Which Way the Wind Blows…

 Those of you who have been visiting my blog for a while have probably noticed that I like bunnies.

There. I’ve admitted it. I have a bunch of bunnies. I never set out to collect them, but they do keep finding me. I like to think the ones I’ve brought home (and I have seen thousands that I did not bring home) are especially appealing. Some have come into my life and left again – perhaps downsized, or broken like the bunny pin cushion I made from a little vintage planter (sigh).

My dog Fannie has a particular favorite bunny, which her sister Millie the mischievous cat knocks off the shelf for her from time to time, a little stuffed toy I made from an old cashmere sweater. I got up a few days ago and discovered Fannie had spent the night snuggled up on the sofa with the cashmere bunny, which was a bit disheveled but all in one piece.

Friday’s sales were skimpy (holiday weekend) but I had errands to run so I added a few to my list. And sure enough, there was a bunny calling my name and insisting on coming home with me. And it’s something I've secretly wanted for a long time – a weathervane.

Fortunately he’s on a spike, so I don't have to figure out how to mount him on the roof. He looks quite at home cavorting among the shrubbery, and I've discovered he has another talent in addition to responding to the wind.

He distracts the eye wonderfully from my flourishing weeds! Hooray for bunnies!

She Made Me Go Back!

KK and I were planning to go to one rummage sale on Friday, then head ten miles north to the farm that was advertising you-pick tomatoes. After all, we wisely told each other, neither of us needs a single thing, in fact we need to get rid of stuff that we have, yada yada yada. But then I texted her early that morning, “Or we could go to that neighborhood sale where I got the great light fixture a couple of years ago and pick tomatoes another day; I'm good either way.”

Yes, we went to the neighborhood sale!

It quickly became apparent that participation on Friday was low; there were probably quite a few more sales on Saturday. But that was okay. After all neither of us needs a thing etc. And our very first stop was worth going: piles and piles of fifty cent clothing. I haven’t had a dig like that for ages. I spent three bucks and came home with three pairs of jeans, 

two long sleeve t-shirts, 

and a linen jacket from Coldwater Creek in a cheerful floral print. 

Even better, everything fits, and except for the jacket, I don't think any of it has been worn. It all still has that sizing smell. No fancy brands, but who cares?

We cruised for a while longer, then decided to hit the rummage sale on the West side of town, just down the street from the epic estate sale where we bought so much incredible clothing. (I’ll be wearing all that cashmere forever.) The church ladies had moved their annual sale out into their parking lot, and we were all masked and distancing. And so we happily rummaged. Racks of clothing (no thanks, just bought six things), piles of fabric (must…resist…more…fabric…), boxes of picture frames. I flipped through these, smiling over the framed needlepoint with a funny saying about housework. Tempting, but I resisted. I also resisted a curious glass object among the kitchen wares, but happily grabbed the medium-sized saucepan with lid I've been looking for. Each one I've seen for the past few months was over my price-flinch point. At one dollar, this one was meant to be mine. 

Another dollar brought home these two wonderful vintage but unused tea towels.

We grabbed Thai food at the food trucks and went back to my house to eat by the creek. My outdoor table is probably less than ten feet from the water, and the ducks provide a daily aquatic show, augmented by a pair of green herons, kingfishers, geese and more. (In fact, at my birthday dinner not long ago, also held on my deck, KK suddenly exclaimed and pointed – a hawk had just swooped down and grabbed a fish out of the water!) We chatted about the usual this and that, and I said something about the funny framed needlepoint that I kind of wished now I had bought.

“Let’s go back and you can get it,” she said. Nah, I said, I don’t need it…and so we got back into her car and drove back across the river and parked in the exact same spot in their parking lot, and I hurried over to the box of frames, now fearful it would be gone. But the garage sale gods were smiling upon me, it was still there, still sporting its 75₵ price tag. 

I grabbed it, then went to the kitchen wares. The mystery item remained; I showed it to KK who thought it might be a wine aerator. 

I decided if it was cheap enough I'd buy it. Along with this adorable bunny that would make an excellent soap dish (now that all I do is wash my hands multiple times a day). 

The church ladies had no idea about the mystery item and priced it at a quarter, and the cute bunny at fifty cents. Well within my splurge range.

Apparently KK was right, and this is to aerate red wine as you pour it from the bottle. At first I thought not because it did not go in the bottle of pinot noir sitting on my counter, but then I tried it in another wine bottle and it fit. I never knew that the interior diameter of all wine bottle necks was not equal, so for only twenty-five cents I have increased my fund of knowledge.

And that's a bargain any day of the week!

