THRIFTING TIPS

 Since I promised on post on thrifting last week, I had to do a a little research and go thrifting.  

I first hit up my favorite thrift store, St. Vincent DePaul in on Anderson Road in Crescent Springs, KY (for you locals).

There is a separate room full of furniture, lamps and art and I always head there first. 

No lamps that interested me on this trip, but still a pretty decent selection.

They always have a on of art and I have found quite a few things here in the past, but not today.

I normally scour the shelves for original art or great frames that I can re-use.  

This painting has been here for a while (go figure).  How hilarious would it be if I bought it and stuck it on the mantel.  I'm sure our guests would ask if it was one of our parents.  

Nope, picked it up at the thrift store because I thought it was cool. 

I'll have to check the price next time. It might be worth it, just to see the look on their faces. 

 No good furniture finds to speak of on this trip either. 

I usually then make my way to the glassware, knickknacks and metalware.

I did come across these glass decanters and thought they would make great vases, 

but I did't buy any.

I am kicking myself for not buying any of these.  the largest one was only $5.

These would make good planters or would look great with a few of them grouped together on a shelf.  

Now here's where it gets scary.  Some of you "new furniture only" shoppers 

might want to cover your eyes.  

I was feeling a little defeated since I didn't find anything.

However, as I made my way to my car, I decided to venture over here....

They obviously keep the "good stuff" out here.  

I normally avoid this area like the plague, but since I was doing some research, I dove right in.

Peeking out from behind all the fabulous finds out here (insert sarcasm), I found this little gem.

The hint of brass sparked my interest so I took a closer look. 

I lugged this beauty inside to inquire about the price.  

The nice woman behind the counter took one look at it and said, how about $3?  

SOLD to the crazy lady snapping I-phone pictures all over the thrift store.

As soon as I got home, I took it inside, gave a good wipe down and found a spot for it. 

The scale is a little off with the large frames above it, but the depth is perfect for this spot.

I plan to paint the shelves a glossy off white and leave the brass as it is.

Would you guess it was a $3 shelf had I not told you?

Here are my THRIFTING TIPS:

1.  Shop often 

(you never know what you might find)

2.  Shop on Monday and Tuesday 

(people tend to purge over the weekend and drop off their treasures on Saturday and Monday)

3.  Shop without expectations

(don't set out hoping to find the perfect size dining room table 

with just the right finish - you'll be disappointed every time)

4.  Don't be afraid to dig around 

(the good stuff is sometimes hidden behind the junk)

5.  Don't be afraid to negotiate

 (most often, the prices are firm, but it never hurts to ask)

6.  Be creative 

(items can often be repurposed, painted or repaired for a whole new look)

7.  Pick it up right away if you want it 

(I've had to learn this lesson the hard way)

8.  Be on the lookout for valuables 

(Occasionally, you will find something very valuable placed on the same shelf with all the other 

knick-knacks, priced low.  However, most often, the valuable items are locked up behind the counter)

9.  Shop thrift stores in affluent neighborhoods 

(wealthy people give away good stuff)

10.  Donate an item each time you buy an item 

(I am constantly bringing new items into our home,   and donating older items - it's refreshing!)

As I wrote this post, I was looking around my house and noticing that most 

all the items I love in my home have either come from a thrift store or an antique store. 

There is certainly something about the hunt that appeals to me, 

but I also love to surround myself with unique objects that tell a story. 

This weekend, I plan go around the house snapping pictures

of all my treasures and do a little photo collage. 

I'll share it with you next week. 

Also, here is a list of local thrift stores that I frequent.

Goodwill - Newport, KY 

Goodwill - Beechmont, OH

Goodwill - Hyde Park, OH

St. Vincent DePaul - Crescent Springs, KY

St. Vincent DePaul - Newport, KY

St. Vincent DPaul - Dayton, KY

St. Vincent DePaul - Mount Washington, OH

St. Vincent DePaul - Cincinnati, OH (off Mitchell Ave.)

I also pop into local "junk" stores now and then and hit up antique stores when I can.

What used to be a hobby for me has now turned into a business.  

I love that I get to hunt for treasures for other people's homes now too. 

I understand that thrifting is not for everyone. 

But tell me, if you have never set foot in a thrift store, did I convince you to do so?

SAFE FAMILIES

About six weeks ago, a good friend of mine emailed me to see if I would be interested
in helping her transform a room in her home.  She went on to fill me in on her family's plan
to become a host family for an amazing organization called Safe Families. 

Safe Families for children (SFFC) is a national movement of compassion 

that gives hope to families in crisis.  Safe, loving homes are provided 

where parents may voluntarily have their children cared for 

while the parents seek to restore stability in their lives. 

When she told me about the organization and how she and her husband felt like they
were being called to be a part of it, I couldn't wait to help them get started on their project.
They basically gave me a budget and free reign for the design. 

The only criteria was that  room needed to be gender neutral.

This is the design I came up with.....

This is where we started.

The extra room previously served as an office and a music room for their three girls.

The peach walls were the first things to go.

One of their daughters recently got new bedroom furniture,
so we were able to use her old bed and nightstand.
After a coat of paint and the addition of fun art and accessories, 

the room is now ready to serve as a safe haven for children in need.

I gave one of my bright yellow ginger jar thrift store lamps 

a coat of a "not so bright yellow" spray paint and used it for this project.

The orange pillows came from Etsy.

We used Benjamin Moore Gray Owl (one of my favorite colors) 

on the walls to keep things neutral.  We wanted all the fun colors to pop in the room.

