Girl, put your records on

We discovered this local auction house that runs every Friday night. It's...well, it's a sight, that's for sure.  I swear there was a hair metal 80's rock legend in the house when i went.  As well as families eating ice cream, shop owners buying for their store, and other creatures coming out of the woodwork. A great place to people watch and item watch.

S sends me the listings every Friday b/c he really wants to go, even just to watch.  That's what we were supposed to be doing....rotating our chairs as they move around this giant room and watching, when he randomly bid on and won this circa 1917 Victrola.  (Rachel was spot on with that guess!)

No, there was no talk about it with me, his hand just shot right up, and bam. Victrola. Did we look at it closely before bidding? Negativo. Did we know there were gauges or scratches on it? That would be another no. But...it's still pretty cute. And not bad for 30 bones.

Bloggers are giving casters major love right now, and i loooove the shape of the piece.   How great would this be repurposed as a jewelry armoire or other bedroom storage.  Apparently this was S's idea if it didn't work...love that.

So, it slightly works.  The needle is dragging on the record, which is weighing it down so it doesn't spin.  Secretly i'm happy about this fact, because i want this to live in the bedroom.  Right now it's living in the dining room, as yet another thing the boyfriend needs/wants to work on.  You know, since it's not like we're finishing the basement or anything....

There is quite the musty smell coming out of them there drawers, but it doesn't seem to be fazing the ol' inspector. 

She's rather smitten.  She's a smitten kitten...(yeah, working in a spur of the moment Friends reference!)

She crawls thru the railings just to sit atop this thing.  Unreal. 

There were a few things i wanted to bid on, but they went for much higher prices than i'm willing to pay.  Why couldn't everything be as reasonable as Vic here?  I was scared to rub an eye, fix my hair, even yawn lest they think i'm bidding! 

Ever been to an auction? Do any impromptu bidding?  Just go to watch?

thrift share mondays, addicts anonymous, amaze me mondays,thrifty treasures,nifty thrifty tuesdays, trash 2 treasure,  whatever goes wednesday,  tales from bloggeritaville  treasure hunt, strut your stuff, everything but the kitchen sink,show and tell friday, catch as catch can,  show and share day, flaunt it friday, frugalicious friday, feature yourself friday, thrifty things friday, fabulous friday finds, the shabby nest, look what i found, all things good, bff open house, weekend bloggy reading, nifrty thrifty sunday, under the table and dreaming

A recent acquisition

Any guesses as to what our newest piece is?

She's pretty classic.  And jazzy.

What are everyone's weekend plans?  Tomorrow I'm heading to one of my favorite places to see Next to Normal and enjoy time with my mom, aunt, and cousin.  Can't wait for yummy lunch and hopefully a great show!  Sunday we'll be brunching with my dad, stepmom, brother, and others.  Family filled weekend, for sure.

Walgreens and Wellness

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I wish i was blessed with perfect vision.  No more squinting at signs, no more worry of driving at night-that glare!  However, the sweet relief of taking out your contacts, balling your hands into fists, and rubbing your eyes for the first time all day is a rather glorious feeling.  Contact wearers-am i right or am i right?  And as a soft contact wearer, i don't go anywhere without eye drops or rewetting drops.  You don't want those puppies getting all dried out and gross.  Because then you can't see.  And that is not good.

There are a few brands for certain objects that i'm loyal to, but rewetting drops does not fall into that category.  I like to keep a bottle in my work bag and one in my pocketbook, so i buy quite a few.   Knowing that the Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products have a 100% satisfaction guarantee as well as most containing the same active ingredients as other national brands and they are usually less expensive is a definite plus in my book.

Another plus is their community outreach, the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™.  I like a big company that gives back, makes me want to support them even more. 

Several bloggers are having giveaways for Walgreens gift cards, too, so there's another chance to try something new.  Do you have any tried and true brands that you'd never stray from, or do you sometimes try out the store brands?  I'd like to know if there's a store brand item that you think is even better than the name brand, since saving money is never a bad thing.

