Pillow Time

I actually did have some time to sew while Austin's friends were here for his birthday get together.  They were outside having a nerf gun war while I was making a pillow with the needlepoint piece I bought last week at an estate sale for $4.  I used a really nice pink rose floral fabric for the back.  I got the fabric at a  sale.  I thought that I didn't have a natural colored zipper, but after looking through my sewing stuff, I found one.  No need to go to Joanne Fabrics.  So, I finished another pillow with vintage/garage sale finds.  I put it on the rose covered bench that I bought for $3.  It looks really nice and adds a little to my hallway. 

Look What I Found

I actually went garage saleing this morning.  Usually I'm busy taking the kids to Pokemon on Saturday mornings and not able to go to sales.  I went to a more vintage sale in Woodstock and found a really nice green petaled bowl for $4, an aluminum ladle for $1, a vintage metal can for $1 and a vintage Shawnee horse planter for $3. 

On the way to a Pokemon event this afternoon, we stopped at a 15 vendor sale at the Stratford Banquet hall in Harvard.  I found a milk glass shell like candle holder for $5.  I don't have anything like it in my milk glass collection.  It is in very good condition. 

I soaked my vintage linen buys today in Oxyclean and they came out really clean and bright.  I also washed all of the fabric and now have to put them away.  (Ugh!)  I hope to make a pillow soon with some linens that I purchased last week.  We'll see how tomorrow goes since Austin will be celebrating his birthday with some friends at our house.  I probably won't get anything done.

A Few Sales Today

I went to the Church rummage sale in Ringwood and Johnsburg today.  Both didn't have much at all.  The one in Ringwood appologized for not having that much this year.  I did get a stack of fabric there though for $1.  Now that I finished Austin's quilt, I need to start on a new project.  At the Mount Hope Rummage sale, I picked up a James train for 25 cents for my Aunt's grandchild.  Can't beat that price!

I stopped at a neighborhood garage sale in McHenry, but didn't find anything.  Maxine's was having a warehouse sale and I found 2 vintage figure planters for $2 each.  One was a rabbit and one was a women.  Both are for my collection.  I also found a doily for $1.  On to a garage sale in Crystal Lake, but I didn't find anything.  At a garage/estate sale in Woodstock, I found 2 Coro chunky bracelets for 50 cents each.  Love them! and the price.

Tomorrow I may stop at the Stratford Banquet hall in Harvard for an indoor garage sale.  I have never been to one there before.

Austin's quilt looks great on his bed.  I am so proud that I finished it in about 1 month.  It looks really nice in his room.  I hope he thinks so too. I made the quilt with fabric that I found at garage sales.  I didn't pay a lot for the fabric.  You can always find nice fabric at the sales.  Like I did today. 

First Presbyterian Church Rummage Sale

The kids and I arrived 45 minutes after the sale had started.  There were still alot of items left.  I found 2 vintage aprons for $1 each, a Wade porcelain turtle that was thrown into the price of everything (so FREE), a cute wall hanging for $1 and a Gameboy Color (older version of the Nintendo DS handheld game system) with 2 games for $1.  Not bad for a total of $4.  I always manage to find something no matter what time I get to the sale.  I also saw Karen who is a fellow Master Gardener and my past neighbor Sue.   It was nice to chat with them for a few minutes. 

Austin has been home sick with Strep throat for 2 days and I managed to finish his quilt.  Since I wasn't garage saleing, I could spend time quilting.  I can't wait to put it on his bed tomorrow.

First Congregational Rummage Sale

I went to the First Congregational Church rummage sale on Pierson Street in Crystal Lake today.  I only had to stand in the rain for about 20 minutes.  Not so bad.  I had people to talk to.  There were no items outside today.  No gardening items like usual.  At least it was better inside.  There were a lot of people though.  I found some nice fabric for $1.50 each bag, 5 doilies for $1, a heart pin for $1.50, all kinds of greeting cards/2 packs for 75 cents, a tin of Pokemon cards for $2, Tech Deck skateboard toys for $3, a Spongebob DVD 3 pack for $2, a Captain American huge comic book for 50 cents, a bag with a Bionicle and Bakugan toys for $1, a ceramic turtle 25 cents and a Japanese fan for 25 cents.  It was a lot of fun today.  This is another good sale to go to.

