Thrift Finds!

My favorite seasons are upon us! Spring and summer make me feel alive again! The weather is warm, there are animals all around, and the flea markets and yard sales are in full swing. I've been going to the flea market every Sunday and have found some great treasures! I only happened to snap photos of a few things, but I am going to make a habit out of photographing them all to share. Here's a few of my favorite finds from the past couple weeks.

 I finally found a diner style vintage table! My mom and I stopped in at a garage sale in our town and were browsing around chatting with the people hosting. They were selling a lot of their great aunt's things after she had passed away. I was carrying around a couple clear glass Pyrex bowls and some vintage deer figurines when I bent down to check out a box of jewelry and I saw it. There was a red metal table hiding under a pile of junk. I took a chance and asked and yes, it was part of the sale. The woman was so nice and told me to offer something very low - they just wanted their great aunts things to go to someone who would appreciate them. I ended up getting the table, two chairs, and the bowls and deer I already had in my hands for $25.00. WHAT. So happy! The wood paneling you see in the photo is actually just contact paper. I tore that off at home to reveal the white metal underneath.

The huge frame was found at my towns recycling center. I've been searching for a huge frame to display all my Postal Pix and this will do the trick perfectly! It used to hold a mirror, but the mirror cracked so someone put it in the free room. I will probably DIY it into something similar to this.

This lamp. I mean, are words needed? I took my cousin to the flea market for the first time and we found this gem. We both love E.T. so I knew one of us was going home with it. My cousin snagged it for $10.00 (without negotiating - she's a bit of a newbie, but it was worth every penny!). This is one of those things that is so ugly it's awesome.

I've been wanting a big furniture-style record player for years! I found this one at a yard sale and got it for $25.00. It's a 1960's Magnavox and it sounds amazing! It's going to live in my mom's living room until we find a house because it's too cool to go into storage. 

And last, this huge screen was found in the dumpster behind my office. We work above a coffee shop and the employees had thrown their garbage in after whoever dumped this beauty so it was stained with coffee grounds but I'm going to replace the fabric and it will be good as new! It's six panels and I can't wait to separate a room with it!

Have you been thrifting, flea marketing, or yard saling this year? I'd love to hear about your treasures!

It's Here! Flea Market Season!

Last weekend was the first of the 2012 Flea Market season (For me, at least. My favorite opened up!). Here are a few of the things i picked up. I stopped at the ATM before we went and took out "too much" money. I ended up leaving with $2.00 in my pocket.

Vintage greeting cards. I went around and around with the guy selling these and eventually we settled on $3 for all of them. 6 in total, but these three are my favorites. How cool is the anniversary one?

Vintage drinking glasses and wooden acorn salt and pepper shakers. E.T. and the salt and pepper shakers were $1! I had a feeling the guy might see the glass as collectible and want some crazy price for it but no haggling was necessary. I mean really, $1 for it all? Works for me. The two pink and purple glasses and the orange one are from the 1950's. The price was originally $2.00 for all three but I ended up getting them plus...

...these amazing iron guys! He wanted $35 for the scary guy and $10 for the pair of mermaids. I ended up talking him down to $35 for all three and the three vintage drinking glasses. I proceeded to brag about how awesome of a haggler i was to anyone that would listen for the rest of the day. The scary face is actually the god of wind (i believe) and is meant to be part of a fountain with the water spouting out of his mouth. I haven't decided what i want to do with him yet but he looks like he belongs in Narnia so i fell in love with him instantly. 

Happy flea market season! I think I may love this part of the year more than Christmas. 

Vintage Aprons & The Girl On Fire

This past week i found a bunch of adorable aprons at a thrift shop! I was so excited! I love aprons and had never found any vintage ones in decent condition. They were $1 a piece but i had a credit because i bought a faulty item a few weeks ago so i got them all for nothing - can't beat that!

I can't choose a favorite, but the pineapple holds a special place in my heart!

Friday night i had tickets to see The Hunger Games with my mom, aunt, and cousin. We got there a half hour early and still ended up sitting only three rows from the front. (I even ended up in the seat against the theater wall...) I went into the theater expecting AMAZING because of all the great reviews i had heard and ended up being just a teensy bit dissapointed. I thought they left out a few small but important details from the book. Even so, the movie was great and we had some great debates on it on the drive home. I'm already making plans to see it again next week so i guess i couldn't have been that disappointed, huh? 

