Back to the books!

If you live in or around Des Moines, you may have heard of the book sale: the Planned Parenthood book sale, which happens twice a year (April & October) and just happens to be one of the best book sales in the country.  It's one of my favorite events and where I find many of my best books for creating journals.  Since the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market starts on May 7 (I'm scheduled for opening day--always a great time!), I was waiting in line to get in the door yesterday.  Waitied in line in some very cold rain and little ice pellets....but of course it was worth it.  Thought you might like to see some of what I grabbed:

I love my Nancy Drews.  It's a treat to find some of the old blue ones without their dust jackets.  None of these are in collectible condition--perfect to make into journals.  

I haven't ever made a Charlie Brown journal before so these will be something new for me.  

This will obviously make the perfect journal for someone.  Victorian novels often have very amusing titles. 

Old typing and shorthand manuals are some of my very favorites to make into journals.  It's been quite a while since I've had an old typing book.  The typing books make perfect spiral sketchpads, while the shorthand books are just the right size for a journal to fit in your purse.  

I'll share more in the next month before opening day of the market.  If you're able to visit the market, you'll see some of the books pictured here transformed into journals.  Time to get to work! 

Right now.

Today was a great day at Market Day today.  And I can't believe that the next Market Day, the big Black Friday event, is the last one for 2012.   All of a sudden, the day after Thanksgiving doesn't seem so far away!

We went on our very first visit to a pumpkin patch this week. 

I am searching  for vintage dress patterns!  I found some awesome 1940s patterns this week, but I need more.  Got some?  Give me a holler, please!

Getting ready for a big birthday party: Jacob is turning four soon. 

Wondering if I should dare trying to make the birthday cake myself this year.  And attempt to decorate it.   This seems more than a bit risky to me.  What happens if I mess it up and there's no pretty cake for his party!  Would there be a Lightning McQueen cake available somewhere in Des Moines on such short notice?  These are the kind of tough decisions parents have to make.

Thinking ahead about craft shows in other locations that I really want to try for next year.  And how to make it work. 

Hoping  that the replacement part for my corner rounder gets here soon.  Very soon. 

Super-excited for the Planned Parenthood book sale, which starts Thursday.  I've managed to make some room for my book-sale booty ahead of time.  Good thing for the vintage built-in cupboards in our basement. 

That's what I'm thinking about right here, right now.  Now it's time to get back to work. 

Is This Heaven? No, it's the book sale!

Twice a year, spring and fall, finds me at the Planned Parenthood book sale over at the fairgrounds.  It is truly my idea of heaven--and judging from the line when the sale opened on Thursday afternoon, it's heaven for quite a few others as well!  I arrived five minutes before opening and there were probably a couple hundred people ahead of me.  Luckily the volunteers moved the line through the doors very quickly and I made a beeline for the vintage section first.  Scored some truly awesome books, a few that I have been looking for.  When this happens I know that karma is working for me.  I tried to be courteous and not pushy in my attempts to look through the books. I confess to being a bit greedy when it comes to getting my hands on old books to turn into journals.  Because every book sale, there's a little bit less to choose from, although of course there are still plenty of treasures. I am very happy with all my finds and have already got a new batch of journals underway. 

Friday afternoon I returned to the book sale to work a volunteer shift and had a great time doing that as well.  It is interesting to see what other folks are buying.  I've volunteered at the book sale before and will definitely do so again.  I am a longtime supporter of Planned Parenthood and am glad to be able to make a small contribution by volunteering.  Because without the book sale, I wouldn't have access to so many great old books all under one roof.  And Planned Parenthood gives access to so many important services that many folks might not be able to afford. 

Today is Sunday, so that  means that everything is half off at the book sale....and tomorrow, everything will be 75% off.  There will still be some great stuff left, so I will probably have to shop again.  You should, too! 

Book Sale booty and the backstory of my craft adventures.

This weekend is one of my very favorite each and every year: the great big Planned Parenthood Book Sale. I have been going to the book sale for years, because I have always. loved. books. Ask anyone. At one time I had 26 boxes of them that I moved around with me from one apartment to another; I packed them and unpacked them in alphabetical order and was ridiculed for this, but I am after all the daughter of a librarian. So every year I would go to the book sale and be unable to resist such steals as a vintage etiquette book for a dollar. I would read a few pages and then put it on a shelf with other vintage books in my collection. Vintage books make lovely displays in any home, in my opinion. I did this for years and in 2008 I made my first upcycled journal. And then I made a few more, for practice. I got better at it. I started to sell a few. When Belinda from Pure Paper said my journals were nice and offered to sell them in the store, I was elated! I got busy making books. I got brave and applied to craft shows. I had fun and made money--really, what more can you want in life? That's the dream you hear people talk about : do what you love and the money will follow.

The book sale has been, and always will be, one of my very favorite things.