What I'm not buying this weekend

Since I'm staying at home this summer, I need a comfortable way to lounge in my own backyard. Actually this is true, I don't have a chaise lounge. However I'll be visiting Wal Mart or Home Depot, not Plow and Hearth, I think.

I am not buying the Harris Grove Chaise Lounge:
The Chaise Lounge is generously sized (thank goodness) with a sturdy slatted seat and has a built-in tray that pulls out from either side (for left-handed or right-handed drinkers - lemonade, right - wink wink). Classic English Garden-style design features old-fashioned mortise and tenon joinery (huh?) for sturdiness and longevity. Rustproof hardware. Assembly required.

And cushions! Cushions not included.

Lounge $179.95 + $20.00 Extra Shipping Charge
Chaise cushion in Aqua Floral $89.95

$269.90 plus $22.99 +$20 extra shipping = $312.80 not spent

viridian

Vintage thingie Thursday

So you find something neat on ebay and bid on it. Then you look at the seller's other items and think, "hmm, this is nice too, and with combined shipping, it won't be too expensive..." You bid on secondary item. then the bidding on primary item gets too rich for you (or you forget to update your bid, or you are sniped) and you end up losing out on on primary item, and ending up with secondary item.

That is how I ended up with a scrapbook of movie star clippings from magazines and newspapers from the 1930's. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing time capsule! I now don't even remember what my primary item was from this seller!

Above are two scans of items from this scrapbook that you just don't see anymore from Hollywood. Shirley Temple at the time of the filming of "The Little Colonel" and Ginger Rogers posing with amazing, glamorous cars. Oh those were the days.

viridian

What I'm not buying this weekend

[Margo: I am posting this early since I am going on a family vacation and actually did spend $200 on drinks and food to take with us]

Since I am not renting the Cape Cod vacation cottage, not even for one week, I’ll be staying in town. I think I’ll need a sweet pair of sandals for not shopping at local boutiques and not buying expensive fancy coffee drinks. A comfortable pair of sandals to wear to the library to check out the books I am not buying.

Maybe, these by Stuart Weitzman, Patio, originally $250, on sale at Zappos.com for $169.76.

Low heel, classic style. But I would also like to not buy a sexy heel, though at my age, length of marriage, and 3 kids I don’t know when or where I would wear them. School open house? Cheerleading competition? Church?!

How about Stuart Weitzman Submit (Good Lord who comes up with these names?) at $315?

Reviewers say they run narrow so my I think I will have problems with my flabby feet that have worn sneakers most of the time.
Reviewer Nicole from NYC gives them 5 stars: “I own sandals from hordes of designers and these are perfection. They are delicate but stable and comfortable….. I'm used to just saying something's comfortable to make myself feel better for paying $800 on a pair, and miraculously these are so inexpensive!!!!!!”

Ha Ha Ha! What world is SHE living in!

I will of course need a pedicure to clean up my feet and especially my toes. Pedicures range from $30 to $75 (tip not included), depending on what fancy things they are going to do. Clearly I don’t live near NYC!

Let’s go for the "Luxurious Hot Stone Pedicure Earthy and Indulgent, this pedicure is the pinacle [sic] of pampering, including a softening soak w/milk & honey aromatherapy leaves. Feet rest on heat holding river rocks, while nails, cuticles and calluses are tended. Following a warming sugar scrub, terra-cotta moisturizing mask is applied while heated stones between the toes relax the entire foot. Paraffin dip on both hands and feet is included. Steam towels and massage Soothe and Smooth Treatment with hot stones complete this experience. This uplifting pedicure offers the ultimate in 75 Min. $62"

[This is Ohio! Do they even know what they are doing? I’m gonna get burned, in more ways than one.]

Money not spent:

Patio sandals: $169.96 (Zappos has free shipping)
Submit sandals: $315
Pedicure + tip: $75
Not spent: $559.96

vintage thingie Thurs.

This Thursday I am sharing some silk embroidered appliques that I bought on Ebay. They are quite vintage. I think at least some were cigarette premiums, early in the 20 th century. They were either inserted into a pack of cigarettes, or perhaps one saved labels and sent away for the appliques. Read all about these wonderful premiums in the article on fabrics.net, by Laurette Carroll. If you ever had little oriental carpets with fringe at either end for your dollhouse, you have seen one kind of tobacco premium. Ms. Carroll's article says that the embroidered ones were distributed in the European market.

There is a thriving trade in tobacco cards and textile premiums on ebay. Look under collectibles/tobacciana.

Viridian61

Next Spring Fling block

Spring Fling blocks are due in Mid-June and I am trying to actually get done ahead of time. This one is K-4, Thea's Turn. The idea is to make 5 blocks all alike, in 30's reproduction fabrics. then exchange at a central location (the swap mom's place), get 5 different blocks back.

