My auction loving mom picked up a great treasure for me Saturday. Mom and Larry frequent auctions often. It seems it’s one of their favorite things to do together. Some of their finds are amazing and they generally have a great time checking out the loot. Due to their talent for sniffing out the auctions, I now am the proud owner of my first percolator!!!!

Manning Bowman & Co percolator with cream and sugar set. The tray does not match. It was made by Hotpoint. The glass lid says Pyrex!

It appears to be about 85 years old. My clue is the 1925 date on the bottom! It came with a tray, sugar bowl and creamer. When I plugged it in, I anxiously waited for something to happen! Much to my disappointment, it did not work. I had James take a look at it last night. He discovered it needed a new fuse. There was a spare one on the inside of the base! Amazingly, It works now!!!! I need to get the mineral deposits out, but once it’s clean this puppy is going to brew me some coffee!!!

My mom has decided to collect a miniature tea set for each of the girls. Lydia has hers. A gorgeous little set that mom found and purchased for her. Saturday she really made out like a bandit with a beautiful set for Jessica. They were made in Bavaria, Germany. There’s a teapot, creamer, sugar bowl and six cups and saucers and six plates!! I need another china cabinet!!! She only paid $15 for this set. It’s a steal. They are in perfect shape and most likely antiques. I need to do some more research.

I am very thankful to have received such fun things this past week. God gives me so much more than I deserve, in so many ways. Thanks for letting me share my treasures with you. I know I can’t take them with me but I want to use my stuff to make fun memories while I’m here. Hopefully my children will love my things so much that they will be tempted to fight over them when I’m gone. (Just tempted!)

“Coffee and love are best when they are hot”German Proverb

A bittersweet thing happened yesterday. I decided to get out by myself for a little while. I got in my Chevy Venture and it took me to the outlet mall, to one of my favorite shops, Mikasa. It was exciting and disappointing when I saw the 75% off signs. Most of the shops have closed down in the ghost town mall and I knew immediately that this was a bad sign. I was correct, they are going out of business in a week.

On occasion, when I have a few bucks of spending cash and I’m in the mood for something pretty to serve with, I stop in to bring home a new prized possession. I have collected the whole set of Roxborough glassware. I love making my favorite punch recipe in my beautiful Roxborough punch bowl. It’s one of my treasures. I use it at all the girls’ birthday parties. I have 24 matching punch cups that go with it and cake plates, relish trays, bowls, yadda yadda yadda.

I have been wanting new everyday dishes for a year. I was down to five plates and four bowls and the pieces that were left were chipped and cracked. This was my chance. I went in with my heart ponding, excited about what I would find. I was overwhelmed and freaked when I found out they were closing in 20 minutes. There was no way I was coming back in the morning with all the kids and I was afraid they’d sell out before I would be able to get back. I had to make a decision fast! I purchased the Italian Mocha set for 75% off!!!!

They are beautiful but now I’m having buyers remorse. I don’t own anything else that is mocha in color! My desire is to have a kitchen decorated coffee house style. These would be perfect- that’s why I picked them, but now I’m having second thoughts. I’m feeling this way because they told me “no refunds or exchanges”. Please tell me they’re perfect and I’m blessed and shut up!

I’m hoping I can talk James into going back with me tonight. I am going to miss this store.

“The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her.”
Marcelene Cox

I did it Debbie! I bought THE MOP! I have been using the swiffer wet things that you buy but I realized that they are not very cost efficient. With six of us tracking through the house each day, I need to sweep and mop every other day. So, I finally broke down and bought the Vileda Ultra Max! The pad can be taken off with each use and thrown in the washing machine. Aren’t you proud, Debbie?!

Aww, look at my happy family. Well, James was mad at me! Can you tell?
I know this is ridiculous to be taking pictures at Wal-mart.

I tried it out today and it really is great. The bucket comes with the mop and you just rinse and squeeze out the water with this built in tray. I kept mopping and mopping and the pad kept turning brown. Finally, I gave up! I also bought the dry cloth one just for sweeping with. It worked great on my wood floors, except that it didn’t fit the mop well. I think there must be a different sized one for sweeping with. It must be bigger.

Jessica took the pic. How do you like my apron?

Maybe you have read the comments made here about this mop. If so, maybe you will find this post humorous. It really is a big deal to find things that make housework easier and more enjoyable. Housework is so daily and can become very, very mundane.

Oh, another plug… I bought the clorox toilet wand and the refill sponges. It’s definitely worth the purchase. After each use you push a button and the cleaning pad pops off in the trash. The cleaner is already in the pad. It makes cleaning the toilet kinda fun. Hmmm….that’s an odd statement.

“My theory on housework is, if the item doesn’t multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you?”
Erma Bombeck

I love garage saling. I don’t enjoy purchasing things at the regular retail prices, there’s just no thrill in it. Yesterday morning, the girls and I found a gem of a garage sale. In a box in the garage was a set of beautiful china!

I have a china set that I absolutely adore. My mom began collecting it when I was just three years old. In the past few years I’ve added several pieces and it has grown into a 95 piece set! I don’t just like for it to sit in the hutch and look pretty, we use it on occasion. On Christmas Eve we set the table with it and had a big, delicious candlelit meal. It was lovely.

My Haviland china, blue garland pattern, made in Bavaria Germany.

With some leftover birthday money and some spending cash James had given me, I purchased the 8 place setting, 65 piece set for $40! When I brought it home, it was like Christmas, as I unwrapped each piece and washed and towel dried it. It is missing the sugar bowl and it has a gravy plate but no gravy boat. The cheapest sugar bowl I could find online was $30. I’ll eventually add these pieces along with some others I want. This is a most excellent start!

I’ve desired to collect four sets, one for each of my girls. Of course, to buy them retail is outside my budget. I feel like God himself reached down from heaven and gave me a special gift! Now I’m excited about the additional sets that I’ll eventually find for my girls.

Teacup sitting on a doily made by my great grandmother.

This is the Rosarito pattern of fine china by Mikasa. I am tickled pink just like the dainty pink flowers!

“It’s a wise husband who will buy his wife such fine china that she won’t trust him to wash the dishes.”