Rain is a good thing - except on Saturdays

I like it when it rains, except when it has to rain on a Saturday morning, which it did yesterday. It pretty much kills the yardsales around here (the concept of having a yardsale in a garage and calling it a garage sale hasn't reached Southern Maryland yet). But I was able to get my shopping fix satisfied due to an "indoor yardsale" at a firehouse (heaven forbid they call it a garage sale). Here was my favorite seller of the day. When you asked her how much anything was, her answer was always "a quarter". For the heck of it I asked her how much the tv was - not because I wanted it I told her, it was because I wanted to hear her say something different ($5). She was fun. I bought several quarter items from her.




And on my way home, I rescued this guy who was going to be crossing the road. I walked him over to the other side (which you are supposed to do) and then saw some steep terrain. I worried that he may flip over so I took him down the steep drop-off and am thankful I didn't break my leg climbing out of there. Then this morning I had to go somewhere and saved a second turtle. I wish they would stop trying to cross the road.

Happy 50th Birthday Cowboy

I don't know how it happened but I now have a much much older sister and much older brother who are in their 50's. Thank God I am so much way younger than them. You know, since Teen Vogue still wants me as their customer and all.

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Of course on Wednesday I found and bought a can of temporary hair color for .50 at my fav thrift store.



I would have bet money I was going to find something like that. Because on Tuesday, it was "crazy hair day" at Jacob's summer camp and I had no temporary hair color in the castle. Plus his hair is like a #1 barber cut so there isn't much a person could do to it. So I did the next best thing - sent him to camp wearing a hat with fake surfer dude hair sewn on (bought at a yardsale of course). Nope, its not girl hair at all, its surfer dude guy hair. And that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I had other pics, but I think they accidentally got deleted.

My name is Chris and I am a Cool Whip Hoarder

So for the past few days I pretty much stayed far away from grocery stores (too many people doing their BBQ shopping etc). I made up for it today though. I stocked up on free Cool Whip. I didn't realize what a great sale it was until today when I finally looked at the sale ad (the sale ends tonight). The deal was at Food Lion: Buy 5 of any of the 5 dessert items listed in their sales flyer, and get $5 taken off your transaction. Well with Cool Whip sale priced at $1 - you just needed to buy 5 and $5 would be taken off your total. There was no limit, so I did multiple transactions. And with the sale ending tonight, the store still had plenty for others to buy. The above picture is just some of my Cool Whip stash. I still have the freezer in the kitchen and some in the fridge.

And after enjoying my Cool Whip, I'll have the empty containers to sell at my next yardsale. Just kidding.

Happy 4th of July

As I would have guessed, it was a bad yardsale Saturday yesterday. Last year, however, was a good 4th of July yardsale weekend. With people having Friday off from work, there were many Friday/Saturday yardsales last year. But with people having Monday off this year, the yardsales basically sucked. But you know I still found stuff to buy. I bought nothing in the above picture.

Went to a pre-4th of July party on Friday night, so I don't feel the need to see fireworks again. The hosts of the party probably had $1000 worth of fireworks that they had bought in Pennsylvania - looked nearly as good as any professional run show. So today is just laid back day, we will grill and I need to go now and boil some potatoes for potato salad.

Yard Sale Buys from last weekend - thrift store buys from yesterday

Here's what I bought last Saturday at the yardsales. I was lucky enough to see the same yardsale seller who sold me the Barbie clothes the other week had cleaned out his basement and had found more to sell, for .25 each.

At one yardsale, I knew the seller. She asked me if found anything good so far that morning. So when I went to leave, I put on my $1 corn hat which I had bought earlier in the morning and waved to her. As I was waving, a car that was driving by in the neighborhood slowed down, rolled down the window and the driver called out "Nice hat Chris". I have no idea who is was, I assume it was someone who knew my husband.





One of my better buys last Saturday was a free carwash that the boyscouts were having. Several local businesses donated to the Boy Scouts to have a free carwash for the community and we were given a packet of fliers from the various businesses. They also accepted donations, which of course I gave to. After the kids did their work, the Dads & Moms joined in and did a wonderful job.



Here's what I got yesterday at a thrift:

.75 new in package Snuggie for Jacob. It was only a matter of time before the Snuggies start showing up cheap at yardsales and thrift stores.
$1 t-shirt Official Member of the Piss & Moan About Everything Club. Up until now, I was just an unofficial member.
$1 unused Slatkin Bath & Body Works candle.

