garage sales and satisfaction

Today's coffee is brought to you by a Campbell's Tomato Soup mug. Which leads right into pretty much my favorite topic: garage sales!! Oh, the treasures that I find! The thrill of the hunt. The potential projects. The endless possibilities! Can you tell I'm passionate about garage sales?!






I come from a long line of garage salers. Well, my Mom and Dad, anyway. I don't really have any special memories associated with the brand new store-bought gifts that I received, but when my mom stopped by a garage sale, the gifts she came home with were AWEsome! I remember this heavy old baton that I tried and tried to learn how to twirl. Dreams were created with that baton! Another time she brought home a big bag of Barbies with clothes - some of the Barbies even had custom hair cuts. And the stuffed animals!! Each one that I got had a special name and a special place in my heart, especially the really soft ones. (I think I passed my passion for stuffed animals onto my daughter: her floor is covered with them.)


Today's gift of survival: We moved into our new house about 5 months ago. Decorating and re-decorating is constant around here. But it has made me realize how much of my house is filled with items that I have treasure-hunted for. A dear friend walked into my house once and commented on how much she liked the way I had decorated. She said it made it comfortable, homey. That comment alone changed my house from a place filled with junk, to a home I take pride in.



As I find myself in need of specific types of furniture to fit in this new house, I don't usually search the stores. I frequent garage sales, thrift stores, Craigslist, and garage sale posts on Facebook. The items I find are usually one of a kind. I can't tell you how many times someone has said, "I love that chair, or toy box, or end table - where'd you get it?" More often than not, the answer is "a garage sale!" I used to respond sheepishly, but have since taken a bit more pride because there is no shame in having unique pieces of furniture in my house!




I have learned that life here on earth is not really about who has the most or who has the best. It is being satisfied with what God has blessed you with. You see, I have a mansion reserved for me up in heaven, filled with the best of the best. I don't know exactly what that means up in heaven - it probably looks a lot different than the best of the best here on earth. And that's fine with me. I trust that God's got some pretty amazing things in heaven, and I know it's better than what's here on earth. But until that day when I move into my heavenly mansion, I will find joy here among all my garage sale treasures that make this house home.