Music Box via Savers

Found this at Savers for $2.99.  It spoke to me, of course, right off the bat, however, I left it, went back, etc. and finally decided to commit even though it was over $1.

It's a music box.  Don't ask what song it plays.  I think it would be even more cool if you turned the knob-thingy and typing sounds came out of it.

She reminds me of Marianne in "The Music Man."

There's tissue stuffed in the bottom of it; not sure what that's about, but it seems to work fine.  Hello, functional art? Not sure about that...but she speaks to me.  Not because of her bun, or high heels; not even because of her very casual writing-wear...but because she owns a cool typewriter and appears to have the time she needs to write her novel, without many distractions.  Talk about luxury.  That's the life right there.  If she has an ocean view and is within walking distance of a taco shop, even better.

I don't think the year 1983 had any clue what the future held...as far as distractions and technology go...they seemed to think flying cars and robot-maids were the next big thing...as least that's what I gather from watching "The Jetsons".

Part of me envies her and another part of me cringes at the thought of her having to walk to the library, go through card catalogues and microfiche in order to do her research, when if she was a modern writer, she could just whip out her i-gadgets and be done with it, allowing her ample time to beat the taco shop rush.

However, she's an inanimate object, so what she doesn't know, won't hurt her.  She's free to be blissfully ignorant and type, type, type, away.

Ancestry-ology

I found this amazing photograph on Ancestry.com.  I got a wild hair and started researching my family tree again; not sure what triggered it, but it resulted in me buying a basic month of Ancestry.com.  I downloaded the app as well, which is free.  It's my new crack.  I stay up late fixated on the leaf "hints" that are profuse throughout the software and when clicked on bring up previously saved documents, shedding even more light on ones ancestors.  I would need to fork out more money to buy the world membership, thus allowing me to see or download other documents. However the "hints" allow you to see names on past censuses which can allow you to add more names to your family tree.  It took me 10 generations on my dad's side of the family to get out of the United States and into Scotland, so I was able to gather a ton of information with just the basic membership; however this addiction for ancestry-knowledge is propelling me to want to buy a world membership.  Scottish people are very good at keeping track of their genealogy.

So back to the photograph.  So, the sister on the far left is my grandmother's grandmother.  I can see the resemblance.  The one on the far right has the same married name as my great-great-grandmother; so they were also sister-in-laws, how cute.

Ever since I was a child I've had a hunger to know about my ancestry.  Eventually I went into Marriage and Family Therapy because I was naturally intrigued by family dynamics and family history.  Sometimes I ask myself "Waz up?". It's not about the past, it's about present family relationships and making sure those are good.  Why does all this history matter?

My aunt, who is the great-granddaughter of the above, loves Ireland and she really doesn't know why.  Maybe there's a connection somewhere that I'll find and it will make sense.

Personally I'm sure that when there is enough time to fuel my addiction even more, I will discover that I'm related to J.K. Rowling.  The other side of my dad's tree is part of the Swinton line from Scotland.

Which, speaking of addictions, one of mine, Houzz.com has a really cool article by Catherine Macaulay about a castle in Scotland that real people live in.  It's one of the coolest things I've ever seen. http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/31828567/list/my-houzz-winging-it-in-a-scottish-castle.

Apparently, I need to add visiting Scotland to my bucket list.  Disneyland with my daughter, is first.
There are castles there too.

Pink Goblet via Honolulu, HI

My mom found this for .50 or $1, she doesn't remember which. She found it at Goodwill in Honolulu, HI.  She, my brother, and sister in law a.k.a "Uncle Mary" went there in honor of myself, who was not jealous they were in Honolulu as I went to work and lived my doldrum life, shopping at my non-tropical Goodwill.

I was proud of my mom, who knew I would enjoy this vintage piece.  I've seen a few online at Etsy and eBay. A set of 4 is going on eBay for $16.50.  Another set of 4 on eBay is going for about $35. I saw only one on eBay going for about $15 as well.  Good job mom! None of them say in their description they came from Honolulu though; pretty cool.

A brief thought crossed my mind about going to all the Goodwill stores in every state and if this is a worthy goal, worthy of this short life.  I don't think it could hurt...stopping at the local Goodwill store if one happens to be in that state, for other worthy reasons, such as visiting friends or family, or for business related reasons...or just for a family vacation.

Here's a picture my mom took in Hawaii.  I can't think of any reasons I should want to go there...especially now that I know that Honolulu, HI itself has several Goodwill stores...

See what I mean? What's so special and appealing about Hawaii is beyond me.  I'm glad I stayed home and stayed true to my normal routine.  Going off beaten paths is for the the birds.  Speaking of birds, apparently, in Hawaii there are chickens that run wild.  Isn't that so cute?

My mom knew that lately I've come to appreciate "Depression Glass", which was a cheaper form of glass that was mass made in the Depression era. It's easily found at thrift stores although from what I've come to see sometimes it's priced kind of high, so I usually just buy it if it's on sale.

If you Google "Depression Glass" it will give you tons of information and images.  Some collectible things are not aesthetically pleasing, but in my humble, uneducated opinion, Depression Glass is appealing to the eye, although some items aren't as functional in today's culture, which I guess is true of a lot of vintage items. It does have a minimalist look that is appealing as well.  It's beautiful and has a unique, pretty look, without being too frilly or gaudy, as some antique items are.

As always I wonder about the previous owners of these items, that come into my possession.  Goodwill is probably not overly curious about the immense amount of history that walks through their doors everyday.  What is neat is that they give items a chance to live on and continue to create history, instead of being tossed away.

Our culture definitely seems to be reckoning to its past and the days of old, where vintage items are symbolic of a culture that was more simple than it is today.  It makes sense why we want to have a piece of this part of our past, because a lot of it is non-existent now, except for the oral traditions, the pictures, and the items that we pass down from generation to generation and the historians who try to preserve the memory of these items and the people and time they represented.

I hope that I can find a twin for my pink goblet.  Only she knows where her other siblings are and how they came to be separated.  Maybe fate will help her reunite with a long lost sister.  If not, she has other cousins in my closet that she can reminisce with.  Someday she'll have a hutch or something of that nature where she'll be proudly displayed and/or used.

Which reminds me of a story about dinnerware and glass, real quick, and then I'll be done.
So, my husband and I registered for our wedding gifts at Dillard's and Target.  Someone told us we should register at both, so we did.  The lady that helped us register at Dillard's didn't seem to mind that we were keen on all the Fiesta ware, but she was also insistent that we register for China.  I tried to explain to her that I'm not really a China kind of girl, but she was having none of it and said we needed at least one style of China for entertaining; Again not an entertainer by nature; a people-pleaser, yes, so I spent several minutes looking over all the China options behind the glass walls, until I was able to narrow my choices down to two options, and then one.  I proudly told the lady my China choice, thinking she'd be proud of me too for picking something which fit my personality.

She looked at my choice and stated: "Well, that's so casual, you might as well just stick with the Fiesta.".

