The Diary of A Mad Junk Woman

Ok, it's official. I'm a junker. Junk addict, freebie fanatic. I've always loved a good rummage sale, but somehow, somewhere, I've crossed the line. I wake up aching to go to Salvation Army stores in far away cities. I force Aaron into curbside escapades. I love me some junk. My heart rate increases on garbage day.

On the way to take Aaron to the tutor this morning, I could see him cringe as I pulled up in my oh so lovely 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It's a junk mobile. I'm not so much into car payments.

There was no where for him to sit.

Ahem.

A little Freecycle incident last night left about 20 windows in the Jeep, and a few strapped on the top. It was late, and we were tired. Oh, and then there were the shovels and pitchforks from my last free plant adventure. And there was library books, and vintage pyrex bowls, and various garage sale finds...well...you get the picture.

We rattled, literally, all the way to the tutor's house. I started hearing the theme for 'Sanford and Son' in my head. "Wa wa wa wawa...wa wa wa wawa wa wa wa"

I looked over at Aaron and I SWEAR he looked just like Lamont.

I was laughing so hard I couldn't drive. Aaron didn't find the humor in the situation.

I really want to make something like this out of old windows....tres chic, no?

Oh, and how I would love this old truck. Pink and all. Bring it.

Wa wa wa wawa....

Tour de Coop

Stubs would like to invite you of a tour of the chicken coop! Won't you join us?

You remember Stubs, right? She's toeless thanks to a wicked raccoon. She's the impressionist artist? If you've not met her, click on the archives and read 'Meet Stubs'.

Mother Plumtree! How did you get in here? I told you, wait your turn. She's so anxious to show you her stitchery that she just finished. It's hanging on the wall there. Cross stitched. I think she sat up many a night to finish it in time for you all to see it today. Looked how puffed up she is. So proud. Silly bird.

Here is what the coop looks like from my little brick sidewalk. I used to use that area as a potting area before we built the coop. It was a pretty neglected area, so this is a much better use of the space.

Here's the roost box that we built out of garbage....oh, I mean 'reclaimed' materials. We actually used the potting bench (found in the trash) and a couple of old windows (found in the trash). I'd been saving those windows for 10 years, hoping to one day build a cold frame. A few sheets of plywood that were laying around finished it up.

Aaron actually designed this little roost box for me. He wants to be an architect, so I figured he could do this. He did a great job. See how it opens for easy cleaning? I feel like the girls are pretty safe in there. I have opposable thumbs and sometimes I have a hard time opening the door for them. The coop is 10 x 10, which is supposed to be big enough for 10 birds, but I let them out to free range every day. Do you know what the definition of free range is? Destroy your garden.

Poor Stubs can't roost, so we built her a little small platform to sit up with the other birds since this photo was taken.

Aren't those old hinges cool? That is one thing I love about Glenco. He saves EVERYTHING and he is a scavenger. We see old doors and the like on the side of the road, he'll pull over and yank the hardware off if it's neat, or just take the whole danged door.

The latches on these old windows are what made me fall in love with them. They are old metal windows that we found by the trash in the historical district of Crown Point. I love trash night almost as much as I love bacon.

Here is another prime example of the ingratitude of chickens. Of course I want their little abode to be all cozy, so I planted a nice Hydrangea 'Limelight' for them to enjoy, and sit under. They ate it, and then dug it up for me. Thanks girls.

But I can't stay mad long, when I see the sweet little faces of my girls. What is it about chickens that I adore? Why do I want to hold them and kiss them? Why do I want to dress them and make little rolling pins and teach them to make pies?

Is there a medication for this?

Vintage Finds and More

After reading Dogwood's blog about Friday pinks, I felt inspired. I'm sure the pink eye had something to do with it too. I snuck out of the house yesterday to go to the Antique Store in town. I was like a junkie needing a fix. I needed me some vintage goods.

I'd already had the bowls, but I just used them to stage the new dish cloth and buttons I got. The pic is a little dark, it doesn't really convey how lovely this is. Makes my belly ache.

