thrifting is good for me...

Friday,aka Black Friday, I spent hours in my car driving from one frosty rink to the next. It is my duty as an ice hockey mom. I do not wear red lipstick as some hockey momsare purported to do. Instead I enjoy finding places to get some of my crafty on while my kids are on the ice.Before you start thinking there is something truly mean spirited about not watching my kids in their respective gliding venues, please know, i get into trouble if I am there for too long. Last friday, after a spectacular junking binge and a mellow Thanksgiving at a friend's house, I kind of got into a fight with some parents in the stands.Honestly, I am not all that hot-headed all the time. There was only 2 minutes left in a mixed gender squirt(8-10 year olds?) game where the score was

6-0.

The stand-side parents were berating the refs and one of those striped jersey fellows was my son. Simply, I recommended that the folks in the stands perhaps be aware that if the refs were able to hear what they were saying, they might be ejected from their perches. I truly was very polite. It has happened before and sadly will happen again. The 3 most unpleasant people there were loaded for bear... so I moved away.

Eventually the loudest, foamiest fool in the stands, interrupted a conversation that I was having later with a friend and fellow mother of hockey playing children. The very foolish man, eventually apologized to us both for being so out of control and disrespectful. My friend congratulated me for being the voice of reason. WELL, I never have been anointed with that royal moniker before, so I felt a tiny ember glowing in my gullet. shucks.In fact, the calls that were made by my son, the referee, were valid and educated. I was also most proud of him for his level headed professional behavior as well. A lot of days, I wish that I could be a bit more even tempered just as he is. He really lets stuff roll off of his back.

These little aggravations were put aside ... as I hold a death grip on a grudge, when the phone rang. We were in the car on our way to another rink for the boy to supervise another 3 games. The incoming call was from the junk shop where I had earlier spotted a child's sized roll top desk. Dare I holler with joy as I did that late afternoon? NOPE. In stead, when the daylight returns, I shall take photos of the

little desk to try to add to this posting. oh, and the price was absolutely yummy at $25.oo

Earlier that afternoon after dropping my son at the rink , I backtracked to the consignment store. It was on my way to deliver the boy, but in no way could he be late tohis job. In no way did I want to delve into this new source of consigned love and rush. It was something I absolutely wanted to take my time with and savor anyways. Words can't really describe how utterly positive I felt, but I am game to try. Within a few minutes of entering the door to a magic land and having put my name down for info about that rolltop cutie,

I found 2 floral vintage tablecloths. They were horribly stained, but I sense that Oxyclean will magically render them clean after a good soaking. I have confidence in a joyful outcome from this easy task. oh, and the tablecloths were $3.oo each.

SCORE!!!

SCORE!!!

Next, my greed focused in on some items I thought could be refurbished to be table-scapings for jewelry shows in the future. I was able to score not one, but two wooden cutlery trays. After cleaning and painting them, i think they will be wonderful earring displays.

Still no color has been decided for their futures. maybe black, maybe white.

I have time to decide.

They were $5. and $10.oo respectively. I felt guilty twinges about their prices, but in reality, I was having so much fun and could see them as being so veryhelpful when my show season resumed.

Oddly enough, a pair of two pretty pink girly lamps were available to my greed. Lacking in harps and shades, I thought they would be ideal bases to try out some new lacy shades made from old embroidered and lace trimmed linens scored earlier this month. It could happen... don't doubt me now... the winter will be hideously long

and i will need some fun to keep me busy. Did I mention that they were marked down from some ungodly inexpensive price to $8. 24? for the pair??? No, I did not think so. How could they be left behind if I had half a brain?

I managed not to fall down the stairs to the lower level of the consignment store. It was a possibility since I was feeling totally giddy. It was very full of ugly furniture and things my upholstering project-free hands could play with. This fantasy would hold a reality basis if given a little more household space, a bathtub full of tacks ( no, i do not store my tacks in my bathtub. it was merely a measuring allusion. ), appropriate supplies, a teensy, happy, tack hammer and all other things useful in re-upholstering furniture.