BTW I've tried to find Fiesta at Goodwill but haven't had any luck :( yet....

Green Vintage Candy Dish

I found this for $1 at Goodwill because yesterday purple and blue were $1.  I love Thursdays! It took awhile but I finally found it's twin going on eBay for about $35. Since I don't know yet how to sell on eBay, it occurred to me that maybe I should use the things I buy instead of have them sit in the back of my closet with my wedding dress and great-grandmother's quilt. I intend to hang up the quilt but need to find a place on my wall that's not hit too much by direct sunlight.  I feel so out of my league sometimes in loving and caring for vintage items.

I don't want to be a mini-hoarder or a real hoarder.  Every item has a story, whether we know it or not.  When it comes from Goodwill one can only imagine the travels the item has taken in its life.  For vintage items, like this one...it's been a long life.  It's outlived my grandmother's who owned it without breaking or cracking or getting tossed out with other junk or trash...and it finds itself on a shelf at Goodwill.  I'm sure it got to be a candy-dish at one point, probably earlier in it's life.  Who knows how long it's sat in a cupboard or hutch, looking pretty, because now as a vintage item, it's job is to look pretty, and not break.  I wish I knew its story and the story of its owner(s) who loved it and bought it or received it as a gift.

I don't think it belongs in the back of my closet until the day I decide to learn how to sell stuff on eBay, but I don't want it to break, get lost or stolen.  The cats would have a hey-day with it.  If I put candy in it their little paws would have no end of fun trying to get all the candy out, onto the floor and spread around the house.  If I put little scraps of paper in it, even better, from their perspective.

I guess I need to invest in a hutch.  Not sure when I might find one at Goodwill, or somewhere else.  If I could quit my day job to hutch-hunt, I would.  I think I missed my calling somehow.  I've been doing some thinking about that and how items reflect our culture (Material-Culture).

I'm pretty sure I was meant to be a hutch-hunting studier of Material-Culture/Recorder.
Oh well, for now I need to focus on one thing at a time...
My priority is to find a place on my wall for that quilt.

Vintage Metal Trays: Floral x Dos

This picture did not come out great...I'm definitely not a photographer although at times my camera hits the button at the right moment and a magical picture emerges.  I enjoy pretending that I did it on purpose. I intend to make a Shutterfly book of all these "Perfect Storm" pictures someday...all 10 of them...some of them need to be framed.  Anyway, that's my disclaimer for today.  Looking at this first picture may make you feel like you're sliding off a very sloped roof...just hang on...it's only 3.5 feet to the floor.

I found these at Goodwill for .99 each.  On Etsy I saw one of these going for 9$. eBay has a variety as well. A lot of trays these days are tin or aluminum; not a metal expert...but these feel more substantial.  I'm not sure what year they were made but they do appear vintage, maybe 50's era.  When I think about trays, they seem kind of small, however if you were to put coffee on it or a tall glass of orange juice and a plate of breakfast, it would hold; these are definitely not flimsy.  The blue/green color reminds me of my dad's old 56' Chevy which was also made to last.  I've heard they don't make them like they used to.  And why would they? If someone owns one car in his/her lifetime, it only benefits the owner of the car, certainly not the people making/selling the cars.  I don't know. I'm not an expert on economics, but this makes sense to me.  Either that or the craftsmanship and pride people once had in creating things that last failed to get passed down to the next generation.  I doubt this is the case, but maybe it's just my pessimism coming out.

Well, as miniature as these trays seem, they were definitely made to stand the test of time.  One of them has a small dent in it; not sure if it's from years of wear and tear; being passed around from box to box, house to house, well loved and well used; or if it was from being piled high with other Goodwill junk. These trays are aging well.  As usual, I'm not sure what I will choose to do with them; they would make nice wall-art, leaning against the wall on a floating shelf; reminding of simpler days past.

 If I ever learn the art and science of selling on eBay, I may try to sell them. They don't take up much room, so for now they'll chill out with some other Goodwill paraphernalia...that is until I find some floating shelves...or learn eBay whichever comes first.

Talavera-Not: Talavera Not-Again

My ex-co-worker/friend gave this to me; the same ex-coworker, not ex-friend, (if you're like me and hate double negatives, she's no longer my co-worker, but still my friend) who gave me the green vase in the previous post.

She handed it to me so casually as if she was handing me a piece of mail. I eagerly accepted and said: "You don't want it?".  She shrugged and said matter-of-factly, "I don't like knick-knacks, you do." True...can't argue with that one...You got me there...

For the record, I don't have a clear memory of ever self-disclosing this information to her, but being a skilled studier of human behavior, herself, she must have picked up on my frequent trips to Goodwill as well as my rants and ravings about this blog and all the great deals I find (And someday am determined to learn how to sell).

Well, this cute little bowl, was free to me, and per my friend, a re-gift from her friend (We won't tell). Her well-meaning friend had obviously not picked up on the fact that she wasn't a knick-knack girl.  The friend had picked this up in Mexico and my friend said it could be "Talavera." Tala-what? You know, Mexican pottery.

Wikipedia has some good information and basically says that authentic Talavera has to be made in Puebla, Mexico or surrounding areas.  In addition, there's a certification process that needs to occur for something to be authentic "Talavera".  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talavera_(pottery).

Another blog post says: "If the piece does not have a signature from the shop that created it at the base, and does not say that it is from Puebla, it is not authentic."   
This is from Ashley at
http://borderculturebeat.blogspot.com/2007/10/talavera-pottery.html.

I'm guessing this piece here is not authentic, unless the "Lead Free Mexico" shop is an authentic Talavera workshop in Puebla, Mexico.

Nevertheless, it was fun to research and learn about Talavera.  I will keep my eyes open now for real Talavera at my favorite thrift stores, since I'm now an expert (sense sarcasm).

But actually since starting this blog, I have been intentionally working to learn more about the knick-knacks I find, buy, love, and hoard/don't sell.

I think my friend's observation about my liking knick-knacks speaks to a deeper truth about my identity (Do enlighten us)...I think that one of the reasons I love knick-knacks is because they represent cultural heritage and identity.  The knick-knacks speak about our ancestors and therefore give us clues to our own identity.  Being identity challenged on some levels, I find it fascinating to aborb new information about myself through stuff, or as I am wont to call it, crap.

I think the love of knick-knacks is also somewhat in my DNA on the cellular level (Am I being redundant; I'm not a geneticist) however I do wonder if I may be a carrier not only of certain family diseases (yippee) but also of knick-knack-adoration, you know KKA.  It must live somewhere on the 8th chromosome. I've mentioned before how my grandmother loved and collected knick-knakcs, many of which I have inherited.  My aunt as well has a large collection of knick-knacks while maintaining a very organized home.  The knick-knacks are all given their place and are all accounted for.  If one went missing, she would know.

