Tuesday Dump Finds

Not much to brag about here, just a few finds. The dump has gotten busy on Tuesdays, I wonder if everyone is reading my blog :)

I have an antique metal angel chime that the candles will fit perfectly into.

An older book of curtains, slipcovers, and upholstery, I may attempt to try one with my new sewing machine.

A hand made Christmas tree ceramic box, I think it would be cute to put some jewlery in and give as a gift at Christmas time.

Picking and Nesting

Hubby and I are nesting. He has spent all weekend working on the baby's room. It is a tropical blue with white beadboard and berber carpet. I'll have pictures up when its completed.

I borrowed my grandmother in laws carpet steam cleaner and cleaned the carpets in our house we were not replacing. It completely grossed me out what came out of our bedroom carpet, I dont know why we have black pets.

Hubby had to bring some stuff to the dump today, and I tagged along. I got a couple of cute things.

These red sox baby pants are soo cute, and had no stains on them so i took them home and washed them up. They're adorable, and I thought very gender neutral. My best find was this Radio Cart, it was just hanging out by the metal pile. I think it is made by the Radio Flyer company. It looks kinda old. Is in great shape, and both wheels work. Maybe i'll try to con my mom into selling it in her booth for me.

Saturday Finds

Im linking up to Rhoda's party over at http://southernhospitalityblog.com/


Hubby and I did some Yard Shopping this morning. We hit up five sales and didn't find too too much. Alot of people were trying to get rich off of selling their used stuff, I think I may start a class that is based on you cannot make millions of dollars at a yard sale on your used crap. Here is the run down:

HP 10.4 Digital Picture Frame brand new $20.00

Shop and Play mat and shopping cart pad $5.00

Free Hair High (rip off of the bump it)

Vintage Xmas Table Cloth $1.00

(Not Pictured) Pfaltzgraff mug $.25

I googled the picture frame goes for around 140-150 new.

The baby Infantanio Shop & Play mat goes for $16 new.

So I got some pretty good deals!

How Long Does It Take To Become A Good Seamstress?

So I decided to try my hand at sewing again. I jumped into walmart real quick and found this fabric I had been eyeing on sale for 3.97 a yard (down from 9.97) so even though that is a tad expensive for me I figured why not. So I started sewing some pillow cases for the ugly valour pillows in our basement. I do fine until I have to sew the pillow into the case. I've resorted to sewing in Velcro. One so I can wash them if needed and two, I didn't leave enough space to sew the pillow into the case. Sorry for the awful picture, the fabric is yellow with splashes of coral, looks great with my brown couch.My other project is an old tool box my mom gave me. I love it! So I sanded it down and spray painted it black of course. Im going to put some plant pots in it.


Adorable!

My, How Time Flies

I can' t believe it is almost August, summer has flown by. Sorry I haven't posted in a while, the roof is finally done and my job is to clean up the job site. How fun picking up pieces of shingles and using a magnet to pick up thousands and thousands of nails and staples.

This week I went to the dump on Tuesday and didn't find much, just some Taste of Home magazines for my mom. (Maybe I should be reading them, my cooking is not that great!) Sorry no pictures.

I went back to the dump yesterday for shits and giggles and found some great wooden coat hangers, and also a futon in FABULOUS condition. I didn't take the futon home but really really wanted to. I cursed for not having a truck, and promised myself if I found a little one that ran I would totally buy it this summer.

I went to the church thrift store and found some great clothes and a tin tray. The green sweater is banana republic, the white shirt is gap with the tags still on it. (29.99) the pink and white top is Rue 21. I thought this green short sleeve sweatshirt was adorable but hubby politely told me it was not flattering.

I was never huge into these little tin trays but this one was cute with the flowers on it. I started seeing them when I went Kalouping with my mom and her friends a few weeks ago.

Thrift Store Grand Total 3.50

Have a told you I LOVEEEE FRIDAY YARDSALES.

