Monday, March 24, 2014

Thrifting Finds #49: Your Opinions Needed!

Okay, so it was a nice weekend--temperatures in the 50s on Saturday and upper 40s yesterday.

They're predicting snow tomorrow.

Really?  Really??

Last I heard, it was officially Spring.  Doesn't that mean no more snow?  Shouldn't it?  I already put my shovel away, fercryingoutloud.

So you're probably sick of hearing me whine about the weather.  Trust me, I'm sick of doing it.  This just seems to be The Winter That Will Not End.

Right.  Done.  So let's get on to what I snagged this weekend.  Not much, I'll admit, but I'm really pleased.


1.  Not Another Cookbook!  I know, I know, but bear with me, there's an explanation.  This is not a new cookbook, it's a replacement.  I already own one, but it turns out it has a bunch of pages missing (it's like a three-ring binder, and the old, brittle pages aren't very strong.)  I suppose this one could have missing pages as well, huh?  Didn't think of that at the time.  Oh, well.  There was a handwritten recipe inside for Zucchini with Cheese, involving frozen zucchini, cream cheese, and walnuts.  Didn't sound great, so I tossed it.  Goodwill, $2.50.


2.  Ikea Drawer Thing!  I'm not sure what it's official name is--probably something like Kahüppenġloġġ.  Or maybe Dräwr.  Anyway, this has been kind of a Holy Grail for me.  I've been wanting this for keeping tools and fasteners and whatnot.  Unfortunately, by the time I discovered that Ikea sold it, they had discontinued it.  Story of my life.  So I've been keeping my eyes peeled in the thrifts, just in case.  And my vigilance paid off!  Now I just have to do something about those crooked drawers before my OCD sends me over the edge.  Goodwill, $6.50.

And that's all I found, really.  Not much, but both items made me happy.  

Remember the Regal Poly Perk I got last week?

The one I wasn't going to use because it said "Hobo Frank" on the side?  Well,it finally occurred to me that all I needed to do was cover up the writing with a little black electrical tape, and I could use it.  So that's what I did.  Didn't take a picture, but it looks just fine.

What's Cooking? Department

Looks like the Spotless* Test Kitchens here at Fondue HQ didn't turn out anything new or unusual this week.

*Totally not spotless.


A:  Pea Soup!  Hubs requested soup this week, as we're (hopefully) coming to the end of Soup Season.  And since I had 3 pounds of split peas in the cabinet (they're cheap at Aldi), Pea Soup it was.  Threw in some diced ham this time instead of my usual sausage.


B:  Dan's Enchilada Casserole!  Pretty sure I've mentioned this one before.  Recipe came from my friend Dan, and you gotta love the authenticity of a Mexican recipe that started out life in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  I messed up the top when I pulled off the aluminum foil and one of the tortillas stuck.  How was it?  Enchiladariffico!

Your Opinions Needed!
I always refer to The Hubster as my husband, but in actual fact, we're not married.  That is about to change, assuming we can both get off our slothful butts and actually do something.  To that end, we have started shopping for wedding rings.

OMG, have you seen the prices of jewelry lately?

I thought I knew what I wanted going into this, but it turns out I really don't.  Hubster said for me to pick something out and he'd just get the same thing.  So we were looking at gold rings and to be honest, it doesn't look like that's in the budget right now.  At first I resisted, but I'm starting to like the Titanium rings that a lot of places are featuring.  Some of them are really attractive.

So here's where you come in.

1.  Is a ring other than gold "okay"?  I always sort of felt that if the ring weren't gold (or maybe platinum), it didn't "count", if that makes any sense.  Yeah, look at me being all traditional. I know it's silly, but still.

Edit:  Here's why I'm wondering about the gold thing.  My parents had beautiful 18K gold rings and had a wonderful marriage.  I knew a woman who had a jade wedding band, and her marriage was crappy and she ended up getting divorced. And I know a man who has a band made of some other metal--molybdenum?--and his marriage is nothing to write home about.

On the other hand, I know several people who had gold bands and crappy marriages, so now I don't know what to think!  I am the very definition of "wishy washy"!

2.  Is it tacky to get wedding rings from Amazon?  Another silly question, I know.  I won't get a ring from a store I don't like just because it's cheap, and it seems silly to pay the huge markup at a jewelry store when Amazon has the exact same thing for a lot less money. And I love Amazon.   A friend of mine suggested we look for rings at pawn shops.  

Yeah, no.  I don't want to inherit someone else's Karma, and if the ring ended up in a pawn shop, it probably wasn't very good, right?

So what do you think?  Weigh in, either in the comments or send me an email--vegomaticbob at the Gmail place.

