More furniture

A quilt buddy of mine (Mary) has long had an extensive collection of Santa figurines.  Recently she decided to display it in a different manner so she wanted to sell the tall lighted display cases she'd been using.

A neighbor bought one of the cases.  While I was at our last quilt group get-together, Mary mentioned she was selling the remaining one and I said - I'm interested!  We agreed on a price and I set up a date and time with her to have it moved to my house.  That took place today.

Mary was rather astonished because my movers (Albuquerque Discount Movers) showed up early (that surprised me as well since I was still on the way to Mary's house when I got the call the movers were headed that way as well).  She was also impressed at the efficient way they handled things.  Apparently the neighbor's movers took well over an hour to get the first case bundled up and up the street to the neighbor's house.  Mine were in and out and had the case on the truck in about 15 minutes.

I've now got it set up at my house.  I do have one small problem.  In deciding on where to put it, I'd neglected to notice where the doors on the cabinet are located.  They're on the sides so I can't use the doors on the right since they're very close to a kitchen cabinet.  I think I'll leave it there for a while.  If having to put things in only on the left side begins to pall, I've got a Plan B location in mind.

Here's a picture of the cabinet with some of my cut glass in place.

I took the picture from the side since otherwise there'd be a lovely image of me reflected in the mirrors on the back.

I've had some folks (primarily at work) asking me if I'm done getting the house pulled together.  I have to explain that my old house was about 1,000 sq. ft.  The new house is a bit over 2,000 sq. ft.  When I moved, I only brought over about half the furniture in the old house.  So, I've filled in about 750 sq. ft. so far with a BUNCH more furniture to get.  Since I've no desire to go into debt by buying a bunch of furniture, I'm spacing out my purchases.  I figure it'll ultimately take me at least a year or more to finish my furniture buying.  Spread out the fun, so to speak.

Papillon

TREES! and other thoughts

A coworker made me laugh and laugh recently.  Her daughter is planning on going to law school and has been making some trips to various schools that she is interested in.  Two of the schools were William & Mary (Virginia) and UNC (North Carolina, of course).  Coworker and daughter scheduled a several day trip to check out the campuses.

Note:  both coworker and daughter (plus rest of their family) were born and raised in the Albuquerque metro area.  There's a reason there aren't a whole lot of tall native trees in this area, we are classified high desert.  (High because we're a mile above sea level and desert due to the fairly low levels of yearly precipitation.)

Coworker freely admits that in the past, when someone mentioned there aren't a whole lot of trees in the area, she would disagree with them gesturing at all visible trees.  (Most of which are imported species that have to be manually watered regularly.)

So imagine the looks on coworker's and daughter's faces when they land in Virginia.  Where there are more trees growing right up to the roadsides than there are in all of New Mexico.  They were stunned.  Coworker did have to laugh when her daughter commented that all those trees are 'unnatural'. 

Things have generally been quiet in my sphere of influence.  I did find yet another piece of cut glass today.  A lovely pitcher that only cost me $17.99 at one of the local Goodwill stores.  It's much lovelier in person.  I don't know why it looks so flat in this photo.

 

Tomorrow is the first of the twice-a-year book sales at the Albuquerque Main Library.  You show up between noon and 4 PM and grab a grocery bag.  Put as many books as you can in the bag.  You can fill up as many bags as you want (I average 4 bags).  Then you pay $5 per bag.  I love this sale.  I know I don't need more books.  But I sure do want them.

 

Papillon

 

I Love to Treasure Hunt

It sure has been a while since I've posted.

I've been trying to get my new house pulled together.  It has been slow and has all the prospects of being a long haul.  This is due to getting to buy more/new furniture.  At the old house, I had a bunch of old furniture (not old in a good way).  So I got rid of it.  The Salvation Army took the best of the stuff and the rest got hauled to the landfill.

I did keep some stuff, but need more.  The ordering process is relatively quick.  The delivery time seems to take forever.  So, I'm in hurry-up-and-wait mode.  I can't put books on shelves if the shelves haven't arrived yet.

On the other hand, I'm doing some searching while waiting.  Occasionally at Goodwill, you can find some nice things.  Granted, a great deal of the furniture at the stores is either dated or has been rode hard and put up wet.  However, it doesn't hurt to look.

I went to one store this afternoon and didn't see any furniture that came close to coming home with me. Then for some odd reason, my digestive tract had weird episode.  I'll spare you the details.  I immediately headed home to take some OTC stuff.  I waited around for a bit and the weirdness didn't recur.  So, I decided to go fill up the car to prepare the start of the week's commute tomorrow.  In the same strip center as the gas station is a different Goodwill store.

What the heck, I headed on over.  I didn't see any furniture that even remotely appealed.  However, when I walked into the store I saw a display of glassware.  I walked over and, be still my heart, there was a gorgeous cut glass bowl.  I immediately snatched it up.  It's mine, all MINE.  And for just $25.
Here's an overhead view.  The bowl is about 8 inches across.

Here's a side view.  The bowl stands about 6 inches high.

Interestingly, they had the cut glass bowl sitting out in an open display for anyone to handle.  Inside a locked glass case, they had another bowl.  I asked to see it as well.  It turned out to be just pressed glass.  Guess they didn't know the good stuff versus the OK stuff. 

If I stayed longer at the first store, I probably wouldn't have gone to the second store.  Leaving the bowl to go home with someone else. 

Score one for me!  Although some usable furniture would have been nice, too.

Papillon

P.S.  If any politicians are reading this, please end Daylight Savings Time.  NOW!

Treasure Hunt

I love going to Goodwill.  It's always rather like a treasure hunt.  Some days you find nothing much, other days, treasure!

I primarily go for books.  I like to have a good selection of reading materials on hand and I've found a lot of good things over the years.  One of my more fun book finds was a signed copy of Hedda Hopper's autobiography.  ("Thanks, pal!  Hedda Hopper")

However, starting a couple of months ago, I found some REALLY good items.  Specifically, some lovely cut glass.  I was at the Goodwill store on Paseo del Norte.  I'd found some books and was waiting in line to check out.  I looked into the glass-front case at the cash register and spotted three bowls.  One was a large bowl, about 10 inches across and about 4 inches deep.  Here's a photo looking straight down into the bowl.

The other two were smaller bowls, each with a different design.  They're about 4 inches across and are about 1 inch deep.  Here are photos looking down at each bowl and a side view of one of the bowls.

This is a side view of the 2nd of the two small bowls.

I got all three bowls for an average price on the tag of about $15 to $30.

At that point in time, I thought woohoo!  And that I'd gotten three lovely cut glass bowls for a great deal.

Yesterday, I was at the Goodwill store on Coors.  Once again, I found several books that I wanted to buy.  There was a line at the cash register so I wandered around the store.  I checked out their glass-front case but there was nothing in there I wanted.  I then wandered through the glassware section.  I didn't see anything I wanted on the first set of shelves.  Then I turned around and while perusing a second set of shelves, there was a lovely little cut glass dish.  It's a smaller version of a larger, similar piece I bought 25+ years ago.  Here are a couple of shots, one looking down (with an odd reflection) and one from the side.

It's about 3 inches wide and about 6 inches long.  As with the first three pieces, it's in good condition.  Yesterday I got an even better deal since nobody at the second store apparently knew what it was.  It was priced in line with the regular glassware and was only $2.99.  I snatched it up and went to the cash register.  I checked out and it's now mine!

All in all, I'm definitely going to keep my eye out in the future when I'm at the Goodwill stores here in town.

Papillon