Garage Sale-ing!

I just want to take a minute to tell those of you who use Cutest Blog on the Block for your templates that this is the way your blog is showing to me. A photobucket deleted photo right smack in the middle of the blog. I was visiting a blogger I've never been to before and noticed this was happening. I believe this is because her template is the Minima stretch but using the Cutest Blog on the Block is doing this. Just be careful. I've come across this once before in the past day or so. I don't want to embarrass her, surely since I'm viewing her blog for the first time. Just be careful what you do!
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You know it's truly pathetic when you go garage sale-ing in your own stuff when you're having a garage sale yourself. I cannot believe the stuff I have and the stuff I'd forgotten that I have! Yesssssss, this is true. And we've only put a dent in the garage attic.

The neighborhood garage sale was on a friday and saturday. The first day of a garage sale is usually the best, so we could have just closed it down at about noon on saturday because there weren't many people after that and very few before that.

As Love Bunny was getting the stuff out of the garage attic—where it was at least 120°—he told me, as I was looking longingly at some melmac plates, that I could keep anything I wanted. I didn't have to get rid of the 30+ plates I had out there. But I told him no. I was determined to bite the bullet and go through with it. Sigh...

Okay, we know what happened, don't we? Yep, I couldn't help myself. I grabbed a few pink and aqua plastic plates because I've gone "retro" lately. I mean I'm doing the melmac and plastic thing. China is put away for another time.

Then he opened up the box with the candle holders and napkin rings and that's when I lost it!

My mom gave me these and while I'm not that sentimental, I love the look of them.

These sterling silver candlesticks were a wedding gift. I can't remember who, but no matter. I'm keeping them. The other ones are cute so I've decided to keep them also. Maybe another time I can get rid of them.

I sat and polished them on saturday night and watched as their brilliance started showing through as I took the silver polish on gauze to them. Hubs ran out to the garage and got me a toothbrush he uses for tiny work and brought it in for me to polish the intricate parts. Beautiful. I just couldn't let anyone else have them.

This terrycloth tablecloth with roses tugged at my heart. I thought hmmmmm, that wouldn't take up much space in a drawer and it is beautiful.

LB told me I didn't have to sell these plates either since I'd probably never find melmac like them ever again. Off the table and into the house went about half of them. Just keeping a few to use and for the eye candy they provide.

A beautiful rose bowl, maybe a punch bowl but since we have a crystal one bought 40 years ago I thought I'd get rid of this one. Nope! We decided to sell the crystal punch bowl with 12 cups and a ladle and keep this one for "just fun and memories." I think a young man gave it to us after we were baptized. Can't remember.

Now really, how could I part with something so beautiful. It truly is lovely and the memory is so sweet I'd rather get rid of the other one than this one.

And this sweet little dish that hubby bought at a beloved neighbor's estate sale because he thought I'd love it and like its style. I don't particularly like it, but it continues to grow on me.

Love Bunny assures me there are at least 35-40 rugs up there that have to go. We'll see. ;-)
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Pink Saturday 7/24/2010

Welcome to pink saturday. To view all the participants visit with Beverly of How Sweet The Sound. This past week I visited for the first time Bella of BeautyDoes Matter, Happier Than A Pig In Mud, Eileen at Just Nature Photos and Blackberry Creek.

Now what could these be? Pancakes? Pizelles? Which reminds me, I've got to make some. Maybe today. Hmmmm. But you DO know I'll make something lovely out of them, right? I just loved the texture and color of them so I had to show them to you in their infant form. *Wink* Aaaaaah, come on, you KNOW what they are going to be!

I thought they made a pretty photo with the pink and the texture and shadows of them. So, wadda I know?

Didn't I tell you I had a plethora of rugs up in the garage attic? Here are but a few of them.

And just what could be in this darling little pink fabric covered box? Yeah, even I didn't realize what I had in there until I pulled it out today.

Some of these I made and some I bought. I knew I had some someplace but it just took me a while to get around to remembering where they were. I had planned to decorate some picture frames. I just finished painting them white so now I'll be decorating them.

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Sofa Slipcover

I'm thinking of having a slipcover made for the sofa and wanted to get a good picture for the interior decorator who is helping me. Sounds la-de-da, huh? Nuuuuu, not at all.

I could not seem to find anyone around here who makes them. A blogger said she could make them for me but she lives in the east and I'm in the west about 2,000 miles away. She assured me it could be done by sending measurements, photos and such. I checked with IKEA when we were over there in June but their slipcovers ONLY fit their sofa styles. I thought about it and was going to let the blogger do it, but then I went on the Ethan Allen website. TaDa!!! They now have a sofa that is just like my sofa that I bought from them 15 years ago.

I called their store in Boise, chatted with the interior decorator explaining that I saw on the website where they can do slipcovers. She checked and said they could but only for specific styles. (Actually, they can do a slipcover for ANY sofa but it would cost about $1200 custom made—just for the slipcover!) The style is exactly the same as my sofa. I measured and sent them to her via email and she checked and said yes, it could be done for my style. I was ecstatic especially when I heard the price that I saw was definitely worth it. Can we say $400.00?! I tell you that's a steal for perfect fit slipcovers.

Eye candy: roses on my coffee table. Onward...

From the side of the victorian vase. I love them thick and plentiful in that vase.

