weekending: cold rain, warm fire

We welcomed the first weekend of May with the opening day of the tailgate market and our first fire in nearly a month.  It's been cool and rainy here the last several days it's made for an interesting combination of market shopping, gardening, once again searching for dry kindling, and hot cocoa consumption on the couch while watching movies with my girl.  Our first market adventure of the year, though chilly, was still grand.  We made the rounds, she and I.  Visiting a bit with good friends, some seen regularly and others not since the market closed in October, (I swear the market is the best social scene here in town), picked up our pastries for breakfast along with some goat cheeses and chard, clumsily peeled a teeny tiny hard-boiled quail egg with frigid fingers, and then headed out seeking warmth.  In the form of a fire and blankets.  I couldn't resist, however, stopping at the once-yearly rummage/plant sale at the unitarian church in town (it was on the way home) because I always find something great and it's usually no more than fifty cents.  Seriously.  This time around I scored some decent art supplies (a handful of paintbrushes and a barely used set of 45 rembrandt soft pastels), a small picnic basket, a dandelion seed print on canvas, a small quilted wall hanging,  some short wire fencing for the garden, to put around whatever it is at the time that I need to protect from chickens (I'm thinking that was quite a steal, seeing as how at fifty cents it will contribute to marital harmony and bliss as now Mike won't have to look at, and be bothered by, my plant-protecting-contraptions that I tend to throw together now and then. truly, I'll be glad to not have to look at them either), and one of those expanding wall organizing thingamajiggers to hang in the mudroom so we have somewhere to hang our stuff until I put up the branch hooks I keep saying I'm going to cut and hang.  ahem.  it's only been about 3 or 4 months, give me some time...... I can't help it if I don't get to the things I see on pinterest in any sort of reasonable amount of time.  Oh, and also a pretty purple dress for a quarter.

After we got home I went out to collect eggs, empty the ashes from the wood stove, look for kindling and, well..... and there was a yard sale across the street and so I kind of sort of had to at least look, right?  Right?  I came back with a small pyrex bowl, a reusable sandwich wrap and two lawn chairs.   The kind you can lie down on.  I'm foreseeing some summer reading on the deck in one of those..... with a cold drink and a soft cushion.  Sounds about right.

And then she and I got settled on the couch, under blankets, hot cocoa in hand(s) and watched Shaun the Sheep and Tinkerbell.  We do very little screen time for this one, so this was a bit of a treat.  For both of us, honestly.

(in case you've not yet been made aware, I will inform you now that hot cocoa must always, always be consumed from a santa claus mug.  don't even try to put it in anything else.  I think she's onto something, honestly)

Things have settled a bit since I wrote my last post.  I received a fair amount of feedback afterwards and appreciate all of it, so thank you much if you took time to leave words of wisdom and encouragement.  I was also reminded that it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a break now and then.  You know, clock out and do something on my own or with other grownups from time to time.  Oh yes, forgot about that.  I talked with the papa a bit, asking him to please help by reminding to do just that from time to time.  He is in no way keeping me from doing it, it's all me.  With him gone for 24 hours at a time for work, I tend towards wanting to spend time together, the three of us, on his days at home.  I need to be mindful about heading out on my own, instead, from time to time.  And about not allowing any self-imposed guilt to creep in following that decision.  I think one reason it can be so hard for mothers to do this, to remove ourselves from our familial setting when it doesn't appear that it is absolutely necessary, is because it is easy to forget what 'time to ourself' means.  There is this new identity, motherhood, that seems so all-encompassing that maybe it's hard to remember there's other stuff in there as well.  I mean, of course I know I am much more than just a mother.  That I was and am my own person aside from this somewhat new and very consuming role.  But still, it can be easy to forget.  And not necessarily in a bad way, just...... well, if you are a mother, you know.  I need not explain, or rather, bumble my way through trying to.

So very well then- a break now and again.  I hereby vow to make dates with myself whereupon I hang my mama hat at the door and go out looking for that other girl buried deep down in here somewhere.  truly, I don't think she's that deeply buried, but at the very least in need of a little dusting off.