There was only one today, so Bailey and I hit it up bright and early. The woman use to own a florist shop downtown and was cleaning out her old inventory. I think she still thought she could get top dollar for her stuff. It was cute but not that cute. Bailey spent most of the time barking, I think he was trying to tell me the prices were too high. But I did find this beauty for $2.00

Ron and I use a drying rack alot in the winter, and ours has seen better days. This one is in great shape for $2.00. Those are the wooden hangers from the dump. Please ignore the tornado in the background I call my husband's junk. Anyone else notice T.C.F.H in the lower lefthand corner of the picture??? This is right before he tried to swing acrobatics from the bars of my new drying rack.

Things I love

This is the first summer since I was a little girl that I have been fortuneate enough not to work. After some convincing hubby finally agreed I needed a restful summer. He warned me though I might get bored. Im amazed I haven't been bored at all this summer! My great friend Amanda also is pregnant and has the summer off so we've spent some time hiking with our poochies, and hanging out in the river. This summer i've been able do some soulsearching and do the things I really do enjoy:

• Spending time with my family
• Blogging
• Thrifting
• Eating toasted banana bread with peanut butter (this is a new addition to the list and im doing it right now so i had to add it :) )
• Revamping older pieces with spray paint!
• Decorating
• Reading
• Walking and spending time with Bailey

I've known all along that I love to do these things, I just haven't made time to do them until this summer. I think this summer i've learned even if you dont have alot of time on your hands you have to do something at least once a week that makes YOU happy.

Not Much To Brag About Here

Saturday I hit up a few yardsales before my friend Amanda and I went for a walk with the doggies and a nice cool swim.

Definitely not much to brag about here.

• Colonial America Learning Activities Book .25. (our fourth graders do a whole unit on colonial america and it has some cute activities.


• Already threaded bobbins .50. I have been sewing lately and realized that these babies are extremely useful and $2.75 at Walmart.

On Sunday I went to the dump with the boys (once again love home improvement projects). Well I found an adorable dresser but after looking it over it needed much more love then I could give. So we dragged it back to the wood pile. I did find this for my mom though. I dont think its very old but its kinda cool. Would be useful in her antique booth maybe?

Thrifting While The Boys Work

Im linking up to Rhoda's party over at http://southernhospitalityblog.com/ you should check it out!

So I can't stand to be around the house while the boys are on the roof. Im either telling them to drink lots of water, put on sunscreen or be careful. I think I drive them all nuts! So I try to stay out of the house or in our nice cool basement as much as possible.

On Friday there were a few yardsales (I love Friday yardsales!) So I headed out to see what was out there. I didn't find too much.

• A CD with old school hip hop music on it for $1.00 (great to download onto Ron's Ipod)


• Word Puzzles for my kids at school $.25


• The stuffed dog is actually the coolest find I found. (Aly if you're reading this please just act surprised when you see it at your babyshower). The woman at the yardsale was a teacher and was telling me her and her family donate to the humane society. I guess with one of their donations came back this cute stuffed dog. Well they never played with it it just sat on a shelf and then came to live at my house for $.25. My dear friend Aly is having a baby and we are throwing her a shower on the 31st. Her nursery theme is doggies and her and her husband are very involved in the humane society. I thought what a great addition to her shower gift.

I went to another tent sale (another tip from my dear friend Aly). It had some okay stuff. I mostly checked out the clothes. They were 3 items for a $1.00 but the guy working the sale told me that the clothes were his friends ex which he never liked so he tried to get me to steal them! I guess this guy was not such a good friend. I refused to steal them but he gave me a great deal. I got 7 clothing items for $2.00. I didn't take a picture of all of them. But they were all brand name items like Banana Republic, Gap, etc. I did take a picture of this great sweater from there though. I think im going to sell it on ebay for $2.00 to get my $$ back. Beautiful Ralph Lauren sweater, I think its barely been worn. Its not really me, but I think its beautiful. Be on the lookout on ebay if you're interested.

Thrifty Finds

So mom and I went out last weekend to do some dump picking and thrift storing. I love picking with my mom at the dump, she always finds the best stuff. Im still trying to convince her it is safe to crawl up the wood pile, to get great wooden pieces. Here are my finds. A super cute 4th of July wooden sign, two brand new packs of playing cards still in the packaging, and my favorite find an old green wooden box that says Poland Springs on it. Im going to paint it green and put my outdoor cushions in it.

