Punxsutawney Phil Ruins Everything! Again!

February.2.2012

Our dear friend the Groundhog (also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, but to me he is known as “another stinking rodent”) saw his stinking shadow today, which as folklore tells us, means another 6 stinking weeks of winter. COME ON!

So we here at the Garage sale have done our best to dig up some ideas on how to spend YET ANOTHER 6 STINKING WEEKS indoors.

Get your cozy on in this AMAZING vintage chair with ottoman, and waste away the next six weeks drinking a fine (or not so fine) bandy, with a few good books.

Chair with Ottoman $100. Retro end table $45. Books 3 for $1.

Get your gaming on. Go back… way back. To Nintendo 64. My husband tells me this thing was the bee’s knees in its day. I personally preferred playing outside, and hitting things with sticks as a child, so I have limited knowledge of its awesomeness. This lot comes complete with a rumble pack, 2 controllers, little red doohickey, and five games. Apparently the only game that REALLY matters is Golden Eye, and Donkey Kong 64… kind of.

$50.

Get your entertaining on. These are some seriously slick mid-century platters. We have 2 of each style. They do have some slight signs of wear and tear, which is the only reason why Ed parted with them. But they sure do look swell for their age.

 $8-6.

Get your bake on. You have six more weeks to gorge on cake. At least make them pretty with some of our fancy cake molds.    $.50-3.

ALSO! Anyone interested in volunteering here at the Community Warehouse should drag themselves and a few friends down to the Estate Sale store THIS SATURDAY at 4:15 p.m. We are looking to expand our already amazing team of folks to help out at the Garage Sale and Estate Sale stores. There will be snacks, beverages and merrymaking aplenty. We hope to see you there. 

Are you ready for some football?!?

January.26.2012

What is it about Super Bowl Sunday that makes us lose all self respect in the kitchen? We throw all illusions of  maintaining our new years resolutions out the window, and break out the cocktail weenies, velveta cheese and double deep fried Calzones (thanks Paula Deen!). Beer and sugar filled soda flow like wine, and the dips… Oh the dips. That’s where we come in.

We have a vast selection of “chip and dip” platters, taco salad shell makers (recognized as the most unsalad like salad ever), and even a bloomin’ onion slicer! Not to mention other great bowls, platters and such for your snackums. So losen your belts, or even better, slip into your favorite grease stained sweat pants and let the feast begin!

Is there a blue team playing? Ehhh, who cares. Just fill this baby up with some Lays and French Onion dip.

Great for the minimalist snacker.

My personal favorite. It’s a great piece made by Red Wing Ceramics. Fill with hummus and veggies, or 5 different types of ranch dressing.

This is probably far too classy for your Super Bowl party. But it might look just right sitting next to that keg of Bud Light.

We have these guys in 4 different sizes!

Here are a couple of my favorite, unapologetic, artery clogging recipes:

Reuben Dip

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing

16 ounces sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry

8 ounces shredded corned beef

16 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and dressing.

Spread sauerkraut into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Layer corned beef, Swiss cheese, and the mayonnaise-dressing mixture on top of the sauerkraut.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Bacon Double Cheeseburger dip

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef

6 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, chopped

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoon ketchup

Directions

Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium heat, set it aside and drain the grease from the pan.

Cook the bacon in the pan until crispy, about 6-10 minutes, set aside and drain all but a tablespoon of the grease.

Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

Mix the ground beef, bacon, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, cheddar, worcestershire sauce and ketchup and pour it into a baking dish.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the top starts turning a light golden brown and then sides are bubbling, about 20-30 minutes.

Happy snacking. Don’t forget your Lipitor.

The New Look and Feel at The Garage Sale.

January.20.2012

What is that? A merchandise display at the Garage Sale? Items strategically placed to make them look more appealing? You Betcha! We’ve got some BIG changes happening at the Garage Sale, but don’t worry, we have all the same great stuff at crazy low prices! So stop in this weekend, and tell us what you think. We want and need your feedback.

Baskets, baskets, BASKETS.

January, 6, 2012
Posted by Laura

I’m not a basket person, I’m more of a steamer trunk kind of girl. Nevertheless, we have baskets. And lots of ‘em.

We have the gamut of styles, shapes and sizes.

We generally have glass and ceramic baskets, too. I feel like these defeat the purpose of a basket.

But Captain Norman approves of the concept.

Then again, he’s a ceramic/penguin/sailor/platter.

Most baskets in the garage sale are $1.

