Thursday, August 29, 2013

Estate Sales in Dallas This Weekend

Well, for the Thursday sales, the estate sale times were staggered-- and I mean staggered!  But that was kind of cool.  Estate sales were sprinkled in to pretty much my whole day!

The first one started at 9am Thursday and will run thru Saturday at 3pm.  It's located at 8724 Stanwood in the White Rock Lake area.  This was a weird one.  Lots of the rooms of the house were closed off, so it was pretty small.  And lots of the stuff inside seemed to be new-ish and unused.  So I don't know if the people who lived there had a store that went out of biz or what.  This one was put on my Clutterblasters, which usually has good prices, but I didn't think there were many great deals, at least not during the first day.  Here's a sampling of what they had to offer.
new stuff still in packages- pillow cases, window treatments, home fragrance...
candles, glasses...
pretty plants in pots but prices were around $25 and up!  what?!
metal yard art, but priced a little high- $16 and up.  i think i could go to Home Goods and find better deals
The next sale was just a big mistake for me.  First of all, it wasn't located where I thought it was.  I knew it was a familiar street-  at some point, I think I had a friend that lived on or off of that street as a kid.  But not in the era I was thinking.  It was further than I thought, and not in as good of an area.  This sale, that you probably don't want to go to, was at 15610 Ranchita Dr. in Dallas. Let me post one picture to represent how overpriced and just irritating it was.  And then we'll move on to the good stuff!
They were selling a shower cap from a hotel for 20 cents.  That should be free, or that should be trash.  Same with the $1 soap.  Yuck.  I officially hate that estate sale.
But finally, as so often happens, I saved the best for last.  I didn't really save it for last, but it was the one that started latest in the day.  4pm to be exact.  It was located at 6802 Clayton Drive in Lakewood.  First of all, I loved the house.  Look how cute!
the house is already sold!
If you like antiques and unique items, you'll love this one.  When I went today, there were lots of vendors there buying stuff to resale.  Lots of old, old vintage clothing, lamps, mirrors, all sorts of stuff... Even if you don't want to buy, it's a fun to go just to look for fun.  Here's just a few photos I took:
 vintage lamps, china, mirrors, and more
lots of cool vintage cookware
random cool stuff like this was sort of everywhere!
It was a fun one, and since it was only open for a few hours this afternoon, you should still be able to find lots of treasures if you head out there tomorrow morning.

In my opinion, I'd suggest skipping the first two I mentioned, but definitely swing over to 6802 Clayton in the Lakewood area of Dallas.  They'll be open tomorrow (Friday) from 9-5pm and Saturday 9-noon. Have fun!!

Sketch Group

I've started going to a Wednesday night Sketch Meet Up group the past month and a half.  Their meeting spot is about 5 convenient minutes from my house.  There are always a couple of core people, and then there are other people that drop in only occasionally.  So the group is usually between about 4 - 8 people.

I think I'm the only one in the ever-changing group that really knows absolutely nothing about drawing.  I'm just there to learn from them, and to hopefully get better just by practicing a little each week.  I've been reading books like Drawing With The Right Side of the Brain and Drawing for the Absolute Beginner, that have been helpful and interesting, but what makes practicing fun is being in this sketch group.

Each week, I nearly talk myself out of going.  My husband will ask, "You going to that sketch group tonight?" I answer, "No, I've got stuff to do around here..." (Or my alternative, "No, we gotta get caught up on Breaking Bad!") But then he always says, "Kerri, GO!  You should go."  And I know he's right.  I should go.  And so he kicks me out of the house, and I take the short drive to the meeting spot.  Once I'm there for about 5 minutes, I'm always glad Fermin encouraged me to go.

We draw people and things that we see around us in the bookstore cafe.  If I weren't with this group, that might feel a little uncomfortable.  But there's safety in numbers.  I'm part of a group.  I'm drawing because that's how we roll.  So if I'm staring at a stranger so I can sketch him in my notebook, it's cool

Here's a sampling of tonight's sketching:
a few of us sketched this pencil holder
this is Chuck with his sketchpad
this is Daniel's drawing of a woman at the table next to us
another sketcher's work
And last but not least, here are my sketches that I did for this night's meet up:
just a few quick sketches
You didn't really believe I did that, did you?  No way!  I wish!  Those were done by Brenna, my sketch idol. 