We then out to the Flea Market out in Fryeburg. My mom found a tin picnic basket that goes with her collection and a great decorating book. I found squat. The next stop was our favorite doggy thrift store

• Country Gardens magazine for .50
• Round pillow (with a $20.00 tag on it) for $2.00
• Yankee Candle Tapers $1.00
• Gingerbread cutting board $1.50

Total $5.00

Decoration Redo

I painted that thing I got at the dump an antique white and put it on the mantel .. what do we think?

BEFORE

AFTER

Hubby says after a while our house will just be black and white. I agree with him but I can't help it, i love how clean and crisp it looks.

I've Found a Reason to Like Home Improvement Projects

So I now love home improvement projects because.... you have an excuse to go to the dump multiple times a day and not look like a psycho. I went to the dump this morning and brought the trash. I found these for The Cat From Hell (T.C.F.H)

They are scratching posts, and I dont think they've ever been used. We are lucky T.C.F.H doesn't scratch furniture, but he does scratch carpet so these will hopefully deter him. My second trip to the dump with the roofing men was a little more successful. I found a wooden frame without any glass im going to paint it black and put something in it who knows what yet. I also found these metal drink holders for when you're sitting on the beach. I love 'em I almost bought some at a yardsale last year. Glad I waited!

I also found a trashbag full of fake flowers. Perfect so i can't kill them. They actually look very realistic. I got sick of the dumpstore and the wood pile while I was waiting for the men. I found some pretty queen anne's lace and black eyed susans and picked a few. Dad and Hubby were a little embarrassed I was picking flowers at the dump, but oh well I put them in this milky white vase I got at the dump a few months ago. How cute!

Love of My Life

Bailey is the love of my life. I know he can be naughty sometimes, like when I have to chase him down the street in my PJs after the plow truck, or when he ate a whole bag of mini chocolate bars and a stick of butter, or when he took the baseboards off in the basement to use them as a chew toy. But I still love him to pieces.

We've been eating in the basement lately, and Bailey knows he has to stay away from the dinner table (HUGE BEGGER). So here is how he did that.

A 70lb. black lab cannot army crawl quietly down the stairs. He did try his best though. See the evil cat in the background nothing human can have eyes like that.

Tick Tock

Here is my clock transformation

BEFORE (sorry bad pic) /After

I still need to find a spot for it but isn't it great! I think it looks very old French decorish.

Frugal Thoughts

So I've been reflecting alot on my frugalness. It took me a long time to come out of the closet about dump picking, yard saling, and thrift shopping. It wasn't that I was imbaressed about it, i've been doing it my whole life, I think i was more worried what others would say. I have to admit i'm extremely impressed my friends are yard salers (or slowly turning into them) and so is my mother in law. I'm still working on making them dump pickers. but it could be a while for that ;).


Anywho I was chatting with a friend the other night, she exclaimed you always find great stuff (which is really sweet and made my day). I went home and thought about it. I wade through alot of shit, I mean ALOT of shit to get the good stuff. If I sat down and counted how many yardsales I've gone to or how many thrift stores i've left empty handed it would be in the millions. I wish it was as easy as showing up at that one yardsale a weekend that has thousands of stuff you love for under $1.00. But in reality there are alot of people out there who consider their old disgusting shit "antique".


Many of my friends are like "why waste the time?" my best friend cannot understand how I put in so much time to thrifting. But its the hunt and the chase. I have a list of stuff im looking for, and when I find what im looking for for super super cheap im estatic! I get more excited then if I had won a $1,000 dollars. I then have to call my mother who appreciates the thrill of the hunt. Like the time I found Tiffany and Co. glasses at the dump. Ahhh that day will go down in dumpster diving history. Okay enough blabbing here are my recent finds at the thrift store.

• Skirt is Ann Taylor $1.00 (currently being sold on Ebay)
• Brand new dress from April Cornell with $80.00 tags on it $2.00 also being sold on Ebay.
• Two items not pictured: white blouse (when i can fit my huge boobs into it again will be mine) and a denim skirt from Lands End.

Happy Sunday!

