Getting Back to it...

Treat weekend for everyone at our house.  Treat for my son Will because he was picked up by Grandma and Grandpa on Friday afternoon and came home this afternoon (Sunday). He saw the movie "Cars 2" and got to see his first figure 8 race last night!  We had the opportunity to go out for dinner two nights in a row for grown up dinners... and I never had to utter the phrase, " Please sit down on your bottom and eat something."  We also got several house projects completed without assistance. 

The one project that I wanted to show you from the weekend began with an idea on the blog Apartment Therapy at :   http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/organizing/fireplace-book-storage-151433  I was kind of leery of the idea of putting books in the fireplace.  Dirty, dusty, cobweb-y  were the words I thought of immediately, but after looking through the example photos I decided that it might be worth a shot and certainly better than the pillar candle pyramid with mirror behind.  THAT is a trend that has been over for some time and I was tired of it.  I was able to thoroughly clean the inside of the fireplace and locate a number of books to use just by shopping my bookshelves at home.  I have designs on hitting up the thrift shops to find more vintage books with cool covers but that will have to wait until after vacation next week.  So here is my take on... books in the fireplace.

Books in the fireplace... cool or not cool?  I really want to find a color scheme, but I need more books!

 

So that is my take on that idea.  It did give my living room a cleaner look and if I am able to find some more interesting book covers I think I could really enjoy this... what do you think?
Good night all, Monday morning awaits....

Fun Find!

Good afternoon to you all!  This is just a short post to share my latest find for $5 or under!  This very Brady table was located at Trinity Thrift!  It was filthy dirty, but look how awesome it is.  The table top is laminate and the base must be cast iron because it is really, really heavy!  I love it!  I am in the process of moving a couple of other things around to make room... what to do, what to do!  Anyway for $5, I thought it was fantastic!  If this had been in a boutique I am guessing $60+!  Happy Thrifting and have a great evening!

A very Brady table!!!!! ADORABLE for $5!!!

Jewelry Bonanza!!!!!

Good afternoon!  Usually I try to go out to the local thrift shops on Mondays.  I always feel like they tend to receive donations over the weekend and the selection is somewhat better on Monday.  Today we (my trusty assistant, Will and I) headed to Goodwill and Trinity Thrift. 

Goodwill netted only one good find.  A cool glass cloche for $.99!  It is very pretty now that I have cleaned it up.  It was awful and looked like frosted glass, ICK!

Real Simple Magazine had an article about these in their March 2011, issue!

We moved on to Trinity Thrift... I can usually count on at least one fun item.  I found the groovy coffee table first.  It was marked $10!!!! A solid and I mean solid wood table on metal legs.  It is a Lane piece from the early 1970's I would guess.  It is awfully cool, and for $10, you really can't go wrong.  Here it is already in place in my living room.

I like the low, hefty profile and modern shape of this table.

As Will and I were walking to the register to pay for the table, I glanced into the cases along the wall.  An interesting vintage pin caught my eye, so I went in for a closer look.  There were so many cool pieces!  I had a difficult time choosing just a couple.  Here are the ones I took home... there are a number of others that are equally interesting, trust me!

Rhinestone bracelet... perfect $10

roadrunner pin was Will's favorite $5

Two inch pin with people, funky... $10

Another huge pin with clasp to make it a pendant necklace... $10

Lovely, swingy, rhinestone necklace.  Nice length, too! $10

detail of pendant

So that is all for today my friends.  Just a few odds and ends and some very pretty jewelry! See you next time I am on the thrifting hunt!  Bye!

Glad for a Local Day Out!

Hello there!  I know I have been absent for a bit.  Things have been nuts around here in general and for the last seven days I have had a full blown case of pneumonia!  Yes, feaking pneumonia, in May!  It was awful and not something I care to repeat.

Today I finally got out and about in the area and found a few small treasures.

Chair detail from deco set

Way cool original leg detail all intact!

Entire set fully functioning with leaf! The set was marked $125!  Not bad for one is such great condition.

This enamel top table would be a perfect kitchen island for $45

Two cute chairs with cool lines in need of funky upholstery and paint job from Trader bucks for $30

Goodwill offered this neat gold chair for only $9.99.  It is sturdy with nice lines but needs new padding and upholstery.

That is all for today!  If all goes well, I may make it to Indy later in the week with a few thrifty stops along the way.  See you all soon.

A Visit to The Toggery!!!

