SOMEBODY STOP THE MUSIC, I GOTTA GET OFF!!

Who am I kidding?? I don't want anyone to stop the music and I for sure don't want to get off the junking habit. Rehab might work for some junkers, but not for me. Oh, sure, I've tried to stop, but who am I kidding? I can't do it. I will have talked myself into no more junking and then I'll get the Fitch Estate Sales email. Oh, right, get off of their mailing list.....and hurt Rachel Fitch's feelings. I am not that kind of person.
And I can't just unsubscribe - I have a responsibility to stay informed about what is going on in the world. WE ALL DO. Geez.
There's so much more to it....there's the junk stores I drive by on my way to the Habitat for Humanity's Re-Sale shop. Temptation is always right in front of me.
I'm weak.
There, I said it. Happy??
I'M WEAK AND I CAN'T STOP.

So, who wants to see what I got this weekend? WHOOP!!
I had a fabulous Friday!
It started out by being picked up by my friend, Anne.
We met in treatment.
Mom and I jumped in her car and we were off, flying down the highway like an olympian in the luge event. Our first stop was the estate sale. Anne wasn't too keen on going because it looked rather lah-dee-dah in the email description we got and we're more the rusty-junky-chippy look. But, we decided to support Rachel and stop by for the warm cookies she was offering to those in line.
While we were there we decided it would be rude to not at least walk through the house and comment on how nice everything looked.
When you go to Anne's blog and read her account you'll see the bit of junk she uncovered at the estate sale. I'll just say that she fed her habit enough that later she was able to drive by a wee small child playing with his little kitty in a rusty red wagon and she didn't even look.
(normally, she would have thrown that small kiddo off the wagon,slung the kitty into a tree, stuffed the wagon into her car and taken off leaving the poor little guy crying in the dirt and little kitty screeching and clinging for dear life)

But, enough about her, let's talk about me.
When we first walked in, I, pulling my mother behind me, made my way upstairs as Anne headed to the back of the first floor. We fought our way around the stupid people oogling over the satin covered furniture and sterling silver and sniffed our way to the good stuff. WHOOP!

I hit the motherload when I got to the top of the stairs and in the landing there were tables set up WITH BOXES SHOVED UNDER THEM. I headed for those boxes screaming at my mother to, "OH, GOOD GRIEF, GET UP AND WALK!!! WHY CAN'T YOU KEEP UP!!!".

As she was pulling herself up with the help of some elderly man's cane, I started pulling those boxes out from under the table..................................MOTHERLO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-AD!!

Not one, but TWO boxes of vintage Christmas ornaments. Oh, my gosh. I almost fainted.
Then, if that wasn't enough...

Tassles and vintage Christmas piks.

An amazing hat box with the coolest leather belt to secure the lid.

See?? And, it's from Coifashion (I'm totally sure that means something).

I found a Scrabble game *yes!* and added the tiles to the few I've already accumulated. And, in front of the Scrabble tile jar are the vintage Valentines I found at the antique mall. (Just wait til you see what Anne found at the antique mall................to die for!)

Don't you just love precious vintage Valentines??

Before I show you my next photos I must "introduce" you to my newest girl, Darlene. I've had her for a really long time but haven't had a reason to fix her up for photos until now. She came to me completely kinda white/gray and I had to add some hair color and make-up before she would agree to go to work. So, here's Darlene modeling the vintage hat I found at the estate sale. . .

Here's a close-up, two actually, where you can see the really neat net (what is the right word??) with the pussy willow like little places on it.....gosh, sounds so elegant.

 

You know, it takes a certain kind of woman to pull off a hat in a regal way and Darlene, she's that woman. She looks mah-velous, doesn't she??

I loved this chair when I saw it on the front porch of Blackbird Antiques in Comfort. I was so excited that I could afford it because I knew I would put it in the bird feeder area of the yard with

a plant on it. I think my birds will love it!

And, last, but not least, we ended our shopping with a stop at my favorite shop in Comfort (Blackbird Antiques is Anne's and my very favorite 2nd now that I've been there:), The Heart Cottage.

I was able to pick up some really nice small LOVE TOKENS enclosure cards which I show you below.

And, that was the shopping for the day. We did manage to fit in lunch at a wonderful cafe that I had never eaten at in Comfort and Anne and I ordered crab cakes. Mom, of course, helped me eat mine:) And, this is the coolest thing of the entire day except for spending it with Anne, while we were walking to our table, Anne handed me her phone and said that there was someone on the line that I needed to say "hello" to; that I knew the caller on the other end.....this will show you how small the blogging world really is.....it was Debra of Common Ground!! I KNOW Debra and I LOVE Debra! She has an amazing blog and she has an awesome daily Bible study. We had such a wonderful conversation!!

Oh, my gosh, I have to go!!! 24 is on! Yikes! Jack's in trouble!!

I love you, readers, and I'll talk to you again soon. And, all lurkers, please let me know you visited - I would love to get to know you if you're sane.

xoxo,

....jan

ANOTHER FIVE STAR ESTATE SALE .....oh.....my.............GOSH!!!