 

Unexpected Treasures

Wasn’t going out on Friday, only two estate sales in town that looked meh and Judy and I both decided housework could take precedence. Then KK ended up with Friday off, so she and I checked out the estate sales. Which turned out to be…meh. And both involved climbing stairs, and both houses were, um, somewhat smelly. The first had been inhabited by smokers (lovely collection of ashtrays for sale in the garage), the second by mildew and infrequently changed cat boxes.

And I admit that stairs are not my favorite thing. The new knee is doing just fine, but we're still slow on stairs. I really appreciated the lady going up in front of me who commented, "You know, I have always hated climbing stairs!" Someone who understands me!

I managed to spend four bucks at the first sale. The family was probably Swedish; among other things there were numerous Christmas ornaments made of the traditional straw. I was a bit tempted, but my rambunctious cat Millie would have made short work of them. But I loved this hand embroidered (all in chain stitch) bell pull, 

and Millie highly approves of the bunny tea cloth I brought home.

I love the bunnies, don't they look like they are conversing?

On Saturday, KK and I headed off to Portland. We were lunching with Linda, then getting KK’s car serviced at the dealer. When we reached Linda’s house we found she had ducked out to run a quick errand that of course took longer than expected, but we had seen an ‘estate sale’ sign around the corner so of course we had to check it out. Turned out to be further away than expected, but on the way to our lunch spot.

Everyone else in Portland must have been at a mall, because this very nice estate sale was practically deserted. And luckily Linda soon texted, and joined us. KK found several things (sorry, can't remember what!) and Linda went back the next day to buy the mirror she fell in love with – at

half price.

I hit the jackpot before I even went in the house – found a large Japanese aralia (fatsia japonica) for only ten bucks. (If you buy plants you know that’s a steal!) It was one possibility I've been considering for a part of my yard I'm developing because of its imposing appearance and shade tolerance.

 Inside I picked up a pair of fifty cent earrings,

two lovely blue ramekins (fifty cents each),

and a handmade tote bag that I just love.

Needs a bit of mending, but hey, I like to mend!

Out in the garage I found another holiday bell pull, this one of Swedish hardanger embroidery on linen.

I guess it was Swedish weekend, since we had to go by IKEA while we were in Portland as well. But the little glow we felt from finding this completely unexpected estate sale carried us through the retail encounter. Which on a Saturday afternoon, ten days before Christmas, we certainly needed!

Revisiting

Last summer, when my friend Marcia was here and we were waiting for my knee replacement surgery to happen, we naturally did a bit of garaging. We stopped at an estate sale in my old neighborhood, and it was a treasure trove. We had a great time on their driveway, chatting and roasting in the August heat and digging through the many boxes. The sale was lady’s parents’ belongings, and her mother was an extremely creative (and collecting!) person. Marcia came away with an armload of CDs, and I bought music and movies and craft supplies and whimsical doodads. I remember walking away with my arms full for a total of five bucks.

One of my favorite whimsies that day was this tiny vintage piece.

So you may only imagine how excited I was to see that they were having another sale this weekend. I don't usually go back to one I've already seen, but I knew they had only scratched the surface of the parents’ belongings.

Marcia is back in California now, so I took my friend Lonna along to see what we could see. Alas, her luck was not running well – she found a book she wanted that turned out wasn’t for sale. Then she saw something else she liked and had a somewhat unpleasant encounter with one of the pushy guys I think is a local dealer. (There are a handful of these folks who are consistently rude, and I generally try to arrive at sales when I think they will have left.) So sorry, Lonna, it’s not usually like that!

I fared better. On our way into the house we walked by a large Christmas wreath. I noticed it had a price tag. One dollar. Now mine. It's just faux greenery but you can't beat that price. I think I'll refurbish it for next year, but for now it's the total of my seasonal decorating.

The first thing I found inside was this trio of one-inch tall angels. Some of their wings have gotten broken, but I still love them.

My next find was a large framed embroidery for my studio.

You may remember that my focus word for this year is “Mend” – this seemed a perfect reminder. When I got home, I noticed a tag on the back from the framing shop. Imagine my surprise when I saw it was framed in Oklahoma City where I grew up!

Turns out the framers are still in business, and one of their shops is only a few blocks from where I lived. I'm sure I'll never know who the embroiderer was, but I wonder if our paths ever crossed? Whoever she was, the frame was carefully selected to color blend with the embroidery.

I found some cute cupcake papers. At three for a penny, home they came.

In one of the back bedrooms, I found this big (about 2’ tall) papier-mâché bunny who now resides at my house. He was one of the things the creative mother made.

In the other back bedroom, I noticed a really nice switch plate cover, and asked if it might be for sale. The answer was yes, in fact I could just have it, if a screw driver could be located to remove it from the wall. Alas, no screwdriver appeared. I first tried a dime (too big) and then the tip of a table knife (also too big) then they did locate some odd multi-purpose tool but it was too awkward to turn the screws. But I really loved it. So later in the day I went back – with my own screwdriver! Had it off the wall in no time, and made sure that the folks having the sale knew how much I love it.