In other news, there are new books.  I was having trouble slogging through my most recent book choices so I put them on the shelf for now (or rather, back on the shelf at the library) in exchange for some others.

I can smell the coffee is ready, and I need to shower before we head out to brunch, so I'm off.

weekending with amanda

March 22 - Thrifty Thursday

Cory over at Lady Cordelia has started up a weekly Thrifty Thursday posting and has invited others to play along.  I love me a bargain and I can get quite excited over some of the things I find at the thrift stores, rummage sales, and occasionally in someone else's trash (some of the best stuff is just carelessly discarded by the side of the road you know), so I've decided to join in for the fun.  I've had to get a bit more picky about what I bring home these days, had to really check myself to be sure I'm playing by my "one in, one (or more) out" rule, but you can't just STOP.  Not completely, anyway.  

My most recent thrifted treasure (found at the Kiwanis thrift store here in Black Mountain) is a sweet little handmade bunny.  And just in time for an Easter basket.

The dress alone had me.  It will fit the doll my mom made for Claire just perfectly.

The sticker on her little bunny bum declared her price to be $2.  A lady in line commented on how darn cute the bunny was and I mentioned how I was thrilled to find it and how all I had to do was put a few stitches in her armpit.  The man at the register said "You have to fix her up, huh? How about a deal?  $1.50."  I told him I was happy to pay 2, but he insisted.

I walked out that day with a sweater, 3 shirts, the bunny, and a little wooden spoon for Claire's kitchen.  All for under five bucks.

Thrifting can be very exciting.

weekend thrifting

It's been a while since I shared photos from one of my favorite past times.... hunting for good deals at yard sales and thrift stores (and in other people's trash, of course).  It could be that I just wasn't doing as much looking for a while because we've been trying hard to keep things going out of the house and not coming into the house.  But there are certain things that I will happily bring in; books (especially children's books and good reference books and cookbooks), clothing and shoes for this growing girl (because who likes to spend $35 on baby shoes and $20 for a girl's dress that's going to get covered in mud and berries almost instantly? Not me), kitchen stuff and art/craft supplies (though I am learning, quite well, to not bring too many of either of those things home).

This Saturday we took the day off from the market for a few reasons.  Mostly, because Mike was working and I wasn't going to have any back up with Claire and figured that might be trickier than I wanted to find out.  Also because it's been pretty slow going at the market the last two weeks and I was feeling like a break.  I think the thing about selling art/crafts at a tailgate market is that you are selling something that doesn't get used up quickly or consumed (like all the yummy produce and cheese and breads do) and so people only need so much of it.  Especially if it's a market that is full of regulars (which I really do love about it) and is only 3 hours long.  Even so, I do so love the market experience and look forward to returning next week.

One of the nicest things about taking Saturday off was being able to go to a couple yard sales.  I must say that driving to the market early every Saturday morning and having to pass by many sales on the way makes me feel a little torn sometimes.  Mike, on the other hand, thinks it is a wonderful thing that the market keeps me away from yard sales.  I think he's afraid of me bringing home another chair like this one (which, um, is still sitting in our back yard in the same condition, if not worse for wear, than I brought it home in...).  But anyway~ here are some of my recent finds from this weekend's yard sales and a couple trips to our local thrift stores over the past few weeks.

Here's a photo of all of Claire's goodies:

books (.50 each), a mirror for her room ($3), a reusable snack/sandwich wrap (FREE), two adorable puppets (.50 each), a framed bird picture (.50), wooden heart-shaped stool (FREE), wooden truck with removable blocks ($2), wooden pounding board (.25), shoes for the fall ($1) and a small wooden train (.50) grand total= $9.75

adorable hand painted squirrel canvas, $1 at a yard sale

these cuties deserved a close-up

books are her very favorite things, and this Blackberry Mouse book is very sweet

sweet 'lil truck for my truck loving lass 

 I picked up a few things for myself too, of course:

clear glass pitcher (with a little crack) .25, blue glass crock .25, bag of wreaths $1, string market bag .25

a ton of wonderful rubber stamps (sitting in a nice sturdy bread pan, .50) ! $2 for the letter set and .50 each for the rest

a pair of jeans (SO hard for me to find the right jeans) $4.50, purple corduroy fabric .25, blue owl bandanna .25, green glass bottle .25, this wonderful Bird Songs book in great condition $1.50 (score!), and Mollie Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook, 50

Not too bad, right?  Certainly all items that will be read, worn, played with and used for quite some time!

six dollar chair

About six dollars too many if you ask Mike.