I know!! Two hoarder estate sales, one right after the other?? Who'da thought? I was floating like 9" off the ground as I stood in line waiting to get in yesterday. It felt a little like the Exorcist when I realized that I was floating above the sidewalk.
And as I stood in line, I must tell you that my mother said to me, after having attended last weekend's sale and fixin to attend this second hoarder sale, "You ought to have Fitch Estate Sales do an estate sale on your studio."
Oh, really, mother... 
The woman will never understand mixed media art.

These wonderful estate sales that I attend weekend after weekend are put on by Fitch Estate Sales. Rachel Fitch is the owner and we've come to like each other a lot - heck, I see her every weekend when I'm in town because I can't stay away from her estate sales.

The infamous Rachel Fitch with a gosh-awful hat on her head, striking a pose.

I DON'T THINK the "hat" sold.

I'm very excited that tomorrow, Sunday morning in case I don't get this finished until late Sunday or Monday, because her husband is going to be guest pastor while our pastor and his family are at Disney World. I'm so looking forward to it - maybe I'll be able to stay awake for the entire sermon for a change.
(Oh, hush, I'm just kidding)

And, before we get to the part you're dying for....the pics of my treasures, I simply must dedicate this post to my new estate sale, antique dealing, mixed media artist friend, Anne Lorys. She had to work and is relying on my finds to feed her hunger for all things found!
 The way Fitch Estate Sales operates is that the first day of the sale, usually a Friday, everything is full-price, and the second day is 1/2 price or less. So, you buy what you must have or die on the first day and go back on the second day and grab up everything you hid under the beds and buy it for half-price.

And, I have come to a new understanding of how emotional, how stressful, putting on an estate sale is for the family because I know the daughter of the woman whose estate was being sold this weekend. It's so hard on the family to have to go through their loved one's things, decide what to keep, what to part with...I have a greater realization now that I've had a friend have to go through that...
 So, on to this weekend's sale. . .

The house is older, absolutely darling and full of the most amazing light fixtures!

I was dyin' when I found all of these vintage baby shoes!

Dyin'!!

These two vintage baby dresses really touched my heart.

There were a lot of much loved teddy bears. I picked up these two - the one on the left for me and the one on the right is a surprise present for an artist friend.......

Oh, yeah, a vest made out of a gorgeous quilt which I plan on cutting up as needed for different projects. And, the price?

You wouldn't believe me if I told you!

This bunch of vintage lace is a BUNCH of vintage lace and I bought it the 2nd day.....a steal. I should be in jail.

I love it, I love it, I love it!

Believe me when I tell you that you cannot see ALL of the trims, all of the fabulous rick-rack, in this stack.

Add another year to my jail sentence.

My mother thought I was sick when I squeeled as I found these loose limbs and she's seen my "the creepier the doll the better" workroom.

I didn't get it.

Yet another pair of legs and a lady's head, heehee, a wonderful vintage collar and two hand appliqued arch-like pieces and a sequined bunny - so cool. Oh, and that plastic tube-like container is how they used to package zippers!

For my "the creepier the doll the better" workroom I bought a vintage doll body - no head. I love it and my mother is seriously concerned....I also got another pair of vintage children's shoes a small old coin purse and a small, very sturdy hat box.

Now, I've personally never seen a hat quite small enough to fit this "hat box" but whatever it is, it is fabulous.

Here's a close-up of the "hat box"-isn't it great?

The metal handle on the top-love it!

A tin FULL of the most wonderful vintage jewelry.

($2.50 for all of it on Day 2).

Another steal , another year in jail.

Oh, my gosh....Day 2 and that's a vintage hat covered with large pink velvet leaves which are covered with pink netting - somebody shoot me! And the precious cereal bowls...$1.00 each - Day 2. The vintage gold capped bead necklace - $1.00 on Day 2 *that was a real deal*, and a darling small, made in Germany *chipped* pitcher for my small white pitcher collection - Day 2, $1.00. WHOOP!!! 

Are you ready?? .....a long strand of pink mercury beads, a gold chain and vintage white cotton collar-do they have ice cream in jail??

A very interesting shaped Marie Antoinette embroidered piece with a fabulous edging. This is a very wonderful piece. WOO HOO!!

And, last but not least, a suitcase to add to the ones next to the chair in the LR on top of which I'll set the lamp you're drooling over (or maybe not so much) and this really neat heavy iron lid-to-something that will be in my fern bed making me smile whenever I see it.

As you well know, junking can be exhausting so mom and I ate a most delicious lunch at my favorite mexican restuarant in Kerrville, Los Altos de Jalisco no.4.

Oh, baby, it was a great way to end Day 2 of a most wonderful estate sale.

As always, thank you to all of my readers. You make my day with your uplifting comments and I love you all!

Jan

A HOARDER'S ESTATE SALE - OH, MY GOODNESS!

You know that show, Hoarders? Have you ever watched it?

I have and it makes me so, so sad when I do.
Being a psych/soc major in college and keeping up with my reading, I know the pain a hoarder suffers and watching them have to go through the trauma of un-hoarding (un-hoarding? new word) just breaks my heart.

It's different when I go to a hoarder's estate sale.
Oh, hush. Someone has to buy that stuff.

