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thrifting break

By on January 13, 2014 in thrifting, Uncategorized

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The painting is going quite well, though slow.  Matthew is teething and wants nothing other than to be with his momma which means lots and lots of painting breaks.  Add to that an invitation from a friend to go to a Brad Paisley concert (funny thing is I only know one song of his) this weekend and an unexpected thrifting opportunity and well, I just hope to be done sometime this week.

A few nights ago, Poppa and I were watching a movie and he mentioned that he knew someone whose grandmother had passed away when we moved here and they had to clear out her house by the end of the month.  He mentioned being asked by the family if we were interested in anything they had for sale.  Upon further inquiry (by me)  I found out that an estate sale was being planned but nothing had been sold yet.  I begged him to find out if I could go have a look before the sale and the next day we planned for the boys and I (my favorite thrifting partners) to go and visit.

A chance to go through the whole house before anyone else?  Yes, please and thank you!  Oh and the painting you ask?  What painting?, would have been my answer.  So, yesterday early morning, we headed out.  We went through cupboards and closets, basements and attics, bedrooms and the largest craft stash I have ever come across.  Unfortunately for me, it was paper craft and that is just not something I have ever been interested in but if I had, coming across thousands of stamps and die cuts probably would have done me in. Four hours later we emerged with our treasures.

In the basement in a very back corner, I found a box FULL of vintage buttons (I am still on cloud 9 by the way), a few vintage fabrics, baskets, a lovely vintage table cloth, a box full of antique clothes pins (which will be offered in my store soon since I already own more than I need)  lots of sewing notions, vintage toys, a quilt rack, another vintage sewing machine (goodness, ‘I think that makes 6 now) an oil painting for the dining room and a few more things that escape my mind at the moment.

The sewing machine was a necessity, I promise.  I just took in 3 of ours to get serviced after my favorite sewing machine died during the holidays.  I have one more that needs new belts and so I actually do not have a sewing machine to use for the next three weeks.  I could not pass up the great price on the one I bought.  When I tried it out, it was such a pleasure to sew with and the girls are quite tired of my hogging up their machines.

On the way home from our private estate sale, the boys begged me to go to our favorite treasure hunting spot, Tickled Pink.  We waisted, er spent another two hours getting lost among all the vintage treasures.  If you are ever in Louisville, you must visit them, you will never have more fun anywhere else. It’s is one of my favorite places to be.

On the way home, I started thinking about the estate sale.  I thought about what would happen to my own stash if I passed away.  I know my daughters would use it but it still made me think about how I need to use the things I have, make something with it or pass it along.   I thought about how many times I have come across button collections at these types of events.  I don’t want someone to come across my buttons and take them to store in their own home until they too pass away.  These buttons will find homes, on handmade clothing I make for my little ones.  They will get used.  I think it’s time for a Craft Manifesto.

For now, I am going back to painting, though that vintage sewing machine is calling my name.

 

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Hunting for treasures…

By on March 13, 2012 in thrifting, vintage

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.


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