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Talkin' 'Bout Twerking

So much talk has been about Miley Cyrus' "performance" on the VMAs over the last few days.  I thought it was totally ridiculous, but I was happy to have learned a new word because of it.

Twerking: (as defined in the Urban Dictionary) the act of moving/ shaking ones ass/buns/bottom/buttocks/bum-bum in a circular, up-and-down, and side-to-side motion. basically a slutty dance. derived from strip clubs.

I've certainly seen it before.  But it seems that Miley is getting all the credit for it.  If you search "twerking" on YouTube, most of the top videos are of Miley.  But there's also this excellent instructional video that really breaks it down...




I found a video of Miley talking about twerking with Ryan Seacreast.  She starts talking about it about a minute into the clip.  Talk about foreshadowing!  She talks about a twerking video she made in a unicorn onesie, and says, "I haven't really seen one bad comment about my twerk video."  Well, she certainly changed that!


Like I said, we've all seen it before, but somehow, Miley made it so offensive and gross the other night, she's got us all talking about it.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Repurposed Vintage Jewelry Before and After

I found these cute vintage flower screw back earrings at an estate sale here in Dallas a few months ago:
VINTAGE off-white flower screw back earrings
Sure, they were super cute, but their screw backs made them painful too.  And who wants that?

I'm not sure what material these earrings are made from... My guess is "fake ivory", after the small bit of online research I did.  Whatever the case, they're very cute and very durable.

I clipped off the screw backs, and then filed things down in the back until things were nice and smooth.  Next, I heavy-duty glued them down to some copper toned filigree drops, attached a tiger eye bead at the bottom and turned them into pierced earrings.

REPURPOSED VINTAGE off-white flower on copper filigree with tiger eye dangle pierced earrings
Just a few subtle changes, and now these earrings have a updated look while still keeping they're little spark of vintage.

These earrings, along with other vintage and vintage repurposed earrings are available in my Etsy shop now!

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Freebies

When people sell stuff on Ebay, and especially on Etsy, they want to give their customers a nice buying experience so they'll come back to their shop and buy again.  Sometimes the seller offers free shipping, sometimes they package your item up extra pretty, and sometimes they throw in a free gift.

And I usually really appreciate the effort.

But the other day, I ordered these pretty vintage pins that I will be using one day soon for a repurposing project:
cute vintage pins
The seller should have just stopped there.  I was happy.  Just getting the pins quickly and having them look like the pictures implied was enough to satisfy me.

But she decided to throw in a "bonus gift" so that I'd really think she was an awesome seller, and maybe even tell others about my positive transaction.  Here's what I got:
I Heart Boys BonBons Lip Gloss
Usually, when someone throws in a "free gift" with purchase, it somehow relates to what was bought.  For me, this is just so random, I feel like she was just cleaning out a drawer and pawned off some of her trash on me.


Friday, August 23, 2013

Estate Sales in Dallas This Weekend

Both yesterday and today I went to a few estate sales with my friend Kathy, and because of that, I got a little distracted and totally forgot to snap photos until after I got home! 

Except for this very important one!!!
Just look at that FACE!  MEOW.  That's the cat's name.  MEOW.
One estate sale I went to was of a man that is moving to Mexico~ and that bastard is not taking his lovely cat, who is just as social as a sweet dog!  I'm not a cat person, but this is my kind of cat.  If the rest of my family would allow it, he'd now be living at my house, getting all the love and affection he deserves.  The people running the sale said they will give him to anyone that will provide a loving home for him.  He's at 4208 Allencrest.  Go get him NOW and make your life, and his, happier.  He's the best thing the house had to offer for sure.  BTW, if you're interested in a pole, yes, that's what a said, a pole, as in stripper pole, they're selling one right out of the guy's bedroom for $125.  Other than the cat, the guy did not have good taste, so there's really no reason to bother with this one.  Other than to go get that cat.  Someone, please go get that cat. I can't stop thinking about him...

None of the estate sales we stopped by were very impressive.  Some weeks are just like that.  My theory is, if the first 2 estate sales of the day aren't good, probably none of them will be.  I don't know how or why it tends to work out that way in my experience, but it does!

We went to one on 6491 Bordeaux that was not good.  They had stamps, old papers, and stuff I think they should give away rather than sell.