Hello everyone, I have had a busy week and not much time to thrift but somehow managed to fit in a quick and I mean quick trip to The Toggery in Broad Ripple!  I had a new load of clothes to drop off for me and a set of items that my sister, Lisa, sent back with me from Florida.  We each have a Toggery account!  I found some great items there on Tuesday!  I just hope the weather warms up enough that I can wear them out of the house! So here goes the list of great buys from this week and how much I love the "shop for free" option!    

This is a DKNY maxi dress $20.  I love it!  It is a maxi, but it comes just to my ankles.

This Chan Lu dress was in the Anthropologie catalogue a couple seasons back.  It was only $24 and it is silk and fully lined!

This looks like a sack, but on it was great!  It is a James Perse knit dress and at only $16 it will be perfect in the spring and summer sophisticated but not too stuffy.  Accessories could change the look of this from beachy to professional.

Cute JCrew top for $12.

Maeve from Anthropologie "rushing ruffles dress" 2010 for only $24!  It is adorable on!

The buy of the day!  These Raven denim jeans were from a local boutique that sends their overstocks to The Toggery.  The original price on these babies was $298 (seriously, who in their right mind?), I bought them off the clearance rack out front for........ $15!!!!!!!  They are lovely!

So... those are my finds from my favorite consignment boutique in Indy... and I used the "Shop for free" option where you use the money you made from selling items to purchase new items... so I got all those things for $48!  Woooooo Hoooooo!  Men just do not understand this!  It is so much fun.  I hope to check out Carmel Consignment some day next week and I will be back with a review.  Until then, Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Lafayette, IN: Goodwill, Three Blind Mice and Forever in Blue Jeans

Good morning to you all!  Yesterday I had a couple of hours to run up to Lafayette, IN.  It is about 40 minutes from here in the sticks.  All the Lafayette Goodwill stores have recently undergone a renovation and I had not had the chance to check out a couple.... I did not find anything truly amazing, but I did locate a few interesting finds.  I was able to add to my Shenango China restaurant ware collection with 6 dinner plates and 4 custard cups!  At only $.99 per piece it was a total bargain.... better than Target or vile Wal-mart for sure!  I also purchased 2 small serving pieces with bakelite handles at $.49 each, and a darling original painting of a boxer dog! 

Here are the pictures of my finds.... my favorite is the dog painting!

Bakelite serving pieces in really nice condition.

This adorable painting fit perfectly on the bookcase! It was $1.99!

This stack of Shenango China, restaurant ware, cost a grand total of $10! I collect Shenango and am always on the lookout for interesting pieces.

A detail of the mark on the back of the plate showing it is authentic Shenango.  Inca ware denotes the color more than anything and New Castle, PA is my mother's hometown.  The pottery closed in the late 1980's, so it is becoming more and more difficult to find in good condition.

While I am thinking about it I have a quick hint for any of you that are interested in collecting bakelite pieces.  Bakelite is a material that gained popularity in the late 1930's and early 1940's.  It was a precursor to modern plastics.  You often find bakelite used as jewelry or handles on trays, cocktail shakers, or cutlery!  Colors vary, but most common are an orange-y yellow or red!  I am obsessed with the stuff!  If you think you have found something but aren't sure it is real bakelite you can do this simple test:  Rub the part that you believe to be bakelite as hard as you can with your thumb until it feels warm and then sniff the area rubbed.  If it smells kind of like Formaldehyde it is the real deal!!!! People may look at you strangely, but who cares... it's all in the finding!

I also stopped at an antique store called "Three Blind Mice", 432 Columbia St. Lafayette, IN.  I have driven past for years and never had the time to investigate.  They almost always have lots of items out on the sidewalk surrounding the store and yesterday was no exception.  The only problem was that of all the times I have driven past and thought "I love that!" yesterday I saw exactly nothing of interest.  I will stop again in the future and hopefully have better luck.

As I drove out of Lafayette there is a small strip mall across the street from Wabash Commons.  I caught sight of a new consignment shop!  I turned around in order to investigate further.  It is called, "Forever in Blue Jeans" and is located at 237 E. State Street, West Lafayette, IN.  They have a website as well at www.foreverinbluejeansconsignment.com   I am not fond of the name but I think this shop has potential!  They take women's, men's, and children's clothes, shoes and accessories!  The shop is new and the inventory is currently rather limited, but if it catches on it could be a fun stop to add to my list.  I definitely plan on taking a bunch of Will's clothing in to see if it will sell!  I will be sticking with "The Toggery" in Broad Ripple for my clothing since I did not see a lot of high end labels in the women's section.  I may even try to unload some men's things if given the chance!