Saturday Finds

Today I am linking up to Rhoda's party over at http://southernhospitalityblog.com/

As my mom says it has been "hotter than the hinges of hell" here on Fairview Ave. Bailey and I have been camped out in the basement playing with the new sewing machine. I made some curtains for the basement. I definitely cannot sew in a straight line put I was pretty impressed I could thread the needle and the bobbin. Not too bad for my first pair. Hubby thought it made the basement look homey. I agree. Better than looking out at the nasty ground.

So it finally rained today to make the hinges of hell not so hot. Hubby and I went to two yard sales this morning. Even though it was raining we found some good deals.

Yard Sale #1

• Jumble book $1.00- I love doing the jumbles in the paper, so this book has over a 100 of them and it has never been used. Im also thinking of giving it to me dad when he goes in for his hernea surgery. He likes them too!
• Brad Paisley 5th Gear CD $2.00. Hubby is now always on the look out for CDs at yard sales to down load onto his Ipod. I agree when Itunes songs are $1.29 a piece and you can buy a perfectly good CD for $2.00 and then resell it at our annual yard sale for $1.00

Yard Sale #2 (these people had their house pending a sale if it was not pending I would have put an offer on it right away, it was adorable and in a great location... It would not be unusual for my family to buy a house at a yard sale. About 20 yrs. ago (probably longer than that) my mom went to a yard sale and ended up buying the house. Scary how those genes carry over :) )

• Two brand new light switches with dimmers for $1.00 a piece. That was all hubby he said they normally go for $20.00 a piece.
• Vera Bradley runner $1.00
• Brand new in packaging Christmas Elvis Presley CD .$50. I love christmas music and have a secret love for the king :)
• Eucaliptis (I think) wreath $.50
• Country Living Handmade Wreaths book $.25
• and probably my favorite find a hand thrown and painted mug with a moose on it for $.25. Our local coffee shop carries them for $25.00 and I just love them but am too cheap to pay the price. I think this one may be from there. I adore it!

Grand Total $7.50 pretty good for a rainy Saturday :)

Trash to Treasures Finds

Here are my finds at the dump on Tuesday. My friend Veta showed up while I was at the dump store it was so nice to chat and pick with her.

• I love the hooked pillows, I think im going to give them a good wash (loveee that the cases come off the pillows) and see if my mom wants them.
• Super cute lamp with bulb that works!
• Reproduction painting on canvas
• Sneakers

Okay let me explain the sneakers. First of all they look like they've never been worn. Sneakers are super expensive in my book. I will not be wearing them, but the PE teacher at my school collects gentlely used sneakers incase the students don't own any or forgot them on PE day. So these sneakers will be joining her collection at school.

My Friday Finds

On Friday I went with my mom and her two friends over to Bridgeton Maine to do some thrifting. I thought I was a dedicated thrifter these two ladies have me beat! We shopped some dumps (one you even had to purchase things from the dump store!), a few yard sales, a few antique stores, and a thrift store. We barely stopped for lunch. I was so exhausted when I got home that I had to take a nap!

You can't probably see it but I got garland at the dump to beef up my mantel

This is going to get a good coat of off white paint.Im going to spray paint the clock black. I love the baby sled for baby Danforth, An old florist frog, and a tin tray. Please excuse the mess in the mud room.

BUT MY FAVORITE FIND OF ALL TIME......

My friends Josh and Aly have been looking for a scotch drinking chair for their new house. I found this baby at a yard sale with a price tag of $100.00. I couldn't get ahold of them so I didn't buy it the first time. But they called me during lunch and I went back to the yard sale and thank god it was still there. It is a soft leather chair, it is fantastic. I got them down to $75.00 and then played the pregnancy card and got it down to $65.00. I just love it and so do they! Now I have a list of items they would like to go with the scotch chair! It barely fit in the car I had to ride home from Maine sitting in the chair in the back of my mom's suv.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!!

Decorating with thrifty finds

I paid $1.00 for the glass vase at the doggy thrift store

I paid $2.00 for the fake fruit at the other doggy thrift store.

and ta da here it......(sorry for the bad picture)

Tomorrow my mom and I and a couple of her friends are going thrifting in Bridgton Maine. It is going to be so much fun! We have bbqs all weekend so i probably wont be able to post my great weekend finds until monday!