Cuckoo?

When on a mission for one thing I often stray to another.   Yesterdays adventure north to buy the Weens kibble and come straight home obviously didn't go as planned.  Oh yes... the kibble was bought but on my way past the Elks thrift I got the sudden urge to sneak a peak.  Now .. lately things have been a bit snug but I thought what the heck.  I wont find anything I could afford anyways but I can ALWAYS look..

That's when upon walking through the door I spied a rather shabby box outside the door, out in the elements of the mist filled afternoon, just barely under the overhang of the building.


O'rly? It can't be a Cuckoo clock in that box.. Well being the clock lover that I am I back tracked a couple of steps and flipped open the lid of the box.   There it was.. a very sad yet all intact Cuckoo.  The chains, the weights, the crowning piece.  All there.  Ahh most likely WAY too much.  They are never cheap, even in a junk store.



Wait... $5 bucks?
No way!  I picked it up and wandered inside, setting it on the counter.  "Is this really 5 dollars?"  the lady replied that it was and that they had no clue if it was all there or even worked.  (My inner child was squealing with delight!!!!) I'll take it.  As it happened I have a 5 spot suddenly burning a HUGE hole in my pocket so to speak.

When I showed Aaron I was braced for the next barrage of "what a piece of shit" but I thought his inner little girl was having a heart attack.  Come to find out my hubby likes cuckoos.  Nothing like a ho hum day turning into a great cheap find and learning something new along the way with it.  :) I spent a few hours gawking the net, eBay and other vintage hubs to see what I might find out about it.  So far I am "guessing" it's from the 30's-40's and "might" be a Black Forest clock. I do like to know what my things are but I really don't care if it's from 2 years ago and is nothing special by maker. I like it a lot and to me that matters the most. 

You most likely can't truly tell how grubby it was as I took the photo sitting on my desk in terrible lighting last night.  It was grubby.  It would have made an excellent Halloween piece, just add cobwebs.  Out came the trusty ol' clean everything tidy toothbrush, a soft cloth and my favorite.. Howard's Feed-N-Wax.


A bit later I had it hanging up on the wall, the chains restrung, all tidy'd up and it was singing to me it's little Cuckoo Cuckoo as I turned the hands.  I am still working to get the pendulum in the correct position to have it keep tick tocking away but for now....
Here's my lovely new baby for $5 big ones.  Sometimes.. just wanting to look can pay off.  ;)

Little Helpers

Pandora going .. the song Marry Me by Train came on ... I happened to be peeking in on a friends FB wall who has recently lost someone who meant the world to her and I got the urge to doodle the little someone who is helping her get through it all right now.   Now the song ... that started a wee little snivel fest as I simply can not imagine the loss of a man you love and having to embark on a life without him other than memories, which got me peeking at their photos and I came across the wee pups face and had to give him a go since he is the little earth angel there to pick up the pieces each time her heart might possibly break all over again.  Such a happy wee face he has.  ;)

My Girl

I love my girl.  She makes cozy little nests on the floor with all her blankies and then tells me to come cuddle with her in them.  She's awesome.  Everyween should have a little girl (or guy)

Emma and I


I loves her!






Have I ever mentioned I can be pretty silly when I want to?  This is my impression of an ookitanookiebear.






then I work my flip into it..


and roll into nappy pose..



Thanks for peepin all! ; ) 

Frugal Birthday

I have never been one to go all out. We do not throw birthday parties with all the neighborhood kiddies or the entire classroom showing up.  It stays simple, dinner with Grama and Grampa (they live the closest), decorations, cake and of course a few prezzies.

I am sometimes, I will admit, a little envious of the big all out bashes until I think about how exhausted the kids and parents are by the time it's all said and done.  In the end how happy is everyone when you're pooped out?  Oh and who really wants to look at the bank statement when those bashes are done and over.  OUCH!

So here you have it .. cheap decorations.  Due to a little letter we got in the mail that nearly gave me a heart attack ( 07 taxes had an overlook, yeah enough to make anyone have a touch of heart failure ) I decided to forgo the Sponge Bob decorations I had planned for Miss Emma this year.  Sister got the fondant cake and I wasn't about to do that again so we figured Emma would get the fancy decorations.  Well that letter ( thankfully on the way to be taken care of with a few phone calls and a fax YAY! ) made me rethink spending that bit of extra $. 

A discussion between Daddy and I helped make the choice of ... if I could go to the store and find one for under 15 bucks we would go that route.  Why not.  Let them frost it!   I had to run into town anyways. The kitties needed their grain free Taste of the Wild goodness. (never ever run out, kitties will nibble your toes!!)

Oh Fred Meyers, you have never let me down ...  The moment I walked in a lovely Red Velvet cake said ... yes Emma would love me.  ;)  $9.99. YAY!!


Making my way back towards home I stopped in at the local thrift shop and found a Barbie table cloth new in the package for .79 and some lavender streamer for .39 ( hmms.. I have some pink left over from my Mom's birthday and some balloons from Zoe's that would match this. YES!! )

I decided NOT to put it on the kitchen table and cut it up a bit to use it around the living room more. ;)

First snippity snip made a smallish cloth for the coffee table since we open prezzies in the living room anyways..










total cost out of pocket today: $11.17
had the left over balloons, streamer, sketti ingredients for dinner and kool aid. (her fave) ;)
Stress level = ZILCH!  

Granted ... Emma is only 4.(as of yesterday)
I feel it's good to show them that it doesn't have to be huge to be a happy time.  :)