S is for Sabi Saturday Week 7 (errr, Sunday)

Sabi Saturday Linkup Week 7

So the Sabi Saturday blog hop is open for the whole week where we share. Add your link up at the bottom of the post.

• the vintage/antique items handed down or we “rescue” from garage sales and thrift stores so they don’t end up in a trash bin
• items we’ve upcycled instead of throwing them away
• items we’ve repaired in a transformative way to make them more beautiful or cooler than before
• process or tutorials on how we upcycled or repaired something to make something new, more beautiful, or cooler

Sabi Saturday Linkup Week 6 Roundup

First the roundup:

15 and Meowing rescued a ceramic bunny, so cute with butterflies.

Cactus Catz photographed a cool vintage coffee grinder.  (Seriously I had driven, I would have brought back the grey tiger cat and the grinder but these days flight baggage allotments have shrunk to nothing.)

This week’s Sabi Saturday contribution

Sorry I was a day late again.  Flew home yesterday so had to pack, get to the airport, and you know.

Both Lori and I love thrift stores so it’s something we do every time I visit.  So I used to bring my large backpack half full of clothes, computer, and computer bag and then when I went home, it would be full.  Of course if I drove, space was a nonissue (the only issue was unhappy meowing cats on the 15-hour drive).

It used to be you could have one bag to check-in for free, one carryon (computer bag or camera bag) and your purse. I could bring my large backpack as a carryon because it could squish into the carryon space above as it wasn’t rigid. It was long, close to two feet I think. That used to be the criteria — if it can be squished into the little box.

Now it’s your purse/camera bag/computer bag and one carryon which is now limited to 22″x14″x9″ and saying you can squish it to those dimensions doesn’t really fly.

So I flew in with my camera bag and my computer bag. I brought a couple shirts and pants, some underwear and socks, and figured I’d get more.  There’s a great discount Goodwill between the airport and my friend’s place where you buy clothes by the pound.  If you’re into designer clothes, they often have some because that’s what the local people wear in and around San Jose.  You can even find clothes with the tags still on them from people who are kondoizing their house and getting rid of stuff they never got around to wearing. You do however have to dig around in bins.  So we did that on Wednesday and also hit another thrift store that was having a great sale on books for half off so I bought …. yep, 2 cookbooks. And we went to a few other thrift stores on Tuesday night (senior night) and on Thursday I hit the Los Gatos thrift store and bought some cookbooks. I should open a lending library for cookbooks, art books, Asian American books, mysteries and science fiction/fantasy.  I have a thing for books. I love the cookbooks made by Chronicle Books.  They are a California publisher so when I’m over there, I always scan thrift store shelves for their logo.  I was surprised they did Top Chef.

When I went to see how much my bag might have retailed for, I was surprised to find out how arty some carryons had become. No way could you confuse this with someone else’s. However, I’ve never seen one of these at a thrift store. (Amazon image affiliate link)

Problem is going home, I needed a bag to put my camera bag in and my purchases. So I found this American Tourister at Savers and snapped it up for $3.50 ($4.99 less the 30% seniors day). It’s awesome. Retractable handle, rolling wheels and all the zippers work. I think the previous owner had put on badges with their name or logo to easily identify it or something. They took those off before donating it.

Thing is I was used to packing my backpack where I lay clothes flat and everything fits because the sides can bulge. I totally misjudged. When I went to pack the bag, it’s perfect for the airlines at 22″x9″x14″ but the sides are rigid. No squishing! I only got in my computerbag, computer, a couple books and about 1/3 of the clothes I bought. Geez.

I was so glad Lori squished these in. Wearing them now. I couldn’t believe it when I found it in the Goodwill bin.  (Amazon image affiliate link)

(I found out too late if you roll clothes you can pack them tighter. At the airport curb, to get more in, Lori rolled 3 pants to slide them into the front pouch. She even got in my Minnetonka pink suede slippers ($2 at Goodwill). I was floored at how small she made them. I probably should have read this article: 5 Ways to Pack Your Suitcase Way More Efficiently)

I chose Top Chef The Cookbook to take home because I love Top Chef. I found this one for $2 and it’s even autographed by Steph Izard, Richard Blair, and Carla Hall.  You’d have to be into Top Chef, which I am — I’ve bought most of their seasons on dvd — to know who they are. It’s my favorite cooking show. It’s not the same as a cookbook signed by Alice Waters but I still think it’s cool.

Steph Izard was the first female chef to win Top Chef (4th Season). Richard Blais was a runner-up during season 4 but came back as the winner in the Top Chef All-Stars aka 8th season. Dale, another favorite of mine during the 4th season, didn’t make it to the finals which I couldn’t believe. Totally floored me. Carla Hall brightened up the 5th season with her vivid personality, her “hootie hoo” calls and “cooking with love” philosophy. She finished as a runner-up and came back later in the All-Stars.

Lori is keeping everything else for me to take home on my next visit.  If I fly back next time, I will mail books media mail.  It’s fairly cheap.

So while these items are neither vintage or antique, they are recycled as I liberated them from thrift stores.

The books I managed to bring home. (all Amazon linked images)

A 1971 cookbook (autographed too–first time I found signed books and I found two). Shimizu was born in Oakland, CA which I thought was cool because I used to live there

a fun Chronicles book with lots of vintage photographs and photographs of vintage items along with the cocktail recipes.

Amazon disclosure: “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” The prices remain the same.

Linking up

You can choose to do a pingback or add your link in the Mr. Linkys. Also feel free to leave a link in comments. The advantage to Mr. Linkys is that it can feature an image from your post. Please tag your post Sabi Saturday.