Growing up my mom would collect Christmas tree decorations and at first it was hard for someone as practical as my gradeschool self to understand why people would collect things that you only use for 5 months out of the year (Yikes; I admit we stretch the Christmas season out for as long as we can).  Needless to say, I get it now.  Christmas decorations are a timeline, a tangible, seasonal, scrapbook of experiences and moments and instead of gluing them into a scrapbook or attaching them to a shadowbox, they hang on a tree, with lights, candycanes, and burlap.  Duh!

Needless to say, I have too many decorations to collect anymore, although I'd be lying to say the temptation wasn't there.

I found something on Pinterest the other day that I'm going to try and make...what? I'm going off on a tangent.  That's a red flag that I need to stop typing...and I will right after I conclude.  Goodbye.

Pottery a la TJMaxx

My ex co-worker gave this to me on her way out...Sayonara! I think people are more generous when they leave one environment for a much better environment...No that's not true, she was always generous and often I would come back to my office to find little gifts and goodies.

I can't find my picture of the bottom with the price tag, so you'll have to trust me on this one...It's from TJMaxx and it was $12.99.  I was dubious that she paid this amount...not that the vase isn't cute, but 12.99 for a vase!  I asked her: "So did you get this on sale or clearance?" She shook her head no.  I couldn't help but act surprised because at a thrift store, this would have been $2.99-ish.  Under the tag was nothing...that's the end of the sentence...nada, zip. No markings to identify its origins...so disappointing!

When I peered inside the green paint goes only as far as a paintbrush would go with some small drippings at the base, in the neck.  Certain places around the vase are smooth which made me wonder if there's such a thing as puckered paint.  I feel sheepish because I think I thought the vase itself was puckered, but the smoothness gives it away.  

I don't think "Puckered Paint" is the right phrasing because Google Images turned up some random pictures, many of which included puckered lips with bright lipstick...one in the shape of a lobster. Other information bent towards puckered paint not being a positive thing...

I Googled "Textured Paint" and Google Images turned up many different types of textured paint.  To be honest, I'm not 100% sure how this vase got its unique aesthetic, but I think it's pretty neat; not 12.99 neat, but if it ended up at TJMaxx who knows the original retail price...thanks to no markings, I'm not sure we'll ever know the true monetary value.  I'm not sure if I will keep it or if it will make a journey to Savers, nevertheless, I'm glad it got it's small 15 minutes of fame here on: CrapIfoundYOU, before gracing some other lucky person's table. Antique or not, it has a lot of charm.

Cabins, Cottages AND Summer Homes: Bernard S. Mason and Frederic H. Kock

This Goodwill find was $2.99.  It's copyrighted date: 1947.
You can read or listen to this book for free on this website:
https://archive.org/stream/cabinscott00maso.
The illustrations are SO COOL! See below. It looks like Bernard is the author, and Frederic, the illustrator. They have several books in the same genre...all vintage. This second on Amazon, there's a used copy going for $8.00 http://amzn.to/1r1MxTT.

I'm very familiar with the term "Cabin". "Cottage" and "Summer Home" aren't typical terms I hear or use often, except when I'm browsing Trulia: http://www.trulia.com; They often use "Cottage" to describe homes for sale; most of them are out of my price range, and are located in highly desirable Phoenix neighborhoods, such as Encanto.  So I guess, by "browse" I really mean "drool".  I think it's neat though because with all this Mid-Century Modern stuff going on, it's refreshing to see the Cottage style, still in style, still going strong.  There are tons of Houzz articles on Cottages.
I took a Houzz Quiz about what style of house I should live in, fully expecting Cottage or Ranch but apparently...I should live in a Colonial Revival type house...who would've thought?

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/29914917/list/houzz-quiz-what-style-of-house-should-you-live-in

An article in Houzz by Becky Dietrich defines a Cottage as any single-family home with square footage around 1200.

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27105525/list/8-benefits-of-cottage-living.

I agree that that is one of the things so charming about cottages, is their small footprint; They're all about quality over quantity...and they're so darn cute!!


As far as Summer Homes go: Wikipedia says they are vacation homes people have "For relaxation in warm weather" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_house.  Ah! No wonder, this concept has eluded me!  From where I hail, surviving the "warm" weather with some grace, is a mark of heroism.  As a native of Phoenix, AZ I take pride in being one of those people who says: "You're complaining about 100 degree weather; try 118".  My husband can recall the exact circumstances surrounding the record breaking 122 degree temp on June 26th, 1990.  Somehow we all survived; yet this is coming from someone who owns an "I survived the Great Phoenix Haboob, July, 2011" T-shirt.  I guess we all need something to complain or boast about.

Although, not to minimize the dangers of the home of the Phoenix Suns. Skin cancer is a major problem and issue, which I know personally.  I'm a skin cancer survivor and still don't utilize sunscreen like I should.  Sad face.  I digress.

So, I think the point I'm making here is. When I win the lottery, I'm moving to a cottage in Encanto, donating resources to skin cancer research, and buying a cabin in the high country.  I might as well rip the Summer Home pages out of this book for their beautiful illustrations and make them into art.  I can live vicariously through those who need a break from the cold...not that I envy freezing temps...that's why I live here! Sheesh!

Pottery Barn Kids: Christmasy

I found this at Savers for $2.99.  It's bright red, metallic, organizing-ness called to me.  I love Christmas so the free Christmas stickers were a bonus.  It hails from Pottery Barn Kids.  I tried to  find one in the internet-sphere but could only find more pail-like or felt containers from Pottery Barn.  By the way, eBay, has a lot of Pottery Barn items and it's not too hard to find PB paraphernalia in thrift stores. 

At first I used this bucket to hold CD's.  In fact, I'm sure that's what Pottery Barn had in mind when they created this red CD holder.  I don't use iTunes and we have a large, 1991 Boom Box which is such a space hogger, by the way, but I refer to it to justify the CD reference. Anyway, now it holds random, small games and dice.  The Boom Box is now hogging up room in the office/junk room.  My desire is that it would end up at Savers but my husband won't get rid of it because "It still works", which I translate to mean that he has an emotional attachment to it and even though he's an iTunes pro, will continue to hoard any kind of sentimental "working" technology. Well, now it's the office's/junk room's problem.  Good riddance; The game room will miss you but will find a way to move on. 

Warren Kimble: American Cow

I found this in a three tiered wood frame at Savers.  It's heavy-weight paper glued to some very thick cardboard.  I didn't buy it for the artwork; I bought it for the frame and this came free.

Until today, I never bothered to look up the artist, Warren Kimble.  Okay, not to be dramatic but he is one of my new favorite artists!

Art.com carries his work: He does a lot of animals and scenery.  It's all so beautiful and idyllic!


 http://www.art.com/gallery/id--a1660/Warren-Kimble-posters.htm?RFID=571502&domain=com&keyword=Warren+Kimble&KWID=872167935&CTID=2123158260.

Check out this Daschund! http://www.art.com/products/p1445229036-sa-i4155431/warren-kimble-good-dog-iii.htm.

