Fabulous finds

2 Barbies & accessories $2
Math book 50 cents
Skirt $2 (I plan on wearing to the 127 sale next week in TN)
Cute silver bucket, now my new office trash can, 25 cents
50 cents for the letter E
Bench $5
4 aqua plates 50 cents for all 4

Large lidded jar $2

Pyrex measuring cup 10 cents
Disney frame $1

Decanter $2

My fav... 5 vintage keys $1 each

It is such a great feeling to get out in the fresh air and find such fun treasures. 

• A very sweet woman selling the vintage keys explained to me how rare it is to find a skeleton key with a "heart bow". The bow is the loop on the key. The fancier the bow the more valuable it is. I will be looking for skeleton keys on my trip to the 127 sale. And this nice woman also shared with me that she has turned many many keys into several pieces of framed art in her home and the trick to attaching the keys is to use silicone. I am guessing that might mean the silicone tubes you can buy at Home Depot that you use to caulk your sinks, etc.
• On the bottom of the bench the retail sticker says "Display Benches Set $125.00". REALLY? OK. (There was only one bench for sale)
• I bought the large lidded jar because I am excited about adding glass jars as storage containers in my pantry.
• The Barbies were going to be for Christmas for the girls. But they FOUND THEM before I could hide them and they begged to play with them. They are pretty Barbies with many accessories. I was going to put them in fancy boxes and put them under the tree in December, but instead I asked the girls to cleanup the ENTIRE PLAYROOM before they could open up their new dolls. That was a BIG job!
• The letter E I could use to make this decoration for my wall. So cute! Just need to find a couple more letters to go with it. :-)

(found this photo on Pinterest.com)

GUESS WHAT I PAID FOR THIS GOLF SIGN FOR MY HUSBAND?

$10

He loves it!

Guess what I paid...

My husband plays golf, watches golf, reads about golf, coaches golf and, I am sure, dreams about golf. This sign immediately caught my eye at an estate sale. He will love it!
The homeowner told me to make him an offer. It came from a golf course, that closed down, where he was a member. Certain members were allowed to take home a sign that marked the holes.

When I brought it home, I told my husband I found his Christmas present. I really should have saved it for December 25. But I couldn't wait. He loves it! We will hang it up in our backyard somewhere.
Guess what I paid...

more goodies from last weekend

from last weekend's treasure hunting...

I filled my car many times! 

These treasures went straight into my "secret suitcase" hiding spot. Christmas Presents!

games & books & DVDs 

50 cents - $2 each

Barbie golf bag $5

adorable vintage Salt & Pepper shakers $1

clock with stand $1

Footloose CD 25 cents - I need it on CD - I only have it on cassette :-)

brand new ipod speakers marked $10 but I made a deal and got it for $8 (shhh it might be a Christmas present for my husband)

Disney Princess kickboards 50 cents each

Rollerblades in EXCELLENT condition $10

Hello Kitty rain boots $3

I did not buy that table this weekend. That was a gift from a friend!

When I found this picture I got goosebumps. $5 

It exactly matches my shower curtain that I found at Salvation Army for $5 ! 

The mirror was $5 and it is now hanging by my front door.

The story of this rug is incredible! The cutest, sweetest young lady was unrolling it and I was the first to see it. She mentioned she purchased it from Pottery Barn a few months ago for $250. She is getting a divorce and selling the rug because it reminds her of her ex husband. I knew it would sell fast! I wanted that rug SO BAD!

$40 SOLD ! 

Gorgeous! Love it !

Just a portion...

It was a busy weekend of garage sales, flea markets, church rummage sales, estate sales...

This is just a portion of what I scooped up this weekend. 

pink booster seat $5

pink Christmas tree $2

striped scarf 50 cents

flower pot $1

Disney princess carriage $1

bin storage $20 YAY! love this! I am going to organize our craft supplies in this.

4 fans for $3 each

apple peeler corer slicer $3

A portion of my family stayed at our house this weekend. aunt, uncle, cousins, grandparents, mom. It was a full house! 13 of us total. We all went to the flea market, estate sales and garage sales together. 

My grandma showed us how she makes her homemade applesauce and we used my apple peeler corer slicer! 

brand new, heating pad for my mom $3

pink beverage pitcher for my mom $1

brand new, pink and gray sports bag $3

Justice Tshirt $2

horseshoe set $1

flower rain boots 50 cents

one of my favorite finds this weekend was this Schwinn bicycle I found for my daughter. $10 !!

I will post more photos from this weekend's adventures throughout the week.

congratulations

Congratulations! 

 Nicole@Rare Bird 

said...  

AND....I "liked" your FB page. (Can you tell I love this giveaway?!)

send me a message Nicole !! 

My blog's 1st birthday & 1st giveaway

My blog is one year old!

I never knew blogging would be so fun. I have learned so much and met so many supportive, wonderful people. There are so many gorgeous blogs out there that I admire.

This year has changed my life!

our stairs redo

  

          I admire the blogging and decorating expertise of ThriftyDecorChick.com

She is MY FIRST BLOG LOVE. 

