weekend thrifting finds!

This weekend I let the garage-sale craziness sweep me away. And I think I'm good for quite awhile.

I wanted to share my vintage finds (although I did find a few other clothing items, etc for Ladybug and me) - some for the Market, some for me.

At one sale, a guy was just trying to get rid of things. The Brother Valiant typewriter I scored for $1 (YES! a dollar!) and all of the 78s (the round case and burgundy album) for $2. He was basically giving stuff away. How could I resist!? Oh, and the working 1959 Zenith alarm clock for $5.

Four blue ball jars with lids ($3 ea), a small blue ball jar for .50, a flour sifter for $2 and a Mouli grater for $2.

I've wanted a typewriter forever just to display and this one is small and perfect. I love it!

I found the large Ball jars (above) and this perfect little table for Ladybug at an estate sale on Friday morning after our garage sale rounds. The table was tucked in the basement and still waiting for me when I got there. I scooped her up quick - and good thing because there was a collector there!

One leg must be slightly shorter and they all need a coat of ivory paint, but it was exactly what I was looking for.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I was!! It pretty much wiped us out (Jeremy too as he was home with Ladybug) and my garage saleing itch is scratched for awhile, but it was so enjoyable.

I'll be sharing the rest of my vintage clothing finds soon!

Thrifted anything great lately? 'Tis the season!

Lisa

Thrifting score! {Irish Coffee Mugs}

I've been looking for some Irish coffee mugs since before Christmas - Jeremy even got me some clear glass mugs for Christmas, but all of the rims weren't cast smoothly, and I really didn't like drinking out of them. So back they went.

{Irish coffee mugs remind me of my favorite cafe in Schaffhausen, Switzerland - they are fun to drink from and they make for great pictures!}

So we searched online and all of the new clear tea/coffee mugs were either very expensive or very fragile (neither one good for me). I just gave it up for then.

To my surprise, the other day I saw these sitting at a thrift store - 2 for $1.98.

I'll take those, yes please.

These two are replacing a set of 4 I thrifted - which have joined the garage sale pile.

Pretty!

Tea pictured: Organic Herbal Berry Tea from Grandpa's Cheesebarn in Ohio. YUM!

Garage sale score! - plant stand makeover

I spotted this little guy driving by a neighborhood garage sale last weekend. I immediately had visions of yellow paint and a pretty plant for our stairwell.

$1 score!

BEFORE:

 And AFTER!

I had to use a little wood filler on a one leg because of some stray dog bites (if you remember this!), sanded and painted it yarrow root yellow. I put two coats of polycrylic to seal the top where a little water may spill. Then I placed it in our teeny tiny stair-landing.

Then, I did a little plant research to see what plant might be good for a very low light area - and I loved this one! It's called a "snake plant" or a "mother-in-law's tongue" (haha), stands straight up, and tolerates extreme neglect. Sold.

I searched for the closest nursery to our home and we took a little trip to snag this baby. And I love it! (Now I just need to find the right pot to put it in - I'm hoping to thrift something else - so for now it's resting on a salad plate.)

Can't wait to share a few more furniture transformations as well as a new vegetable gardening approach - I just can't seem to give it up!

vintage thrifting finds! {shop update!}

Just when I said that estate sales were my new thrifting, I scored at the thrift store! And, mind you, I'm not writing off thrift stores in the least, and most definitely not now...

Stop by the shop to check out the rest!

estate sale finds

The day after the last snowstorm (last week - we've had another since!) I asked Jeremy to help dig out the car so I could go to an estate sale in town. I'm on an email list for a certain company and usually they are in the surrounding towns ... but this was was only a couple of miles away. Score!

I arrived about 10 minutes after it opened and what I wanted to find (skeleton keys) were gone in the first few minutes. Two lessons learned: 1) if you want something, get there when they open and 2) ask right away where something is located. I hunted around for about 20 minutes and then asked, but they were gone.

Oh well. In the meantime, I found ...

...this beautiful vintage suitcase!

It's not perfect (it's used, duh!) on the outside but inside is still in wonderful shape. One of the best I've seen! The elastic is still in tip-top shape, no rips, tears or fading. And (amazingly enough!) it has no musty smell - awesome!

A couple of vintage pieces for the shop:

They had a bunch more clothes but most were very, very stained. Something I have to watch out for when buying! Otherwise I might've gone crazy...

And some amazing metal letters with great chippy patinas... also for the shop!

Estate sale hunting is now the new thrifting! At least in my book. Last time they featured a 70% off and I got 30 baby clothing pieces for $9. Amazing. This was full price, but still worth it. Still less than thrift store pricing.

Find anything vintagely amazing lately!? Do share!

May garage sale finds (vintage edition)

I've been garage-saling this month to look for a few items we need on the cheap. And I love reusing if it's something we don't need to buy new. (If it's pillow or matress, you'll hear me singing a different tune though. Used? Ew.)

Last time I went looking I came up with several fun vintage finds!!

(1) cardboard doll suitcase - $1
(1) vintage table fan - $5
(3) doll dresses (30 cents)
(1) "the Golden Rule" - German measuring system pattern book (50 cents)

I thought the red "the Golden Rule" book just looked interesting when I picked it up. There are color pages and lots of good stuff in it. Boy was I uneducated!

I looked it up on etsy and the same edition (2nd edition - first is in German) in mint condition is $145!!! Um, holy crap!

Score.

It has black and white and some color photos. Late 60s! Love!

It has the Lutterloh system instructions, pictures, and over 200 patterns! Amazing.

If you want to see if before I sell it, feel free to let me know (Valerie?)!! If I can even make half of $145 on it, it'll be way more than worth it! So exciting.

A few new shop finds for Easter.

I had some glorious hours last Friday all to myself. I got an orange pedicure... (complete with iced Passion tea from the 'bucks)...

... and went thrifting! (Totally my new favorite pastime.)

Here are some fun things I found.

a Polly Flinders size 7 smocked dress. I'm in love!

the sweetest Easter dress - complete with bunnies and daffodils

Two more 1970s jumpers!! Not nearly as sweet as the strawberry jumpsuit, but very, very cute.

I adore this polyester nautical jacket. Not very summery, but I'm listing it anyway. People are crazy for the nautical stuff.

And remember the little cowboy button-up?  I went back and found the pants that matched!! hahaha! (And sold it this week -yay!)

Thrifting. *sigh* it's so much fun.

Fun {shop} Patterns

A friend alerted me to some 60s and 70s patterns at a local thrift store and I was on it! Normally local thrift shops have only super ugly 80s and 90s patterns that no one wants ... but I was so surprised to find their huge selection of earlier vintage patterns!

They were all very cheap, plus 25% off, so I bought 16 to add to the shop. I think I figure if I can sell two of them the rest will be profit. That's pretty darn good!

Here are a few fun ones.

no date - 1960s - my favorite!

1967

1966

1972

1973

*Sigh. Hoping to find more 50s patterns sometime. They are probably my favorite ...