In this section filled with ridiculously unneeded things, my eagle peepers found me a small metal box with a handle that is banged up and useful vintage fare. As usual, i have NO idea what i might like to use it for, but Tole is Tole and I love it. Who on a bender would pass that up for another $5.oo? I ask you?

Near by, also a double decker silver plate serving dish wooed me. Sirens' calls enticed that into my basket as well for another $5.oo.(sorry I forgot to take a pic of this one...perhaps tomorrow?).

I thought that my trip was done, and then one last squeak was heard from within a china cabinet. There were three teensy salt shakers there. round and dumpling like. oh hell, and sterling silver too.

Now my husband was on the Cape of Cod with our youngest. They were at yet another Hockey event. I kept all my loot in the trunk of the car, to be silently off loaded into my overflowing studio space. Tomorrow will be a stupendous day for this sneaky little sortie. My hubby thinks of me as a hoarder.

I have NO idea why...

If I could get a little more organized looking, then no one would find fault with my collecting bug.

So many treats were left at this store by the way. I hope to get to go back sooner than later. There were plenty of things still waiting for me and my itchy fingers to get to. A set of green glass vases with ruffled tops, another pair of shade free glass boudoir lamps and a green ceramic pitcher with flowers painted on one side. I feel the shame, joy and luck of having too many cool things in my cottage.

Simple pleasures for me to revel in and to perhaps share.

Generally, this is the way that folks wind up having stores to sell their loot from. I suppose it is purposeful to look ahead to that as a possible dream. Dreams are very good to have too.

Thanks ... xoxo. w.

hi gang,

it has been so long since i have been on here and tried to make sense of my thoughts and ideas. Perhaps it is due to the ongoing chaos in my little world. or maybe it isn't. i can't really guess... all i know is that in the spare moments i have had to write something, i have leaning towards net surfing. that may not be my most interesting way to spend time, but it helps to rejuvenate some of the frazzled thoughts and calm them to work on my jewelry more.

since it is a major holiday weekend, there has been a lot of hockey time for all of us. well all but my delightful art student daughter. she has been alternately doing her computer things, sleeping, eating and seeing her friends all home for the brief holiday weekend. today, we may find some things to do together that perhaps will resonate for a long time in the future or for the next 5 seconds. i found me another fresh junk shop with loads of stuff to look at and plunder. i am hopeful that in spite of living with my ultra cluttered house, the girl will see the joy that is found when a cool thing is unearthed for re-use in another lifetime.

she may even locate a special box that once held silverware to corral her own art supplies and that gives her a happy glow when she looks at its bumps and scratches while reflecting on the fun we were able to have junking together.

and the other 3... well they are rink rats. i can't really complain. they are pretty happy gliding on ice. the boy gets paid handsomely for his efforts, while he is able to maintain a sense of personal calm. he referees ice hockey games. this is a very nice way to earn high school fun money. also he had an experience where he was tangential to putting 3 men in jail overnight for misconduct at a tournament. pretty heady stuff for a kid. this is the subject of one of his college application essays. i guess getting paid and having an entree into the college admissions process is not a bad outcome for his sticking with refereeing.

the little girl is a sprite. although she is growing by leaps and bounds... she is the firey girl in the goal net. she really rarely takes anyone's guff. it is a pleasure to see her being not only a hockey player with interesting locker room chat, but the stones of a small person standing up to much larger players (and other people in off ice life experiences). when there is a small issue between her and other young women at school, she is ready to take it on. thoughtfully and productively almost all the time. (i could do with a little restraint rinkside when it happens, but i have raised her... so i know where her peppery language stems from... sigh.)

now it is time to get off of the sofa and enjoy some of today at the junk store, in between shuttling the boy from one game to the next. i truly enjoy his company and the challenges of driving in a timely manner to and fro. he is good company as well.

recent finds of junk,,, will be plopped into this posting. i do not have much c ontrol over how to do all the graphic stuff yet. so please bear with me.

i am going to try to do more posts... even if they are all kinds of hodged and podged.

xow.