she bought a what?

Our latest obsession is scoping out antique stores. Over the weekend, we actually saw a billboard for one we'd never been to before, and dropped everything to go there. Gene is looking for artwork.

I'm looking at everything.

*every.thing.*

It drives him NuTs. He'll lap me at least once during our time in the store/fleamarket/antique show/swap meet.

My theory is that if you just swing by, you're going to miss all those little details, and that's my favorite part. The little details. He doesn't care about little "things" and left to his own devices he would own:
1. most importantly, a TV/DVD player
2. 4,297 dvd's (check)
3. A king sized mattress - for one person - still doesn't make sense to me.
4. A lap top
5. A bbq grill
6. A lawn chair

That's about it.

And... I just described how he lived for 14 months about 5 years ago. Thank god he has ME now, to fill his life with tchotchkes and geegaws.

Why do I have this sudden urge to call Hoarders and purge?

Anyway, this weekend was extra fun. Not only did we race around hitting a couple antique stores, our town had their townwide garage sales. We have a system at garage sales, mainly town wides, drive by slow, and if we see a bunch of baby clothes, drop it in low gear and spray gravel everywhere as we cut out of there.

I stop at the most random of garage sales, my favorites being the little old lady ones. I hate to use that term, for fear that when I AM a little old lady, someone will have the nerve to call me one. Or god forbid, some 17 year old will called me a "little old lady" now.

Listen. I'm working on those gray hairs so step up off me.

The reason I like those old lady garage sales is because they've been around longer. Hello!? They are going to have some of the old junk I like. To give you an idea of the random old junk I like, I took pictures of a typical weekend trip. To be fair, it was more than usual because we went to Sparks, Kansas for a flea market/antique show.

I bought these for my etsy shop. Got a good deal on them so I bought all they had. I would have bought 40 if they had more. Particular favorite? Sassy Duck of course. I have 4 sassy ducks right now waiting on some duck food.

Did I mention they have their quacks now?

Oh, this post isn't about that.

Another toy packaging find from the same guy. I totally can see some cute girl, much younger than me, using this old bag from some blocks as a purse or tote.

Uh what?

I know. Gene said the same thing.

I saw someplace they had a huge bowl of softballs on a coffee table and I LOVED that. It was just so different. They also wanted $3.00 each for used softballs to which I said... "Cha... whatev!" A guy at the antique show had a huge basket for .50 each. Now for the perfect bowl.

I had to say to my husband "I found something I've been wanting, and I don't wanna hear about it. Period." And I haven't!

I'm trying to get my husband into making silverware jewelry. Love that stuff! I think I'm wearing him down, as we bough some silverware over the weekend (where did I put that old stuff?). I found this knife at a garage sale, and loved it regardless of whether it turns into anything or not. It says "USN" on the blade, and has an anchor on the handle.

Hubby was an air force man. Go figure!

Swoon!

One of my LOOOOOVES is vintage hand embroidered table clothes. I have a HUGE stack of them and don't really use them much because I'm scared someone will spill something on them. In fact, we used one at our wedding and red wax dripped on it!

Guess what.

I got it out!

*relief*

this one was a little different, and obviously used. I can't wait til this fall so I can make a halloween/fall display with it. No candles allowed.

Same garage sale.

LOVE THESE. $3.00 for 7 handstitched tea towels. Never used. and they never will be used either if I have my say. How screwed up is that? LOL.

Wouldn't it be so sweet to change them out every day for that day of the week?

Maybe I can hire a maid and she can clean and do little details like that for me as I drag into the kitchen at 9 a.m. for my .... glass of water. Blech. Did I tell you I gave up diet coke?

That's why I'm grouchy.

Uh, YEAH. I love vintage christmas stuff and slowly all my "new" stuff disappeared as I bought and replaced it with vintage 40's-60's christmas decor. Santa face? 10 cents. sweet! I'm thinking I'll frame it, or use it on a scrapbook page.

Same guy, another 10 cents. Love the tissue paper fold outs. It's hard to find them not tore up. I'm totally picturing this hanging from Miss Wilson's 4th grade classroom ceiling. I would have loved it back then too. In fact, I would have been mad that I couldn't figure out how to make one myself.

I would have tried.

Dwight's soda.

Baking soda or pop? I don't know, but what does a cow have to do with either? Doesn't matter, I loved it and it was a good deal so now it hangs by my back door. It's a reminder of the cattle ranch I don't own.

My favorite find?

The ugly hobo horse.

Also known as tramp art, it refers to handmade depression era toys. Not necessarily made by a hobo/tramp always. Maybe a father couldn't afford to buy his kids toys for Christmas so he handcarved a horse. This one has a "secret" compartment. When you unlatch it, the top swings and inside is a hidden compartment.

I love this piece. I love folk art. This is one of my favorite purchases for months and months. They wanted $65. Gene thought it was U.G.L.Y. He dismissed it, and we went on, but I kept thinking about it.

I offered $40 three hours later. The refused and I walked away. I came back and offered $45 and they took it. Gene still thinks it's ugly, but *I* love it, and got 33% off so he can hush.

So now that you've seen basically everything *I* bought. You now get to see what Gene bought.

This is it.
A bass guitar and an amp.

I can hear him playing it clear out in my chicken coop.



I could have bought a bunch of hobo toys for that!