There was a sale on 1233 Whispering Oaks (in Richardson) that already looked pretty picked over by Friday.  Maybe they did well and sold a lot on Thursday when it started.  There were some cool vintage toys there tho...

Another disappointing stop we made was 407 Lynn in Richardson.  The homeowner was obviously a smoker so we just tried to get in and out of there as quickly as possible.  It seemed pretty stinky and dirty.

We also stopped in at 3849 Pallos Verdas.  There was some nice furniture and actually lots of nice stuff, but it was priced about twice as high as it should be... Which means, if you wait for the 50% off markdowns on Sunday, you'll be able to buy some great stuff- if it's still there!  That's the big risk of waiting for mark-downs.  

I found a few things at 7110 Cornelia (it started on Thursday).  I wanted to find a few vintage jewelry boxes and I found a couple here.  It's funny how you can find something once you put them on the radar.  Maybe I've seen jewelry boxes at estate sales before and just not noticed them, but now that I'm actually looking, they seem pretty abundant.
vintage jewelry boxes--- and a cute little dish i couldn't resist

vintage jewelry boxes
little vintage pin- i LOVE emerald green
I found another jewelry box, and a few pretty vintage pins and a pair of gorgeous cufflinks for my husband at a sale I stopped by Thursday on 1513 Wildwood.  I got lucky because the regular cashiers were on break when I paid for my stuff, and so even tho I had heard them tell some customers, "Sorry, no mark downs since this is Day 1 of the sale", the man that rang me up let me wheel and deal.  Luck was on my side, and I think it was about time after all those other estate sales earlier in the day that were such disappointments!

So even on an off week, there are still treasures to be found!  And it's always fun.  Especially with a friend along!

Hopefully Meow has found a home by now.  But you might want to check... Free to a good home.  And he'd be the best bargain you'd ever find at any estate sale.  MEOW.
MEOW the cat needs a good home!!!  Go get him at 4208 Allencrest!!


 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Lindsey Lohan...

Oh Lindsey.

I just watched the Oprah interview with Lindsey Lohan.  She talked all about her little scrapes with the law, her addiction, and her chaotic family life(although she really didn't say as much on that- bummer).  It wasn't an insightful interview really, but I couldn't peel my eyes away... But to be honest, I think that's just because I think she is so pretty.

Like Sharon Stone pretty.  Just gorgeous.

I know people always talk about what a shame her behavior has been because she's such a talented actress (even Oprah commented on her great talent).  But for me, "Mean Girls" was the high point of her career and was she really that amazing in it?  Was "Herbie: Fully Loaded" really anything that great? And what about "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen"?   More recently, Lindsey starred in the horrible Lifetime Original movie "Liz and Dick".  So, I'm sorry, but Lindsey is no Jodi Foster.  Her movie choices don't seem that impressive, and acting is not outstanding.

I think what made her uber famous was all the court hearings regarding DWIs, breaking probation, etc.  It's kind of  similar to Amanda Bynes' current "situation".  (I didn't even know her name until she started using her twitter feed, calling famous people mean names, shaving her head, etc. as a way to document her fall into some kind of mental disease.)

Towards the end of the interview with Oprah, Lindsey was asked (by Oprah, of course) to reconsider her planned trip to Europe.  Oprah asked Lindsey to think about if going off to Europe was really the best thing for her recovery right now.  Lindsey said, "Yes, I'll think about that."  And then there was a follow up note, sorta like they do on "Intervention", letting us viewers know that Lindsey did, indeed, cancel the trip to Europe.  Yay, Lins!

So that proves it.  She's serious about her recovery.  And when Oprah talks, people (even Lindsey) listen.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Music Monday "Count On Me" by Bruno Mars

Since I went to the Bruno Mars concert last week here in Dallas, of course I had to choose one of his songs for Music Monday!

First of all, that concert was just amazing!  One of the best ones I've ever been to. He and his uber talented and cute band are great performers and musicians.  The song I chose for today wasn't even played during the concert...  He has so many great songs, he just can't fit them all into one concert.  (And he's only released 2 CDs so far.)

But I chose this one because it's from his first CD, which I barely listened to the first time around.  I only bought it when his 2nd one came out.  I listened to the second one a lot, but didn't pay enough attention to "Doo-Wops and Hooligans".  Since the concert Monday night, I've been listening to it 24-7, and it's so good, it sounds like it's a "Greatest Hits" CD.

