Juggler - A Circus Act or Recipe for Disaster

An update on the leather bag in my last post (the one that hadn't sold yet and I was kind of hoping didn't because I wanted to keep it for myself) - it sold too. Which is good for my etsy shop's bottom line, but not for my wardrobe.

So today I will box that up,


along with a divided vintage Melmac bowl that also sold the other day, and head to the post office.

Then home to put on the domestic goddess hat and clean my house and catch up on the laundry.

Because tomorrow I have my second day on my new job and a half-off sale at the Salvation Army for some new merchandise for the shop.

And I really want to get two submissions out to agents of my last manuscript, still can't quite give up on my pursuit for publication.

And my youngest has a food drive for Boy Scouts on Saturday, so up early to drive around the neighborhood scoring canned corn.

And my oldest needs to be run back and forth for set crew all week and weekend because the play starts Saturday afternoon....
Can you hear the circus music in the background as all the balls are juggled in the air, or is that just me?

Ah well, nothing more than most people do anymore with jobs and kids. I'll just keep smiling like the clown...no, wait...not the clown. Clowns kind of creep me out. More like the lady on the high-wire as she smiles brightly while walking carefully across the abyss.

You know what? Its all good, I just remembered I love the circus.

The People of the Thrift Store Shelves

I have had a few blog entries highlighting the weird ceramic rabbits that seem to multiply on the thrift store shelves - I just have to, they're everywhere.

But on my last outing to the shops, I took note of how many strange little humanoid figures were adorning the shelves.


This one above caught my attention as there is a lamb around his or her (not sure) shoulders which usually implies a good and gentle being like a shepard...but this one was painted all red and devil-like...it is confusing me.
















I'm not sure if its the prominent nostrils, blond hair with black eye-brows (does she dye her hair already? So young) or that her hand is big white blob that disturbs me more.


Somebody bring this kid in from the cold, he's getting horrible frost-bite on his nose, cheeks and lips. Makes you want to light that candle he's holding just to warm him up.


















Love the hairdo on this guy, at least I think it's a guy, but he's wearing a dress - there is no judgment on the Thrift Store shelves.

So many weird little dudes at the second hand shop...well, someone has to keep the demented rabbits company.

What's Up With the Rabbits?

In at least three of my posts (see below) I have commented and shown pictures of the weird ceramic rabbits I've come across in my picking.

http://twoblondsandavan.blogspot.com/2010/12/good-bad-and-ugly.html

http://twoblondsandavan.blogspot.com/2010/10/wimp.html

http://twoblondsandavan.blogspot.com/2010/11/silly-rabbit.html"

It's not unusual to come across a strange looking cat, the requisite duck planter, the odd turtle soap dish, but consistently I have found at least one demented looking bunny each week huddling on the shelf, hoping a lover of demented bunnies will come along any moment and snatch him up for her collection at home.

I just returned from Ohio where I was able to fit in a quick trip the local Goodwill store, and yes, even in Ohio they are following me...strange looking, sometimes purple, ceramic bunnies...













Ahhh! They are following me!

Maybe I should just give in and start a collection.

Goodwill Hunting

Saturday was a family hunt at the local Goodwill stores...I know, you can probably think of a few other things your family would like to do on a Saturday morning. But, one member of my family, my sister-in-law Corey, works for Goodwill Inc and once a year she gets 50% off coupons she is good enough to share with us.

So Corey, her sister, my boys (who thought they might find something really great they had to have, their allowance burning a hole in their pockets), my husband (who is convinced one day he'll come across an Eames chair and a McIntosh stereo system lying around the housewares department) and I loaded into the Suburban and made the rounds of the local Goodwill stores.

The stores were crowded - other employees taking advantage of the discount -- and the shelves did not yeild any great treasures (certainly no Eames chairs lurking in a forgotten corner), but I did find some nice mid-century china...
And my son, Will, spotted a 1960's globe, so he bought it and I put it in the etsy shop for him.

And my oldest son, Evan, found this great vintage glass decanter and bought it for me to put in the shop as well - they will probably both make more money than me this week!

Morning in Maryland with Mary

This morning Linda and I found ourselves driving to Maryland through gorgeous fall light shining on hills, countryside, farm houses, barns and horses...really, it was like driving through a Thomas Kincaid painting...until we spotted the cardboard sign with "Yard Sale" on it we were looking for.

We were directed to a garage by a gray haired woman with a broad grin and deep wrinkles standing at the end of the driveway, she was still putting up a sign. Linda and I both looked at each other and decided we already liked her, then we got out of the Suburban and met Mary, and knew we'd been right.We followed her to the garage where she hit a button and the doors went up to display tables of housewares and a clothesline with sweaters, housecoats and dresses hanging from it. As we poked around her belongings Mary told us how much she loved yard saleing herself and pointed out Avon jewelry she thought we might like.

Then, as I made a small pile of items, she pointed to an empty "Stay Free Panty Liner" box and said, "I'll give you that to put your stuff in, can't give it to a man or he might freak out." We had a good laugh at that and then she told us how she remembered when panty liners first came out with the adhesive strip instead of the belts and that she wasn't sure which way they stuck, up or down...more laughter.

Once we'd both spent our dollar and listened to a few more of Mary's stories, Linda and I climbed back into the Suburban. Mary waved to us and wished us a great day.

We were off to a good start.

Beginnings, Endings, Beginnings

I feel like finding vintage things for my etsy shop is part of a cycle. The things I hunt down were once new, treasured, then became "old" and unwanted, tucked away in the corner of the garage or attic, and then years later are taken out again to either have a little sticker with ".25" stuck to them or put in a box for Salvation Army. But then they are rediscovered, bought again by someone who treasures or collects that exact vintage thing-a-ma-bob.

On this rainy, gray Monday, I finished putting together a cover letter, synopsis and manuscript for a publisher. This is the last manuscript I finished and one of the last publishers I plan on approaching for awhile, so in some ways I'm feeling like I'm in a cycle myself. Putting aside what I have been pursuing for the last several years to explore new things, but I still have hope someday I'll rediscover my passion when the time is right.

So on my way home from the post office, I stopped at the local Goodwill just to poke around. In addition to finding some great old enameled refrigerator tins (just put them up in the etsy shop)I also found - I hesitate to say "strange thing" because I think it's great - not Monopoly, but...




The game was sealed so I couldn't peak in, but reading the side it looks like it was a fund raiser for a Temple in Baltimore.