Saw Bill Engvall last night and had my photo taken with a celebrity

I did my volunteer bartending at the Bill Engvall show last night. And was lucky enough to get my picture taken with a celebrity. Or should I say a celebrity was lucky enough to have their picture taken with me. Here's me and Pinch, the Blue Crabs mascot. I'm the one on the left.



The weather was ridiculously humid last night. When I got there early to eat my free dinner (yea! the shrimp wraps are back - they were missing from the Josh Turner show), there was a breeze and it didn't seem like it would be that bad. I was mistaken. While working, I met a nice couple that had meet and greet tickets. I hooked them up with some 8 x 10's to get autographed. So to thank me, the wife got one autographed for me. She said she told him Chris with a Ch. Oh well. I am irritated with myself anyway since instead of getting one for me, I should have told them to get one for plain ole "Mary" - my mom's name. My mom likes Bill Engvall and I could have had my Christmas shopping for my mom done already (because I'm generous that way). Live and learn.

And with yesterday being Saturday, I hit the yardsales in the morning. I came across this lawnmower spray painted baby blue. Who has a blue lawnmower? It was marked $50. I've seen the seller before, he is a reseller. My guess is that he bought a junky $5 lawnmower at a yardsale and spray painted it thinking it would fool someone into thinking it was new. Even the handle was spray painted silver.



The yardsale where I saw the lawnmower at was set up on the side of the highway where people drive by at 55+ mph.



I did buy a few things - some .25 inkjet cartridges for recycling at Staples. Speaking of Staples, I have some bad news to share. Starting July, instead of receiving a $3 credit per cartridge, you will only get $2. So if you've been meaning to recycle some cartridges (limit 10), you better do it before the end of June (to get the most bang for your buck).

Calvert High School Class of 2010 has done gradutioned

The other night I passed one of the local high schools and took this picture. They are doing some construction work to the school. I'm guessing they are adding on some much needed English classrooms.

And here are some other pictures taken from earlier in the week, when Jacob and I had our one-night getaway.

In the evening we walked down to a park.


I accidentally took this picture, but I think the weird angle is neat. The soda is ours of course.




The best thing about going away is that Jacob is able to use the computer in a different location - haha.




I'm pretty impressed with my ability to clutter up a room in less than 24 hours. What can I say, it's a skill I've perfected.

World's Smallest Yard Sale Sign

A close-up pic:


Here's what I believe is possibly the World's Smallest Yardsale sign. I didn't measure it, but I think it may be a World's Record. Not only was it bad in terms of readability, it was poorly placed since if by a miracle, someone was able to read it from stopping at the stop sign, it means they've already passed the sale. So it was intended for people driving on the other side of the street - 10+ feet away - to read it.

So anyway, I found the sale which was run by an older man. I was browsing thru a small box of kid's toys and he had the nerve to tell me "I'll sell you the whole box for $3. They are great for grandkids." GRANDKIDS? He must have meant for me to buy for my mother who is a grandmother, not me of course. I mean really. Teen Vogue still wants me to be a customer, so there is no way I am anywhere near the grandmother stage in life. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just that I am way too young for that.



Well after the grandkids remark, there was no way I was going to tell the man with the crappy yardsale signs to visit my blog to enter to win awesome signs courtesy of Sassy Signs. And nor I buy anything from him. If you haven't entered the contest already, make sure you do. Win Garage Sale, Yardsale Signs or other signs.

This is not the World's Smallest Yardsale Sign post

I goofed when I wrote yesterday to come back today to see a picture of the World's Smallest Yardsale sign. When I wrote that yesterday, I wasn't thinking. Because tonight me and the boy are staying Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa for our $31 plus tax one night get-away. Tomorrow we have a busy day and I have a meeting to go to tomorrow night. So the World's Smallest Yardsale sign will have to wait a bit longer.

Sorry for the false advertising.

Yard Sale Finds & Buys

So there's the rest of what I bought on Saturday. At one sale where everything was "make an offer" (oh how I hate that), I picked up the OJ Simpson matryoshka (nesting) dolls and the Flying Pig Brown Bag cookie mold and I offered $5 for both and the seller accepted. He said he bought the nesting dolls in Russia.