Linking up in All The Right Places: Sir Thrift A Lot, Thrifter/Maker/Fixer/FarmThe Nifty Thrifty  and We Call It Junkin.

28 comments:

  1. So here's my two cents (which admittedly won't get much gold these days!): It's not the ring that's important, it's the relationship. No one cares where you buy your rings or if they are gold or something else. And if someone does care, tell them you bought your rings at a yard sale, and then you'll probably never have to talk to that person again!

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    1. LOL, that's pretty good advice!
      Intellectually, I know that the ring doesn't count for squat, it's how we feel that matters. Still, I'm weirdly superstitious, and the damndest things give me the willies (see my comments on estate sales!)

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  2. I love those old BH&G cookbooks! The pages in mine are all falling out, too. Finding an extra one "for parts" is a great idea. :) And congrats on the pending nuptuals! I say go for the Amazon rings. As long as you're happy with them, that's all that matters.

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    1. Thanks! I do actually know that, I guess I just want to hear it from someone else.
      I'm not actually going to go through both cookbooks and make one whole one. Too much work. Too lazy, too!

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  3. Humble ring-choice input: Like The Queen of Fifty Cents (above), I say concentrating on the relationship is what's important. The pre-vows and post-vows wedding mess will come and go, but the promise you make and the years that follow are what make a marriage.
    However, if you're keeping a tally . . . my husband and I opted for simple (and inexpensive) white gold bands. And I didn't get an engagement ring. (We don't like debt.) And this summer will mark 26 years for us.
    Best of luck.

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    1. Part of the reason I'm liking the Titanium bands is that I don't care much for yellow gold. I prefer white, like yours. Unfortunately, even simple bands--which is what I was looking for--are pretty expensive. I know I could get them cheap at a place like Walmart, but lordy, I do NOT want to go down that road, lol.
      By the way, I've often thought that jewelry manufacturers are losing out by not inventing some kind of gay engagement ring. I mean, look at the huge untapped market!

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  4. We got married 2 years ago and simple precious white metal bands would have cost us about £600 (men's rings being twice the price of women's). Also I'm a gardener and thought i would probably lose it. So i have silver ring and Mr AP has Titanium. Figure I can have at least 10 years of rings that end up in the compost heap - turns out hubby lost his first and I still have my original one. Relationship is blooming though. Congratulations on getting wed - spend the money on the honeymoon x

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    1. Glad to hear the relationship is blooming. Seems appropriate for a gardener ;)
      As far as I know, men's and women's rings cost the same here--until you hit size 13.5 (Hubster), at which point the price just flies right off the charts.

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  5. I'm with the Queen of Fifty Cents.It's the relationship that's important.My husband and I got simple gold bands when we married nineteen years ago.It wasn't long before those rings were sitting in my jewelry box.My husband's a mechanic and doesn't wear his because it's a safety hazard (he actually knew someone who had their finger sheared off because the ring caught on something).I'm always doing something with my hands like painting or baking so I never wear mine either.
    If I knew then what I know now,I would've passed on getting the engagement ring too.
    BTW,my dad got my mom's engagement ring at a pawn shop and they've been married for 45 years.A few years ago, he traded a used truck for a bigger diamond ring.She calls it her church ring as she only wears it on Sundays.LOL

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    1. Okay, loving your parents! Hubs has already admitted that he's probably not going to wear his ring much. Once mine is on, it's not coming off unless I'm doing dishes or something. I know Mom would take hers off if her hands swelled or she was doing heavy cleaning, but it would go right back on as soon as she was done. Dad never did take his off.

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  6. This is my first visit to your blog, and I think it's great. You commented on my thrifty chairs so I popped over. I love that cookbook, and also found one at the thrift in better condition than the tattered one I had been using. I got one of those IKEA things (love your names for it, lol) and hoped to snag another. IKEA is like that, dang.

    I had a nice white gold ring, got divorced. Second time around I have a yellow gold ring, staying married. :) Have fun choosing, whatever way you go. Love Amazon, but check Ross & Simons online too.

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    1. Welcome! Glad to have you here. I've been visiting your blog for some time now, though I don't think I've ever commented before. I tend not to comment on blogs that I visit.
      Ross & Simons sounds familiar. I'm going to go check it (them?) out. Thanks for the advice!

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  7. My friends Dan and Jon, who got married in Druid Hill Park during Pridefest last year, have super-cool rings that are inlaid with meterorite, so no two rings are alike! They are really neat looking.

    I am also a big fan of antique/vintage/pawn.

