Showing posts with label The Dog Prince. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Dog Prince. Show all posts

Sunday, October 2, 2022

Explanations!

I had a nice email yesterday from a reader, Chris. She said she had tried to leave a comment here on the blog but it didn't work (more on that in a minute) so she emailed. As Genie did back in August (wasn't August about 20 minutes ago? Wait, you say it's now October??!) she was missing my garaging adventures and wanted more. My ego is definitely purring!

But here's the thing - the fact is I've never been happier and don't post very often because I just don't feel like it! I'm at an age and stage of life where for the first time I can do what I want. I don't need to please anyone other than myself, and my main responsibility is to my pets.

The pandemic certainly had a big effect on sales. There are far fewer than in past years. Plus I downsized when I divorced, and already own most everything I need. I still enjoy going to sales and chatting with folks, but don't care if I go out every week.

I have no plans to end this blog, but posts will remain - how shall I put it? - quixotic. If you  miss me (warning, shameless self promotion ahead!) please hop over to Amazon and buy my books. They are quite fun, and if enough of you do it I'll have money to go garaging. Yay!

Now...circling back to the comments thing. I have no idea what is going on with that. My own blog will not let ME leave a comment! It keeps saying I have to sign in even though I already did. Grrrr. I apologize to anyone who has struggled with it, but I don't know how to fix it. Holler if  you have advice.

My now overblown ego thinks someone might want to know what I've been up to if not thrifting. Craigslist is a good pal of mine - just today I scored a cordless vacuum for about 75% off retail (I hate to vacuum, hoping this will make it easier). And for my birthday Craigslist found me something I've been considering for months - an electric tricycle! Isn't she pretty?

Mostly I just love hanging out with my fur gang. Remember that new kitten, Stanley? Best impulse decision ever. I woke up yesterday to find we were sleeping cheek to cheek. Great way to start the day!



Sunday, March 10, 2013

Even Better than Frugal…it’s FREE!!

Here’s the best kind of giveaway…it’s for everyone! You don’t have to leave a comment (though that is always welcomed!) or jump through any hoops. (Well, almost, depending on whether you have a Kindle or not.) Starting tomorrow (not today, Sunday, but tomorrow, Monday March 11) my Sleeping Dogs Lie ebook will be available for free download for 5 days!

Sleeping Dogs Lie Cover

Though the usual price of $2.99 is less than a fancy cup of coffee, here at this blog we know how far we can stretch three bucks. So this is your chance to read a fun book and then take the three bucks you didn’t spend on it to a yard sale and get something fabulous. (Be sure to tell me if you do!)

The fine print:

  • Yes! The Sleeping Dogs Lie ebook is available for free download from Amazon from March 11 to 15, 2013.
  • Available only for the Kindle
  • Don’t have a Kindle? You can get a free Kindle app and read Sleeping Dogs Lie on your computer, tablet etc.
  • Sequels In Dogs We Trust & The Dog Prince are available for $2.99 each as ebooks.
  • Paperbacks of all titles are still $15 each.
  • If you are an Amazon Prime member, you’ll be able to BORROW Sleeping Dogs Lie for your Kindle for at least the next three months. (I’m evaluating that program with this book.)
  • Can you tell your friends and family? You bet! Anyone who might enjoy it is welcome…but free is only for these five days!

What’s the book about?

On a rainy October night, Louisa McGuire waits in the car while her friend Bob makes a dash into the grocery store. Soon he comes out again—but with him is a woman in a sleek red suit. She leads him to her Mercedes and they drive away. Has Louisa been ditched, or has Bob been kidnapped? She enlists the help of her cousin Kay, owner of an antique store, and two intrepid canines, Jack and Emily Ann, to follow the scant clues to find Bob. Find him they do—but when they learn who he really is, they find out that the stakes are high. Will they avoid being the next victims of a cold-blooded murderer?

Go! Fetch! Read!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Warning: Shameless Self Promotion Ahead!