I then stopped at Savers in Crystal Lake because they were having a buy 1 get 1 free sale.  Limit 1 and you had to spend at least $10.  I bought some patriotic flag pins 4 for $3.98, an artist made bead bracelet for $1.99 and a cool white stone/gold tone ring for $2.99. The pin is marked Vogue and my jewerly book said that Vogue changed its name in 1963.  Pretty good buy.  I will definitely wear this ring.

Friday morning is the church rummage sale in Ringwood.  This is a hit or miss sale, but I'll be going anyway.  Happy hunting!

A Few Sales

I went to the McHenry Library sale today and only spent $3.50.  I didn't find any manga books or video games.  Kind of disappointing.  I did find a quilting book and a few other books.  If you were looking for kids books, they were 25 cents each.  Paperbacks were 50 cents and hardcovers were $1.  The prices were good.  I just wish they had more books that I was looking for.

I stopped at 2 estate sales in Cary.  At the first one, I bought a vintage goldtone pin for $2.  I knew that it had a name on it, but didn't really look until I got home.  It was Kramer.  I didn't know the name so I looked it up in my jewelry book.  Kramer made pins until the 1970's and the ones shown in the book were with rhinestones or other stones.  So, it's a good name.  I'll hang on to it and wear it.  The second sale was a Caring Transitions sale.  The house was FULL.  I only found a needlepoint with roses for $4.  It is the perfect size to make a pillow.  I think that was the original purpose of the piece.   I am going to make a pillow from it after I finish Austin's quilt.  Which, by the way, is almost done.  I only have the binding to finish.  I'll post a picture when I finish it.

Thursday April 26th at 3pm is the First Presbyterian Church rummage sale on Route 47.  I haven't been to a sale at the church since they were located in downtown Woodstock.  They moved to this location a while ago.

Lots of Garage Sales

I spent a good part of today going to garage sales.  I stopped in one in McHenry that was to open at 8am and at 9am they were just setting up.  Now I realize that it was only 42 degrees and drizzling, but when you have a time printed in the paper, you open at that time no matter what.  You are missing out on a lot of sales from the true garage salers coming to your sale.  I just left and wouldn't return because I had others to visit.

I went to quite a few garage and estate sales in Woodstock.  I found a vintage handled tin for $2 at one.  At an estate sale I found the boys a book of Yugioh cards for $5.  I love going to estate sales to see the inside of others homes.  This Victorian home was so dark inside, not just from needing lots of lamp light, but not enough sunlight getting in.  I couldn't really appreciate the inside because I couldn't see it.  At another estate sale I found about 9 embroidered doilies/pillowcases for 20 cents each.  Yes, I said 20 cents each.  I couldn't believe it.  They were her moms and they were in perfect starched condition.  I was thrilled.  I also found 3 pins for $1, and a tiny vase for 25 cents.  The doilies were my deal of the week.  I stopped at a 30 home subdivision sale in Cary and didn't find a thing.  Some lady was selling doilies for $5 each.  Kind of hard to buy that since I just got them for 20 cents each.  I did stop at one sale in the subdivision where the garden was unbelievable.  I asked her if her backyard was just as beautiful and she told me it was and that I could go and walk around it.  Which I did!  It was magnificient.  Just the right amount of garden art.  I gave her info to the Master Gardeners in charge of our Gardenwalks to check her out.  It was the highlight of my day on a cold dreary day. 

There are some estate sales tomorrow in Cary that I am planning on going to after the McHenry Library book sale.  It should be fun.

Rummage Sale Heaven!

3 rummage sales in one day.  What more could I ask for?  Some garage sales were also thrown in along the way.

I garage saled in the morning and stopped at a garage sale in Crystal Lake that I had gone to before.  They are moving to Florida so they had even more to get rid of.  I followed the one lady from her truck where she was carrying a garden orb for the sale.  She wanted $2 for it.  (It's mine now).  I also found a lot of costume jewelry for 50 cents to $1 each.  I got the boys playstation video games for 50 cents each.  After I paid and was walking out, I saw a garden copper bug ($1) and an orb fish (50 cents) that I grabbed and went back to pay for.  Some really good finds at this garage sale. 

