Thrift Report: West Coast Edition

I went to Washington for work earlier this month and was able to hang out with some dear, dear friends - Jake and Amy and their two daughters. I actually met their family for the first time at our wedding. Jake and Andy have been best friends for years but since they live so far away, I was never able to meet them until they came to town for the wedding. I am so thankful for them and their wonderful, amazing daughters who are like nieces to me!

Amy is one of the kindest, most generous people I've ever met. She handed me this owl plaque and said she had had it for me for awhile! She's the best. It's going on my office gallery wall whenever I get around to doing that! 



I squeezed in some thrifting in my downtime and found...



A cute ceramic owl, a kinda crazy whale bank, and some poorly-painted owls.

I put the brown owl in my booth yesterday. I'm keeping the whale - I just need to work on it. The flowery design is done in puffy paint so I need to figure out how best to remove that. Then I'm going to paint it a solid color - those lips and huge eyes freak me out!

I also want to paint over the owl duo and put those in my booth.



I found these fun souvenir plates - Hawaii, Ireland, San Francisco, California, and a mother's day plate.



Ughhhhhh I still want to quilt. It's been a goal for years but I'm scared and so I haven't started. I picked up these fabric pieces because they were cute, pre-cut, and didn't smell awful like the ones I bought last year in Gatlinburg.

And I found some cute, never-used retro potholders!




I have felt such a surge of nostalgia for little golden books lately, so I picked out some favorite stories to bring home.



I keep thinking about starting a stationery shop on etsy since I love buying/selling vintage stationery but it doesn't do well in my booth. Sooo, these would go in there if I ever do that! (I'm thinking maybe labor day weekend I could get some work done on it? We'll seee....!!)



Love aghans! Love finding cool patterns and colors.



These will both go to my booth soon, although I have 3 afghans there that have been there for a loooong time. Do people not love them as much as me? (She types while snuggled up under a teal afghan she bought at Goodwill and kept!)

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Thrift Report: I'm Still Here Edition

I inadvertently took a couple weeks off, woops! Good thing this isn't my fulltime gig. :)

Here are some things I've found recently...photos taken on a cloudy day and horribly photoshopped once again!


I have been wanting to find old Bingo cards for a really long time and I finally did! I packaged them up in sets of 5 and put them in the booth. I also love old stationery and greeting cards, so I grabbed these Holly Hobby-esque cards. And of course vintage cameras always do really well. I probably should have researched this souvenir TN license plate - I put $9 on it and it sold as soon as I put it in my booth. Hmm...

I've been holding onto this yellow lamp for a long time and I have no idea why. I got it at the same time that I got our nightstands and I never intended to keep it, but it's been hanging out in our guestroom for MONTHS and now it's finally in the booth.

Lincoln Logs, a map from the 60s explaining what's going on in Vietnam (with really bright colors!), and oil pastels. (I love oil pastels!) A 1955 Rand McNally atlas, a million Tennessee maps, and some poker chips, cute owls, and Rook. (Rook was a gift for Andy and it's in mint condition!)


Ooh, Christmas. I'm keeping the gnome ornament because how could I not? I love gnomes a LOT and he is perfect. Some Christmas cards and an angel music box - she looks like a Christmas tree topper but her base is a music box!

So, nothing crazy exciting, but a lot of nice things for the booth! 

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Thrift Report: Tiny Haul Edition

Happy Monday! Man, it's going to be hard to get back to real life after a long weekend!

Saturday, I zoomed over to the Family Tree Estate Sale in my neighborhood about an hour before it was over. I tried to get over in the morning but was running late for ceramics so I had to skip it until later in the afternoon. There were still some things left and I found a little bit!


This is photoshopped beyond recognition because the weather has been SO terrible and it has been impossible to take decent photos!