You can check out his stuff on Google Images too: Here's one from Google Images:

Here's his website: http://warrenkimble.com/about-warren-kimble/.

Write on Me: Chevron Meets Chalk

I found this at Saver's for .99.  My daughter found it also and I give her credit because I found it first but decided it wasn't essential. As it turns out, it was...at least to my daughter, who once home, quickly forgot about it.  I didn't want it to end up in a toy bin, lost, dented, unused for all of eternity, so I rescued it and now it's at least in the open air...I actually haven't decided what it's purpose should be, but I'm sure it will find one...knowing our household it will end up containing either pens, change, or M&M's...yes, we're an original household. It had a sticker on it that said "Write on Me".  Has anyone ever invented chalk that's as thin as pens? Those would be useful for the space, given here. 

I put this tin canister in the functional art category because Chevron is very in these days, and for good reason...it's pretty!! And that's a fact.  The chalk sticker thing gives it even more character and versatility.  I won't ever write the name of the items which it holds...that's redundant, in my most humble opinion.  It's not like I'm a rebel though.  It won't write "PENS" on it if I'm using it for plastic silverware...but I also won't write "PENS" on it if it's containing...Pens. 

I think it was a good investment for .99, even though I could've gotten a can of refried beans for about the same amount, of which we buy large amounts at Costco.  I doubt I would have found this at Costco for .99, and I think the refried beans will probably be there tomorrow, so that justifies my purchase. 

The identifying sticker on the bottom says: Manufacture name: Nanzhou Hardware Arts. When I Googled this name a lot of weird websites came up and none had this item.  Etsy, Oriental Trading Company, and Amazon: http://amzn.to/1zuxZ4v had something similar without the chalkboard thing. 

The only other Chevron item I own at this time is a gift bag that my daughter received for her birthday.  I forgot what was inside, but I kept this gift bag and it hangs on my closet doorknob. Right now it's job is just to sit and look pretty.  Someday I envision making it into an art project, but who has time for art projects? 

Flower-Power

I found this metal flower at Bookman's for $5.50.
http://bookmans.com.

This website has something slightly similar:
http://www.countryporch.com/darice/view.asp?item=106-4740M

Amazon has something in the neighborhood:
http://amzn.to/1nt2L9Z

Bookman's description says they buy, sell, and trade the following:
used books, music, movies, video games & musical instruments.


They also carry lots of very random knick knacks.  They have a separate area for the non-book, non-DVD, non-musical items, but they also have knick knacks interspersed between the various book genres and they do a fantastic job with matching the knick knacks to the book genre.
  
For example, I was validated and amused to see a benign enough looking clown sitting on a small floating shelf, next to  used books in the Horror genre.  I'm in that category, dare I say the majority, who sees clowns for what they are:  People in disguise who can literally get away with murder or any other crime and remain justifiably anonymous, due to their culturally acceptable costume. Nevertheless, a part of me felt bad for the clown because I doubt it's creator wanted it to the representation of evil incarnate, sitting next to used Horror novels.  It's creator, most likely meant it to be a comfort for small children, who's brains aren't yet developed enough to sense evil. 

In the "Beauty" section is where I found this too-cool flower. At first, I thought it was just a flower statue, knick-knack, but soon realized it was for holding jewelry.  My mom told me that earrings go into the perforated holes in the flower petals. Shows, how much I know about jewelry, let alone beauty, in general.  I keep all my "jewelry" in a painted, porcelain, flip flop box, I painted at one of those paint your own pottery places. I've never been huge into beauty products but this flower jumped into my Bookman's basket and made itself right at home with a plastic-bird-house church tower.  

The Sociology section had two carved wooden heads, male and female.  The Medical section had a small wooden Pharmacy and so forth.  It's too fun. I didn't pay attention to the non-book items in the "Self-Help" section because I was too busy trying not to laugh at the book titles.  Also, I was "cashe-trophizing" that someone would snag my flower while I was distracted by titles such as: "Why Men Marry Bitches" and "Strangling Your Husband is Not an Option." 
"Why Men Marry Bitches" is going this second, on Amazon for less than $14.00 http://amzn.to/WI5cvt.


"Strangling Your Husband is Not an Option" is available at Amazon too: http://amzn.to/1urce6A.

I think authors and publishers are on to something with this catchy title phenomenon.  They definitely caught my attention.

Another title that caught my attention was in the "Writing" section, entitled: "The Writer Got Screwed but Didn't Have to." http://amzn.to/1t8FFc1. I may go back and snag that one, someday, if it's still there. I mean, why get screwed, if you don't have to?

The point is, I could spend all day at Bookman's but usually only have a couple hours to spare, which feels more like 10 minutes.  I think I did an okay job snagging this flower find and maybe it will inspire me to wear more jewelry...goodness knows I could use some bling in my life.

House2Home: Wise Sayings.

I found these at Savers for $3.99 each.  I know! I wish they were only $1.99 each, but considering House2Home sold them for $19.99 each, it's not a bad deal.

I had never heard of House2Home before. There's a House2Home Store website: http://www.house2homestore.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=33.  It looks pretty cool, but it says House2Homestore.com; not sure if it's the right store.  They have a FB page too: https://www.facebook.com/House2Homestore

This website: Seattle 2nd Hand: http://hongqiaomarket.jimdo.com/buy/collectibles/framed-art/
is selling them for $15.00 each.

Anyway, it occurred to me that since I don't know Chinese, this artwork may be saying something other than its English translation. Lucky for me, my sis-in-law speaks Mandarin and was able to satisfy my suspicions of possible American-Artwork-Monolingual-Ignorance, you know (AAMI). The last thing I would want would be someone to frequent my powder room with mocking or obscene statements bearing down on them, unsuspecting, thinking they're absorbing positive vibes, when really they're just being insulted for not knowing Chinese!

I think I've defensively stated this before but, usually I don't like artwork with simple, cliche-like sayings, but this smallish, bilingual pair, with plastic bamboo frame-outline-thing won me over, as an exception to the rule.  Usually when people, or inanimate objects tell me common-sense, generic, sayings, my initial response is "YOU LISTEN TO YOUR HEART!!!!!" and "LOVE DOES NOT HEAL ALL, WHATEVER." Maybe it's all in the way it's stated.  For some reason, I don't feel patronized by these two, humble, statements and patronizing word-art is nothing to laugh about.

They've found a home on my bathroom wall, which, by the way, needs a major paint job.  What color goes well with gray? Anyway, someday in the next two years, they will go smashingly with their new background, and that background will NOT be taupe or tan or beige...I don't know if I can wait two years.  Of course I would design a room with my Savers art as the foundation...what else would it be, the vanity? I rest my case.

DIY: Word Art: Crap I made YOU

So I found this plastic faux-metal frame at Savers for $1.99.  I wanted something round for that particular blank space on the wall.  I thought this would do it, despite the square corners.  Long story short...it didn't cut it.  I couldn't pretend its hard edges weren't there.  I've never been great at denial.