Then, off to the church rummage sale in Huntley.  We had so much fun talking and laughing while waiting on line.  I met a lady from Marengo whose daughter is named Austin.  She was so nice and I enjoyed her company.  She came up to me during the sale to show me the pyrex covered dish she found.  That is her new collection and she was thrilled to find her first lidded piece.  It's so nice to meet someone so excited by her finds.  I found some bags of Pokemon stuff for 50 cents to $1, a bag of Bionicles for $1, doilies for 50 cents each, fabric for $1.50 and some paperback books for 50 cents each.  There was not as much at the sale which seems to be the trend so far at the Church rummage sales.

I garage saled some more after the rummage sale, but didn't find anything to buy.  I went to a 40 home subdivision sale in Cary and didn't find a thing.  After picking the kids up from school, we headed over to the Methodist Church rummage sale in Woodstock.  It had started at 3pm and we didn't get there until 3:50 so things were pretty picked over.  I did find a tin bucket with wood lid and handle with a cow painted on it.  I'm going to use it to hold toys in the basement.  We did make it to the Methodist Church rummage sale in Crystal Lake at about 7pm.  The sale had started at 5pm.  We did find some DVD's for $1 each and some books for 25-50 cents each.  I also found a retro white bracelet for $1. 

Any day that has that many rummage sales in it is a good day for me.  I had so much fun!  Wednesday April 25th at 9am is the First Congregational Church rummage sale in Crystal Lake.  Tomorrow is the McHenry Library book sale.

More Treasures

On the way to taking the kids to school on Thursday, we left early and stopped at the Zion Lutheran Church Rummage sale in McHenry.  We got there as everyone was going in.  It is usually a smaller sale, but we always manage to find something.  I found a great seashell covered cup for $1, a pin for 50 cents, a nutcracker for Austin for $1, a DVD for $1, some kids books for 25-50 cents each, 3 small animal figurines for 25 cents each, and as we were about to pay, I spotted a parrot cookie jar for $3.  Someone must have put it back since it wasn't there when I walked by originally.  That is why it is always a good idea to go around the sale a few times because people put things back.  The kids got to school with lots of time to spare even after stopping at the rummage sale.  Not bad!  It gives us a mission and a goal.

I also stopped at about 6 garage sales, and only found something at 1 of them.  You never know.  There are good days and bad days.  I found a vintage milk glass plate that was handpainted with a poinsetta on it for $1, a doily for 25 cents and a book for $2.  I was happy with these few things.  I even saw some rummage sale friends.

I noticed that the Methodist Church on South Street in Woodstock will be having their rummage sale on Thursday April 19.  The First Congregational Church in Crystal Lake will be having their sale on Wednesday April 25.

Today, I went to an estate sale in Crystal Lake held by Caring Transitions.  They had a list of all of their sales in the next 2 months on the door of the sale.  Should be fun.  This house was full of stuff and alot of it were things that I collect.  They had aluminum items so it took me a while to look at it.  I had most of it, but found a nice grape pattern bowl with a unique handle made by Hammercraft.  I didn't have anything like it and it was only $4.  I found 1 piece of fabric, 4 pins (a turtle, vintage flower, and 2 Christmas pins).  I got a deal on the pins, but they were $4-$8 each.  Still a good price, especially for the Christmas pins.  I also found a sewing book with patterns for $3, and a Sonic Genesis video game for $2.  It was fun to look through this house.  It is always fun to go to estate sales to see what others are selling, how much things are going for and what the inside of these houses look like.  I love it!

Yard Work

I love when Springs arrives, but that also means it's time to cut the grass.  The kids and I worked on that this morning.  It always looks so nice when it is freshly cut, and I usually feel good after working outside for awhile.  I found the perfect spot for the small concrete bird bath that I bought last week.  It is in my shade garden behind my 2 vintage blue chairs.  I repainted those chairs with a spa blue last year, and I love how they turned out.  I use a metal white flower stand with an aluminum lazy susan as the top for a small table between the 2 chairs.  On the concrete bird bath I put a small concrete fairy that I found for $2 at the Elkhorn Flea Market last year.  That was one of my favorite finds from last season.  Also in the shade garden is a concrete dragon that I got years ago at a garage sale for $2, and a concrete gnome that I paid $3 for.  There are 2 angel statues that were $1 each, and a metal bird bath.  The hostas are starting to come up and will fill in beautifully.  The white bleeding hearts have bloomed and look wonderful.  They are my favorite color bleeding heart.  I am still looking for a spot for the free concrete square planter that I got last week.  I just have to walk around the yard a few more times to find the perfect spot.

