Thrift{Ed} : The Dish

the title?!? ...pun intended hahah

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Hey it's week 2 of Thrift{Ed}!!! I was supposed to have this up yesterday...but the bird 

caught some bug so I was battling with a stubborn fever all day and night....but! He is doing much better today...the fever has dropped to a more manageable 99.2 rather than 102.9 from yesterday.

 With that, I cannot wait to talk about this weeks finds!!!

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First, I guess you all should know...I am currently on the hunt for vintage plates...in the same color family

 ( green or hints of it) for a home project...that I hope I will be able to show you all soon...but I need more plates!!!!  I got lucky and found these to beauties at my local Habitat store...for yep, .50 cents each!!! Wowza!!! These were in great shape..only a tiny chip on the lip of the plate on the left...which I'm ok with since I want my plates to have that "old" feel.

* Tip*

If you are also on the hunt for vintage China...keep in mind...you should thoroughly look over each piece in question making sure to notice any chips, cracks or glue lines (some people try to fix their broken china too!)

Not everyone wants that "old" feel like I need for this project so make sure you don't accidentally buy  something that's not in the shape you thought it was!

 I also found this vintage cup and vintage fabric ( I think it was really a place mat at one point)

each for .50 cents!!! I must confess, I have a coffee cup collection...in our last 3 places, the rule was if I got a new cup I had to give one away ...but now (giggle) I don't have to anymore (hello empty cabinets!!!) so I am so excited when I find an adorable coffee cup!....and for .50 cents I'm not breaking the bank! Win-win!

I have been looking for vintage fabrics a lot lately ...for random projects really...but I always have a soft spot for pretty fabric no matter what.

*Tip*

Make sure the fabric you are about to buy has no holes, tears or stains...unless of course you can sew

and are willing to put the extra time into fixing it...or you think you can work around it...otherwise, it would be a shame to buy a beautiful piece of vintage goodness only to find out later it is unusable.

So, what amazing thrift are you super excited about lately?! I'd love to hear about/see it!!!

put your link in the comments if you do!!

Happy Wednesday!

also linking here today!

A New Arrival: Welcome Thrift{Ed}

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Hey friends! 

I'm excited to introduce my newest little segment here on the blog!

Thrift{Ed} is all about, well, thrifting...lol

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am a sucker for thrift shopping

and what I have realized is, though people know about thrifting, many aren't really

able to visualize what you can actually get for your thrifted dollar.

There are tons of ideas on thrifting out there...

tons of misconceptions...i.e, thrift store items are all junk...

you've heard them all too right?!

Well, with this little segment, my hope is that I can show you what "gems"

you can really find by shopping more "dollar-consciously" and also answer 

as many questions about thrifting that you may have. 

Sometimes all it takes is seeing what you can save...

that's what I hope to inspire you all with!

I will also try and give some pointers that I have found work for me,

and I would love to answer any direct questions you may have, so feel 

free to ask away!!!

 

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 Here are a few things I found recently:

Last weekend I visited a local thrift store (goodwill) and scored these awesome finds!

The grand total was $13 (plus tax)....

Every shopping trip is different...like shopping anywhere else,

you don't always find things you like, clothes that fit nicely, etc. but

this particular trip was great and I walked away with several things I loved!

 this cake stand reminded me of some my mom and grandma had when I was growing up...I couldn't resist...and for the price, I walked away with something that reminded me of my childhood too!

 

 the skirt was a super find...the tags were still attached...I payed about 1/4 of the original cost of the skirt...I'd say that was pretty good!

 

my flats have been in need of replacing...I have really put them through the ringer...so for $3 these barely worn flats are a much needed addition to my wardrobe...!

Here's A Tip!

 make sure when you are shopping for clothes (especially) you check each piece for holes, tears, missing buttons etc....some things are easy to fix if you know how, but it's best to know the actual condition before you buy...so you know what you're dealing with...and you don't waste your money.

I am really excited about this new addition and hope you will too! Don't be shy...ask those questions!!!

I would love to even have some of you guest post with your thrifty finds and tips too! If you'd be interested in guest posting for Thrift{Ed}, click on the "contact" button on the sidebar and shoot me an email!!

Happy Thrifting!

Mountain Air...

this, my friends, is a blast from the past...

this was taken in 2009...before Canaan... when I was still super tiny...

