Recently, my friend and I stumbled upon Ocean Beach and a nice, big antique store. We were driving along in my ‘72 Super Beetle and both saw the sign at the same time. In the blink of an eye, I’d whipped that bug around and swung into a parking spot! We spent almost two hours rummaging through everything there was to see.

While I saw MANY items I wanted to take home with me, I settled on these two. I’d been looking for an old scale for some time. I really liked this one when I saw it. It was right around $20 which is more than I normally spend on thrift items, but I didn’t feel it was too terribly high.

I also couldn’t resist this little Bisquick recipe box with the recipes! It was around the $15 range. Definitely more than I wanted to spend on it, but as I already stated, I couldn’t resist.

Love the colors and the old recipe cards. Makes me wonder who made all those dishes and for what occasions. I’m sure I can find them all online today, but there is something special about holding a recipe card and knowing someone (or more than one someone) has held it before you. I love that.

Hope to have more goodies to share with you next week!

Theme for today is blue. Recently, we visited family in El Paso, and hit up a couple thrift stores. One of my favorite items I brought home is this lovely lamp. I believe it was $6, but now I’m on the lookout for the perfect shade to compliment it. Any suggestions? I’m thinking something more rectangular might be nice with the detail on the lamp. For now, I may just rip out the rusted old lighting and use it as a nice decor piece.

Another absolute favorite item I brought home is this lovely ceramic pitcher my mother-in-”love” gave me. I was admiring it during one of our many late night talks, and before I knew it she’d given it to me! So sweet of her. She picked this up when she was 19, I believe, while living in Florida. This will make a lovely container for displaying flowers or using as a pitcher. Love it!

Foodie Friday is tomorrow. Is your mouth watering yet?

My most recent thrift score is this lovely Dansk Kobenstyle Vintage Enamelware Pot in red.
I paid $4 for this little beauty. While it’s in poor condition to use for cooking, it’s perfect for
display and even to use for storage of some sort. I seem to always have lots of small items
floating around that could use a pretty little home like this.

Does you have any tips for cleaning up the inside of the pot? Is there some way to
restore it?

If you’d like more information on this style of vintage enamelware, check out this post over
at The Kitchn.

Tomorrow is Foodie Friday and it’s going to be a good one!

Yesterday, our local thrift shop had a 50% off sale on EVERYTHING. I snagged this pot for about 80 cents. I have a fondness for these colored pots. Currently, I’m using one as a hanging planter seen here. Typically, you’ll find them in bad condition for cooking, but they make wonderful holders and containers for other things! And, I don’t mind the “worn” look at all. It adds a bit of character.

Here, I’ve taken an item otherwise destined for doom and repurposed it into a lovely fruit bowl for our kitchen. Simply remove the handle, and give it a good scrub in hot soapy water. Rocket science? No. Instant cheer added to kitchen? Yes! Who says you can’t buy anything for a buck these days?

Tune in tomorrow for Where We Live Wednesday!

I am a sucker for a lovely, useful vessel. Whether it be glass, metal or any other material, I have a very hard time refusing it. And, around $1-$2  a pop (some as low as .69 cents!), I certainly can’t turn that kind of a deal down! I splurged a little on the white tea tin I found on Etsy ($6). But, it was totally worth it!

I’ve decided to share some of my favorite pieces that I’ve accumulated over the last 6-8 months or so. I find these jars and tins so useful around the kitchen as well as the rest of the home. The glass flip top jars are perfect for food storage. I like to keep my nuts, seeds, snacks, dog treat, and baking items in them. Everything looks much prettier in a glass jar! These metal tins I typically use to contain my numerous teas. However, I have also been know to empty a few containers out and use them at a Craft Show as seen in this post.

The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

The past couple of weeks my favorite thrift store has been very good to me. Take a look at some of the steals we snagged. Some of these we will be revamping, just not sure how yet. Any ideas? 

Chair on the left is the new addition. Only $7! And surprisingly comfortable!
*side note: Dustin snagged chair on right for $4 back in August. 
Oh, and the ashtray was $6 purchased a few months back.
 

I love this piece. It needs some TLC but I’m loving the look of this old nightstand.
I already replaced the bent up drawer pull with one I had lying around from IKEA.
Not sure if I want to paint it white or maybe try to clean up the existing finish.

Bonsai liked it too!!

We’ve been needing a file cabinet for quite some time.
When we came across this one, we knew it was the one… and for $7.50!
Who could resist?
 

Dustin spotted this piece, and I fell in love with this old kitchen cart
complete with a dish towel bar in the back.
Downside, you can’t tell from the photo,but the DIY spray paint job is horrendous.
Again, do I paint it white, maybe red or even a retro 50’s teal? Thoughts?
This piece we “splurged” on a bit. Can’t recall the exact price, but it was about $20.
 

This lamp I loved when I saw it, with the exception of the gold base
which I may end up doing something about.
Any thoughts? Suggestions on dealing with the gold metal base? 
It also came without a shade… well, we chose to take it without the shade. 
For now, an IKEA shade that I had lying around will suffice. How much? $11. 

What’s on my mind now? How can I get paid to shop at thrift stores for the rest of my life? I just adore it. What’s your view on thrifting? Love it or hate it?
 

Our local thrift shop every thursday gives 25% off your entire purchase. Last Thursday I talked Dustin into taking me over there. You see, he knows me too well. I can ALWAYS find some hidden treasure, so it’s best sometimes to just not go at all. Anyway, we scored some great stuff on that trip. When I saw these avocado bowls complete with the plastic lids my heart skipped a beat! But, ouch, $24.99! That’s a little steep for my frugal ways. Thank you Jesus, it was 25% off day!! Got these bowls for around $18.

Where’s the catch? Well, I opened a couple of these lids and (wow!) I could smell the years and years of food storage in them. After a run in the dishwasher they still stunk! So, next step…. white vinegar! My weapon of choice. I simply plugged the sink and soaked the lids in the vinegar overnight. Now they don’t smell at all! 
 

And when I got home, noticed they matched pretty perfectly with these goodies I’d picked up the week before. The fondue pot, fondue sticks and pot all came in around $5! Unfortunately, the small pot’s handle won’t stay on anymore. Also, the inside is pretty worn and will not stay clean. Might turn it into a plant pot since it matches my kitchen/dining! Will share results.

Happy Wednesday!