Friday is a great day for a yard sale!!! & smelly/moldy stuff is no fun!!!

Hi everyone, 
Oh it's an exciting day today for me... Let me give you a little set-up for today's fun.  Yesterday, I got out some yarn that had been in a box.  I was starting my knitting project that was going to be on my blog today.  I had made notes about prep materials etc, taken some photos..the best I could on my own etc... The windows were open, fans were running and it was just hot.  So I was sweating out my toxins from all the heat.  It was making me feel a bit queezy and quite frankly, sick to my stomach a little bit..  Add to that, that it was about 90 Fahrenheit yesterday...which isn't so bad, except add a touch of humity and it feels more like 105 Fahrenheit. 

So I am busy knitting away and I started sneezing really hard...That was my first clue that something wasn't right..and it sort of went downhill from there. I'm a very polite sneezer...sort of like "a-chew"...very soft and ladylike. This time was more like "A_CHOOOOOOOO"  I knew that it was from musty/moldy yarn. You see, my dad and I moved from our old one-bedroom apartment because it had black mold in it...everywhere...only we weren't totally aware of how serious the problem was. We did mention something to management a couple yeares ago...and they said use Tylex...which we did, to no avail..  In any case, back in March we were told we had to move out because of the mold. If you're interested in that story...I can talk about it...because it is an issue for many people...that can literally be a matter of life and death, if not treated properly/dealth with right away.

Okay...long story a little bit shorter...we moved to a two bedroom across the apartment complex. It was the only thing available..and we tossed a lot of things...but I kept my yarn, crochet thread and scrapbooking supplies...figuring that since they were in boxes, it would be okay..WRONG!!!!  Yesterday proved that...on top of me being crabby and feeling really yucky last night, I also had a raspy throat because of inhaling the musty/moldy spores...not intentionally..but just through knitting. So I tossed it all this morning...I feel much better. The raspy throat is still bothering me..but that'll soon pass.

This morning my dad and I went to Fred Meyer to do a little shopping...just for some necessary things...and I picked up some cotton yarn....pretty, clean...and free of any musty/moldy yucky stuff.  I also stopped at Joann's Fabrics and got some clean, pretty crochet cotton!! Alright, so on the way home I found all this stuff :) :) :)....another coup or steal of a deal for me at a yardsale....a 4-family yardsale...everything was neat, organized...and well-layed out..very attractive for buyers like me. I was looking for a little white table cloth for $2 that I could put under the cherry pink/red table runner I got from the previous yard sale :) :) Well, here's what I ended up with.... :) :) :)


Here's the photo of the entire collection. I got all of these things at the same yard sale.. the only thing not pictures are the two padded hangers for $0.25 each. There's a photo of those coming up :) :) Okay so here's the breakdown and some loving stories behind everything...
1) king-sized Armoire quilt and two matching pillow shams...all reversible for just $10...a steal of a deal because there were no rips, tears or stains..I checked!!! (These are around $68 on overstock.com...and I got this for $10. The lady spent a lot of money for them originally...but she was selling them cheap and just wanted them to go to a good home. The actual quilting on it is hand-done)
2) one white-cotton with crocheted lace edging...hand-made for just $0.50...(this belong to the lady's great-grandmother and it sat on top of the piano!!! So beautiful. I can put this on my window sill OR adjust it to fit my bookshelf..don't know yet.
3) Shabby Chic top sheet with ruffle...for just $1 (This top sheet is part of a set...and would have cost at the minmum about $50 dollars at Target. This Shabby Chic line is only sold at Target..and I got a nice ruffle top sheet for just $1.
4) Glass Ball widemouth jar...top lid missing...BUT super cute...hold 3 cups...has milliliters on one side and cups on the other..and a super cute embossed fruit design on the front. I'll probably use this as a vase!!!I think I can by a lid, right? It comes with a ring..oh, for only $0.50.
5) Two very nice satin padded hangers...one with a dangling heart...for just $0.25 each..
So, today I spent $12.50 for stuff that would have easily cost me well over $200 new...at least..I'm not sure what the full retail was for the Armoir king-sized quilt and pillow shams...but what I did find on-line and at a discount was still a LOT of money..


