Retail Therapy, Thrifty Style

** Warning: these photos were either taken with my iPhone, in the trunk of my car, or on the hotel windowsill. Do not adjust your screens. The photos are NOT high quality and for that I deeply apologize. 😉 **

It’s a gift, I guess. Or a curse. No matter where I am, I seem to be able to sniff out thrift shops and places to find treasures. For example, last week I was 2 hours from home trying to find Lapcorp to get my {gross} glucose tolerance test and what do I stumble upon? A Goodwill. Is that a sign or what? It’s lemonade, I’m telling you.

Maybe it was the fact I was trying not to pass out or throw up {have you ever had a glucose tolerance test? TORTURE, I’m telling you!} but I only walked away with two things. I left a few great finds on the shelves for other lucky shoppers (including a green and yellow bamboo patterned tablecloth for a dollar and some cute white owl vases that I think would look modern in the right spot). As for what I did get, I grabbed this shelf and hook unit for $3.97. It’s going in baby boy’s nursery (which is getting painted tomorrow! woo-to-the-hoo!):

I agonized about this mirror for 10 minutes. I don’t need it, and probably won’t ever do anything with it, but I couldn’t put it down once I imagined it painted white or black. It’ll look much more modern with some fresh paint. I picture it being placed above a table, on a shelf, or in a photo wall arrangement. At $2, why agonize? It’s very sturdy and a great size, so if I don’t want it someone will.

Skip ahead a week, and you’ll find us in the middle of a monsoon here on the East Coast. What do you do when it won’t stop raining? Go antiquing, of course!

You know I gravitate to a more modern aesthetic, and those that think that “modern” means “brand new” might be missing out. Where did the inspiration for all those styles come from? If you walk into Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, you’ll see every era represented in a new and fresh way. That’s why I love browsing antique and thrift shops.

The antique barn we visited is HUGE, two stories tall and filled to the brim. My mom and I knew we were in trouble when we spent a good 25 minutes in THE FIRST BOOTH, where I ended up buying 5 out of the 9 things I purchased!

Here are the things I didn’t get, followed by the things that ended up in my retail-therapy starved hands:

These framed cards were adorable. They only cost $5, but you could replicate them for even less with a dollar store frame and a cheap vintage post card.

This is a framed vintage playing card. Precious for a nursery!

I don’t need any more things. That’s the only reason I resisted these adorable bunnies and chicks even though they would look great nestled on an Easter tablescape! At prices in the $5 range, why would you ever buy the cheap-o plastic kind? {yes, on second thought, I might need to go back and buy a few. Shhhhhh….}

I’m a sucker for art deco. This chandelier had me SWOONING. Please, someone buy this and put it in your fabulous bungalow!

Does anyone else have a fabric addiction? This vintage quilt piece had modern colors and patterns… unfortunately it was paired with a pink/blue quilt piece and priced at $6. Otherwise I would have snagged it for a fun pillow/ bag/ whatever project.

This magazine was priced at $8, but the cover has a huge tear. I’m not a collector, but I must admit an obsession with the Kennedy family (especially John-John, god rest his soul). This spread was published a year before the assassination, and this photo of little John practicing his salute tugged at my heart. The article was a tour of the oval office through John-John’s eyes– so innocent…

Thank goodness this table had this tray on top, otherwise I would have walked away with it. It was priced at $70; I would have LOVED to just buy the bottom half, paint it black or silver, and topped it with a different tray. Goodbye, PA Dutch. Hello, side table or drink cart!

See what I mean about those legs? Tole trays aren’t my style, but bamboo IS.

Oh, giggle, giggle. I couldn’t tell for sure if this was a reproduction or not, but it wasn’t labeled as such and the sign had “Las Vegas” and a date in the 30’s printed on the corner. I may never know if it was legit, but of course I had to show you.

So what DID I buy?

I’ve never been to Juneau. I don’t know anyone IN Juneau. I don’t even have a spoon collection, except for the few my grandmother passed down to me. Yet I couldn’t resist this sweet little spoon with blue flowers! Thankfully Nesting Place posted an idea that actually would match perfectly if I ever decided to do something with it. At $6 and labeled “sterling”, I couldn’t resist.