.50 each - bunches of Wiggles DVDs plus a .50 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (which we apparently already own)
.50 - $1 - various car products. In the youtube video, I mentioned Rain-X and I'll just mention it again here, it's an awesome product.
$1 nuke shirt
$1 - goat soap for dogs. It will be a gift for a niece with a dog. I gave the same niece goat soap for humans last Christmas (that I had gotten free, of course). Ummm... I hope she doesn't read this blog. (But if you do read this Chrissy, just pretend to be surprised next Christmas when you open it)

.50 vintage flower books. smell musty but they had a lot of neat pics inside. Will clean and stick outside in the sun.

Stay tuned for tomorrow, when I show a picture of what I think is the World's Smallest Yardsale Sign. I was going to call Guinness to report it, but got lazy.

Flea Market Closed for Father's Day - huh?? I heart nuclear power

For at least a month or more, I've been seeing an ad in the local rag for a new flea market in the next county over. In all the ads, its says Sundays thru October 31. Except this week they changed their ad to read that it would be closed today in observance of Father's Day. I mean, really. Where are people now expected to buy their last minute Father's Day gifts??? I don't get it. I totally understand that people of course should make a big deal out of Mother's Day (extravagant and expensive gifts, breakfast in bed, spa days, parades, yadda yadda) but don't Dads just get a tie (or similar) and get to fart and watch sports all day long for it to be a good Father's Day? Or perhaps that's just how it is here at the castle.

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With yesterday being Saturday, I did find a few things to buy at the yardsales. I don't have a pic of the entire stash of loot yet, but here is one of my favorite buys. It was $1.



Before I get inundated with emails, I want you all to know, I do not know where you can order one for yourself, so please don't ask. I know you are probably gonna be jealous of me for having it, but you will have to find your own beautiful nuclear energy t-shirt.

I was blissfully ignorant

I made the above video yesterday morning. In it, I said how I planned on taking the two used inkjet cartridges to Staples to get a $6 credit (basically making a $5 "profit".) Oh how blissfully ignorant I was. When I took other cartridges I already had to Staples yesterday afternoon for recycling, I got the horrible news that starting July 1, Staples will only be giving a $2 credit per cartridge. So my $5 profit I was to make on the printer ink, has turned into $3 profit. boo hoo for me.



Here's the lowdown on what I bought:

$1 each - two sets of wall shadowboxes
$1 printer
.25 each Happy Family barbie outfits
$2 vintage look (not real vintage) clock
.50 each - new picture frames. kicking myself that I didn't buy bunches more for teacher gifts for next Christmas
$2 vintage Hazel Atlas green bowl
$2 PSP Spongebob game for Jacob
$1 each - two Levolor room darkening shades
.25 travel Simon game
$1 box of greeting cards (new)
$4 set of 9 vintage Smurf glasses. A new Smurf movie is coming out soon, so even those these are collectible, the movie may make them more collectible
.50 - "Grandchildren are the reward you get for not strangling your teenagers" sign
$2 Harajuku Lovers (a Gwen Stefani brand) purse identical to this one:



Here is the Hazel Atlas bowl glowing under a black light:

Ok, so I may be a little bit crazy, so what.

Did a little bit of Kohl's shopping today. I had gotten a "take $10 off any Kohl's purchase" card in the mail so I used it today to buy myself another handbag. Identical to the one I bought before and blogged about in a previous post. I had to buy it, it had been marked down even further and I got an additional 15% off. And I just love it, so when my current purse falls apart, I will have it's identical replacement already lined up (assuming of course, that I'll be able to remember where I stored it).

Will post my yardsale buys from last Saturday tomorrow.

p.s. just disregard my needs-to-be-vacuumed carpeting. Who has time to vacuum when there is shopping to be done?

So many yardsales, so little time

I had to be somewhere at 10am yesterday so I had to get my yardsaling in early and it was difficult because there were a ton. Will blog about my buys later.

This is the last week of school for Jacob. He will get one week "off" before starting summer day camp. This will be his third year of camp and he really likes it. And one day next week when he is off, he and I will have a mini-getaway and go spend a night at the Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa. I got a special promo deal for $31 a night. So why not. It's not free, but close enough. Jacob loves staying in hotels and it's just a short (25 mile) drive away.