Garage Saleing

I saw a garage sale on Main Street in Cary on the way to taking the kids to their Saturday Pokemon league.  So, I dropped them off, and off I went.  They had a lot of vintage/antique items, but the prices were pretty high.  I found Christmas fabric for $2, a blue flower, made in Japan, pedestal plate for $2 and a cute boy/girl on a seasaw for the garden for $1.  Then, I went to the Sparrows Nest and found a cute straw bag with seashells on it for $2.  2 of the shells had fallen off, but since I have a huge collection of shells, I was able to find 2 and hot glued them on.  It looks really nice.  The bag will be cute to carry books or stuff around when the summer hits. 

I placed the cute boy/girl on a seasaw in a planter in my driveway.  Really cute!

I'm looking forward to 2 rummage sales coming up.  Thursday April 12 is at the Zion Lutheran Church in McHenry at 8am and the other is at the 1st Methodist Church in Crystal Lake on April 19 at 5pm.  More should be coming up soon.

Out and About

Boy! What a busy day.  We started out by going to a garage sale around the corner from our house and didn't find a thing.  I only had a dog jump all over me to play.  We were making a trip to the Burlington Coat Factory at the Gurnee Mills Mall in Gurnee to buy Ethan a suit.  (They really do have the best selection of suits at great prices.)  He was accepted into the Junior National Honor Society and he needed a suit for the ceremony.  We found him (after over 1 hour of trying on almost every suit) a Ralph Lauren suit that was originally $475 marked down to $149.  It was still a little pricey, but it fit him perfectly.  He didn't care about the designer.   He didn't even have a clue who it was until I told him about Ralph Lauren. 

We then made our way to Half Price Books in Highland Park to get rid of 3 boxes of books left over from our garage sale.  We got $25 for them and spent $26 on other books.  We even had a 15% off coupon that we used.  It's a good thing that we only had to pay $1 out of my pocket.  It really is the place to get rid of books etc., and to get paid for them.

So, of course, on the way home we stopped at the Goodwill in Lake Zurich.  I found a really cool bracelet for $3.99, a vintage coin glass pedestal bowl for $3.99, a milk glass vase for $3.99, and Austin found a Sonic GameGear game for $2.99. 

We were so exhausted after being out for over 7 hours.  I had a schedule to keep, and I'm so proud that we only went to the places that were on our list.  I was tempted to shop at Gurnee Mills, but, I'll save that for another day.  When I'm alone!

Garden Stuff Garage Sale

Every year there is a garden stuff garage sale in McHenry.  Well, it was today because I found out that she is moving to South Carolina.  She always has such neat stuff with really good prices.  I found 2 wire rakes for $2 each.  We needed new ones since one fell apart this Spring.  Now the kids can't fight over who gets the better rake.  I also found a concrete small bird bath/planter that was $5.  She took it right out of her garden for me.  I found a Shabby Chic book by Rachel Ashwell for $3 and she gave me, for FREE, a concrete square planter that she used as a pedestal for her pots.  I'll find a place for it.  I'm always looking for "things" to put in my garden.  The other 2 garage sales that I stopped at didn't have anything that I wanted. 

Pottery Finds

I found alot of pottery yesterday in my travels.  It must have been a clean out day for people getting rid of pottery.  I dropped off a bag of clothes at Savers in Crystal Lake and received a $3 off coupon towards a purchase of $10 or more.  You can't use it though with other discounts and since Monday's are 25% off days, I couldn't use it.  I went inside to look around and found alot of stuff.  I found a McCoy green planter for $2.24, a Hull lady planter for $1.49, a duck planter for $5.24, another green planter for $1.49, a yellow crocheted doily for 49 cents, some Pokemon items for $2.24, a small vase made in Japan for $1.49 and 2 vintage pins for $3.74 and $4.49.  All really great buys.  I put the Hull lady planter in "my" room with my other lady planters.  I put the other planters around the house with my other collections.

Later in the day I stopped at the Goodwill in McHenry and found a vintage Frankoma duck planter for $2.99 and a bag of vintage marbles for 99 cents.  I put the duck planter up for auction on Ebay today.  I found some vintage linens and an apron at the Sparrows Nest in McHenry for 75 cents to $1 each.  They need to be soaked in Oxyclean, but the stains are minimal and should come out. 

