Sunday, September 28, 2008

Mother Lode

Hi All, I just feel like chatting about my great finds at the Sally Ann yesterday. My daughters and I had fun chatting over belts and shoes. The 15 year old loaded up on jeans. The 10 year old gazed longingly at the purses. When I told her she couldn't buy one unless she got rid of one, a lengthy discussion followed about the merits of this and that purse and it was eventually necessary for me to define the term ambivalent for her.

I browsed through the boys things and came up with some cozy fleece pants and some shocking orange shorts.

I wandered towards the furniture and curiously lifted the lid on an ottoman, just to see if it would lift, when what to my wandering eyes should appear? My heart leapt into my throat at the site of a plethora of sewing notions! I glanced furtively around to make sure no one else was eyeing my treasure. I poked at it. It was too overwhelming to take in all at once. I tentatively opened a tin and it was full of BUTTONS! I took a deep breath and opened another tin full of THREAD! I frantically searched for a price ... to no avail. I had to have this treasure.

I glanced around for a staff person and was dismayed to see no one within reach. I beckoned to my 10 year old daughter and ordered her to stand guard while I sought out a staff person. A couple of lovely staff ladies came to my aid. I explained that I couldn't find a price and that I was merely interested in the contents of the ottoman. I held my breath. They poked at the treasure and did some mysterious calculations in their heads. The more authoritative staff lady apologetically offered, "three fifty?" I coyly replied, "Well, I guess that will be ok." I held my happy dance inside and helpfully held the lid of the ottoman while the treasure was loaded into a bag.

The loot: 25 spools of thread, about 3 cups of buttons (including the kind you can cover with fabric), knitting needles, crochet hook, seam ripper, needles, zippers, grosgrain ribbon, seam binding, snaps, velcro, thimbles, etc, etc, etc.

Oh happy day! I rejoiced and sorted buttons for hours.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Makes me want to go and open every antique/thrift store ottoman I come across! The thread alone would be $50! What a SCORE! Yeah!

Anonymous said...

Oooops. I had a very large tin of buttons given to me of Andy's Grandmas. Probably about 5 pounds of them. I kept it for about a year and then gave it to Goodwill because I couldn't think of anything to do with them. I must have made a Jennie very happy!

Anonymous said...

Wow. That's great Jen. I LOVE that Sally Ann store. It's a real treasure.

Can't wait to see the new bags next week...

Darla said...

Congrates on you JACK POT Jennie. Can't wait to see the creations you will come up with, with your new treasures.

Anonymous said...

wow! i know that feeling when i go thrift shopping and i find a wonderful bracelett made form the old plastic called bakelite. it is overwhelming is it not?! lol i think you should make a bag with lots of buttons on the front flap and then a few all over the bag itself. you know, just to balance it out. that would be awsome!!

ANA from AZ.

Anonymous said...

How exciting! It is so fun when you hit the jackpot. I know we have found our basement bargains at the Thrift store. Like the Gameboy Color we got for only $2.50 years ago!!!!!!!! Saved my husband $70 dollars...hee.hee.

joyce said...

oh Jennie. How wonderful!