Finding All the Right Stuff

Lee and I have had the best week just being together.  Seven whole days of being "Lee and Sabrina"--completely NOT teacher, chauffeur, short-order cook, and haus frau.  It has definitely been a much needed "second honeymoon" at home.

I wrote that last Saturday we hit a few yard sales at the end of the day and scored a few nice things. Then on Monday, we visited Madison (15 minutes down the road) and stopped in a local antique mall.  I picked up a "vintage" (1972) Scrabble game and a brand new Italian-made coffee press.  I had never had coffee made in this way, so I was anxious to try it.  I am so glad it came with instructions in English!  I am hooked!  The coffee is smooth and delicious. They are both keepers for now!  Then, after a being home for four days in a row, by Thursday I was ready to do something.  Ended up running a few quick errands and making a run to a never-before visited thrift store in Madison.  Lee found nothing, but I nabbed a card shuffler and a salad spinner.  Not bad for two bucks total.

Friday morning saw us rolling out of bed a little earlier than our normal vacation time.  Lee had heard about an estate sale not too far away, so we were there by 8:30.  Lots of nice furniture, but very high priced.  We stuck to the low end and scored some great finds.  We went through  several boxes of record albums and 45s, finding some neat blues recordings by Muddy Waters, several old children's records (I can remember these kind of records from 2nd and 3rd grades!), a few old music books, along with three 1964 early readers.  I love old children's books, and I remeber reading both of these anthologies in first or second grade.  They were not Dick and Jane books (though we def had those in 1st grade), but still a neat find.  Together, we had a large box full of treasures--and we got them at a steal!  Love it!

I also found an almost new stove ceramic-top stove.  I was really excited about this.  Several months ago my ceramic stove top cracked.  Everytime I used the burner units, it cracked a little more, until I had a crack running from one side of the stove to the other.  I was afraid to cook on it and replacing the top itself would be expensive.  I checked in to replacing with a similar model and knew I would be out about $500.  Definitely did not want to go there!  Anyway, I grabbed the chance to get the "new' stove--a bargain at $75.00 (after some haggling).  Seriously, it is awesome!

Another neat find was a garden fountain.  It's made of a coated resin, I think, and there are a few chips of coating missing, but overall, it is a definite win!  I have it on my front porch for now, but it will go to the flower garden as soon as the mulch gets put down.

I also love old textiles.  This is a beautiful example of a linen and crochet dresser scarf.  Love the details!















We also did some dumpster diving (at the same estate sale)!  (I know, crazy!)  I found some salveageable items--an old rope, a vintage wire basket, a roll of packing tape, and a rake.  All worth the price of $0.00!

Another great find at another yard sale was a Wolfgang Puck Electric Pressure Cooker.  It was $25, but new ones are easily $89-$119.  I think I got a bargain!  Did I mention it had never been used???  How cool is that?  I used it yesterday to cook a frozen pork roast.  It was completely done in less than 45 minutes.  BBQ sandwiches for lunch!  YUM!

I also spent some time repurposing, redecorating, and removing (junk) from my house.  Swapped out a tall armoire that used to hold an old-style tv set for the dresser/cabinet to hold the flat screen.  I really like it.  Also played with my DREAM sign from last week's yard sale.  Still not sure what I'm doing, but I'll get there.



We had so much fun picking together and then sharing our finds with friends and family.  We have the best friends who helped us get the stove home on their trailer.  We shared dinner and a movie afterwards.  Then our oldest son and his wife came in on Saturday to visit and pig out with us on the BBQ made in our yard sale pressure cooker (pun intended).  They were both amazed and now they want one!  All in all, it was a great week for junking and for "LEE AND SABRINA" time. 

Day 1: A Found Saturday

Spring break has finally arrived for our small town school system, and none too soon.  With eight more days of freedom looming in front of me, I was able to relish the quiet moments of this day.  No rushing around for me!  Took a long walk in our southern humidity early this morning, scouted out a few yard sales, and scored a cool terrarium for almost nothing.  I will have to research terrariums so I will not how to plant in it! 

Another cool find was a megaphone (the old timey style, but made of plastic) for a steal.  Not sure what I will use it for, but I can always put it in our shop.  I also nabbed a cream-colored DREAM sign that I will dress up a bit. 

Then, to top off the day, hubs and I both got free canteloupe plants from our local Wal-Mart for Earth Day.
We also made a quick stop at the former Walton Monroe Mills building.  It is in the process of being rennovated into an antique mall, a grist mill, and an upscale restaurant.  Of course, the restaurant won't appear for several years, but the antique mall will open at the end of the month.
Anyway, this was my first visit into the building where three generations of my family worked.  My great-grandmother left the mills in New Holland, Georgia in the late 1920s to early 1930s to come to Monroe.  My great-grandfather followed.  Decades later, my grandmother and her siblings worked there.  Both of my parents worked there at various times in their early twenties. 
This is the Walton Monroe Mill sign that hung inside at the office.

I remember one time when mama and daddy worked on the third shift, my sister and I decided we needed to see our mama.  Granny Maddox (my great-grandmother) had to deal with two toddlers pitching a fit to see their mother at some unearthly hour.  When  her cajoling and talking did no good, she promptly walked us up the street to the mill and told someone who we needed.  As soon as the door opened and the roar from the machines blew out over us, we both decided we did not need to see our mother that badly.  Granny, however, would not let us leave.  She made us stay there until Mama came out.  That was a one time trip!

Then last summer(?), a movie company used it to film An American Reunion.  I think it is the third in the American Pie series.  I didn't see the first two (really not my genre), but I might have to watch this one just to see Monroe in it.  This is the sign the company painted on the mill.

Hubs and I visited our local library book sale last week.  I bought a few treasures for my classroom.  There is one student that will go crazy over the animal book.  I only have twenty more class days with them.  I asked to loop up with this class, but I am not so sure they are going to let me.  Hands down, this is the best class in my school.  Even other students tell me that!
Anyway, I checked out the crochet books while I was at the library.  Found several that caught my attention and interest.  I need to acquire but a handful of beads for my next project.  I'll post pics of that when it is done.  Should be interesting.

Came home intending to work in my garden, but that didn't happen.  I did, however, enjoy my Confederate Jasmine.  I planted it last summer; it was just a small gallon-sized pot.  Now it has taken over my back deck stairs and a repurposed bed-spring trellis.  Hubs wasn't too sure about me using the bedsprings as a trellis, but now he likes!