Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Celebrating 100 Followers!

Today I have officially hit 100 Google Connect followers! Time to celebrate!


Thank you so much to my readers for returning week after week to see my thrifting finds. I have met new friends and mentors along the way and I love communicating with you all via the comments section, email, and the Facebook page. I am very grateful and feel blessed to have such wonderful followers :)

As a small token of my appreciation (we are still small budget over at TTP blog!) I am giving-a-way a $15 Goodwill gift card to one of my readers. If you are a US or Canadian resident and are Google Connect follower numbers 1-100 you have been automatically entered! How easy is that?

I am using that random number generator thingy...

The winner is...




Follower and fellow blogger #84, MoneyInTheGarage!




MoneyInTheGarage, I have emailed you via your contact info on your blog.

Are you followers 101+ or a Facebook only follower? No worries, I will be doing these give-a-ways when I hit other milestones too!
.
.
.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Vintage Vera Veggies

Yesterday morning I thought to myself as I was driving down a street lined with blooming trees how good life really is. I didn't have to rush, I had my coffee, the weather was nice, and I was on my way to an estate sale. For us thrifters, does it get any better than this!?

The sale was run by my favorite estate company and so I knew I was in for fair pricing and good organization. I arrived to find a large selection of glassware, jewelry, along with a the usual furniture, clothing, and general vintage goodness...including Vera.

When us retrophiles hear the name Vera, we usually think of beautiful scarves with the cute little ladybug logo. While looking through the needle-point and linen items, I came across this:


They had the Vera name and logo on them but these were not scarves, they were vintage linen placemats!


The edging is a tangerine color (Pantone color of the year) and each features a cute vegetable print. There are eight total, 2 of each pattern.


To me, these are unique since I have never seen the Vera name attached to anything but scarves. I scooped them up and will put them in the etsy shop here.

Have you ever come across an unexpected item from a brand you know? Share below or over on the Facebook page.
.
.
.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

BOLO Score!

Remember that BOLO list that I talked about just yesterday? Well, I can cross one item off of that list. I have been searching for a long yellow cardigan for awhile now with no luck. On a Goodwill run yesterday I found it! Kind of...


It isn't a *long* cardi, but more of of a medium length. In my last post I talked about being open minded at the thrifts. Even though this pretty cardigan wasn't long, I told myself just to try it on, and I am glad I did! It is an Ann Taylor Loft garment, $3.59.

On the same trip I found this:


An Apt. 9 lined lace tunic top with wide sash, $3.59. I am normally do not wear lace, however, Lindsey over at Thrift and Shout blog did a post on how lace is a hot new trend and photographed herself in a beautiful lace top. When I saw this shirt on the rack, I thought of her post and tried it on. It looked great! Especially when paired with the yellow cardigan. Thanks for the inspiration Lindsey! (She has a great thrifted fashion blog that you should definitely check out)

On the way home from the GW, I saw a fluorescent orange sign from afar and knew it could only be one thing...a yard sale! I hung a quick right then a left and one creative parking job later, I had arrived. The yard sale was that of an elderly woman who had passed and they were cleaning out the house. I try to be especially respectful and gentle with my haggling in these types of situations where a death is involved. This woman must have loved to read. There were hundreds of books, mostly steamy romance novels, which gave me a chuckle.


I ended up with a blue quilted leather vintage purse for $1, a vintage metallic silver evening bag, and a bag full of Barbie collectible ornaments from Hallmark.  The metallic silver evening bag is here in the Etsy shop and the Barbie ornaments will soon be in the ebay store (I will do another post on these).

Wanna see this whole ensemble put together? Stop over to the Facebook page!

What's your most recent BOLO score?
.
.
>

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Open Minded Thrifting

When I thrift, I try to keep an open mind about what I might find. If I am looking for something specific, I will miss all of the other cool stuff around me. 

