Got creative with my holiday tree.

view from my window

I couldn't decide if I should spend the money on getting a real tree since it would be over $100. It was worth it when the boys were here to hike around the hills and cut a tree down, but it's just me now.  I've been looking for a fake tree too but again the prices are just too high especially since I know after the holidays everything will go on sale. It's the thrifter in me. :)  I saw an old post of what I did when I lived up in the Cupertino hills. I used a tomato cage to make several trees. So I decided why not give it a try here. For the topper I used a dog topiary frame I had. Makes me smile because it looks like the dog is doing her business. Not sure how to fix that issue. :) 

When things make you feel old.

It was one of those surprised moments when you just slap your forehead. When I was going down to the Carmel house a lot, I would take a portable CD player. Had the same old one for years. Then I dropped it while unloading my car and it broke into a thousand pieces. I didn't think finding another one would be so hard. I've been searching for over 2 years now. All that I've picked up (5 and counting) either from the thrift store or friends, the CD part doesn't work. I guess there's a shelf life to the CD part. 

I picked up  what I thought was only a DVD player. I still haven't figure out how to connect my old devices to the big screen TV in my place. I don't watch enough TV to pay for a service which with all these high tech screens you have to do. The ads for everything else are longer than whatever movie I want to watch.  I'm guessing this small player was meant to be used in the car back in the day. As I was cleaning up and I looked at what device this booklet went to. Then I saw it - it was both a DVD AND CD player. Who knew one player could do both! That just makes me feel old. I've had this player for a few months now and never knew. So of course the first thing I did was gave it try and yes it works. :) 

 

My mini Savers haul 2025

I had things to drop off at Savers and of course I had to go in to check things out - market research. :) Tuesday is senior discount day (30% off) so it's always busy. 

A friend was looking for a big French press but none have come into the store and the online auctions have gone way too high. I not only did I find one at Savers but it was also PYREX (all upper case) which was an added bonus. $5 after the senior discount. SCORE!

My impulse buy was these ashtrays that were hanging in a bag on the wall. For small things at Savers, they bag everything. I don't smoke but ashtrays do resell well. The other reason I got them was to use them as pen/paint brush holders. I follow Sandy Allnock an artist (check out her You Tube videos) who does a lot of pen and ink. She has a little crab pen holder which is super cute and made me want one of my own. I was thrilled when my ink pen fit perfectly in these ash trays. I like to think it's a little more up scale with an Asian twist. :)

My version of up-cycling and to justify buying all 12 of them. :) Yes, I will sell off most of them. Set of four was $4.20 after the discount. 

 

Fly By Jing Noodle Kit

There are specialty YouTubers who do reviews on the Asian foods at Costco. With the large Asian population in the Bay Area, it's no surprise what you can find at Costco. My daughter is a big fan of Fly By Jing, so I wanted to give this a try. It's a wheat based noodle so it's not something I can eat all the time. I think it's a little on the expensive side but I grew up with cup of noodles. :) It broke down to $2.00 a packet. Overall it was very good. Add a little protein and it would make a nice side dish. Not enough for a full meal, at least for me. :)  

Now the debate is if I should keep it or ship it off to my son. Because of my gluten issues is the only reason I wouldn't keep it.  

Mini retreat

One of the things I miss about the Carmel house is the gas fireplace. Years ago when I remodeled my big house I decided not to add a fireplace. I knew having a wood burning fireplace would be banned at some point and I would rather have the wall space for art. Now gas fireplaces are a thing but I think I would still choose not to have one. 

I'm hanging out at my friend's house binge watching the Great British Baking show and doing some cooking. They have a lovely gas fireplace, something I think they just converted. Very cozy with the storm that's coming through right now.  Just need to find a good book to read. :)

1950"s Vintage Luggage Set

These 1950's vintage suitcases came into the store this weekend. It was an immediate YES when asked if we took old things like this. Not only are they very cool but the insides are in pristine condition. If I had to guess they never used the big suitcases. No funky odor either. I was so excited that I got them out on the floor asap. This is what makes the store stand out and what collectors are looking for. Because we have almost a complete set (there's a medium size one missing) in excellent condition it should sell fast. 
 

Blooming Chocolate A Thing?