Denying the Gloom

December 30, 2011
Posted by Laura

I’ve decided to reject the notion of winter this week. I bike commuted in the downpours, locked myself outside my apartment on one of the stormiest nights and yet I remain unfazed.  How do I do it? Well, technically we’re closer to spring than fall. That’s all I need – that and some bright and shiny things to remind me of sunny days to come.

These small melamine bowls are $2 for the set.

My favorite vase is $1.

Sunny side up for me, please!

This fruit basket is one of the cooler items we have right now in my opinion – made ever awesomer with the addition of a glass pear. We get a lot of glass fruit. Not sure why…

(this is a coaster)

These bowls are brilliantly spring-y. They are made of a melamine-like plastic (perhaps melamine?). They’re a steal at $2 for the set.

A purse with a bonus mini-purse!

Then again, it’s sometimes nice to embrace winter with tea from a sunny teapot.

Items pictured are $.50-$3.00.

My Wish List

December 21, 2011
Posted by Laura

This started as a theoretical wish list for myself but the more time I spent collecting and photographing the items, the more I fell in love them. So a few things are now missing from this collection and will be under the trees this Sunday at the three  houses I will be visiting (in two days and three towns – ’cause that how I roll).  Lucky for my family, we have similar tastes.

Except for this, I don’t think anyone in my family wants a music box with a depiction of Beethoven.

I’m still not sure I can part with this teapot, but dangit, you can’t have more teapots than tea varieties – I’m pushing my personal limit as is.

But if I were to get this teapot, I’d probably pick up this awesome little teacup. Just saying.

I love this wood dish. I have no idea what I’d us it for…but it’s pear-shaped! That’s good stuff. (By the way, we generally have a great collection of wood dishes, platters and bowls.)

I’ve banned myself from collectibles – ideally everything I own can serve multiple functions – but this bird breaks my brain a little. It’s just so shiny and cute.

These little bowls are really delicate-looking but actually seem pretty sturdy. That’s important to me because I’m super-clumsy.

I love odd souvenir plates.  It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the plates are a light blue with brown decor. Here’s a detailed view of what one is commemorating.

Strawberries are such a classic design for kitchenware. This Sheffield Strawberries ‘n Cream stoneware set is priced individually.

If I had flower buds, they would be placed in these vases.

I’m surprised this little set is still in The Garage Sale, they have a nice classy seventies vibe.

And finally, let me introduce you to my friend, Captain Rutherford. We had a huge donation of seafaring-themed items about a month ago and it’s starting to dwindle, but the Captain remains.

All items priced are under $5.

We have a smidge of glassware

December 15, 2011
Posted by Laura

Here at The Garage Sale, we tend to get a few glass things.

A glass candle holder or twenty.

A plant-themed dish or eight.

A plate or ten.

Covered candy dishes.

The occasional butter dish.

At any given time, three to eight sets of punch glasses.

Whatever this sparkly thing is.

Some more candy(?) dishes.

Platters.

So many platters.

We pretty much have every glass platter ever.

It’s so festive while still being very platter-y!

And we have whatever this thing is. I’m thinking candle holder, maybe?

But I think I found it’s highest function.

Items pictured are $.50-$2.

A Cookie Jar Collection Worthy of Victor Nightingale

December 8, 2011
Posted by Laura

It shouldn’t surprise you but The Garage Sale has quite the epic cookie jar collection. I’m sure “Victor Nightingale” would be quite jealous.

We’ve got tropical-themed jars.

And country-life-themed jars (that cow is handmade!)

And things-that-float-on-water-themed jars.

Look, Jack Victor is thrilled, just thrilled.

Keep in mind, we still have plenty of holiday decor and presents at great prices too!

All cookies jars pictured are between $1 and $5.

Photo credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a6/30_Rock_Season_2_Episode_3.PNG

Your Source For Everything Holiday

December 1, 2011
Posted by Laura

The Garage Sale has a great selection of holiday items right now. We have everything decorating-style -  from vintage to modern.

We have a TON of gift wrap, bags, boxes, bows and ribbon all priced to sell.

Items pictured are between $0.05 and $5.

Cozy Weather

November 26, 2011
Posted by Laura

We’ve certainly seen some rain this past week. This sort of weather always makes me want to read, drink tea and take on new creative projects.  So, I’ve collected a few items from The Garage Sale to do just that.

I picked this teapot because I’m reading Watership Down right now. I have a feeling these bunnies are happier looking than the ones in my book will be  in the next few chapters.