I went to a hoarder's estate sale this past weekend. I dragged my poor 82 year old mother with me - I say "poor mother" but when I told her I could just go by myself she said absolutely not, she might miss something!
It had rained about 3" Thursday night so when we drove up on Friday it was a mushy, muddy mess. I'm surprised neither of us fell down. I told mom that if she fell down she'd be too muddy to get back in my car so she better hurt herself badly enough to require an ambulance.

We trudged through the mud and hit both the house and the barn.
Oh, my.
I forgot my camera to take pictures to show you the amazing amount of stuff, but, if you've seen the show Hoarders, just picture this house and barn having the same look except the trash has been shoveled out and the possessions are left.
It bothered me somewhat, it did, when I would look at ALL of the stuff/junk and think of whomever it was living that way. But, I knew they had to get rid of the "treasures" and that the money earned from the estate sale would go to whomever lived there or their children.

Okay, now for the treasures.
Treasure #1.) I met another estate sale shopper when she was standing there waiting to check out and I was checking out one of her items; I was just looking at it and we started kidding about "hey, back off!" and before I knew it we were laughing and having just the best time. We exchanged our business card information and planned on getting together. She lives pretty close and she's adorable and so much fun and she gets me - you other mixed media artists know what I mean. She gets me, lives close, is an antique/junk dealer, wants to work on her mixed media art skills, loves estate sales and, well, she's just great!

Her name is Anne Lorys and you will want to visit her blog and her etsy shop - both are worth the time! I love her blog - she writes like she talks, just like me:)

So, the next treasureS are the deals I got.
When mom and I went on Friday it was regular price, however, they were so wanting to get rid of her stuff that I was still able to deal - I loved that.
On Saturday it was what I would call, "It's a Steal" day because, not only was everything half price, but if it wasn't priced I was given such a good price (and most of it wasn't priced - too much stuff!).
Wanna see what I got?? (This is so much fun - sharing my finds with you!!)

I have to tell you the funniest story - y'all know that Craig, my oldest, is a police officer. I'm always buying him things to fill his books shelves on each side of his fireplace - I buy him books with titles like, oh, She Cried Murder, so this vintage framed embroidery piece was a given (mom thought the guy was a crossing guard and this girl standing near us overheard our conversation and saw the picture and said, "Who wants to grow up to be a crossing guard??" It was hysterical!!) Gosh, that was a great sale! And, the vintage plates will be used to make cake/cookie stands, the vintage hammered tin dish is for the Tank's remote control, and I'll use the book on pieces of art. Whoop!! (and did you see the wee little bisque doll and the wee white pitchers for my collection?)

Bases from vintage lamps. There were gazillions. I'm going to use these as bases for cake/dessert plates. They'll be for me or gifted and I'm soooo excited!

The copper pieces?? All of them for $8.50 - Whoop - they're going to be wonderful pounded and stamped for jewelry making! And the big doillies are just wonderful and I know exactly how I'm going to use the vintage dish!

This bowl is full of rusty wonders and wooden flourishes, black sequined trims, all vintage. I have so many ideas for this stuff, but you might find some of it in my Etsy shop - I got a LOT of stuff in this bowl!

Fun vintage metal pieces, hinges, and a great little vintage white ceramic blowl on a metal stand with wonderful metal trim which I want to make into a bird's nest. Oh, and a little jar that I thought was pretty cute!

A vintage clock for my clock collection and I want to use this lamp piece as a skirt in some kind of project. At least, that's my thought today!

A grouping of more fabulous finds. I tell ya, I was in heaven!!

Anne and I both dug through this file cabinet that had two drawers packed full of these fabulous vintage greeting cards. We had so much fun finding ones that were better than the last ones! The "Happy Anniversary Folks" card has a pop-up when you open it! Amazing. Whoop!!

This precious vintage picture is going to hang in the hall bathroom after I paint the frame either a dark cherry red or black. Probably black - you tell me! I got it for $1.50. .....I KNOW!!

This entire box of vintage earrings.............guess how much...............$8.50. Dying. I was dying!

A Bible from the late 1880's and four really beautiful trinket boxes that I plan on making even cuter than they already are! You'll find them in my Etsy shop

.

Won't this book cover make a great canvas??

Vintage jewelry, yum, vintage clock that says "NAP" on the face for my collection, old bottles, and a vintage coin purse.

Vintage heart shaped molds, vintage JELLO molds (see, you can see JELLO on the bottom of that one!), paint brushes for like nothing, brass stencils and a vintage bitty coin purse.

There were boxes and boxes and boxes of all different colors and hues of colors advertised. I missed them all by minutes. These two men bought all of the boxes..............but, they missed this one! Whoop!! The bottles are filled with powdered paint pigment. I know exactly what I'm going to do with all of these bottles. Well, some may be in my Etsy shop. Maybe. heeheehee

Those are my treasures:)

And, there's going to be a Part II to the  barn sale - the entire "loft" area which is as big as the downstairs (four rooms), is packed with so much that you can't even walk up there! The sale will be in about a month and you can bet that Anne and I will be there - together, I'll bet!!

Thanks for sharing my treasures!! I love you all, readers!

Jan