I got a deal the other day on gas, paying $2.32 a gallon (was $2.62). I had gotten a .30 discount per gallon because of the gasoline discount program at Giant Food I go there a lot but my shopping trips are always small, most under $30. But I noticed on my receipt that something I bought previously generated a bonus .20 off per gallon, therefore I was up to getting .30 off a gallon. I wish I knew was triggered the discount but it's impossible to tell after the fact. So of course I waited until my tank was empty (and before the points expired) to fill up.

What $1.02 will buy

Went to CVS today to use a "save $5 off a $15 purchase" coupon I had. So I got 3 things that did add up to over $15. But then after my other coupons were deducted (including a $2 Extra Bucks coupon that printed out today when I scanned my card), I paid $1.02 out of pocket. And then I also got a $5 register reward for buying the razor.



My stargazer lilies are in bloom. Too bad they don't spread like my yardsale daylilies. Several years ago I bought a container of daylilies at a yardsale and they have spread like crazy. Oye - that reminds me I bought another container of a different kind of lilies last year at a yardsale and I still haven't put them in the ground. Gotta do that.

Best things in life are free...like free kitsch & free socks

Yesterday I stopped at a thrift that I normally don't shop at (since they are only open like 7 hours a week) and found this fine piece of artwork. When I asked how much (nothing is priced in that store), I was told I could have it for free. Why a store would just give away valuable artifacts, I don't understand, but don't question it. It's like a shell inspired set of conjoined twins. Who wouldn't pay good money for that? The woman is missing something that was on top her shell hat, so I will have to see if I can find a suitable replacement.



And I stopped at Penneys to use my $10 coupon that came in the mail last week. Bought a $10 pair of socks for 0. Jacob's feet area almost as big as mine, so now he and I can wear the same socks.

And today I did some grocery shopping. Just bought a few essentials. Like salsa and soda. Should last me a few days. 2-liters were on sale for $1 and with my scanning gun, I got an additional virtual coupon for .25 off per 2-liter. So I just paid .75 for each. So I loaded up. My grocery store has spoiled me with the use of scanning guns. Now it feels weird to walk into a grocery store and not scan my groceries as I shop. Another benefit (besides virtual coupons) is that there's no more having to load your groceries onto the conveyor belt, that just seems so antiquated now. You just scan the item you want, put it in a bag in your cart and repeat. Then just zap the cash register with the scanner gun to pay, or hand the scanner gun to a live cashier and pay. There are random audits to deter shoplifting. Here's someone's bloggy post that describes it and shows pics: Scanner Guns at Giant

June Junk, Swimming pool Caddyshack style, lost purse

Here's some of the stuff I bought last Saturday. And its not all of it, I accidentally left some things out. Like a bunch of Dr. Who VHS at 5 for $1. My brother is a Dr. Who fanatic but these may go up on ebay. I think my brother has taped every Dr. Who episode anyway on his bazillion VHS tapes. If you don't know who Dr. Who is, don't worry, you aren't missing anything. Please Dr. Who fans, don't send hate mail, it's just my opinion.



$1 ammo box
.50 ginormous pen
$2 - American Junk book, pewter figurine and the "J"
$1 like new sneakers
books - free
.10 each craft packages
.10 each body mud
$5 speak n spells, rotary phone & a scrabble game
$1 each vintage Comella Cocoa drink melmac like ashtrays
$2 magnifying glass
$1 - stack of vintage European 45's




video if you want to see stuff closeup.





Last night, with DH being out of town on business, Jacob and I went to the grand opening of the only public indoor pool in the county. It was free admission yesterday only so it was like the scene out of Caddyshack (minus the BabyRuth) where the caddys got to use the country club swimming pool. This pic was taken on the quieter side of the pool and by this time a lot of people had left). Then I discovered they had a separate smaller adult/geriatric pool which I enjoyed. A kid could use it as long as they were with an adult, so that worked out good for me and Jacob. And then there is a 3rd pool, which is for young kids with the buckets that fill up and pour water, slides, etc.



Then afterward we stopped at Walmart (cuz I refuse to pay $2.99 for a loaf of kid's Wonder bread at the regular grocery store - I'd rather pay $2.24 at Walmart.) Anyhow as we left the store, I saw a shopping cart in the parking lot with a purse sitting in it. I waited a bit, expecting someone to come running up, but when no one did, I took it into the store. Then had to wait forever to talk to a customer service clerk. Long story short, the woman came back when I was leaving the store for the second time and she was able to thank me. So I'm glad I got to find out that she got her purse. I can't imagine losing my purse. I would be sick.