Now that I have cleaned out the house by doing the garage sale a few days ago and donating all of the items that didn't sell, I'm gearing up for the summer sale season.  It will be fun looking for new items to keep, new collections to begin and items to sell on Ebay.  I'm getting excited for the season to kick in.

Huntley Rec Center Garage Sale Today

Today was the indoor garage sale at the Huntley Rec Center.  The kids and I left at 5:30am to begin setting up starting at 6am.  We were done setting up by 7:30am and the people started to come in.  We saw all of our usual rummage sale friends.  The kids bought a few video games right away and Austin scored a deal with 2 Star Trek toys that the guy wanted $5 for, but sold them to Austin for $2.  He is learning to negotiate!

This was probably the least attended show out of the others that I have done.  People weren't spending much also.  I sold a few of my big items, but the orange hand chair didn't sell.  Everyone loved it, but noone wanted to take it home.  I was left with alot of items and alot to pack up.  Most of the other vendors had the same complaint.  I did get to look around towards the end, but didn't buy anything.  We donated most of the leftovers to the Salvation Army and Sweet Repeats thrift store because they had trucks outside of the sale to collect donations.  We drove other items to the Goodwill which is just down the street.  We will be taking all of the books to Half Price Books this week to get money for the books/dvds/video games that didn't sell.  We always buy books from them.  The selection is amazing for cheaper prices.  We usually go to the one in Highland Park, but I think we will go to the one in Palatine this time so we can stop at the Sparrows Nest Thrift Store on the way.  There are also some Goodwill stores around there that we have never gone to.  Speaking of thrift stores, I was told that if you make a donation to the Savers Thrift Store in Crystal Lake, they will give you a $3 coupon towards future purchases.  I saved a bag of clothes for them. 

I did have a good time otherwise today.  It is great to clean out the house, make some money (I did make a little bit of money) and see friends.  We saw friends all day long.  The kids also had a nice time and worked very hard.  They also made a little bit of money.  Not a bad way to spend the day.  We even had ice cream on the way home from the Dairy Mart in Huntley.  The peanut butter shake is delicious!

3 Days of Sales!

Yesterday, we started out the day by going to the indoor garage sale at Park Place in Crystal Lake.  It was a smaller than usual sale this year and we didn't find anything.  I passed up a really nice bookcase that was only $20, and when I went back to get it, it was sold.  You snooze you lose I guess.  So, we continued on to some garage sales and found a few things.  The boys found 3 Japanese Pokemon card packs still new in the package for $1 each and a Wii nunchuck for $1.  At another sale we found this great rose fabric covered bench for $3.  It was covered in a few coffee stains and black crayon marks all over it.  I used Goop hand cleaner on it (I use Goop on everything from clothes to furniture to remove stains) and then left it outside to dry out and get whatever sun there was.  It looks great and the stains came out.  I have it in my hallway and it gives the hallway a wonderful new look. 

Today, we went to a Church rummage sale at St. Paul's in Crystal Lake.  It is a small Church sale, but we found a few things.  Besides books, the boys found some Pokemon figures for 10 cents each.  I found a nice leaf bowl with gold trim for $1.50, a purse for 50 cents (I use the handles on my felted hand knitted bags), some cute vintage Easter bunnies (the whole lot was 25 cents) and 2 vintage pins for $1 each.  We had fun both days talking to our rummage sale friends that we only see during sales. 

Tomorrow is the big Huntley Indoor Garage sale at the Rec Center from 8-2.  There will be 59 vendors.  I'm all ready for the sale; only need to pack up the car.  I found a few more things to sell.  I'm hoping to sell almost everything so I don't have to pack it back up. 

I started on Austin's quilt last night.  The longest tedious part is cutting out the pieces.  I finished cutting out the pieces and hope to start sewing it soon.  That's the fun part.

Busy Busy Busy

I have had a fun, but busy weekend.  I have been wanting to sew pillows from a great rooster fabric that I found at a rummage sale.  So, I finally got busy and made 2 of them.  I used a different vintage trim on each one, but they both blend in well with the fabric.  I also put a zipper into both of them.  I like to make all of my pillows with zippers.   These are probably 2 of the best ones that I have made.  I am really excited about how they turned out.

