Rainy weekend notwithstanding

... Spring has sprung. It's official. The long dark days of winter are past. Two unmistakeable signs: it's still light out when I am trying to wrangle kids into bed at a decent hour, and the return of the garage sale.

My life just got a lot more interesting.

I admit I am a garage sale junkie. Which usually translates into a junk-junkie. With my aspirations to purchase only used items, garage sales can now make up a large part of the shopping experience I'd been missing. Yes, thrift stores have the "searching for treasure" appeal, but it's just different. Garage sales are more like scavenger hunts... changing location and strategy on the fly, hoping to score that elusive whatever you've been meaning to replace/procure/duplicate and/or supplement. It's all there. Possibly... somewhere. And looking is half the fun.

Since weather in this region is dicey at best in April, most schools and churches are doing their rummage sales now, and indoors. We hit the St. Mark's one yesterday, shortly after opening, and I scored a lovely used Singer sewing machine (needs tune up) for a measly $20. As my current sewing machine makes alarming crackling noises and occasional smoke when I press down on the pedal - and it was expensive to take it in last time for the exact same problem - it seemed a good call. Also scored some nice Hannah Anderson tops for L, sewing notions, a couple of skirts and a vintage table cloth that needs to be turned into a skirt. The find: vintage travel Scrabble set: $1.

So other than the sewing machine and the school uniform skirts, not much here met the criteria of being necessary. I found it amusing that Janel came to the sale with a shopping list, and asked me what I was looking for - and I was stumped. But the old "I'll know it when I see it." is admittedly a dangerous mindset.

It's time for me to reveal my innermost shopping self: I am a manic magpie.

The inner dialogue goes something like this: "What's this? What's this? Oooh bright colors and shiny.... and what's this? More! It's the perfect ___________ I've been looking for to pull of a feat worthy of Martha Stewart when you add _______, hot glue some _____ and then make a ________ for your very own, hand made _________!!! That will be so cool. Is there more? Perfect! "

There's a fine line between creative optimism and elaborate delusion. Usually I'm running somewhere perpendicular to 'em both.