Estate of Mind

Have you ever been to an Estate sale? There was a time that I wouldn’t have even considered going to them. I felt that the word “Estate” implied “Expensive”; which at times it can, but what the word really means is “All of household items for sale”. I recently started going to a few that were advertised in the paper while I was in town after dropping the twins at Preschool. Sometimes I would see nothing that I wanted or was willing to pay a large sum for, but sometimes I would find some gems.
Let me show you what beauties I found this past Friday.

(I apologize for the picture placement, Internet Explorer and I are having a tiff)

Look at this HUGE sewing box filled with all of these treasures. There were so many unopened packages of stretch lace in a variety of colors and several packages of Hem facing, along with a fantastic bag filled with vintage buttons. There were also two hand crocheted pin cushions, pins, tailors chalk, grosgrain ribbon, thread and several sewing items. I don’t even know what I am going to do with the stretch lace, but WOW, what a treasure trove! I only paid $10 for the whole Kit-n-Kaboodle. That is less then what a new sewing box would cost, and I REALLY needed a new sewing box.

And take a look at these little vintage lovelies.

 6 yards of this posey lace,

4 yards each of these black laces and

7 yards of this embroidered linen.

The posey lace is my favorite of all these and they are each 6 inches wide, and the linen is 8 inches wide. I have NO idea what I will do with them yet, but they were too pretty to leave behind.
And then I found this.

No, it is not a table cloth. It is 6 ½ yards of 36 inch wide lace. It is delicate and soft and the edging is so lovely. I can imagine so many clothing options for this piece. Now, let me tell you the best part. I found all of the above lace in a room with a sign that said, “Fill a box for $5”. Yes Ma’am! I purchased all of that beautiful vintage yardage for five smackers. I also added a few other things to the box as well, so think 20 items. That is 25 cents and item. I KNOW, right?

Giddy with excitement, I strutted my way to the cashier to pay for my treasures, when I spied these.

Look at those delicious colors! This is a set of eight aluminum tumblers and an aluminum pitcher (which I have NEVER seen before). I have such fond childhood memories of using these rich hued tumblers when we would go camping in the mountains. I HAD to have them. They are such a wonderful outdoor serving set for sipping tea on our porch in the summer evenings. They were a splurge at $20, but even that is a great deal for these precious pearls from the past.

Now I realize that my purchases do not compare to Jessica’s Farmer and Flea finds, but I bought something that I needed, something that was a fantastic deal, and something that provided great memories, rich color, and fun to outdoor dining. I am happy with my $35 purchase.

Have you found some amazing things at an estate sale or yard sale? I encourage you to take a jaunt through an estate sale if you have never been. It takes very little of your time, but you may uncover some amazing treasures. And sometimes. . . items are marked 50% off the following day. . . Happy Tuesday!

Shannon