Goodwill Hunting Roundup

It's about that time to show off my Goodwill/Flea Market finds.

Goodwill:

I couldn't even believe my eyes when I saw these 2 shelves...

They were in perfect condition. The detail and quality of these shelves looked as if they had never been used.

These are Pottery Barn shelves, currently for sale in the store for $65 a piece and I paid $14 for both of them {$6.99 a piece}. That's a difference of $116. I couldn't believe my luck. It was as if they were waiting there just for me!

I will be getting my own little crafting nook, with custom table my talented husband is making me. I've been looking for white cups or containers to put things like pins or buttons. When I saw this white sugar bowl {?} I thought it was perfect.

When I got it home and removed the $1.99 price tag I realized, I just bought my first Mikasa.

I also picked up a green candy dish, for .99 cents, and threw some of my sparkly bracelets in there. Why not have them out to admire, right?

For .99 cents, I couldn't pass up this adorable tin pencil case.

It came from a Container Store in the UK and ended up in my Goodwill. That, of course, added to the appeal. Grace is currently using it to store her paint brushes.

That wasn't the only thing Grace got...

She also got an Old Navy brown polka dot fleece vest for $2.99. Perfect for a crisp fall day.

Admittedly an unnecessary second picture of the vest...I just couldn't resist adding this picture.

I even got a little something for Superman. If you didn't already know, clearance merchandise that doesn't sell from Target is donated to Goodwill. This Superman tee shirt was brand new {originally sold by Target}, tags still attached. It was only $2.99 and made for a quick and easy costume.

Another Goodwill tip. Halloween is their biggest holiday. All their stores are festively decorated and loaded with donated Halloween costumes and decorations {some brand new} for a fraction of their retail price. Next year, check them out for your Halloween costumes.

Flea Market Finds:

Both of these small wooden bird cages were a deal for $8 total.

One of my husband's finds...

What you might ask is this? A pulley. My husband called it an architectural pulley, perhaps that's just a way to make me feel better about adding more rustic wood objects to our growing collection of wood stuff. He has already started sanding in efforts to refinish it so maybe they'll be more pictures of this "architectural" pulley in the future.

I guess I can't complain too much about our {his} growing collection of rustic wood objects because I was tempted again with another kitchen scale. We stole this away for $18.

I love the teal blue color. I will be leaving this untouched, rust spots and all. Something about it just makes me happy. So now, I have 2 kitchen scales. I think, technically, you don't have a collection until you have at least 3 of something so I'll have to avoid any temptation about adding another scale to the mix.

What good deals have you found lately?

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!