Joy is Thrifting

I don't have any new photos, but upon cleaning out my computer I've discovered a few series of photos I had previously taken for this blog (and never got to posting).

Unfortunately it's been so long since I got these items that I'm not 100% positive where they're all from anymore, but I will do my best!

If I remember correctly, this one comes from the Salt Mine Thrift Shop in Lincoln, CA (I'm totally guessing right now). There was usually a shelving unit with items like this lined up like books that I loved sifting through. The cool part about this particular item is that my birthday is actually in June :)

I believe I got this ship tile from a yard sale. I haven't added this one to my wall since the color is a bit brighter, but I'll find a spot for it one day!

I got this at a church yard sale/carnival in New Jersey with a few of my friends from college (awesome, right?!) It was one of those "fill a box or bag for a set price" kind of deals. We laughed at the quote on the bottom but for some reason I just really wanted this haha.

Happy Thrifting!

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My Wall: Part 2 & 3

Once upon a time, I wrote up a post about my wall. And since that post, we've moved a few times. I've since set up my wall twice - two different ways.

If you're just catching up now, I'll do a little recap:

I have a collection of hanging wall decorations that I like to hang all together. I just love the look of having a collage of semi-matching things up on the wall. A lot of these end up being owls or nautical themed, but it can really be anything as long as it looks nice together.

This is the current setup of my wall. It's in our living room above the couch. I stopped hanging stuff as it reached a closed shape. I have more items that I might add eventually, but I will only do so if it doesn't look unfinished at the end. That was what I didn't like about the original spot - it never looked finished.

This was at one of our previous apartments - in the bedroom. (Low quality photo, taken on my iPod touch.) I noticed this open wall space above the closet doors and thought it would be perfect for my decorations. I love how it turned out up there. As you can see I have a lot more of them hanging in this space.

So far, in each apartment I've set up my stuff in a different spot. First the den, then the bedroom, and now the living room. Who knows where it'll be once we have a house of our own!

I normally mention where everything was from, but I have smaller posts for the individual items, some of which I've posted and some I have yet to photograph. Everything was thrifted, though!

Happy Thrifting!

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Puzzle Feature #3

It's been a while since I showed you some thrifted (and completed) puzzles!

A while back we picked up a box full of assorted animal puzzles. Here's the first bunch that we completed.

My usual OCD setup.

This one took a whiiiile. We usually stick to 500 pieces, but this one was 1000.

Just some little animal cuties to brighten your day, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Thrifting!

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Hex Signs

I am a huge fan of Pennsylvania Dutch Folk art. I grew up in a rural area of Pennsylvania and used to see hex signs on barns and in my own family's houses. I was always a bit more intrigued by it since it's also my heritage. Over the years I would look at the art at different festivals and in library books, and I'd end up getting little knickknacks with the art on them. However, I never had an actual hex sign until my friend Catie got me 4 of them as a gift.

As far as I remember, she told me they were from a yard sale (I've since acquired more of a collection, but a lot of them are from my mom who bought them in a store in Lancaster County).

Each sign has a meaning behind it, but the general theme is for good luck.

Most of them are by the artist Jacob Zook. And as with any collection, I'm always on the lookout for more and different ones I haven't seen before!

Happy Thrifting!

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Bronze Egypt

I bought knickknacks way back before I had a place of my own. I'd display my little finds all over my childhood bedroom (and let me tell you, it's a sight to be seen). So, when I eventually moved out I decided to take some things I still liked and leave the rest.

I figured something like this could definitely come in handy. We have been using it just for a place to put odds and ends, but eventually I'd like it to have a real purpose.

And of course I wasn't going to leave these Nefertiti bookends at home! I still think they're cool. It could have something to do with the fact that I still love the movie The Mummy. Plus Egyptian stuff is cool - Ed and I went to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose over the summer! I got a little excited when I saw a Nefertiti bust there:

So back on track - I got all of the above thrifted items from the Saylorsburg Flea Market sometime during my high school years. I've been meaning to go back ever since, but I just haven't gone that way! One of these days...

Happy Thrifting!

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Little Owls and Pressed Flowers

While deconstructing my wall, I decided to pair these 3 small ones together to show you.

Cute little owls in trees seem to be a theme here!

