Long Distance Thrift Store Purchases!

My sweet daughter in law in Colorado sent me this box of goodies, just jam packed and filled to the brim!

                    

This is what the box was full of!  Can this girl pack a box or what?  There's a little of this, a bit of that and a bunch of everything! 

Here, let me show you around!

Here are some pearls and beads.  Oh, just look at the ribbon - the organza blue ribbon off to the side!  There's also some in some yummy green, yellow and lots of tapestry ribbon!


 Lots and lots and lots of lace!

By the yard and look at the Eyelet Lace with Roosters! Cute, cute, cute!

Kim found the prettiest antique doilies!  Some stitches I've never seen before and all well taken care of!  Very few had stains, and I think I can tea dye them and use them for other items!  Oh ~ I love it!

 
 
 
So much beauty!!  Don't you agree?

 

 

 

 Tons of Ribbons, cording and

Calla Lily's on Ribbons!

And then there's bundles and bundles and bundles of this stuff - paper raffia ribbon - I don't know what to use this for!  Any ideas?  Any of you use it for ?  What???  Let me know, as I have lots of it!!!

Looks like great fun to work with ~ just need to know what, when, where and how?

 
 
Ideas?  Suggestions??  Have you used it yourself?  This is only a small portion of it!
 
 
 
 
Thank you so much Kim!  She is such a sweetie to go out and bargain hunt for me!  All of this cost me what??  A whopping $17 - yep - this gal knows how to shop! 
 
Love you, Sweetie!
 
Thanks for stopping by, I wish you all a wonderful rest of the week!
Blessings,
Donna

Newest Treasure Finds!

On Friday, my friend and I went over to the Goodwill shop here in town.  I found a four, 3 piece settings in Anchor Hocking (sorry I haven't looked it up yet for the name!) in one of my favorite patterns!  I was very excited because I've not seen these particular pieces before.

I love these pieces and already have several sets of snack trays with cups, so to have the luncheon plates with the saucers and cups is great!   One of the plates does have a very small nick - Drummel?

 

Aren't they pretty?  All 12 pieces for $10.25.

This was a great find for me - several months ago I found and bought the big punch bowl, 12 cups, plastic ladle and hangers for $2.  This is the bottom of the punch bowl, turned upside down, it becomes the pedestal, or it can be used like this to hold ice cubes.  This cost me $1.75!

This is a popular piece of the Anchor Hocking and matches the dishes above.  I have 3 or 4 of these relish bowls already.  So I happily added this one!  This tag said "pink" on it and pink happened to be 1/2 price day, so how's $1.12?

Last are these etched cocktail glasses.  6 oz glasses and I was really surprised at this find.  My Sweetie came in to the store, only to make sure I didn't stay in lolly gagging!  He saw these and picked them up, "So what do you think about these?  They look pretty nice to me!"  I took a good look, and realized they were a bit dirty and needed a good cleaning, but a set of six, not one little chip - at $2.25 they were an excellent buy.  They show a ship with the sails down and birds flying their way!

Thanks for taking a peak at my newest treasures!    Hope everyone had a very enjoyable weekend!

Blessings,

Donna

Looking Forward To Good Sales ~ ~

Oh my gosh, just ran my maps and info sheets for tomorrow's outing with my partner in bargaining!  She does all the driving, I do the navigating.  I'm teaching her the art of negotiating, haggling, wheeling and dealing, dickering - good old fashioned bargaining.  My kids tease me, because if there isn't a price on it depending on what it is, I ask Quarter?  Dollar?  And on up, depending on the item!  You wouldn't believe some of the deals I've come home with for practally nothing!

Strangely enough, there are a ton of Estate Sales and Moving/Garage Sales going on this weekend - YEAH!!  Many are starting late tomorrow, 8 am and the Estate Sales at 9 am.  OK with us because it means an extra couple of minutes to sleep and a few extra degrees to warm those sidewalks and driveways.  Nothing worse than icy concrete!