That is all for this evening!  Off to do what I usually do... not much!  Have a great weekend all!

Good Stuff on Sale at Anthropologie.com

Good day all!  This is going to be fast and furious as I am giving Will lunch and dropping him off at preschool in just a bit.  But first things first.... the sale tab at Anthropologie.com is currently very well stocked with "wear it now" options.  If you haven't checked the website recently it might be worth your time to do so.  I snagged the "Great Dot Maxi Dress" that was originally $158 for $39.99!!!  I also signed up my green Anthro card (if you shop there regularly get one) to receive free shipping!  Woo hoo!  There are a number of great items in the sale section.  Here is a quick rundown of my favs...

Sweaters:
The Doolin Cardi:  was $128, now $29.25
The Striped Borders Boyfriend:  was $118, now $29.95

Skirts:
Visionary skirt:  was $98, now $29.95
Runny Yolk Skirt:  was $98, now $29.95
Washi wrap skirt:  was $88, now $19.95

Pants:
In and About Pants: was  $118, now $29.95
Navy Days crops: was $98, now $29.95

Shoes:
Miniver Lace-Ups: was $88, now $39.95
At Your Service Wedges: was $238, now $59.95
... and here is the link for the Anthropologie website....

www.anthropologie.com  Have a great afternoon all my bargain hunting friends!

Today's Finds: More or Less

Good afternoon!  Well, this morning I took my assistant with me and we hit the local indoor flea market, Trader Bucks and Goodwill.  We did not purchase much but we saw a lot of wonderful things available if you are looking.  I will share all the items here in just a minute.  I have a ton!  Look at the captions for ideas about uses if your are interested. Someone really ought to snap this stuff up at these prices, really you should... and you know who you are!  The first six items were found at Trader Buck's in Crawfordsville, IN and the next two were located at Goodwill in Crawfordsville, IN.

AWESOME!!!! BEAUTIFUL!! The two of these can be yours for $30 each!  They would be perfect in a little girl's room or a women's study or reading area!  I am telling you, these rock!!!!!

Close up of the original detail in amazing condition!

Same booth this vintage wicker set is in fabulous condition minor damage on one chair seat!  Really minor! The set is $250!!!!  What do you think?

 

These were some of the first things that I came upon at Trader Buck's... pretty interesting and if only I was in the market for something like this, alas, I am not!  But I can certainly appreciate them! Here are more:

A beautiful vintage hooked rug for $35!!!

I believe this iron babybed turned daybed was marked $65! What a find!  How cool could this be in the right setting.... maybe a three season room, wide hallway, guest bedroom?  With some really cool, graphic linens.  I know, I know most people would do the "shabby chic" thing with this but not me!

Old radio cabinet! $25!  These make great bars! I have one and it is terrific!

vintage rolltop desk and chair, $95!  I think the price on this was a bit high... but it is the set.  The chair back is not stable in any way and this would only work for a small adult or child.  It is certainly cute, though and has lots of potential!

11 vintage state glasses from Stuckey's stores, I think!  These I purchased for $.49 each!  Super fun! One had a sticker from Stuckey's that read $1.15....

This fantastic sofa is available for $59!  If you are interested.  It is actually a really dark navy, but I would have it re-upholstered!  The lines are fantastic and it is in really nice shape... probably a 6 or 6 1/2 foot sofa, very midcentury, Crate and Barrel or CB2 style!

Here is a detail of the cool stitching design on the arms.... hmmmm.. getting any ideas yet?

That is all for today.  Thanks for reading and thinking creatively with me for a bit.  I will be back with more fabulous items very soon.  Have a great evening!

Back to the Midwest...

Hello there friends!  I am back at home and back to the thrifting.  The weather here has been better so it wasn't quite the shock it can be coming home from a couple of weeks in Florida.  Will was thrilled to get back to his preschool pals yesterday.  I am sure the kiddos were all reporting about their various spring break exploits!  Since Will was at preschool I decided to stop by Trinity Thrift on my way home after drop off.  It was a quick run through, but I found a really cute $5 coffee table.  The design is awesome and so is the size!

