Made me laugh

I ran accross this sign...

It made me laugh....

Tips for Thrifting

I have copied another bloggers tips for thrifting and junking for my entry today!!!
It makes me want to leave work and go junking!!!!


Amy is the Party at SewTara
Posted on August 15, 2011 by tara 3 Comments

Hi, my name is Amy of amyistheparty.com and I am super-excited to be guest blogging for Tara today. One of my favorite things to do is search for vintage treasures. I am always on the lookout for some Mid-Century furniture with tapered legs, pretty Pyrex, kitschy salt & pepper shakers, and anything else that might catch my eye. I’ve heard that California doesn’t have near the plethora of lovely vintage goodies that the Midwest has. Here, searching out vintage collectibles is like hunting for treasure. I can’t explain the thrill of scoring a rare vintage find.

Some tips & tricks I’ve discovered for happy thrifting:
* Don’t worry about trying to find items that might be valuable. An item is only valuable if YOU like it.
* Before buying knick-knacks, try to picture them in your home. There’s nothing sadder than coming home with a cute vintage knick-knack only to find you don’t have a place to put it (okay, there are sadder things, but you know what I mean).
* Shop around online first so you have an idea of what fair prices are for the types of items you like.
* Some of the more artfully arranged shops and vendor booths may be priced too high if you are looking for a deal. Look anyway – you might get some ideas for how to display your vintage finds. You might also be pleasantly surprised.

* Don’t be afraid to haggle. Often times, vendors will take less for an item. It doesn’t hurt to ask – especially if an items is out of your budget or if you don’t think it’s worth what they are asking. Please do be polite about it.
* The best time to go to an antique faire? There are two right answers (1) right when they open so you have first dibs on “the good stuff” and (2) right before the faire closes because vendors are eager to make last minute sales. Plus many of them do not want to lug items home. This is the BEST time to haggle.


* Do bring wet wipes and/or hand sanitizer. hands can get grimy, during especially thrift store shopping.
* Visit your favorite thrift stores often, and especially on a whim. Sometimes I just get a funny feeling that tells me to stop by, and low and behold, some lovely vintage treasure is waiting for me.
* Have an idea of what you are looking for ahead of time, but you should also be open to unexpected finds.
* If antique faire shopping, don’t forget to bring plenty of cash. And/or set a budget for yourself.
* Always bring a tape measure! And don’t assume that a “small” piece of furniture will fit in your car, unless you are driving a truck. Trust me. I couldn’t fit what I thought was a “small chair” into my compact car. I ended up walking it home 13 blocks!
* Don’t be afraid to visit “antique” stores. Their prices can be quite reasonable on some items. Just be sure to research first because one person’s idea of “antique” may not match your idea of antique. Personally, I love most things from the 50s-70s. An antique store that specializes in mid-century is right up my alley!

* Consider an items potential. If you don’t like the color, is it something you can paint? Ceramics can be spray-painted, chair pads can be recovered, wood items can be re-finished. Just make sure you are up for the challenge! You don’t want an item sitting in your garage unfinished for a year (or longer).
* Try visiting second-hand stores that are near a neighborhood where a lot of elderly people live. Although I have no idea how you would research that! I lucked out and found one near my work that almost always has some type of tapered leg Mid-Century furniture. Sometimes it’s in good condition, sometimes not.
Tips for decorating with vintage:* Don’t worry about having everything from your home be in the same style or from the same century. Decorating with vintage accessories and furniture is more about creating a pleasing aesthetic. There’s no need to create a complete replication of a 1950s home (though that would be fun)!

* Start a collection. Or two. Or three. I collect milk glass, vintage owls, salt & pepper shakers, and Pyrex.

Lemon Lime Jello Cake

Sorry my picture is a bit blurry. I found a recipe on a random blog for this Lemon Lime Jello Cake. The blogger said it was one of their family traditions to make this cake every year for their Grandmother on her birthday. Even though her grandmother had passed away, she still makes the cake every year on her birthday as a celebration and rememberance of her Grandmother's life. I thought that was the neatest tradition. (I guess it's simular to the fact that I can't eat white gravy and biscuits without thinking of my Granny Girdner.) I made the Lemon Lime Jello cake over the weekend and it was very good. It's a refrigerator kept cake so it was refreshing and light. A great summer time cake!!! I have included the recipe below!!!
(The plate is one of my granny's by the way)

Recipe

* 1 pkg. lemon cake mix

* 1 large pkg. lime Jello

* 1 small pkg. instant lemon pudding mix

* 1 envelope Dream Whip

* 1 1/2 cups cold milk Dissolve Jello in 1 1/2 cups boiling water.

Add 1 cup cold water. Stir and set aside to cool.

Bake the lemon cake in a 13x9" pan. Cool completely before using a knife or large fork to poke holes all over the cake. I usually poke my holes in rows. It makes for a pretty design once you cut the cake. Carefully pour the Jello mixture evenly over the cake. Refrigerate while making the frosting. Frosting: In a chilled bowl, beat together one package of Dream Whip, the box of lemon pudding, and 1 1/2 cups cold milk. Spread over cake, then refrigerate.

I finished reading The Help over the weekend. Thanks Rachel for letting me borrow it!

It was such a good book. I can't wait to see the movie!!!

Stuff...

Stuff I like....

I recently felt a butterfly in my tummy when I saw pictures of some vintage pyrex...

So, I guess that means I like it. :)

I decided I would definately add these items to my list of "stuff I like" and begin searching for pieces when I go to yard sales, thrifting and junking.

Saturday was a glorious day because I bought my first piece at Goodwill. YAY!

I hope I can find all colors and patterns as I search for more!!!

I checked Ebay to compare what I paid and I did GOOD!!!! YaY me!!! I paid at least a third of what they have on Ebay for the same piece!!!

Laughing Cow...

A friend at work, Laura, came by my desk at work yesterday. She said... "I didn't eat my snack today"... "do you want it?".

Of course, I asked..."What is it?"

She said it's YUMMY...Laughing Cow Cheese only 35 calories and crackers.

I've been seeing the commercials for Laughing Cow and wanting to try it so, I accepted the uneaten snack and .... it was really good!!! YUMMMMMY!!!!!

I am definitely going to be getting some Laughing Cow Cheese for my frig. (and hide it from Mollie)

Back to School

It's back to school time! I love this time of year. It's a fresh slate for students. A new school year of studying, grades, teachers, lunches, tests, exams, quizes, friends, ball games, etc.


This year my child will begin the 11th grade and my great niece Hannah starts kindergarten.


How exciting!!! I remember Mollie's first day of kindergarten. She had two front teeth missing, a blue plaid dress, white sandals, and a curly pony tail.


The other day, I was running an errand in Target (my favorite store) and was drawn to the school supply section.

I saw these cute lunch boxes and wished my Mollie was young enough to want one.