Put it to use... its about time

Remember when I (ok, my mom) found this at a yard sale for $1. I didn't know what I was going to do with it. It just sat around for a while until I decided to put it on my coffee table with a little bit of Christmas cheer in it. Yes, that is chessey isn't it?

I like it because I can put all the stuff I want to - out on the table without it being all over the place. Its like a little drawer organizer for the table.

 

This Weeks Thrifty Finds

I'm back with some more great thrift store finds. The more & more thrifting I do, the "cheaper" I get. The other day at a local thrift store I found this beautiful vintage print of some botanical with an aged wooden frame. The frame was in aweful condition but the large print was gorgeous. It was marked at $10. I wouldn't have even thought twice about buying it if the frame was workable, but it needed to be replaced. So I asked if they would take a couple bucks off the price since the frame was broken and wrecked. The answer peeved me. "NO, because it is one in only ten originals of a set that the artist painted."   Ummm.. B.S.!  It was not original, not even hand painted (it was a print) and it definitely wasn't something "special" - just old & pretty. I was a little insulted by the obvious lie.  I said "Thank you", and left. That was a few weeks ago and I still think to myself... why didn't you just get the dang print?  Principle, I tell myself, but really the answer is because all my thrifting is making me cheap! =)    I need to work on that.

 Remember my DIY terrarium from this post?

 Well at Goodwill I found this terracotta extra large "candle holder" for $1.25. I thought of my terrarium and how good it would look as the new base once it was freshened up a bit.

I gave it a few coats of black spray paint in a satin finish....

 

 And now it looks just a bit more sophisticated instead of using my dogs vintage water dish. =)

 

At a Garage Sale I found this thick glass hurricane marked for $3 and they sold it to me for $2.

It never hurts to ask.

 

 

 

And while we're talkin' glass hurricanes, this  $2.25 one from Salvation Army is a bit smaller but perfect for my coffee station on my kitchen counter. I put a candle in the center and filled it with some coffee beans.

 

 

Next, I found this white decorative clock for $1 at a yard sale. She doesn't have a home yet, I'm waiting until my kitchen gets painted and then I'll hang her in there.

 

At the same yard sale, my mom found this for me. I'm not sure how much it was because she bought it. I think around $1-2. Its an old wooden organizer.  It doesn't serve a a purpose yet, but I'm going to find a great place for it soon. I think it would be cute with a mini terracotta in each section and grow different herbs in each one. Maybe I will paint a chalkboard label on each terra cotta pot and write "Mint", "Chives", etc in chalk. 

BUST Update, all new!

A while back I posted about wanting a bust for my house here, and then I found one for $2 at a yard sale here. I wasn't really in love with the dark distressed color of it, and mentioned maybe painting it a chalky white. You guys liked that idea better than keeping it brown, and I was definitely swayed.

So I took a satin off white spray paint to it. And here it is now...

It feels good to have a cheap bust. Sorry I couldn't help myself there.

Thanks for your opinions! I really value them.

Bust Found

Guess what I found? Okay, remember the post I made about wanting a bust for my house? Well at a yard sale, I found one for 2 bucks.
Awesome!

It is a distressed brown, but I think I'm gonna maybe paint it a chalky white.
Or keep it?

Saturday Morning Bliss

My favorite day of the week! Saturday is here. This morning was great, I woke up to go find some deals at yard sales. When I go with my mom (we are serious yard salers), we usually get up around 6:45 for the deals. But when I feel like sleeping in I will just get up at around 8 and head around my neighborhood. Today was a sleep in day but I still found some cool stuff and only spend $14.75 all morning. Then came home to my coffee, muffin, and laptop to blog about it.

Here's my garage sale finds for the day:
Antique white cake stand

These thin queen size coverlet or tapestry if you want it ot be. Great on the bed for the summer heat. I love the colors and pattern on it.

White Starfish, I once read on www.thisyounghouse.com that you should always have a something of the sea like a shell in your room, SO when I saw this at a yard sale I added it to my pile. We aren't far from the beach but I'm not a very "beachy" style person when it comes to decorating but I must admit that I like looking over at my little white star fish.
Check out the following decor images to see if you can find the shell... This comfortably modern bedroom. Or this bathtub retreat. Or this cool desk nook. Or... this amazingly colorful living room.
Just a wicker basket, but could have sooo many uses!
These were super cool... I have no idea what I'm going to do with them yet. They are thick metal and the lady whose yard sale it was, said her daughter engraved the words on each canister. Each one says, "PADAISYROSEGERANIUMIRISTULIPDAFFODIL" Pa (I think was going to be pansy) Daisy, Rose, Geranium, Iris, Tulip, Daffodil.
When my husband saw them he said "Awesome, these are to put in the freezer and then they keep your beer really cold!" =) I couldn't stop laughing.
This super cool, thick, glass, gaint vase. Stamped "made in italy" on the bottom. I have already filled it with water and put some tree branches out of it. It looks awesome




And then I found this big soft basket which I put my "Jacobs coat" blanket in (which I got at a yard sale 2 months ago for 4$)

Yard sales are such an adventure. You go looking for one thing... today I was looking for some cheap old furniture I could redo. And you end up finding treasures you weren't even looking for. Plus you get to dig through people stuff, which I love- maybe cuz I'm so nosey!