My Sunshine Away

After setting up a photo of my most recent read, I decided why not actually make a blog post. I know I usually post multiple things at once, but this is better than nothing, right?

I already posted about the brass deer here, but I thought they framed the book nicely!

This is another book I got from McKay's in Manassas, VA. I usually do a little research, but this one I bought on more of a whim. The plot summary was intriguing and (dare I say it) I liked the cover art.

Turns out, I enjoyed the story! Sort of a YA, mystery, coming of age combo. Glad I picked this one up!

Happy Thrifting!

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Valentine Weekend

Over Valentine's Day weekend, Ed and I did what we do best - thrifty adventures.

Our day started at Salvation Army in Manassas, VA. This was our first visit to this particular location, and I'm glad we finally went. (I'm not sure what took us so long! Salvation Army is my favorite thrift store chain.)

This was my first purchase of the day. As we were perusing the knick-knacks I spotted this tree mug. I love nature and hiking, and I had never seen a mug like this one before! I'm very particular about the mugs I buy - I have to be - since I already have so many. But I didn't even have to question this one. It was mine as soon as I picked it up.

I have been on a hunt for short sleeved boy's button ups for a while. I check most times we stop at a thrift store, but usually I have better clothing luck at Salvation Army. And not surprisingly, that's where I finally found one! I was expecting to buy a plaid one (I would still like to) but this curious pattern caught my eye. I held it up and thought, "I could wear this". Of course I had to try it on first, but it fit and I already wore it out!

After Salvation Army, we went to our favorite used book store, McKay's, where I spent the $10 my grandmother sent me for Valentine's Day :)

This was easy to do since McKay's is packed with books! But look what $10 got me - 8 books! I can't tell you enough how great this used book store is. We spent a long time in there. Usually I take pictures of books I'm curious about and research them later. Then the next time we go there, I check to see if those are still on the shelves (and buy them if they are). That way I don't totally splurge every single time. 

So a quick rundown:

Two of these books I had previously researched.

Four of them I bought on the spot.

And two are part of a series I already started.*

I haven't read any of these yet, but I'm currently in the middle of The Book of Lost Things (which I thrifted from Goodwill).

Happy Thrifting!
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*If you are ever curious about the books I've read, you can find me on Goodreads!

Wildwood

My husband and I recently discovered our new favorite used book store: McKay Used Books in Manassas, Virginia. As we were getting acclimated to the area, he just searched for used book stores while looking up thrift stores near us. But when we pulled up to this place, we were floored! It's huge! And not only does it have rows upon rows of used books, it also has board games, video games, and music as well. Needless to say, we've already been back a second time and plan to make a habit of it.

I picked up Wildwood by Colin Meloy on our second time around. I didn't know anything about it, but the description on the back of the book sold me almost immediately.

"Prue McKeel's life is ordinary. That is, until her brother is abducted by a murder of crows and taken to the Impassable Wilderness, a dense, tangled forest on the edge of Portland. No one's ever gone in - or at least returned to tell of it.
   So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval - a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood."

I just love fantastical adventures - the description sort of reminded me of The Chronicles of Narnia - and the illustrations were beautiful!

And the uncut pages are a cute little detail.

I totally forgot to take photos of the inside of the book until I was just writing up this post, so excuse the major change in lighting! It works for me though, because I'm always reading by lamplight anyway ;)

The illustrations within the book were a lovely surprise! I was definitely a little obsessed with them. They're so cute! (And they're by Carson Ellis)

I recently finished the book, and while it wasn't my favorite I definitely enjoyed it! Absolutely worth the price I paid for it. Did I mention everything is priced very reasonably in this store?

Happy Thrifting!

x

Rainy Weekend

A couple weekends ago, we got up early on a rainy day and hit some thrift stores. We grabbed a few things that day, including these two from Goodwill. (I'll make a separate post about the other items later.)

And when the cashier rang me up, it was less than expected - an even bigger win!

We used to live near Lake Tahoe, so I thought this mug was appropriate. It's such a beautiful area!