I hate to say that once again I don't remember where I got this. I'm thinking it was half-off day at the Roseville Hospice Thrift Store, but I can't quite be sure. I always love seeing pressed flowers/plants. I even started a collection of my own once (I still have it/actively press flowers), but I never follow through with doing anything to the ones I press! Maybe I will one day, but until then I will admire and purchase old ones.

These owls come from a community church yard sale a few years back. I just thought it was simple and cute - and well.. I like owls!

I got this in my high school yard-saling days. There are a loooot of things from those days that I look at now thinking "why did I buy that?" but I still think this tile is cute. I recently found out my friend Amber has a little decoration of the same exact thing, but in ceramic form! I just thought that was so neat. Same design and everything but in 3D.

Now you can see not everything I decorate with is brown - although I will admit, most of it is in my "wall" collection.

Happy Thrifting!

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Pyrex Dishes

My mom and I had a conversation last night about Pyrex dishes, so I thought it would be fitting to do a little post about my own.

I love the little glass storage containers that you can use for your leftovers. They're super cute and come in all types of patterns! I see them at antique stores all the time, however I only have a few because I try to find them as cheap as possible. (They are usually rather pricey at antique stores, in my opinion.)

I got this one at an antique store in Bellefonte, PA. The seller was having a sale (20% off or something of the sort), and it was my first pyrex purchase. I felt like such an adult because I was actually buying kitchen items for my new studio apartment (plus, how cute?!). I treasured this one from the very beginning.

I found this one at a yard sale for 50 cents - a steal!!! Now THAT'S what I'm talking about. I just love the thrifting hunt, and finding hidden treasure like this, when people just want to get rid of their things for pocket change. This one made me very happy, and I love using it - that handle comes in very handy.

It's absolutely killing me that I can't remember where I found this one. I almost always remember where I find stuff because it's such a little adventure. I think I must have gotten it at a thrift store. That would explain why I can't remember (I hope!). Anyway, this one is perfect when the other two are a tad too small (those two hold the same amount as each other). Plus that design reminds me of PA Dutch art, so obviously it caught my eye.

The hunt is still (and always will be) on. I always check the prices on these babies, but rarely pick any up. This also comes from a realization that we don't technically neeeeed more of these at the moment. However I think they're darling, and much better than plastic containers. Until next time...

Happy Thrifting!

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A Ship, A Deer, And A Mustached Man

Here are a few things from my wall that I put together for no particular reason (other than I liked how they looked as a group).

That mustached man was the one thing missing that I pointed out from this post.

I picked up this little guy from a community church yard sale a few years ago. I just thought he was so silly with that hair/mustache/hat! I kept him in storage until we had moved into our place in CA, and then I found he fit in quite perfectly with the collection on my wall. Thankfully he didn't break when he took a tumble!

This deer comes from the Salvation Army in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Just a random trip I took one day and I stumbled across it in the very sparse photo/wall decoration section. The stickers peeled a bit of the paper off, but that adds to the second-hand nature. (Why do they always put stickers ON photos rather than on the backs??)

I got this ship at a yard sale - out of a box of photo frames and the like. I grabbed some frames as well (featured in this post). They were all a quarter each. Definite score.

Happy Thrifting!

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Yard Sales 6/8/13

Last Saturday, we decided to get up early and hit the yard sales. We checked craigslist and saw there were a lot in our area, so we made a list the night before.

We got up and didn't even stop to have breakfast. And it's a good thing we left early, because the temperature went into the triple digits that afternoon! So by the time we got home, it was already really hot (and most people were giving up for the day).

This was the first thing we picked up. It was bundled with another item (which I'll get to) so it ended up being free. That's something I can't argue with!

This camera came from the same yard sale. I'm not sure if it works yet, but look at this complete set of items!  The camera (of course), flash, three extra lenses, two extra lens caps, an unused roll of film, instructions, and bag. I don't even care if it doesn't work, this one's a beaut! I love those old school camera straps.

This Pabst Blue Ribbon neon sign comes from a different yard sale. The woman actually gave it to us for free once she saw we were interested in it. It's broken, and she said she'll never get to fixing it. We're going to have to look into places to get it fixed because this thing is awesome.

As you can see, top/middle part is what doesn't light up. (Not the best photo, apologies.)

Happy Thrifting!
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