It fits really well in the den and adds a bit of modern flair to what I feel is a room that has become too dark.  The table is a light color and with the open leg design it just looks lighter, but is, in fact very sturdy, needed nothing other than cleaning and since the top is formica it doesn't even require coasters!  Yippee!  I am hoping to stop by Goodwill and the flea market later today or tomorrow.  You never know what may be on the horizon!  Have a fantastic day you all!

.... The Florida Experience...

We arrived in Florida on Saturday, March 26th.  It was a long but pretty smooth and when we got here it was beautiful, sunny and about 85 degrees.  Ahhhhh...  The nice weather continued on Sunday and then the bottom fell out and it has rained every day since.  That left my sister and me to find other ways to entertain ourselves.

Lisa was in the condo with my parents while I took Will to The Alligator Farm for the afternoon.  She happened to see someone carrying fabric down to the trash room.  It was interesting so she struck up a conversation thus finding out that he, the man with the fabric, was doing redecorating for his wife and they were throwing some items away.  When I got back Lisa and I went down to the trash room... and look what we found!  All for the grand total of ZERO DOLLARS!  My advice to you all... never ignore a good trash room or trash area.  You simply cannot imagine the great stuff people just throw away! The lampshades and the frames are mine and the fabric and ferns are Lisa's.... we make a great team!  Too bad we don't live closer because we could put together a killer shop I am certain!

Here we have two large pieces of nice fabric, two cool lampshades in great condition with pickups, two cute white frames perfect for framing a cool piece of fabric or wallpaper and a nice faux fern!  All for free!!!

I know you are all interested to know what fabulous items Lisa brought in her bag-o-bargains from the Salvation Army in Gainesville.  She has determined that a shop in Gainesville that receives overstocks and sell-offs from Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters takes their clearance to the Salvation Army on a regular basis.  I believe that is every Wednesday morning.  That can be key in the thrifting hunt, to know when local boutiques bring overstocks and leftovers in to consign or donate.  If you ask the staff usually they will tell you, especially if you are in often and they recognize you as a customer.  Here is my photo compilation of all the great stuff.  Each item was $1.69 or $2.99!

Free people sweater and Hei Hei pants outfit total:  $6.50

Odille jacket and Elevenses pants outfit total:  $6.00

Free People top and Santuary pants, outfit total: $5.30

LA Made dress:  $3.50

Maeve dress size 2 (too small) $3.50

Silence and Noise top and Elevenses pinstripe pants, outfit total $4.45

We the Free dress:  $3.50

Elevenses pants: $1.69

Elevenses pants and Little Yellow Button top, outfit total: $4.25

 So what do you all think?  These are some great items and some good deals and I have Lisa to thank for that!  She is an awesome personal shopper and I got to be the beneficiary of her fabulous shopping not to mention an entirely new summer wardrobe with barely any money invested!  As my son Will would say, "Sweet!"

The week has been rather rainy here so instead of a trip to the beach during a thunderstorm we, Lisa and me, went thrifting and look what I got!

Those are two really neat pieces of art.  The covered bridge I liked because of the colors.  The red, blue an green really pop in person.  It was only $7, but an original and I liked it!  The one on the left is a signed piece the artist is V.S. Maris and it is dated 1967.  It is a really nice textural oil, kind of impressionistic.  I looked up the artist online but could only find the name and that he is from New Jersey which we surmised because the frame had a lable from a Red Bank, New Jersey frame shop.  I will let you know if I find out any information about the artist and if it is worth more than the $39 that I paid for it.  Either way it looks really cool.

Well, that is all I have for you today.  The weather here in "The Sunshine State" is supposed to be sunny tomorrow and improving through next week so here's hoping the predictions are true. Enjoy a lovely evening. 

Favorites and Finds

Hello!  Today was my day to get out on my own, without my constant companion Will.  I dropped him off happy to spend the day playing with his pals at Miss Colleen's for the day and I drove the hour to Broad Ripple.  I had a 2:00pm appointment at A-Do Hairdesign for a haircut.  I will tell you all about the goings on at A-Do later in this post. I arrived in Broad Ripple with 2 1/2 hours to spend scouring the racks at both Rag-O-Rama and The Toggery for resale bargains and to stop by Girlie Chic Boutique to check out their sale rack.  It was a lot to do in just a couple of hours but it was successful and did yield a number of great finds. I have lots of photos to share today so I will get on with the information toot sweet! 

