Out of the Funk, Part 1

A few weeks ago I admitted that I've been in a funk.  You can read more about that here.
Over the course of the last year, I spent so many hours every week preparing and teaching my class that many of the daily joys of my life--little chores and organizing and decorating--were pushed to the back of my mind.  I'm ready to pull them back out again.  Dig out from the chaos.  Reorganize some stuff.  Decorate.

A friend of mine asked me how I had gotten myself out of the funk.One way--find some treasures at the Mesa Auction.  I ran out the door Friday morning to preview the furniture, planning a little revamp of my hobby room, and I just happened in on the box lot sale, which I've never attended.  Let me show you my finds:

First, this amazing book.

The cover is split and the pages are held together with a few strings and a prayer, but the illustrations are unbelievable.  I can't decide if I want to frame the pictures and hang them in my girls' rooms or if they're not too girly for my bedroom. 

If you've never attended an auction, you are missing one of the great joys of life, I tell you.  There's just something about holding that paddle in your hand and bidding on something you love against someone else who loves it too.  And when you take the bid--instant euphoria.  Sounds stupid, doesn't it?  Try it.  You'll love it, too.

I hadn't taken time to really evaluate what was up for auction, so I kinda flitted from thing to thing, bidding on a lot here or a box there.  Here is what I ended up with:

Two vintage table fans--and they both work!--for $25.  Can't wait to find homes for them.  Look in Pottery Barn.  That's a bargain.

A red gumball machine.  I had hoped to use this as bribery over the summer for completed chores.  I filled it with Mike and Ikes, only to discover it's broken and doesn't need quarters to dispense the treat.  Hmmm. I'm going to see if I can fix it when it's empty.  If I can't, it may just stay empty because it's so dang cute.

A boxful of DVDs--these will come in handy over the long summer, I'm sure.

I went back later that night and found four furniture pieces for my hobby room that I can't wait to share with you.  Each needs a little love, a little tweaking, and then careful placing and organizing.  Stay tuned for the next few Wednesdays for hobby room remodeling.

And then, there's the box lot with a story.
I was flipping through the box of DVDs I had just bought when I heard the auctioneer announce the next item up for bid like this:  "Here's a box with some stuff in it.  Including a metronome."  Metronome piqued my interest--with three kids in piano lessons, I know these puppies run about $50, so I was in, no matter what else was in that box.
Bidding started, and I ended up paying only $6, sight unseen, for the contents of the box.  The metronome?  Awesome! Micah has already used it at least 5 times every day.  That right there?  Worth the six bucks.  What else was in the box?  The globe to a hurricane lamp (which I accidentally pushed off a table and shattered as I evaluated my other treasures--didn't care!), twenty orphan keys (which Lily immediately hijacked and discovered one actually opens our mailbox--what are the odds?), a random rechargeable battery for a phone, a light timer, and a special treasure--

What would you do with these?