I decided it needed some spray paint and I had red and green left over from Christmas.  I cut these sayings out of magazines and taped them onto the background with that patterned tape used for scrapbooking...it holds pretty well (And someday I will make page two of my child's scrapbook). I moved it to another place on the wall and eventually, you'll be happy to know, found another round-round item to put on the wall.  For those of you who are waiting with baited breath...I shall tell you.  It's a mirror that looks like a porthole...it's awesome.  My husband told me he had one in his bathroom as a child.  I wasn't sure what to make of that but at least I knew it was somewhat...not young...approaching vintage status possibly.  I will discuss it in a future post, if I can figure out how to photograph it without myself in the picture (Need we say Vintage Pantry Queen Mirror).

Language is powerful.  I am guilty of not using language to my advantage, although my job is to use it to other's advantage and empower themselves to do the same...easier said than done (no pun intended).

I hope our digital age doesn't eradicate paper formats because there's something so therapeutic about taking words out of their original context and using them in a whole new and different way.  Talk about coloring outside the lines...I mean usually taking things out of their context is frowned upon, but magazines make it so easy and tempting.  We should not pass up an opportunity for a beautiful, tangible magazine...because who knows for how long we will be able to take scissors to paper, without feeling guilty...this is one thing tablets etc will never be able to replicate.  Call me old fashioned...exclaims the blogger.

Hallmark Little Gallery

I found this little treasure at Goodwill for .69.  The saying is hallmark-y for sure, but how cute is it! I'm glad the sticker is still on it because I never knew Hallmark had a "Little Gallery" collection. I found the following paragraph from this link: http://ornaments.freeservers.com/guide/lg/index.html

The Little Gallery was introduced by Hallmark in the early 1970s and ended in early 1984. The line included figurines, plates, placques and decorative items primarily produced in pewter, porcelain and Australian Crystal. Prices for the pieces ranged from $12 - $80. 

Popular pieces included Betsey Clark, Mary Hamilton and Joan Walsh Anglund children. There seems to be a demand on the secondary market now for the Muppet Collection pieces. A series of mice, Cheddar and Co are also popular.

Hallmark sold the copyrights for Cheddar and Co and Betsey Clark pewter to Hudson in cooperation with the New England Pewter Co., who continued to produce the pieces after 1984 without the Little Gallery Logo.

Of special interest is a plate named "Special Day" produced in 1984. This plate was originally to be used for Father's Day and Mother's Day, but with the line discontinued - they produced the plate in small quantities and offered it to dealers for the "Special Day" of the end of the Little Gallery. http://ornaments.freeservers.com/guide/lg/index.html. 

When I googled "Little Gallery Mice" as referenced in the above paragraph, links for miniature mice figurines came up as well as some other Hallmark miniature collectibles. Some are being sold on Etsy, like this one:

Little Gallery Hallmark Ceramica Plaque showers of kindness fill hearts with Sunshine Tague Kitschy Walnut Frame Girl and Ducks

https://www.etsy.com/listing/159666278/little-gallery-hallmark-ceramica-plaque?ref=market for $12.  This one has the artist: Tague

Other similar "Little Gallery" pictures show the artist such as Betsey Clark and Walsh Anglund.  Mine, as shown, doesn't have an artist's name. Darn.   If you have any Hallmark Little Gallery items, they may be worth money because many of them are now collectibles.

On Ebay this same item sold for $9.95.  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hallmark-Little-Gallery-Wood-Plaque-Love-Isnt-love-til-its-given-away-Mouse-/121269823266
I can't find out any other information about this one specifically.

This picture made me recall the FRIENDS episode (Sorry had to put a link to the full series seeing as I always reference these 6 goofballs) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1LN8WY/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00B1LN8WY&linkCode=as2&tag=crifoyo-20&linkId=4AVE2FEYNTECZSLS
where Joey and Phoebe argue about if there's such as thing as a selfless act.  Phoebe believes it's possible to do something selfless without receiving anything in return.  To make her point she goes out and lets a bee sting her so the bee could "Look tough in front of all his bee friends", while she didn't receive anything except for a painful sting.  Joey broke the news to her that after she did this, the bee most likely bit the dust.  Needless to say, this news was not received well, not to mention, how did Joey all of a sudden become the smart one? Maybe he learned it from the Encyclopedias he bought from the Encyclodpedia salesman, or maybe, Joey, like many others in this world are underestimated.  I just found that ironic.  I would have pictured Ross or Chandler to have spoken up and enlightened Phoebe to this bit of trivia.  Alas, Joey had his moments where he could give the others a run for their money.

I interpret this mouse in my Little Gallery treasure to be offering this bee his flower at the risk of being stung. The mouse does not appear to be a martyr because it's smiling as if to say: "Joey and Phoebe, your argument is silly because I can give this flower to Mr. bee and receive joy at the giving without worrying about if I'm being selfless or not." If the artist had shown him/herself we could possibly verify that, but now we'll never know.  It's speculation at this point.  We'll all have to find a way to sleep at night without knowing exactly the extent of this mouse's angst at sharing his flower.

We do know, however, at least from "Cinderella" that cartoon mice seem to have somewhat cheerful, selfless dispositions, not to mention singing and dress-making abilities, but their relational skills are quite pronounced (at least from what I've gathered from watching "Cinderella" several dozen times). I don't feel like putting a link to the DVD "Cinderalla" because if you haven't seen it by now...well...we'll just leave it at that.

What's neat about this miniature picture is that it doesn't take up hardly any space on the wall; it's lightweight and did I mention how darn cute it is! That's a fact, no opinions here. No wonder miniature things are so desirable.  How did this line ever stop getting produced? We may never know.  Again, lets not lose any sleep.  Just let it bee.

Like Totally

I found this at Goodwill for $2.99.  I'm not sure why the word "Radical" wouldn't be carved into a soft wood plank thing.  I don't feel like going to Wikipedia right now and finding the origins of this tubular word. I just don't.  I need a break from Wikipedia.  I'm sure I'll come back to it, seeing as it has the answers for everything.  If the reader feels deprived I will gladly research it for a later time, after I've come through safely on the other side of Wikipedia burn-out

This time I'm rebelling (gasp); just like the soul who decided the best word on the planet to carve into a stray piece of wood would be "Radical".  I'm assuming the person wanted to avoid any cliche wood-words like: "Cowboy", "Campground" or "Outhouse".   Thankfully they agree with me that having word art like: "Laundry", "Bathroom" and "Eat" grace the very same rooms where those functions obviously take place due to the other non-verbal material culture (need we safely assume that if a washer and dryer are present, this is the correct room in which to do laundry, and if there is a refrigerator, table, island, dishes, and most telling...food, this would hint towards it being a place where one would most likely eat) is outright silliness for lack of more righteous phrasing.  But, alas, each to his own.  Who am I to judge?  I have a "Radical" sign hanging above a bright orange locker filled with mugs.  I appreciate symbolism but sometimes carving a random, vintage-like word into a left over piece of scrap just seems to be the right choice.  Sometimes making sense of things is just boring.  I fully support the word-choice even though it seems like this sign would be seen hanging somewhere in a Route 66 Cafe and instead of "Radical" it would most likely say "Ladies" or "Gents".

