Garage Sales

It is the beginning of Spring, and what does that mean? It's the unofficial start to Garage Sale season! Whooohooo! In the past few weeks I have been "shopping" at my niece's garage sale. She was kind enough to let me come "preview" before the masses converge on her beautiful home in unincorporated Elgin. I didn't only shop once, or twice, but instead three times! There is some crazy allure to garage sales, isn't there? Buying someone else's "junque" to add to your "junk"! You know, "someone else's trash is your treasure"? Over the years I have picked up some cool and interesting things at garage sales, and certainly have added to my own junk.

I have been to countless garage sales with my mom - quite an experience, believe me! My mom is the biggest wheeler dealer on the planet - the true Garage Sale Queen. She will not pay full price for any item at a garage sale, even if it's a quarter! No, she wants it for a dime and will bargain with the seller until she gets her way, or she will walk. I cannot tell you how many times I have actually left her in the garage and slithered back to our vehicle, embarrassed beyond belief!! I love how we analyze the items in the sale when we return to our car - the setup/display of the items, the condition of the garage, the quality of the junk we are seeing. What is up with that? It's a flipping garage sale!

Artie and I moved into this home three years ago. I was very proud of myself while purging unwanted/unneeded items from our home in Bartlett before we moved into this house. It felt good to let go of things we didn't use, need, or want any more. Well, that was to be a short lived accomplishment. Moving into a brand new home is a chance to get brand new "stuff". Apparently I have been really good at getting new stuff, because my husband now refers to our basement as "The Store"! He invites guests to shop in our store any time they mention they are looking for some item. Our basement is the holding grounds for the leftover furniture that just doesn't fit in our much smaller house - we lost one bedroom for goodness sakes! While living in our exquisite 15 room Victorian in Janesville, WI we accumulated some amazing pieces of furniture. Well, those amazing pieces just don't seem to have a home here in Elgin, IL...but I just can't part with them! This includes two pieces we purchased from Schuler's Furniture in Janesville - a dry sink and a pie safe - fashioned out of old barn wood. They have a history for goodness sakes! So does the old bench we bought that came out of an old Masonic Lodge in Milton, WI!

Living less than a mile away from a Hobby Lobby store is not good for me...

So, what does this have to do with garage sales you ask? I have decided it is time to purge once again. While searching for something last week in our basement I began to feel a bit anxious, frustrated, nervous, and even claustrophobic. I had to get out of there because my mind was moving in so many places and I didn't know where to begin to search for said item! There is just way tooooo much down there! It is time to let go! If I haven't used most of this stuff in three years, it is time to part with it. It is time to have a garage sale! Ironically, I just got an email from a neighbor who is trying to organize a subdivision sale. The email was my epiphany! I am on board with this. It is time. On June 4 & 5 we will be hosting a Mega Garage Event. I am already pondering its setup - what color tablecloths will I use? I already have the tent my sister in law loaned me in my car, ready to store until the BIG DAY(S).

My friends, mark your calendars for this event. The sale to end all sales! Hobby Lobby/Home Goods/Tuesday Morning/World Market/ and beyond await you. Come buy MY tchotchkes and add it to yours. Empty my basement and fill yours! Artie will be forever indebted to you...and I will be using the proceeds to buy MORE treasures for the next garage sale!