Before we left for the movie I was at my cousin's salon waiting for her to get off work and one of the stylists asked if he could "borrow" my face to practice some makeup styles he'd learned. He wanted to practice a technique with orange and it ended up working out well because it looked like i was attempting to be "the girl on fire". It was far more makeup than i ever wear, but it was fun for a night - even if i was only in a dark theater.

A bit of shocking news for anyone who knows me personally - one of our dogs, Dolce, is a bit overweight after a winter of hibernation so we are trying to walk her as often as possible. I figured it would be a good excuse to get myself in gear for shorts weather so i've taken to walking her in the mornings. I even run with her for a short distance! This is huge for me because i am not in the least bit athletic, have awful strange legs, and asthma - but i'm doing it! 

My "too-early-sunscreen-only" workout face.

My saturday has so far been filled with breakfast buffets with Christopher, my brother, and mom, thrifting for records, lamp lusting at home stores, and two drive bye's to the house that we are looking into. The house is so perfect and i can feel my hopes rising by the moment. I can just tell that this is going to fall through, the perfect houses always do!

 Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!

-Brittany

The Art of Thrifting - Tips

Thrifting is one of my favorite hobbies. Right now, i average in at about five stores a week. After countless stops into stores to browse and relax after a long day of work and almost every weekend dedicated to scouting out the best shops in the state, i've pretty much got the process down pat. So often, people are shocked and ask why they never find great things like i do - especially since many of them shop at the same stores as me. Here are some things i've learned along the way - some things i wish i had figured out long before i did.

• Shop often. You can't pop into your local Goodwill once a month and expect to hit a goldmine of vintage dresses and Pyrex lined shelves! Of course, luck could strike, but the majority of thrifters find their treasures with time. Many trips will end with empty hands. Make a weekend of it, stop in after work, go as often as you can manage!

• Really look. Crouch down and peek at those bottom shelves, sort through stacks of ugly dishes, open up cardboard boxes tucked on the top shelf. Extra tip - browse through the "No Thanks" rack by the dressing rooms. Employees havn't sorted those back to their original spots yet and someone could have tried on and then passed on something great.

• Don't discriminate. Size is nothing but a number. Look in every section, or at least the size up or down from yours as well as your own. Shoppers constantly pull things out, show their friends, and then stick it back on the closest rack so you may find things in your size in other parts of the store. Another reason to check those other sections - vintage! Vintage sizes are so different from modern. Last weekend i found a gorgeous 1970's sundress in with the larges because it was labeled a 10. I usually fit into a size 2-4 and the dress fits me like a glove!

• Be aware of sales. Thrift shops will often have sales to get merchandise moving. My local Goodwill stores have a barb tag of the week. All barbs matching that weeks color are half off. When shopping in the top section of Goodwill, i exclusively look for that weeks color barb. Who wants to pay $4.99 for such a tiny piece of fabric? $2.50, on the other hand, is reasonable. Goodwill also offers discount cards for $10 a year. You get 10% off every purchase. For me, my card payed for itself in one weekend. My local Salvation Army has days where certain store sections are a percentage off - keep an eye out! 

• Dress like a pro. Many thrift stores do not offer dressing rooms to try things on. Even worse, most do not offer a return policy. If they do have dressing rooms, you deal with lines. If you're like me, you will fill your cart to the brim - and who really wants to try on 20 tops inside a cramped dressing room with bad lighting? Dress so that you can easily test things out right on the floor. Leggings, button up sweaters, and slip on shoes are all excellent for a quick try on!

• Don't go in with a list. Of course, everyone has their dream thrift finds. (A cardboard box full of 60's crystal glasses in perfect condition, a designer dress in your size, a vintage couch in that exact shade of aqua!) Thrifting is like treasure hunting, you don't know what you will find. Check every section of the store. This afternoon, i found 7 vintage aprons stuffed into a basket in the lingerie section. Scope out the jewelry counter, the kids section, books, furniture, etc. Keep an open mind!

