Yard Sales and Treasure Hunts

Every Saturday morning I visit yard sales and/or estate sales in my area.  I go alone (except I sometimes take our Labrador, Bear) because I have a system and I don't want to wait while a companion leisurely browses all the goodies for sale.  I quickly look over the merchandise and I make split second decisions.  Time is of the essence and I move on if nothing catches my eye.  Bear sits in the back seat with his head out the window and 95% of the time people ask me if they can pet him.  I always say "yes" because Bear is very friendly and loves people.  Little kids get a kick out of Bear as he slobbers kisses on them!! 

Bear is such a baby that he won't even look at the camera because he is afraid of the light that comes on when I'm ready to take a picture!!!!!!!!!!

Every single thing in this photo is from a yard sale except the two pictures of my grandchildren!  The frames, the corbel and the cute illustration of a baby gown with a precious inscription, were all purchased for next to nothing over the past few months.

 I've blogged about this entry table before but not about the things on it.  I found the birdcage and the pear at a yard sale, and the finial at an estate sale.    

Here is a close-up of the finial and the pear.

Easter goodies

                                                                        

The cloche is from an estate sale, the ribbon is from a yard sale, the hanging eggs and the pink rabbit in front are from yard sales, the letter "F" is from Hobby Lobby, the black egg was free and the pear is from a yard sale.

The "Recipe for Friendship" was purchased from Cracker Barrel while the pink vase was recently purchased from a neighbor's yard sale.

For some reason I was drawn to this as I've never seen a pink hob-nail like this.

Darling rabbits from a yard sale.

This little writing desk was given to me because I did a favor for a friend.  I'm still not sure what I should do with it or where I should put it!

These two rabbits were rescued from a box of discarded Easter stuff!!!  One man's trash......

Cute little rabbit ready for Easter.  She came home with me from a yard sale.

This darling table, the finial and the oval frame were purchased at an estate sale.  The pink bunny is from a yard sale.

A close-up of the table and the other goodies.

This whole yard sale/estate sale thing has become an addiction but I love it.  I can't explain the "thrill of the hunt" mentality; I just know that I thoroughly enjoy it!

Please link to Jenny Matlock's blog to read more "Y" posts from other participants.

"Nesting" baby shower

Welcome to my daughter's "Nesting" baby shower. I decided on a bird/nesting theme after seeing Karen's choice of crib bedding. She selected "Love Bird" by Bananafish and, since we both really like birds, it was easy to "fly" with the theme. I didn't know where to begin so I searched the internet and found ideas from other nesting showers. I was fortunate to find a wonderful lady (Debbie) on Craig's List who just happened to be selling bird-theme craft supplies including a Christmas tree that I could decorate with birdhouses, nests, eggs, and birds. I made and decorated the labels, name tags, and place-setting poems using the supplies that I had on hand. It was easy and very cost-effective.I had a supply of plastic beverage glasses that I bought quite cheaply at a yard sale so I decided to give them some class with this label. I have never owned a piece of Waterford nor do I intend to ever own this crystal, but my cheap imitations were quite a delight for my guests.

I know my daughter quite well and I knew that she didn't want to be on "pink" overload so I kept the color to a minimum. Here you can see splashes of pink in the floral arrangements that were centerpieces for the tables.

This photo is blurry but the favors are adorable. In keeping with the bird/nesting theme, I ordered "The Nest Egg" favors which contain a pink soap in the shape of an egg. They are in a toile pink box with a brown ribbon and a "Thank You" tag hanging from the ribbon. Another hit at the shower!
I just love this baby lamb planter and I had pink roses put into it for another centerpiece.

Here is a photo of Karen with a darling pair of white shoes with pink ribbon. In the background you can see a sweater that was made by either my mother or my grandmother 30+ years ago. I might have used it for Karen when she was a baby and it was washed and put away until now. I hope that my new granddaughter gets a lot of use out of it.
Here are several blankets that were knit or crocheted by my mother or my grandmother even before I was ever married. My mom and grandmother were quite skilled at needlework and they would pass the time making things for family and friends.
Here is a photo of Karen with a darling picture frame that will match the nursery and crib bedding perfectly.
Here is a photo of Karen holding up another adorable outfit and blanket.
My mother will be 95 years old on September 4, and here she is posing with Karen. Karen just told me today that the baby's middle name will be "Sarah" in honor of my mother!
Again in keeping with the "nesting" theme, I decorated this tree with birds, nests, birdhouses and eggs. This is part of the box of goodies that I got from Debbie.
What would a baby shower be without a cake? It would be a baby shower with bird nest cupcakes. I bought the cupcakes at Costco and decorated them with toasted coconut and pink-spotted jelly beans that looked like eggs in a nest. Everyone raved about the cupcakes and I had to admit that I got the idea online. I also served quiche, finger sandwiches, broccoli salad, pink deviled eggs (dipped the whites in beet juice) and fruit salad. The pink eggs didn't taste like beets at all...they just looked like regular deviled eggs only they were pink!

Here is a place setting holder. At first I didn't know what to do with the birdhouses, and then it struck me to use them to hold the names of each guest. I hot-glued a little bird into each birdhouse and put each name in the folded wire on top. I wish this photo wasn't crooked!

Here you can get an idea of what the place settings looked like on the table. Unfortunately pieces have been moved but you can get a better idea in the following photo. I found the bird and birdhouse napkins at a yard sale over a year ago and thankfully I still had them. I tied the plastic knife, fork and spoon in each napkin with raffia which sympolized nesting material. I printed, stamped, colored, and edged each poem that welcomed the guests.
Here is a photo of a tablescape complete with a birdhouse as part of the centerpiece. The Mounds candy was part of a game.
The first shower I planned for my daughter had a"Pea in a Pod" theme. This one was a nesting shower theme, and if she has another baby the theme will be pizza and beer!