Little Treasures

I love thrifting...if I had a little heart emoticon, I'd put it right in the middle of that sentence...in fact, I need a bumper sticker to declare my love of thrifting to the world...or whatever portion of the world has the misfortune to wind up behind me on the road...particularly as I s-l-o-w down to eye particularly promising-looking trash heaps curbside...

Every Saturday, Mr G and I have what we call our Saturday Morning Ramble...generally, this includes a stop at the Habitat for Humanity thrift store (although it is really a warehouse...a seriously falling down warehouse, but oh well...just be careful where you step...and about which wall you choose to lean upon...or where you stand when it is raining...but all of these defects add character...much more fun to shop where you take your life into your own hands than in a brightly lit linoleum-tiled glass-fronted space in a soulless strip shopping mall)...then we drop by the library...maybe head to the diner where locals gather for breakfast...sometimes we head by the nursery for some plants...or by Goodwill...it just depends...

But today! Well, the Episcopal church just across the road held their rummage sale...and while the sale wasn't monstrously large, some loverly things were to be had for a song...we arrived pretty early (right after 7 a.m.) since I awoke around 2 a.m. for some strange reason having to do with a certain husband crawling over me to turn off the fan that he insisted be on...the fan that combined with the ceiling fan to turn our bedroom into little freezer...the fan that I said would make the room too cold...Mr G kept taking my part of the quilt since he decided to sleep on top of it...being the gentle and kind wife I am, I'd wake up freezing and snatch it back...

I digress...above you see a good portion of my treasures from today...excluded are the shutters I talked Mr G into dragging home from Habitat to make a door at the place where our bedroom corridor intersects the front hall area...also excluded are the tarts and the tart warmer...

Today's Finds:

a lovely soft old delicate quilt...for the unbelievable price of fifty cents...the lady who donated it to the sale said it belonged to her grandmother...while I can't see myself handing over such a thing, she remarked that you have to start letting things go...obviously, I haven't reached that level of evolution yet...the quilt now covers our small dining table...perfect

a print-on-board of dogs playing cards ($1)...sometimes I can't help myself...I have started collecting (among other things...many other things) old paintings of dogs & cats...and while this is a print, those dogs just won my heart...I'm afraid this dogs-playin'-cards thing may get out of control...

a duck towel holder ($2)...to match my pig towel holder...and my cow towel holder...that are lined up over my laundry area...I'd share a pix (because I think it is pretty darn funny), but I realized as I was editing my photo that shelf needs some serious attention...

an unopened box set of the first 5 Mitford books ($5)...a timely buy since my copies are getting a little ragged...it was about to be scotch tape-on-the-pages time...

a darling little print of 3 tigers taking tea ($1)...on the back there is a strip of paper with the words "Three thumping tigers are taking their tea" or something along those lines...Tigers are cats so I bought it...

2 nice older very large baskets in pristine condition ($3 and $4)...the largest one Mr G insisted I buy since I love baskets...it really is so large I'm not sure what I'll do with it(the picture doesn't do it justice)...but I expect the cats will help me out with the decision-making process...one or two...possibly three...have probably set up housekeeping in there anyway...

an older jelly strainer with stand (75 cents)...at least that is what I'm callin' it...the same lady who donated the quilt donated this old jelly strainer...I have no idea what I'll use it for, but I can see it sitting on a dresser top, holding the crazy little things I pick up...

a non-fiction book about cook-offs($1.99)...Mr G and I just watched a show about the Pillsbury cook-off...and I was fascinated...

and a darling, never-been-used, electric tart warmer($3)...with 2 tarts, one being pumpkin pie-scented and the other apple-scented...

oh...I almost forgot a cute little starburst/compass rose type rhinestone pin($1)...all stones present and accounted for...

All in all, a quite satisfying haul...

Thrifting for me is not just about getting a bah-gain...I feel like I'm rescuing cast-offs that have outworn their welcome in other parts...and I love that Mr G has gotten into the spirit of thrifting...and may one day give me a run for my money in hunting down bargains that we can drag home to re-purpose or just to sit about the place...Mr G used to laugh when I'd drag something sorry lookin' home...until I came up with a plan to re-use it...and then take great pleasure in explaining...in great...lengthy...detail how much said item would have run us picking it up retail...

Actually, he did more than laugh...he christened me and one of my old junkin' buddies The Trash Monkeys...little did he know that we would embrace our inner Trash Monkeys, and indeed revel in our Trash Monkeyness...[insert loud and irritating laughter]*

So, I cannot wait for the day when I can crown Mr G prince consort of Queen Trash Monkey...I feel confident I have some things lurking about to make up a loverly scepter and crown for my Mr G...in fact, I know I have some old pieces of wood from that shutter I took apart to make.............

*I have not, nor shall I ever, knock on wood, dumpster dive...well, the ittybitty one outside of habitat where they put things for people to look through...but other than that...I don't have the nerves...or the upper body strength...to vault myself into a large strange dumpster...not sayin' it is a bad thing, just not a Mrs G thing...