I love the surprise of an elaborate illustration in the endpapers of a book. I’m always looking for these.

The Foxes of Harrow was made into a movie in 1947 starring Rex Harrison and Maureen O’Hara.

Here’s an awesome picture of the author.

Wasteland won the Harper Prize in 1946. It seems quite cutting edge for the year it was written.

I found this writing exercise book from Roosevelt High School.  I love finding old textbooks; I’m always searching for readers’ doodles and notes.  This book is great because it remains practical today.

Here’s a book for the medicinal-plant-of-Denmark embroiderer in your life. That’s a thing, right?

But seriously, this book has amazing illustrations of an array of beautiful plants. It even offers brief descriptions of the traditional uses of the herbs and medicinal plants.

Photo credit: http://www.frankyerby.com/view.html

Mugs And Candle Holders

November 8, 2011
Posted by Laura

We have an abundance of mugs and candle holders. Nearly all are priced at $0.50. Here are my current favorites:

My friend has one of these already. I’ve admired it for years.

She’s sooo tough!

My friend also has this one in blue. Her’s doesn’t look so mean, though.

These are just nice.

I’m pretty sure no one owns a candle holder like this…yet.

2011 Give!Guide

November 8, 2011
Posted by Laura

Community Warehouse has been selected for Willamette Week’s Give!Guide for the fifth year in a row! Watch our video here:

Visit communitywarehouse.org/giveguide today!

Jewelry For Every Age and Occasion

November 3, 2011
Posted by Laura

We have some interesting necklaces and bracelets in The Garage Sale right now.

All Jewelry shown is between $0.50-$3.00.  Something to keep in mind as the holiday party season approaches.

Weird Things

October 27, 2011
Posted by Laura

I really like digging through The Garage Sale and finding our weirdest treasures. Here are a few oddities I found this week:

Catplate!The legs are especially disturbing.

Cabbagepitcher!Personally, I don’t think this weird, I think it’s amazing. But no one has bought it yet which indicates to me that most people aren’t as into cabbage pottery as I am.

Freud and Holmes, “together again for the first time!”I find this pastiche pretty annoying. Also, I hate the use of “corking,” “cracking” and “delicious” by the Chicago Tribune. Therefore, I had to share.

Bask in the weirdness of Bloom County.

This book is weird in the best way. It has such classic lines as:

And:

I was going to include a bunch of photos of this book but, sadly, it sold already. So here’s a tease:
(yes, you are correct, that is a landscape constructed entirely of meat)

New Storefront!

October 18, 2011
Posted by Laura

The Garage Sale storefront is undergoing a major facelift and the difference is astounding! We have a real door now AND huge windows. The top windows are being installed as I type. No more blustery winters for our fearless volunteer staff.

Stop on by and check it out!

Also, this:

Road Trip!

October 6, 2011
Posted by Laura

There seems to be a lot of people going on vacation around me, right now. So I’ve assembled some road trip essentials from The Garage Sale.

First off, we have two sets of luggage, they look droopy in the photo but they’re really in pretty good condition.

One can’t forget to pick up a novelty luggage tag.

We have tags for three of my top ten favorite dog breeds!

We have some novel flip flops; the straps are covered in Velcro so you can switch looks. There are four strap designs total.

When my family and I went on road trips we brought along some audio books to pass the time. Today I found The Man Who Listens to Horses, an autobiography of Monty Roberts, the real Horse Whisperer. Maxine Kumin of the New York Times called it “a riveting and inspirational story, easy to read and hard to put down.”

Of course, all road trips need some retro music. We have an eclectic collection of CDs (and tapes) right now. Here we have Billboard’s Decade of Music Volume 1-3 from 1992. It’s got everything from Stevie Ray Vaughn to MC Hammer to Toto.

Cu In The Kitchen

September 30, 2011
Posted by Laura

We have a beautiful collection of decorative copper molds right now at The Garage Sale. They are various shades of shiny, coppery pink.

The nice thing about copper kitchen décor is that it is a timeless way to decorate a kitchen.

Julia Child was a fan of the stuff, too.

And who doesn’t want to emulate Julia Child? She was a 6’2” chef who worked for the OSS during WWII creating a shark repellant.

Photo credit: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/files/2009/07/julias-pots-in-cambridge.jpg 
Photo credit: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jX9QklC3G4E/SoAxOIJagWI/AAAAAAAABoI/6t7YQI1EoE0/s1600-h/Postcard.jpg

Laura’s Favorites

September 23, 2011
Posted by Laura

This week I thought I’d share some of the items that struck my fancy as of late. It’s a random collection of fun things I think you might like too.