Top Ten: Get more bang for your buck

Last week, Lauren from Life Uncluttered invited me to participate in her top 10 series.  I thunk and i thunk about 10 things i even knew about, wondering if there was such a thing.  As a list lover, this is right up my alley.  And as a cheapskate frugal minded person who wants to get the most for their money or their time, i thought the Top Ten Ways To Get More Bang For Your Buck would be a good fit. 

the cape on the corner's top ten ways to get the most bang for your buck

1. Have a love affair with Swagbucks, and work it, work it, work it.  I work it simply.  Install the swagbucks tool bar, and search through it.  Told you, really simple.  It is just one extra step-instead of going directly to a website, you are going to insert that website or search into your sb toolbar, press enter, and magically points will appear.  You don't get points with every search, but you get points A LOT! And with those points you can redeem them for anything listed, but i have chosen Amazon gift codes.  What can't you get from Amazon?  I also do the swagbucks daily poll to earn points, and subscribe to blogs that tell you when a new code is available.  But that's it, and i'm getting rewarded for doing something i do-surfing the internet- countless times a day!

2.  Memolink is my baby.  The boyfriend and I have been members for over 10 years (oh my gosh, how did that happen!) and i talk about this site to everyone.  You buy things online, right?  Get rewarded for it.  Before i make a purchase online-every time-i see if Memolink has the store.  If they do, i go to the store's website via ML, and earn points per dollar.  You know groupon? ML has it. So it looks like this-search ml through swagbucks-buy groupon through ml-earn per dollar for something i was going to buy anyway.  Oh, if only they would have etsy! If i send you a referral link via email, i get bonus points.  You'd like me to have that right?  I know you would...

3.  Restaurant.com-of course, clicked through ML at 120 points per dollar, is the best place to score gift certificates for cheap to the listed restaurants.  There are restrictions, like only good certain days of the week, but when they are 90% off and you're getting a $25 gift certificate for $1...i don't mind what the restrictions are.  You can search most cities in the US, so a genius idea i can't take credit for is buying these for your vacation destination or your vacation home since you'll likely be going out to dinner there.

4.  It's my birthday, and i'll get free if i want to.  Friends, i make no bones about signing up for every email list i can get on, if it's going to result in free food for my birthday.  Just went to a new place for dinner last weekend, and hopefully they'll throw something my way when October comes.  My inlaws think this means cheap, i think if the places offer it, why the heck not take advantage??  I'm getting older anyway, why not get something for it?

5.  Netflix is my friend.  Instant netflix is best friend.  I haven't been to the slums they call movie theaters in months.  10 bucks for an entire month of indies and foreigns, or see 1 new mediocre movie.  Yeah, let me ruminate on that....Redbox and Instaflix are also good, and they provide free codes via text and email.  Hey, for a dollar i'll pretty much see anything.  And some are surprisingly good!  Gnomeo and Juliet, anyone?

6.  Credit cards that give back-at this very moment there is a $10 dollar reward card to Old Navy burning a hole in my wallet.  Shop where i would anyway, and they give me money for doing so.  Yes, thank you, more please.

7.  Coupons-ok, i'm not talking couponing like a crazy person that stockpiles 62 mustards just because they can-but use coupons.  In college my roommates would just buy the things they needed from anywhere, used absolutely no coupons, and never bought a spare to avoid this in the future.  Do you know how much they charge at a gas station for basic necessities?  Memolink and Swagbucks offer grocery coupons you print out, therefore only printing the ones you need, and you earn points when redeemed.  It's like a thrifty savey cycle of goodness.

8.  Online coupons-never buy anything online without searching for coupon codes.  You don't always find them, but it's worth the free shipping or extra 30% off your order if it's out there in cyberland.  Again, use that swagbucks toolbar!

9.  Magazines-Websites like Tanga, Best Deal Magazines, and even Amazon have fantastic deals on popular mags or ones you haven't heard of.  Super Chevy magazine for the boyfriend who restores old cars...yes.  Natural Health magazine for your new age coworker....yes.  Rolling Stone for your music lovin' self...yes.  Got 'em all for around 3 bucks each for a whole year.

10.  Coke points-yes, i partake in the occasional soda, and underneath that bottle cap or 12 pack is a code.  That code translates into more cokes or other goodies, like a Better Homes and Garden subscription.  For drinking coke, which we'd do anyway.  My dad and best friend used to give us all their coke lids-now that they see us getting such great stuff, they have signed up for their own account.  I may have asked the bartender at a recent wedding for the coke lids, i may have torn the codes from the 12 packs from a family barbecue, and we may have our friends collecting from neighbors.  But i'm not saying.

So there you have it, my guide to getting more bang for your buck.  Yeesh, with it all piled together it sounds like a lot of work or i'm a lunatic, fanatically seeking out the best deal.  I assure you that's not the case-i do a normal amount of fantatically seeking out the best deal.

