The Height of Yard Sale Season

I do believe this weekend must have been the absolute best weekend for yard sales here in Georgia.  The weather was perfection!  Skies - beautiful.  Temp - couldn't be better.  Air - crisp and cool.  

And the yard sales?  Well, I went out Friday and Saturday and both days had to come home because my car was loaded and I couldn't have packed in another thing.  

Seriously.

...Full carload 2 days in a row!

My car filled up fast on Friday because I bought a big black chest-of-drawers.  It's an odd little piece, but very charming.  It's not a piece I could use (unless I paint it) so it's in the booth.  I had to replace the knobs.  I thought I was going to get 8 new glass knobs, but what a shocker... eight glass knobs are expensive!  Instead I bought eight metal knobs. 

I need to take a picture of the chest of drawers!

Martie (my booth partner) is on a mission to add some pizazz to the porch at the Rockin' B using mostly items from the store.  All weekend I was on the lookout for porch and plant things she could use.  She is planning a different theme each month.  I ran across a great deal on 6 planters, in near perfect condition.  I found a plant stand that folds open that she can use, but not right away - for now they are the perfect thing for some of my pumpkins with bling.  

Porch Items

I also ran across a fabulous, large iron plant basket that I'm keeping.  I have no idea what I'm going to do with it.  I just know that I love it.  I swooned when I saw it.  I swear it was calling my name.  For now, I put it on my porch with a big pumpkin inside, which lead me to an idea for a fall look.  Once I get it set up, I'll post about it.

Iron Basket

This proved to be a good weekend for tableware. I found a couple of tiered plate holders, which I have been looking for.  I keep running across great dish sets at yard sales and these holders will give me another display option.  One of the holders is a Christmas one.  Good thing, because I found yet another set of Christmas dishes.  I found a couple of gold chargers which I can set up with some dishes already in the booth.  I found one brown toile plate.  I have a hard time walking away from toile and this one is really lovely. I'm trying to be firm with myself about keeping too much.  Every time I look at this toile plate I have to recite all the reasons that I should not keep it.  My voice of reason has a whole list of them, but the other voice in my head keeps whining, "But it's so pretty!"  The voice of reason also got on my nerves when we were discussing the white oval platter!  Everyone needs a white oval platter!

Dishes

I found a good many pieces that will be undergoing a transformation.  Once yard sale season winds down, I'll have more time to devote to them.  Most of the redo's involve paint.

Pieces needing TLC

I found some very nice fabric items.  I love them all, but the voice of reason is trying to insist that I put them all in the booth.

Fabric Items

I'm going to keep the quilt-like table runner at least for a little while.  I told the voice of reason to shut up. I might need it.  I need time to rationalize.

Here are some of the other things I found -

More

 I'm very pleased with everything, but I'm pooped.  I'd better rest up.  I'll be taking most of this over to the booth tomorrow.

Be sure to check out my Porch and Garden Party.  

It's not too late to join in!

I've joined in with the following parties:
    * Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville
    * Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous
    * Frugal Friday at Shabby Nest
    * Garage Salen' Sundays at Debbiedoos

    * Thrift Share Monday at Apron Thrift Girl

    * Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm 

Pumpkin Bling TIPS and Porch Party

I have been making loads of pumpkins with bling. (You can see my first set here.)  I've been learning a few things as I go. I'll be happy to share.

If you decide to make pumpkins to sell, you must be crazy!   I'm selling my small pumpkins with bling for $8.  I'm not making hardly a thing on it.  I am, however, having a little fun.  Next year, maybe I should make my own pumpkins.  Buying pumpkins is expensive.  And, this next year, I'll watch for big sales on my materials.  Even so, the profit will be very small.  But if I priced the pumpkins to cover my materials and minimum wage, no one would buy them!  

I'm telling you, 

if you live near Newnan, Georgia, 

you might as well stop by Rockin' B and buy mine - 

they are a real bargain!

There's a big difference in wire.  Soldering wire is wonderful (especially when it's from your husband's stash), but too expensive.  I found some craft wire in gold - 16 gauge - and it, too is wonderful and less expensive.  I found some black bead wire - 24 gauge - and it was a royal pain to work with. The 24 gauge looks about the same in the package as the 16 gauge.  You can't go by looks.  The 24 was too flimsy for pumpkin bling.

Now, why didn't I turn the big one to the good side of the pumpkin?

Sequins are inexpensive, look pretty, but are time intensive!  Any pumpkins I made with sequins are a major deal, but I'm earning maybe 25 cents an hour!  But, for some crazy reason, I enjoy doing it.  It's not easy, though, with a big ole band-aide on my thumb.

Gold spray paint looks fabulous, but you have to be very careful transporting the pumpkin.  The spray paint can chip off.  A little touch up with gold brush on craft paint should help.  Even with the added "danger", it's worth it - it's so pretty!  A coat of primer might be something to think about - especially if you are decorating a fake pumpkin to keep year after year.

You also need to be careful transporting pumpkins with the glitter paint.

Ribbon is fast and easy and looks great, but there goes your profit.  Watch for sales.  Get lots of colors.  I think I'm developing a ribbon fetish.  There's no way I can sell enough pumpkins to pay for my ribbon - most of which I got on sale, by the way!  There are other similar things you can use - hem lace and rope can be cute.  The ribbon with sewn in beads is annoying - beads pop off (and fall to the floor) with every cut.  On the upside - they are less worrisome than dropping a straight pin.  Those suckers can be hard to find!

You don't have to use sequin pins with the sequins.  Regular straight pins will do and they are much less expensive in bulk.  Other pins are fun, too. Pins with round heads look good, but cost a little more.  I used corsage pins from the floral department - they looked great and went on way faster than sequins.  Another tip - once you stick a pin in, don't pull it back out - pumpkin juice starts seeping out!

The things that look like pearls are corsage pins.

If you are the thrifty type - and I hope you are - when pumpkin time is over, remove some of the decorations to reuse next year! The ribbon and wire should come out easily.  The sequins and pins should come out fine and I really hate to think of those in a landfill where a little critter may come across them.  Next year you'll be able to impress your friends by creating your own pumpkin with bling (without having to spend a small fortune on materials!

And for a final tip - display them in groups!  If you have just one, it doesn't have quite the impact of a group of at least three.  I've played around with.  The more the merrier.  I promise - I'm not just saying that to sell more!!!

Time for another Porch and Garden Party! 

The main topic is, of course, porches and gardens, but I'm pretty loose.  If you make something that would look good on a porch, that'll do.  Sunrooms count as porches.  Anything outdoorsy is good.  Door decor - perfect!  Fall decor - yeah!  If you think your post works OK with this theme, then it's fine!  Anyway,what kind of a host would I be if I turned someone away from a party?    Inspire us!

 

I've joined in with the following parties:
    * 100 Ideas Under $100 at Beyond the Picket Fence
    * Strut your Stuff at Fireflies and Jellybeans
    * Hooking Up With HOH at House of Hepworths
    * Get Your Craft On Thursday at Life as Lori
    * It’s Party Time  at Pony Tails and Fish Scales
    * Transformation Thursdays at The Shabby Chic Cottage
    * Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple
    * Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville
    * Making it With Allie at What Allie's Making Now