Archived Post: Family Outing

Here is a post from one year ago today, my second post ever on this blog.  Since pretty much nobody read it back then, I’m re-running it.

Don’t forget about my anniversary giveaway!  All will be revealed later this week, but for now, here’s another tiny peek at some of the prize package.

From September 21, 2008

Yesterday we went apple picking, a very fall-ish thing to do. Never mind that fall completely blindsided me one day last week with an overnight 30 degree drop in temperature. Summer slips by more quickly every year. I like fall, but what it really means is that winter is right around the corner. I'm a glass-half-empty kind of gal.

Anyway, back to the story. After the apple picking, which was fun, we took a little drive into the surrounding countryside. And we came upon a farm, way up on a hill, that had set itself up as a kind of a pumpkin patch/Halloween fun town. We drove halfway up the hill and parked on the grass with the three other cars. The children were bouncy with excitement. But wait, Daddy wants to get the picture that I want for my blog (see above). He gets out the tripod and sets up the camera. Stand over there. No, sit down. No, move over a tad so there's a little bit of tree in the picture. Great! Okay, hold that while I run and get into the picture. Repeat entire sequence four or five times.

The kids did pretty well. Not too many complaints and no candy bribes needed. The two youngest start charging the rest of the way up the hill to fall funland. We rein them in and approach the ticket booth together. Two teenage girls man the booth and greet us pleasantly. The tell us there is a haunted house, a maze or something, some playground stuff, and pumpkin painting, but you have to buy the pumpkin. It all looks very charming, and like they've put a lot of work into it.

So, how much is admission? Kids are $10, adults $7. Wait, kids are $10 each? Handsome and I do some quick mental math and look at each other. Forty-four dollars? Nearly $50 for pumpkin painting, and we have to pay extra for the pumpkin? I don't think so. We apologize to the teens, and head back down to the van. After pausing in disbelief, Pinkerbelle throws back her head and lets out a shriek which rings out from the hilltop. Tears squirt from her eyes. Skippy balls up his fists and stomps ahead to the van, lips trembling and eyes watering. Firstborn, who is almost too old for this kind of thing, uncharacteristically spares us the theatrics, but is a little disappointed nonetheless.

Hey, it's all about making memories, right? Good thing we took the photo first!

Pinkerbelle, before the fiasco

Heirloom Party

Today is the day of Marie’s Heirloom Party!

I am severely underdressed for this party.  I can’t find several of the photos I wanted to use and the ones I do have, quite frankly, stink big time.  Hold your nose.

This dresser belonged to one of my maternal great-grandmothers.  My mom had it all my growing up years; in fact, she and my dad shared it.  Then, because I was using it at the time of my marriage, it came along with me when I moved out. 

It has a mirror, which is currently in our basement.  This is the only picture I could find of it.

This is a photo of a photo from our first apartment.  See the mess?  Of course you do.  I have always had a problem with flat surfaces, and in order to take the top photo, I basically had to just run my arm across the dresser-top and sweep a similar mess into a box.

What I really wanted to show was a picture of my mom on her wedding day.  The picture is black and white, it’s 1958, and she had just turned 17 three weeks previously.  She is standing in front of the dresser looking into the mirror and brushing her hair.  The photo is taken from behind her, so it catches the back of her dress, and her reflection.  On the dresser is a framed photo of my dad.

On my wedding day, we recreated the photo (although hers was professional and mine was just a snapshot).  I’m looking into the mirror, fastening an earring in a similar pose as she.  The picture described above is in a frame on top.  My mom passed away in 1987, four years before my wedding, but in this way I shared my day with her.

I do not know the monetary value of my dresser, but as with many heirlooms, the real value is sentimental.

Thrift Store Thursday—9/17

I made another stop at the consignment store outlet this week; this time I found a pair of Gap jeans, $1, and an American Girl craft book, $.25.

 

At the Salvation Army, a small white platter, $1.29, and 4 clear glass plates, 4/$1.49.  I keep the clear plates on hand for making mini cake plates.

At Goodwill, a Crate and Barrel platter, $1.  This currently sells on the website for $26.95.

At United Volunteers 25% off day, a book for the kids, $.30.  I bought it because of the Boston terrier; we have two of them.