• Don't go price crazy. Just because those jeans are only $4.99, does not mean you need twelve pairs. If you do it right and shop often, the perfect pair will come your way. Don't lose all your cash just because things are inexpensive. 

• Look for quality. Yes, that designer dress is gorgeous. But, it's stained, torn, and three sizes too big. You do not have to buy it just because you found Coach or Michael Kors at a thrift shop. It's cool, but you will never get use out of it. Snap a photo on your phone for bragging rights and move on. On the other hand, don't be afraid to ask for a discount if you see a stain or tear that you think you can fix. I once found a gold Betsey Johnson dress with a ripped seam and when i asked if i could have it for less, the woman gave it to me! 

• When in doubt, alter. Not every piece is going to fit like it was tailored to your body. If you are in love with the print on a dress but it's too long for your tastes, consider having it altered! This is especially true when shopping for vintage. Clothing styles have changed over the years and dresses down to your shins are not always flattering. A simple alter and you could have the perfect mini dress! 

Has anyone found any good tricks while thrifting? Share away so i can add to own!

A Day off & Some Thrifted Finds

I always have Fridays off from work. But it seems that i'm always going into the office anyway. If they want to pay me for the hours and i have nothing else to do, i may as well right? Well today i decided to really use my Friday off. Except i got a call only a couple hours into it and found out that i had to call in for a conference call that ended up lasting for over and hour and half smack dab in the middle of my day of rest, cleaning, and body maintenance (meaning the face mask, body lotion, and leg shaving that never ends up happening during the week). Even so, i ended up having a decent day off. 

I cleaned up my closet and gathered a bunch of clothes that need to be mended, altered, or button replacements. These are a couple of dresses that i found thrifting recently. The aqua and floral one is a handmade vintage piece that i absolutely fell in love with! The other is a suede-like cut out dress from French Connection. They are both far too big for me - by at least 4 sizes, but they were each $4.99! 

I found this last sculpture thrifting last night after work with my Mom. I passed by it - tried to take it down from the shelf it was on way up above my head and decided not to since it was really heavy. After walking around i decided to go back for it and get some help taking it down. It's odd, but i think it's just weird enough for my tastes. I ended up paying $6.50 for it. It has a name and date scratched into the side  - it was done in 1980. I'm going to do some research and see what else i can find out. 

I got both of these a while back and they've had a main spot in our room ever since. Most things that i pick up end up wrapped in a box within days. Christopher and i are still house hunting and since i've been buying things left and right for "one day", we quickly ran out of room. This painted canister and the set of cat nesting dolls, however were too cute to pack away just yet!

Here's to days off, even though for me they end up boring and lonely far too quickly.

Sunday Thrifting - Clowns & Betsey Johnson

Before i ventured out this past Sunday, i dusted off my tripod and "real" camera and took a few photos in my room.

I love the color of this scarf. $2.00 at JCPenny last Saturday!

Can you spot the hiding bunny?

This is my favorite corner because it is so Christopher and I. the guitars, the globe, and the insane computer/tv set up are his, and the mishmash of dreamcatchers, jewelry, and artwork are mine. Let's play a game, how many more books can we fit on those shelves? I'll give you a hint - none. 

Bo made a guest appearance and hopped onto the stool with me.

As per usual for Sundays, my mom and i went thrifting around the state. My friend Caitlin tagged along and we had a great day. Thrifting is absolutely my favorite thing to do. I crave it during the week and have to do a few quick stops at my local Goodwill on weeknights to tide me over! This past Sunday was mostly uneventful at first. Someone donated their entire clown collection. The photo below is only a couple of the shelves that held them. Super creepy. I also found shelves full of cat figurines and tea pots. Late winter must be the time to donate collections!

At our last stop Caitlin spotted a really pretty long sleeved black lace dress that she said would be a good one for me. I loved it and when i went to check the size...i almost fainted. Betsey Johnson. For $4.99. Needless to say i shrieked, hugged her, then ran off to find my mom and brag a little. It fits like a glove, is in almost perfect condition (there is a small run in the slip under the lace, not a big deal at all), and i believe it was from a line she did in the early 90's. I found a similar dress from her Luxe line going for $140.00 on Etsy!

Now Christopher needs to take me out on the town so i can wear this pretty thing!