We stopped at the Goodwill in Huntley on the way home from Church on Sunday.  We usually like to stop there since it's on our way home.   I found the cutest green duo vase with 22kt gold trim made by the Pearl China and Co. for $3.99.  Later in the day, we went back to the Goodwill in Lake Zurich to return the Skylanders game since the portal didn't work.  Can't play the game without the portal.  Goodwill will give store credit if an electronic item doesn't work and you return it in 10 days.  The store was so crowded and wiped out of stuff, but I did manage to find a cute small white vase with gold trim that was made in China for $1.99.  

The Crystal Lake Part District is holding an indoor garage sale in their building, Park Place, on Thursday starting at 8am.  We'll be there early waiting on line.  We always find something at this sale.  It is small, but fun to shop.

Last Supper Paint by Number

The kids Spring break started today.  What better way to have fun then to go to the Goodwill store in Lake Zurich.  This is my favorite Goodwill store.  We circled the store a few times before we found our treasures.  We spotted the Last Supper paint by number on top of the painting bin.  Ethan loved it and wanted it for his room.  It was $6.99.  (But only $4.98 after the discounts.)   Austin found a joystick for the Genesis video game system for $1.99.  ($1.42 after discounts)  I found a red Japanese box for $1.99 ($1.42 after discounts) and a frog vase for 99 cents (70 cents after discounts)  While we were waiting in line, I spotted a Skylanders video game for the 3DS locked in a glass case.  The Goodwill price was $35.00.  Originally in the store it was $70.  Well, with a Goodwill card and over $20 in purchases, you receive an extra 5% off of each item.  On top of that, I had a 25% off coupon from my birthday.  (Goodwill sends this card out if you are a Goodwill member.  Membership is free.)  So, the Skylanders game was only $24.93.  Ethan was very excited since Austin already got the game at Christmas.  (I bought it at Toys R US when they had buy 1 and get the other at 50% off.) 

The Last Supper painting looks nice hanging over Ethan's bed.  It blends in well with the wooden walls in his room.  I made the quilt on his bed a few years ago.  The colors also blend nicely with the painting. 

I hope we find lots of deals during Spring break.  Half of the fun is just looking.

JoAnne Fabrics Opens in McHenry

The JoAnne Fabrics store opened in McHenry today on Rt 31 where the TJMaxx is.  The first 100 customers each day today thru Saturday get a $10 gift card.  I was 6th in line for my card.  I also had a 50% off coupon that I used towards this really great Vintage Chic book that was $30.  I would never pay that much, but at $15 and using the $10 free gift card, I only paid $5 for it.  Then, I used my gift card that the kids gave me to pay for that $5.  I also got a free tote bag with my purchase.  They were giving away a free tote bag with a $25 purchase calculated before all of the discounts.  Too bad I can't go back the next 2 mornings to get more free $10 gift cards.

Spring Gardening and Thrift Store Finds

I have been gardening almost every day since our weather has been in the high 70's/80's for a while now.  The kids and I raked leaves last weekend and I got my first tick from that.  Caldwell removed it from my back and all is well.  I was out the next day raking some more.  I put some of my outdoor collections around the garden and had to throw out some others since they broke this winter.  I even planted lettuce, kohlrabi and swiss chard in my raised beds.  I bought the kits for the raised beds at Sam's Club 2 years ago and put them together last year.  We had a ton of tomatoes.  It worked out really well.  I put compost in the beds in the fall so I was ready to plant this year when the weather warmed up.  My cousin Barb gave me a cute GARDEN sign that I hooked up to the fence of the raised beds.  I used 2 yard sticks that I got for free from the Jack Franks booth at the 4H fair last summer to be the handles on the chicken wire surrounding the raised beds.  They work great!  The yard is starting to come alive with tulips, hyacinths and other spring flowers.  It is always amazing to see the flowers springing to life.  (Except the deer have already found my daylilies and I had to spray to keep them away.)

We went to the Algonquin Library book sale on Friday night and bought some video games, dvd's and books.  We did have our free cookies and lemonade.  The next sale is July 19-22.

I stopped at the Huntley Goodwill today.  I haven't been there in awhile.  I found 3 pieces of aluminum for $1.99 each, a wonderful Japanese jewelry box for $2.99, 4 dvd's for $1.98 each and a rose print for 99 cents.  It was a good day.  The Sweet Repeats Thrift store and the McHenry Goodwill didn't have anything for me today. 

