Normally, spring is prime time for yard sales around these parts. Here a yard sale, there a yard sale, everywhere a yard sale.
But Mother Nature has been screwing with my yard sale fun this year!
Lots of cold weather.
Lots of rain.
Lots of yard sale cancellations.
Which means . . . lots of whining on my part.
It's a yard sale people, grow a pair! You aren't going to melt! Throw up a tent or move it into the garage!
I did find one hardcore yard sale last weekend. The lady was trying to clean out her mom's house who recently moved into assisted living, so she just wanted the stuff the heck out of there so she could put the house on the market.
And that means good prices for me.
I get all misty eyed at these types of sales though, because I know how hard it is to get rid of your mom's stuff, but you can't keep it all (that's called hoarding and they have tv programs about that).
I found springs that had been painted green at one point. I think they're crib springs???
It's one of those things that you have NO IDEA IN THE WORLD where you are going to put it or what you are going to do with it, but when you casually ask the lady how much it is and she says $2 you say SOLD before you can even think about it.
Yeah, that type of thing!
So walking back to the car with my "prize" in hand, I was thinking "Uh oh, aren't I supposed to be trying to downsize some of my junk and here I go buying a rusty piece of stuff for no good reason".
Cool looking. But rusty all the same.
Then I brought it home and stuck it on the porch. Next thing you know I was clipping seed packets to it and calling it the find of the century.
I think it goes well with my rustic, farmhouse, repurposed, Christmas-colors-when-it's-not-Christmas theme I have going on here. And if I ever complete that theme, I'll show you the whole porch!
I found some Gurley choir candles.
You can barely tell, but some are girls and some are boys.
And this big caroler lady who isn't a candle and is 10 times as large as the Gurleys, but they were being sold as a "set".
I also bought a wooden picnic basket just because you can never have too many picnic baskets.
Can't remember the last time I had a picnic lunch (that's what Wendy's Drive Thru is for), but the day may come and I will be ready!
And a painted wooden handled spoon that has seen better days.
But it will look cute hanging out with all my other painted wooden handled kitchen utensils that I never use because they're old and rusty and might give me botulism.
Did you find anything fascinating at the sales last weekend?
Are you going to any special ones this weekend (if the weather holds out)?
Have you had botulism lately?
For all your Midwesterners, the Springfield Extravaganza and Antique Show is this weekend!!! It's huge! It's fun! And where else can you buy a vintage porch glider while eating a corn dog and funnel cake.
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Judy Clark
Love your bed springs!! Your geraniums are gorgeous also. We are lucky in that around here, estate sales (inside) are especially plentiful at this time of the year. But, like you, I get so frustrated when it is raining or bad weather on the weekends. It ruins my fun. LOL I do have the big Tulsa Flea Market most every Saturday and I can always resort to that.
Have a great week.
Judy
Pam
I normally do pink on my front porch, but thought a bright red geranium would look good for the patriotic holidays too 🙂
Diane
LOVE your finds, Pam! The addition of the bed spring piece, with the seed packets, inspired! Your front porch is so welcoming! We have had the same kind of cold then warm then cold weather in MN, and it is SO frustrating. So cold, I went to Goodwill, but nothing there spoke to me. While waiting, your posts lift my spirits, so thank you for that!
Pam
Maybe it just means that we are going to have a FANTASTIC June?
Kirby Carespodi
No yard sales here, either. Too rainy. Lots of folks are moving their yard sale items to Craigslist, but that can be sketchy, so I rarely bite.
Pam
I don't blame you, I've been to a couple shady Craigslist pickups where I acted like I was talking to someone on the phone while I picked it up and paid. And then practically ran back to my car 🙂
Lou Ann
I feel your pain about yard sales we are having the same weather here in Illinois ugh! Hoping for no rain on Friday & Saturday our city is having city wide yard sales!! The weatherman here is saying chances of rain on Friday UGH 😛
Pam
Crossing my fingers for you! I LOVE a city-wide sale!
Aimee
I wanted you to know how much of a comfort it is for me to know that just when I I feel.like a total hoarder addict I read one of your terrific posts and I come back.to reality knowing that I'm not alone! And, yes, the weather here in Michigan hasn't been cooperating either lately but I've still managed to find a few sales here and there.
P.S. I'm working on the bowling ball yard art that you posted way back when...
Pam
Are you doing the penny one or the glass stone one?
Both of those posts are still (after 5 years) some of the most viewed posts I have. And they both have cruddy photos, which goes to show you that bad photos don't deter people from making something 🙂
Shara
Have you had Botulism lately? HA HA You crack me up!
My Dad used to buy all the dented cans at the grocery store and I was forever told not to open bloated cans, rusty cans, etc. or I would bet Botulism. It's no wonder I rarely buy canned foods in my adult life!
I did buy a set of crib springs recently- but I haven'[t found a good use for them. YET.
Pam
You could have another baby??? I actually made canned spaghetti sauce when I was around 20 years old and I don't think I canned it correctly because there was "stuff" floating on the top of the jar when you opened it. But, I was a poor college kid and ate it (it was very tangy). So if I was going to get botulism you'd think I would have gotten it then. Maybe I'm immune now?
chris aka monkey
pam weather here in tn much the same winter then summer for a day or two then winter again, we had a spring from the last grandsons childcraft crib there were two spring on the bed so it could be convert to a twin so the bigger spring was smaller, anyhoo we hung it on our tiny kitchens ceiling and use it for a pot rack opened up mega room in the cabinets xx
Pam
That is too cool! A hanging bed spring/pot rack!!!
