Why 'My Mink Betty'?

Why 'My Mink Betty'?
I'm not your common, everyday twenty-something year old and when I graduated from High School I got an equally uncommon gift. My parents found for me a beautiful 1940's mink stole at a garage sale. It had belonged to the woman's Great Aunt Betty who had married late in life to a man with money and had only allowed him to buy her this one luxury. The unusually styled stole has the name, Betty L. Jones, embroidered in the satin lining so that's what I call her. They never had children of their own and the mink was passed to Aunt Betty's niece and on to her daughter. Until it got to me, no one since Aunt Betty had worn it. Now Betty the mink and I go to the theater together on special occasions and I hope that someday I can take her to the Symphony or the Ballet. Although Betty hadn't been worn or loved for many years she was waiting for someone to love her again as are most other things I look for when thrifting.

Monday, July 18, 2011

I'm Back.

I haven't been able to post on here in a while or even go to estate sales or thrift often since I started my job in March. I work Fri-Sun from 6AM until 6PM so it makes estate sales pretty much impossible.

Just before I stopped posting, I showed you this:

Turquoise Snowflake Space Saver Casserole!


But since then, Mom found this at a thrift shop in another town. It was hiding on the bottom shelf behind a bunch of junk - $0.89.

A space saver lid!
It's got lots of chips that need to be smoothed out , but she was delighted to find it.

Then I found this matching 943 1.5 quart oval casserole at Goodwill - $3.00.

And Mom had this cradle for the 943, found in the same out of town thrift store - $0.89.


See how cute that looks?


So, even though there hasn't been much thrifting, there has been Pyrex. Even these Town and Country fridgies that I can't stand. Mom found them at an estate sale and wanted them because they're a full set; I'm trying to convince her to trade them away, but so far, no such luck.

I've finally gotten a hold on my schedule enough to hopefully post at least once a week from now on and maybe get an Etsy shop running. Thank you for reading and sorry it's been such a long time.

-Betty


I'm joining Leigh for Thrifty Thursday,



and Diane for Thrifty Things Friday.


The Thrifty Groove


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Monday, March 7, 2011

A Gift For M. E. Monday

It's Mary Engelbreit Monday at Cherry Chick's blog.

As I said in my earlier post today, I haven't done much thrifting lately, but I did receive a thrifted gift last Wednesday. Mom and Dad had to take a day trip out of town, and on the way home they stopped at a Goodwill and found me this:

This cute tin stands not quite 4.5 inches tall, is 3.5 inches in diameter, and was made in 2000. I'm sure they paid less than $1.00 for it. It is very sturdy, and will be quite useful for storage, though I'm not yet sure for what.

I would also like to share some more from

this book.


I'm partial to pictures of redheaded children.

I love the details in this drawing. I love the Scottie dog dress and the little tea set, and the bunnies on the doll quilt. And I particularly like the art deco flower panels, so reminiscent of stained glass.

Click on this link and see what others have posted for ME Monday.

Maps and Such

I'm sorry I haven't been able to post much but I started a new job last week and I haven't been out thrifting very much so there hasn't been much to blog about.

For as long as I can recall, I've loved maps - maps of anything. And even more than maps, I love globes. I especially love raised relief globes, the kind you can run your fingers over and feel the mountain ranges on. Double axis globes are even better because you can flip them upside down and sideways and get a closer look at the countries.

Every time I go to Goodwill, I lust after globes. Sadly, most of them are either not quite right or too expensive. Often, they are broken AND expensive. Finally, after months of wanting and hoping, I found one that was not broken, AND half price ($3.78). It got to come home with me and sit on the "buffet" (translation: dresser) in our living room until we can find it a permanent home.


It's a beautiful raised relief globe with a double axis, exactly what I wanted! The globe does have one condition issue, but it's a small one. The equator tape is missing. But I've always been bothered by the tape covering up names and places, so I'm not sure I would replace it if I could.

