Snickers and Surprises

Before we get talking about my most recent thrifty find, I wanted to direct your attention to a post my fellow cat-lover readers might enjoy... a little tale (or tail?) on my humor blog Of Cabbages and Kings called, um, "UnderWHERE?!" You can access that here if you need a little Friday chuckle.

Okay, now on to business! I've largely just been either prepping my humorous space fantasy for printing, or have been writing on the second book in the series. Admittedly, the tasks mean I'm spending less money, but it also means I spend most of the weekend with my laptop.

However, I did enjoy a trip to Jeannette, PA recently, and at Junk for Joy, I picked up this nifty little Atkinson Fox art deco print, featuring one of his "Enchanted Girls."

The frame was a bit dusty, so I'd removed the print only to tidy it up a bit. And I thought it was interesting what the backing was... An old cigar ad!
Judging by the style of the lettering, and the pricing of the box of 10 cigars, I'd say the ad was pretty close to the same age as the print.

As I always say, when searching for secondhand treasure, you just really never do know what you're going to find.

I hope you all find yourselves having a terrific weekend!

Treasure Box, or, um, maybe Litterbox Thursday

With my dad now in hospice for his cancer, needless to say, I have not really been thrifting much lately. I've been playing a lot of Scrabble with him-- (we experienced our very first Scrabble draw, where I was left with a Q and he, a U, and we finally had to use teamwork to finish the game)-- and other general visitation.

So I regret I have no treasures for you this week. I can only offer you a couple of shots of Harry-- the furry little bugger who is a treasure to me, and who surprised me this last week with his antics on top of my refrigerator where he is so not supposed to be.

I figure with whole web sites like the marvelous www.cuteoverload.com dedicated to the kind of cheerful pet shots that merrily lower your IQ just by looking at them, you might forgive me this week for including these.

I'd caption this one: "If I hold really, REALLY still maybe she will think I'm a fridge magnet."

And this one: "Oh no.... Busted!"

I hope you all have a furry nice rest of your week!

Goodwill Outlet Store -and- Wild About Harry

Well, it's been a very merry weekend-- for two reasons.

Let's go to the real thrifty news first.

Now in North Versailles, PA, across Route 30 from the location of the Good Samaritan Thrift Store, Rossi's Pop-up Flea Market and-- to speak in legitimate Pittsburghese-- "Where the Old Ames Department Store Used to Be," is a brand new Goodwill Outlet Store, which just opened November 10.

It's a huge building where everything that didn't sell at their stores in a certain time is sold by the pound. Housewares, furniture, clothes, etc. (I believe there is special pricing for things like electronics.)

Anyway, for local folks who miss the Goodwill that used to be there in North Versailles, across the street, I think you'll find this a pleasure. I'll have to get some contact information for it and update my Thrift Store Listings for the area.

I'm curious, for folks not in our region, have you ever been to a Goodwill Outlet Store? Are there others across the country?

Anyway, next-- I brought home something secondhand of a different nature... Four-month-old black-and-white kitten, Harry, from the local no-kill animal shelter, Animal Friends.

My resident kitten, eight-month-old Alice has been unnaturally grateful to see me when I return home evenings. This seems to have happened after a month where my Dad was there during the day keeping her company. While I love that she misses me so much, the fawning, over-relieved attention she pays me seems a little unhealthy for her. (Or perhaps she's a dog in disguise.) So I thought she might benefit from a little buddy.

Harry has much of Alice's personality-- friendly, happy and playful. So far their initial introductions have gone very well.

I have been informed by friends that two cats doesn't yet make me a Crazy Cat Lady. Crazy, perhaps. Owning cats, yes. But Crazy Cat Lady has apparently an Exceeding Two Cats threshold.

I'm apparently on the brink. :)

And for those who are curious, yes, Harry was named for Harry Potter. It just seemed to balance out well with the other kitten, named for Alice in Wonderland. I tried other literary names, but kinda thought "Atticus Finch" was a little too much nobility to weigh on a four month old kitten.

To all you thrifters and crazy cat ladies and secondhand pet adopters and all my other beloved friends out there, have a great week until I see your shiny faces again, perhaps, for Wednesday's post.

Treasure Box Wednesday: Furry Funny?

My schedule is a bit wonky this week and I'm currently not posting this from home-- but hey, it's Treasure Box Wednesday and I don't want to leave you all with nothing in the virtual treasure chest.

So I was thinking, the pet lovers among you (and after all, how many homey homes don't contain a pet!) might get a smile from my latest humor post over on Of Cabbages and Kings-- "Object Identification from a Cat's Perspective." (Click here to check that out.)

The post draws on my extensive (okay, three months) observation of feline MacGyvering abilities. (Yes, MacGyver is a verb.)

And if you must move on to other locales in the blogosphere?... Then have yourself a furry nice rest of your week.

Secondhand Fur

Had you going with that title for a minute, didn't I?

But no, I hadn't gone mad and decided in this oppressive summer heat that what I really needed was a thrifty fur jacket. I'm referring to my new cat-- my first furred pet ever, actually-- Alice. I got her from Animal Friends, a no-kill shelter, and while things didn't work out with her first family, I'm delighted to give her a home this second-time around.

At the price of a donation, she was a bargain! (And by now you all know how I feel about bargains.)

Alice has been very well-behaved around the various collections I have-- she knows to admire glass and bisque vases but not to touch, which I appreciate. And while we're still working through a few things when it comes to textiles, I feel confident, we'll get it right in the end.

I thought you folks would get a chuckle seeing that, yes, her scratching post has a red ball on it to match my red living room, because yes, I am that sort of person...

It's a sickness, really. But I'm okay with it.

I also got her a red velvety cat bed, which she's finally decided might be of her taste...
This is really so she'll be less interested in my red velvet sofa. It doesn't react well to biting-- which is why I stopped doing it myself after a week or so. (Heh.) So I'm hoping some cat-prevention tape and some anti-scratch spray will make it less tasty for her.

At least she has a comfy view of the neighborhood...

And most of all, I think she's a bit of a thrifty lass herself. I mean, while she does love a good feather-on-a-stick (okay, so maybe that's really for me)...

...Apparently a balled up wad of newspaper, a cardboard paper towel tube, and the plastic ring off the milk bottle are the Best. Toys. Ever.

The best things in life really are free.
Here's hoping your upcoming week will be up to scratch!