Yard Sales

It was a nice day to go yard-sale shopping, though the weather man has been predicting rain all week long. Some of my plants had started to wilt, so I had to water them myself. So much for weather forecasters.

Anyway, I followed Dawn's advice, except I used Mapquest instead of Google. Next time, it'll be Google as Mapquest has absolutely no idea where things are around here. I plotted out about 6 yard sales I wanted to hit. The description for the first one looked very promising, and it was in a wealthier neighborhood, but up narrow winding roads with no place to park and a hike down a very steep driveway. I figured whatever they had, it wasn't worth bodily or mechanical injury, so I left. After that I only hit one planned stop--either the directions were wrong, or I got detoured--but I kept finding item after item that I liked.
First yard sale:

8 yards of 88" wide muslin, along with other lightweight fabric.  I don't know yet if they're cotton, because I haven't done the burn test, but I kind of liked them for other possibilities.

These will definitely be for re-usable grocery bags.  (I know, I keep planning to make them and haven't done it yet, but I will, I will.)

On the left is a ziploc baggie of scraps, and on the right is Halloween fabric in blue and black.  The lady's daughter used to work in the OR and the lady made caps for her.  I'm betting most of these are cotton. I got the whole lot--24 1/2 yards--for $8.00.  The muslin alone would have been worth that.

This next batch came from the one place I planned to go. It was in an older neighborhood, and the gentleman had some items of his own, and some from his deceased mother's place.  I am a sucker for Halloween and Christmas items, and this guy should look cute on the front porch, after I spiff him up a bit.

Next are some pre-made Christmas charm bracelets.  I own a charm bracelet that I've been adding to since I was a teenager, so I doubt I'd wear these.  I was thinking more about using the charms on wall-hangings.

Included are two small pins, also possibles for wall-hangings or stockings. Also, I have a soft spot for wooden apples, and couldn't pass these by.

Did I mention I collect milk glass?  I collect a particular pattern and these weren't it, but it's unusual, and at 25 cents each, I figured they were worth it.  When I came home, I researched this odd pattern and found out they list for $17.95 each.  A friend of mine is thinking of opening a thrift shop and she has been researching glassware.  I may put these in her shop to help her out.  If not, there's always eBay.

And because I lose track of time when I'm working out in the yard, I bought this clock from the same guy:

It's hard to see, but each number position on the dial has the name of an old big band tune; Moonlight Serenade, Chattanooga Choo-choo, etc.  And yep, it plays each one of them on their respective hours.  I don't know where I'm going to hang it, because if it's on the back porch it can't be heard in the front yard, but hey, it was too much fun to pass up.

The cost for this bundle?  $6.50. 

Last year I made up a shoebox for Samaritan's Purse Christmas collections, and thought I'd try to do some more this year.  Look what I found at another yard sale:

All of these are still sealed in the plastic, though I will open them to make sure they're all okay and not melted, and to wipe the boxes down.  They were $3.00 each, so I only bought 3.  Now I wish I'd gone back at the end of the day to see if they'd sold the others, and if they'd take less for them.  These should fit inside the shoeboxes just fine, and besides providing a whole LOT of crayons to use, the boxes themselves can be used to store other fun things when the crayons are gone.

And lastly, I stopped at a yard sale where the lady was about to close up.  She didn't have much left, and nothing that interested me, but she had a lovely yard and I complimented her on it. Seems she bought the house from a British horticulturist and doesn't even know the names of most of the plants and flowers growing there.  She'd dug up some extras and sold them, and only had a few little wilted items left, so she offered them to me, free of charge, because she didn't intend to replant them.  How could I turn that offer down?  If they don't live, I haven't lost anything but some time.

There were a couple of solid green hostas, and some kind of fuzzy plant that sports small fuschia flowers.  She said it really spreads, so I'll have to pick a spot that is self-limiting.

This is supposed to be either a white or bluish-purple wild iris:

And this is part of a lenten rose, she thinks.  It's pretty sad-looking, but maybe it'll survive.

I think I easily got $23.50 worth of pleasure and use from today's rounds, don't you?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some fabric to wash!