Well howdy-do my blog buds! The warm weather is here to stay and we all know what that means:
GARAGE SALES!!
Last Saturday, I loaded up the Suburban, named Jack (Jack Daniels is a bourbon– get it??) and with the want ads and my GPS in hand headed off for the wonderful world of garage sale-ing! (sailing?).
Got the Awake tea in my coolio Eco-can and off we go. Now, most of us have had a garage sale at one time or another- we are moving, just to get rid of those plastic toys the kids have outgrown, or we need to make a few bucks. But don’t you think garage sales are little personal? I mean they are a glimpse into someone’s junk drawer or the back of the closet. Stuff they have personally picked out and brought home. On display for judgement by the masses. Even though you are getting rid of all this stuff, at one time you liked it enough to pay retail for it. Then to see it sitting there, on a card table, with the $2 sticker and everyone passing it by- the unspoken “I wouldn’t put that in my house!” makes you feel like the decorating/fashion nerd of the class.
Anyhoo, I headed off to judge plunder through everybody’s stuff. One neighborhood was having a community-wide sale- Bingo! Thirteen sales in one area! I love power shopping!
These folks were serious about their sale! Flags were flying announcing “Sale Today!” and cars were parked all over the place! Ok, folks, learn how to parallel park. If I can do in Jack, anyone can.
At the first house, I happened upon a box full of vintage sweaters and found a great Pringle argyle that will look too cute next fall- always thinkin’! Moved on down the street– Molly Green asked me to look for something to repurpose into a gift wrap station. There was a great computer desk- cream with black hardware- that would be perfecto! What is it with people? I start measuring and calling Molly about it and all of a sudden it’s like I had discovered the Holy Grail- folks started discussing how that would be perfect for little Bobby’s room, or that it certainly would make a nice craft table for Mom. Sorry folks. I touched it last. Mine. Back off. I take the price tag off and bargain the owner down five more bucks. Sold! Cha-Ching! Take that! Gift wrap station for twenty bucks. Gotta love having a Suburban.
I make my way through the neighborhood and find a few other little gems. A great Victorian print of violets in its original frame. It’s by Maud Stumm, who is fairly well known for these floral prints, as well as for portraits. A FABULOUSLY hipster (are you allowed to put those two words together?) light blue Italian fedora. Bought by the owner in Italy in the ’60′s. Love! I wish Mr. Thrift Ho would wear it, but that’s not gonna happen. An old metal wash pan and two metal pails that were really dirty- the owner told me that was genuine Mobile County dirt and the pails came from his old home place. I decided to keep the dirt in there and just add more to it when I plant them full of flowers for the porch. I’m all sentimental like that.
Well, Jack was full and I was pooped. And as we all know, there ain’t NOTHING left after 11:00. So home again, home again, jiggity jig. Taking some stuff to Molly Green so y’all can feather your nests.
As Always,
I remain,
Your Thrift Ho
