It started a little poopy, with a no-show parent conference (the FIRST scheduled, which was, like, not a good sign), the second then rescheduled, but the third - which technically ended up being my first - was nice!! Such a nice, fun, sweet momma that is, with a cute little girl.
So, I made a few rounds to a couple thrift stores before declaring to myself that I was going back to Cafe Corleone. I really thought about going to one chemical-smelling thrift store that is a little bit out of the way, but decided not to since I was basically running on empty in the big ole yard sale van, and wanted to try to get to Corleone's for the lunch prices. I still adore the wholly eau d'vintage-shopping strappy tie aprony-looking tank top I got there last weekend, though.
I'd been lamenting how I wouldn't be passing by a Stater Brothers to take advantage of the 10 2L Pepsis for $10, when I remembered that there was one across the plaza from a Goodwill on the way home from Corleone's!!!!
So I left Corleone's (they sadly didn't have the risotto, which was the ONE new thing I wanted to try), I stuffed in a few pieces of awesome hot garlic bread before diving in Goodwill, then browsed and browsed and browsed.
Found a cookbook with Mediterranean recipes (love the cuisine! love seafood! love Nice, France! and Italy!), then started glancing through the dishes section.
Would you believe I FINALLY FOUND THIS!!!!!!!!!!!
And they were $5.99!!!!!
I grabbed them and hugged them and clutched them and nearly wet myself wanting to jump up and down I was so half-miserably afraid that I was dang hyperVENtilating, it was so surreal.
Yayness!! The universe smiled down on me!!!
I cannot even being to describe the relief now that I have found them. The inner gleaming, the gloating ... (a word which I have taught my students and which they find common occasion upon which to use it LIBERALLY, to my unending bemusement). I think my set is now complete. Now just watch me use them. Which I will probably not do, or do reluctantly, because I HATE IT SO MUCH WHEN STUFF BREAKS AND THEN I DON'T EVEN HAVE A SET ANYMORE!
So I guess I'll just have to go back and keep checking to get more of the stuff.
!!!!!!
Hee!! Glee!!!
Sometimes I just wonder about all the little arrangements that had to come together in order for me to be in the right place at the right time to scoop up the right item, like these gosh-o-malley darn Chelsea floral salad plates.
So much love, it is indescribable.
But I'm easy to please.
I did end up getting the Pepsi (only wanted 5 or so to last me the next few months, I'm really not a huge soda drinker) but they had 10 for $10 AND a $2 off coupon in the store flyer, making it 10 for $8!!!!!
And then I got sea salt and vinegar thick-cut potato chips for 10/$10.
It turned out to be a production, though, because the lines were huge and long - then a manager did open new lines up, and even motioned for me to come to a new line, but I felt bad because I'd already seen another lady waiting for at least 5 minutes, with a giant ole turkey, so I asked her if she wanted to go first before her turkey defrosted for her in line.
And then the nice manager guy never did ring up the Pepsis for $8, NOR the chips for $1 each, so I am glad I checked the receipt before leaving the door!!!! I got that all taken care of before I left and was somewhat taken aback by the manager going back to the chips display where I TOLD him there was a sign that 10 bags were $10 ... he didn't have to THROW the "old sign, they forgot to take it down" onto the counter like that. Eeps! So, instead of a $44 expense (got orange juice and some chicken and pork to try out my crock pot this week!!!), I even got $7 back. Whee!
And I am so stocked on Pepsi and sea salt and vinegar chips it's not even funny. I have the Archer Farms ones from Target, as well.
I'm so addicted to this flavor of chips, and I exactly remember coming upon a half-finished bag that my college roommates left on the dining table, that I helpfully polished off for them. It is so not a combination I would ever have found interesting before then, I think - but Becca was from Massachusetts!
I even ended up hitting another thrift store (the one where I found the blue glass cake plate!) and didn't see anything super mesmerizing, but they had loads of trim - looked like a store discard - so I got beautiful red tassel edging for about $3. Red red red, that is the color for me and my vintage and my kitchen.
And tonight, I went to my new favorite giant thrift store (the one with the Shabby Chic quilt, and Cath Kidston pillows!) and ended up only getting a tile.
It looked a little weird at first, but caught my eye because it was painted in blue on an ecru kind of background, and I love those colors.
At first it looked like ... "Toods Historical Museum"? I wondered if it could be English, since it was a picture of an oldish-looking building ...
Foods Historisch Museum?
And then it dawned on me - Joods Historisch Museum.
Jewish Historical Museum, in Amsterdam. I knew I had a little Dutch locked away in me somewhere!
It was a great find because that part of Amsterdam is one of my most favorite tucked away corners in all the WORLD, QUITE LITERALLY. And the museum is right next to the big square where the Nazis rounded up all the Jews in Amsterdam.
Man. I love my little tile. If I can bear to use it (it's probably just a cheap little tacky souvenir, even if it's going for the Delft-painted look), I'll probably use it as a trivet. But I love anything that reminds me of Amsterdam.
As I was going to check out, another patron I'd noticed earlier up and saw me walking by with just my little tile, and she said, "You know, I'm gonna ask you!"
I always wonder why people say that to me, when it happens.
Anyway, she had her cart full of a few things and wanted me to convince her to put it all back.
She obviously asked the WRONG GIRL!
I started out with the giant wooden abstract bunny on a metal stick, which she said she was going to put on her porch.
Then I asked about her two rose paintings in gaudy weird frames (she said she KNEW she was going to keep those - they were decent, at least oil paintings).
And there was a ceramic (not plastic) picture frame of lavender - then a white milk glass compote - and then she had a couple dishes (cute black silhouetted Venetian/French couple), and a set of dishes for $13.
I tried to ask her what she was going to do with it all (she had answer for everything) and if she could afford it and if she needed it ... and she informed me that I wasn't really doing such a great job of getting her to put stuff back, but I just HAD to tell her that she had good enough reasons for getting everything, if she had the room and finances, and frankly, she knew herself better than I did so I'm sure her counterarguments were FAR more compelling!
Anyway, looking at those little silhouette plates - I asked where they were from, and she said American, and nothing's made in America now, so she knew they were [antique], and that made me want them! because it reminded me of some beautiful cards and stationery I bought when I was in Venice, Italy ... anyhoo - made me want them, and then I pined for them for about 5 minutes when I got in the car. Oh well. I wonder if she ever did put them back. In the end, I told her, that my basic philosophy was - she picked everything out for a reason, and I was totally the kind of person that would much rather buy something, and regret it, and get rid of it, than put it back, regretting it for the next 10 years. I HONESTLY CANNOT STAND THAT FEELING!!
The cashier lady seemed very interested in my tile and was trying to figure out what it said, also, so I explained to her about the whole Dutch thing.
And here I am STILL typing away when over an hour ago I wanted to get all my dumb huge messy piles of stinking dirty laundry over to the laundromat (ugh, HATE laundromat, want and need a washer NOW!) ... so maybe I'll have to actually forgo watching TV to have clean linens and clothing.
Ack.
Nice week so far, just wish it would cool down!!!! One of the kids actually had a heat rash today!!! Ugh. And they have nosebleeds, and are always begging to go get some water, and take off their undershirts, and have me turn the fan on ... I need to stop thinking about it because I either get depressed or very irate.
Goodnight. :)
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