There have been slim pickins around here for garage sales since the end of June, so I was very excited about the MacGrove neighborhood sales. It’s certainly not the biggest, but it is one of the only ones going in late August. I look forward to this one every year, check out my posts about 2014 and 2015.
My sister picked me up bright and early on Saturday and we headed out. And actually, it wasn’t really all that bright. It was overcast and cool, and every once in a while we’d get a little drizzled on, but luckily it didn’t rain heavily.
The very first sale we stopped at had the little blue suitcase, that wicker case and the darling kid sized ice cream parlor chairs. You know I couldn’t resist those!
The second sale we stopped at had the desk, or console table … I think it could be used as either … and either way, it’s gorgeous. I’m giving it ‘find of the day’ status.
That old ‘antiquing’ style paint job has to go. I’m envisioning it with a chippy milk paint makeover. I hope I can do it justice!
Things kinda went downhill from there though. We found a smattering of stuff here and there, but nothing really amazing.
I did pick up some more wooden spoons. I’m not an expert, but these look hand-carved to me. Does anyone know how to tell? The seller was an elderly woman and she told me they were antiques.
I also brought home this trio of travel books.
Unfortunately, I’m not planning a trip to Paris anytime soon. However, I like to throw together some themed baskets of goodies for my occasional sale and I can see these books together with some other Paris themed items.
I also bought this lovely etched glass jar. This would be perfect in the bathroom filled with cotton balls or q-tips.
I also picked up this vintage looking (is it? isn’t it?) split wood basket.
With apple season coming up, you never know when you might need a basket like this.
We called it quits on the garage sales by about 11:30 because we were both starving. We headed over to Grand Avenue and ended up at The Uptowner. I thought my sister would appreciate the ambiance of this greasy spoon diner. I think we both made a tactical error in ordering lunch items instead of breakfast though. I don’t know what we were thinking. In a place famous for its breakfast, why would you order lunch?
Then, since we were at the corner of Lexington Parkway and Grand, I decided to show my sister one of the back ways to return to my house. We drove north up Lexington, which is one of my favorite roads in the city as it winds through Como Park. We ended up stopping at the Como Streetcar Station and taking a little walk around that neighborhood.
The historic homes around Como Lake are gorgeous.
It was the perfect way to cap off our day.
q is for quandie 
The Lake Como area looks lovely. I love old houses. I lived in one in Helena, Montana 14 ft ceilings
and lots of quirks but charming. Love the bull plaque. I have a client looking for something similar I guess you are selling that at the occasional sale.
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I love old houses too! They just have a certain charm that you can’t replicate in a newer home, but of course you have to take the bad with the good, drafty windows and all.
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…another fun post. Been sitting with my 95 yo mom at the hospital and now in a ‘Rehab’ facility for the last 5 weeks. So checking emails and finding your posts among the riff raff of life’s emails has been something I’ve enjoyed so much. For just a brief minute or two I can go to another place in my tired brain. She and my dad were born and raised in Wisconsin and Minnesota so interesting enough as mom is ‘traveling’ mentally back to her younger days in Wis. we talk in brief conversation about people and places from her youth. I’ve shown her some beautiful photos you’ve posted and what she sees is everything around the furniture, as I focus on the awesome furniture, haaaa. Ya never know who sees what in your pics right?
Thanks for sharing and your sense of humor. We laugh and the same goofy things in life!!
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Oh, I’m sorry to hear that your mom is in rehab … oh wait, that doesn’t sound quite right does it? But I’m glad that I can give both you and your mom a virtual vacation. It really kinda makes my day to know that I am facilitating some conversations about your mom’s Wisconsin memories!
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Thank you for the nice jaunt back in time. I grew up on the east side of St. Paul, but have lived in Cleveland for many decades. When I see Highland Park, Stillwater, Mounds and Lake Como, I picture myself as a child walking behind a plow horse and sitting in the garden eating a tomato. When I want to expand on the memory I go to Google Earth but all those places are unrecognizable now and there is no living narrator to connect them. I am happy to have found your site (Thank you Bliss) and have spent the weekend hungrily consuming every post. Lovely work and tutorials. La Verne@hopeandsalvage
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Hi La Verne and welcome! I’m on the right side of the cities for you for sure! Are you by any chance a fan of the Dariette? I’m just asking ‘cuz it seems like most East Siders from back in the day were. It’s still there, by the way. Got any requests for old east side locations you’d like to see me share on the blog?
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I was 13 when we left so my memories of places are sparse. We lived across from the Jewish Cemetery (Chesed Shel Ames?) and would walk to the Catholic School up the hill. Presentation. We always had fresh flowers as the workers would pass the bouquets over the fence after the procession left. We didn’t have a car until shortly before we moved so all our errands were done with our wagon…Applebaum’s, Beaudette’s Bakery, Woolworth’s, Hafner’s bowling alley, and Guertin’s Drug Store for White House ice cream. I remember taking the bus by myself downtown to go to the dentist or the CYC when I was about 7. Or accompanied by my 8 year old sister. I can’t even fathom that now. I had a job washing windows when I was 10. There was a little lake where we used to go and swim near-by but I don’t see it on the Google map. It was so bad I would not be surprised if they turned it into a landfill. For 4th of July fireworks we would walk to Lake Phalen. Every Saturday we would walk to the library with our wagon or sled and get 50 books out. We monitored each other’s transactions because we knew by week’s end we would already have gone through our 10 books and would be reading theirs. We did not have a television. This feels like repressed memory syndrome. It hurt to think about. Here people don’t have alleys, but I remember as a kid racing down a newly tar and chipped alley against the kid next door and winning(?). He had a 26″ bike and I had a 24″. I got to the bottom first in time to see a car driving past in front of me about to intersect. I spun on the gravel and took a header over the bike. Bloody face, hands, knees, elbows, but I won! Thanks for letting me reminisce.
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What great memories! Thank you for sharing those with me. Your house would have been just about 12 minutes away from me. Nearly a straight shot down 7th Ave to Larpenteur. Sadly I do believe most of those places you remember are gone, well, except Lake Phalen of course! And the cemetery.
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You got some good stories out of this blog.
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I know, isn’t that kind of fantastic?!
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Love your finds, Garage Sales have definitely gone down hill since June! Did u get that big bull/cow at the sales as well? Absolutely love it and the scale – there are no words….
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Yes, I did get that big bull at the MacGrove sales. I have a plan in mind for him, so be sure to stay tuned.
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I love reading your posts, Linda, because they always bring back the best memories! The Uptowner use to be where we’d end up after the bars closed on Grand Avenue — and they had the best breakfast food. Oh to be young again … and not have to worry about consuming so many calories at 2:00 a.m.! 😀 Thanks for the memories. Take care!
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I suspect that the Uptowner continues to be a popular spot for breakfast after bar close. I also suspect that some of the clientele sharing the place with us at 11:30 a.m. were fighting off a hangover or two 😉 I’m glad you enjoyed the memories! I have another post coming up in the next week or two that I also think you will enjoy, so be sure to check back!
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