Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Antiquing with the Astro Van

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. My two sisters, their husbands and my mother can down for a sleep over at the cabin. We missed having Dad but he is getting along fine and will be released today. He will then receive home health care at home.

Bruce and I had planned on attending the Antique Show in Clear Lake Iowa this weekend as we often do. Unfortunately we were confused (seems to be happening more often these days) about the day. The show was on Sunday - not Monday as we had thought. I was so disappointed because that is a really good show. So instead we loaded up the Astro van and headed towards the Iowa Great Lakes. There are several antique shops over that way where I found some great treasures.



No this is not one of my treasures, but if you are looking for a great antiquing vehicle this is what you need. You can get a large sized hutch in one of these numbers. It is also great for Christmas tree shopping, and flower shopping come spring.
It embarrasses the kids to death - but I don't care.


This little red over yellow painted stool was my favorite find. It was kind of pricy but if it is the perfect color (red), and it can simply be taken from the van and set it place, I am willing to pay more. - No sanding, scraping, painting or waxing.
Also found the wonderful little shooting game.




I love the sides of the little stool.




It looks great sitting below my framed games that I found on a previous antiquing trip.




After we bought the cabin I started collecting pitchers - old or new. I found the ribbed turquoise pitcher and the clear one with the red and yellow stripes this weekend. The poppy red one I found in an antique store here in town and the big yellow one is a new pitcher - but who cares the color and shape are great. I gathered the bittersweet this weekend but unfortunately someone had beat me to it so there was very little left to gather.



I love love this little number. The color and graphics are awesome. I am going to frame it and hang it in my kitchen at the cabin.


Many of you are too young (those of you who guessed I was married in the 90's) to know what these little poppy red dishes were used for. They are called refrigerator dishes. This is what ladies used before Tupperware. Okay some of you are also too young to know what Tupperware is. So this is what the ladies would use before GladWare.
Can you tell I am attracted to anything red?



On the way home we spotted and bought this little number. Lucky for us the old Astro has a hitch so we were able to pull the boat on home. (Hey kids - another reason to own an Astro van.) It is named Jules63. (after the previous owner) We plan on renaming it.
Any suggestion for a name???

After a great day of antiquing we headed home with all of our treasures. I made a pitcher of lemonade in my new pitcher and we sat by the lake and watched the waves roll in.
Life is good.


Our Favorite Lemonade
Country Time Lemonade Powder Mix
5 lemons
2 liter of 7-Up

Mix 2 quarts of Lemonade according to directions - substituting 7-Up for water.
Squeeze the juice from 3 of the lemons. Add juice and pulp to lemonade.
Slice the fourth lemon and float slices in lemonade.
Slice the last lemon and put a lemon slice on each glass.

Enjoy!

From my heart,
Sandy

14 comments :

  1. Wow!!! You did really well that trip - to think you even took home a pontoon boat - amazing!! I was trying to think of a name and came up with "Big Red" because it seems to be a favourite color of yours but the boat is lacking red al together - best of luck!

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  2. I too love everything red! You have good taste and will have so much fun on what the Texans call a "barge!"

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  3. Wow! I love everything you've collected! Those games are just wonderful, as is your pitcher collection. Yum! And that is some boat thing you got there! How about Stella? lol!

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  4. Hi everyone I'm Abby Sandy's daughter. I will have to admit that when my parents come to visit me and pull up in the Astro van I cringe!! I will also have to admit that every time I move the Astro van is my best friend….I guess you could describe it as a love-hate relationship. However I am happy to find out via this blog that we have a pontoon!!! Now if only I could find time with all my studies to get home and enjoy a pontoon ride before the summer is totally gone!

    I think you should name the pontoon Budly considering dad is turning into Grandpa Bud

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  5. I love red sprinkled in things too. Love it anywhere. Decorate with it a lot! My fav combo for quilting right now is black, white, and red.

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  6. Just found your blog and popped in to say hello.
    I love all your finds I especially like the framed games. I'll be back often to visit.
    Would you pop over and say hello ?
    Karen

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  7. Hey I bet an astro van is perfect to haul a ton of Sandy Gervais fabric home from the quilt store!! Are you planning on using the boat in your booth? I think you should.

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  8. How about naming it "Astro Love"... just to embarrass the kids just a bit more! hahaha =-)

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  9. Once Upontoon a Time? Just a suggestion...

    I wish we had antiquing or thrift stores around here with great finds like that! Love the Fiesta Ware.

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  10. Pep says that the name is "irreproducible result". Have no idea what that means, Sandy. Maybe Bruce will know.

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  11. Sandy, we must be kindred spirits! We used to have an old blue astro van and our kids hated it too. One day my oldest daughter, age16, was backing out of the garage and scrapped the whole side along the basketball post and dented in the whole side. It was pretty ugly after that and we never let her live it down. Wow that brings back some memories!

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  12. Your pitcher collection looks like the colors of your Objects of Desire fabric line. Guess we know what colors you love.

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  13. Ok, I may only be 30, but I love and collect colored Pyrex. Your little refridgerator dishes are great, as are the rest of your finds. The tupperware of the old days (the 70's and early 80's) was so much better than it is today.

    I love your fabric lines and think you're great!

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