Viridian61

What I'm not buying (renting) this weekend

"Cape Cod rental in Orleans, on Pleasant Bay

4 BRs: 2 kings, 4 twins, queen aerobed; sleeps 9; 3 baths. On salt water, walk to a salt water beach, deck/porch/patio, BBQ-grill, outdoor shower, washer&dryer, dishwasher, microwave, coffeemaker, linens included, cable TV, VCR or DVD, CD player, fireplace, high speed internet, no pets, handicap accessibility, no smoking.

The quiet lane, the light breeze, the water view...
Whenever we arrive at the house (fighting traffic on Rt. 3 for 2+ hours), the first thing we do is step onto the deck and look out over the bay. And every time, with just a deep breath, we feel our stress head the way of the wind. (Calgon, take me away!)
Located in the popular oceanside community of Pochet, this home has something for everyone…
For the extended family: 1.5 acres, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, fresh linens and towels, three separate decks, a new kitchen, a spacious living room, a dining room table for eight, and ample parking.
For the head chef: Our kitchen was remodeled just this spring with new granite countertops, breakfast island, gas range, microwave, floors and lighting. Because we ourselves are passionate cooks, this kitchen is well-equipped with spices and staple appliances. (Forget that. Does the pizza place or the seafood restaurant deliver?) We even have a Weber grille. "

I should add that you can walk to a private quiet beach, not far from Nauset Beach.

One week in August is still available at $4500. Heck, since I didn’t buy the $7999 sewing machine last week, I can afford this!

The family has gone to the Cape the past few years, though not to this rental. This would be a definite step up from the 2 10 by 10 foot bedrooms with knotty pine panelling and chenille bedspreads on lumpy mattresses. A kitchen with no countertops and castoff aluminum pans. Ants optional.

Virtually saved: $4500 plus gas money plus $50 in plastic beach toys.

Next week: I promise something more affordable.

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Time is flyin' this May and it's time for Vintage Thingie Thursday, now hosted by Colorado Lady, not Apron Queen.

This little item is from one of my favorite thrift stores. It is stamped Japan on the bottom of the biggest house. While it is true that these houses are made of thin veneer, it is also true that the windows and doors are not painted, but inlaid colored veneer. So there is a bit of craft involved in what is probably a tourist gift item. And, only 69 cents!

Viridian61

Red Triangles

Two more triangles for my main Jane Stickle quilt: RS7 Fedelia's Hearts, and

TR8 Brigadoon. Slowly but surely, moving forward.

Christmas with Jane: 114, 35, 1, 3483

What I'm not buying this weekend

The unique artist: the Bernina 730 Sewing machine

The artista 730 is a true sewing, quilting and embroidery artist with absolute top-level functions and features. (gee, can it make me a latte?)

Add the optional embroidery module to make this extraordinary sewing computer a fully-fledged embroidery system. (embroider what? My initials on everything I own?) The patented BERNINA Stitch Regulator (BSR) (now I do really need this when quilting) automatically ensures equal stitch lengths when sewing and quilting at variable speeds – opening a new world of creativity.

Sit down at the artista 730E and your imagination will find its wings…

(until it’s time to start dinner, that is.)

Sewing? Quilting? Embroidery? This is the best of the best. The finest of sewing and embroidery systems, the artista 730E has every feature you can imagine (yeah? Try me) to turn your ideas into projects that make you proud.

Only the artista 730E has a Microsoft® Windows® Powered operating system (oh boy, that spells trouble right there!). So, at the touch of a finger to the big, bright centrally located color screen (after nights of staying up with sick children, or maybe too much wine), you can get on-screen help and graphic tutorials (how graphic? PG-13 or R?). You can import and export embroidery designs and access the myartista portal, a website exclusively for artista 730E and 200E owners (where they will try to sell me more accessories, I’m sure). And that's not all… (but wait! There’s more!)

Only the artista 730E comes with the revolutionary, patented* (oh, I’m so impressed) Bernina Stitch Regulator. It automatically regulates straight and zigzag stitches at variable lengths, so you create consistent free-motion stitching with complete confidence. (US Patent 6,883,446)

Virtually saved: $7999 (list price) and untold $$$ on accessories.

See http://margom3720.blogspot.com/ for more fun.

viridian

Vintage Thingie Thursday

It's Vintage Thingie Thursday and the theme is "What was I thinking?"

Well, I was thinking of re-purposing these books for collage, maybe some artist trading cards. My inspiration for these has fled for the moment so these books are collecting dust. The Marjorie Dean book has few graphics in it. The American history book is deaccessioned from a college library. I felt bad about looking at the illustrations with such destructive plans, until I noticed that some book pages had not been cut - and the book clearly had NEVER BEEN OPENED OR READ. The old paper has not aged well and is brittle. Why did I spend $10 on this?

For other vintage things, and check out that scary boot scraper, visit Colorado Lady's blog.
viridian

Spring Fling I

Here are two of the blocks I am making for the Spring Fling exchange. My poor sewing machine is at the repair man's. I am using another machine where I just can't get the tension right. My old machine may be a 20 year old Kenmore but at least I know its quirks. I miss it. these two I am keeping. With the off tension I don't feel right exchanging them.
viridian61