Junkin'

Yesterday was gorgeous: sunny, low humidity, and it started off cool but warmed up to the mid-80s during the day.  I'd been watching too many episodes of American Pickers, I guess, but it felt like a good day to go junkin'. 

Mostly, I was looking for Halloween items, but I found all kinds of goodies.

I've been wanting an old double boiler to use for candlemaking--well, mostly melting down those old chips of candles to make more--and just stumbled upon this one.  My next trip to Michael's, I'll get some wicks and I'm set.

At the same place, I found the book on herbs. I know I under-utilize the ones  I grow, so this should give me some ideas. There's always the internet, of course, but nothing beats a book if you're going to lie in a hammock or work in the kitchen.

Look what else was there:

I found this beauty for $15.00--and it's at least 90 years old!  After a little lubricating, I got the burner element unstuck and cleaned and she burns well. Later I'll check out the pattern in my books.

I broke one of their other lamps--not an oil lamp, but a small glass table lamp.  This place is a warehouse, with multiple small rooms, and some dusty, dark ones.  There was a rickety old staircase with lamps on one side of a narrow passageway, and a glass display case with knick-knacks on the other. I had my eye on the knick-knacks and brushed a lampshade with my shoulder. I managed to catch that lamp, but knocked it into another lamp that went crashing to the floor.  The owners were really nice about it and said the stairs were probably too crowded anyway.  They were, but I should have been more careful. Anyway, they didn't charge me for the broken lamp.

There was also this large old Ball jar, patented 1930, for $3.00.  I'm going to paint the lid black and use it for a specimen jar for Halloween.

There were 3 more places I wanted to hit, but I spent so much time in the warehouse, it was almost 5pm when I finished and the other places were closing.  Another day, maybe.

Three red dresses also came home with me. To avoid double-posting, I wrote my plans for those on the other blog.

The WNC state fair is going on right now, and I was debating going over there today, while it's not so crowded, but there are several sewing/quilting things I want to accomplish, and I'm afraid the scent of Polish sausages and baklava might be too much to resist.

Then again, there's always this weekend...