I bought these to fill with sand as mementos of beach trips {the first of which will probably be in 10 years at the rate we’re popping out kids}. I love this tip for making Faux Soldered Beachy Bottles, and have all the ingredients for doing so except time. Most bottles were $1 but I *had* to have that $3 one, too (it’s oval, which is hard to see in my hotel-ledge photo).

From that same booth came these German scraps. I realized they were reproduction but weren’t labeled as such. I bought them anyways, since there are so many things you can do with them! They are in a plastic sleeve, hence the glare. Picture them framed, as gift tags, in scrapbooks, on cards…

My grandmother had a Victorian Christmas Village set (these were called gardens back in the day) that we would set up under the tree each year along with the train chugging around it. When I find pieces that would fit in, I buy them because they can be hard to find. This one is British made, so it’s a little bigger but we needed a policeman so for $12 I snagged it. And the little $3 fence, too. It would look cute next to the “skating pond” (a mirror with sand around the edge).

Last but not least were these embroidery hoops which will make their appearance as part of a project in the nursery. I’ll let you wait until that time to reveal what they’ll be used for! They were $2 for 2, and were the perfect smaller size so I got them.

Wow, that was a long post. I had a little too much fun shopping and browsing, I guess. Thanks for coming along with me! Does anyone else have thrifty treasures to share? Link ’em in the comments section so I can stop by and virtually browse your fabulous finds!

{I’ve linked this to Today’s Thrifty Treasures @ Southern Hospitality. It’s one of my favorite weekly parties, and is back after a winter hibernation… so exciting!)

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Allison @ House of Hepworths says

March 18 at 4:18 am

Yay! I just made a whole post about this!!! Actually I have 3 recent ones. I love goodwill! Here they are:

http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2010/03/16/my-candy-stor/

http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2010/03/15/keepin-myself-busy/

http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2010/03/11/before-after-accessories-edition/

I love all your scores, especially the first picture with the shelf.

TheShoppingGirl says

March 18 at 4:59 am

Love thrifting and love your blog! Definitely an entertaining post. Have a fantastic day.
Stopping in from SITS.

mel says

March 18 at 9:24 am

oooh such fun things!
i love the quilted piece and the lap the most. and that sign from vegas!!! ha ha
i’ve got a couple thrifting posts on my blog – if you click the thrift shopping link on the side…
need to do some more soon too, the camera’s waiting to be unloaded.

Angie says

March 18 at 11:58 am

I love GW – but ours doesn’t have the awesome things that yours does!

I do have a couple antique shops within walking distance from my home… very dangerous.. but also good – if I don’t take the car I can’t buy THAT much right?!?

Green Acres in the City says

March 18 at 12:10 pm

I call it my urban treasure hunting. LOVE IT! We were able to pick up all of John Grishams books, hardback, for $21. Who can beat that?

Erin says

March 18 at 7:23 pm

I am with you when it comes to retail therapy! You made some great finds. How are you doing with Noodle? I have been thinking about you all.

Carrie says

March 20 at 2:44 am

You guys had such great finds! As for the shopping within walking distance, that would be TOO TEMPTING. I’d be there every day!

Thanks so much for asking about Noodle, Erin. Things are just so-so. She is amazing– so happy and social, but her eating is not good because of medical reasons. I’ll update you soon!

Groovy Baby Blog says

March 21 at 2:16 am

I love your blog !

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality says

March 22 at 11:52 pm

Thanks for joining the party. I can tell you’re a girl after my own heart. Scouting out the thrift stores when out of town, yep, me too! Great finds for you, girl.

alanna rose says

March 23 at 1:35 am

The Vegas sign – too funny! I love to hit up out of town thrift stores – they always seem to have the best stuff 🙂

Linda says

March 23 at 4:27 am

I just did some thriftin out of town too…it’s sooooo much FUN! My favorites are the white shelf and those COOL bottles! Come by and show them off at my NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAYS PARTY…hope to see you there:)

Blessings,
Linda

Creations By Cindy says

March 24 at 2:26 pm

I lovew your white shelf. Looks like you had fun! Be blessed. Cindy

Linda says

March 25 at 4:34 am

Happy to see you at my NTT party:)

Blessings,
Linda

Lindsey says

March 31 at 6:40 pm

I am new to your blog but I am also a fellow Goodwill shopper plus I live for consignment sales. Read about some of my shopping on my blog http://www.rockingtheminivan.blogspot.com

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