So - the homeowner was a photographer who lived in a house that was pretty run down. However, there were photos from her travels ALL over the world. It's so interesting to get a glimpse into people's lives and priorities. She traveled the globe and then returned to a tiny house. I admire her for knowing her priorities and pursuing travel since that was important to her!

There were a bunch of cameras for sale apparently, but by the time I got there, there were only 2. Cameras are fun home decor accessories and do well in my booth, so I picked one up. I also really liked the striped fabric and thought it might be fun for sewing up some baby gifts. (Everyone we know is pregnant and having a girl!)

I've been buying a LOT more fresh veggies lately, so I thought I'd give this vintage chopper a try. It's pink! Very cute.

Since I'm married to a vinyl-holic, I thought this 45 adapter (above, in the box) was kinda cool. It's for stereos that have the automatic record changer-outer and it allows you to stick a stack of 45s on your turntable and cycle through them. We don't have a stereo that does that, but I'll stick it in my booth and maybe another vinyl-holic will like it. :)

Did you have torrential rain this weekend? And if so, did you make it out to shop in it?? I didn't think it would EVER stop raining!

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The Best Find Ever

I've collected a few random vintage things for a future kid but I think this takes the cake as the best find EVER. 

Monday, I was at a pre-estate sale (our friend is running a sale this weekend and let us come check it out as they were still preparing it) and I was checking out some old windows for my mom when I heard Andy say, "I want to find something like this, but for Opryland." I looked over and he had a HUGE, pristine, vintage map of the Magic Kingdom!


My eyes teared up - it was a crazy, instant emotional reaction. I couldn't believe how cute it was and how special it was! He found it in the bottom of a stereo, strangely enough!

It's wonderful and I think it will be amazing framed and in a kid's room someday!


I'm not one of those major Disney fans that trades pins and such, but I have a healthy appreciation for Disney that's been growing over the past few years. I think this map is so amazing and I love it SO much!

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Thrift Report: Pennsylvania Finds

I went to central PA for a work trip last week and managed to find some fun things! My brain is still catching up from the crazy week, so it's hard to write a lot about what I found.

I got home Sunday and it was pretty cloudy when I took the photos so they're awfully grainy. Boo. But, here they are!


At Emily's reception, she used pitchers just like the one on the right! I was excited to find one (and another cool pitcher) while shopping. I liked these salad tongs, found some awesome Pyrex, and some personal salt shakers??


Love these glass candle holders, these ceramic pumpkins, and some awesome Christmas decorations! (Including another ceramic tree and two ceramic reindeer!!!)


Some children's books, owls, a beautiful crewel pillow, and a condiment caddy!!

Thanks to Huntingdon, PA for great stores!!

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Thrift Reports: Flea Market & TN Antique Mall

Andy & I hit the flea market for a couple hours Saturday afternoon with our friends Bryan and Anna. It was HOT! It was almost too hot to really look at anything, you know? Like when you just kinda look around but can't really focus on anything? That's how I was feeling all afternoon!

We were on our way out when we spotted some booths outside that had some really fun industrial items. Bryan and Anna were on the lookout for something they could turn into a plantstand and they found a really cool old wire basket. I scoped out the rest of the booth and spied a table full of things that were actually priced! Hallelujah!

I picked up this tiered platter:


Cute, huh?

I also got these blocks that are below- they are pretty random! Anyone know what they're from?


Check out the green sewing box above! It matches the thread case that I found a couple weeks ago! Yesterday, I was organizing my thread in my new case and sorta wished, "I'd love to find the matching sewing box." And then I did!

I actually bought it at the TN Antique Mall (where my booth is). I hardly ever actually shop there, but there's a brand new booth in the mall that is GREAT. She and I have very similar taste and I'm really impressed with this new booth!


Tomorrow I will post my favorite items from this new booth (Booth #5) and a few other things I love at the TN Antique Mall!

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The Thrift Report: Hendersonville Estate Sales Edition

I made it back to ceramics Saturday morning (stay tuned tomorrow to see my finished Clauses!) and squeezed in an estate sale before and two after our time at Barbara's. The selection was not fantastic but the prices were! I managed to stock up on some really fun things for my booth!


