Two Different Signs From One Old Bed Frame

I paid $5 for parts of an old victorian walnut bed frame.

They seemed very surprised to have anyone actually buy it.

But I knew I could get at least one good project from it,

maybe more....

This sign was my first project.

All it took was drybrushing with white paint, stenciling and a little wood glue.

This was project #2.

Even easier, using the whole headboard.

Dry brushing with white paint and a little stenciling.

 

Project #3 will be a hanging indoor wall decoration 

made from both pieces in the above photo.
Check back at a later time for that.

Three easy upcycles from one old bed frame!

Monthly Tiny Town Auction Finds 5.26.2017

The last Friday evening of every month this tiny town has an auction.  Not to be confused with their weekly Saturday morning auctions (usually the last wrung of the junk ladder).  The monthly auction is junk a wrung or two above that.

So we went to the once-a-month auction last Friday night.  It was hot, so I gave my husband the list for the outdoor stuff (they ran two lines) and sat in the air conditioning being entertained by people paying way too much in the air conditioning.  So here is what we came home with:

Cream Separator & Wash Tub

Washtub was purchased for $20, sold for $55.

Blue Mason Jars

White Dishes.

Some ironstone.  Some old.  Some new.

Some to keep.  Some to sell.

Eastlake Drawer Pulls

1940s Oil Can
Purchased for $25, sold for $50.

How Facebook Has Changed Garage Sales

When a friend asked me if I wanted to bring stuff to her barn sale last weekend, I had already decided I needed to have several "micro" sales over the next year. I am trying to wrap my brain around moving a year from now, and it is a little overwhelming.  So, if I try to "purge" a little at a time it will be easier (maybe).

Starting with my garden shed.  Every year I have assembled planters and fairy gardens to sell in my outdoor vintage booth.  So I've accumulated a ton of vintage "planters" and junk to put in them.  As this planting season comes to a close, I want to get rid of everything that is leftover.

I found stacks of cute little fruit baskets in the shed, so I am using those to corral the chachis.  $1 for the box and it's contents.  Most things I brought to the sale are priced at $1.  And now I have room to  store my exterior paint in the shed while I am painting the house. 

So, she only advertised on facebook.  (First of all you would need more than the 20 "friends" I have on facebook for this to be useful.)  This was surprisingly effective.  And -- you sell a good portion of your items before you ever open the door (to people you know will actually come and will actually pay -- unlike Craigslist).

When you are the seller, this is a great thing.  When you are a buyer, it is frustrating.  I experienced this end of it earlier this spring.  We arrived at a sale as they opened their doors, and half of the items were already "sold".  As always with social media -- Facebook advertising has it's ups and downs.

Selling Vintage Pieces Of My Past

I am not a hoarder.  But I have to admit, that upon scratching the surface on what is in the attic, I have kept some bazaar stuff. 

 One trunk held two Gunne Sax dresses of mine from the late 1970s.

They were a big deal in their time, so I guess I didn't want to

let them go.  One had gotten some rust on it, so I tossed it.

This one is going on ebay.

I admit, if I could still fit into it, I would keep it.

I still think they are so pretty.

Sold for $43.

This was actually from my elementary or middle school days.

But I have no desire to take up yoyoing again, so to ebay it goes.
It is a little tough to swallow, that my old junk is now vintage.

Smalltown City-Wide Garage Sales 5.20.2017

My husband and I drove away on a foggy, cold Saturday morning to attend a very small neighboring town's citywide garage sales.  They were supposed to have about 16, but the rain kept a few people from opening up.  Nevertheless, we managed to get a few treasures:

Hard plastic santa light - works!

He is just a symbol of the boxes of vintage Christmas

that I bought that day

I do like majolica.  But I don't care for this dog plate

That must be why I keep finding them,

this will be the third of this pattern that I have sold.

Bought for $1, sold for $35.

It must have been a fish themed day.

Starting with these guys.

Victorian Aquarium Stand.

It is really beautiful.

Going on ebay.
Purchased for $50, sold for $90.

May Flowers

I am feeling a little sentimental about my yard.

We have lived in the same house almost 30 years,

and next year we may be relocating.

We have planted (and replanted) every corner of our yard.

 I love this area that has a variety of coral bells.

 I do not know what this little purple flower is,

but it is so pretty right now!

 Both the purple flower and columbine are "volunteers"

in this area.  God did an awesome job.

 This is one of the areas that my friend from NC helped me to tackle.

She comes every October and we work on a different area of the yard.
The "coral bells" area was also her inspiration.

 I have ONE place in the yard that iris seem to like,

and this year they are putting on their best show ever.

Saturday's Vintage Finds 5.13.2017

I went to several garage sales and about 2 hours of an auction last weekend.  I didn't bring home a ton, but I am trying to be particular.  Is it a great deal?  Will it sell for sure?  Will I make money?  Is it a project piece (the scourge of my life). Here are the highlights:

 Favorite first.  Italian sconce with porcelain flowers.

Paid $4, sold for $42 on ebay.

 Wooden foot locker.

Needs cleaning and maybe a couple of side handles.

Purchased for $4, sold for $34.

 Insulated metal box.

We speculated if it was an early ice chest...

 Then I read the residual tag on top.

It was used to ship baby fish.  How interesting!

And an eastlake victorian doorknob.

They always do well on ebay.

Out-Of-The-Box Fairy "Facilities" Garden

I have always been a fairy garden girl.  I make and sell about five a year.  It is one of those things that gives me joy.

My brother retired about a year ago.  And he started to make fairy or pixie houses. (He is a very "manly man" and I was more than a little surprised to hear about his new hobby). 
 Until I saw the pics....Pixietraz (you know...like Alcatraz) The pixie prison is equipped with working spotlight, ball & chain, rack (is that what it is called that you put your hands and head in?)
Very dark.  But I have to say I really love the creativity.  He has others, and I know he did at least one Pixie bathroom because I stole his toilet paper idea. (Do you think the twisted Fairy Gardens are in our DNA?)

He was the inspiration for my "Fairy Facilities" i.e. bathroom.

 I bought a dollhouse recently that had some random plasatic furniture in it that I didn't want.

 The wooden tub, toilet & pedestal sink were a perfect fairy garden size!

$4 worth of materials, sold for $16.

Saturday's Auction Vintage Finds 5.06.2017

 Location has never been simpler.  This auction was situated just kitty-corner to us.  I took this photo from my front yard.  Which means, no packing the van -- just some schlepping back home (about six trips with my utility wagon).

There were TONS of tools, so it took them most of the day to get to the "fun stuff".  I still had a case of "zombie auction brain" (hot and dehydrated) and missed some of the cool stuff, but managed to get a few things.  Primarily, yard decor.  When you have driven by that house as many times as I have, you've had a chance to mentally "shop" the yard a thousand times.

Red Wing Brushware planter.  I've sold a ton of these in my time.  I finally decided last year to start keeping them.  So I added the little one to my "collection".

Vintage Western Fabric -- Selling on ebay. Purchased for $4, sold for $20.

Two floor lamps.  I paid a whopping $1 each for them at the end of the auction.

Flower Cart

Victorian Eastlake Hinges -- selling on ebay.

Purchased for $4, sold for $46. 

Antique toy wagon -- also selling on ebay.

Grate-Full

Grate-full.  As in....my cup runneth over with grates.

 
These are register grates salvaged from old houses.

 
I collected these from two separate junking excursions.

 
And I have purchase more since these photos were taken.
I think I have about 14 to sell.

 
They are quite beautiful. If you took the heavy lever part off of the back,
they would make a great wall display.  Have a grate week!