Goodwill Hunting Roundup

In efforts to inspire you to check out your local flea market or thrift store, or encourage you to keep going back, I wanted to share some of what I found in the past 30 days.

My flea market finds from the past 30 days.

At the exact same moment in time, my husband and I both caught sight of this large wooden airplane propeller. It was one of those love at first sight moments. Not having to negotiate to hard, we were able to purchase this propeller for $20. It now sits on top of a collection of travel books I picked up from Goodwill.

You may notice a trend, we also bought a silver model airplane for $10. I love that the propeller and wheels spin.

Our collection of letterpress block letters is rapidly growing. My eye is always drawn to booths that sell them. The countless booths I've seen letterpress letters, I have never seen a roller before. I asked the owner of the booth how much for the roller. When she responded $9 for the bowl, all the letters and the roller, I couldn't believe it. I've paid $5 for one letter before and this bowl was filled with letters and a few numbers.

So for $9, I didn't feel bad getting rid of the bowl and using a round glass vase I already had.

Where I am always drawn to letters, my husband likes to look at the old tools. When he gets sucked into an old tool booth, I usually roam BUT when he found this vintage folding ruler and negotiated $8 for it, I had to agree it was kind of cool. It helps that I recently saw these rulers used as wall decorations on the Land of Nod's blog.

I have been actively looking for wooden Scrabble tiles. I have seen so many cool projects using Scrabble tiles BUT it seems like everyone else has as well because I never find the wooden version...until recently. I guess you only need to find it once, right? This was another time, when I asked how much for the tiles and I was told I could have the tiles and the bottle for $11, I could not walk away or negotiate on the price.

Moving on to my Goodwill Finds from the past 30 days.

Though not the wooden tiles I was looking for, when I saw this travel Scrabble apple for .49 cents, I decided to get it for Grace. It was too cute to pass up. If you haven't noticed, I heart fake food so Scrabble in apple form spoke to me.

One of my favorite memories, from my childhood, was packing a picnic, sitting courtside with my sister, watching my parents play tennis. Selfishly, when I saw this picnic basket for $1.99, I wanted Grace to have it, hoping she could use it and create her own happy memories.

I've already taken Grace on a picnic, putting our *er, I mean her* new basket to use.

For .99 cents each, $3 total, I knew these flower hooks were too good to pass up. Two of the hooks were from Land of Nod and are still currently for sale in the store for $12.95 a piece.

Not a favorite of my husband's BUT what I am sure would have the potential to wow Nate Berkus, I found a few lamps. I am sure with the right shades, they will be amazing.

I got this lamp for $3.99.

And these 2 lamps were $2.99 each, $6 total.

You never know what treasures you'll find or what memories they'll stir up. Happy Shopping!

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

I have no doubts that I may be among the last to hear about Habitat for Humanity's Restore.

ReStores recycle used and surplus household and construction materials donated by individuals, contractors and wholesale stores at a steal of a deal. Some items are brand new, others gently used. Because they rely on donations, new items consistently rotate into their inventory. You never know what deals you might stumble across.

I wasted no time planning my first visit, when I realized what I potentially could be missing out on. Be warned, they have limited hours. So make sure to check the hours of operation before you head out.

Being an avid DIYer, from the second I walked in the door to the second I left I was at the same time kicking myself for not having found this store earlier and fascinated by the array of things they had for sale.

There were stacks of lumber ranging in price from between .10 and .30 cents per linear foot. Lumber is an expense that has no draw for me since it's not something, when your project is completed, that is seen. For such an unexciting purchase, it always seems to take up a majority of my budget. With that being said, to now know I have found a place to save money on lumber makes it a more tolerable expense.

In addition to lumber they also had a large variety of hardwood for $1 a linear foot.

I was impressed with not only the amount of doors but the different styles of doors available. The doors ranged in price from $5 to $25. They also had a section of French doors, sliding doors, screen doors, door knobs and windows.

This beautiful claw foot bathtub, including faucet was $700. It was in beyond amazing.

I fell in love with this vanity. We put something very similar in one of our bathrooms. This one was only $110.

I think pedestal sinks have a very clean and classic look and for $30 how can you pass that up?

They even had toilets. Most were $25.

There were kitchen cabinets that ranged from full sets to individuals cabinets. While I was there, someone bought a full set of cabinets for $700. This was my favorite.

There was also a lighting section. Some fixtures may have seemed a little dated but with all the DIYers and spectacular before and afters, I am sure even a dated fixture has potential to be spectacular.

Some other things they had, that I didn't think to take pictures of, are furniture {sofas, dining room tables and chairs, entertainment centers, desks}, appliances {again, some new and some gently used}, tools, boxes of tile, tubes of chaulk for a $1, cans of paint ranging from $2-$10 and stain.

Even though, I have no projects on the immediate horizon, I still left making a purchase. I bought an unused gallon of Martha Stewart's primer and sealer for $10.

It didn't take long for me to find a purpose and put it to use {but that will have to wait for another post}!

Hopefully you can find a ReStore near you. You never know what you might stumble across and all the proceeds go right back to Habitat for Humanity. That's a win-win in my book.

I do love to shop

Like most women, I like to shop but it isn't traditional stores that intrigue me. I love wandering around flea markets and thrift stores. I think it brings out the hunter in me. I love scouring through boxes of stuff, unearthing a hidden gem, finding a bargain or revealing in the history of the piece. You never know what you'll find and I think that is part of the appeal.

When I first started going to flea markets, and thrift stores for that matter, it was a little overwhelming. There is so much to look at and I had an uneducated eye. Some tables have nice arrangements and are visually appealing, immediately drawing you in. Other tables may have a junk yard feel to them with have boxes on top of boxes. If you take the time to look around you never know what you'll stumble across.

There are so many wonderful blogs out there that have taught me how to hone in on what could be a 'gem' just by having an open mind, thinking outside of the box and having a little bit of a vision.

You may even be surprised to find something from your own childhood that might bring a smile to your face.

When going to flea markets or thrift stores, go with an open mind. There is no rhyme or reason to what you'll find from visit to visit. You might find something that just needs a good cleaning or maybe needs a fresh coat of paint to take on a completely different look.

The more you go, the more you'll hone in on things that interest you. After watching the Novogratz and their eclectic design style, I am drawn to letters big or small. I love to look through prints of vintage maps or botanical prints. I have recently been drawn to kitchen scales and vintage fans.

This past visit, having gone with an open mind, my purchases surprised even me. I found a botanical print for $1, which I can't wait to hang in my kitchen. I bought a vintage handkerchief. I love giving these as bridal shower gifts, embroidering the bride's new initials and wedding date onto the handkerchief. It can be the something old or even something new. I also stumbled across full skeins of yarn for .50 cents. My favorite find was a set of 1950s children's ice cream chairs for $30.

The chairs needed a good scrubbing and a new coat of white paint on the metal frames. They were just too cute to pass up. I can't wait to set up an ice cream shoppe for Grace.

I hope you feel inspired to head to a thrift store or check out flea markets in your area. You never know what one of kind thing you might find. Happy shopping!