Here's a bit of the South Pacific. You can see from the glue residue that quite a few islands are hidden by the tape, including, ironically, Howland, the island Amelia Earhart never found.

Did you know that unlike maps, globes don't usually have a date on them? You have to examine the globe and look for name changes or border shifts, and things like that. For example, after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, a lot of new countries were formed.

As you can see, my globe has the U.S.S.R, so it was made earlier than 1992.

A close look at Western Africa shows the countries of The Ivory Coast and Burkina (Faso). The Ivory Coast became Côte d'Ivoire in 1986, and Burkina Faso was known as Upper Volta until late 1984, so I would date this globe to 1985.

If you have a globe you'd like to date, HERE'S a webpage with a list of things to look for.

Did you also know that the airplane was invented long before the Wright brothers were born? I know, because my 4 year old self told me so. She knew that there had to be airplanes so that cartographers (she loves big words) could see what the coastlines looked like. She also told me that France is supposed to be pink in every atlas, but some people do it wrong. Nice to know.
But I digress...

Not too long after I found the globe, my mother was at an estate sale and found a bunch of National Geographic maps.

There were two giant political World Maps, and more than a dozen assorted other maps.

I've thought for years that colorful maps would make great wrapping paper. I'm sort of a "wrapping paper snob" and terribly particular about the weight of my chosen gift wrap. Maps are just heavy enough to stand up to the rigors of wrapping and not be torn easily or by accident. My father has been receiving National Geographic magazine for years and has painstakingly saved every map, but NO, we couldn't possibly use any of HIS maps. They must stay untouched. In their GIANT envelope. In the drawer of the desk that no one touches. Just because then he'll know they're safe.

So when my mother found these maps, she bought the whole lot for $1.50 to use as wrapping papers. In addition to the world maps and a map of Europe,

there are country maps, state maps,

historical maps,

blue and green maps,

brown maps, charts, illustrations,

even dinosaurs! These will make for some very cool packages.

And then we made a trip to the Goodwill Outlet where we rescued this huge book from the landfill.


It's 19.5 inches tall, 14 inches wide, and full of maps from The National Geographic Society.

The folio was bound in 1957, and consisted mostly of strips of gummed paper, to which individual maps were to be glued, as they were printed and issued by The Society.

This book contains 51 maps,

almost a full set,

dated between 1958 and 1965.
Each map measures 20" x 25". We paid $2.00.

It appears, according to the list in the front of the book showing what maps you could have, that not all the maps were put into the folio. We seem to be missing three maps: the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and Western Africa.

I'm not sure yet what to do with this book because I can't bring myself to take it apart and they're not the right weight for wrapping packages. I just couldn't let it go to the landfill. I would consider putting it on Ebay but they don't seem to sell. I guess I'll just save it until I have an idea.

Does anyone else collect maps or globes or have a special place in their heart for them? The Holy Grail of maps for me would be an old pull down map from a school. I saw one at the bins recently but had to pass on it as I just don't have a place for one.


I'm linking to the following parties:
Thrift Share Monday

 http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/
Click on the links to join the fun.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Pink and Yellow (and Green and Blue)

It's Mary Engelbreit Monday at Cherry Chick's blog, so it's time to show you my recent ME finds. I just love the $1.00 ME items at Michaels.

Yellow cherry socks.

Pink flowered socks.
Some for me and some for my niece.

And if $1 isn't thrifty enough, I can use my 40% off one item coupon that comes in my weekly email from Michaels.com.

Speaking of $1,

I found this well-loved blue Pyrex primary 401 bowl at an estate sale. Now I just need the 402 red bowl to complete my set.

I also found this pretty blue divided server,
with a not-quite-matching clear 2 Qt casserole lid for $2.00. I think the pattern is Blue Horizon, but since it didn't have the patterned lid, I'm not sure. The actual color is more of a cadet blue than the blue in the picture.

Some day I hope to have a pink and yellow kitchen of my own, so I am always on the lookout for pink or yellow kitchenware.