Then....I found this nice hunk of vintage fabric. It said it was from the 1940's. It's in perfect condition. About two yards. I've no idea what I'll do with it, I just needed it. I did. Maybe curtains? A tablecloth?

Just a nice little thing that happened this week. That sweet Wendy, over at Long Days, Short Years sent me the nicest little note with some jelly. I've just loved meeting new friends through this blog, and staying in touch with old ones. Ya'll are great!

Found this at JoAnn's last week. I'm not a huge Halloween fan, I like the cute little vintagy decorations. I don't like the gore. Isn't this CUTE? I'm planning on making an apron out of it, cause every farmgirl needs an apron for every occasion. It's in the farmgirl handbook. I swear.

Another thing every good farmgirl needs is a little book with husband pleasing recipes. This is a little advertising cookbook from a shortening company called Spry. I have to do a little investigating. I've never heard of Spry. Only Crisco.

This falls under the vintage heading cause this is my dear dear friend Renee. She's the oldest friend I have...not in years, but in years of being friends. So she is my vintage friend. Look at those aprons we have on. Cupcake aprons...for making cupcakes of course! (Please refer to fifth paragraph in this blog) Renee stopped over to celebrate National Cupcake Day with me. She'd finished an apron I started long ago at her house, made zucchini cupcakes, and even brought me little farmgirl gifts! She is incredible. Sweet, thoughtful, and every other positive adjective you can interject here, she's it. She even brought White Castle hamburgers. It's a South Side Chicago girl kinda thing.

Lastly, I thought I'd show you my pincurl hairdo. LIke the little vintage earrings? Nice touch. Oh shoot! Just realized I forgot to take a pic of all the vintage dress patterns I got from Etsy. Anyhow, as you can see, I've a lot to learn, but not bad for the first try.

Thanks SO much for all of your sweet get well wishes. I appreciated them all so much. I do think I'm on the mend. I got a little canning done yesterday, and I'm in the mood to move furniture. It's a good sign.

Have a fantastic Labor Day weekend!

BBQ, Cemeteries and MoonPies

I'm back and somewhat settled in from my little trip to Southwest Missouri. I'm weird about leaving and weird about coming home. I have to clean things, even if they don't need cleaning (which is RARE). It's like I have to 'nest' in order to feel at home. I can't stand leaving a mess. I never come home to a mess, cause Glenco is a pretty tidy guy. I still feel the need to 'nest' by moving things about, wiping things and putzing in general. Pity the fool that gets in my way of putzing.

There is such a large part of my heart in Missouri. I go there and I feel like I've gone home. I'm not from Missouri, neither are my parents. I guess there are just things I love down there, and how can your heart not feel at home where there is love.

My parents are buried at the Arnhart Cemetery in Purdy, Missouri. (A very very long story) So is my beloved Aunt Jean and her husband Johnny. I suppose it's true when I say I visit more dead family in Missouri than live. It's been seven years now since my parents passed and I can say with confidence that the cemetery brings me more peace and comfort than grief. My mom is from Tennessee, and Dad is from North Carolina. I remember childhood trips south, and the cemetery was always such a big part of our vacations. I can still hear the locusts screaming, and smell the hot vinyl in the old station wagon as we would meander up the red clay roads to the old cemeteries. The grass burnt from the summer heat, crunching under our feet as I looked at graves of people I'd never met. I understand it all now.

Can you really take a trip south and not eat Moon Pies? Maybe you can, but I can't. I just can't, I mean it's not American.

Here's a peek at some of the treasures I got while visiting the great state of Missouri.

A cute new apron from the Antique Mall in Monett, MO. A few new cooking sheets, a new whisk, pastry bag and silpat from a restaurant supply house in Springfield. A couple of new books "The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen" (I really needed to sit down after finding this book, I needed smelling salts), and a beautiful little book on blogging called "Blogging for Bliss". I can't wait til I can find the time to actually read them!