I’ve been eyeing this dress for weeks. It would be great for the in-between-summer-and-fall weather we’ve been having here in Portland. We received bunch of new jewelry this week and I found this awesome wood, metal and plastic one (only $.50!).

I found some Portland-based media in the shop today. We have Art ala Carte: a Portland Theatre Cookbook by Artists Repertory Theatre (ART), the album From a Basement on the Hill by Elliott Smith, and a signed copy of Caprial’s Cafe Favorites by Caprial Pence. As you may know,  ART is based in SW Portland, Smith gained his fame while he lived here and Pence has been part of the culinary scene in Portland for years. The cookbooks are on opposite ends of the spectrum, the ART cookbook has recipes like “Jody’s Spuds a la Elegant” and “Top Ramen Stew,” while Pence’s cookbook recipes for “Rosemary and Dried Cherry Stuffing” and “Mussel Stew with Roasted Tomatoes and Fennel”

To top my picks this week, I give you:

Fake limes? Fake avocados? You be the judge.

They are $3 for the whole bushel. And, just a warning, if no one buys them soon, I’m making a sculpture out of them.

Oh, The Places You Haven’t Been!

September 12, 2011
Posted by Laura

Have you ever dreamed of traveling the world? Now you can pretend you have! The Garage Sale has  souvenir plates, teacups, spoons, thimbles and shakers from all corners of the world.

Eat dinner with a plate from your nonexistent trip to Alaska!

Serve your guests tea in the finest teacup Las Vegas has to offer.

Claim you’ve viewed our border with Canada from three different states!

DC is lovely this time of year.

Pretend you were alive for the Oregon Centennial.

Why? Why not? People would never guess you’re lying about something so trivial.

Get ‘Em While They’re Hot

September 9, 2011
Posted by Laura

Things have been bumping at The Garage Sale lately. We have a ton of interesting, new stock and have placed a number of large items outside.

If you’ve stopped by lately, you’ll see we’ve done some rearranging. There is a bit more floor space and we’ve started a new sorting system. We have fast turnover so that’s an ongoing project.

In case you were not aware, all items in The Garage Sale (and the Estate Store) are donations that were not suitable for clients due to the volume or nature of the goods. The other 90% of donations go directly to the clients we serve. We furnish the homes of about 40 families per week. All proceeds from The Garage Sale and the Estate Store fund Community Warehouse.

We will continue to update, organize and remodel The Garage Sale in the upcoming months. I think you’ll like the changes.

Revolutionary

September 2, 2011
Posted by Laura

Experience the glory of the American Revolution every meal with this super-classy set of three mugs and five plates. They memorialize all your favorite gatherings of our founding fathers!

The 8 piece set is for sale at The Garage Sale for only $6.

Capture Some Sunshine

August 20, 2011
Posted by Laura

It (finally) feels like summer here in Portland. If you’re like me, you’ve been trying to capture as much of the sunshine as possible. We’ve got some wonderful flowers blooming this time of year, too. I think The Garage Sale’s vases do a great job of bringing some of their sunshine indoors.

These yellow and green vases highlight the brilliant blue of hydrangeas.

A spray of amaranthus complements these purple and green vases.

Freesias with our blue and red vases creates a fun pop art vibe.

Stop on by The Garage Sale Thursday through Monday 10-4. We have a vase of every size and color – and they’re all at bargain prices!

A Collection for Everyone

August 8, 2011
Posted by Laura

We heard a rumor that you like chickens…

Or was it rabbits?

Or dogs?

No matter what you collect we are bound to have a little treasure for your collection. Stay tuned for a peek at more bargain geegaws and hidden gems.

Open During Construction!

August 8, 2011
Posted by Ed

We’re getting a new roof this week and although it sounds like a herd of drunken moose are tap dancing over our heads we’re still open for business.

We’ve  added some non-normative stuff this week including two nice headboards (shown above) one is King sized, the other is Queen sized. The downside is that these are headboards ONLY, we didn’t get the rails or footboards so you’ll have to improvise before using them.

Is your lawn looking a little weak? Thinking about all the slug bait you’ll have to sling to save your fall greens once slug season returns? This little fertilizer spreader might be the solution to a problem you didn’t know you had.

As always we’re adding stuff all the time, this week we combined that with a little cleaning house and price slashing at the Estate Store too!