14 inch Boonton melamine platter - $1.50.
Isn't that a cool shape?

Pearlized white and yellow Tupperware cold cuts keeper with 2 deviled egg trays inside - $2.25.
I already had one of these, but not in this dreamy color. I can't wait for picnic weather.

And my Mom found these cute little juice glasses for $4.00.

I couldn't get a picture that didn't distort the lines; they really are straight.

This green cake plate was $3.00. It's not vintage, but I really like the color.

These last three are for my mother.

She didn't need any more depression glassware, but she has a soft spot for grill plates, and these were only $5.00 for all three. The pattern is called Florentine No. 2, made by Hazel Atlas between 1932 and 1935.

The weather has been really cold here lately,
so I'd like to leave you with this sentiment.


I'm linking up to the following parties:
Mary Engelbreit Monday
Thrift Share Monday

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

February is for Calendars... and Rednecks

I enjoy finding things at estate sales and thrift stores so much that I sometimes forget that there are deals to be found at retail establishments, too. When Cherry Chick blogged about finding a Mary Engelbreit calendar, I was reminded that February is the month to find calendars on clearance. So my wonderful friend Annabella and I stopped at the local Borders, and she bought each of us one of these fun calendars.


Regular price - $12.95. Sale price $1.00!

Annabella's favorite photo.

My favorite photo.

Later, at the local grocery store, I found Valentine's Day items at 75% off, and stocked up on tissue paper.


$0.69/pkg. I bet I can pick up some pastel colors after Easter, too.

Then I stopped back in at the book store and found this page a day desk calendar.

Regular price - $13.95. Sale price $1.00!

Jeff Foxworthy says that he gets most of his ideas from regular folks who come up to him at his concerts and tell him their stories. So most people can usually find themselves or someone they know in at least one of his "Redneck" examples.

But I didn't expect it to be on page one.

And this one:

He says this like I should be ashamed of it.

I started flipping through the calendar and reading the pages out loud.


Then a funny thing happened.
From the other room, I could hear someone commenting softly to himself.

Dad: I fixed that toilet this morning.

Dad: You mean the one I have on my key chain?

Dad: It's not various, it's primer yellow.

Dad: It was Nascar. And it was my brother.

Dad: You weren't born yet, but yeah... got some cool stuff.


Dad: Not the liquor store, U-Pull-It (auto wrecking yard).
(Our house is a block away)

Then my Mom joined in....

Mom: It was my brother Johnny.
Dad: Johnny destroyed a kitchen going after a rat?
Mom: No, I destroyed Uncle Johnny going after a rat.
That is, I hit him with the broom instead of the rat.
Slipped. Banged his head. Close enough.

Dad: Not the church, but the Sunday School building.

Mom: That would have been nice.

Me: But that Pocahontas towel was really pretty... and I was eight.

Well, not me, but my friend told me about the time his whole family was at Grandma's and they all decided to go to the movies, except Grandma. When they came home, she was in the hot tub naked, drinking a beer.

(I love the movie Hope Floats)

I plan on doing this from now on at any time possible.

That reminds me of a story... a friend and I once went to a yard sale officiated over by two women who were completely wasted. They had recently discovered Four LoKo and decided to have a yard sale to celebrate. When my friend and I arrived, they offered us some. "It tastes just like juice," they giggled. Being underage and not idiots, we politely declined. They continued offering. "You're not undercover cops are you? We won't tell your parents," they whispered, conspiratorially.
Finally, a teen-aged girl came out of the house and barked at one of them, "Mom, you are so stinking drunk! Quit offering them liquor. They obviously don't want any." They were actually quite funny and nice, and my friend got a nice pair of Doc Martens for $10. They told us we just missed a creepy guy who asked if they had any underpants for sale. I don't know if he was intending to try them on there.

Do you suppose you might be a Redneck if you serve liquor at your yard sale?


I'm linking to the following parties:
Roses of Inspiration
Debbiedoo's Newbie Party

 http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/


Click on the links to join the fun.
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