We're really excited because it's been a few weeks because of the holidays.  Stores didn't have much in the way of sales, so that was kind of a bust.  That's one of the things about living in a small town.  But, hey, if that's all there is to complain about, boy - we're doing pretty darn good!  (Doing pretty darn good anyway you look at it!  he he he!)

Wish us luck!  I hope to post lots of goodies here tomorrow evening!  One of the Estate Sales is advertising lots material, laces and such - woo hoo!  Hope there's some there when we arrive!

What ever you are doing this weekend, have fun, be blessed!
Donna

This Weeks Yardsales Find Items for Altered Art Projects

 

It's sometimes slim pickins' for junk jewelery because it's become so popular for altered art, but I did OK this week.  Along with the jewelery, which is hard to see here, there is a watch with a pearlized face, and intact so I can take it apart and use all the pieces!   I picked up a package of clasps, and some vintage lace, still in the package, along with about 10 yards of eyelet lace which went straight to the laundry!  A wooden oval plaque and some latch hook pieces for $1.50 - not bad!

I also scored some antique children's clothing - free - which may end up right in the trash if it doesn't clean up.  It had been stored up in an attic for 80 years and was the ladies mother's items.  Too bad, because they aren't in good condition and the man joked he'd give me $1 to take it!

Little Girls Slip

Baby Bonnets

 

 

Tea Coaster Set

The Tea Coaster Set I think can be salvaged.  The two circles are snapped on and the tea pot part opens up as if it is a light weight cozy.  All are hand sewn and embroidered. 

Crystal Bell

Assorted Cups

Of course, as usual I must pick up some type of glassware I really don't need but seem to want.  Bell was only $1.25, cups for all were about $1.50.  To match the pattern of the bell, I also found a mustard jar.  My friend who goes with me each week saw some snack plates that had a tree motif which resembles an Oak (Paso Robles is Pass of the Oaks) so I bought her the plates, 8 total, but only 4 matching cups.  We joked with all of the cups I've picked up over the years, we're bound to find 4 more to match her second set!  She so good to me, the least I can do is pick up a little something for her now and again.  I'm teaching her how to "Negotiate!"  She's picking up haggling pretty good, but many times she nudge me and say, what do you think - and I negotiate for her.  We have a blast together and that's what really counts!

If anyone has any ideas about how to take the stains out of the old clothing here, please post for me.  I don't want to ruin them further if they can be salvaged!

Thanks for taking a peak, and have a blessed Sunday!  Tomorrow is a day to finish up some altered art!  Yeah!

Blessings,
Donna

New Found Brass Tea Cart

I had the best time this weekend going from garage sale to garage sale with my friend, Annette.  She drives, I navigate.  We usually sleep in a bit and start hitting the sales around 8:30 or so.  We figure, if it's meant for us, it will still be there when we get arrive.  Look at my first buy of the day!

This brass and glass antique tea cart!  When I first asked how much, the wife said it was $25.  We took a better look at it and asked what the best price would be, and the husband said $15!  She was getting a bit angry so I offered $20 and off we went! 

Both the top and bottom shelves have this beautiful edging and the glass is not chipped or cracked.  Of course it needs a good cleaning!

I love the larger wheels in the back of the cart!

It appears to be in pretty good condition.  In addition to a good polishing, it needs to be carefully tightened up.

The seller told me her mother purchased it in an antique store for over $100 several years ago, and that she was sure it was truly an antique.  I'm not sure if mom had recently passed away, or there was an upcoming move, but they were selling a lot of very old items, "cleaning out the basement."

I am not a good judge of this type of antique - brass - any opinions from some of you I know are much more knowledgeable in this area than I am?  I've been looking for a nice cart since we moved here five years ago. If it's not, it won't break my heart, as I love it anyway.  But, I'm curious.  $20 and a little elbow grease will make me happy either way!

Thank you for taking a peak at my newest treasure!
Many blessings,
Donna
 

Great Yardsale Find!