I bought this chair at Goodwill a few days ago for six bucks but I couldn't fit it in the car with Claire and the groceries.  Mike kindly went back the next day to retrieve it for me.

He came home, threw me a funny little sideways glance and said "that's some chair you got there".

To which I replied "but did you sit in it? It's great!"

To which he replied "I didn't want to sit in it.... it's gross!"

hmph.  I think it's pretty great.  I like sitting cross-legged on the floor.  I appreciate this chair's low, squat stature.  This is the perfect chair for my kind of sitting.

Needs a cushion for the back, maybe some paint, maybe a new seat cushion cover.... but I see it's potential.

Taking suggestions on color schemes.... what color does this beauty want to be?

thrifty home decorating; for the walls

We stumbled upon a little rummage sale this weekend and with the $3 in cash we had in our pockets we purchased a set of cotton twin sheets for Claire's bed, 2 children's books from the early 60's with some fun pictures inside, and the 3 pieces of art below to be framed and hung low on the walls in her (soon to be) room.  Not bad, I'd say.  $1 for the sheets, .25 cents for each book, $1 for the big painting and .25 cents for each of the two botanical ones

I may have a little trouble actually cutting up the books for the pictures, raised with such a deep respect for books as I was (a good thing, for sure) but we'll see~

I also found this wonderful book at Goodwill for about $1.50 a while back and plan to frame some of the fun inside for our bare walls,

again, we'll see.

one fish, brown fish, wood fish, what fish

So I found this wooden fish in someone's garbage bin a couple weeks ago on one of our walks around town.  And I snagged it.

I rather like snagging something out of other people's trash provided a) it's pretty cool and b) said trash is found on the curb prior to trash pickup.  Meaning, I don't exactly go around sneaking through folks' trash cans when I'm visiting them or anything like that.  Just in case you were wondering.

I also found a wooden drying rack in need of a minor repair.  Silly tossers.  Lucky me.

But back to the fish.

I grabbed it thinking that I could do something creative with it for Claire's room.  (The room that at the moment still holds a bookshelf and a cabinet, 2 fig trees, a futon, a recliner, and our television)  But we're getting there.  Sort of.

Question is, what will that creative something be?

I could paint it bright, fun colors.  I could use it as the body of a chime of sorts made by stringing all of the seashells and other treasures we found at the beach on her first beach trip.  Fish.  Shells.  Makes sense.  I could paint a small underwater scene on one of the walls and hang fish on it as I find them.

I found some inspiration for creative and inexpensive wall decorations here.  But nothing about fish.

Got any ideas?

STUFF~ some coming, mostly going

Lately we have been working on getting a lot of the extra "stuff" out of our house.  Looking around, it doesn't seem like we've got all that much extra stuff, but once you begin to really look... there it is!  Clothes not worn in years, piles of magazines and magazine clippings, miscellaneous this and that.... Last week I took a large box of baby clothes/toys/etc to the consignment store, donated another large box of baby stuff, and passed some on to friends as well.  My goodness it's easy to acquire a lot of stuff that fits into the "baby" category, even when you are consciously trying not to.  I don't wish to deprive this little one, but when I see how much pleasure a measuring cup or cardboard box bring her, well, I'm not running out to buy her a ton of new toys every week, let's just say that.  And I am quite convinced that there are enough large baby items (like walkers, strollers, bouncers, seats, etc.) to go around that no more ever need to be produced!

