Garage Sales in the Snow - visit to upstate NY & Burlington VT

Here's a re-cap from my trip from last week:

Thursday night - flew from Baltimore to Albany, New York - where it was snowing. Good thing I packed my windbreaker.

Friday - went to a few garage sales in the snow. Remember, these are hearty New Yorkers - a little bit of snow is not going to send people into a panic, like it would in Maryland. Took my mother shopping in the afternoon and on Friday night went to a casual reunion get-together at a local watering hole.

Saturday - went to a few more garage sales in the morning. Dropped my mom off at the casino and went to a few garage sales/estate sales with my sister in the afternoon. Garage sales in New York don't close up early at noon or 1pm, like they do in Maryland. Saturday evening was the school reunion event, held at a large hotel. Dinner, dancing, photobooth, the works. I had fun. DH stayed home in Maryland with Jacob. It started to snow heavily while driving to the reunion. And was still snowing when I left after midnight. So basically it was like I got a free refresher course in driving in snowy conditions. And as a bonus, I earned extra points since I was driving my mom's rear wheel drive Buick Century. I'm an excellent driver.

Sunday - drove with my sister to Burlington, Vermont (2 hour drive each way) to spend the day shopping, eating and visiting my niece (her daughter) who lives there. No snow there. Got back to my mom's around 11pm. My niece lives in a cool apartment on Church Street, which is Burlington's downtown with little shops and restaurants. I even purchased something at full price. At a jewelry store, I bought a pair of earrings made by Baked Beads I see on their website the pair I bought sells for $16.50 online and at the jewelry store I only paid $13.99 so I did get a deal without trying!

Monday (Halloween) - flew home to Maryland. I should be sad since Jacob is growing up and had no interest in going trick or treating, but I was glad since I was pooped.

And now for some pics:

Woke up Friday morning and looked out at my old backyard:


going garage saling




a few of my buys: $1 shoes, .50 picture frame, .50 hook (to hold a birdfeeder), .50 pair of speakers and $3 Crate & Barrel new travel bag with accessories. I left some of the stuff at my mom's to bring back when I have my car there.


My sister testing out a personal steam sauna at an estate sale. She did not buy it.


yardsale at vintage house in Saratoga


Driving to Vermont. Miles and miles of farmland:


animals in fields:


and of course, clowns.


On the drive there, we stopped at one big disorganized fleamarket/junk sale. It was awesome.


My niece's apartment building in Burlington. Her doggy is in the window watching the goings-on down below.


Like a guy wearing a mask, blowing a didgeridoo, and beating a cymbal. No, he wasn't Occupying Burlington - those people were a couple of blocks away. This is just the part of the normal stuff that goes on in Church Street.


So proud - my niece and her shoe collection. I admire her storage capabilities and love of shoes.


A trip to Vermont is not complete without enjoying some Schweddy Balls.


And a trip to Costco (since I don't have one nearby). I didn't buy the $29.99 bear but I had to have my pic taken with one since I saw that my hero Clark Howard bought one for hottie Anderson Cooper.


About to go do some Goodwill hunting in Burlington:


Church Street in Burlington at night.


Oh from my other blog post - here's a closeup of my Bitch kit.


Flying home to Maryland. Yeah for Southwest offering a complimentary adult beverage on Halloween.


Enjoying my rum and coke (my drink of choice). The flight attendant called me "astute" for noticing the complimentary cocktail blurb. Being astute is better than being cheap.


And oh, almost forgot to add some juicy reunion pics. Like my dessert:


Oh sure, I'd bet you'd like to see my photo-booth pictures taken with 6 different men, but what happens at the reunion, stays at the reunion!

Wear opened toed shoes in the snow? Of course! Leaving the reunion to find my mom's snow covered Buick Century in the parking lot.


p.s. Burlington Vermont has the nickname of "Queen City". If they had known I was visiting, I'm sure they would have given me given me keys to the city, but I was traveling incognito and wanted to spend quality family/shopping time and not deal with all the media.