Check out this yellow lamp! At first, I thought it was a work lamp but when I got it home and was cleaning it up, I discovered that it's a SUN lamp! It has instructions on the bottom for how long you should expose yourself to it based on your skin type. The dial on the front sets the time that the bulb stays on. Fascinating! It came with a bulb but photographed so much cooler without it. :)

I found this little Imperial camera at the same sale. I loved the font and design!

This owl wall bracket features a swiveled arm with a hook - perfect for hanging a plant!

And then check out these adorable, never-worn baby shoes!!


Another camera - this one a Kodak instamatic! And then I found 3 of the Harlequin Eden prints. Fun!


I am trying to find some "back to school" type things to make an end-of-summer vignette in my booth. Couldn't resist this fabric and these old crayons! Crayola packaging is still deceptively retro, but this pack doesn't have a UPC, so I know it's truly vintage. I keep finding awesome vintage stationery but it never sells in my booth. If I re-open my Etsy shop, it will probably be mostly stationery and cool paper.

This jam jar was filled with metal letters and numbers. They might make pretty cool craft supplies for someone!

But the winner of my Saturday excursion...the cutest thing I've found in awhile...what I put in my booth but secretly hope doesn't sell....

I mean, can you even handle the cuteness???? Yellow corduroy overalls!!! ADORABLE.

When we have a kid, he/she will not understand what decade they're growing up in... and I'm totally ok with that. :)

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The Thrift Report: Whoa! I bought a lot for myself!

We have a new Thrift Report! I haven't had one in several weeks - I have been trying not to buy anything since my booth wasn't doing well in April and May. (I cleared $5 for both months combined. Yikes!)

However, I'm a scrounger at heart and so I ventured out to a Family Tree Estate Sale and some thrift stores and antique malls with my parents over the weekend. Here's what I found! (I'm even keeping some of it!)


I am always drawn to vintage photos but had never found a great deal on them before. I picked up this pile from an estate sale off West End Avenue and I love them! They will be headed to my booth once I figure out how best to sell/organize them.


I bought all of these vintage postcard sets together - they were all packaged up. Many of them are from places we went on our honeymoon, so I'm saving out a Chattanooga and Atlanta set to keep!


Cute little ceramic bunnies that will hopefully look better once I clean them up! I'll add them to the booth next spring for Easter. The little notecards are bookplates that feature three owls. I bought them for a friend who is a professor (and has tons of books), loves owls, and is moving away soon. :(

I will keep some of the vintage greeting cards to add to my greeting card stash. I haven't tucked away any vintage cards yet, so I'm excited about those! And, a children's book that explains the opera Aida. The Broadway musical is very dear to my heart, so I wanted to get this to save!


Oil pastels were pretty much my favorite medium when I was in elementary school art classes and when I found this vintage set, I had to have them! I am not certain if I'll keep them or sell them, but looking at the beautiful colors makes me happy!

I am always on the hunt for cheap and functional planters, so I picked this one up for $3.50 at Grandma's Attic in Bowling Green, KY. It's not vintage, but I like the color!

And I got this cake taker without knowing if I'd keep it or not. I needed one on Friday and didn't have one, then found this on Saturday and I really like it. However, we have NO storage in our kitchen so I'm wary of buying something I won't need very often. Buuuut, we'll see. :)


Man, I bought a lot for myself it seems! I also got this sewing box for myself. My thread and bobbin situation is out of control, so I picked this up to try to get better organized.

And finally...


Sooo, I saw this big set of china at Grandma's Attic. It wasn't complete by any means (no dinner plates) but a platter, tons of bowls, small plates, and lots of teacups and saucers. Some pieces had price stickers and others didn't. Some pieces said "$25" and some had both a "$25" and a "$7.50" sticker on them. I asked and the woman said "Oh, it's 750." I clarified, "Seven dollars and fifty cents for ALL of it?" and she said "Yup. Been here since January, it's time for it to go."