Instead of saying...I am going to look for a pair of Banana Republic jeans at the thrifts today...tell yourself that you are going to search for a dark wash pair of jeans. Otherwise, you might miss that pair of Paige Denim or no-name brand pants in the perfect wash and fit!

Don't get me wrong, I do keep a BOLO (be on the look out) list but I try to search for items in general and not specific terms.

Here is my current BOLO list:

Small round table for kitchen
Yellow long cardigan
Knee boots with no heel

At one time, a cool large rug for our living room was on my BOLO list...


Found it! An 8' x 11' licensed Andy Warhol rug, yard sale, $20. Original cost was in the $800 range.

What is on your BOLO list? Comment here or pop over to the Facebook page to share.
.
.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Thrifting Finds And A Lesson Learned

When I left my 'steady paying' job yesterday, I headed to my favorite Goodwill in the city. It happens to only be about 5 minutes from the office (how convenient). I am sure they took me into consideration when deciding on the locale ;) 

Here are the finds that I will be keeping for myself:


Boot-cut jeans~5.49: Just the right fit and wash.


Vintage Pyrex coffee cups with gold and chartreuse rim~59 cents each: Happy to add these to my ever growing Pyrex collection.

...and last, but definitely not least, a pair of fabulous designer shoes that you will need to visit the Facebook page to check out!


Here are some other nice items I found. These will go into my store:

 
Cuisinart silicone basting brush for grilling, new~Ebay


Dr Marten Heston oxfords, excellent condition~Ebay


Hello Kitty collectors coffee mug with angel wings~Ebay

I had also picked out the cutest little black dress from New York and Co. for 99 cents with the intent to put it in my ebay shop, but today when I went to pull out all of my purchases for photographing, it was not in there. I checked my receipt and at least I wasn't charged for it, but darn!

Thrifting Lesson Learned: Just like at the grocery store, watch that all items are scanned at the correct price and that they make it into your bag.

Have you ever come home and found you were missing a great item?
.
.
.
Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl's: Thrift Share Monday.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Thrifted Decor

Rewind one year: I was quitting my job. Parents, friends, and relatives probably thought I had gone off the deep end. But in reality, I would have gone off the cliff if I didn't quit, but that is a story for another day.

When I entered my 'early retirement', as I called it then, my first priority was getting our house under control. We had lived in our first home for just a little over a year and there were still boxes that hadn't been unpacked and a barren, non-cozy feel to our nest. I needed to decorate! But wait...I had just left my job and we were still getting accustomed to our new living on less lifestyle. What was a girl to do on a decorating budget of nil??

Go thrifting!

I would say that this is when my passion for thrifting started. I went to yard sales, estate sales, and thrift stores, scouring the decor and furniture sections. I came up with some pretty fun pieces at next to nothing prices.

The first area I decorated with mostly thrifted finds was our back entry way. This area serves many different purposes. The dog is always in and out of this door and guests see this area when we entertain outside in the summer. It is also the door that leads to our garden.

This is how it started, blank and boring:


Here is the space mid-makeover:


 This is how it looks today, warm, inviting, and functional!



Here's the breakdown:
Weathered bench: yard sale $8
Pictures: gifts and thrifted $1.50
Rug: Pier 1 clearance 22.50 (and I had a $20 gift card!)
Anti-slip rug grip material: yard sale $5 (new in package)
Boots and watering can and spade: my own and my Grandma's

I just love how it turned out. I can sit on the bench, pull on my boots and grab my watering can and spade before heading out into the garden. When the dog comes back in from the yard, the rug helps to trap the debris he drags in. This is also an inviting space for guests when we entertain in the yard.

The small entry way was just the start to my thrifted decorating projects...more to come!

What areas of your home have you decorated with mostly thrifted decor? You are welcome to leave a comment below, or come and show off a photo over at the Facebook fan page!
.
.
.
Linking up with Her Library Adventures: Flea Market Finds and Homemaker on a Dime: Creative Bloggers Hop.