Thursday, October 22, 2009

HALLOWEEN...finally!

Halloween finally arrived at our house last week. I got a major motivational kick when I discovered this odd plaid fabric while searching for yard sale stuff. Whipped up a quick valance for the kitchen, zigzagged on some vintage velvet ribbon, and hung BOO in my old brass stencils from a torn strip of black fabric. Then I wandered the house picking up a black cat here & there...added some silk fall leaves & a cute white & orange stripey pumpkin...and Voila! The day after my yard sale, I discovered another hour or 2 of energy, and dragged all the pottery pumpkins & other paraphernalia down from the barn. I've had the spider web for like 5 years...$2 from Big Lots, and this year had to make repairs to keep it going for one more year. Added some tree moss and a couple of fat spiders, and the front was done.
Moved onto the porch where I found homes for my assortment of pottery pumpkins. The collection has gotten rather large, but I figure since I don't carve a real one anymore, I can bring home cool ones I see them. I put candles inside of all of them, except for the teeny ones, and sit out on the porch to hand out goodies to the little monsters.
Of course, the porch had to be swept and "dusted" as I went along, so it took a little longer than usual. Was going to put up lights today, but had too many errands, chores and people stopping by to say "hi", so the lights didn't get done. Have to work 10 to 9 tomorrow, so I don't think the lights are gonna happen. Oh well... there' always next year.
Had one accident while bringing stuff down stairs...my old scarecrow leaped out of my arms, and over the railing, and promptly fell apart. I think he had just had it. When I pulled him from his box, I was wondering how many glue sticks it was going to take to put him together this year...after the accident...or was it intentional?.... I decided to retire him for good. So, I think I'm ready enough for Halloween...just need to stock up on candy...candy...candy!! Been clipping coupons for the past couple of weeks...maybe it will only cost an arm for all those goodies this years. Even though my sons are grown, I don't like to disappoint the munchkins in the neighborhood. Had some other things I wanted to blog about, but as usual, I've rambled on & on. I received a neat blog award from Betty @ Blossoms and Lace, and I need to pass it on....maybe Saturday? I'll be back! happy Thursday *elaine*

Sunday, October 18, 2009

SALE'S over...Whew!!!

Sooo...at "O Dark-thirty" Saturday morning Steph & I are at my boss's house dragging a ton of junk out into the driveway. We had set up the tables & other inside stuff Tuesday & Wednesday nights after work, but we still utilized most of Carol's 2 car drive as well as most of the garage! When did garage sales become so much work?? I used to decide on a Thursday to have a sale on Friday AND Saturday, and still have enough energy to chase 2 little boys around, and maybe even still be awake @ 7:30...the little boys are all grown up, the sale was only Saturday and I was asleep by 7:00 Saturday night, on the couch, probably snoring!! :o} Would you LOOK at all this stuff?!? Does it reproduce on it's own in the dark shed? Or does it need the sunlight upstairs in the barn to accomplish this?? All I know for sure is I have way too much stuff...even after the sale! Have a huge pile of boxes slated to go to my favorite thrift, the BS...Hey Jim...can you arrange a pickup for me? Still have a small pile in Carol's garage, another in Steph's husband's van and I spent most of today reorganizing & filling another box for the BS. Thankfully, business was brisk and we sold a ton of stuff. A lot of the large items went fairly early...outgrown used twice baby stroller...car seat { did my kids grow this fast?} and more stuff that I will never think of again! Farewell...parting is such a relief! :o}
Also, to our advantage, there were quite a few sales in the same area, and I know we got a lot of our buyers in clumps from those sales. We had NO early birds, cause they were all too busy early birdin' the other sales. There was an Estate Sale, a couple of miles down the street, that sounded SOOOO good Steph & I actually thought about leaving ours & going to theirs...just for a moment...just a brief thought, I swear!
More views of more junk...cannot believe Calvin, the handmade pig on the front table did not sell. He sold for $50 @ a craft show, and while I didn't pay that much, I paid more than the $10 I priced him at. I collected pigs at one time, gave 'em up...but Calvin, after being handled by everyone at the sale, came home with me.
I covered my motley collection of card tables with some of the less desirable vintage table clothes. These tables have been in my barn for years, but the humidity this year really took it's toll on all metal parts....squeeeekkkk!!!
So, all in all, the sale was a great success! Will head to the bank tomorrow to deposit a nice little bankroll that I didn't have Saturday morning. Even nicer is being able to see inside the shed AND walk straight to the washer w/o climbing over a teetering pile of boxes! Spent another hour or so in there this morning, and discovered the makings for at least 5 projects that had been buried by the sale fodder collecting frenzy! Now of course, it's only 2 weeks or less till Halloween, and all that stuff is in more blue plastic totes...up in the barn...don't know how many trips these knees can make up those stairs, but I gotta get the punkins down...and the black cats...and all the other goodies still up there. I need an elevator! Did you hear that, Joe?? No more barns with upSTAIRS...okay? :o} Gotta run...time for Gray's Anatomy...my one prime time soap-y show....oh wait that was on Thursday?....missed that...how about Desperate Housewives?....oh wait that makes 2 prime time soap-y shows... that's okay Joe's asleep in his chair "watching" the football game...I'll just tippy toe out there, and sneak that remote right out of his hand! Hope you all had a great weekend, and found lots of good junk! I'll be back in a couple of days with the punkins from the barn. till then happy Sunday night *elaine*