I also love the speckled inside of the mug. It's the perfect size for a small cup of tea or coffee. 

I don't remember the last time I bought a new book. I scanned the books, not expecting to find anything, but I spotted this one right before we left that section. I was intrigued, so I texted my friend Michallynn to check the rating of it on Goodreads (I don't have a smartphone). I usually just buy ones that pique my interest, but this one was a little more than I usually spend so I wanted to make sure it had a good rating (it did).

I also didn't want to fall victim to judging a book by its cover - look at that artwork!! I love it. Hopefully I love the book as much once I pick it up to read.

Happy Thrifting!

x

Antique Trove Sale

Last weekend, Ed and I busied ourselves with lots of thrifting adventures. It started out by just being a morning of estate sales - but after seeing signs for yard sales, stopping at the thrift store, and then seeing a huge red SALE sign at the Antique Trove - it turned into much more of an adventure. Add some Mexican food into the mix and fireworks at the end of the day, and you've got one amazing Saturday.

We didn't find much all day until we got to the Antique Trove. We were actually on our way home, but that sale sign caught my eye and we turned around.

We picked up a few treasures - all of which matched well for a little blog photoshoot. 

When Ed picked this one up to check the price, we double and triple checked it. It was the cheapest thing we ever found at the trove! Obviously he already liked it, so that sealed the deal. A great find!

1. We love globes/maps. 2. We love books. 3. We love secret hiding places. This couldn't be more perfect for us. It's in great condition, too!

I found the perfect addition to my brass animal collection!! These are just so cute. I found them right before we were about to check out and I'm so happy I spotted them. 

It usually ends up that you find the coolest stuff when you didn't plan on shopping in the first place!

Happy Thrifting!

x

Under $20

A few weeks ago, I went on a spontaneous thrifting trip with my friend Suzy. We got brunch at a diner and both had a free day so we drove to Quakertown to check out a couple thrift stores.

... little did I know I'd end up with so much stuff! The funniest part of this, is that it was right before it was time for me to pack up all my belongings to travel across the country. I'm trying to downsize.. but I couldn't help it! I found so many good things for really cheap!

This was the first shirt I saw when we walked in the store. I immediately wanted it, but didn't think it would fit. Surprise! It fit perfectly with some high-waisted jeans. Score.

This one was a classic. I wear a lot of black, and foxes are awesome - done.

And who would ever question this shirt? Bonus, it glows in the dark. All three of these shirts were from Salvation Army in Quakertown, PA.

It's been a while since I bought any new (old) books. And of course I chose the time I'm trying to downsize to buy a whole pile. I never read any of these, and most of them I've been curious about for a while, so I just thought "let's do this," and got them all.

I'm always on a hunt for new pyrex dishes on the cheap. I noticed the kitchen stuff was all half off right before we left the store and nabbed this one, lid and all.

Speaking of half off kitchen stuff - I got this glass for a quarter. My mom called me a glass homewrecker because I take one instead of a whole set.. I call it ending up with less stuff. The glass, dish, and books are all from Liberty Thrift in Quakertown, PA.

All of this stuff came out to be less than $20! Why would I not thrift?

Happy Thrifting!

x

$2 Box

On our way to our 4th and 5th destinations on Saturday, Ed spotted a church community yard sale in a field off the highway. We made a detour and headed straight for it (obviously). As we walked closer to the crowd of people and junk, a volunteer told us that we could fill a box, any size box, for $5. Needless to say, we grabbed the biggest/sturdiest box we could find and got to pickin'. (And boy, was it hot out.)

As you can see, it was the end of the sale, and everything was strewn about. We were literally looking through piles of stuff. Lots of things were broken - it was basically all the leftovers from the day.

So what's in the box?

A thousand piece puzzle, a pack of 10 animal puzzles, two books (Bad Idea and The Templar Salvation), a wooden bowl, two plates, John Denver's Greatest Hits, three rectangle photo frames, and one oval photo frame.

And when we got in line to pay, they only charged us $2. Score!

Happy Thrifting!

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