Cracks, Couches and Sorter Siblings

It suddenly seemed imperative that I begin rearranging my dining room shelves last Sunday morning before church. Why I chose that moment to discover it was high time to change out all the books for the colorful blue and green plates I've found so cheaply, I have no idea, but begin I did and what a mess.

This is one of the few shots I could find that shows a hint of the general idea of how the shelves looked laden with books. I forgot to take a picture before I started rearranging.

I thought about hanging the blue and green plates on the wall with the new plate hangers I got (below), but started placing them on the shelves and decided just to leave them there. But what to do with piles and piles of books. Well, stack them up in my bedroom, of course. Who knows when I'll get around to dealing with that. When you rearrange, the stuff has to go somewhere!

The coral lanterns were on trial in the new mix, and I'm not sure I'm all that happy with them. The bulk of the shelves will be left a little undone right now. They still need some work and some additions. Time to shop my junk piles and see if there are a few appropriate items there that can be incorporated.

Last Saturday there was a community where everyone was having yard sales, and I got this sharpener for a buck. I walked the neighborhood clutching it and it invited many a compliment. "Oh, I love those old sharpeners!" one lady said. "Lucky! I wish I'd gotten that sharpener!" another said.

Then I came across a guy who had a parking meter for sale, but I couldn't justify the $40 he wanted for it. Much as I'd like to add it to my collection of random things I don't need and which don't belong in a house, I passed. Although this morning, I thought it could be funny to have one outside the bathroom. I also passed on two PG-13 signs from a movie marquee. Two for $10. I should have jumped, but they were about 4' by 2', and what would I do with such huge signs in my house? They would have to vie with the giant pickle for wall space. If I had a shop... I would have snapped them right up! I do kinda regret not getting all of that, but as a result I am $50 richer.  As if I had $50 anyway. But that's the best way to look at it and avoid the regret of leaving it all behind.

This lovely little lady came home with me from a yard sale in the same neighborhood. She had a cracked saucer, but what do I care. She is luminescent and footed. However, I took her to work, along with some other cups, so we could have tea in high style after lunch, and wouldn't you know, the cup is cracked too...

...and it leaks! But just a little at a time, and after all, what's a saucer for if not to catch errant tea drips, so I'm not gonna let that stop me from enjoying it. It was cheap.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and then you still win, because it looks cute on the window sill.

I was really on a mission to find plate hangers. My diligent search paid off! I hit the plate hanger jackpot and got them all (12?) for $1.35. The tops of the hangers have a little emblem on them (I can't think of the word for it) and while three of the hangers had springs to stretch upward for larger plates, the others all stretched outward to accommodate different plate sizes. And check out the glass door knobs I got for 50¢ at the first sale of the day. Woo hoo! Yeah, everything was laden with gold, which I'm not a fan of, but no problem. The metal can be painted.

Remember this? Not sure I ever showed you the AFTER. That's because it isn't done yet. It still needs white name plates for the bins, but who knows when I'll get those, so here ya go. The raspberry sorter.

BEFORE          AFTER

Okay, so maybe rolled up magazines is not the perfect thing to use this for, but the colorful covers seemed a fitting color combo.

And look what I came across again this week at a flea market. A sorter sibling! Same idea, just a tad different. This new one has the words routed into the wood as well as a little flower design at the top. So what color should it be? Should it go raspberry too so I have a set, or is it time to let go of raspberry (you know... that which my son calls the "Smurfy" look) and move on to another color? If so, let me know YOUR color preference.

The hunt netted me some other finds for which I didn't get photographs. I got a free soft body baby doll with bad hair and some kids' jewelry, all purchased for my friend Lynn's granddaughters to play with. I also got a buffer for $5 so my son can wax the car easier. There were a few other things, but after a while, it all starts to run together if you don't get pictures. Someday I'll find the other item or two. Heaven knows where those have gone already.

Well, it's the weekend again, hope you get to go out huntin' and junkin'! Me...I have plenty of stuff to deal with already and a home and car and other things that need more attention than I have time or energy for. Yes, I said "car". It's acting up again. Such a needy little fella lately. Sucking the life (and the cash) outta me.

I'm in "free-stuff-only" mode, and this week's trash day was a bust. It was all couches. Couches of every size, shape and color. All ugly, all true trash, but intriguing in the vast array of textures and tones. I couldn't turn a corner without seeing leather cushions, flowery fabric, browns, blues and reds, but no cool classic styles to go ga, ga over. So it goes.

Well, I hope your weekend adventures, whatever they may be, are productive or better yet, just plain relaxing and fun!

If you get a chance, stop by some of these sweet parties this week:

What We Accomplished Wednesdays @ Green Willow Pond

      

The Weekly Thrift @ Young Heart Old Soul