Also, this pack of children’s playing cards (on the right), $.30.  The pack on the left was given to me when my little brother was born thirty-cough-cough years ago.  Same box, same pattern on the reverse side; I’m assuming these are from the same era, although they look like they’ve never been used.

Notice the suits:  hearts, diamonds, stars, and anchors.

And lastly, again from UV, what I believe has turned out to be my favorite purchase this week—a hobnail milkglass planter, $.75.

If I added correctly, that’s $6.38 for the week.

Of course, I didn’t show you everything I got, because I also shopped for the giveaway!  Keeping you in suspense!

Time to link up! Mcklinky will close Thursday at 11:59 pm.

1. Please link directly to your Thrift Store Thursday post, not your home page.

2. Please mention and link back to my Thrift Store Thursday post.

3. Please put my button in your post, and I'd really love it if you'd use the code to do so :)

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Join the Party!

I just got an email from Marie at Emma Calls Me Mama, and she is hosting an Heirloom Party on Friday. I’m already thinking of the things I will post about. Why don’t you join too? (If you would like to use her button, please get the code from her blog.)

Here’s how she explained it in the email:

“Go get your camera and take photos of treasures that have been handed down to you by family members or friends that have special meaning to you. It can be anything! Maybe you have a neat story to go with it. If you don't have an heirloom, maybe you have a newer piece of jewelry that a loved one has given you that you plan on passing along one day - that counts too!”

This should be fun! As you know, I like to find treasures at thrift stores, but it’s oh-so-much-more interesting when there’s a story behind it!

Teaser

I’ve made a decision about the giveaway!  I’m going to find things at thrift stores, items that I would get for myself, except these will be for you!  It’s possible that some of them may come from my thrifted stash here at home.  I’m thinking that there will be several items in the prize package.  More info on the hows and whats of the giveaway to come. 

For now, here is a peek at something that I found today, specifically for the giveaway.

This little silverplate compote is similar to the one I found back in the spring.  It’s a nice place to display small decorative items, or maybe guest soap in the powder room.

Update and Milestones

I’ve left you all hanging on the Daisy saga. She has not come home yet, but has been sighted a few times, so we know she’s still out there. Craig is doing his best to catch her; he borrowed a cat trap from our humane society, and did catch a cat, but it wasn’t Daisy. He has even been keeping a little blog about the adventure. He’s had people comment and tell him how his love and dedication for his cat shows, but, as he told me, it’s not the cat but his kids that he loves. He wants them to know that he’s done everything possible.

On to the milestones…I noticed this morning that I have reached 200 followers! If you are one of them, thank you so much! It’s fun to work on this blog, and I appreciate so much your interest and comments.

flickr

Also, unbelievably, this week is my one year blog-iversary! I feel a giveaway coming on, but I don’t know what yet. I want it to be good, so I’m going to have to put some thought into it. Stay tuned!

“Goodwill” May Be a Misnomer

For a while now I have been meaning to take my camera to Goodwill to document some of the madness. Today I finally remembered, so of course there wasn’t a whole lot worth showing. There were a couple of doozies, though, and maybe I’ll make this a semi-regular feature when I see something worthy of ridicule.

This set of dishes has been at my GW for months. Months, I tell you! Why? Because each dinner plate is $9, each salad plate, saucer, and cup is $6 each.

To be fair, it is Limoges china (pattern China Poppy), and perhaps the prices are not out of line if you were to buy it from an antique store. But this is a thrift store, and even retail stores lower the prices on items that haven’t sold in a reasonable amount of time.

This next one will really get your goat.

This pair of prints looks like it came out of a dentist office that was remodeling and updating. They are a good size, probably at least 3 ft tall. The one on the right has cracked glass. How much, you ask? Wait for it……

Yup, that’s $150. Each! There are no words.

The next item is a good one (no, really). This dresser--or is it a buffet?--came from a high-end furniture store that went out of business a couple of years ago after 150 years in this city. It is solid wood.

The price on it was $60, but today all furniture was 50% off. If I had a place for it, and was industrious, I would seriously consider it. If you can’t see the potential, check out the mad skillz of Holly at Life in the Fun Lane. Be sure to look around; she redoes a lot of furniture pieces to sell, and has an adorable daughter named Wren.