The "songbird" sheets came from The Company Store and they bring a little whimsy to the room.

The prints are from Etsy.  They can be found here.  

There are quite a few inspirational quotes to choose from and you can pick the size and color.  

Everyone in their family got to pick out one.  

We added a few little birdies to the room and this wooden bird house from TJ Maxx.

They already had the curtains on hand.  

We friend used fabric glue to attach this bright green ric rac trim.

The  "Bird on a Wire" wall art from came from Target. 

I gave it a coat of bright orange glossy spray paint.

The three girls each got to add their own creative touch to the room 

by painting a canvas for their special visitors. 

I LOVE the way the room turned out!

My friend and her family are such loving, giving people 

and they are going to be a wonderful support system for these children in need. 

They are looking forward to opening their home and their hearts.

I donated my time for this project and another friend of the family, 

DeeDee Connaughton, donated her time to paint the room.

It was such an honor to be able to work  on this project

and I look forward to doing more work like this in the future. 

If you think you may be a good candidate for Safe Families, you can find more information here.

I hope you have a great week!

(P.S. All of these pictures were taken with my Iphone.  

My good camera is in the shop for 4-6 weeks. YIKES!!) 

MY VERY OWN GOLDEN GLOBE

A few weeks ago, I popped into Goodwill on my way home from the gym.

I almost always head to the lamp aisle first.  I have a whole regular route to be quite honest.

But back to the lamps....My eyes immediately fell upon a beautiful golden globe lamp. 

Ha, you thought I won some big award, didn't you?  Hardly - I can't sing, I can't act, 

heck, I can't even snap my fingers properly.  Again, back to the lamp.....

How could I pass this up?  

You won't believe me when I tell you I only paid $10 for it.

IT'S TRUE, I promise. 

And I picked up the shade at my local grocery store for $12.99.

That's right, you can get a gallon of milk and the perfect drum shade at my Kroger. 

Here's the thing, in order to find great things at thrift shops, you have to go often. 

I never set out to go thrifting, I just quickly stop in a few of my favorite stores when I'm close by.  Rarely do I ever go out of my way to thrift. 

I am planning a post on thrifting for next week. 

Stay tuned.

Oh, and I prefer to call it treasure hunting, seems classier, don't you think?

Are you a treasure hunter?

MY LOVE FOR LIGHTING

I was looking through my I-phone pictures today and noticed that other than pictures 

of my kids and my dog, most of the other pictures I had taken were of lighting. 

First stop, Crate and Barrel.....

I liked this fixture, and even contemplated using it "The Nook".

I ended up being resourceful and using a light I already had.

Next stop, Tuesday Morning....

Tuesday Morning is beginning to be one of my regular stops when searching for lamps.

They have a great selection and their prices can't be beat.

 I loved the texture of this one...

Moving on, to Ballard Design Outlet.....

I tried to talk my friend into using this in her home.

No dice, but someone should snatch this up.

There happens to be a grungy old lighting store just a few miles from my house.

I pop in every now and then to see what they have. 

It's jammed pack full of antique and vintage lighting. 

I was drooling over these alabaster lamps. 

The store is a bit overwhelming.  

You can barely walk through there without stepping on or hitting your head on lighting.

It's like a treasure hunt - right up my alley! 

I got brave and ventured into the back room on my last visit. 

It was filthy and jammed pack with treasures, like this lantern. 

It is covered in black soot, but underneath is a beautiful brass finish. 

Last week, a friend and I took a little field trip to Palette Studio in Cincinnati. 

Their website does not do them justice. 

It was like being in lamp heaven.  

These emerald green lamps caught my attention right away.

So did the price tag, $459 each.  Yikes!  

That's a far cry from my $8 emerald green thrift store lamps.

You know I love thrifting for lamps, but I was tempted to let my entire family 

eat cereal for a month so these beauties could come home with me. 

Kidding, kind of. 

I snapped a picture of the lampshade storage room.

Gorgeous lampshades as far as the eye could see!

I came across another lovely lamp at Goodwill a few weeks back.  

I just can't leave a good lamp behind.

I'll show you tomorrow.

THRIFTY TRAYS

As I was doing a little dusting last week, I started to notice the obnoxious amount of trays I have.

Then I realized how much better everything looks when corralled onto a tray.

I found this striped Ikea tray at Goodwill for $.50.

Throw a few wine corks and accessories on it 

and it helps take away focus from  the ugly TV components. 

I picked up this glossy black number from the thrift store also.

 This matted silver tray in our master bathroom also came from Goodwill.

Another Goodwill find, this leather tray helps keep our liquor looking classy.

This metal square box, which I use as a tray at times, came from an antique store.

I almost always use some sort of tray when setting up a buffet here on our peninsula.  

Yep, you guessed it, this one came from Goodwill also. 

This basket serves as a tray to hold our TV remotes and a few magazines on the ottoman.

I think this brass beauty is my favorite tray, and most expensive at a whopping $20!  

This one came from an antique store also.

I bought this black tray at Goodwill a while back, 

added some fabric and mod podge and handed it off to a friend. 

This galvanized metal tray came from the Pottery Barn outlet and I use it for all sorts of things. 

Right now, it's holding wooden letters in the center of our activity table.  

The little blue tray came from Ikea and helps keep the boys' toothpaste and toothbrushes looking neat.

If you'r not into thrifting or antiquing, Ikea and Homegoods 

are both great sources for inexpensive trays. 

I think my tray obsession is worse than my lamp obsession.  

Uh oh.  

At least trays can be stacked neatly away.

My lamp stash is starting to take up a lot of room in the storage area.