Every morning I make a big mug of coffee. I use the pour over method because it takes a lot less room on my limited counter space. Love the smell of coffee but not so much the taste. Being lactose intolerant I use oat milk.  Trader's Joe chocolate oat milk was my go to but after they discontinued it, I had to make my own. Which is a healthier way to go.  I read that coco powder has to be activated with something warm to get the full flavor. I've been trying it so see if that method is true. I would like to think it's working as I think my coffee is a little more chocolatey tasting but it could be just wishful thinking. 
 

Craving for tofu

I haven't been to the Japanese grocery store in a while. I had a craving for fresh tofu and I was going to pick up some snacks for my son. I normally don't pay too much attention to food prices as I'm only shopping for one.

The sticker shock was no joke. What I would normally get for my son would be around $30 but now it would have easily gone over $100. I had to pass on getting the snacks. 

After the pandemic I've gotten into the habit of stocking up on shelf stable basics. I once cooked with only what I had to see how long I could go without buying anything. I think I went three solid weeks with no planning ahead of time. I now make a point to stay stocked up. 

I've been looking for some big artwork for my son and I liked this painting that came into the store. It would look good on his wall but the general vote was to pass on it. Guess I'll keep working on getting the snow boards rack made. It's a long story so when I get a photo I'll share. :)

 

Day in a life of a reseller

 Months ago this artwork came in. I was interested in it so put my name on it to have it priced. Then it just disappeared and no one in the art department knew where it went. It was gone for months, so I just guessed someone else brought it. Everyone at the store knows I resell and many feel that it's just wrong. So if I want anything priced they will double if not triple the price because I must know the full resell value. When this came back into the store it had gone somewhere (maybe the auction house) to be priced and of course priced high. I had a little chat with the art person about it and we came up with a price we were both happy with. 

I have very little wall space to hang art so if I add anything to my  space I have to really like it or be willing to take something down. I'm slowly moving into a black and white phase with just a splash of color right now so this may end up on my wall. 

Mini score on silver

I don't normally deal in gold and silver but it just seems to find me. While I was at the Goodwill bins in Salinas I went through the very picked over cutlery bin/table. I went through it because no one else was around it. I saw this butter knife and noticed it was monogramed. Very hard to see, but it's there. Thinking someone would only do that on the good stuff and with metal only being .99 a pound it wasn't going to cost me a lot. The gold and silver guys came in today, so I had them check it out. Turns out to be the real deal and I made $10 which covered the cost of my entire Goodwill haul. I know it doesn't sound like a lot but I only paid about .10 for the knife. That is a very good return on my investment. Now I'm wondering if I should have looked for more of that set. :) 

People waiting for the new stuff to come out

 

Auction Adventures 2025

I made the drive down to Salinas this weekend which is over an hour away. I was a little nervous as it was hard to find the house on Google maps. There are two streets reasonable close to each other with the same name. The address numbers were almost the same too. I bid on several Eldreth Santas so had a lot of money invested not to go. It was in a neighborhood of big custom homes up in the hills that surround Salinas. The home looked like it was built in the early 70's (very stylish) with beautiful views of the mountains. I was sad that I didn't get the whole collection of Santas but two pieces went way over the resell value. I was disappointed that the one piece I really wanted was the wrong size. That is one down side to online auctions as you don't get to see anything in person. Would I have bid on the collection if I had known the true sizes, probably not. But it was my fault for not doing a deep dive in researching what sizes these Santas came in. 

Since I was there, I went to the Goodwill bin outlet. There you pay per pound. Books are .75 per pound, metal and glass are .99 per pound. Not sure what the clothes sell for as I didn't get any. It was a slow day at the bins and not a lot of people there. Not sure if it was because it was Sunday and most resellers are selling at the flea markets or because of the fear of ICE raids. I was one of the few who did not speak Spanish. 

I picked up an American Test Kitchen cookbook (2001-2015) that weighs almost 7 pounds. No, I do not need another cookbook but this one was in perfect condition and I don't have it in my collection. The other things I picked up were't super special. I'm hoping the butter knife is silver but the whole lot came to $6. I think because the vintage glass pitcher was heavy.

 

No King Day

No King Day 10/18/25

When I dumpster dive I save the used canvas the art department throws out. Yes I saved a lot of them to make protest signs. I was planning on making very professional looking signs using my Circut machine but then I thought this is a grass roots movement.  I would have loved to do the frog but my free hand drawing is very limited. I did make extra is case your in my area and need a sign.