Recycle. Reduce. I'm going to Reuse.

Hello friends! I am about to embark on a new project, one that will hopefully bring Beau and I closer to our dream. But I need some help. Will you help me? Do you eat a lot of pasta? Drink juice out of a glass bottle? Have Jam and Jelly jars collecting dust on your shelves? Would you like someone to take them off your hands? I am on the hunt for clear glass jars with their respective lids. All shapes, all sizes. 

Criteria:

• Clear preferred (colored glass could be used in a different project)
• Clean
• Free of chips and cracks
• Needs to have the lid it came with

Lids please. :)

If you live in the Arizona area and would like to help me collect these odds and ends bottles I would truly appreciate it. Allow a small collection to build up, tuck them away in a box, and let me know when you are ready for a pick up.  Talk to your parents, friends, and co-workers. Spread the word and help me get this project off the ground. What a great way to recycle your used products and help a friend!

Your Recycling Comrade,

~ Birdie

My Good Luck Charm

* Today was a day to go down in the annals of antique shopping history. *

After the farmer's market this morning I was feeling particularly feisty and adventurous. Luckily, I wasn't alone and my friend, Cathy, came along for the ride. We started at a small thrift store that I had passed numerous times on my way to work and had always wanted to go into. Sadly, we found nothing of interest, although there were many things that caught our attention as awkward, unsettling, or absolutely amazing, but useless, so we left. We got into the car and started to drive. We had no particular intent or idea of where we were headed, but we talked and talked until we came to an area in Mesa where I knew there was an antique mall nearby. (Main Street and Power Road) I had never been in so it seemed like the perfect stop. On the drive I explained to Cathy the things I was starting to collect and what to keep an eye out for for me.

My list included:
Colored glass (tumblers, goblets, bowls, plates, vases, etc.)
dainty tea cups and saucers
china sets
silverware
salt and pepper shakers
vintage sewing patterns (particularly costume patterns for children set in the different eras of dress)
books written between 1880-1930
old photos - particularly children (because I feel they deserve a home)

So excited!

I will say it right here and right now: "Cathy is a lucky charm!" I have never, ever had such a successful bargain antique shopping experience until this day. Oh the things I found!!! Just inside the door was a booth with tea cups which was what drew our attention to begin with. Through closer inspection I found exactly what I was looking for - a china set with a natural themed pattern. It came with three tea cups, three coffee cups, 8 dinner plates, 7 bowls, 1 salad plate, 8 saucers, and 6 tea saucers. Not a complete set, but what do I care... it was only $35!!! They are beautiful and I intend to have a myriad of china sets anyway to make up our home so I have to say that this is a delightful beginning. I've been gushing about them since I found the set! While in this same booth, I found a lime green glass fruit juicer that made me giggle and was promptly set aside with the china set at the front desk.



Fresh Orange Juice Anyone?



Further down the aisles and deeper into our search I found a set of three horseshoes which, although I wasn't looking for them, I am really glad I found. They will make a perfect addition over our doors when we get a house. Horseshoes represent prosperity and to have the horseshoe facing upward is like that of a full cup of it! Pointing downward and it will all spill out, ut oh! $3 for the three horseshoes = steal! Walking further down the way we found some interesting pieces (a small bear head and ram's head, and colored glass pieces EVERYWHERE, but way too expensive), but nothing that stood out as 'must haves.' That is until we made it to a booth near the restrooms that had little baskets full of vintage sewing patterns (Score!). I searched through the patterns and found a few dresses for myself as well as some cute jumpers and blouses for little girls. The treasure in this batch was a costume packet with four different dresses ranging across the eras! Exactly what I was looking for!

My mom had one of these.

Continuing on I found bits and pieces of glassware that my mom had in our house when I was growing up: marble horse head bookends, a strawberry jar, crystal champagne flutes... I wanted to buy it all for the sake of my childhood, but realized I couldn't justify spending the money out of impulse and homesickness, so I kept walking.