This song, "Count on Me" is just simple and sweet and I just learned to play it on my guitar.  I'm in love with it.  And the whole CD of "Doo-Wops and Hooligans". And Bruno.

Happy Music Monday, Everybody!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Estate Sales in Dallas This Weekend

The two estate sales I went to today were both definitely worth checking out.

The first on was on 3828 Medallion.  It started today, will be open again tomorrow from 9-3pm, and wraps up Saturday from 9-noon.  Not sure if/when mark downs begin, but even on the first day, their prices were fair, and they had lots of older furniture and knick knacks. 

They had a little jewelry right as you walk in.  And yes, of course I bought a few things, but I'll save that for the end of this post.  I thought these spoons were really cute. 
a collection of vintage decorative small spoons
I bought some a few weeks ago and am in love with them.  I might have to start collecting.  They're on my radar for sure.  I didn't buy these, but you can!  Not sure of the price- The silver platter they were in was marked $10- maybe you get all of them plus the platter for that.  If so, seems like a great deal to me.  Damn!!  I'm having non-buyers remorse...

And speaking of non-buyers remorse, why the heck didn't I buy the white, sparkly vintage coin purse?  There were several little coin purses and leather gloves.  Cute, cute!  Really, what in the world was I thinking walking away from that?
vintage coin purses and gloves
This small 1940s short set of drawers was in great shape and only $100!
Make me hollah for just 100 dollahs!
This wasn't for sale, I don't think, but I just had to snap a little photo of the original old oven they had in the kitchen.  Gives you and idea of the era, and the era of lots of the items in the house, and how well these people took care of their things...
let's get cookin'!
The second estate sale of the morning was located on 1327 Casa Vale in Dallas.  It started today, will be open tomorrow from 9-4pm and wraps up Saturday from 9-3pm.  The coolest thing for me, was the house next to it, which was having a little indoor random sale.  I will write a dedicated post to that experience in the next few days.  So if you do go to this estate sale, be sure to stop in next door at Alice's.  She'll have a sign in the front yard if the sale is still going on.  Please tell her Kerri said hi if you go. 

Ok, but 1327 Case Vale...  It was fun.  Lots of stuff to look at and the prices were decent.  If you like unique vintage things, this is a great one.  I actually started off in the garage and saw these pretty mirrors...

vintage mirrors
I know nothing about old wallpaper, but they had a lot of it in rolls that would probably be cool for some projects. 
lots of wall old wallpaper in rolls!
Then I went back inside and found all sorts of stuff.  Like this mirror...
pretty mirror for only $20-  about the cost of 5 refreshers at starbucks!  wow.
crafting supplies...
ribbons
buttons
And the cutest storage cabinet for sewing supplies I've ever seen.  Why don't I sew?!  If I did, this would surely be mine!

makes me wanna sew, SEW bad!!
I thought these measure cups were pretty cute~
ducky measuring cups
At the end of the day (morning) I ended up with a small statue of a praying angel, which Lucy insisted on saying her prayers right beside,
Amen, Sister!
and a few pins that will be great in repurposing projects after they're cleaned up,
vintage floral pins
more vintage pins- i especially love the emerald green flower pin!!
That's it for today.  I'll be going to two that start tomorrow so stay tuned...


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Breaking Bad Junkie

I'm not sure how I missed "Breaking Bad" when it first began, a few years ago.  But my friends were talking about it at dinner a few weeks ago and I knew I wanted to get on board immediatly.  They had me at, "Meth".  I don't know what the deal is, but I love all movies, shows, books, etc about drugs, and in particular, the crystal meth epidemic I keep reading about.

I was told the final season was about to begin, so I decided to start from season 1, and get caught up as quickly as possible.

The hubs and I have now marathoned 2 weekends of Breaking Bad, and we've blown thru 2 1/2 seasons.  We should be all caught up in another couple of weeks.
I love everything about this show.  It's got drama (obviously), action (of course), and it's even funny (a little surprising, but yes, it's true.)  The acting is phenomenal.  I guess everyone knows this, right?  I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. I'm very late to the party.

