Shopping for free

What? No, I am not kidding. Psh, come on, I don't kid about this stuff. Free shopping is serious business.

While visiting Tess last weekend (as I mentioned in my last post), we struck gold at an estate sale that a local parish was holding after Sunday Mass. Estate sales are usually one of the most wonderfullous events known to mankind. This particular estate sale was even better because it was free!! Granted, it was free because it was just the sale's dregs/bottom-of-the-barrel. None the less, we found some gems.

I've often admired wall hangings that are/mimic architectural salvage pieces. But, as it seems to be my lot in decorating, I never seem to find something that I like OR that I can afford. That all changed last weekend when I found these babies:

Not only are these right up my style-alley, they were right up my price-alley, too (i.e. FREE). When no one else wanted them, I was thrilled to pick them up to bring home with me. I mean it when I say "thrilled." I felt like this inside:

GIFSoup

I was equally pumped to
find this suitcase.

Why? Because it not only rolls, but it has hidden shoulder straps, so to turn into a backpack at a moment's notice.

Whoop-there-the-straps-is!

Yippee! (I realize that most people have bags like this at approximately age five, but I was never one of those kids. So I will enjoy it now (did I mention it was free?))

The last thing I found was this cute tea cup and saucer. Such a darling, colorful pattern!

After finding these pieces, I was thinking about how to blog about them ((because, when you have a blog, all of a sudden part of the time you usually spend thinking about yourself--about 90% of your time in general, according to some statistics--is now spent thinking about how you can share the thoughts about yourself with the whole world on your blog)) and it occurred to me that, in my long hiatus from blogging, I had discovered (read "amassed") multiple other good-finds from various thrift-shop adventures. Instead of boring you with multiple blog posts, I decided it would be more efficient to bore you with one long blog post in which I share with you all my finds over the last year. Some of the finds have gone through updates (e.g. paint job), so I will try to notate where that happened.

Hold onto your butts, Folks, we are going on one (un)exciting ride.

Unscathed, lounging in the bedroom

No longer gold, but a sunny yellow in the dining room.

This piece originally was a vertical wall candelabra. I removed the part meant to hold the candle and now use it as another architectural detail.

Now hanging over the sink window

Those dishes are clean.

I found this chair at the local ReStore last summer. Some people think it's funny looking. While I agree it is different, it has a colonial vibe (see here for an example) that I like. So I bought. It came in its current finish, which I think is beautiful and I have no intention of changing it any time soon!

Chillin' in the living room

Okay, this next one is a bit cheating because Mom bought as a gift--though still from a consignment store. It is a trio of miniature flower boxes. I think these are so sweet looking. Here is an 'up-close' shot of two so you get the whole shebang of the cuteness:

 As I said, it's a trio, and all three have found home in my home atop the fireplace mantle:

Next in line is this pair of...well I don't know what the right term is, but let's call them miniature wall-busts, eh?

                 

I have hung them above my bedroom desk, along with a tiny mirror which I scored from an antique store.

This is another "Mom gift," which I received for my birthday. It is a gorgeous, intricate secretary desk made of solid wood (I wish I knew what kind but I don't, sorry!). At present I am using as a media cabinet (which explains the delicious amount of cords), but I could see it being used also to store linens and other housewares (I don't think I'll use it as a desk since I already have one.)

Last, but not least, we have this $2 porthole mirror picked up from a garage sale last summer. In this small Midwestern town of mine, it seems that garage sales are EVERY.WHERE.ALL.THE.TIME once warm weather hits. These can be found by simple going about your daily business, since signs typically are posted, as I said, everywhere. Or you can also get lucky by checking out Sir Craig and His List, under the 'garage sale' tab. (Btw, it was the former, 'old-school' drive-around method which led me to this mirror.)

True story: The Mary picture and table reflected in the mirror are also garage sale finds

The mirror (heavy thing it is!) now hangs in the family room, alongside the chair pictured above and the lamp which I refinished over a year ago:

There you have it: A quick summary of my last year in poor-man home decorating! Thrifting can be exciting and a lot of fun, but it can be work too since it can take combing through loads of crapola to uncover what's worth your love. Nevertheless, when you do find that special-something, you can't help but celebrate! So, let's hear it again from Monsieur Carlton (I admit, I just love seeing that dance).

GIFSoup

P.S.: You'll notice in that last picture that the gray chair is a new feature. It's not from a thrift shop, antique store, consignment booth, garage sale, or the side of the road. I will get to it in another post, but I think I have occupied enough of your time for one day tell of my housing adventures. Talk to you soon!