How do you get the most bang for your buck (aside from thrift stores or garage sales)?

you can love your pet, but you don't have to looove your pet.

I'm not sure exactly how this came to be...but i am not ok with this at all. 

Even further and even more not ok with that!

And now it's dark outside. 

And...in a vase in the dining room that holds no water, nor ever has.  Interesting.

Should i be concerned with this?  There are a few things that could be contributing to this...1) it has been hot lately and she was thirsty, yet she has clearly has her own bowl.  2) We usually drink out of water bottles and therefore she can not stuff her whole head inside...so this was a unique opportunity for her. 3) She really liked the ice cubes. 4) She no longer likes her metal water bowl and prefers plastic instead. 5) She is just a naturally curious cat.

This morning i left her with two water bowls, her regular one and a plastic one that i stuck an ice cube in, thinking that was the draw.  However, she may now be scared of that one, since the ice cube melting startled her. 

The burning question-would you drink this after your pet did?  For the record, i did not. This crossed a line for me when i could see her tongue lapping up the water.  I can't get with that and it down right skeeved me.

By the way, for no points, money, or recognition...anybody know the movie where the title of this post came from?

summa, summa, summertime

*Check out my guest post at Lauren's blog, Life Uncluttered.  She does a super fun series about her top ten, and with me at the helm,  i've got the Top Ten Ways to Get More Bang for Your Buck*.

Also a big thanks to Diann for featuring my "new" table at her Nifty Thrifty Things party.

Ok.  I'm not gonna lie.  Summer is my least favorite time of the year.  I know, i can see you all pressing the unfollow button as i sit here and tell you i won't be decorating with shells or other sea life.   I think it stems from a childhood spent going to day camps, then working outside at camps, then post degree still working outside at camps.  Nothing against those places, but I'm just a girl who loves her air conditioning.  However, summer inspiration link parties are abounding, and i can't put off its inevitable arrival, so let's remind ourselves about the good points of summer with pictures from my old school favorite.  Since i need some convincing...

Summer-the only time i really get a craving for ice cream.  A cone of soft serve or mint chocolate chip on a warm day?  Refreshing.

Out door concerts and festivals.  Best when free, of course. 

No denying the gorgeousness of fireworks for the fourth.  I love feeling that pop pop pop thump thump in my chest during a killer finale.

Fire up that grill!

Get those fruity drinks a flowin'!  Love those pina colada's at our yearly luau.

Wish this is what the pool was like.  Wish this is what the view was like!

The shore, a summer staple, means boardwalk fries, funnel cake, and "watch the tram car please."

Followed by moments of heat induced "maybe this is the lucky one."

I'd take this relaxing set up any day.

Notice i left out things that are unpleasant, like green head flies, mosquitos, gnats, humidity, heat, sunburn, traffic driving to the shore, around the shore, and home from the shore.

What (pleasant things) does summer mean to you....anything else you would include on your list?

Having fun in the sun at the fair weather forum @ centsational girl, seasonal sunday @ the tablescaper, countdown to summer @ domestically speaking, weekend bloggy reading @ serenity now.

Couponing to the Extreme

I love TLC's programs-they are incredibly fascinating, whether it's the man touted as having "tree limbs" for arms or the conjoined twins who are getting their drivers license and share one body (and therefore one foot and one arm are controlled by one twin, while the others are controlled by the other twin).  These programs always spark a million questions in me, and poor S has to be subjected to them time and time again.   I can't help it that my brain thinks up these ridiculous scenarios...like with the conjoined twins.  What if they get pulled over...who gets the actual ticket?  If one is drunk or tipsy, can they just say that the other one is driving and sober?  I am NOT trying to be rude or insensitive, but these are my honest questions and i get fixated rather easily.  I need these answers, TLC!

I stumbled upon a marathon of Extreme Couponing-have you seen this yet?  I have one question that none of the episodes addressed.  Do these people use expired coupons??  They must, because they roll up there with a binder full of coupons and completely organized, there's no way they are going through them and getting rid of the expired ones.  And as much as they are saving precious money, think of the time they are spending in there!  This one woman was checking out-checking out-for 2 hours.  Oh my flipping goodness, how much time did she spend shopping, then, to require a 2 hour checking out time?  Another woman had to make 18 different transactions just to use the coupons-how much time and organization does that take?!

tlc

It actually seemed pretty selfish, too-they require a cashier to open a lane specifically for them (because you don't want to get behind that, but why should they not have to wait in any line) they had clerks pushing their carts around the store (one lady had 4 carts) they are depleting the shelves of stock (62 mustards, really?!) making the employees do more work to restock quicker than should be needed, and robbing other customers of the items they came to buy (good thing i hate mustard).

