Brenda sold her shop last week and now she is free to play with me.  I feel like I’m six years old again, and just found a playmate.

Today, we went junkiin and picked up some amazing ideas.  Do you recognize the platter above?

Of course you don’t.  It’s an old record that has been baked in the oven and molded into a clever platter.

I’m doing one tonight. I have lots of old albums that need to be resurrected into something useful. Abba comes to mind. Brenda threatened me if I did an Elvis.

All you do is bake them in the oven over a bowl or something to lift the center.  Doesn’t take long.  Pull them out of the oven while still warm and pliable and shape them into something interesting.

Next stop. We found the most wonderful resale shop which has been right here under our noses for months.  I bought some terracotta pots that would have cost six times more at Wally World.

The first pot I picked up was marked $10. The owner,  Lee Ann Merkl, ripped the price tag off and said the item was on sale for $5.  I stood there astonished, feeling like I had won the lottery. Why would she do that?

Back in the truck, I asked Brenda why Lee Ann didn’t just charge me what I planned to pay.  Brenda said it was a matter of honor -something you just did when you were an honest merchant.  No wonder I love this woman and I add Lee Ann Merkl to the list.  She is a class act and you must visit her shop.  It’s located in the building that once housed Zone 7 and Phillips Garden Center.