Showing posts with label Valentines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentines. Show all posts

Monday, February 15, 2016

Monday Rambles

Let me just say right off the top that I am so ready for winter to be over.  So ready.  We haven't had a bad winter at all, mind you.  I'm just tired of the cold and the dreariness.  There are things I want to do outside!  Shoo, winter!

We had another four inches or so of snow yesterday.  Shoo, winter!  It's supposed to start warming up this week, so it won't last long.  I hope.  Shoo, winter!

This is kind of another quickie, mini-ramble.  There's just not much to say right now, for real.  I'm pretty sure that you all honestly don't want to read about me sitting around in my robe, drinking hot chocolate and petting the cat.  Shoo, winter!

Last week was all about getting the big junk from the set out pick to the booth.  This week will be about getting the small stuff over.  I made a super score on some wrestling action figures, so I'll also be getting those ready to go.  And probably bagging some comics.  In my robe.  While drinking hot chocolate.  And petting the cat.  Shoo, winter!

My, what a lot of wrestling action figures!
A competing vendor mall has opened up across the street from the Peddlers Mall.  I might head over there to check it out later in the week.  I've heard it's not very impressive, as it's less than half-rented out and most of the vendors over there have either left our mall or also have booths in our mall.  I have to confess that I do not understand paying to compete against yourself like that.  It's not like two malls that close to each other are going to draw significantly different crowds of shoppers.  In fact, reports have most shoppers leaving there empty-handed and coming over and spending money with us.

Honestly, I'm not worried about competition.  Nobody anywhere does this thing the way I do it, if I can say so myself.  I've never been that impressed with the other malls that the owners of this new one operate.  The staff are unfriendly and none of their stores is ever fully rented it seems.  On the other hand, I have found really good bargains in some of them, so it's worth checking out to see if maybe a new close source for stuff has opened up.  We'll see.

Speaking of booths and such, February is rolling long well.  I had a bit of a glitch last week for a couple of days, but the tax money is now getting to people and they are coming in and filling their carts.  Seriously.  I see more people walking by my space with huge mounds of stuff in their buggies and think:  "Tax refunds."

What's really wild is that there are a bunch of them that have never been in a Peddlers Mall (or a flea market, for that matter) before.  You can tell by listening to the conversations.  They're the ones that are either amazed at how much stuff there is here or they're appalled that so much of it is secondhand.  I really don't know exactly what that last group was expecting when they came in.

As someone who does not sell anything remotely resembling a necessity, I am very grateful for the tax refund folks, since for some of them, this is the only extra money they get all year.  The sales boost is always appreciated.

The real issue sales-wise right now is the weather.  All of my off days have also been snow days.  Shoo, winter!

Tomorrow, it's back to the cancer center.  This is treatment number 16, so I'll be scheduling another scan as well.  Those come every four treatments.  Wednesday will be a day of rest. I keep forgetting to do that, but it makes such a difference when I do it.

If I'm feeling up to it on Thursday, I need to take some stuff from the Hillock to the booth.  I still have a hunk of my religious books in storage, because I didn't have room for them.  I figured out how to rearrange some things at the booth and make more room, so I need to get them.  I have some empty shelves sitting and waiting for them.

Also, I need to take the Valentine's stuff out and replace it with St Pat's and Easter stuff.  I really don't ever sell much for any of those holidays, so I never have much to put out.  I barely sold anything for Valentine's Day this year.  I think I only have about a half-dozen St Patrick's items, but they should go out.

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day full of hearts and flowers and chocolate and whatnot.  We stayed in, and I made dinner for us--the kind of big cooking with side dishes and fresh veggies and chopping and peeling and dessert that we hardly ever do any more.  It was fun.

This is a post "dig in" pic.

Then I realized that kind of cooking makes dishes to be washed.  Lots of them.  And I understood why we don't do that kind of thing very often.  Oh well. 

If you need a little Monday giggle, try this collection of Popes in sombreros.  Fashion-forward Pontiffs for the Win!

All together now:

SHOO, WINTER!

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Retro Y'all! Muppet Edition

This one has been stuck in my head all week.  Out of all the many Muppet songs, this is probably my favorite.



Happy Valentines Day!  I hope you find your place to go back to someday.  And someone to go with you.

Dedicated to my sweet husband, Keith!

Friday, February 14, 2014

100 Reasons I Love Being a Junker

Back in the day, there was this thing that went around the comics blogosphere where, at Valentines, folks posted lists of 100 things they loved about comics.  I never did this, but always wanted to.  I even made notes for a list, but never got around to doing it. I also made notes for a "!00 Things I Love about Living in Louisville" list.  I found that one the other day.  Probably 20% of the places named on it are now closed.  Sigh.

I got to thinking bout those lists a little while ago and decided that it was finally time (nearly a decade after the trend has died) to do one of my own.  Not about comics, but about junking.  (But there is some junking-related comics content.  Never stray too far from your roots, man.)

Of course, being me, I can't just list things.  I have to talk about a few of them and share some links.  And name-drop a bit.  If I didn't mention you on my list, it's not because you're not one of the things I love about junking, but because I ran out of room.  Or I forgot.  Or something.  Remember, there's always next year.

Happy Valentines Day, everyone!