          I was hooked on her detailed DIY tutorials. 

         SHE inspired me to redo our STAIRS. 

          I am so amazed at how much

          she transforms in her home.

  

Girl In Air

Then there is Girl In Air who is very creative and ambitious! I fell in LOVE with her  Magnetic Chalkboard, Dry erase, with sliding ladder wall!

She has wonderful tutorials for home decor! I am so impressed by the AMOUNTS of projects she has accomplished! Wow! And she has an Etsy store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/girlinair
I really wish she could come to my house and create that fabulous Activity Wall !






And someone whom I have met in person... the very talented Sarah from ThreeBoys-home.blogspot.com. She has transformed some amazing pieces of furniture! I really could learn a million things from her!!

This is just to name a few of the many blogs that inspire me!
I really enjoy following all the amazing blogs out there! You motivate me!
There is so much talent out there and I am in love with all the creativity!


It has been a big year for Garage Sale Diaries...


I had the opportunity to meet the sweetheart Cari Cucksey from the HGTV show 'Cash and Cari'. I have managed to visit MANY of her estate sales this summer. One sale is where I found this amazing treasure for my dad's collection.



My family and I traveled to the world's longest yard sale along highway 127. The sale runs over 600 miles from Michigan to Alabama. It was an adventure to see what other people collect and sell in other parts of the country. Every year it runs the first week in August. We are going again this year!!

Also, this past year I saved our family a ton of money by purchasing the girls' Christmas gifts and Birthday gifts at garage sales. It is amazing all the BRAND NEW goodies you can find. And I shared my secret hiding spot for the presents. I just kept adding treasures to a very large suitcase throughout the year and at Christmas time I had more than enough to put under the tree! 

I won a Silhouette machine from Thrifty Decor Chick! This machine rocks! 

It cuts paper and fabric in any shape and font that is on your computer!

And I have continued to decorate our home with garage sale / estate sale treasures. 

Including 7 tables in one year! 

This next year I want to learn more about transforming furniture! Home Depot has had some fabulous colors of OOPS paint that I have been buying up for $5 for a gallon and $1 for a quart. 

In celebration of my blog's 1st birthday I would like to present a gift to my friends!

My very first GIVEAWAY!!

FLEA MARKET STYLE MAGAZINE 

(retail $9.95)

There are so many inspiring photos and articles in the 144 pages! 
I love this magazine and I want to share it! 

Ways to enter my giveaway:

1. Become a follower of my blog. Then leave me a comment letting me know you are a follower. If you are already a follower just leave a comment letting me know!

2. Follow me on Twitter. Then leave me a comment. http://twitter.com/#!/garagesalediary

3. Like my Facebook page. Please leave a comment letting me know.
 www.facebook.com/garagesalediaries

4. Post a comment about your favorite garage sale treasure, what you like to look for at garage sales or your favorite garage sale story! I love to hear about everyone's treasures!

I want to thank you all for reading along with me on my adventures!!

Yes, this is open to everyone, even my friends outside the U.S. (you there in Australia and China)
This giveaway will be open for 6 days, until next Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at midnight EST. I will announce the winner of a FLEA MARKET STYLE MAGAZINE and post my new treasures I find over the weekend on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 !! 

where do I begin?

another weekend of fabulous finds! where do I begin...

on the left...vintage Raggedy Ann $4 (from Cash & Cari estate sale in Novi, MI)

large flower platter & matching utensil holder $3.50

2 vintage Scrabble games & Mad Magazine board game $7.50 total (from Cash & Cari sale) for my Scrabble obsession

gorgeous etched mirror $5

7 Michigan license plates 1970s $1 each

purple dress $2

Abercrombie hoodie $2

4 children's workbooks $7 total (one book is marked retail $16.95)

glassware (ice bucket, small pitcher, vase, candy dish) $5 total

2 cute Pottery Barn dolls $2 each

and more FROSTY items (for my 3 yr old) 

12 Frosty plates $5

18 Frosty ornaments $10

Frosty bowl 25 cents

I JUST love the Sesame Street book "From Trash to Treasure" 25 cents

and there is..... a ceramic blue bird $2

tall ceramic rooster $1

Halloween jack-o-laterns $3 (hey, there is a vintage potato masher in his mouth. potato masher $1)

a Pyrex measuring cup 50 cents

brand new package of 12 yellow legal pads $1

 (in the back) vintage yellow The Little Engine That Could book $2.50 (from Cash & Cari sale)

whew..... Now I am off to wash those clothes and all those new dishes.

How should I clean the Raggedy Ann doll? She needs to be freshened up. 

weekend treasures

Another great weekend of treasures! 

oval mirror $5 

white pants $3

princess sleeping bag $2

princess umbrella $1

lego table $8

bird cage $2

books and puzzles $2.75 total for all 4

glass jar with lid $8 (from the Cash and Cari estate sale in Ann Arbor, MI)

my lovely assistant is sitting in

a kid's camping chair $1

Pinterest? Pinterest!!

soufflebombay.blogspot.com

I am crazy about this new website called Pinterest.com

It is an amazing tool to organize all the interesting images and ideas you find online. 