There's no telling markings on this artwork to indicate that it was mass-produced although if tomorrow I found something similar at Pottery Barn I wouldn't be surprised (need we say Aluminim Rolodex).

Maybe I'm trying to find some good reason that this word should stand alone in my kitchen.  What's the story behind it to justify it's mysterious, non-identifiable, capitalized, non-apologetic space hogging, randomness?

Well, I don't have one! I just think it's cool.  I think it's rad.  I think it's bold.  I've realized I could use more boldness in my life and less defensiveness, while we're at it. I'd like to be able to speak my mind with conviction,  and make my point succinctly enough to not bore people, but leave them wondering about me, but not in a cryptic, creepy way, as if I had a double-life and was leaving some mysterious message for only a rogue detective to find along the path of my shattered, law-evading existence, but in a "Wow, she's authentic, I'd like to hear more of her bold thoughts and opinions."

I'm sure it's a fine line...as it was for this young sap who decided to go with his heart and etch a word that felt right at the time...He may have gotten fired from his job etching boat dock signage, or Old Western Paraphernalia, but it was worth it.  He was true to himself in his writing, another good lesson to take.  And I don't care that I ended that last sentence with a preposition and started the new one with "And"; the tides are changing, yes they are.

"Creating the Peaceful Home" and other original blog post titles.

 My blog post title is not original because I took it directly from the title of this book: "Creating the Peaceful Home" by Ann Rooney Heuer.  Goodwill gave it to me after I gave them $3.99.  I wish I could tell you I got it on dollar day but I don't remember, so we'll just leave it at $3.99 to stay conservative.  There's the spirit.

I do remember it was a relaxing day.  Me and my husband had a date-day for some odd reason, but we obviously didn't question it.  We headed to a Mexican restaurant for lunch, close to our hood, which had been referred to us by our neighbors, one of which, has the appropriate street cred, being Mexican herself.

 I took a picture of the patio because it was colorful and nicely shaded with trees that bent over due to some condition with their roots; I don't know.  I'm not an arborist.  I hoped the trees weren't in pain or had Degenerative Disc Disease or Osteoarthritis in order to bring natural shade to the patio patrons, but ignorance is bliss on that one.

We enjoyed three different flavors of salsa which were displayed in a three salsa holder dish-contraption.  It was awesome! After enjoying the salsa...and food, we headed next door to Goodwill, my mother-ship (Legally Blonde).   There, among Italian flash cards, I snagged this super cool find.  Today (disclaimer) you can snag it on Amazon, used in hardcover or paperback for .01.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1567997996/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1567997996&linkCode=as2&tag=crifoyo-20&linkId=DECOQE2HKSQG4HWD.

As far as Ann Rooney Heuer goes, she has a website and several blogs:
http://www.annerooney.com/#!online/c1nep
http://www.stroppyauthor.com
http://bookvivisection.blogspot.co.uk
http://awfullybigblogadventure.blogspot.co.uk

Amazon has a short biography on her:
http://www.amazon.com/Anne-Rooney/e/B001H6S7RO

I wish I could feign surprise at myself for buying this item since the internet has been working hard to make picture books extinct, at least in tangible-book format.   We have magazines, we have www.Houzz.com; we have Google Images, none of which I begrudge, in fact the opposite.  I am a non-traditional picture book addict.  Although, I still have some values and have resisted giving in to any tablet-like things. Therefore, since I insist on being politically correct and pleasing all involved, I try to keep my foot in both worlds.

I still like to smell and touch real books and I like to scroll through images on my phone, so sue me! Do I miss getting papercuts when I'm image-scrolling? No, but the other day I got a shred of glass lodged in my upper index finger, which remained there for a week and half until I finally tweezed it out after my co-worker suggested I show our on-site doctor and then stating emphatically: "You have glass in your finger!".  I never knew foreign objects lodged in fingers could cause so much pain; well now I do!

So, I don't regret this picture book.  I use it as decoration on my bookshelf; the cover is word art in itself.  It conjures up images of peaceful rooms and spaces, and invites one to retreat into safe, private, and secure retreats.

I think creating peaceful spaces is an inherent value within human nature.  We don't need any advance credentials or degrees to conclude that access to peaceful, serene, places are invaluable for people to grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

When I think about the TV show "Hoarders" or any similar show, I'm reminded how graphically it depicts what happens to ones health when his/her physical environment is not only unsafe and toxic, but ugly as well.  Even though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we all can safely assume: Hoarding = Bad; Cleaner than hoarding but not perfection = Good.

Now that we're all on the same page and not in danger of breaking any politically correct laws (Heaven forbid). I will conclude with an exhortation to not give up on our less than perfectly-peaceful   environments, despite the barriers of moola, time, energy, and all the other precious resources NOT at our disposal.

I've personally found that changing and investing in even small, little improvements and upgrades can  
improve my sense of wellbeing and productivity.  After we finally upgraded to faux wood window blinds from the disturbing paper window shades we lived with over a year, I actually cleaned the bathroom, and we weren't even expecting company...like just for fun.

Just something to chew on...

"In Small Things Forgotten".

I found this at Bookman's.  I think it was in the Sociology section, hidden unobtrusively amidst the mostly hardcover books.  I think that's partly what drew me to it.  There's something interesting about small, paperback books; they can pack a punch without taking up much space.

According to what I've read about the late Dr. James Deetz, he was known to be the world's leading expect on historical archaeology, as well as a colorful person and professor.  This little, humble, paperback book that I found for $2 is considered to be one of the main works on historical archaeology.

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/ioa/backdirt/Spr01/deetz.html

Above is a link for an article: "Remembering James Deetz" written by Merrick Posnansky.

This is another link about his publications: http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/jdeetzmem3.html.

I have an interest in the subjects of Environmental Psychology, Anthropology, and Archaeology and any subject that extends from that.  I think there's something symbolic about this lightweight paperback, less than 200 pages (including indexes), being a small item itself and yet it digs deep into early American history to find out how items relate to our culture and behavior.  What a vast subject, including so many different topics and themes, but not needing to be the biggest, baddest, most expensive hardcover textbook on the market.

As a former college student, I would have loved to find this on the school bookstore shelf, even at retail of $4, it wouldn't have broken the bank, and it wouldn't have been so intimidating to avoid cracking it open for as long as I could. I may have been able to read this in one sitting and then some while gaining a deep insight into American culture and history.

I appreciate this college textbook on many levels.  I have gotten into the first chapter and the material is fascinating.  I plan to carry it in my purse and read it during lunch.