Of course since I was there again I had to shop again. It was amazing how much had left the house in two or three hours, but much remained. I picked up some movies

including one that might be in Chinese.

I found a very small Yixing tea pot, too small to be practical for use. But a) it was only fifty cents, and b) it looks good with my other Yixing pots. ‘Nuff said.

My last find was another papier-mâché bunny, much smaller than the first. 

I absolutely fell for his hand painted face.

So sometimes you can go home again – even if it's to someone else’s home! Even better, they told me another sale is planned in January, because they hadn’t even started on clearing the garage.

I can hardly wait.

To the Bins…and Beyond!

I haven’t been very assiduous about posting, but never fear, the thrifting continues!

The very next day after my last post about all the art I’m finding, I checked Craigslist and saw that the Episcopalian Church’s rummage sale was happening that day. (They start theirs on Thursday, then on Friday afternoon prices go to half, and on Saturday you can stuff a bag for five bucks.) I didn’t find much, I think a scarf and a kitchen doodad, but as I headed for the line to pay, I noticed that they had art propped up behind the tables of their “special” items – nicer things with higher prices. And there was a picture there that caught my eye, colorful windswept trees on a hillside. Sure enough, the handwritten label proclaimed it to be an original, but the price was $20. 

Not a whole lot for an original piece of art, but I had already spent so much in October I was really hesitant. When paid for my other things (a whole dollar!) I asked if they reduced prices at any point and they explained their system. I said I'd try to come back Friday afternoon and see if the picture I wanted was still there. 

One of the two ladies perked up and asked which picture. I pointed and described, and she beamed. It was a piece she had donated. I told her how much I liked it but that I was watching my pennies. She turned to the other lady, whose name tag proclaimed her to be Carol. “Couldn’t we let her have it for half today?” she asked.

Carol pursed her lips and shook her head. “If we do that,” she proclaimed, “we would have to do it for everyone.”

I've heard this line before, and it always annoys me, but I kept smiling. “No you wouldn’t. I'm not going to tell anyone, and I know you wouldn’t either.”

Joyce, the one who donated the picture, smothered a smile. “Maybe we could put it back for her until tomorrow.” Carol shook her head again. “We’ve never done that before.”

“Carol,” I said, still smiling, “why don’t you go take a little walk while Joyce and I talk?”

Carol hemmed and hawed a bit, but before long she turned away, and Joyce and I walked over to the picture. She told me she bought it from a local artist in Hood River and that it’s a cherry orchard (fruit is the big industry up there). She had it framed after she bought it, and she was really hoping that someone would fall in love with it when she donated it. I assured her I was that person, ten dollars quietly changed hands, and off I went. She seemed just as happy that it found the right home as I was to have it. I did a little rearranging and had it hung in my living room within half an hour of arriving home.

This is no amateur piece like some of the others (though I love them too!). 

The artist, Sally Bills Bailey, has apparently won lots of awards for her watercolors and acrylics. I found three of her works online with sales prices in the $1200 to $1800 range – and those are unframed. So I got an amazing bargain, but no one could love it more than I do!

You know how when something lucky happens people will say you should go buy that lottery ticket? Well, I think that’s the perfect time to keep thrifting – you’re far more likely to ‘win’ than with the lottery!

A few days later KK and I made a foray to the Goodwill bins, where I found a couple of beautifully made wooden toys. I knew exactly the person who would love them, my friend Lonna’s brother Jeff collects (among other things) wooden trains and cars etc. Sure enough, he loved them!

And wouldn’t you know, the next time we hit the bins I spotted something else I knew he would love for his Mickey Mouse collection – a vintage Mickey backscratcher.

He has hundreds of Mickey items, but didn’t have a backscratcher. He does now!

In between those two trips to the bins, we happened on a pretty good estate sale over near my old house. (In the really posh part of the neighborhood.) On Friday all I got was this metal bunny; 

it had lost its rod that stuck into the ground, but I like it on the wall.

KK and I went back on Saturday. Way fewer people crowded into the house, and still lots of interesting stuff to see. I walked off with some metal shelving for my garage (too boring to take a picture of, and now it’s full of things like paint cans.) More interesting is the adorable bunny hose holder – the paint is flaking off a bit, but I've got a can of copper metallic spray paint that will make it really spiffy.

My other find was a king size down comforter for five bucks. (Picture a large white poofy thing.) I knew I needed a duvet cover for it (white bed coverings and dogs are not a good combo!) so that was our excuse for the second trip to the bins. Where I found an Eddie Bauer king-size duvet cover in a dark red damask. LOVE! It washed beautifully, and is big enough on my queen size bed to hang down to the dust ruffle. 

Me and the girls are cozy at night, let me tell you!