Thursday, April 18, 2013

thrifted finds ~ and lots of news around here

I needed some groceries at Trader Joes today, so I ran into the nearby Goodwill
 and Savers. Found some cool stuff, including a MFK Fisher book (not shown).
 Anyone familiar with this awesome writer? She was an unsurpassed American
 food writer.

Up first is a set of vintage Godinger spoons and a set of new buttercream placemats
 from Kohls. 

{Speaking of Kohls, they have a great selection of table linens. They have given
me a code to pass along to my blogging friends through May 10. Just use
BLOGS10 when shopping online and you will receive a 10% discount!}


 Next is a vintage rolling pin (love the red handles!), a trio of frosted glass rabbit
 candle holders, and a tiny pitchfork that will be perfect in the fairy garden that
 I plan on creating once the weather warms up.


Couldn't resist this charming, vintage bunny with a fluffy tail.
Just need to get out the Goo Gone and remove the sticker residue off its body. 


Lastly, a pretty Fitz and Floyd butterfly candle trinket box...
 


 Well, I'm sure a lot of you have seen the news of all the floodings in
the Chicago area. And, as you know from my April 12th post, my basement
had flooded. You're not going to believe this, but Brian woke me up at 4:30 a.m.
again today, telling me that water was now pouring in through one of our window wells.
He was outside in the dark, scooping water, dead leaves, and debris from the window
well, while I was inside trying to sop up all the water with every towel in the house.
Long story short, the drain in the window well got clogged (another lesson learned the
hard way ~ clean out the window wells in the fall AND get new window well
covers), thus wasn't draining the water. We then used the wet/dry vac to suck up
all the rest of the water and set up fans. Thank God, we got it under control and
were able to clean up the water ourselves this time. Here's what my back yard
looked like this morning....


And here's a field down the road from me; this is what it looks like in all the low-lying land around here.


 On top of everything this past week, Tim's car has been nothing but trouble and
money - which, as a college student who delivers pizzas part-time, he doesn't have.
And we are only able to help him out financially so much. After shelling out another
$250 for repairs yesterday, his car was smoking today. Found out it's now the heater
core, which is very expensive. Since the car isn't worth that kind of expense,
the mechanic is just going to bypass the heater core, which will be a minimal
expense. Tim really needs a "new" car, but how? He doesn't have the money for
even a used car, and neither do we. I hate these dilemmas. 

I DO have some positive news. Brian, Tim, and I spent the entire day yesterday at
the college that Tim will attending in the fall. Tim had orientation and signed up
for his classes, and Brian and I attended the parent sessions. We then checked
out the house that my cousin's daughter rents with some other roommates.
They have an opening for another roommate and since this house is less than
1/2 mile down the street from the university, it would be a perfect place for
Tim to live. The house is old and a little dumpy ~ definitely has that "young people
live here" look! But it was clean(ish), has a big kitchen, original hardwood floors,
a big back yard - and a sweet dog named MoJo. My cousin's daughter said MoJo
loves to get in bed with someone in the morning and snuggle. Tim liked that,
as he will miss our three kitties. He's an animal lover like me. Sooo...if all goes
well with all this, Tim will be moving out July 1st. Brian and I will be empty nesters!
Big changes for all of us.

16 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry to learn about your flooding. We had flooding in our basement last summer and I remember how much fun it WASN'T! Hope you dry out quickly.

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  2. Melanie - so sorry to hear about your water problem. What's traumatic experience that must be. Sorry!

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    1. The entire Chicago area is experiencing these horrible flooding problems; I know quite a few people whose basements have flooded.

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  3. Hi Melanie,

    You win some, you lose some! You found some lovely treasures, but, unfortunately, like all of us, have some other pressing matters to deal with. You will! Keep positive, keep calm and carry on!

    Have a great week,

    Poppy

    PS: In answer to your question re: "My 'Happy' Kitchen", I found it up the street from my apartment, when we were still living in the city. The funny thing is, I had been looking for at least two years and wouldn't settle for just any pot rack. It had to be a certain white, with a patina and curved ironwork, to complement my shelving! Patience, persistence and the fact that I'm a perfectionist, I guess won out in the end! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the uplifting thoughts and for telling me about the pot rack.

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  4. Sorry to hear about your flooding problems! We had those issues in a house we had in New Jersey. No fun!

    That little vintage bunny is so cute!! Just adorable! Also like the old rolling pin with the red handle.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Manuela - glad you like some of my vintage finds!

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  5. Hi Melanie;
    I love your posts, it makes me know that I am not alone in the trials of everyday life! Keep on going (like the energizer bunny) is my motto. Have a good week end. Love and Hugs, Nana

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    Replies
    1. You're definitely not alone, Nana - and neither am I. Thanks for the support. :-)

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  6. Oh Mel, As they say, When it rains it pours, and I don't mean Morton Salt! Take care and keep the faith, better days ahead! Great finds, love the spoons and frosted bunnies especially!

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    Replies
    1. Definitely better days ahead...and glad you like some of my finds!

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  7. I like the finds, especially the little box with the butterfly! So sorry to hear about the flooding. That's so depressing, isn't it! And it sounds like your son may have found a good place to stay - I mean, who wouldn't like a dog snuggling up in the mornings. (I would, definitely!) Thanks for stopping in today, Neighbor. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving such a lovely comment; I really appreciate it!

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  8. Acabei de conhecer o seu blog etudo quei vi por aqui!!! Me visite:http://algodaotaodoce.blogspot.com.br/
    Siga-me e pegue o meu selinho!!!

    Obrigada.

    Beijos Marie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice to meet you, Marie. Thanks for becoming my latest follower!

      Delete

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