Anyhow, the last few days with DH gone, I've really let the house go. Worse than normal. Oye. Gotta go and get my ducks in a row.

No Yardsale for you! The Yardsale Nazi

Yardsales start early here in the summer, most yardsales start at 8am, and some earlier, because it gets so hot and humid early. And most are over by noon. So I left the house early and went to a 7am one, and then drove by one that I remembered seeing advertised online which said to "come early" and it didn't have a set start time in their ad. Me and another car drive down the long driveway and the seller tells the first car to set up their stuff over to the side (apparently the first car was the other part of the "multi-family" sale). The seller sees me and I roll down my window and ask "are you open?" I don't remember what she said except that I could park anywhere I wanted.

So I park the car and walk around the sale and select a few items. Another customer drives up and ask if the seller has any baskets and leaves when the seller says no she doesn't.

So as I continue to browse, I'm chit-chatting with the seller and she is finishing setting up.

Seller: Don't you have to go help Sue?
Me: What? I'm a shopper
Seller: I'm not open yet
Me: You told me to park anywhere
Seller: I thought you were with Sue
Me: Nope, just a shopper. I thought your ad said "come early"
Seller: the signs say 8am
Me: Ok, I'll leave if it's a problem. Here is $4 for the stuff I have. (Note - I had exact change so all she would had to do is take the money).
Seller: I'm not taking any money until 8am
Me: ??????????????????????
Me: I don't think I can come back
Seller: I'm not taking any money until 8am
Me: You're a crazy, anal-retentive old bitty/control freak.

Well the last sentence is what I wanted to say, didn't actually say it out loud.

Did I go back? Hell no. I plopped the stuff down and left. She wasn't going to get any of my money. And the stuff I wanted to buy wasn't anything I couldn't live without.

Really I don't have a problem with people who want to start their yardsale on the nose, but if so they should make it obvious by stringing a rope across some lawn chairs in their driveway with a sign saying they aren't open yet. Rather than letting people shop and waste their time by not taking their money. And they should say "no earlybirds" in their ad with the start and stop time rather than "come early".

I did manage to find other yardsales that did want my money. Will try to add a picture and maybe a youtube video later. My favorite buys of the day:

$1 wooden ammo box with handles (great storage)
.50 hardcover copy of American Junk by Mary Randolph Carter. (Years and years ago when I first started my website, and when she worked directly with Ralph Lauren, she left me a positive comment in my guestbook, before I even knew who she was)



Stuff I didn't buy:

Weird old man doll. One of the yardsales had a ton and a half of dolls. They could have easily been on Hoarders TV. It wasn't a collection of a certain type of doll, it was all kinds of all shapes and sizes. And the seller was a smoker so you know they all smelled of smoke. Today was a weird shopping day, it seemed that a very large proportion of the sellers today were smokers.



And this baller thing caught my eye at the thrift store. It intrigued me, what exactly was this baller thing? Then once I turned it to the back side and saw it's a ballerina.

Manager's Special - Pay regular price

Was at my local Giant grocery store today and saw this Manager's Special. Oh boy, what savings. Click on pic to enlarge.

Here's the story you've been waiting for. My snake on the foot story. Every evening before heading upstairs to bed, I peek out the window near the front door/foyer, just to make sure things are quiet in the 'hood. So the other night I was peeking, and I feel something moving on my nekkid foot. I turn on the light and there was a skinny snake making his (her) way thru a tiny hole in the weatherstripping on the bottom of the door. I freak out and alert DH. DH doesn't like snakes so I knew this snake better get outside on it's own since he will be no help and I won't be much either. DH comes half way down the stairs (ha!) and the snake goes back outside the way it came inside. We then stuffed a rag in the hole. Now I'm starting to suffer psychological trauma and am feeling things on me (not good things) that aren't really there. Maybe that *medication* I found a few months ago on the side of the road may help.

Snake on my foot!

just a quick note (still busy today doing ebay listings, check out my awesome auctions at Yardsalequeen.com Auctions.) Well anyway last night I felt something move on my foot - and I look down and it's a black snake. Major ACCKKKKKKK. It had gotten thru a small 1/4" gap in the front door. I get my DH, who is NO help when it comes to anything snake related. He says he doesn't like snakes. Well geez, neither do I. And especially don't like them in the house. More later. Snake lovers, don't worry, he/she is safe and sound outdoors where it belongs.