For those of you haven't been to Broad Ripple in a while or maybe ever this is what the main drag, Broad Ripple Avenue looks like from my car.  The street is lined with bars, restaurants and boutiques as are most of the side streets for blocks and blocks!  It is a great place to hang out, shop, eat, etc.... as a younger woman I was a regular at many of the bars, now I would throw the age curve off!

East on Broad Ripple Avenue

First on my list was Rag-O-Rama.  As you can see from the picture inside it is a large open space, with women's and men's things, vintage and current and "party wear"!

Inside Rag-O-Rama, lots of rounders!

You have to be willing to look through the racks, but you will find some great stuff.  Today I found a JCrew mustard colored 100% cashmere tunic sweater for $16 and, the find of the day a pair of J Brand jeans Lovestory fit brand new for .... wait for it, $14.50.  Here is a photo of me in the jeans and on the Anthropologie website you can see them http://www.anthropologie.com  click on denim on the menu at the left.  There they are for $187!!!!!!  I can't believe it!  I am telling you all, this resale thing is the B.O.M.B.

Mustard cashmere tunic for $16

J Brand, Lovestory denim for $14.50!! Are you kidding!!!

Nice fit, too!

So I left Rag-O-Rama and headed on over to my favorite shop... The Toggery.  I think I have mentioned before that I not only purchase from The Toggery, but I also consign with them.  I have for over ten years.  I left with a number of great items and left some good ones too.  I used their "shop for free" option where you use the money from the sale of your items to buy items in the store.  It is a great deal!
At The Toggery you receive the same dollar amount in store credit as you would if you took the check. This varies from shop to shop.  I took a few photos inside so you would be able to see the racks and racks of fabulous items available.  The staff at The Toggery knows me and I enjoy visiting with them.  Lynn always says hello when I see her and Veronica and I usually have a few laughs about the goings on.  I have found so many amazing items in the shop over the years I can assure you they know what they are doing.  There is NO JUNK!  It is all excellent clothing and while not every item is "my style"  the shoppers range in age from seniors to young teens.  Everything is organized by size and color, especially tops and pants which is a huge help.  In the close up of the rack I can spot two Anthro tops right in the middle of the picture.

Inside The Toggery!  Rack after rack of wonderful stuff!

purses, and small home decor, too!

See, right there is the Flower Seller top from spring 2009 Anthropologie.

  I tried on a lot of things and came home with a couple of great finds see the items below.

These Bertie sandals were at Athro for about $98 last summer, I got them for $14!

Wednesday brown knit cardi for $16

Jcrew Cashmere tunic sweater for $18

Tabitha cardigan from Anthro for $26!  I looked this up on Ebay and it is selling for $99-$109!

fei top, $10

Trinity top from the 60% off rack, would have been about $10 but I didn't purchase.

Sparrow sweater from the 30% off rack would have been about $17, but I left this as well.

Milly dress that was $16!  Cute but I can do better.

 

 

I was able to get to A-Do on time for my appointment.  I walked in and was met at the front by Erin and Courtney.  They are some of my favorite ladies and we always talk about our latest shopping expeditions and what is new at the salon.  A-Do just opened a new boutique and spa called, Adorn, in the building just to the south.  It is a lovely cozy space with black lacquer floors and tones of gray and white on the walls.  I have not had the chance to enjoy the spa offerings, however that is on my list of things to do this summer.  They have a variety of products and unique home and and decor items.  If you are in the area stop in and introduce yourself.  The staff is amazingly friendly and would love to see you.  I spent some time in the chair with Jennifer snipping away at my rather unruly thick hair.  I like it short and funky.  Those are the only guidelines I give her.  I trust her implicitly with my hairstyle, especially that it will be a bit ahead of the curve and not "Mommy-like".  Jennifer and staff had recently been to a hair show and she decided to stay with the asymetrical cut which was showing as a "new look" for fall!  Woo hoo!  As you can see by the pictures I love it!

  And there is Jennifer, the magician (ess) in the photo with me.  I cannot tell you how much I look forward to my visits to A-Do.  I recommend it to all my friends looking for a fun salon with a talented staff.  They are all wonderful.  I have been to other stylists as well as Jennifer when she was not available to something came up with one of us! 

All in all it was a good day in Indianapolis.  Now I must get myself and Will ready for our trip to Florida on Friday and Saturday.  That's two days in the car with octogenarian parents and a 4 1/2 year old lest anyone be too jealous!  I will post from the condo in Florida when my sister Lisa, arrives with my bag o' bargains from Gainesville.  Enjoy the next few days!