I know I'm about as consumed with "Breaking Bad" as Jesse was with meth the first two seasons.  Even when I was at the Bruno Mars concert Monday night (which was awesome, by the way), I found myself thinking about Walt and Jesse.  What the hell is Skylar gonna do when she finds out what Walt is up to?  And is Jesse gonna be okay?  Ever?  And what's finally gonna get to Walt in the end?-- his cancer?  a drug deal gone bad?  What?!?!

I can't wait to be caught up so I can be a part of the current "Breaking Bad" conversations.  I am, however, going to more than likely severe withdrawals once the final season comes to an end.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Music Monday "Go Your Own Way" and "Worried About" by Lissie

For today's installment of Music Monday, you get two songs for the price of one.  (Which, by the way, is totally free!)

I heard Lissie's version of Fleetwood Mac's song "Go Your Own Way" in yoga one day, because you know, yoga instructors are today's djs, after all.  I love her version even better than the original, which is just sort of unbelievable I realize.  But I do!  Here it is...

I love that version so much that I looked up Lissie (yes, just "Lissie", no last name) on Amazon and bought her CD called "Catching a Tiger". A few of the songs sorta annoy me, to be honest. But several of them I like and one of them, I love.  So technically, this is my song choice for today, but I had to post the other one as well to show you how I got to it.  This one's called "Worried About".  By Lissie. Enjoy, and have a happy Music Monday!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Estate Sales in Dallas This Weekend

The first "estate sale" I stopped by today was not good.  I didn't even find anything worth taking a picture of.  I think it was actually an indoor garage sale because it's too hot to have it in the actual garage.  The stuff for sale was in the two living areas, and I think everything else was closed off.  They had a few book shelves, some kid's toys and that was about it. It was on 9235 Orbiter.  But seriously, don't waste your time, like I wasted mine.  Also, in the ad they ran in the paper, it said "Lake Highlands", but it wasn't.  So although I thought it was close to my house because of that, it was not.  I hate misleading information.  Ug.

The next estate sale was really an estate sale!  YAY! It was located at 6261 St. Albans in Dallas.  Although there was nothing there for me, there was some good stuff marked at good prices.  There were lots of china sets...


antique dessert set- so pretty, but with cracks on just about every piece
Cups and saucers seemed to be everywhere...
just a small sampling of cups and saucers
If I was a cat lover, I probably would've snagged these two-- So cute!
Meow!
The final sale I went to today was in Richardson, on 2504 Custer Pkwy.  I don't think I had ever been to an estate sale put on by these women, but they sure were nice!  Even when dealing with rude customers. 

When I first walked in, I saw a little table with some nicely displayed jewelry on it.  Nearby, there was a couple digging thru a big bag of jewelry.  I realized they had swiped up just about all that had been on the table to sift thru all for themselves. When they decided which pieces they didn't want, the man just sorta wadded them up and threw them back on the jewelry table.  SO RUDE!  If I had been working at the sale, I'm pretty sure I would've gotten ugly with them.  After they weeded thru their bag o' jewelry a second  time, there was one more piece they wanted to discard.  The man tried handing it to me and sorta nodded over at the table as if to say, "Throw it over there".  I instead, I just looked at him and said, "Um, no, A-hole.   Just put it back yourself." (Ok, am only acting tough.  I didn't really call him an a-hole. But in my head I did.) Then the lady working there got the beads he was trying to cast off to me and said, "I'll just go ahead and reorganize it since he made such a mess of things."  But she said it sweetly, and  she just went about her business and was so nice to everyone she encountered.  Props, Lady!  You got way more tolerance than I do!

If you like blue and white china, go to this place!  There was more of it there than I've ever seen.
Just one cabinet full, but trust me- There was lots more!
And like most estate sales, there was a Christmas/Holiday room~
Joy to the World!
It was a very organized sale, very neat and clean, items were all tagged, and there was lots worth looking at-- There seemed to be a little something for everyone at this place.

Here were the little somethings I found...
another lipstick holder because I just can't pass those up. Ever!

An angel bell- because I collect bells, and Mom always collected angels.  This one made me think of her.
Reindeer- because we need a little Christmas!  Right this very minute!
And no day would really feel complete if I didn't find some vintage jewelry!
vintage necklaces, bracelets, and beads
So there you go-  Hope that helps you know which ones to stop by, and which ones to avoid!  Happy hunting!