WHAAAA!!!!

So yeah, the last thing we need is more dishes but I love them a lot and the price is unbeatable. I think I got over 20 pieces for $7.50!! Amazing!

I don't normally buy this much for myself! Kinda crazy. Hope you guys found great stuff, too!!

(Oh P.S. I also bought the foam board that I took my photos on at an estate sale. I'm trying to improve my photos - this was the first step toward that! I am considering re-opening my Etsy shop since the booth is doing so poorly!)

Linking to: Apron Thrift Girl!

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Thrift Report: Mother's Day Edition

My mom and I met in Bowling Green on Saturday for a little bit of thrifting fun. We didn't have much luck, but I found a few cute things. I don't know why, but I have been SO obsessed with figurines, salt & pepper shakers, and planters. They don't do very well in my booth so I have been trying to curb my obsession, but I just can't!


Here's my Bowling Green (KY) secret: My favorite place to shop is the antique mall at Flea Land. Since it was Saturday, the outside sheds of the flea market were also packed with vendors. Most of the dealers have junk, but I stumbled upon a really cute antique booth with tons of salt and pepper shakers.

When I spoke with the booth owners, I immediately recognized them from the Nashville Flea Market. They were set up in the same building that I was in in February when I tried my hand at the flea market. The husband was very kind to me and Tosha and gave us some tips about our tables - he wisely suggested moving our them forward (we had them up against the wall). He was right--- and we were so thankful for his help!

I was happy to return a kindness and buy from them. It was a HUGE sacrifice to bring home these deer and dolphin salt and pepper shakers! :)


This little bear is really tiny and really cute. I couldn't pass him up!


I love any excuse to buy plants and this yellow diamond, scallopy planter was calling my name! Soooo cute.


I picked up a $3 plant at Home Depot that I had never seen before. The leaves are green but the veins are pink! It's called Fittonia. Anyone familiar with it?

Hope you found great things this weekend too!

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Thrift Report: Risk & More!

Hit some fun sales last week! Check out this great RISK game!


The colors are so beautiful and it was well taken care of! I've never played RISK (is that weird?) so I was delighted to see such fun colors when I opened up the box. And look at this adorable whale detail on the game board!!!
He's so cute and happy!!

Picked up some glassware, which typically doesn't do that well in my booth, but here's hoping! I grabbed 7 of these red and gold striped glasses (SO beautiful!) and a Utah glass, Smoky Mountains glass, children's glass, and "garden measure" glass. (Looks like a shot glass-- but has lots of different measurements on it.)

I love vintage etiquette books, maps, eyeglass cases, and sewing boxes! This drawer unit is full of sewing notions!


I found these pretty paintings in Hendersonville and also bought a crewel kit and some really cute painted chalkboards! I kept the owl but the other 4 went to my booth. :)


I hope you found great stuff this weekend too! If you see anything you like, it's all up at my booth at the Tennessee Antique Mall!

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Thrift Report: Just a Little Bit!

Thanks everyone for your comments on my Restor-A-Finish post! I am excited to try some of your tips!

I went out to the Family Tree sale on Saturday and was surprised to find a line before it opened! I'm not used to lines on half-price days but the house was still full of great stuff and everyone was looking for a deal!

I picked up a handful of things...


I like this bag of coasters- I'm going to split them up into sets - I hope there are multiples. I'm going to enlist Andy to help me figure out which ones should go together if there aren't multiples.

Aaaand of course, more drink umbrellas. Summer is coming and you'll want to make your fruity beverages look fun, right? :)

And I found these Hanukkah candles and really loved the packaging. I'll hold them for the holiday season!


Picked up two games... Password and a Miss Piggy card game! Very fun.

Hope you found great stuff, too!! :)

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