The Joy of Treasure Finds by Thrift Shopping

The joy of treasure finds by thrift shopping is practically the theme song of my life. I was recently visiting the blog “The Wicker House” and she had written a post showcasing her treasures from yard sale shopping.  Since I consider myself a Hall-of-Fame-level thrift shopper, I was immediately intrigued and made a beeline to read her post.  And she did not disappoint!  She showed her collection of garage sale treasures and then walked me through her home showcasing how she incorporated everything and how it added to the beauty and enjoyment of her home.

I had honestly been thinking about doing a post along these same lines for quite a while, but I thought it seemed a little self-indulgent.  Interestingly enough, though, when I saw the same kind of post on another blog, I was very interested in reading it.  And I didn’t think she was being self-indulgent in the least.  On the contrary, since I am such an avid fan of thrift shops, estate sales, consignment stores, and yard sales, I was very interested in what she had to share.

And so, I present to you the joy of treasure finds by thrift shopping!  Where to begin…how about the kitchen?

These 3 vegetable plaques.  My niece swoons over these every time she comes over.  I love them too – I think they have a timeless and unique quality to them.

On the walls,  these 3 rooster plates. Who am I kidding?  Rooster anything grabs my fancy!  I especially like these because of the black & white pattern around the edge.  And these roosters are proud of themselves, not silly or whimsical in any way.

My collection of hen and rooster sets…

More roosters…..!  I featured these two in my Early Winter Living Room.  For a long time, I held back from letting the roosters out of the kitchen to roam the rest of the house.  But I couldn’t help myself when I saw how their colors and patterns just punched up the cozy factor in my winter living room.

On to the white pitchers in the hutch.

And in the display case in the living room.

Also on the shelf unit in our entryway.

Marian Parsons of Miss Mustard Seed is to blame for all of this.  She introduced me to ironstone with her posts about her ironstone plates, pitchers, bowls, serving dishes…you get the picture.

I knew without a doubt I would not be tripping over ironstone anything in the thrift stores of Southern California. So I settled for collecting white pitchers.  And I have clearly gone off the rails.  In the early years of my collecting, I grabbed anything and everything that looked like a white pitcher.  (My white pitcher collection is a combination of Home Goods, thrift shops and garage sales.) When I (finally) realized I actually have a rather robust collection, I became more selective and only bought white pitchers that spoke to me.  I also began editing out any pitchers I do not truly find beautiful.

And surprisingly, I recently found an ironstone pitcher. In a consignment store. And it wasn’t even expensive.  No one is more shocked than I am! (It’s the little pitcher in the center.)

A couch.  Actually, a love seat.  But still…I bought a couch at a consignment store.  I wrote an entire post about it here.  It is the focal point of the little ‘she cave’ I share with my cat, Lucy.  She snoozes on the love seat all day.  And then we watch HGTV My Lottery Dream Home on Friday nights together!

When I bought the love seat I mentioned above, I realized that blue and white porcelain pieces mixed into the bookshelf in my ‘she cave’ would be very pretty and complementary to the blue and white love seat.  And I am very proud to say this collection is one 100% thrift store finds.

 

This fun little wine bottle carrier is filled with wine corks…..

 

 

 

 

…except when it’s filled with miniature pumpkins

 

I had to rescue this mini-wicker ‘Bombay Chest’ from its previous life.  Apparently it had been contrived into a Christmas decoration with some greenery and a fabric ornament.  As soon as I got it home I ripped out all frou-frou and the ridiculous amount of Styrofoam that held it all together.  I love the beautiful detail, texture, and color.  And it’s quite petite – works perfectly on the window counters in the living room.

 

I have two of these French flower buckets, both from garage sales, and use them all the time!

When I saw this birdcage, I literally walked right past it. The original finish was an unholy mess.  But when I realized a can of spray paint would make that all go away, it came home with me.  Here is the post about its revitalization!

 

I did not walk past this corner shelf unit. I stopped in my tracks.  Instant love, in a style that works perfectly in my home.  My brain said, “no, you need to stop buying things”.  My purse said, “that’s a ridiculous price for it”.  Nonetheless, I found myself at the cash register, handing over $15 LESS than what the price tag said.  I did not question the decrease in price.  I paid it and ran out the door, fearing they would change their mind! Happily, it folds up and takes up very little space.  I know I will be using it in the future, and it will make a big contribution, in its own little way.

 

 

This basket, which I initially walked past but backtracked for.  It is truly unique, and wish I could find ways to use it more often.

I also find lots of little support items; finials, corbels, wood bobbins, wire baskets, lanterns, candleholders.  And exercise DVDs!  At $3 apiece, it’s not a big deal if I do not care for the workout.  I have bought several over the years, tried them once, decide it’s not a good work-out for me, and I re-donate it back to the same thrift shop.  But many have been keepers!

Admittedly, these too-tall topiaries are a tad dramatic!  But a little drama, once in a while, is a good thing!  You can usually find these two flanking the window in my ‘she cave’, along with the blue and white pottery.

But since the combined area of our living room and dining area is just one long stretch, I sometimes put these on the dining room table. Adding height to the dining room helps keep it proportional and balanced.

Craig’s List counts as thrifting too.  When I turned my mother’s bedroom into an office, finding a writing table became a priority.  Craig’s List came through with this desk.  Looking back I think I paid too much for it. But since I use it every single day, I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of it.  (See that post here!)

Speaking of Craig’s List, that’s where I found this beauty.  And it was money WELL spent. The owner was sad to let her go;  it would not fit into her new home.  I assured her I would love her bakers rack no less than she did!

I adore baker’s racks; pure & simple.  I have three, and only because I have no more room in my house for another one.  Or so Sailor says.

Thank you for reading what feels like a very self-indulgent post.  If you haven’t started thrifting yet, then don’t.   It can become an obsession, in the best sense of the word. Actually… just go ahead! The hunt is the fun part.  The finding is just sweet joy.  And to help you launch your thrift shopping career, this post will help you get started:  7 Tips for Successful Thrift Shopping.

From our home to yours!
Kristine

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