Cathy and I met in an aisle midway in the store and acknowledged that we had seen what we needed to see and that it was most certainly time to get something to eat or else parish and so began our way back to the front doors. Walking past a low bench to the left of the aisle I noticed some beautifully colored navy blue goblets and checked the price, just for kicks. I was astonished to find that $17 took the lot of 8! Sold!! At this point I had to put my blinders on, otherwise we would still be there now, my paycheck gone, and my car loaded with goodies. I checked out at $93 with a few boxes full of treasures and a guilt-free happiness that consumed the rest of my day.

After a late lunch and dropping Cathy off at her house I am home and happy, pleased with my finds, but curious as to where I'm going to put them. Hmmmmm... let the organization begin!!!

May the Antiquing Gods be With You,
~Birdie

PS- These could be all yours for only $7.50 a piece! Hurry now before they're gone!

Treasure Hunting With Whitney 4/14/2010

On Wednesday I was able to meet up with Whitney to do some adventuring and exploring. Whitney had never been to Ikea before, so naturally that was the first place that we went. I wasn't in the mood to spend any money... that was until we made it downstairs and into the gardening section. I ended up picking up a few beautifully colored pots and a few small pots that I didn't intend to use for flowers, but instead bought oversized tealight candles to put in them. I also found some folding wood chairs for $20 each that would fit perfectly on my small space of a garden (No assembly required- yay!) Whitney bought a picture frame shelf and some decorative accents as well. We are still trying to figure out the best plant to put in her entryway and although Ikea has some houseplants they just didn't have anything that popped out.

After Ikea Whitney introduced me to a wonderful placed called Hobby Lobby. It was perfect timing because guess what was on sale this week? Iron garden decorations- 50% off!!! Items I had been watching on eBay were sitting on shelves just waiting for me to walk by. I was so excited. I ended up getting three different types of iron bird feeders, a bell that I need to install next to my front door, a decorative glass tea pot that I still am not sure what I want to do with, and two fun Owl pots (one large and one small). Whitney bought some colored sheets of glass for a project she has planned. The treasure find of the day goes to Whitney who spotted a broken half moon table sitting on a barren shelf that had been on hold for someone else a month earlier. She asked about it, completely in love with it, and they said it was hers to take if she wanted- at 90% off!!! She scooped it up immediately! $129.99 table for $14!!! Thankfully it fit in my car. The broken bit is an easy fix.... apply a little wood glue and it's as good as new! She also bought a few knobs to dress up the table and her entertainment center back home. Having been down the knob aisle she may have turned me on to something.... except I don't have many knobs in my house. Shoot.

It made for a great day and I was so excited to get home and get my chairs out so I could finally sit and enjoy my garden. I am still on the hunt for a large piece of wall art to put up above my dragonfly table. The search is never ending! Keep an eye out for my Gnome and Mushroom that I picked up from Target for a dollar a piece on Monday. They add a little charm to the place.

Happy endeavors in your treasure hunts,

~ Birdie

Treasure Hunting 3/25/2010-3/27/2010

I had been looking forward to Friday for multiple reasons, one: because I was going to go to a garage sale at the house I picked up the dragonfly table and room divider from (they had so many more treasures there than I had money to pay for them at the time!), two: because I was going to be able to pick up my birdbath from a gal off of Craigslist who said she would hold it for me until me day off, three: it was my day off, four: Pay Day! An added bonus to my Friday was that my new found friend, Whitney, was able to go treasure hunting with me which was a great excuse to get another chance to hang out with her.

We went to the house and caught the ladies holding the garage sale just in time before they were going to leave. We popped into their garage and starting sifting through boxes. I'll admit I got a little crazy and picked out some things that I do, now, have some buyer's remorse about- but still walked away with some great buys- all in all $20 spent and a car load of gardening items made for a good morning. I walked away with a bucket that had dragonflies stamped in the metal, a few small terracotta pots, a picture of boats, a milk bottle with a cow on it, a small side table (which I put my Faerie Garden on), a decorative watering can a book about herb gardening in pots, and a rustic styled wine rack. Whitney bought a few Paris items for a friend of her's, a mirror, and some pictures with frames she intends to reuse.

