232 Stone Turtle

232 Stone Turtle

Object: This is a jade and turquoise turtle

Acquired: June 2011

From: Mom, who got it at a  garage sale

Notes: I know I keep griping about the things I'm given, but I actually like this little guy. I don't know that I would have bought him if I'd been along, but he's kinda pretty and fits nicely in my hand. Plus he's made of gem-ish stones, and I like that.

229 Dragon

229 Dragon

Object: Dragon made from Polymer clay

Acquired: 2010

From: Etsy!

Notes: This was the second thing I got off Etsy. I still think he's cute, even if I bought him from a new seller, thus damning her to the same 'I have one sale, now what?' hell that I was in. She's since shut her shop, and I can't decide if I feel guilty. I like the dragon, anyway. He's so cute.

228 Rabbit

228 Rabbit

Object: Plastic rabbit

Acquired: 2010

From: TJ Puffins' going-out-of-business sale

Notes: TJ Puffins was one of those fancy toy stores where kids drool over every, but can't ever really buy anything because it's all way too overpriced--I'm sure you know the type.  We used to go in there ...not a lot, but some. I think they have extra fun stickers, and maybe those buckets of little tiny thing that you could buy for a few cents, and we'd get those things occasionally, but the biggest thing one of us ever got was a tiny stuffed squirrel, which subsequently got named 'OP' for Over Priced.

So when we heard they were going out of business...

But this is the only thing I got there. That's the problem with closing sales; the sales aren't quite enough to make things affordable, but then when they are, there's nothing worthwhile left.

Actually, I did get a stuffed rabbit for my niece, too.

227 Cat

227 Cat

Object: Plastic cate

Acquired: 2011

From: American Science and Surplus

Cost: Not much

Notes: I think I actually got Mom to pay for this, and not I. Certainly she took it up to the cash register. I was planning to use it in a craft project, but now that project looks to be far in the future--if I ever get to it at all--so I'm not even going to label this as a craft supply.

155 Turtle

155 Turtle

Object: Ugly turtle

Acquired: A few days ago (April 2011)

From: Mom, who got it at a garage sale

Notes: Let's take a short break from jewelry and go on a short rant about why I own too much stuff.  Like this really ugly turtle.  It is, in fact, so very ugly that I can't even tell if it's supposed to be concave or convex. Mom found it at a garage sale (the first one of the season!) and she looked at it and decided that, since it's a turtle, I clearly needed to own it.  Now, I'm not at all opposed to people buying me things at garage sales, but I feel that there should, perhaps, be some limits to what those purchases are.  Ugly turtles, for example, should be left where you found them.

Actually, that's one of the best reasons to go to garage sales with my family instead of sleeping in; if I'm there, I can browse on my own, glance at the turtle, grimace and then move on without touching it.  But I decided not to go that morning, so now I'm stuck with this turtle until I can move out and/or be sure mom won't remember giving it to me and I can get rid of it without hurting her feelings.

090 Bird

090 China Bird

Object: China bird figurine

Acquired: March 19, 2011

From: My grandmother

Notes: After the funeral for my grandmother we all went to a funeral luncheon.  Towards the end of it, my mom pulled out two large boxes of more miscellaneous stuff that belonged to my grandmother.  Not just birds this time, but plates and tiny decorative vases. And then they basically forced things onto people. I grabbed this because it was the smallest thing left.  It's also rather pretty and subtlety colored, though it's lightly washed out on this background.

089 Bird

089 Bird Figurine

Object: Resin duck figurine

Acquired: March 19, 2011

From: My grandmother

Notes: My grandmother always collected bird figurines and she used to have glass-fronted cabinets full of them gathering dust.  As she got older and more senile we moved her out of her condo and into assisted living.  Every time she was moved she lost a few more of these birds--due to her having less and less space--but when she finally passed on March 4th this year she still had some left.

My mom put the remaining birds out at the funeral on the 19th and insisted everyone take one. I snagged this one, hoping it was soap stone, but it seems to just be resin made to look like soapstone.  And I realize that sounds a bit heartless of me, but my grandmother wasn't the nicest of people, and she lived long past any tender feelings we had for her.  I've made my peace with that.

And gained an adorable duck figurine.