 ONE HUNDRED THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BEING A JUNKER!

By Michael Edward Mitchell, age 48

1.  It's an excuse to shop!   C'mon, everyone!  Let's be honest about this one!

2.  It keeps me from being a hoarder!  At least that's the justification...

3.  Old comic books.  It's where I began.

4.  BOOKS!  I'll always have way too many.

5.  Vintage religious items.  I buy 'em.  I sell 'em.  I collect 'em.  I love 'em!

6.  Making new friends

7.  All the crew at Dixie Peddlers Mall!  Y'all rock!  Shout-outs to Dianna, Tiffany, Theresa, Elizabeth, Brenda, Richie, Jim and James!

8.  Thrifting:  My dad took me to my first DAV.  It was downhill from there!

9.  50% off day at the ACB thrift:  Happens every now and again.

10.  50% off day at Unique:  Happens on Monday holidays.  The crowds are crazy and it's impossible to get a cart.  I love it!

11.  50% off tags at SVDP:  Happens every month!  They use colored tags and every month a different color is half off!

12.  YARD SALES!!!!  Counting the minutes until Spring...

13.  CHURCH SALES!!!!  Keep reading for the ones I never miss.

14.  Going through your haul at the end of the day.  Bit by bit, it all adds up!

15.  Finding the "theme of the day"  Some days you see the same oddball item at every sale you hit.  Salsa kits.  Fondue pots.  Porta-Potties.  Who knows what you're gonna see?

16.  Buying junk from kids

17.  Blessed Sacrament Church Sale.  It always seems to be held the same weekend that one of the Derby footraces hopelessly tie up traffic in the neighborhood, but it's worth the effort to get there.

18.  Big representations of things that are small.  I love it when scale is played with and inverted.  Makes for interesting things and I like to by and sell interesting things.

19.   The Five Guys!

20.  All the other Peddlers Malls:  Louisville is blessed with an abundance of vendor malls.  They provide a nice alternative to the thrifts and the antique malls.  I love 'em all!

21.  Booths with good stuff cheap.  Don't forget to shop your neighbors!  I do it all the time.

22.  Small city and neighborhood sales.  Louisville has dozens of little incorporated cities within its borders.  It's a bit of a political and logistical headache, but many of them have their own designated citywide yard sale days!  I'm all for that!

23.  Vendors who don't take themselves so seriously.  We're in this to make some money, sure, but this is supposed to be fun!  I can make money in a dozen different ways and be unhappy while doing it.

24.  Broadway Baptist Winter Sale:  One of my favorites.  The last hour is half off and there is always a ton of stuff!

25.  Small representations of things that are big

26.  Old Hymnals

27.  All my peeps at Yard Sale Queen!  Holla!  Laying aside my lame attempts to sound hip and young, there's not a nicer online forum around!  I have learned so much in the few years I've been a member.  Just a super great group of people!

28.  Dixie Trading Post.  Home of my second booth.

29.  The Big Flea!  The original and still finest.  I've spent many a fine junking hour wandering those aisles.  When I am old and decrepit, I'll be paying young whippersnappers to push my chair up and down the aisles and carry my bags of stuff.

More list love after the jump!


Thursday, February 13, 2014

Your Vintage Valentine of the Day

This one is the most elaborately constructed card I've ever seen.


Do you see how that heart in the center has kind of a 3-D effect?  It's resting on a long honeycombed tissue support.  You can pull it up about 12-14 inches off the card!  (Sadly, my pics of this look really bad.  I need an assistant sometimes.  Chiquito doesn't count.)

 So many nice little details on that front that carry over into the inside.



That's it for the vintage Valentines!  I almost never find them, so it was kind of cool to be able to do even a few this year.  Be sure to stop back tomorrow for my special Valentines Day post!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Your Vintage Valentine of the Day

I think this one is my favorite.  The artwork and colors are awesome!  Sadly, it's been torn on the front, but that only diminishes the effect a little.

She looks kind of surprised to see us.

The inside is nothing short of stunning.



That gown!  Those hearts!  All the little flowers around the cut-out!  There's a lot to love here!  Do kids these days still learn that a properly written cursive capital "Q" looks like the number 2?  I would love to have this inside art on a postcard or something.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Your Vintage Valentine of the Day

This is a little bit of diecut sweetness!


Seriously, isn't that nice?  I like the inside, too.  Especially those smokey grey hearts hanging off the roses.

I also love that the sender's name fits in with the card's rhyme.

Best of all?  It's a Hallmark!

When you care enough to send the very best!

Monday, February 10, 2014

Your Vintage Valentine of the Day

I have a few vintage Valentines for this week! Yay!

Actually, I have three vintage Valentines and this bit of a card.  Since it's a piece of another card, I really don't know what kind of card she comes from.  She may not be a Valentine at all.  She sure is cute, though.  That's enough for me!

Looks like she's up to something, huh?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!



Great pic, huh? That was one of my favorite comics when I was a kid. And one of the ones that survived my great comic purge of a few years back. Just loved it.

I got the pic from here, where you can also read a great synopsis of the story, complete with more images.

Check it out and enjoy!

I'm off for dinner with Keith tonight. My treat even!

I figure he deserves it for putting up with me all these years.