The McHenry Parks and Rec Garage Sale is this Saturday at MMS.  We will be at the Pokemon State Tournament in Des Plaines and can't go.  But, I'm still finding stuff to sell at the McHenry County Garage Sale on March 31 at the Huntley Rec Center.  I'm in booth 11.  All of the items that don't sell will go to the Goodwill down the road.  It should be a lot of fun.

Vase Collection

I spent some time yesterday rearranging and cleaning up my white vase collection that I have in my sunroom.  I use them, along with clear glass containers and other unique containers, to hold my seashell collection.  Most of my shells are from New Jersey beaches.  (I am a full fledged Jersey girl!)  Some of the shells are also from Myrtle Beach, Cape Hateras and others were gifts.  I love seashells.  Last year when the kids and I were in Atlantic City, we must have collected 20 lbs of shells.  I'm not kidding.  I could hardly carry the bag that they were in.  We were out at the crack of dawn and collected everything that we could find before the beach trucks ran them over and crushed them.  Anyway, back to my collection of vases.  They look nice with the shells and some driftwood.  I have them on a vintage green wicker table that I got at a garage sale about 10 years ago for $5.  I love the look and it matches with the green and white table and chairs that are in my sunroom. 

I also have some of them displayed on a taller white metal rack that I bought at Steelheart in Harvard.  I paid a little more for the shelf, but I loved it. 

I will be adding to my shell collection this summer.  Maybe I'll find some unique ones.  Nothing in the world compares to being on the beach.  I can't wait!

Exploring Downtown Antioch

Ethan had a volleyball tournament in Antioch this morning.  Since there was about 1 1/2 hours before his next game, we went to each brunch.  We found this great diner, The Vault, that was reasonably priced and gave you lots of food.  A few doors down was the Village Thrift Store, and of course, we had to go.  I found a vintage rose pattern tablecloth for $3.99.  The tag said AS IS, but there was nothing wrong with it.  Austin found a Star Wars lightsaber, that worked, for $1.99.  We stopped at a store next door that was higher end stuff, and he had some vintage tablecloths for about $25.00.  The rose tablecloth I got was a steal!  I just soaked it in Oxy Clean and it looks great.  The Village Thrift Store had a lot of stuff packed into it. There was even a section for Retro Clothes.  You do need some time to look through this store.  I'm sorry that we only had about 20 minutes to run through it.  It was a nice find.  

Caring Transitions Estate Sale

This afternoon, I went to a Caring Transitions estate sale in Crystal Lake.  They are having quite a lot of estate sales lately.  There was still a line to get in at 1pm.  The house was packed with stuff.  I found a vintage apron, some vintage pins, a rose pattern oval bowl (to match my rose pattern china) and a wonderful old pottery turtle (made in Japan) for Ethan.  I still like to give the kids an Easter basket with items inside.  This will be perfect for that.  The sale will go on until Sunday when most things will be half price.  Maybe I'll make time to go back.  

My crocus are blooming!  Spring is finally here.  That means that garage sales are right around the corner. 

2nd Rummage Sale and Much More!

Today was the 2nd church rummage sale of the season in Prairie Grove.  I had fun talking with friends at the sale.  There wasn't as much at the sale, but I still managed to find things.  I found some nice Haeger vases.  I think 2 are older ones.  They were $2 each.  I have a nice collection of these cream colored ones, but this is my first mom with child.  I bought a large stack of fabric for $1, some pins and necklace for $1 each, a nice vintage bead purse for $3, 2 hat boxes, and a frog planter (for Austin's frog collection/more to add to his room) for 50 cents.  I was in the parking lot wrapping up the planters with the fabric that I just bought so that they wouldn't break.  I was happy with all of my finds.  I was out in less than a half hour from the sale.  Maybe that's a new record for me.

I stopped at the Carson's Goodwill sale and dropped off some shirts.  I only used one coupon for my Lancome tinted moisturizer and saved $10.  Plus, Lancome has a free gift.  Goodwill will give you a coupon for 25% off or 20% off of cosmetics if you log in how many items you donated on their website.  (Originally by signing up for their email about the sale, I got the same coupon.)  After donating at the store, you get coupons (for the amount of items donated) for 20% to 10% off depending on what you purchase. 

A new Kohl's opened in Woodstock and yesterday was the grand opening.  I stopped in today because I got a $10 off coupon and bought 2 shirts.  I only had to pay $4 for both of them.  Pretty nice deal!  As I said before, it pays to sign up for store emails or rewards cards.  Both are free and the rewards are pretty good.

