Oodles and oodles

Matched sets

It's nice when things that don't come from the same place end up looking good together. This would be the pastel collection (two aprons, a bunch of Tupperware, six linen towels).

Jadite goes with everything. (Restaurant ware plates, hooray!)

 This would be the red collection.

More housewares with a garden theme (hooray!)

Still waiting for that can't-get-everything-in-the-car sale, but it's early. (Isn't it?)

Vintage garden style

It's the time of year when I'm torn.

Garden?

Or junk?

Junk?

Or garden?

Today, I'm enjoying both.

They're vintage canape trays with seed packet motifs. Some for me, some for Etsy. I've never seen anything like them. I'm sure I'll find something this season I love even more, but right now, I can't imagine what it would be.

Spring flings

Finally I can say something I've been wanting to say for months.

I went to a good estate sale!

Friday's estate sale was sort of like one of those warmish days you get in spring - really, it's not that great, but after a long winter, you'll take what you can get. There were lots of cute toys there, and all of these are already in Etsy or will be on eBay by Monday night. More on my business-first attitude in a moment.

First, let's take a moment to admire the Renwal The Little Hospital Nursery Set. Cute in its own weird little way, and not in a way that tempts me to keep it.

There was a little Christmas, but it was somewhat disorganized, so I wasn't quite sure what I had until I got home.

What I had were bubble lights. In my many years of Christmas collecting, do you know how many times I've bought bubble lights? Until Friday, never. I overcame my fear of vintage electrical items and tested these. They work. I'm happy.

Also in the box was an adorable parachute toy. See his silk parachute in the sack on his back?

Since the sale was nearby, I returned later in the day and picked up this colorful top. It's adorable, but I have no need of vintage nursery decorations. It did serve to amuse the pets briefly, however.

I picked up another box of Christmas jumble and found what everybody finds in boxes of Christmas jumble: glass bead garland, tiny glass ornaments, bottle brush trees, and a glittery bird that needs a beak transplant.

Also, one of those dangly wreath ornaments that I just adore. The foil has worn off the paper mache bells in places, and underneath is newspaper with Japanese characters. It's the paper mache equivalent of patina.

I also found a Halloween noisemaker. Any day that brings a Halloween noisemaker is a good one.

On Saturday morning, I woke up early and headed to Parts Unknown, N.Y. It would have been a very nice day except for a few things.

1. I got outbid on a fabulous box of feedsacks. However, I knew I was going to get outbid, so I bid it up to $490 and stopped. Honestly, it was a fabulous box, but not $500 worth of fabulous.

2. I got outbid on a fabulous collection of apron patterns. However, once again, I knew I was going to get outbid, so I went to $190 and stopped.

3. On the way home, I had the comfort of not being $680 poorer. I have to say, it's not quite as much fun as spending wads of money. But it made a lot more sense business-wise. I probably could have recouped my investment. But it would have been close. And I would have had a lot of money tied up in inventory in the meantime. See? It's the new businesslike me!

4. Also, it was a good thing I was not distracted by being $680 poorer, because I got rather lost on the way home (my phone, and thus the GPS, died) and I was forced to rely on my marginal navigational skills. In a driving rainstorm. In heavy traffic, in sections. But I got home safe and sound. 90 minutes later than I should have, but safe and sound.

I did buy some things I liked, including a huge recipe collection. (I don't quite know why, but there is money to be made on recipe collections.)

Nine or ten boxes worth. If there's a particular recipe you're looking for, there's a pretty good chance I have it. (That sounds dangerously close to me offering to look up recipes for you. Here's a better idea: Use the Internet.)

And while everyone else was buzzing over the feedsack and the apron patterns, I and I alone spotted the big box o' Christmas. And got it for almost nothing.

There were more ornaments in it than I thought.

Quite a few more.

Well, you get the idea.

How many days is it until next weekend? I'm ready to start all over again.