Beads, Frames, and Saris

It’s a good day when I can run amok at an estate sale before work. It’s even a better day when its one of those family run sales, as opposed to the ones run by people who have consignment/antique galleries on the side. You know, the ones where they label every tea mug with a detailed description and proceed to charge you more than that mugs cost originally, what with inflation and all.

This one was awesome. In the driveway, by 4-5 birdcages I picked up a picture frame, whipped out my measuring tape, and it turned out to be the much sought after (standard canvas size) 18x24. $3. Score. The guy smoking in the garage, pointed to a pile of picture frames in the back of the garage, and a reptile cage he was going to make a really good deal on. Apparently, they hadn’t unpacked all the boxes yet, and he was ready for the day to be over.

I briefly got stuck on some colored glass shot glasses, like the ones I want at Treasure Cove, but not quite as nice, and fewer in number. Still, I grabbed a set of four and carried them around until I saw a room of beads.

That was the attraction, in the first place – throw ‘sewing’ anywhere in the ad, and I’ll show up. Jesse found it in the Pennysaver and used it as bait to get out of bed early (I put up a good fight every morning) I like to look for old patterns and fabrics I can try out my atrocities on. This place had a lot of yarn craft stuff, needlepoint, and cross stitch. They had marked 50c price in SHARPIE right on needlepoint stuff!! Nooo! And, there was the room of beads, that was full of boxes of beads, glitter, sequins, sparklies, and crystals. I was pretty happy in there, and ended up walking away with a little box full of seeds beads, and sead bead handmade jewelry.

There was a big box of ribbons, the fancy kind you wrap gifts and stuff with, but $40 for a box was over my total allowable budget. I side eyed Jess for a second, to register my disappointment before I moved on.

It was pretty uneventful from there and through the kitchen, where I noticed 3 or 4 more sets of colored glass shot glasses or little glasses and just lost interest. Too much. Passing through the foyer, there was a $ 10 Mickey Mouse figurine on a mantle. To Jesse’s dismay, the figurine is now mine.

 I don’t really like Disney stuff, except Tinkerbell and Piglet, and I really don’t like figurines of any sort, the dust collecting uselessness that they are. Umm. But it was cute? I mean, she’s wearing a little veil!! And, she can be a cake topper. Probably wouldn’t balance on a croquembouche doughnut pyramid I’m planning, so I’ll probably throw it up on Ebay after I’m done admiring it on a bookshelf in a couple weeks.

In one of the closets I found lots of $10 saris, $1 sari blouses, and patterns for a sari blouse, as well as embroidered silk fabric of all kinds. Jesse redirected me, pointing out that it would be difficult to do stuff with a grid like embroidery pattern, which I think, was his way of saying I’m not really good enough to line up a row of sunflowers in a straight line on a skirt.

I got fixated on a ‘giant flower’ wrap skirt, and couple $1 silk shirts. The shirts didn’t fit me, but I only let go of them when I found a sari that did please me, and had an irregular flower pattern. Ha.  I doubt I can actually wrap it around myself properly, without flashing people, so I'll probably use it as fabric for an outfit.  A two piece skirt and top?  It'll be hot. 

Also added to my ‘pile’ was a pair of hair chopsticks (the 'big flower' is of the big flower skirt).

There was a lady complaining that all the advertised “Indian” stuff was really pretty new, and from Arizona. (I wonder if by Indian they mean the sari stuff, but I didn't have the heart to say it)  Having said that, she did hang on to a weird looking little dream catcher holding teddy bear with a mohawk on a wooden perch. I told her it was ugly, and it cemented her resolve to get it. She was considering whether she’ll pay the $5 or bring it down. It should have been free, the atrocity.

She was really sweet, and we talked for a while about vintage table linens as I was eyeballing a tablecloth. [Jesse alleges] it fits none of the tables in our house, but the teddy bear lady and I decided it’s beautiful, so I ended up dragging it home.  It was unpriced and I ended up getting it for less than a dollar, so.. 

Apparently the teddy bear lady has a resale shop, and more or less does this for a living, and I was a little jealous. Here, I had an office to get to, and she was going to peruse ugly teddy bears all day long. Another chatty shopper pointed out some wool jackets that would probably fit me in the closet. Bright red, even! I do love when it becomes a team effort. And this wedding dress from the 60’s?

Ok, I admit, it doesn't look like much in the picture, but it's almost shiny in person.  Silk and lace?? I was born in the wrong time period. I would totally give up my Blackberry and Ipod if I could play in silk and lace all day long.  Well, may be not the Ipod. 

There was also, to match my wedding figurine, a brand new David’s Bridal wedding gown. These are usually pretty safe, since it’s hard to beat the one I already have. But, it was pretty, fluffy, with tags, and something like $150. I had seen it at DB, so it’s pretty current, even.

On the way out the door, I took a new approach to haggling – instead of going per item, I asked that I walk out of there for $20. This was the amount of money we withdrew from the ATM this morning, and save a couple of rogue nickels, it’s all I had to work with. Jesse argued that I only need like, $3, or $10 max, so I was already over the limit. (It’s not everyday you come across veiled Minnie mice). There was a lot of commotion over a missing Kitchen Aid (who has the balls to stroll out with that in their armpit?) so, my $20 bid on a pile of stuff was accepted happily, I think they were just happy to see people leave in orderly fashion. 

I typed this in the morning, but during lunch we went to a Newport Harbor sale, as well.  I didn't even take any pictures.  There's a bronze bust of Caesar, for $3000, and a painting for $7000.  That sale must be for a different class of shoppers.  Sigh.