Yesterday, I stopped at the Goodwill in Rockford on the way to the dentist.  They were pretty cleaned out (which seems to be the case at most resale shops I have been going to recently).  I did find a new hat box.  It's funny how I needed 1 for a gift and then today I find 2 more.  I think I'm set on hat boxes for now.

Now that I found some great vases, I am going to rearrange/clean out my collection of planters/vases.  I bought 2 really great vintage flea market magazines today and I'm itching to rearrange my collections.  I went through my spring/summer clothes yesterday, and have another bag ready for the garage sale in a few weeks.  At least I know what items I need to add to my wardrobe.  (That Kohl's coupon today helped me to replace some worn shirts). 

Next Thursday is the used book sale at the Algonquin Library.  My favorite library sale.  We really do spend a fortune there on books/dvd's and video games.  But, the books are only 25 cents to $1 each, dvd's $2 each, and the video games are from $2 and up.  The prices and quality are good and we get to eat cookies and have lemonade (for free) when we are done.  We also leave with a free pencil.  What a nice way to spend a Friday night.

First Rummage Sale of the Season

Today was the first rummage sale of the season at United Methodist Church in Cary.  It started at 1pm, but us crazy diehards were there at 12 noon and talked until we could go in.  We compared notes on places we shopped in the winter and buys we found.  It was fun to see everyone.  We look forward to this all winter long.

The line wasn't as long as I thought it would be.  It cleared out after about 15 minutes into the sale.  There were alot of "things", but I only spent $4.  As I was walking to the toy area, I spotted the most beautiful milk glass cake plate for $3.  I grabbed it and shoved it into my bag without even looking for cracks.  I checked it before I left and it was in perfect condition.  I also found a vintage Santa ornament for 50 cents, a pin for 25 cents and troll earrings that I will give to my mom as a gag gift.  She collects trolls, so they were perfect and only 4 for 25 cents.  Afterwards, I stopped at the Sparrows Nest in Cary since it was only down the road.  I found a cute rabbit planter for $1 and 2 pins that cost $5 for both.  One was a cute frog and the other was a vintage purple stone pin in a starburst pattern.

Next Thursday is another rummage sale in Prairie Grove that I love to go to.  I'm counting down the days for that one.  Also, next Wednesday starts the Goodwill sale at Carsons.  You get discount coupons for every clothing item that you donate and they can even be used on Cosmetics.  Cosmetics never go on sale so this coupon is very valuable.   Even better, Lancome has their free gift at this time.  It's time to stock up on what you need.  I know that I will be.  You can also go online to the Goodwill site and play a game daily to win a gift card to Goodwill.  More ways to save and have fun while doing it.  So, go and clean out your closets to make room for new things.
 

Snowy Day Estate Sale

Even with 9.3 inches of snow today and getting stuck in my driveway, I managed to get the kids to school on time and to go to an estate sale that sounded really good.  Caring Transitions does alot of estate sales in the area and they were having one in Woodstock today.  (I didn't get to the library sale in Richmond though.)  There wasn't a line today. I guess the snow scared alot of people away.  I found my first vintage Vera tablecloth for $5.  I was so excited.  It has vibrant flowers on it with Vera written large in the corner.  It has some yellow stains, but I soaked it in Oxy Clean and got alot of it out.  Vera linens are very collectible and now I have one to add to my collection.  I won't be selling it at this time.  I also found a really cute snowman tablerunner that was hand embroidered plus an elf ornament.  I have a few animal pins by Gerry and when I found 2 turtle pins ($5 for both) by them,  I couldn't pass them up.  My mother gave me a set of rose dishes that were made in Japan.  A few years ago, I found some replacement and extra pieces on Ebay to go with them.  Today, I was happy to find a covered butter dish that matches the pattern.  I paid a little extra for it ($8), but I had never seen a butter dish in that pattern and didn't want to risk losing it.  

Flea Market Style Magazine is out.  I love this magazine.  Ki is a master at recreating items into something completely different.  I have been looking up sales/flea markets that she lists in the magazine to go to in the summer.  Lots of fun awaits.  I would like to explore more in Wisconsin and Iowa this year.

For a snowy day, I didn't do that badly.  Tomorrow we are off to the Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora.  I have my coupons in my purse already....