Earlier in the week, 3/25/2010, I had walked into Ross for some therapy shopping on my lunch break after a frustrating morning. I bought a few blouses to spice up my wardrobe (apparently I am channeling my inner pirate because everything I bought had stripes!) and I walked into the gardening section. I can't believe, of all the treasure hunting places, I had forgotten about Ross. I stood there in the back department looking at square tables, rectangle tables, corner tables, window boxes, wall art, and decorative pieces for your garden. I was in treasure hunting heaven! But I neither had the time nor the money to spend, so I picked up a small item ($1.99 clearance) that stated "Welcome to our home" with a bird. Perfect. I definitely planned to return... which I did, later that Friday.

After our garage sale, Whitney and I ventured to Half Price Books to see what we could find and walked straight to the gardening section. There are so many books there on gardening it's a little overwhelming, but if you take it slow and peek into the one's that catch your eye it really isn't that bad. I showed Whitney some books that might be useful to her garden, which she is in the process of starting, and we browsed the rest of the store before heading out and returning to Whitney's house.

Unfortunately, Whitney had to work that afternoon so I was left to venture out into the world (of Ross) solo- and perhaps I should have had a chaperon... Ross's inventory had been replenished and oh-my-sweet-planting-pots! I was amazed! Here I had been eBaying and Craigslisting desperately trying to find large pots to have in my garden and I couldn't find anything under $100 and all I had to do was walk into Ross and find it for $23! They are beautiful too! Different colors of blues and greens, I opted for the dark blue and teal with a matching smaller pot, but may have to go back for another big one. By big I mean at least 50+pounds! It is perfect!

I can't wait to start planting. I'm not sure if I want to fill them with new plants, or if I want to transplant some of my current veggies over- they are growing so fast! But that is for a different post to debate!

Saturday, 3/27/2010, made for an interesting day. I was in Tucson for work and had 4 hours to kill and figured there was no better a treat than to explore some local antique shops in a new city. I ended up on a street where there were a few stores in a refurbished warehouse. I walked in and immediately knew "Wow, this is WAY above my pay grade." I had never seen so many overpriced items in my life! It was depressing. $50 for a throw pillow you could find at Target for $10. $48 for a bowl. A BOWL. Not a serving bowl, or a dinner platter.... a SOUP BOWL. In fear of breaking something and having to sell my soul to pay for it, I quickly escaped the clutches of over prices "antiques" and ran across the street the the "Eccentric Flea"- now that is more my cup of tea. However, before turning tail and running to the Gypsy across the street I did manage to snap a picture or two of the most depressing looking Faeries I had ever seen. This is what happens when Faeries find themselves in Las Vegas. Please note the price tag of $49.99 for the 5 inch tall figurines.

*SIGH* Sad.

At the "Eccentric Flea" I managed to find items more to my needs and purchased three low based terracotta pots and a fourth terracotta pot that came with its own stand. Looks like I'll have some space to play with now! It was an interesting store, definitely played well to its name and the owner was pretty eccentric herself.

I would have to say it was a good week in the treasure department, although I am still on the hunt for some good garden decorations that really speak to me. In time.... all good things come in time... I just need to be patient!

Happy hunting,

~Birdie

PS- I never got my birdbath. The gal who had reserved it for me sold it instead. Oh well- something better will come along.

Craigslist Finds

Craigslist, as for millions of others, is by far the most amazing website on the world wide web. I turned to the website recently in search for large pots and garden decor, because, after all, I am on a budget and can't afford the $600 bronze pots that I truly want. Having not found any pots to fit my needs I did find a birdbath (which I will be picking up on Friday, March 26), and a metal room divider. I picked up the divider on Sunday (March 21) and found in the same garage of this woman a small wrought iron table with a mosaic top and dragon flies (My favorite)- I purchased them both right away. Fortunately for me, the same woman is having a garage sale on Friday in which I will be picking up a few more items for my garden.



I intend to put a window box or two of ivy in front of the divider and allow the ivy to grow up the divider adding a nice, natural privacy screen in front of our living room window while still allowing a good amount of natural light into the house. I can't wait! That's Friday's project I think. I am still not sure where I will put the birdbath, but I am very excited to get it!



I am on the hunt, currently, on eBay for some faerie decor items that I could tuck away in my flowers. I am also looking for some decor items I can hang up on the walls to add some additional dimension to the garden. I asked my landlord about placing window boxes on the railing just beyond my door and she told me she would get back to me about that. I'll be crossing my fingers- I need all the space I can get!! :)

~Birdie