$20 in your pocket

I was over on Young House Love's blog and read about their $20 Thrift Store Challenge.  An invitation to thrift? I'm in.  

The 3 things they asked?

#1.  Go to thrift store with $20 in your pocket.  
#2.  Spend the $20 and photograph your spoils.
#3.  Find one item referenced in the song [btw, not mom-approved lyrics] and take a pic.  

It went down like this...

My score= the "EPIC desk".  I asked the Goodwill employee why it was labeled the "EPIC desk" and she said most likely the employees thought it deserved the name because it was so cool.  That made me feel even better about it.  

As for something from the song lyrics, I'm not sure what "gator shoes" are but I think these must come close.

"Gator shoes...are green"

I even tried them off for the full effect.  I could have asked an employee to take my picture for extra credit on the challenge but I didn't take it quite that far.  

I was a little distracted with the beauty I found in this.  I thought it would be great hanging as wall art.  I resisted and didn't look back.   

The desk, however, is safely at home in my son's [6yr.] bedroom. 

I'm going to go wash my hands one more time.  Good night! 

Linking up with Young House Love.

Light On

Remember the thrift store lamp I wrote about here?  It's gone white.  My husband thinks it looks like a giant chess piece.  

You know how one thing leads to another?  Well, while I was at it I decided to paint [have my husband paint] the other  lamp white to bring them together in unity.

For a before paint job photo, I found two baby dolls tucked in the lampshade.  Not sure who put them there but it wasn't me.  Creative.

And to bring the lamps together in further unity I headed over to Target for two white drum shades.  

Time=minimal.

Thrifted lamps= The top one was $3.50 and the bottom one I've had for years [paid $2.50].

Paint=on hand.

Shades=about 15 bucks x2.

I like it.  Thinking about what else I can paint white...

 

~Kate 

Linking up with Simple Design.

Thrifting Haul

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I love thrifting.  I have only been out to the local spots a couple of times this summer.  Last night my daughter and I stopped in Goodwill and were quite giggly as we looked over the aisles and showed each other random and strange items. 

Our thrift haul last night included the items pictured below [which I combined with my most recent St. Vincent's (another thrift store) purchase]. 

Books for me [paid $0.25-$1.00 each]

 

Books for the kiddos [paid $0.35-$0.40 each] 

My husband was running an errand and snagged a 9 inch globe for a quarter at a garage sale in our neighborhood.  I've got a strong affinity for globes, so this made me smile.  I hope he brings more globes home because it spells love [to me].  This is probably my favorite of all the finds.  

Back to the giggles...so, I bought this whale.  My daughter thought I was joking but I wasn't.  It came home with us for $1.50.  Maybe the heat was getting to me.  My thoughts:  Remove numbers, fill hole, prime, paint, and hang on bathroom wall.  It's for the kids, you know. 

 

This image for makeover inspiration via 

Today and tomorrow St. Vincent's is having a 50% off sale on everything in the store so the prices listed below were especially low.  

  

Here's a few of the things I saw but left behind: 

 

"Breakfast set" of bowl, plate and mug= $0.75

Set of 5 canisters.  Brand was "Clay Art"= $10.50 

(Original price tags were still on- $29.99 for large size (x3) and $24.99 for smaller (x2).  

 

print of a rose [and other similar botanical prints] in quality frame and mats= $2

And a few more things I did buy:

Baskets for the girls' bedtime books = $0.75 each 

Heavy metal lamp base=$3.50.  [Plan to paint it an undetermined color.]  

Today I'm linking up with "share your thrift haul" at Simple Design. 

-Kate 

Why I Love Thrifting

• It's fun.  I love a home filled with unique things gathered over time.  Thrifting is a great way to find unique, unexpected things and items with history. 
• It's green.  I enjoy finding old things and recreating and repurposing them. I like to find ways to avoid a mentality of consume and dispose.  Thifting is recycling at it's best.
• It's frugal.  Simple. It's crazy inexpensive.
• It makes me happy.  First, it feels like I'm stepping back in time.  And truly, there is a little old lady inside me.  Secondly, most thrifting supports charities.  

 When I am thrifting...
     there are some usual things I am always on the lookout for, including:

1. Books [especially great classic children's books]
2. Records
3. Art and craft supplies
4. Vintage fabrics  
5. Tableware, dishes, mugs, decor'
6. Baskets or [pretty] storage containers

My Recent finds...

• Tote of 12 paintbrushes, paint tray and a couple dozen bottles of acrylic paint=$3.50.  [Great for the upcoming craft idea my sister sent me for Grace- Springtime Wreath.]

• Books=$0.25 each The Eye Book by Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle's ABC, Samantha Saves the Wedding, A Special Trade, Penelope and the Pirates and Emma by Jane Austen.
• Fabric=$0.70 [future as a scarf? frame it in a large white frame as wall art?]
• Mirror=$3.99 [paint it and put in the girls' room]
• Twine, Yarn, Ribbon=$0.25 a piece [great for gift wrapping or crafts]
• Retractable measuring tape=$0.25 [for Jude to measure everything in the house]
• School desks=$5.00 a piece [for our older two kids who LOVE to play school]

~Kate