Melissa's Antiques
I love the springs! I just picked up a vintage baby mattress and have a post about it coming up tomorrow. I just attended the US 11 Antique Alley Yard Sale this weekend, because the weather in Indy was so poor, so I thought Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama would be nicer. I was right. I got great junk and great weather. 🙂
Pam
Sounds like fun! Love that you're willing to drive for your junk!!!
Beth
I need to go up in the attic and get down an old crib spring from our son's crib. It was actually old when we got it, then went for another 10 years with our baby-making years. So it's really old. Love it
Pam
It's doing no good in the attic 🙂
Ann C
My partner and I went to my aunts estate sale. He picked up a small painting because he liked it and it was painted on wood. When we got home I noticed writing on the back by the artist who was my mother's best friend all thru school. A name I heard often growing up. I was so pleased to bring it into my home, which had been my parents home the last forty years.
Pam
What a great story! I love those pieces that have extra special meanings!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
Lots of fun goodies, Pam! The crib spring is a wonderful backdrop! Hoping to go to our town city-wide tomorrow...
Pam
Our city-wide is supposed to be Friday and Saturday except the darn weather isn't supposed to cooperate. That and I was supposed to have my own sale this weekend and I'm not even remotely ready for it!
mary scott
You & I couldn't shop together because I would've had to HAVE every item you bought. Congrats!
Pam
I can see us on the ground wrestling over things 🙂
mary scott
BIG LOL!!!!!
Marsha
You're so funny, Pam. I love the green-handled spoon and the clever display you made from the springs. I love the red watering can--did you paint it? I haven't had botulism --but I did get a tetnus shot last year because I couldn't remember when I'd had my last one. I had wanted to "investigate" a dumpster at a house that was being restored....you know....the one you see when you're walking with your friends after church on Wendesday night. I went to an estate sale last week and got a few goodies and now, I'm so excited... I'm going to a Vintage Pickin' Barn Sale on Friday. I hope you'll post about the sale you mentioned....
Pam
I bought it that way at an estate sale. Someone must have painted it years ago because it's not only chippy paint, but it's sort of faded in different places from the sun. I would love to have a whole collection of watering cans, but unfortunately all the dealers here in town have gotten together and decided they're worth $25 and up and I don't like to spend more than a few bucks for something that sits outside.
PC
2 Sakura Halloween plates 50cents; pineapple sign 1.00; 2 French White mini casseroles 1.00
Pam
Oh, I love those plates!!! They always have the cutest designs on them. Sounds like you've had some luck lately!
Gay Correll
Hi, Pam! Your sense of humor cracks me up, and it's just what I need (two days before school is out---hang on, I can do this!) Every year as a reward on the last day of school I go thrifting on the way home--I'm downright giddy at the prospect as I think of it now. What I'm particularly interested in is your cute green table. Assuming you painted it, would you mind sharing the color name/brand of paint it is? And, don't you think a cool job would be "paint color namer"? I think you'd be quite good at it because of your cheeky way with words. You could also do nail polish names. My particular favorite is "I am NOT a waitress!" Where does that even come from? I do, however, like the color.
Pam
It's Deep Viridian from Home Depot and I used the Behr Exterior Semi-Gloss Enamel (it has the paint & primer in one). The funny thing is that I am painting a wooden ladder I bought to go in the garden and I went and bought a can of green paint for it. Totally forgetting that I had 3/4ths of a can of that green paint sitting here already. I must find more things to paint green now!
taryterre
love your crib spring find. it was neat and i like what you did with it. your creativity knows no bounds. i am totally into recycling the past. those red flowers just pop in front of the screen you made of it. looks fantastic.
Pam
I bought those red geraniums a few weeks ago and it wasn't until I set them on the porch that I thought "it's starting to look a lot like Christmas"! I always love to have at least one geranium to put a flag in for 4th of July though!
taryterre
ps. all this cold rainy weather has put a damper on everything here too. curtailed all my fun. no big finds this week so far.
joy
READING THIS POST LATE!! I will be at Springfield tomorrow and I will look for you!!
You can't look for me because we have never met!! Please only buy the junk I don't have to have!! haha Weather is suppose to be cloudy with a high of 72. I will take it! I have been there when its poured rain ALL DAY=NO FUN!!!
Good luck and hope you find great stuff!!
joy
Pam
I have no idea if I'm going to get to make it or not! My son was home sick from school today, so hoping he can go back tomorrow. That's what they make Tylenol for, right 🙂 Seriously though, if he's better I'm going to try to get there early so I 1) get a good parking spot and 2) get the good stuff! If not, I may have to wait until Saturday and that's no fun!
Deanna Rabe
You found some great items! Happy Yard Saling!
jenny p
Ya know I live in the NW where we get a fair amount of rain & sales still happen here even if it's raining. I love that I can still find treasures even if it's yucky weather. Love your crib springs & flowers; what a great combo! Blessings.....Jen