Here's a close-up of the reverse side of the quilt....AND the detailed hand-crocheted lace edging of the piano cover...so beautiful!!! The lace has a couple rips in spots...but that will be very easy to fix and no one will know except you all...because I told you :) :) :)


Here's the detail on the front side of the quilt...also the same for the pillow shames...and both are reversible :) :) :)


Here's the nice detail on that wide mouth glass Ball jar that I picked up...Isn't it beautiful.  I'm not sure it's that old...but it sure is pretty!!!!  It holds a total of 3 cups worth of whatever!!! :) :) :)

Oh, initially I passed on these..but then I thought...I love padded hangers...especially satin ones for two reasons..they help my clothes breath.  It also adds some feminine romantic charm to my room :) :) So after I put the initial box of treasures in the car, I went back for these hangers. Notice the top one has two little fake pearls and that beautiful satin heart hanging from the center...what a nice touch...and only $0.25 cents each...


I did have to pay for the crochet cotton and the yarn...but I just wanted to show you what I bought today. The Lion Brand cotton yarn was purchased at Fred Meyer...on sale. I can make a few bath mitts out of that.  Everything else was purchased at Joann's Fabric. When I have extra money, I'll buy super nice luxury DMC mercerized crochet thread and organic cotton yarns at a place called The Websters in Ashland, Oregon...but not today...I'm on a budget.  These items will work wonderfully and they're not expensive at all. Oh click on "The Websters" that I mentioned a bit earlier...and it'll link you to their website. They will ship to your home!!! I love this store..the ladies are very nice, knowledgeable...and everything they sell is top-quality.  It's like being a kid in a candy store when I go there!!!


This is what I use most often at the moment, when I'm making bath mitts or dish clothes. That's my main project because it's inexpesive and easily fits into my "soda pop can" budget!!! This brand in particular..."Lily Sugar 'n Cream" is really nice.  It's 100% cotton and it's a real workhorse!!! It's great for projects...and all of my earlier projects made with this yarn are holding up nicely.
Notice that little skein of thin pink crochet thread on the left...the Aunt Lydia's brand..That's made out of bamboo!!! That's one of the newer trends in yarn and crochet thread. It's renewable and durable...and supposed to be even softer than cotton. I won't know for sure until I actually use it!!!

This is another brand of cotton yarn, that I'll purchase from time to time. It's also really nice!!! I started using this when I couldn't make it out to Joann's Fabrics one day...It's great...it's also a real workhorse in terms of durability and usefulness!!!!  I'll be using this very blue/purply yarn for the French bath mitts...so the project is delayed by a couple of days...sorry!!! I just had to get rid of that moldy/musty stuff...I will also be getting rid of my scrapbooking supplies...I don't have the time or space to air everything out...AND I dont' want to risk feeling sick again because of it...so overall, it's a win-win for me!!!

Let me know what you think of my yard sale finds today.  I don't remember what I payed for the yarns and crochet threads...if you are really interested, let me know. I always save my receipts...just about everything there was on sale, too !!!!

It has been a really good day so far.  I'm continually amazed at how God is watching over my pocketbook and providing the things I need that are within my means :) :) :) God bless my daddy for bearing with me through yet another yard sale!!! It was worth it...and he even might fight me over the king-sized quilt!!!..He'll have to fight hard because it sure is beautiful!!! Oh, we haven't heard from the doctor's office yet...so far no news, is very good news indeed.

Have a blessed day everyone.  Thanks for stopping by to pay a visit. I hope this encourages you and brings a happy smile to your faces today!!! I'm going to continue my Bible study this evening.

The weekend is here...hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.  That's the news from Oregon. Much love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)