Outside of Southern California, December is NOT the season for garaging. They’ve been thin here in Oregon lately, very thin. But it is the season for a lot of non-driveway shopping. Which I would like to help you out with. Seriously. In that spirit, just want you to know I have several eBay auctions going this week, which include some items you may have seen and possibly even coveted on this very site. Some sneak peeks:

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And of course, there’s sure to be someone on your gift list who would love a cozy, funny mystery (or three) to read. (Maybe even you – and your local library!) Check out my Willow Falls series, available in both paperback and as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.

FRONT COVER  dogsWeTrust front  Dog Prince Cover

A book is a gift you can open again and again!

Hope your holiday season is merry and bright.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

What Are the Odds…

…that you would walk up to a sale, peek into a box of miscellaneous books – and see one by someone you once knew? Okay, I suppose if you are a literary agent or a publicist for Random House, the odds would be pretty fair. But I was a bit surprised when it happened to me!

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This book was written by one of my grad school professors. In fact, I was her student assistant for a semester. There was nothing else in the box of a similar nature. Just seemed odd. Of course, if I someday spot one of my own books for sale at a yard sale, I will know I have arrived as an author! 

Perhaps it was the surprise that addled my brain enough that I picked up an item I thought maybe just might be something I could resell, even though I recently resolved NOT to buy anything else that I wasn’t positive I could use myself or definitely resell. Which turned out to have no resell value at all that I can see.

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I’m not going to kick myself too hard though, since I only spent a dime! And my loss is the kitty thrift store’s gain.

I was rather guided by whim this weekend. It’s the only explanation for purchasing a Fisher Price chime ball.

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Its chime is just delightful though. It rang merrily the whole time it was riding in my car. So many toys that make noise are jarring and annoying. This is what a noisy toy should sound like. Wish I could think of some way to make it into a garden chime.

Another whim was this springerle rolling pin.

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Will I ever make springerle? No idea. I had a vision of imprinting shortbread dough, but I’m not sure the imprint wouldn’t bake out. Guess I was seduced by the cute carvings of a bunny

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and a trio of mushrooms

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and a little bunch of cherries.

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Just for the record, I did not succumb to every whim. For about two seconds I thought these figures might be funny in my garden.

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We could go for that popular ninja-nun look. Then I saw the price tags. So much for that. But what really cracked me up was the juxtaposition of these guys next to another item for sale.

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I did enjoy their cat.

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Found another wool blanket for a guest bed, same brand and similar to one from last year. When I tossed it on the bed to take a picture, I expected Zoe to remove herself. But she wouldn’t.

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She really likes this blanket. Hopefully she will refrain from eating it.

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I expect to have better luck reselling some other finds.

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And one item turned out to be fairly rare.

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I doubt that I’ll start building my own MCM furniture, though I kind of like this coffee table.

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Apparently the author was Bauhaus-connected, and sold prefab furniture way before Ikea came along. But what I really like is the carpenter, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth in some pictures, and his stocking feet. Hope he didn’t step on those nails.

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Lots of shots show his hair in disarray.

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Kind of wanted to look for a disclaimer along the lines of “No professional models were used in the making of this book.”

Those were my Friday finds. On Saturday I headed off towards Molalla (about 35 miles away) for an event at one of the country nurseries out there, garaging as I went. Just before I headed out of Salem, I found a sale that didn’t look like much, but there were some bins of free stuff by the curb.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Not just free stuff. Free vintage linens. Some are not in the best condition, but might be good candidates for repurposing. I ended up spending a dollar for about a yard and a half of vintage-inspired fabric

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and this arts & craft style vintage table runner.

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Couldn’t figure out how they decided what to charge for, and what to put in the free stuff, because this was all free.

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This bridge table cloth has some marks in the middle

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but doesn’t it look like it could be used as the yoke and sleeves for something?

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I haven’t embroidered anything for a long time, and I love this free pillowcase.

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But here’s my question for you all: I think an oxy soak will take out most of the stains, but will it remove the embroidery pattern too?

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And my question for me is, did I keep that stash of embroidery threads and hoops, or did I donate them to the thrift store in my last binge of purging?

 

 
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