Secrets to Thrifting - 5 Items to Snag

 I mentioned yesterday that I LOVE to go shopping for second hand items to decorate my home.

 

I look forward to it like some people look forward to going to the mall.

 

I guess what I love most about it is the thrill of finding something unique -- something that everybody else won't have.  I mean, anyone can march into Ikea, Pottery Barn or Target and slap their credit card down to buy a new serving bowl or a piece of art to hang on their wall.

 

But when I find a cool architectural piece that someone thinks is junk and sells it at their garage sale for $2 I feel giddy inside.  When I hang it on my wall and people who come over ask where they can buy it, I feel like I've just gotten the very last pair of size 7 1/2 killer stilettos.

 

Not only do I love that I have something unique, but I also love that I have something with a history.  I love wondering where the object -- no matter how small -- came from. 

Who were its owners? 

What is its story?

 

 

I feel the same way about my clothes.  Yeah, I still shop at "traditional" stores like Gap and Banana Republic, but I treasure the clothes I find at vintage boutiques and the Salvation Army. 

 

It can be overwhelming the first time you walk into a store, like The Salvation Army -- a rainbow of clothes sorted by color -- a half off color of the day and walls filled with seemingly useless junk.

 

One thing that helps is if you KNOW what you're looking for. Sometimes you're on a mission -- like the time I was searching specifically for wool sweaters in creams to make my felted wreath.

 

But other times, you might just want to browse. 

 

Either way, there are certain items I always look for when I'm thrifting.

 

Here are my top five home-relate items to buy second-hand:

 

1. Apothecary Jars
 

                                                                                               Source: houzz.com via Ginnie on Pinterest

 

These are great for decorating - you can add fun elements for holidays, seasons etc.  You can also use them for storage in your office, bathroom or bedroom.




2. Mason Jars

Source: bridefinds.com via Amy on Pinterest

Mason jars are one of the most useful items I have in my house. I don't think I could ever have enough of them.

Not only do old mason jars make fabulous vases, but they can also be used to hold silverware for a casual dinner or barbecue.  They can be used to store dry goods, like pasta or beans.  They can also be used as votive for candles. 


3. Christmas Lights

 

                                                                                                   Source: google.com via Kati on Pinterest

 

As I mentioned on yesterday's video, it's inevitable every year . . . no matter how careful we are in storing our Christmas lights . . . at least one strand won't work when we go to decorate our tree.  I have repeatedly found Christmas lights in their original packaging for $1-$2.   I've never, ever, regretted buying them.



 

 

4.  White platters

 

 

 

 

 

I don't mind if the platters are a little chipped - it gives them character.  I mainly look to see that the platter is a nice shape with a fairly smooth surface.

 

I like to find platters because I like to monogram them using my Silhouette (for myself or for gifts).  I also like to put vinyl messages on them for the holidays.  Oh, and they are also great for actually serving food!  I'm not much of a colored-dish kind of girl - most of my dishes are white. I like to see the colors of the food stand out on the platter.

 

 

5. Interesting Picture Frames

 

 

 

 

As you can see, I don't  even care if they have the glass. I look past the color too; this one was an ugly gold color when I found it but we spray painted it black at one point and then white.  

 

I love unique picture frames.  We have been collecting frames and painting them white to create a little gallery of black and white photos up our stair case.  Maybe some day we will finish it.

 

Those are the top five items home-related I look for when I'm thrifting.  Of course I find other things too but these are the five things that I'm sure NOT to pass up if I find them. 

 

What would you add to the list?

 

 



Thrift Store Haul

This weekend I was able to spend some time thrifting for stuff to decorate our house for Christmas.  Watch the video to see what I found!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you found anything to decorate for the holidays at thrift stores?

 

 

Weekend Treasures

Jason and I ventured out to a local antique store this weekend that was having a flea market. I'm so excited to share what we found!

First off, I found this awesome old hitching post top. It reminded me of some of the cast horse busts I keep seeing in Restoration Hardware.  

 

 

 

 

Isn't it gorgeous?!  I was so stinkin' excited when I found it!

 

Maybe you think I'm crazy, but take a look at the recent Restoration Hardware catalogue.  Better yet, I'll show you.

 

By the way, did anyone notice how incredibly THICK the most recent Restoration Hardware catalogue is?  I was so excited to come home to that baby waiting in my mailbox!   The images were taken with my iPhone right out of their latest magazine, so please excuse the quality. . . you get the idea.

 

 

This 19th Century Realist Carved Horse head could be yours for just $395.

 

 

 

 

How about this one, which sits proudly on the mantel. The price tag? $159.

 

 

The price for my flea market find?

50 Bucks.

 

I love looking at it on my end table in our family room.

 

 

 

 

 

The next item was an old horn that Jason was drawn to. I didn't really know where I was going to put such a piece, but I figured for $10 it would be a nice piece to decorate with at Christmas time.

 

 

 

 

I also picked up some cool jewelry. I love this cameo locket.

 

 

 

 

 

It just happened to match my shirt that day.

 

 

 

 

And since all of the jewelry at this vendor's table was only $2 each, I snagged three necklaces.

Two were lockets with cute little kid's pictures inside.

The first was the cameo I mentioned above. Here are the pictures that were inside.

 

 

 

 

The second locket is a bit smaller, with a green stone above the locket.

 

 

Even though I found these lockets on different displays at the same booth, they were both belonging to the same person.

Here are the kids' pictures in this locket.

 

 

 

 

At a closer look, I realized the lockets had pictures of the same children in them, just at different ages in their life. I began opening other lockets in the booth and sure enough, there were more pictures of the same kids.

Here is a better picture for you so you can clearly see the two images of the same kid at different ages.

 

 

 

 

 

 It must have been jewelry from an estate sale, but what saddened me is that no one bothered to keep the pictures.

I have a hard time throwing away someone's memories, even if their loved ones didn't stop to keep them. So these little kid's pictures are tucked away in a little decorative box in my bedroom. If you have any suggestions of what to do with someone's old pictures, please let me know. 

This happens when I buy old frames too. I usually just put my picture over the original photo in a frame, but the locket makes it a bit harder - and besides- it does feel weird to keep someone else's pictures, but it just feels wrong to throw them away.

 

 

Anyway, the last necklace I bought is a bit more flashy.

 

 

 

What's cool is that it's actually a brooch too.

 

 

 

 

I love getting vintage jewelry because no one else has it  (same goes for vintage clothes)  It makes me excited to go to work on Monday morning and put on something new .. . and what's even better is that it only cost me $2!

 

 

We also bought some old maps for an art project Jason plans on doing. Stay tuned because it's really cool.

 

 

 

That's all from the flea market. Did you find anything interesting this weekend?
 

                      Linking up to:

Joys of Motherhood

As usual, Imani woke up before me on Sunday.

When I finally dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom, I could hear Imani scurrying around in a hurry outside of my bedroom.

Here is what I found hanging in my doorway.



In case you can't see her hurried handwriting, here is a closer look,



On my dresser was a tray with a bowl of cereal . . . breakfast in bed.

There was a sweet card included, which read,

"Thank you . . ."  (on the outside)

and on the inside:

"For being the best mom ever and helping me, making me

feel better when I have worries, and for

giving me a life and a home.  I love you.

Love,

Imani"

And here it is with her hurried handwriting once again :-)



These are the joys of being a mom.



Staying Warm in Winter

I was going through Jane withdrawl.

I hadn't seen her since May, and despite the fact that the snow was quickly blanketing my yard and all of the streets, we ventured out to see Jane.

Snooty Fox is only open on Saturdays, so if we didn't go now, we'd have to wait another week.

It was so cold outside and we failed to warm up the truck before we left, so one block down the road, I suggested to Jason we go another day.

"No, you've been wanting to go for a long time now. We'll go"  Jason insisted.

So we made the 20 minute trek down a steep and slippery road.

 Every time we go to Snooty Fox, Jason and I want to buy so much that we have to narrow down what exactly we will purchase that day, and what we will have to wait to purchase until our next trip (all the while hoping nobody else purchases those items before we return).

Not only do I want to buy everything in the store, but Jane also has such an eye for displaying.  I get so many ideas from her.   Some day, I will get up the nerve to photograph some of her displays.

This trip was well worth it.

Jason had been seeing a lot of architectural elements in the Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware catalogues lately.  Of course, these architectural remnants aren't authentic. They are made to look old.

Image: Restoration Hardware

See that coffee table?  It's $1,695. 

See the book ends in the back?  Those are called "Antiqued Wooden Corbels" and they are $115 each.

Yes that says $115 "EACH."

We found something very similar at Snooty Fox, except our corbels  were $25 each. 
They are SUPER heavy. 

We love that, not only were they less expensive, but they are a piece of history preserved.

We also found these fantastic antique bowling pins.  I once saw a similar set in a PB catalogue on a bookshelf in the background of one of their living room sets.

Dick kept telling us to strip the bowling pins and display them in their natural wood but I like the chipped paint and the bold red stripe.  What would you do?  Would you strip them or leave them?

Our last purchase was this beautiful milk glass bowl.  Perhaps  you remember it from my most recent winter mantel display.  I don't have any of milk glass, but I always love the way it looks,
so I decided to get my first piece.


 I can't wait to use it for Valentine's Day. 
Won't it look great with red candies in it?

Another thing I love about Jane is how good she is with Imani.

She has a basket of special rocks that she lets kids pick through and select one to keep at each visit.

Imani always loves to go antiquing with us but inevitably always asks us to buy her random stuff.

Today we told her to bring her own money, since she does get an allowance.  I was surprised when we were in Snooty Fox and she wasn't buying anything.

I had forgotten that she spent almost all of her money last week on a few things

she saw at the mall that she wanted.

But she also bought her baby brother some adorable clothes that she saw.

How sweet is that?

As we were preparing to leave, Imani showed me the treasures she had negotiated with Jane.

For 26 cents, Jane had sold her these:

This little treasure box:

Along with these little treasures:

Imani was one happy little girl.

I was one happy big girl.

And Jason was one happy Coupon Drugstore Cowboy.

I know, one day we're cutting coupons and the next day, we're out buying antiques.

It's in the budget, I swear!

With that, Jane sent me off with a hug into the brisk snowy night.

Except this time, I didn't feel the cold.

Lucky Me!

I've always been fairly lucky, although you wouldn't think so considering my recent finger injury.

It's true though.  I remember entering each of my family member's names in a giveaway for an enormous stuffed Easter Bunny when I was a kid and I think they pulled my sister's name.  She had no idea her name was even entered until she got the phone call.

I also won $50 on McDonald's monopoly game when I was in elementary school.  We were on a vacation at Virginia Beach and each of my family members pulled off their playing pieces from their sodas. 

"What does 50 mean?" I asked.   My dad, who played the lottery faithfully each night but never won, was probably more excited than I was that I won.

And then there was a basket raffle at a school where all of my colleagues bought $25 to $50 worth of tickets to win a basket filled with gift certificates to fancy restaurants.  I bought one $1 ticket and, lucky me . . . I won.

Oh, and probably the biggest win of all was a honeymoon to any Sandal's resort of my choice!  I was at a bridal show and entered my name.  I was shocked when they pulled my name.  I thought it was a scam but it was actually legit!

When I married Jason, he warned me that my luck was soon to change.  He always had bad luck, he claimed.  To which I responded, "Out of your mouth comes blesses and curses!" (This is one of my favorite mottos of one of my dearest friends).

After a few incidents that I'd rather not get into . . . I began thinking maybe Jason was right.  Could my luck have changed from marrying him?

And then I joined the blog world.

Lucky me!  At Easter, I won a gift card to Pottery Barn from Deborah at The Fairfield House, which I still haven't spent!

And then, I won a necklace from RJ Charms sponsored by Allison at House of the Hepworth's.  Imani chose an adorable baseball necklace.

And then, most recently, I was fortunate enough to win two beautiful plates and a gorgeous Anthropologie vase from Grace at Sense and Simplicity.

Imani and her friend enjoyed the fruit I told Grace I would serve on these beautiful plates.

And the little vase looks beautiful filled with freshly picked daisies.

Grace was even kind enough to throw in a few fossils for Imani, since Imani has a rock collection and LOVES searching for fossils.  Wasn't that so sweet?

So to be completely honest, I'm not really sure if I believe in luck or not  . . .  but I do know that since I've begun blogging, my life is richer.  I've met so many great people, seen so many inspiring projects, and fulfilled my desire to write again (even if I do have lapses), not to mention that my house looks lovelier than ever!

Oh, and the prizes are great too!

Sally Ann Goods

I keep telling myself not to buy anything until after we move in July.  My  friend Lori keeps reminding me that every time I buy something, that is just another object that needs to be packed up and moved.  I keep telling her that if she'd finish her darn foyer already, I could blog about that and I wouldn't have to purchase anymore objects for projects!

In all seriousness, I like Lori's advice and use it all the time when Imani asks for something in the store.  It works perfectly.

Imani:  "Mom, can I have (insert any random toy or object here)?" 

Me:  "No, sweetie, anything we buy now is just another object we have to pack and move in July."

But unfortunately, I haven't followed Lori's advice for myself as much as I should.

We're definitely not doing any home improvement projects around here since we are preparing to move (as I'm sure you've noticed by my limited number of posts lately) and I have certainly slowed down with purchasing stuff lately. 

But on a recent trip to Sally Ann's, I couldn't pass up three things.

First, I found this brand-new lamp from Target. 

 I was so psyched because it was only $4.50!  Did I mention it is brand new . . . as in, tags are all still on it and the cord is still all wrapped up?

I plugged it in at the store and it worked!  I was so thrilled because it is similar to the lamps I have in my sitting room, which I think I paid $17 for about two years ago.

Next, I found this scummy wooden dish/planter that I am going to use for another project, which I'll post about tomorrow.  It was 99 cents.

Finally, I found these little framed pictures.  Imani has been begging me to get her two frames for a project she is working on for the computer nook.  These are perfect for what we have in mind. 

I was a bit disappointed with the price, $1.50 each, but I liked that they were real wood and that they matched.  I also liked the design in the wood and they are the perfect size for Imani's project.  Hopefully, I'll be able to show you the finished project this week.

Linking to:

The Question of a House's Legacy

One good thing about moving is that it makes you clean out your house and re-evaluate all of the things you've collected over the years.   Sometimes, you come across stuff that's been stuffed away and stored and you realize, it should be displayed. 

Recently, when Jason was cleaning out our garage, he came across something that was left in this house as part of the estate when we bought it.

Originally, we tried to donate it to a historical library, but at the time, the library was renovating and said they didn't have room.

We're kind of glad, because it is a really cool piece and Jason decided to dust it off and hang it in our guest room.

It's a certificate of service for a person named E.R. Aldred for the Horseheads, NY fire department dated March, 1890.

We have no idea who this is, or why it was left in our house.  Our house was built in the 1940s, and, to our knowledge, no one with the last name of Aldred owned the property.

Nonetheless, it's an interesting piece of local history, so we decided to hang it proudly in the guest room.

As I've mentioned before, our house was filled with remnants of someone else's life.  It was really sad, actually.  Prior to closing, the deceased woman's children came through and took what belongings they wanted to keep. 

I was saddened by their choices.  They left boxes of their mother's poetry, love letters, books and tons of other sentimental items and instead, they chose to keep objects that had more monetary value - like pieces of solid wood furniture. 

I spent countless hours reading the journals and books of poetry that were left behind.  I found joy in piecing together who this woman was and what meaning her life had, yet at the same time I struggled with reading the writings at all, fearful of violating this woman's personal thoughts and feelings.  

She was a peace keeper -- a lover of animals and of life.

So I struggle with the question one of my dear blogging friends, Deborah from The Fairfield House posted yesterday to my blog.  She wrote:

"Stephenie, There are pieces here that we feel belong to the house and not to us. So, if we ever decide to leave, they will remain. Are you going to leave something that you found behind? Imagine what you will discover in your new old house!"

I understand what Deborah means in that houses have a life and history that go beyond their owners.  But I struggle with the thought of leaving some of the wonderful belongs behind -- not so much because I cherish objects -- but because I feel a desire to protect what was so freely discarded before.

What if the new owners throw away this woman and this house's history because they don't see it "fitting in" with their decor?

What about all of you? Have you found treasures in homes you've purchased?  Do you feel the desire to keep and preserve them or leave them as part of the house's legacy?