What a Sale! Everything 75¢!

Every Saturday morning I head out before 8 a.m. to run my errands:  laundry, P.O box, ATM, etc. Last week, I took a detour to follow a garage sale sign on a whim. Not that that's unusual or anything. It was just an abrupt detour (I did signal my turn, though).

When I pulled up in front, my heart started racing. I could see from the street, I was going to like this sale. Two young women were frantically staging their mostly antique and vintage wares and apologetically told me the sale didn't start for another 15 minutes and they really needed that time for set up.

One of them said, "I hope you wait, or at least come back. Everything is 75 cents today. It's our second and final day."

Wait? For 75-cent vintage goodies? Heck, yes!

I usually go for the "smalls" and this sale had some great ones. I could have loaded up my entire car with great stuff, but I'm trying to cut back with an eye toward downsizing. Sales like this one make that a challenge.

Here is some of my loot.

Teacups: 75 cents for all. They're so sweet.

Mirror tray: 75 cents, chip and all. I use vintage etched mirrors and mirror trays in my decorating year-round. But, at Christmas time, with the twinkle of lights and candles, they create a magical look around the house. I am especially drawn to mirrors with age flaws, such as this one.

Set of five dishes--Mason's Ironstone, England:  75 cents for all. Watch for this pretty vintage set to appear in an outdoor project in the next few weeks.

A lovely 22-kt. gold Royal China Co. plate also will be featured in a future garden project. A real bargain among bargains at 25 cents.

A girl can never have too many silverplate pieces. Fill them with rose petals in the summer, vintage ornaments in the winter or serve fresh berries out of them at a backyard barbecue. This one was totally black with tarnish. It cleaned up beautifully, but I'm waiting for some degree of tarnish to reappear. I like that used, mildly neglected look.

Yep. 75 cents.

And 75 cents for both decks of South African Airways playing cards. I snap up interesting decks whenever I find them to use in my handmade For Giggles and Grins ephemera journals. I'd never come across this set before.

The 75-cent orphan salt shaker is destined to become a handmade decorative tassel.

75-cent Haeger pink dish has a detachable flower frog and built-in candleholder. It's in mint condition. But, I'm not a fan of pink and will probably list this one at some point.

Pretty vintage linen tea towel will look nice in someone's kitchen.

Love this kitschy metal rooster tray from the '50s or '60s. It's in very good vintage condition and was 75 cents, of course.

Wonderful Treasure Island book, copyright 1947, has a colorful illustration on the inside cover and fly sheet and illustrations throughout. This treasure needs a good rubbing alcohol bath and it will be fit for the rental book inventory. 75 cents.

Grand total:  $7.25.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Show and Share

Knick of Time Tuesday

The Scoop
Cottage Style Party
Thursday Favorite Things
Time Travel Thursday
Fridays Unfolded

Wilson--New Look, Natural as Ever

For our household, "wild turkey" references the real thing, not straight Kentucky bourbon whiskey.

On any given day, as few as six wild turkeys, and as many as 23, make our suburban acreage adjacent to a creek their roost, dinner table and playground.

And, where flocks of turkeys shake their tail feathers daily some fallout is inevitable. With all the strutting, courting, primping and scrapping, stray feathers become a common sight in our lawn. I've been collecting them for a couple of years--since the turkeys first showed up.

Turkey feathers are so remarkable. The variation in size, shape, color and texture is amazing. From long, narrow and clearly striped to short, fluffy and irridescent, they offer tremendous versatility for use in home decor.

A couple of years ago, I introduced you to Wilson II, so named because he reminds me of Tom Hank's volleyball-turned-companion in the movie Cast Away. I've been re-creating Wilson II for several years now, using dried elements from my garden--grasses, seed pods, hosta scapes, twigs and anything else that adds interest.

To freshen Wilson's look this year, I pulled out the feather collection and combined a variety of feather sizes, shapes and colors, with plumes of feather reed grass.

A vintage metal flower frog facilitates the basic structure.

Feather reed grass creates the height, the turkey feathers add interest.

Welcome back Wilson II. Love your new "do."

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Sunday Show Off
Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Seasonal Sundays
Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Wildly Original
What's It Wednesday
Time Travel Thursday

More Like Fall Back

Spring Ahead?