Currently, on Amazon it's going for under $13:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385483996/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385483996&linkCode=as2&tag=crifoyo-20&linkId=KXOBDXUBUDJIBDTP.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall....Who snagged you first from Goodwill: Vintage Pantry Queen 4 Tier Dispenser.

 This super cool mirror was standing patiently on the edge of one of the knick knack shelves at Goodwill.  Somehow I missed it on my first two pass-throughs.  My arms were already almost full of Goodwill treasures and when I snagged this awesome vintage thing I headed straight towards the check-out.  My arms couldn't hold anything else anyway and I was running out of time.  I had a slight fear that someone would see it in my arms and try to steal it, but I think that's a common phenomenon when one finds a treasure one is ecstatic about or "Cranked" as they would say in the 50's, and catastrophizes that before one gets it safely home, it will be stolen, dropped, broken, or abducted by aliens.  I need to come up with a name for this phenomenon because I'm sure I'll refer to it again in the future...I shall call it: Cashe-astrophizing.  
"Cashe" being a synonym for "Treasure" and "Astrophizing" being the verb root of Catastrophizing.  Now that that's settled....

Obviously this awesome metal box, made by Pantry Queen is much more than a mirror.  It makes no bones about its original design as each of the four compartments is labeled: Saran Wrap, Alumnium Foil, Waxed Paper, and Paper Towels. Each edge is perforated and the compartments gradually get larger from top to bottom.

Okay, lets get to the fun stuff. On Ebay, currently, that's my disclaimer: Currently; one similar, but not as cool, because the labeling is off to the side is going for $55.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-Kitchen-Chrome-Pantry-Queen-4-item-Dispenser-Saran-Foil-Wax-paper-t-/261502863666?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ce2c90932.

Pantry Queen offered this same model in Copper as well; they also offered it in a 2 tiered version.  They seem to have all kinds of goodies on Ebay including trash cans and fun canisters, mostly metal.

I never really entertained the idea of using the coolest mirror in the world, as its original design.
Using things intended for their original design is about as in style as is wearing the same color head to toe...at least that's what I tell myself to justify never having to match.  Hey, I'm in style now.

I did entertain the idea of using it to hold dish towels or other light-weight, non-abrasive kitchen junk.   In the end, I decided that if old enough, functional art can retire and say: "I'm done working but I will gladly grace your walls as artwork of old times gone by." So, I've allowed it to retire and it's hanging only slightly off-level in the kitchen, where it looks awesome!

I paid $3.99 for it at Goodwill...and now I shall show it my goodwill by letting it "Hang Out" on my walls with no expectations.  Now, that's the life.  

Thanks to this "Cool" 50's Slang website: http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/staffdev/social%20studies/pdf/slang%20of%20the%201950s.pdf

Frames with Attitude: Rolodex Style

I guess you can call this Saver's steal, a frame.  It was in the general frame area if I remember correctly.  Since I love office supplies and cool frames I thought it would be ludicrous to not snag it.  I removed the price tag, but don't worry if it was more than $3 I would be greatly surprised.  I didn't see any other identifying marks on it and thought for a brief second that I might have stumbled upon something vintage-y, something rare.

When I got home I continued to look for anything identifying and eventually found it...yes, this Mid-Century Modern, functional art, cleverly mimicking classic office supply staple...is from Pottery Barn.

Don't get me wrong, I love Pottery Barn and I love the FRIENDS episode where Rachel tries to convince Phoebe that she buys all her cool stuff and furniture from flea markets, when really they all hail from...Pottery Barn.  Let's face it, Pottery Barn rocks and so does their non-flea market, paraphernalia.

I quickly went to Pottery Barn's website and tried to find how much this relic was going for retail.  To make a boring long story, a boring short story...my search turned up nada.

Ebay, Google, Amazon...nada, zippo, goose egg.

My husband told me it's made from Aluminum.  My first obvious question: And the street value of Aluminum these days would be....??

This website:
 http://www.vincentmetals.com/Daily_Aluminum_Prices.html

Says its $.82/lb.  My husband estimates this frame to be about 3 lbs which is $2.46. "Hello early retirement" to quote Paul Blart in "Mall Cop". http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024SQZRS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0024SQZRS&linkCode=as2&tag=crifoyo-20

I know from watching Pawn Stars: http://www.gspawn.com that if you don't know the real price of an item, then it could be worth millions...or zilch.  Since, this is the only Aluminum, Pottery Barn, Rolodex Picture Frame out there on the net that I can find...I'm going to price it at somewhere in-between zilch and a million and make it an even $500k...or let's make it an even $3...actually I think I'll just keep it for now because it's doing its job holding several dozen pictures, that you don't flip like a book, you roll...and when it does its classic somersault, you don't have to immediately get on the phone and act busy, you can just relax and do nothing...

And who knows...tomorrow the price of Aluminum may be an even $1.00...and if I've learned anything from this Recession it's the value of a $1.00.

Mini-Me

 I found this miniature log outside in the backyard.  I believe it's part of the Orange Tree that needed to be removed from our back porch.  It had deceased already so there was no guilt, other than the sadness of not having bought the house in time to save it...oh well.

It all worked out for the good of this miniature toy doll.  Her doll house is nowhere to be found, unless you look in Saver's...most of our unused treasures incarnate there.  I think she was fine hanging out with the CD's, picture frames, and games, but now that she has a slice of nature she seems much happier.

In therapy terms I believe I am projecting my own emotions and thoughts onto her...and by her I'm obviously referring to the inanimate, plastic, miniature, toy doll, who through no fault of her own has found herself homeless and living a lonely, vagrant life on the tough streets of the Arizona Room.

My point is...my Point is...Oh God I've forgotten the point: "What's Up Doc."
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WECAZ8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004WECAZ8&linkCode=as2&tag=crifoyo-20

My point, is that this Mini-Me represents myself sitting outside on our life-sized deceased Orange Tree stump.  Lucky for you, I didn't take a selfie, so you'll just have to imagine me sitting there, sipping some coffee in the early morning air, pensive, quiet, thoughts swirling around and around...Our back yard is far from the oasis we imagine it could be someday (at least, thanks to bulk trash, the toilet is no longer part of the scenery of our oasis-in-the-making).  But just having a small fragment of nature, where one can be still for a small moment out of the day, can do wonders.  In therapy world, we call this "Self-care".

Self-care is something that, like most, therapy concepts, is extremely, extremely, complex and cerebral...you probably wouldn't understand it...I'm just pulling your chain...it's COMMON SENSE and I have the school loans to prove it.

However, just because something is common sense doesn't mean that we as intelligent human beings are wont to abide by it.  In fact, many times, we take common sense and throw it out with the bulk trash (Like we did the other day with the truck tailgate).  Either that, or we go to school for higher education and after years and money invested, we emerge with a fancy piece of paper confirming that we are experts in common sense, and we'll hold ya to it!

