Sunday, July 4, 2010

Finders Keepers

Cheapskate, are you there? Is anyone reading? I feel so sad and morose, probably because I have quit eating sugar. Cheapskate, your eyes are bugging out - I know you can't believe it. Until last week I lived on sugar. What is life without sugar??? It's nothing, I tell you!! Nothing!!!!! But, my dear Cheapskate, you can help! Leave a comment and I will feel so much better! Say anything, anything at all, just let me know you're there!!! Are you there?

Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers

Dear Cheapskate,

Usually, when finding things, the losers are not "weepers"; the losers are "yay-I -got-rid-of-that-crap"-ers. But if those who formerly owned your finds do indeed weep, so be it.
"Finding things" is a great way to aquire things for free.

Often, especially in summer, aka "stuff on the curb" season, people leave their unwanted items in a cardboard box on the curb. This is a great way to find things as there is no question the items are available for the taking. I recently found the following:

Antique tatted doilie
Cat toy
Airtight and airproof container
Shirt
Broken electonic fake fish tank (unfixable so I threw it away)

Tip: Use discriminating taste or you'll end up with a house full of junk.


Oh, wait, what? You've never heard of tatting? Seriously? Do you think those lace doilies just appeared out of thin air???? No, great great great grandma sat in her wingback chair by the fireplace, peering into her lacework by candle light, her hounds lying obediently at her feet, and tatted those doilies with her little tatting needles!!!  And that makes me wonder, what kind of insensitive monster would leave great great great grandma's hand-tatted doily on the curb????

Sometimes I find things that others have lost. If I am sure the item has no hope of being reunited with it's owner, then the rule of Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers comes into play.

Things I've found recently:
A dollar!
Fleece jacket
Miss Piggy Puppet
Hair Ties

When you find things, not only are the things completely free, they're not much trouble (you didn't have to go shopping, you found them as you went about your business), and you find things you didn't even know you needed!!! I did not know that I needed an electronic fake fish tank. I mean, I had no idea. I didn't even know there was such a thing!!!!!

5 comments:

  1. I'm impressed that you gave up sugar. I do my best to give up slapping people and drinking before sunset most days, but sugar I usually reserve for Lent. Maybe I should give up sugar and that will make me less slap-happy?

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  2. Atrocious!!! why would anyone throw out tatted doilies!!! Seriously. do you know how much time it takes to make one of those? You did good thing saving it, to me they are just priceless. Believe me when I tell you cause I am a tatter myself, people don't appreciate the heart and soul that goes into making lace.
    BTW, I love reading about your tips, its hard to be frugal, but it is satisfying when done smart, Thanks

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  3. @FrugalHostess Quitting sugar makes you miserable! INSANE! I don't recommend it. I'm gnawing on the walls.

    @agasunset You're a tatter??? I've never known a tatter. Is is kind of like tiny crochet? Your work is beautiful!!!

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  4. As I look even closer at the hanky edging, I can't really see it well enough but I wonder if it is needlelace or a knotted lace known as Armenian knotted lace. Definitely a beautiful piece! The part where the "fans" are attached to the hanky look either knotted (but not like tatting) or of needleace. I have another blog about other kinds of lace but you can access it from my tatting blog too.

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  5. @Gina Thank you so much for the info!!!! I don't actually know much acout tatting except that it's beautiful, lacey, and a looot of work, so I assumed this was tatting. I am delighted to learn there are people like you out there tatting! Thanks again!

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