Friday, October 9, 2009

Reasons Why...

...I haven't had time to blog for over a week. Alexandria & Gramma had lots of gardening to do...
Then we extended our sleep-over weekend to Monday to include a trip to the beach....

Then I had to switch over all my junk to my awesome new purse I won from B's Purses last week...


Then I had to figure out how to get to the washing machine with all the yard sale stuff in the shed that is stacked to the roof...



Then I had to water all the poor plants that were drooping all over my yard, because someone has not told the state of Florida that it's October for crying out loud and it should not be 95 in October...

Of course, in the middle of all that, we had one of our busiest weeks at work...the homecoming parade was today {forgot the camera} , cleaned the house, did laundry, went grocery shopping and all the other stuff that filled my week so full I am not sure where the whole week has gone!! Tomorrow is Saturday, gotta work one more day, then on Sunday try to get all the stuff ready to move to my boss's house for my yard sale next Saturday. Whew...I'm tired just thinking about it!! Hope you all had a good week and found lots of good junk. I have a couple of sales to check out in the morning...oh, wait, am I not supposed to go yard sale-ing if I'm having a sale? Oh well, a couple sound too good to pass up...just don't tell my husband!! :o} *elaine*


Thursday, October 1, 2009

*RanDom...rAmbLiINgs

FALL!!! It says so on the calendar, and if you look...really carefully...at the top left of my maple tree, you'll see a teeny patch of leaves just starting to turn. Joe & I planted this tree 16 years ago, when it was just a little twig, and now it is a huge, beautiful double trunk tree that drops a TON of red & orange leaves. The one true sign of fall in Central Florida...that, and the fact that I actually have the window by my computer desk open...for the 1st time since April. AAAhhh...my electric meter is breathing a sigh if relief. See...they're really red and gold...
A lonely red leaf caught on the trunk....

This has been a busy week...a good week...but busy. I have been accused by a follower of being a "bad blogger" for not posting anything new for over a week..:o}...we have been so busy at work, and I am NOT complaining, I have a good job AND we're busy. I just come home at night and want to take a nap! Definitely cuts into blogging time!! I'm reading, I'm just not writing! I have a 3 day weekend coming up...1 day to go...and I can go pick up my sweet Ali for the weekend. She loves sleepovers at "Gwamma & Gwammpa's" and so do we...so that's Sat & Sun. Monday it's off to the beach for some well deserved beach combing and soaking up a little more sun...can hardly wait!!


Things that have happened this week to make it a GOOD week? On Sunday, I was given the Honest Scrap award by Gail at My Repurposed Life, and I have been too tired to pass it on! As far as I can see, every blogger on my morning coffee blog list deserves this award! Thank You Gail! On Monday, I found out that I had won the grand prize in a blog giveaway! I found a neat blog, and can't really remember how I found this blog...but this lady named Beth was having a giveaway to launch her new business of selling B's Bags. I had never heard of them, but the pics were cool, so I entered. I WON an awesome prize, and was told to look for it UPS next week! Thank You Beth!!



As if all this neat stuff was not enough, I read that 3 of my blog giveback winners had received their packages, and were very happy with their prizes. Debbie, @ Talkin Trash is still missing from that list. Has anyone talked to her? I know she did a big show, and is probably still recovering, but Miss Priss the Fish is all ready to head to Texas, and I need an address! Debbie!!! Where are You??? So, once again, I have rambled on...and on...etc. and haven't shown one piece of junk! I have found good junk, but getting ready for our sale on October 17, I have been hiding the new good stuff away, so it doesn't end up with a price tag in a box!! I had to dismantle my cool junk window & do a football/homecoming window for the 10th...all THAT junk is in the back of my truck...and needs a home...pronto, cause there are more sales tomorrow, and my usual stop @ the BS for my Friday dose of cool junk and "her assment" {b.clinton} from the proprietor...:o} Goodnight folks...I'm going to post this w/o proof-reading...and I'm afraid to see how long this post has become! Have a great weekend, finds lots of cool stuff...and enjoy the start of FALL!!!! *elaine*