Who knew I've been trendy for years?

Okay, I lied in the subject line. I've never been trendy ... until now, I guess.  Why?  

I've been going to yard, garage, estate and rummage sales for years. I always assumed it was because I was cheap. Now it turns out I'm "thrifting."

I admit it. Before I had a booth in an antiques arcade, I rarely went to such sales, but when you need stock and have a weekly rent to pay, you visit these sales and thrift shops.  Since then, I begrudge paying retail. And since I'm into recycling, etc., I like the idea that things aren't ending up in landfills when they can be used and/or repurposed.

It was only a week or so ago when I was looking at decluttering videos on YouTube that I learned about thrifting.  I've subscribed to a few of those channels.  My favorite is Thrift Diving (by Serena Appiah -- she's funny, knowledgeable, and knows how to use power tools!).

Another one I like (because of her Thursay Thrift Store Hauls) is Robin Johnson's Happy At Home channel.  She likes white rooms, which aren't my favorite, but she has lots of great tips for repurposing items.

I like shabby chic (but not too chippy when it comes to paint.  For one, they might have lead paint, and for another ... some things look like there was a reason they were discarded in the first place.

I'm a sucker for teacups, china (particularly square plates and brown transferware), and doilies, but lots of other things tickle my fancy.

Yard sale season starts in a couple of weeks for now. I've signed up to get a weekly email announcement that tells me where all the sales are within a five mile radius of my house.

Do you go thrifting?

Should I run away?

Lately I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos about living and traveling the country in an RV.  Okay, twenty odd years ago, and only for a brief moment or two, Mr. L and I considered renting an RV and traveling down Route 66 with our (then) cat Larry. Just the three of us (and who was going to take care of our other cats?) taking in the scenery visiting cool places, and eating lots of Southwestern (hot) food.  And that's as far as it went.

But now I regularly watch a number of vloggers.  My favorite is a young couple from Missouri (Duet Justus) who bought a camper and tricked it out, although lately they've been mostly "technical" videos (like how to fix a broken water line ... not quite so interesting).  I also follow Carolyn's RV Life, and a few others.

I've watched videos made by people who are living in their vans and cars, doing their business in buckets (yes, really!) and living a "free" life. A lot of them make their living just from making videos for Youtube.  (You can do that?)

So, why am I watching all these videos?

I think I want to escape. I want to runaway because things aren't going well in my life. There are big things going on that I have no control over (sound familiar?) and the idea of getting in that RV and driving away just seems like a cool thing to do.  (Cozy mystery author Sue Ann Jaffarian picked up her class B RV, Novella, just this week and his chronicling her "RV Journey" on Facebook.)

Do you ever feel like running away?

Dirt cheap! Read TITLE WAVE ebook

The publisher never tells authors anything. A reader let me know that the ebook edition of TITLE WAVE is only $1.99. Who knows how long this will last. But if you need a good distraction while winter storms batter both US coasts, you might want to take a cruise with Tricia and Angelica.

KINDLE US

NOOK

iBOOKS

KOBO 

Let's Talk about Jeff Resnick!

Today on my Facebook Group Page we're discussing the first three novels in the Jeff Resnick mystery series.

As the author, I know a lot more about the characters than gets in the novels and short stories.

Did you know there were seven novels?

There is also a companion series (Jeff Resnick's Personal Files) of short stories and novellas.

There will be questions answered, secrets spilled, and giveaways!

And don't forget, the first book in the series, MURDER ON THE MIND, is FREE for all ebook formats, and is also available in Trade Paperback and on audio.

Kindle US |  Kindle Worldwide  |  Nook  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  Smashwords

Trade Paperback  |  Audio

Can't make it today?  The posts will be there tomorrow, but you won't be eligible for the giveaways.

Will I see you there?

A silky sight

March came in like a LION. A big, stinky, ROARING lion.  Yesterday we woke up to at least 4 inches of snow, when just yesterday the driveway was totally clear. Depressing.

But -- there are always cheerful flowers in my house. Right now, I've got two violets in and two orchids in bloom, but they need light and water.  That's why I have artificial flowers scattered around the house.

This beauty sits in my office. I have beautiful roses all year long thanks to this little bouquet, which I found at a rummage sale.  And last winter -- I found the exact same thing at a yard sale in Clearwater. That one lives in my dining room. (Not far from the dried hydrangea flowers in a vintage pottery base.)

These red and white silk carnations also live in my office. I did the arrangement myself, and it looks it.  Still, I really love carnations.  I think I'll have another go at arranging it and take out most of the red ones. It looks too crowded. 

This arrangement used to live in my bedroom, but the only time I'd see it was right before I'd turn out the light. So I recently moved it to the top of a little cabinet in my kitchen, where it pleases me every time I pass by it.

This little arrangement lives in the office at our cottage, but it's so cute, I didn't like to think of it being there during the long cold winter, so I brought it home. It'll be going back in May so I can enjoy it there once again.


 Do you have silk floral arrangements in your home?

It's a blanket, it's cloth with a crisscross design--it's a traveling rug!

Ever since I can remember, my parents had "traveling rugs."  What's a traveling rug?

1. cloth having a crisscross design

2. blanket 

When I was small, we only had a red-and-black traveling rug. It was 100% wood and SCRATCHY.  They brought it with them when they first came to America from England. For some reason, I always associate that traveling rug with being sick. If we were sick, we slept on the couch and what did we get covered up with? Yup, the traveling rug. 

I'm not sure on what trip my folks got a second traveling rug. It's a wool/acrylic blend and much softer. When my Mum passed away almost three years ago, I found it stuffed in a suitcase.  Well, that was one item that wasn't going to Goodwill! Unfortunately, when I washed it, I must not have put it on the delicate cycle, because it ripped. Oh no!  I really wanted that "rug." I took it to the tailor around the corner, and in five minutes, the owner had sewn it up. It's not as pretty as it once was, but it's back to being useful. 

Oddly enough, when I went on Google to look for traveling rug pictures, I found that very one! Wow!

I asked Mum what she used a traveling rug for when she was in England, and she said they brought it along to sit on for picnics. She may have said something else about them, but that's what I remember. 

It wasn't until earlier this week that I remembered that they brought me a traveling rug back from one of their trips.   How could I forget?  Well, I have a laundry hamper in my laundry room that I haven't looked at in at least 20 years.  No lie.  It took me two years to find one like that (white wicker) and then I stuffed it full of items that didn't get used often (including my favorite two rayon shirts that are now too small for me and have to be ironed) and just never opened it, forgetting about everything that was inside.  It's handy to place the recycling stuff on top of that hamper before it makes it to the garage and the recycling bins. It's now empty, and it's going to stay that way.

Anyway, my traveling rug is going to live in my office on the back of my chair where I sit and edit. 

Anybody else have a traveling rug?

P.S.  I still have that first traveling rug. It's stored in a tote. Must find a way to use it, too.