Last weekend, I took all the winter decorations down.

This weekend, I started putting up the spring decorations.

This morning, we awoke to this--what the local forecasters said was a possibility of 1-3 inches of snow starting in the wee hours of Sunday morning continuing through Sunday night. Mid-day we already had 4-6 inches, with 6-8 inches now predicted. Winds are strong. At times, we can't see across the street. White out!

Inconvenience and spring fever aside, our area has been in an officially classified "extreme drought" for the past 12 to 15 months. We desperately need the moisture. And, good news is, this time of year, the melt will come quickly (I hope).

On this first day of 2013 Daylight Saving Time, our landscape may look more like we should have fallen back. Instead, we'll get to enjoy from the warmth of home gazing at the beauty of a late snowfall an hour longer into the evening.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Knick of Time Tuesday
Whatever You Want Wednesday
Be Inspired
Thursday Favorite Things

Crock Pot Hot Cocoa for a Crowd

When the weather outside is frightful, nothing hits the spot quite like a delicious cup of super chocolatey hot cocoa.

After a recent dinner out with three other couples, we closed out a wonderful evening at our house. Just desert and hot cocoa to top off an already special evening.

Did you know you can make your hot cocoa in a crock pot to keep it warm for serving to a crowd over a period of time? I made mine before we headed out to dinner. I transferred it to the crock pot--set on low--to let it warm over the next few hours. When we returned from dinner, VIOLA! Delicious, with no muss, no fuss.

Here's the recipe:

HOT COCOA FOR A CROWD

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

1 1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup hot water

1 gallon milk (I used skim)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt.

Add hot water slowly, mixing well.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.

Boil, stirring for 2 minutes.

Add milk and heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally. Do not boil.

Remove from heat and add vanilla and cinnamon, whipping with a wire whisk.

Serve hot.

If desired, transfer to a crock pot to keep warm for serving to a bigger group.

You can serve with a variety of garnishes such as grated cinnamon, chocolate curls or mini chocolate chips. 

I also offered peppermint candy cane swizzle sticks served from a vintage wire flower frog.

Quick. Easy. Yummy. Try it, you'll like it--all winter long.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:
All-Star Block Party

Wildly Original
Whatever You Want Wednesday
Rednesday
It's a Party!
Thursday Favorite Things
It's a Hodgepodge Friday
Cowgirl Up!
Mealtime Monday

Froggy Went a Carolin'

Thanksgiving involved a whirlwind trip to Illinois and special, quality time with family. Today, back home, the Christmas decorations are tugging at my sleeve.

I'm struggling a bit to find my decorating mojo this year. Can't really explain it, other than that I seem to have lost several months between last Christmas and this holiday season and it's thrown me off my game. My, how time flies when you get older!

Sitting in the family room last week, I looked across at the stack of flower frogs that showed off some of my pressed leaves. I couldn't believe I hadn't seen it before. The stack looked a bit like a tree.

So, even before I pulled out the boxes of Christmas decorations, I created a row of frog Christmas trees to display on a small, rustic shelf.

Two of the trees stand atop bases of overturned antique sconce pieces.

If you have a few flower frogs laying around the house, you'd be surprised at how versatile they can be. I use them year-round for decorating. They are handy for displaying photos and postcards and holding pens, pencils and paintbrushes. And, yes, they're great for the purpose they were intended to fill.

A beautiful black glass frog, hidden inside a jack o' lantern, created the base for my annual fall collection of dried garden goodies. I call him Wilson.

Use a collection of frogs as a focal point in your decorating year round.

The small glass frogs look a little like snowflakes and make a nice, sparkly addition to holiday decor..

If you're one who thinks frogs are fair-weather friends, dust off your pieces for endless year round decorating fun. If you don't have any flower frogs, consider picking up a few at an estate sale, thrift store or on Etsy or eBay. They're reasonably priced and a joy to work with.

Make it a great day!

Linking to:

Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Christmas Linky Parade at Cottage Magpie
Motivate Me Monday
Make the Scene Monday
Cowgirl Up!
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Time Travel Thursday
Vintage Thingie Thursday
Transformation Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday