Sunday, November 7, 2010

Wine County Antiquing


I loved this, even if we have to go all the way back to this shop to get it next week (we had Turkey in the back and didn't think we could get both in the back of the car)!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

More Randomness


Antique Faire
today! I went earlier than normal and everything seemed way more expensive than last time. I found two cookie jars (above - terrible picture, sorry) that I thought would be snatched up if I waited, so I walked away this week only buying these guys for $30.00. It was probably more than what I would have paid if I went later in the day, but I love them. I was originally only going to purchase the blue, but loved the combo of the colors together. I've never seen anything like them!

The below items are from earlier thrift store hunting trips:

(those ears are definitely not original, but still cute)

(love the two-tones of green on this one)


(everyone needs a big wiener dog figurine, no?)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Variety Pack

On Labor Day, I talked the bf into heading to the Goodwill. They have major sales on most holidays and we were going in that direction anyway (sorta). I've never caught a thrift store during a holiday sale and it was a MAD HOUSE! I convinced myself that whatever I found had to be amazing for me to stand in that line (or in actuality, make the bf suffer through that line). Well, look what I found and tell me if you could pass up these beauties!




I still couldn't justify the line. It was OOC. So, I made a deal to come back and get them the next day and pay the full $4.99. I hid them. Returned, and they were gone! Crap! Obviously, I tracked them down since they are now in my hot little hands. I don't typically do anything shoe-related (ew), but these have never been worn from the looks of 'em.

Next adventure...Sacramento Antique Faire!

Last Sunday, Suzy came up from SF to go to the Sacramento Antique Faire. It was amazing! I didn't remember such great deals the last time. I had my eye out for an old hanging scale, counter stools and anything for my terrariums. Check out a few of my finds:


tiny cast iron farm: $5.00


tiny doe: free! (it was marked $1.00 but the woman didn't have change,
so she told me to just take it!)



amazing Eames era counter stools: $20.00 for BOTH. One of the coolest things is that these were made at 1735 Diversey Ave. in Chicago. Now, the building is - you guessed it - CONDOS. I know the exact building. Crazy.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Obsessed






I love him. I found him for $4.50 in Wyoming at a "flea market" (i.e. thrift store/antique store). the bf thinks I'm obsessed (especially when I took the photo of his backside, but how cute is that little tail?!). He's pretty much right.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Relegated to the Outside

I've been focusing my attention on things for the out-of-doors due to the lack of space we have inside for knickknacks. I need to put up a few shelves. Or, better yet, I have my eye out for a mid-century hutch that I think we can squeeze into the upstairs of our place. (I'm fairly certain the boyfriend would disagree, which could be a problem when I'm counting on him to help me move whatever I find.) Ideally, I want one that I can refinish White Attic-style. Until then, I've been keeping my eye out for great terrarium containers. Here are couple of the greatest finds thus far, newly planted, but still awaiting the perfect figurines:





And a couple of other finds for my stairs out back: a plastic scalloped-edged pot, a white milk glass thingy-ma-bob, and an etched glass other thingy-ma-bob-made-into-a-plant-holder.





Unfortunately, I kill even succulents (sad, but true), so we'll see how long these last.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Better Than a Thrift Store

I've been looking for some plastic milk crates to replace the canvas boxes we have in our kitchen holding miscellaneous food items. I really don't like the clutter of having all those items out in the open, and the canvas was falling apart and getting marked with flour and such. This weekend, I found something even better in my garage at the house I grew up in: olde tyme crates!

Check out my before and afters:


Thursday, April 29, 2010

Day OFF. Thrift ON.

Today, I took a day off work. I'm pretty burnt out from the last month or so. It's been really busy. And, I have a lot of travel coming up. It's good, but I'm tired. So, I took a day off! I had big plans, but the majority of the day, I spent SHOPPIN'. My first stop was REI. Then, I went to one of my favorite Goodwill's. I bought something I shouldn't have. We just don't have space for it, but I couldn't say no. These are the desks I had in 8th grade. And, only our 8th grade classroom had them. So, when we got to use them, we knew we were the coolest kids in school. (Our school was K-8).



I also got that little bonsai. It's made of beads-type things.

Here are a couple of other finds. The rest are in the dishwasher as we speak.


Awesome belt!


Little guy:




Thursday, April 22, 2010

Clothes...I like 'em.

I thought I was over the clothes thing. Guess not.




Sunday, March 7, 2010

Go for a little photography, stay for a little thrift

I just got back from a weekend workshop with the Rocky Mountain School of Photography. It was great! My brain is about to explode, but I'll be posting more on that on my other blog. Before hitting the road to come home, I stopped by a small thrift store somewhere around here, unnamed except for the "Thrift Store" sign. Who knows who I just gave my money to -maybe the Mormons. Maybe worse. However, I picked up a few cute things, which were each $1.00.






The bird I'll need to figure out what to do with (I guess put it on a branch), but the little guys are going in my terrariums.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Salinas Thrift

Tim and I took a trip down to Monterey, CA. Check out other trip photos here. We took a couple hours upon arrival to check out a couple of thrift stores: Goodwill, Salvation Army and some random one in a strip mall. I nearly peed my pants when I saw Goodwill wanted to charge over $20.00 for a vintage Izod dress. I found better deals at the Salvation Army and walked away with some nice skirts (to be blogged about at a later date). I also found the following item for $1.60:



The lady at the counter couldn't believe I was buying it, but I couldn't see how I could possibly pass it up.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

The Goodwill Outlet Experience

This weekend I decided to visit the Goodwill Outlet. I drove past it on MLK Day while my co-worker and I were visiting our teams doing service at local schools. I saw it and couldn't believe it existed. It looked hoppin'. However, it also looked like just a bunch of bins. I didn't understand how this could actually work. I needed a closer look, so I drove there this weekend to investigate. I wish I had my camera. I walked in and sorta freaked out. It was a bunch of bins with tons of people hunched over picking things up from one and throwing them in the other. This was the process for "shopping" here. Workers would roll in new bins, dump and leave again to get more. I thought of leaving. I may have even started hyperventilating a little. It was very overwhelming and a little sad to me, actually. Then, I thought to myself, "When in Rome" and dug in. Just when I thought I adjusted, I was taken aback. Something was wet. In fact, a lot of things were wet. I did not like this. I moved to the other side of the store. Here, I found more broken, useless, and very dirty things. After about 10 - 15 minutes, though, I was pretty into this place. And, these are two of the four items I walked away with for $4.00 (most items go by weight). FOUR DOLLARS! FOR EVERYTHING!

I'm getting into spray painting plastic things, like these birds on a basket. This was a cream color. Now it's an amazing shade of bright-freakin'-yellow and I love it.

This light is old, pink, gold and black and...awesome. According to the label on the bottom, it was made in Chicago, close to where Tim grew up in Beverly. Tim hates this lamp. In fact, he hates most of my vintage lamps, but I assured him it's going to the office.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Although I've not posted...

I have been SHOPPING! These are just a few of the trinkets I've had to find space for:

My zoo is getting bigger. I love these ceramic animals from Japan.




I've also been able to find another little guy from the same artist that made the two little owls I had from previous adventures. I'm still working on the display of this shabby shelf I found at the Sacramento Antique Faire.



I made my tiny terrariums that I've been talking about. I love them. I need to get more teeny tiny little animals or buildings for inside. Can you find the little doe in the one below?


The placement is also a work in progress. I have a lot of dust collectors, as you can imagine. And, these ones need a little light so finding the perfect home has been a challenge.


Have I mentioned my obsession with owls? Tim is beginning to hate them I think. The one with holes can be placed over a tea light. Love. The other I found at a thrift store in San Carlos - near my brother's house. I made Tim, my brother, and sister-in-law all go to this store on the way to dinner. I was hoping they would find a treasure so as to realize how great going thrifting is. No luck. Damn.



I've started to venture more into the linens. My thought is to use the flat sheets as fabric for various sewing projects. One day, perhaps I'll even stop collecting and start making.

Friday, January 1, 2010

A Few Goodies

And, hello. Happy New Year.

I've recently checked out a few new thrift stores. One was down the street from my one of my favorite Goodwill store. It was called Thrift Center and it was pretty gross. However, I found a few linens I thought were nice. I'm especially in love with the little hand-embroidered mushrooms on the napkins. I just couldn't pass up all the handiwork of these pieces.





The other day I forgot to post this little ceramic bell/wind chime from Japan. I loved her little face. However, I realized once I brought it home, when you hang it, it kinda looks like she's being hung by a noose. Ew. The slight tilt of her head adds to that effect. I'm debating putting this one up, for sure. Perhaps I'll add beads to the string to reduce that effect!

After going to the gross thrift store, Thrift Center (which, I should mention, gives you 1/2 off purchases when you bring in your receipt from the day before), I went to the crazy Goodwill. This is the Goodwill where my hands have a tendency to get the dirtiest. Literally. I was looking for a couple little figurines to place in my terrariums I will be making. I found these cuties:


They were a few dollars each, but I think worth it. They are so sweet and will look awesome in my terrariums once I find a receptacle of appropriate size. So far, I've only found jars (below) that will make great tiny terrariums, but nothing large enough to house these guys.




I made a deal with Tim that if I drove down to Benicia for a friend's party, he would go to a couple Goodwill stores with me on the way. We only got to one because we were running a little late, but it was a good one. It was the Goodwill in West Sacramento. It was 1/2 off day!!! This was very exciting. I spent $27.00. I will post those purchases soon. I need to remember what they were...

Yesterday, I purchased my biggest second-hand purchase ever (besides my condo): my new car! After learning way too much about cars to ensure I would feel good about any purchase I made, I finally bit the bullet! I'm excited about it. Now, I will now have to go about the task of selling my little red Civic hatchback, Floyd. (He's named after the hurricane that came through South Carolina a couple weeks after I got him when I was living there. Luckily the hurricane didn't do any significant damage and my little guy was unharmed entirely.) He's been so good to me. We've been through a lot together. I'll be sad to let him go, but I know it's time.