WOW!!  I love to go out early Saturday mornings and see what treasures there might be at Estate and Garage Sales. 

One Saturday this summer I came across a young woman who was selling a ton of Grandma's hand me downs she had no use nor desire to keep.  As I looked through some old coats, picked up old buttons (why do we have to buy those old buttons??) I commented on a beautiful old couch that was definitely from the early 1900's she thought she might sell for $15 dollars.  If I'd had the room for it, I would have bought it - but I don't.  I did let her know it was worth a lot more.  I haven't seen a couch from that era in that great of condition, hand carved wood all along the back, the arms, and the claw feet.  Original fabric that was in quite good condition since it was about 100 years old.  She knew it was worth a lot more, but she'd just picked it up from storage, and needed the money badly. 

Seeing I really liked old treasures, she went back in to the garage and brought this stole out ~ I had already picked up a few things and she was a really nice young woman in a very bad position.  I told her things were temporary and would get better.  She sold this to me for $3 - THREE DOLLARS - and yes, it is real, all hand sewn, and gorgeous condition!  A friend is coming down from San Francisco and will be taking it up to a furrier for an appraisal.  It is beautiful!  She said she wanted it to go to someone who would appreciate it.  So sweet.

I have also been blessed with some beautiful glass pieces, punch bowl sets, snack sets and tea cups this summer.  My buddy and I went out today and only found a bit - I picked up some beautiful glass snack trays. 

Have you been treasure hunting lately?  I'd love to hear about your treasures!

Many blessings, Donna

From Pieces to Night Tables

I love yard sales, Estate sales, barn sales, rummage sales, block or neighborhood sales - I just love going through all of the stuff, junk as some people call it, to find treasures. 

My daughter is an expert at this.  She has a creative streak going through her with a pair of eyes that can find the inner beauty of a piece, or to find something in pieces and see it recycled or re-purposed.  Clean it, paint it, sand it, cut it up and make something else.  She's crazy good!  Amazingly talented.

I also love the hunt, to find something and turn it back into something useful, beautiful.  I've been on the look out for a pair of night tables for our adult guest room.  Not knowing quite the direction of the room yet - it was painted and now after a couple of years, we're not liking the color - so before I make the duvet cover matching the window dressing I've already made, I thought if I found some tables, I might just find a direction.

When I found these two tables a couple of weeks ago, my sweetheart rolled his eyes.  He is not like me - he does not like "used" furniture.  And, he took one look at these and thought I was crazy.  You see, I don't know about you, but I have wip's stashed everywhere!  I'm going to get to them all - as soon as I ...  I know I'm not the only one with projects all over the place!  I loved the dark cherry wood finish and the green marble tops.  When I took a look at them and I knew what had happened to them and just how to fix them.  After negotiating a great price, $15 for both tables, my garage sale buddy and I loaded these babies up and took them home.

Here they are - once I figured out the one table had been put together completely upside down, I removed the legs, turned them over, knocked off all of the pieces of wood from the marble (which had been glued on by guessing where they fit), glued all of the legs on properly, sides on the right way (some were upside down and backward), cleaned the crust of dirt and dust using a bit of elbow grease.  Then applying some good furniture polish and polishing the marble - well, as you can see, my little night tables look pretty darn good!

                                                                                                          
Last winter, my grandson helped me make a king size headboard.  He helped cut the wood, we added a sizable amount of padding for comfort, and covered it in a black suede type material.  It has a very simple curve and will add a lot to the room as well.  So, this time next month, the headboard will be hung (my Colorado Kids are coming out to visit and help with some things around the house) and I'll be on my way to finding the right color to put on the walls.  I think if we simply use a light gray, it will blend the room a bit more and everything will look in place.

This week when my buddy and I hit the sales, I'll be looking for pictures for the walls and a couple of larger lamps!  We'll see what we find!

Have fun with what ever you're working on!
Many blessings,
Donna