The piles ("yard sale", "baby stuff to keep" ,"donate", etc) have grown, then been boxed up and either put in the shed for that sunny Spring day when we'll have a yard sale, stored for later use, or donated. I have also recently adopted a policy for my own clothing that I will keep it only if I love it.  I am still in the process of weeding through articles of clothing and taking some things for test runs, but my how it (this new policy) whittles down a wardrobe!  I don't actually need to hold onto a dozen "painting" shirts, do I?  Especially since I don't find myself painting all that often?  Same goes for all the t-shirts I keep because "I'll sleep in them".  No, in fact, I won't.  I find myself wearing the same dozen or so articles of clothing over and over again anyway.  I think that's probably fairly common.  At least once you're out of that phase when you're in middle school and worry that so-and-so will notice you wore the same (!) shirt (!) just last week.  I am always amazed at how very little we really need, and how much more at peace I feel when I'm not surrounded by so much.  Surely there are things I find I can't part with, and so those stay, often packed away, and each time I get the urge to boot some things out again I get a little more picky about what I really "need" and about what I have a meaningful attachment to.  And then there's that love I have of finding new (old) things at the antique and thrift stores.... and so to make room for that I try to only get things I need/really want/was looking for anyway....and always get rid of more than I bring home.  It works quite well, I think. I am a sucker for children's books (because really, I don't think a child can have too many books), quality toys, and old kitchen items.  Of course the occasional article of clothing finds it's way home with me as well~ but from now on of course, only if I love it.  

So stuff is on it's way out, and yes, other things have found a new home here, too.  The balance is there though, slightly tipped towards us having less than we did before~ just the way I want it to be.  

Some photos of my recent finds (but none of the boxes and bins of donated or otherwise evicted items, because that'd be too boring):

HABA kringelring toy/teether~ $0.10 (yes, one dime)

hand-knit finger puppets~ $0.10 each

the latest round of books~ $0.25-$0.50 each

disana wool baby leggings/pants~ $2.00 (we have one of their wool diaper covers, and it is AWESOME and in nearly constant use)

napkin rings, wooden ones to be used for toy making~ $0.75 for all

standing grater with 3 different grating sizes (um, and a LADY on top!)~ $17.95 (no, not exactly a steal...but I wanted a standing grater and this one...well, this one spoke to me.  I found it at an antique/thrift market in Conover, NC called "Fantastic Finds")

milk glass vase~ $0.50

sparkly shoes for mama, purchased on an unusually warm day with thoughts of Spring filling my head~ $3.50

rolling wooden Hippo toy~ $4.95 at Fantastic Finds

Fisher-Price TV Music Box circa 1970-something, purchased at Fantastic Finds for Claire by her Grandma~ $16.95

Yep that's right, it's a GIANT screen.  I intend to keep my daughter's television-watching at a near non-existent level, but this I'm not too worried about....

...especially since one of the reasons Grandma wanted to get it for Claire SO bad was because I had the very same one when I was a wee one!  (that's me at about 6 or 7 months...and do you see that thing under the playpen?  Yep- a Fisher-Price GIANT screen music box TV)

the joy of thrifting~

Oh, how I LOVE thrift stores.... I'm not a big shopper generally, but there's something about finding something wonderful for a great deal that I find rather thrilling.  There are certainly worse ways to get some thrills, right?  Besides, I try to abide by the "one in, one out" rule, never acquiring more items than what I give away, and I think I do a pretty good job of sticking to it~  We have our share of Goodwills around and I've found some great things there, but lately I've been going to our local Kiwanis thrift store and I'm liking it.  For your viewing pleasure, some of my latest finds....

glass snowman candy jar, $.50

very cool pterodactyl puppet for my friend's 3 year old son (so tempted to keep it for Claire, but I'm thinking he'll appreciate it more), $1.00

wooden number puzzle for Claire (I realize it'll be a while before she has any concept of numbers, but for $2.00?  I'll take it!)

set of 15 animal rubber stamps for yes, only $.25! (as in one single quarter my friends)  Again, she won't be using these for a while, but 15 for the price of less than one in the store?  A no brainer, I'd say!