I am all for saving money and being thrifty, you know that.  But i really think there's reasonable time spent on couponing and unreasonable time.  They are for sure saving more money than i am, and good for them.  For all that work they should be.  But that's exactly what it is-work. They are doing it like a full time job, with spreadsheets, and 4 shopping trips per week that take 2 hour check out times each.  I don't envy them that aspect at all.  It isn't laziness that people don't extreme coupon, it's knowing that saving a reasonable amount  of money and putting a practical amount of time into clipping/searching for coupons needs to be balanced with other aspects of one's day.  I began feeling bad about myself that i don't coupon with the intensity that these people do, but in my opinion it is completely unrealistic.  I save lots of money with coupons, and if i do that while checking out for 10 minutes-well, that's an hour and 50 minutes spent doing something more enjoyable. Like cat snuggling. 

And the cost for that?  Yep, that's free.  No coupons necessary!

What about you-coupon clipper?  Extreme couponor?  Can't be bothered?

Happy place, happy face

The sunroom is my happy place, and i love to surround myself with greens and things that flourish in the warmer weather.  My recent finds are making my happy place even happier.  Making me even happier?  Oh yes. Most were fa-ree.  Woo to the hoo, right?

Stealing the show is this little blue/green table that had been living in S's mom's attic.  Say what?!  We've been together for almost 14 years, and i've never seen this little beauty.  True, we didn't have our own house that whole time, and i think i appreciate the table's shape more since blogging, but still.  The woman was holding out on me.  So when she had it for sale at our yard sale?  You better believe i scooped this little beauty up, hid her in the back, and piled trash on her to stop any confusion about whether she was for sale or not.  She works perfectly for corralling some plants and as a place to put a beverage. 

Little shelf?  I loooove little shelf's existance!  Another space for displaying and also providing a very nice area for stockpiling thrifted/free crap relating to planting goodies underneath. 

Litle urn will be getting a coat of white paint, it's a bit of a dingy cream now.  Free from estate sale leftovers, along with gold urn hiding in the back (up top).  Tray of texturey goodness taken from SIL's free pile after our own yard sale.  Since little shelf needed something to shelve, of course.

Obsessed with white ceramic pots much?  Both thrifted for 2-3 bucks. Perhaps this weekend i'll figure out a better solution for the succulent.  Little asian-ish urn? Free from church leftovers (just like one from last year). There was just something about it.

This mean anything?

Love all the greens (color wise and living plants) in this space and the crisp whites.  This says spring/summer to me.  This says waste away the day right here to me.

Yay for yard sales and yay for yard sale leftovers...tis the season!

Here i go:
CRAFT, made it for monday, amaze me mondays, craft-o-maniac monday, diy showoff, just something i whipped up monday, thrifty treasures, metamorphosis monday, motivate me monday, making the world cuter,nifty thrifty tuesdays, trash 2 treasure, twice owned tuesday, anything related, take a look tuesday, tabletop tuesday,  show and tell,  make it yours day,wow us weds, penny pinching party, sugar and spice, whatever goes wednesday, idea sharin' wedsnesday,100 Ideas under $100, show off your stuff, tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh, treasure hunt, strut your stuff, transformation thursday, home sweet home, get your craft on, catch a glimpse, thrilling thursday, fave things fri, everything but the kitchen sink, favorite things friday, show and tell friday, all things domestic, catch as catch can,  show and share day, flaunt it friday, frugalicious friday, feature yourself friday, thrifty things friday, fabulous friday finds, the shabby nest, look what i found, , all things good, monthly open house, weekend bloggy reading, nifrty thrifty, seasonal sunday,

one small step for blog

So....i'm on facebook?  And pinterest?  What do i do now?
What do you do with your facebook page?  I think i'd like to share good finds and ideas from other blogs...is this what people do?

Do you have a separate page for your blog and one for personal?  I'm afraid of friending anyone in case it's their personal page.

Is your page one that can be "liked" or more of a friend request type deal?  Or both? 

Um...yeah.  Help and advice please.