child and these are the toys of my childhood and when my kids were little I started locating and purchasing all the ones I had when I was little as well as the ones I played with at cousins houses.  These toys are friends, they speak to my heart and make me happy.  They are very loved by my children which makes me equally happy.

These toys have been played with for many many hours by my kids and I hope someday by my grandchildren.  They still lend themselves to imaginative play and we have been lucky enough to find enough to fill walls of shelves.  

On any given day, Livie will talk her older brother to “pway wittle people” with her. This time they only pulled out a few and when I came around the corner I grabbed the camera.

Livie has deemed the little boy in the school chair to be “in twubble”.  In little people land it doesn’t matter what age you are, you can still play and have fun.

 These are the moments I am thankful for.  The moments when my children can enjoy the simple pleasures of a simple childhood…the childhood of a 70’s child.

Did you play with little people? Which sets did you have?


If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)

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