It allows you to save any image you see anywhere online and categorize it and save it for FUTURE reference. 

Pinterest.com is like a large catalog of inspiring photos that you can share with others.

It allows you to see what others are collecting as well.

Users are constantly adding new photos all day, every day so there is always SOMETHING NEW to see and fall in love with. 

bhg.com

Some categories I have created include: 

- For the Home

girlinair.com

- Happily Ever After

- Making me Hungry

- Fabulous Vintage

- Great Ideas

and 

- Decorating with Estate Sale Treasures

for me it is:

JUST ONE BIG HAPPY PLACE!

I hope I don't sound like a commercial. This is not a paid advertisement. I just wanted to share with you this ADDICTING invention! 

possibilities are endless.....save your ideas.....

vacations. birthday parties. decorating. wedding. design. tutorials. garage sale finds.

Do you have a Pinterest.com account? [you must be 13 or older]

What do/would you use it for? [inappropriate content is prohibited]

http://pinterest.com/garagesalediary/

Stuff I couldn't live without.

BEFORE

AFTER

You know - I just HAD to have ALL of this! 

We thought we were going to have rain but we lucked out. PERFECT garage saling weather!
My mom, my brother and my daughters went along on this adventure.
This is what we got IN 3 HOURS!!

Everything spilled out of my car onto the driveway. 

brown quilted purse $1

xylophone $1

red wallet $5

lighted Christmas berries $2

brand new blue lunch cooler $2
silver candlestick $1
purple makeup bag 50 cents

set of 8 mini salt & pepper shakers (great for glitter) $2

(my cute little assistant)

Southern Living lidded trifle bowl  $3 (MY FAVORITE PURCHASE TODAY)

golf bag cart $1
orange hand cart $20 (my brother's purchase)
somewhere in there is a Cat in the Hat book on tape $2
and a picture frame $1

table $3

Barbie toy $2

candlesticks 25 cents each

tools $1 each

yellow Tupperware colander 10 cents

antique wooden stool $4

XL Brookstone TV remote $1

children's books 25 cents each

E.T. VHS movie 50 cents

brand new - Frosty & Rudolph VHS movies 25 cents each

Creative Memories paper trimmer - brand new -  still in bubble wrap - $2 

metal shelf $5

purple Peeps Easter basket $1

and FROSTY $1

We had so much fun ! 

and the cutest little boys were selling delicious chocolate chip cookies for 25 cents each!

we definitely couldn't live without those! 

Metallic spray paint. Aluminum

For indoor & outdoor. For wood and metal. At Home Depot. This is fun stuff!
I bought this!!

At Home Depot. Did you know...

Water based poly in a spray can. This could be very handy.
(sorry - bad camera phone pic)

$1 each

Had a great weekend of shopping! I found some cute items for $1 each ! 

Vintage Clock Westclox Baby Ben $1.00

wooden tray with handles $1.00

Hallmark ivory flower picture frame $1.00 

large glass dome $1.00

cute mini glass dome $1.00

1 yard vintage flower trim $1.00

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

1983 UPWORDS game $1.00

shabby chic white frame stand $1.00 

mini muffin tin $1.00

Pyrex glass bowl $1.00

brand new Yankee Candle 14.5 oz Cranberry Peppermint $1.00

brand new box of 4 card games (retail sticker says Restoration Hardware $15.00) $1.00

ALL THIS FOR $12

it is so hard to wait 5 more days for next week's garage sales to start up!

HAPPY DAY!

give me a BIG smile!

I got this LARGE frame today for $7 !! 

(maybe it's not a LARGE frame maybe they are just really, really SMALL kids.)

Maybe I could paint a section of my kitchen wall with chalkboard paint and then frame it! 

Treasure "Hunter"

Didn't expect to buy a GUN! YEP. Never bought a gun before!

It all started when I was planning my trip to a RePurpose Estate sale and I was showing my dad the online photos of the items up for sale. (you can preview upcoming estate sales in your area at www.estatesales.net) He was drawn to the photo of a gun because he collects them. He has said to me many times "you could buy me a gun for my birthday." Yeah right Dad, really... I never see guns at garage sales.

 

Now this was an estate sale! 

I was IMPRESSED with the amount of OLD, OLD items. Antiques everywhere! I scooped up picture frames and skeleton keys.  

There was so much to look at but I didn't see the gun. Maybe it was gone already. So I asked if the gun was still available. Well YES it was!! Cari told me that it is a Civil War era boot pistol. 

(Turns out that it could be rare and hard to find.) 

His love of guns started early, here he is (on the far right) in 1961 where he is proudly carrying his new gun that he received for Christmas. 

I couldn't believe it was real. It looked like a toy! I just knew I had to get it. I felt it.
I couldn't set it down. 

I couldn't believe I just bought a gun. (no bullets, of course).

Happy Birthday Dad. I bet you didn't think I would find you a gun.

It is priceless because he is going to love it!

Can you guess what this TREASURE HUNTER paid?

You will just have to watch 'Cash and Cari' on HGTV this summer to see!