Trailer Trad Living: The Perfect Little Garden

Some neighbors built this little salad garden outside their apartment. Actually, the process was surprisingly easy and cheap. Nice words, easy and cheap. The slats for the raised bed, lining and potting soil cost around $50 and create a tidy, attractive little garden that will pay for itself quickly. Plus, I hear that gardening can be kind of fun. For some people at least. I feel kind of guilty that my parents have expertly tended a quarter acre version of this for thirty years and this is more than I can muster right now. Oh well.

Just think about the produce that you have to buy at the store that will be part of this tiny patch's yield. Tomatoes, peppers, basil, cucumbers, squash, and more. Using raised beds with a liner solve two problems common around here; weeds and crappy red clay soil. Now, all you need is a BB-gun for the HOARDS of squirrels, chipmonks, birds and the rest that will pick off tomatoes, etc. To top it off, there is a water drainage tube that comes down the side of their apartment, so IF the water's clean it would be easy to attach a drip irrigation tube and snake it through the beds.

Flash forward, like, a month and it looks like the garden has already begun yielding.

Trailer Trad Collecting: Spring Pickin'

I went to an estate sale the other weekend and it had some good things going for it. It wasn't advertised and it was run informally by the family. Some interesting, dusty old junk. I must admit that I would have passed by the poster shown below because reproduction posters are everywhere but a friend pointed to it and told me to check it out. Smart lady.

This excellent condition, vibrant poster is a rare combination that hits three hot, competitive collectibles markets: country store antiques, sporting antiques, and black memorabilia. It may prove to be a very significant example of the latter.

The age of the framed poster is hard to determine but I lucked out when I noticed that the hardware store where it came from had its phone number on it the back. The phone number is quite early. Two digits with a letter would date it to the 1940s at latest, I would think. 

This is one of those nice little purchases that make picking worthwhile. This heavy little silver-plate platter came from the Fairmont Hotel. Made by Reed & Barton, it seems to be from the 1930s or 1940s and will be perfect for serving morning tea or afternoon cookies!

This leather and canvas tool bag came out of another good estate sale in the neighborhood. Oftentimes, good stuff (items that can be googled for valuation easily for instance) goes quickly at estate sales but quirky stuff like this can sit untouched for hours. Sales price = $3.

I picked up a couple more 1940s/50s state juice glasses because I use them and they are awesome.

North Hills Beach Music Party 2014

The big party is here! North Hills beach music Thursday nights began with The Embers a few weeks ago and continued with the Fantastic Shakers last Thursday. The Guccis (sans socks) are shined and ready to go! Even though I've written about it previously, each year, the party seems to get better and better. Still haven't discovered it? Find out more here....