(sniffle) lol

We are headed to the mountains for the weekend!

So, in honor of our little trip, I thought I would share a picture taken during one

of our previous trips to the mountains...

But now I am rethinking this decision...

I am having hair envy...

Anyway, we had a really great time on this trip (above)

and I am excited to go back and do some more sight seeing, shopping

(they have the greatest vintage shops evah!!!), and spend time

with the Mr.'s family!

Oh, and fear not! I will still be posting regularly throughout the trip...so

it will not be silent here!

On the road we go!

Wish us luck...we do have 2 kids under 4...

but they are pretty good passengers ....so far....

Hope I didn't just jinx that....

Have you been on any road trips lately?

The kind of chair you'd smoke a cigar in....

today was one of those days where I could have just curled up in this big chair and read the day away...

I would have loved that.

Save for a few solitary quiet moments during nap time, there was really no chance to do that.

That's really ok, in the grand scheme of things...

Yes, it is true that time for myself is minimal at best, but I have to remember that

these sweet kiddos of mine need me, a lot more than anyone else.

Though time for myself is important too, I have had plenty of years for myself, yes?!

Being present and purposeful in their lives right now is my hope, my ambition...

because we will all benefit from it in the end...

Oh, and this doll of a chair?! Thought, you'd never ask...

This king is one of my recent thrifting scores!

I call him "Chap"

...kinda fits him I think.

Anyway, I bought him for the library/office so I could curl up on rare occasion ( and night time) and read. When I started my hunt for such a chair, I was shocked at some of the prices...

not that I should have been, but that they expected me to pay it...me...me!

Haha... $300 for a chair? It better give me a hug and tell me I'm awesome every time I sit down...or even walk by. A sofa, ok...but a chair mehhhh....nope.

Chap was on the cheap $65 clean and practical dollars... and I appreciated that.

Who'm I kidding...I ran outta that shop like I won the lotto... and wasn't even shy about it.

Then, I crammed him into my trunk and hauled boogie ( like that red neck reference huh) in case there was a catch. We're talking real leather...original, real leather...

and all original hardware...and no tears!!!

He's the kind of chair you almost need to hold a cigar to sit in...

but I don't own any cigars...

nor would I look very good holding one.

Here's to Chap!

...and sweet reminders.... my children are my greatest teachers...

Do you have a favorite chair you like to read in?

Happy Tuesday friends!

Before...and mid-way?!....

It is true I love a deal..I really do not like to pay full price for anything. Yes, I could spend a whole lot of money to make my home look nice, but why would I if I don't have to? So imagine my elation when I found a chandelier at a thrift shop for...yepppp $20 !!!!

As you can see in the below "before" picture, the fixture that was here when we bought the house was sufficient...a perfectly fine fixture, but it was a little small for the space and it was greatly overpowered by our dining table. I knew I needed to get a larger one that had some of the same dark tones as the dining set...but after a few trips to Lowe's, lighting centers, etc.. I realized that it may be a pricey venture that I would eventually take if I had to, but wasn't really willing to do right now.

The other day we decided to head to a local thrift shop and just look around... I headed to the furniture/home goods area a bam! This gem was laying there all by itself...with a pretty little tag telling me the price of my dreams! You betcha.... I ran to get a cart and grab that sucker up before somebody else beat me to it. The Mr. did a great job of hanging the new light and ( as it was missing one piece) I think it looks fantastic!

 this is the "before" picture...

and this is well, the "mid-way" picture... I still need to decorate the room...we did manage to hang some art but... I want to do a large piece of art on the back wall...and add a buffet of some sort to sit below it ... I want to get a couple more chairs for the table...etc, etc,. but I think the chandelier addition has us heading in the right direction! Oh, and that awesome clay vase on the table? yep, that was another awesome thrift find! Maybe I should do this for a living...I kind of dig it.

I cannot decide whether or not to put curtains on the bay window...I kind of hate to because it's so pretty and I don't want to cover it up... it also gives such good light. Well, there are more before and afters where that came from! Stay tuned, I'm going to be blowing this blog up with DIYs and such....

What do you think? should I leave it the way it is? Or add the curtains?

Have you been doing any weekend projects lately?

I'll be back later with I Love Thursday!