What I Did On My SPRING Vacation!

OK, so I had this weekend off and I took Friday off as a vacation day, so....that makes it my Spring Vacation! I knew that the weather was going to be reasonably OK and I wanted to knock out some yard work and also do some work on my half done projects around the house that have been driving me Crazy! I figured if I could get these things accomplished, I would be more relaxed when I come home from work and feel like I can take some time then to "create". I also planned on staying off of the computer, but that didn't happen! I took rest breaks and checked in on my fav blogs and had a cool drink. I really wish I could stay home everyday and just work around the house and create...what Heaven that would be! Sigh...someday!
Anyway, on Thursday night I came home with a "Manager's Special" from Goodwill. A BIG wood coffee table! and only for $15.38! I know some will be mortified but I plan on painting.it....White! (of course)

I just love the carved detail on it!
Then Friday morning I drove to an estate sale that my sister had been to the day before. She had text me a photo of a sofa that she was sure I'd like but thought it would be too costly to repair. The ladies that run the sale know me from coming to their other sales all the time and they showed me how I could repair it. I just need to reach inside and there's a couple of places where I need to tie back down the springs. Then the gap will close and I can sew it closed.

They helped me load it into the van but when I got home I couldn't reach my sister. I needed her to help me get it inside. Well, I was on vacation with a lot of things to do and I couldn't be waiting around so I pulled it out and "waddled" it across the yard and dragged it up the steps.
I thought I might be having a hot flash or possibly a heart attack because I was sweating like I was about to pass-out. Then I got it stuck in the doorway. It needed to be tilted at an angle to get it in. Lucky for me a woman stopped her car and yelled out and asked if I needed some help. She had on a matching jog suit and lots of jewelry and looked to be a little bit older than me. I figured that the chances of her hitting me over the head and robbing me were pretty slim and she could call 911 if I passed out,  so I let her help me get it inside. I thanked her profusely and after she pulled away, I ran outside and got into my van again. There was one more Estate sale to go to!
I kept trying to talk myself out of going to the other sale, I mean what else did I need, OK yeah, a lawn mower for my little patch of grass and I need to save up for a new refrigerator that I have my eye on but I told myself, just one more sale! So I pull up and lots of people are in the house so I walk out to the garage.
There sat a perfect push mower! $32.00! I also got a shepherds hook for $4.80 and several other little garden items! WaaHoo! So many times if I just focus on what I need I find it! It's kinda scary because it happens all the time to me. So, I go home and my sister is calling me asking me what I wanted because I had left a "never mind" message. I told her I GOT THE SOFA! She of course was skeptical. But she said for the price - $24.00, I could take it to an upholster and they could fix it and re-cover it. Well, I told her, uh, I can do it.
She thought NOT. But I pointed out that it's already a "pink" color. No comment on that. So I didn't bother to tell her I'd probably paint the trim white....So, I'll see. I did once see this upholstery fabric that was white with pink paisleys trimmed in gold but God, that would be expensive!( and I'm still saving for my refrigerator!)

 

After I repair it, I could also make a white slipcover for it. Maybe with ties so that the wood (painted white) could show...and look at my AWFUL floor! I hate hate hate it. I was talked out of painting it and got it refinished and stained and all these ugly squares surfaced! I've been told that it makes it look rustic.... but hey, if it was different planks that were dark, well, maybe OK but "squares!" I'm thinking of painting the floors............white. Or maybe tiling it. Not sure yet.

So on Saturday, I went back to the first sale. It was half price day. I got an old grill from the 60's ? with a gold lid for $5.00 and a dehumidifier for my basement for $15.00! I have had so much luck!

of course I'll be brown bagging it all next week but.....

Then I came home and started working on the yard again!

I decided to create my potting bench. I used a old fiberglass fireplace in the back and topped it with a molding piece from the Restore and positioned an old table that I had  randomly spray painted white.

I have some glass blocks and my wire cat planter on it. I set all my annuals and perennials that I haven't planted yet on top of it. To the side, I primed and painted shutters from the Restore and wired them together to form a screen...you can hardly see my neighbors! Waahoo!

It's not finished, I want to put pots inside my wagon underneath and I have some silver accessories I want to add, like a basket and a tin-punch metal seed/tool holder and a old towel bar to hang my garden tools.

This is my little "pet" cemetery that I started creating last fall.

I need to tidy it up and plant the annuals. The silver pole runs up to my security light that I haven't switched the power on yet because the lights are framed with a little roof and there's a nest under there and I can hear babies! So once they have flown the nest, I can use that light. It's hard to see but I have an iron trellis with iron birds and leaves in front of the pole. I plan on planting a clematis or morning glories in front of it and I also have chicken wire (painted wire) stapled to the fence for support for those plants.

Sigh! so much to do and so little time!

OH and my bike came in! I comparison shopped and found this online at UGH! Walmart. I ordered it online to the store. I picked it up and was so thrilled! Cute AND a bargain.

I took it out for a spin today...ahhhhhh, I was wobbly at first, It's been maybe twenty gulp years! Whoa!

I remember riding my ten-speed at least 10 miles a day in my twenties. No cellulite back then!

So I was warbling back home down the sidewalk (OK, OK) anyway I was headed for this elderly woman that I always say Hi to. She walks her little Shih-tzu with her cane. (I also know a woman that walks her little dog with a walker!, another one walks her schnauzer and I've pulled her out of the snow before and then there's the man with the St. Bernard and I digress...)anyway I was headed for her and I yelled out "It's OK, I won't run into you!" She was laughing but I don't think she really believed me. But it was fun. Of course I had to stop and talk for a moment, she was asking about my daisies and laughing at Blue as he barked from behind the gate. I'm thinking something is wrong with the bike though, I'll take it to work and have the Doc check it. It kinda makes this clicking sound. But I plan on riding it all the time!

So it's been a fun vacation! All 3 days of it.