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    1. Inlaid with meteorite? Okay, now that sounds totally cool. I'm going to have to do a little research!
      And you know I'm a big fan of antique/vintage. Pawn, not so much. I know it's silly, but I try to be careful about the Karma I invite into the house.

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  8. Hell no I don't think it's tacky to get rings from Amazon, but I'm not a normal-thinking status quo person to provide normal-people advise...haha.

    I love the cook book and IKEA drawer thing, every thrifter needs those in spades to organize all the little bits in life.

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    1. I'll admit, I'm definitely warming up to the whole Amazon thing. I mean, I get so much stuff from them anyway... And Amazon sure beats Walmart!
      I'm really hoping I can do something about those drawers. Even though I'll hardly ever see them, and they'll be behind closed doors, just knowing they're crooked is going to drive me nuts!

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  9. Hi! I popped over from Jill's and saw Honey and well...now I'm here! On the ring thing, I have my simple band and solitaire in white gold, hubby lost his band the first year I think and he's too fat for the second one so it sits in his jewelry box. I wore mine to work every day, but I am no longer working so I don't wear it unless I go out and sometimes I don't. We've been married 30 years, best of buddies and the only thing we really concern ourselves with is being together! Do what makes you happy!! That's what is most important!!!! :0)
    Evie

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    1. Welcome!
      I'm not above using Honey to draw people in! She's so cute you couldn't stand it, right? :)
      Thanks for the advice--I love the fact that you'res till "best of buddies." Hubs and I always say we're going to be the most immature couple in the nursing home!

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  10. That's cool you found the Ikea thingy you'd been wanting. On the rings, we got gold when we got married in 1992. After 20 years, Hubby's was worn down to a wire in the back (we didn't have much $ so it wasn't very thick) so we replaced it with a titanium one that he really likes. Marriage is just as happy since the switch! And hey, Amazon shopping is the new way, so if it saves you money, why not? Best of luck to y'all! Thanks for sharing this at the History & Home Link Party this week! Take care - Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.com

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    1. So marriage *does work with Titanium! Thanks for confirming, lol! I'm pretty sure we're going with the Amazon rings. Definitely leaning in that direction, anyway.
      I was toying with the idea of painting the Ikea thing but since it's not really going to be on display, it was kind of pointless. I'm just hoping I can plane down those drawers or something before they drive me crazy!

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  11. For the first 10 years, my husband wore a cheap $50 white gold band. I didn't trust that we wouldn't lose it so I wasn't going to spend a lot. Well, for our 10 year anniversary, he seriously upgraded my ring so I wanted to do the same for him. I bought him a Titanium ring not because it was inexpensive ($400) but because I loved the way it looked! My husband is a contractor and works with his hands and Titanium is super durable. As for buying rings on Amazon? Who cares where you get it. The fact that you guys are stepping up and making the official commitment is what matters. The ring is a sign of that and with all of us living in such a digital era, I highly doubt you are the only ones who have considered buying your rings online.

    Erica

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    1. Thank you! The more I think about it, the more certain I am that we're going to go the Amazon route. I mean, I get everything else there, why not a wedding ring?
      Huh. We met online, so I guess it's logical that we get our rings online, right?
      I'm glad to hear that the Titanium is durable--I'm kind of a klutz, and would have had to get 10K gold just for the durability.

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  12. I got married in October. My husband and I bought new silver bands from Etsy. My husband's cost about $40. They also have plenty of vintage ones as well that we might have gone with but the new ones we bought matched. I see nothing at all wrong with getting your bands from Amazon. I like the look of the titanium bands as well.

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    1. Yeah, I'm liking some of the Titanium styles more and more. Going into this, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted but the more I look at rings, the more confused I get.
      The only problem with getting the rings from Amazon is that we don't get to see how they look first.
      Congrats on the nuptials, by the way!

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  13. Here's my opinion... a ring other than gold is perfectly fine but I think getting it from Amazon isn't very romantic. Years from now when you're old and grey and reminiscing together, shopping for rings together followed by lunch on a bench in a park is much better than, "your package arrived!" We are the sum of our actions... BTW, I upgrade my vintage cookbooks all the time! Good find.

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    1. Hmm. You're totally right. Getting a package from Amazon really isn't very romantic, is it? On the other hand, shopping with the Hubster isn't particularly romantic, either! (He has a very low tolerance for that sort of thing.)
      Yeh, I'm pretty wishy-washy.
      P.S. I'm already old and grey!

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  14. DO NOT GET 2ND HAND RINGS!! bad bad karma right there--enjoy the snow *snort*

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    1. Don't worry, I won't. I know there are those who think that's silly, but why take the chance? No sense borrowing any bad juju, right?

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