Here are the photos along with my measurements I sent her. How serendipitous is this??? Fifteen years old, and I don't have to spend $2,000 buying a new one when this is in perfect like-new condition. Just slipcover it in white thick upholstery! This photo is indicative of the true color of the sofa. The room is so dark it shows much darker when I try to photograph it from across the room. I shall be getting a solar tube next! I need more light in the front of this house.

Anyway, here are some style of Ethan Allen sofas I love and though it looks exactly like mine it isn't quite because of the size—just an inch or two off. These photos are smaller because I pulled them off the website.
Same with this one. It's the exact same style but an inch or two off.
This is a favorite style of mine but it starts at $1900.00 and that's just not gonna cut it at the moment. Love Bunny would protest vociferously, trust me.

I also like this style. It comes in 3 cushion style also, but it starts at $1800 and...well, you get the point.
I'm so happy tonight I could just spit! Now, I have to tell Love Bunny. Wish me luck. *Sigh*...
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The Garage Sale Weekend

Tell me, how pathetic does one's life have to be to blog about our garage sale weekend? Hmmmmm? Well, that's what you're going to hear so you can leave now if you want or hear the story.

It started with finding things I'd forgotten I had and this was one of MANY of them. I snatched this little candle ring away and brought it in the house with an idea already forming in my mind what I would do with it.

Candlesticks, pots, little decorative bowls, a lemon juicer—I now have two of them. We'd wondered where it was for so many years and finally bought one about a year ago. The barbell is hubby's weight lifting equipment that he uses 3 times a week so disregard that. Little sea shells I've had for a very long time. I may be able to use them for decorative purposes.

Rolls of wallpaper border I bought just because they were on sale and I might find a use for them some day. Have we all not done that?!

And the wallpaper I just couldn't live without when I saw it on a display at Home Depot many, many years ago. I've used one roll of it in a house and have 3 left. I doubt I'll ever use it but it's one of the most gorgeous papers I've ever seen—a beautiful shade of green with grape leaves on it vertically. It's the one in the middle kind of leaning over a bit. Gorgeous!!!!

Canning jar lids went for 50¢ a box because I knew I'd never can again. Not worth the time and effort for 2 people anymore. Pretty little bowls I just couldn't live without.

The chandelier original to the dining area went for $7.00. I didn't care for it and I have the crystal one now anyway. That pizza stone—upside down—will probably go to the thrift store unless we have another garage sale in September. We're thinking we might now since it was such greeeeeeat fun this time!!! You KNOW I'm kidding right?

See those little pink and aqua plastic plates? I kept 4 each of them. Forgot I even had them. The little red topped pedestal bowls are from a friend in California who gave them to me. Those sold for 50¢ each. Hubby sold 3 tile cutters he had. I don't know WHY he had 3 tile cutters! Those little books with roses on top are an arrangement I made many years ago. I think I'll save the flowers for something else now. Pie tins went fast.

That lump of fabric here is actually a duvet cover I made. It is heavy and gorgeous but it didn't sell. I may try to sell it on eBay. It's beautiful and was a lot of work to do, but Love Bunny would sell it for $1.00 I know! He sold my pillows for 50¢ and the woman was in shock. Sigh...

He put out several new hats he was given at different times and surprisingly, about half of them sold. He asked 50¢ and they grabbed them up—men and women. Those plates with little blue flowers under the wicker basket are still with us. We used them for many years. I sold some roses glass bowls but the plates didn't sell with them. Surprised me. The craft stuff is still with us. I may put it all together and list it on craigslist for a few dollars for the whole lot.

A little girl came by and wondered how much the little bunny things on that orange (Gag, I hate orange!) plate were. I said 25¢ and she went to get a quarter from her mom. I almost gave her the whole bunny town for that, but she was gone in a flash. The crêpe pan didn't sell. Doesn't anyone make crêpes anymore? I used to a lot but not so much since we've gotten older.

Seat cushions for 50¢ each? A woman grabbed them. She said someone else was selling theirs for $5.00 and they were in terrible shape. Mine were in perfect shape—clean, not torn, ties still on. She was amazed. But then I take great care of all my stuff. Beautiful soft sided carrying bags I got in California are not the rage anymore I guess.

Those magenta oblong pillows under there are from a sofa I gave a needy family years ago but the cushions were forgotten. I keep thinking I could make them over in another fabric but then I remember what I'm doing here. Haven't we all said we're "going to do something" and never do it? Right. See what I mean. Let them GOOOOOO!!!

Another little stool I had covered and forgotten about. I saved it and put it in the house until I can figure out what to do with it. Little wine decanters sold rather quickly. Decorated little expanding file folders are still with us. Vintage cookie cutters in that paper bag sold. The woman seemed clueless about what she was going to use them for, but she bought them. Made me wonder. The vintage sifter went quickly also. I still have the Voltrompia bread tube and am wondering whether to sell it or keep it. It's really a neat thing to have for decorative bread.

Those tiny metal houses I gave to a friend's little daughter. Her room is starting to look like my house! :-)

We had 4 of these back massagers and one sold. Two are for home and two are for car use. Those shabby chic boxes got sold before I could pull them off. I could have used them for storage in the studio. Sigh...

These 2 Pachinko games went first thing. I man had 2 of them that didn't work and bought these 2 because they DID work. If you know what they are and have some, you love them. Real collectors items.

The black garbage bags are bed pillows and feather seat and back cushions for our chairs that I've kept since the last recovering about 6 years ago. I may put them back in the chairs again. I'm so fickle about this kind of stuff! Now I can't even remember why I used the foam and fill ones the upholsterer made for them.

And that's it for today. More later.
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