I started this post intending on discussing the endearing qualities of miniature things and what makes them so darn cute and desirable...especially in a culture of super-sized-edness...Does this craving of extremes...either miniature or super-sized analogize the disappearing of the middle-class in America?

I'll leave that to the experts.

The Toothbrush Dilemma

 I found this small vase-like knick-knack in a box of my Grandmother's things in my husband's closet...one of his closets...he gets two closets; I get one...that's another story.

I was looking specifically for a home for my daughter's toothbri (plural for toothbrush).  Although Wiktionary disagrees and says "Toothbrushes" are the plural; I think Toothbri is much more fun:

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/toothbrush.

That aside, my daughters toothbri needed a home.  I'm sure many of us have heard the studies where toothbri are vulnerable to fecal matter in the atmosphere as they share the same airspace. I found an article which basically says, "Don't worry about it; fecal matter is everywhere." What a relief!

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/fecal-matter-on-toothbrush.htm

The Toohbrush Dilemma is an interesting one.  Or maybe it's not; maybe it's the most boring dilemma to ever come down the pike in 500 years. Nevertheless I make things "Waaaayyy too complicated" as my husband tells me.  So, maybe this was one of those times.  Why couldn't I keep her toothbri in the same spot.  Well, for one there's something about toothbri holders than even the "Clutter-Cozy" stylist such as myself says "Ewww, that's just gross...even my semi-annual cleaning won't be able to remove that grime."   I thought that a trip to Target or Fry's was needed to find the perfect toothbrush holder since the suction cup head things are lacking in suction-icity, but at least they provide some kind of barrier to the fecal infested air, we seem to all be breathing, all the time.

If there's anything  that www.Houzz.com has taught me, it's that just because products are made for something specifically doesn't mean you have to use it that way.  This vase-like knick-knack, hand-painted by me, herself, though probably intentioned for my Grandmother to use as a back-up hot sauce dish, or maybe something within to hold small wildflowers, is now being used as a toothbri holder, so sue me! But, I saved at least $10, reusing this piece of original art-work, which probably could have been sold on E-bay at a competitive price.

Life IS a verb...

Or is it just a noun...
could it be both a verb and a noun?

















I found this book at Savers. The tag said it was $2.99 but I don't know if Savers charges that much for non-hardcover books so maybe it was cheaper.

I bought it in in lieu of some other tempting titles including: "Beyond Parsley"; "Inside Steve's Brain", and "Freeing yourself from Environmental Illness."

On Amazon one of the hardcovers of "Inside Steve's Brain"  is quite pricey at $99...at least today...Don't worry the Savers version was paperback. This version is less than $15. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044KY0YY/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0044KY0YY&linkCode=as2&tag=crifoyo-20

You can snag "Beyond Parsley" which got good reviews on Amazon for $.01 or $7.51. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0960707611/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0960707611&linkCode=as2&tag=crifoyo-20

I couldn't find "Freeing Yourself from Environmental Illness" on Amazon.  I wish I had gotten that one too.

So, now to the winner of my book search at Savers "Life is a Verb" by Patti Digh.
On Amazon you can get it for $3.99 new or $.24 used...or you can check out Savers and get it for $2.99...you might save on shipping if you get it at Savers, unless you have Amazon Prime.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599212951/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1599212951&linkCode=as2&tag=crifoyo-20

This book started out as a blog:
http://www.37days.com

She writes about the 37 days between her step-father's diagnosis of cancer and his death.  She encourages others via writing activities and inspirational quotes to live life to the fullest.

I have mixed feelings about self-help books.  I think that part of me thinks I should be above self-help books because as a professional self-help-er I should know all the skills to fix mua-self.  The other part of me sees self-help books as a bunch of the same stuff hashed up and re-arranged differently, so what's the point of reading the same book in a million different nuances a million different times.

I was curious to see how much I am exaggerating with the amount of self-help books so I did some sleuthing.  Amazon has 20 pages of 16 each which equals 320.  Google has 44 pages of 9 each which equals 396.  So this is a tad shy of a million but still...

My curiosity was not gratified.  I Googled "How many self-help books are there in the world".  It brought up the same results as Suri which was the Wikipedia history of self-help books: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-help.

So, until I can prove there are at least a million self-help books in the world I will accept temporary exaggeration-defeat...for now.  But, 400 self-help books is still a lot of books.

Something was still not right.  Another virtual trip to Amazon resulted in 100 pages of 12 each, which equals 1200 (don't worry I did that one in my head) of mystery books.  My theory that self-help books being rehashed a million times is starting to develop some cracks.  Is the self-help genre really second fiddle to Fiction...Fiction meaning fake.  At least self-help is non-fake.  Yes, I seem to be defending my once scorned genre...this is why blogging is so helpful.

Google Books has 100 pages of romance novels.  Novel, meaning fake as well.  What's with people and their obsession with fake.  Something to think about.

In the meantime my curiosity is piqued to read the whole Wikipedia history of self-help books, because my first skimming (used as a noun) proved very interesting.

In my opinion memoirs should be a sub-category of self-help because learning from others' experiences can be very self-helping.  We learn what to do, what not to do.  I'm sure that if we read "Inside Steve's Brain" we would learn how to be self-motivated, creative, and a risk-taker.  Or, we could go read a self-help book on the above.

Google Books has 1000 memoirs.  So that makes our self-help tally (assuming memoirs are a sub-category of self-help) 1396; can we just round up to 1400? 1400 self-help books; now we've overtaken romance and mystery, thank goodness! This is approaching my million mark but I think if we assume that history, religious writings, biography, and autobiography also have strong ties to the self-help milieu then a million is not such as stretch.

Wow, what a tangent.  I definitely need a book on, "The need to be right."

Anyway, what I was saying is that I used to not think very highly of the self-help genre, where's my thesaurus; the self-help species.  However, through blogging I've learned that in light of my apparent opinions on the fake classifications, self-help doesn't come out so badly.

Self-help books are definitely cheaper than therapy.  They can "Change your life".  I had to put that in quotes because it seems like the self-help category pretty much owns that one.
Self-help books are full of statistics and interesting facts and psuedo-facts; a fascinating mixture of hard and soft science.  Whereas in the past reading a self-help book may have been perceived as "You're weird"; now it's perceived more like "You're normal; good for you and good job saving money on overpriced therapy".

They are also much easier to skim, in fact I'm sure that after I read the Wikipedia history I will learn that writing them for skimming purposes is a must for getting your self-help book published and on the New York Times Best Seller list.  "Go crazy on the bullet points" a self-help book for aspiring self-help writers would say.  You won't have to worry about losing yourself in a self-help book, like you might in a more fake genus, like romance or mystery.  Unlike those readers you are more balanced, more flexible.  Your book is not a new, temporary appendage.  You don't take it to the bathroom like...(well I'll stop comparing that doesn't become someone so enlightened). But let's just say... You, my self-help reader, are AWESOME, STRONG AND AMAZING!! Thank you, thank you.