MY WEEKEND FINDS

Well my friend Nancy and I went to that big 40+ houses subdivision sale. She was looking for baby stuff for a friend, and I was looking for vintage junk, as usual. This is important to remember towards the end of this post.

It was kind of a bust! These are some of the things that I came home with.

An old Playskool Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe toy. I guess kids were supposed to learn how to tie their shoes with this. I think I'll just use it in my craft area to hold my knitting needles!

An old tissue box holder. Please tell me that they still make kleenex boxes that will fit in there!

A little Valentine girl.

A cute book.

A vintage trellis.

An old etched mirror for 25 cents! I think it looks kind of interesting there, AND I can see what's going on behind me while I'm washing the dishes!

A big box of flashcards. Bouncing. Bug. Flower. Garden. I think I just found a name for that one part of the garden that's especially buggy!

I'm crazy about this vintage Fisher Price crib toy. Actually my friend found it first. I saw her pick it up, and I said, "No Nancy!", or "Nancy No!", or some variation like that. Remember she was looking for baby stuff? Well, I had to remind her that I collect bluebirds. So she gave it to me, and ever since, I've felt like I stole a toy right out of a baby's hands! Simply put, I AM........


And so, to feel better about myself, I made a little gardening vignette, using only garage sale finds. What? You thought I gave the bluebird back? Don't be silly!

IN THE GARDEN-It's A Jungle Over Here!

Let's take a peek at what's happening in the garden this week!

I keep forgetting to show you something that I saw for the very first time, at our little local nursery. Black Velvet Petunias!

They really do look like velvet, don't they? Have you ever seen black petunias?

This patch of Pink Coneflowers is doing very nicely this year.

I can't tell what kind of bug that is, maybe a bee, but it looks like it's little legs are covered in pollen!

The Heliopsis is doing great here too.


Remember what my red bike looked like this Spring?

Who knew it was going to turn out like this?! Somebody needs to get in there next Spring and do some transplanting!
Well, it's about to get disgustingly hot here, in the 90s and humid for a week, so the gardens are basically on their own. That kind of weather just makes me nauseous and limp as a buttered noodle!

So early Saturday morning, my buddy Nancy and I will hit a few garage sales. Ok, more like 40! It's a subdivision sale, and it was a good one last year. We'll start at 7:30 AM, fill up the van with junk, and get home before the real heat of the day.

The rest of the week I'll just do a little light cleaning, maybe crank up the A/C to do some baking. Anything but go outside! I sure hope it's cooler in your little corner of the world!

Garage Sale Reds for REDnesday!

I've got some reds that I saved from my weekend finds to share for Rednesday!

I thought I was going to have to knock over the lady that was standing in front of these, just gabbing away and blocking me from grabbing them! I stood there waiting as long as I could (about 10 seconds) before I firmly said Excuse Me! The girl on the right is a Napco lady head vase. I haven't packed her away yet, because I can't stop looking at her. She's so pretty!

A vintage noisemaker for New Year's Eve. I'll stay up 'til 12:01, give it a twirl, and then go to bed!

A vintage pillow cover from the 40s. I guess soldiers sent these back to their sweethearts.

The poem is so sweet. He's worried about HER safety!

Another vintage Westfield name mug. I remember my Mom having a couple of these when I saw little.

And it goes along with the others that I have. And when I'm asked who Donald and Wayne and Kevin are, I say........

Just turn it around and drink your coffee!
Linking to Rednesday, at It's A Very Cherry World, where Sue is our hostess!

MY WEEKEND FINDS

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of My Weekend Finds, the continuing saga of one girl's quest for more junk!

Thanks to lots of Ebay Bucks, I was finally able to win one of these yellow picnic baskets, after many times coming up short in the bidding wars! One day I WILL own every type of picnic basket out there, oh yes I will!

An old Made In Japan bunny (with a jaunty top hat) pushing a cart full of wacky tacky plastic crocuses. Just perfect for Easter!

An old USA planter and a McCoy pot.

Do you ever find something you're looking for, really cheap, shortly after you've spent good money on one? I got the one on the right from Ebay a few weeks ago, and now I find the one on the left, with a slight sunburn, for 50 cents. 50 CENTS! After I just paid xx for it, plus xxx for shipping. Does this happen to you? All the time?

I also found this old Snoopy pull toy, which I remember having when I was little, and "need" now. At least I waited to find it, instead of getting one on Ebay, which can cost a small fortune.
Our daughter was with me when I found him at a garage sale. She said "What are you gonna do with that?" I CANNOT WAIT until she's hunting down every single Polly Pocket she ever played with when she was little. Buying back her childhood, one toy at a time. Then she'll understand!
So, did you find anything over the weekend that you remember from your childhood?

IN THE GARDEN

Let's take a peek at what's happening in the garden this week!

I can't believe I almost forgot to put the pink shroom in the garden! I got these at an estate sale a couple of years ago, and they're one of my favorite garden decorations.

I planted a bunch of Asclepias, or Milkweed in pots. It's food for the Monarch Butterflies, and the caterpillars.

The bane of my existence. Or Campanula Americana Tall Bellflower. It was here when we moved in, and it will be here long after human life ceases to exist. If I can help just one gardener today, let me tell you this: Do Not Plant Tall Bellflowers!!!!


The other bane of my existence. Gooseneck Loosestrife. It's such a cool flower, but again, it's got a mind of it's own and WILL take over!

This hydrangea has only a few blooms on it. Some years it doesn't bloom at all, so I guess I just need to be pleasantly surprised when it does bloom.

Monarda, or Bee Balm. They look like fireworks, don't they?

A bee diligently working away on the Monarda. I have to say, it's a good summer for bees. I've noticed what seems to be alot more than usual, so I guess I better be careful, because I'm allergic!

I think it's been about 2 weeks since we've had rain, so I've had to do alot of sprinkling and dragging around of the hoses. In my frilly two-piece, of course! So what's blooming in your garden this week?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! and More Patriotic Decor

I thought I'd share the rest of my patriotic decor today. As I said in an earlier post, this all stays up until after 9/11, so really, if I wanted to, I could just continue to decorate, couldn't I?!

I was just able to finish this bunting before my sewing machine went haywire again.

Here's a close-up of the fabric I used.

One end of the porch swing.

The other end. I really want to paint the swing. But I don't know what color. A chippy white would just blend in with the house, wouldn't it? Any suggestions?

BIG SAM, which I made several years ago. He's as tall as I am!

Old Glory Cottage front porch, all decked out. I made the Sam & Libby up there too. And I see that the birds have been using Lady Liberty's hair again for their nests!

An old star quilt.

Some treat cups that I made last year.

The dining room table, with a vintage red, white and blue tablecloth.

I love all of these books, especially Long May She Wave. If you're crazy for Old Glory like I am, then it's a must-have!

A Mary Engelbreit garden flag. There's actually more red, white and blue that I never got around to taking a picture of, but you get the idea! Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July, as we celebrate our country's birthday today!