This goober is the main reason I go to Missouri. My cousin Jim. He is my best friend in the whole world. He wakes me up the first morning I'm there by putting a plate of bacon on my belly. What's not to love? We have porkfests all the time, we even have a little pig mascot that we put on the dashboard of the car as we search out smoked foods. Oh do we find them. We had bacon every morning I was there. Ribs, pulled pork and smoked sausage for lunch one day. Pork chops for dinner that night. I feel like a bloated tick now. It's at the point of being comical now. He's my partner in pork. He's also the kindest and funniest person that I know. He truly taught me what friendship is. I'm so thankful for him. He is a fantastic cook and enjoys shopping for housewares as much as I do.

Had a little incident on the way home. It's a 600+ mile trip. I allow myself ONE stop on the way there and back. I don't know why, but I get really miffed if I have to stop twice. I don't drink much on the trip, and I can make it with one stop for gas. I pull over in Eureka, pop my debit card in the pump, get the gas flowing and go in for coffee and a bathroom break. I pay for my coffee, walk back to the car, get in the car, get adjusted, seat belt, and start driving. What in the HECK was THAT noise?? Ohmagosh, I forgot to take the gas nozzle out of the car. Ya, I'm one of those people! I get out...the car is fine, the nozzle is hanging there, still dangling out of my car, and the end of the hose is off of the pump. In a panic, I try to 'plug' it back in the gas pump, but I can't reach where it goes. It looked like there was a quick release mechanism, and it just pulled free. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has ever done anything like this, right? They probably manufacture the pumps now with people like me in mind.

I took off. I did. I left. I was mortified, scared, etc. About a half an hour away, I decided to turn back around and go and make it right. Then I changed my mind again. I asked God to forgive me. I truly feel horrible that I just left. It feels so wrong. If you don't hear from me again, you'll know the law caught up with me. :-/

A tornado chased me the rest of the way home, and I barely made it in the house without soiling my pants.

Good times.

Lollygaggin'

My plans for the weekend involve lollygagging.

Lol ly gag : To fool around; to spend time aimlessly; to dawdle or dally.

I'm not making a list. I've no goals to attain, other than lollygagging and doing whatever strikes my fancy.

Life is short. Make sure you make time for lollygagging.

PS....That chair was a yard sale find this week. $2. :-)

Thrifty Thursday! Garage Sale Booty!

Thought it might be fun to share my garage sale finds with you today! My husband and I got out of debt just this past year. House is paid off, all credit cards (the worst thing in the world in my opinion), all paid off. The crazy thing is...I don't really feel any different! I remember paying the house off at the bank and truly expecting SOMETHING. A feeling. The bank president to come out and shake our hand! Balloons! Something! But there was nothing. Just a little piece of paper handed over showing what we'd just paid. I still like being as frugal as can be.

So this is what today brought:

• Cool old fashioned looking swing. $20 (He was originally asking $40!)
• Super cute vintage plates. Notice the flower on one, and the apple on another. Got a set of 8 for $3.00. They are going to be perfect in our little vintage camper. I'll be introducing you to that soon! These plates look as if they'd never been used.
• A chicken towel that made my stomach hurt, I loved it so much. It was $1.25. Sometimes you just HAVE to splurge!
• A perfectly new smallish sized Scrabble Game in a cool wooden box. 50 cents! Great for camping when we get rained out.
• Two awesome stainless steel pots for camping. $1 each.
• Two mint condition 8" cake pans for $1.50. JUST yesterday I realized I needed these! I only have 9" cake pans. A pox upon me!
• Not shown - Cause I can't keep them off my nephew's feet...a pair NEVER WORN Converse All-star, bright red gym shoes. 25 cents! TWENTY FIVE CENTS!

Here's a better look at the swing.

And here's a better look at the fantabulous chicken towel. I'm going to try to fashion an apron out of it. Because it REALLY doesn't get any better than chickens and aprons. Really.