Thrifty Finds #3

Good morning!  This past weekend, I went out to the thrift stores to see if there were any treasures to be found.  I did come home with a few.

I may have mentioned before, but right next to my house is a strip mall of thrift stores.  I think that there are about 10 all right next to each other.  Including Bargain Hunters.  It is a store that is owned and operated by stars of the hit T.V. show Storage Wars. Their prices are a little high for me, but I always go in just to see what they have.  Next time I go, I will take some photos for you!

As I was walking around one of the stores, I spotted this adorable milk glass bunny dish.  I looked at, but put it back. 

When I turned the corner, there was another little milk glass dish.  This time, it was a chicken.  I figured it was destiny stepping in saying "Please take home these lonely little animals!"

I paid full blown retail for them, but that's okay!  Not everything in my collection needs to be a steal. 

I also scored some more milk glass bowls.  I can never have too many!  These ones I believe are from an old mixer.  They are made by Hamilton Beach.

The last thing that came home with me was an Ironstone bowl.  I was kind of shocked to find this.  I used to find Ironstone in all of the Goodwills in Portland.  Here, they barely have a dish section in the stores, let alone Ironstone. I might have done a little happy dance right there in the store!!!

 

 

XOXO

Wendy

Letting Go

Today was such a bittersweet day for me.  You see, today I sold the very first thing that I ever painted.  To date, it's still my most favorite piece.  You just may see a dresser, but to me, it's so much more.  It was the beginning of something that I became so passionate about. 

I don't have a picture of the before.  I never in a million years thought that I would document the furniture that I painted. I was just trying to find a hobby.

 The sale kinda happened fast, so I only got to snap a few pictures before the buyer arrived.

When we made the big move, we went from 2500 sqft. to 1500 sqft.  Unfortunatly, we didn't have room for a lot of stuff. There was no place for the dresser to go.  I decided that I would try to put it on the back patio, but it was just getting ruined out there, so I put it on Craig's List.  I got a text that day saying the buyer wanted to look at it.(insert sad face)

 



 

 

The second my dresser left, I had seller's remorse.  I know that it went to a good home, so that made it a lot easier.  I'm just glad that someone else gets to enjoy it!

XOXO
Wendy

From Drab to Fab

Hello furniture friends.  Today, I have yet another end table to show you.  I have had this one a long time.  I actually bought it for one sole purpose.  It had casters on it, and I wanted to use it as a platform for other tables.  It made it easy to turn my projects while painting them.  I paid 5 bucks for it at the local Goodwill.  I kinda forgot about it until I went by side of the house and there it was just sitting there being used as a spider mansion and apparently, a spider labor and delivery unit.  Gross!

Here is the before.

 

 

 

This table was so filthy that it took two cloths to get it clean.  My skin was crawling.  I thought that it was going to need more work than it took. To my surprise, the legs were just a little wobbly.  Nothing that a screwdriver couldn't fix.

 

I don't claim to be a psychic, but I could predict that this table was a bleeder.  I knew that this was going to need at least one coat of primer.  Sure enough, I could see the red coming through the primer.  I gave it another coat just to be safe.  Then, I gave it one coat of a dark grey that I had on hand.  It was an oops by Behr.  This is probably the best paint that I have ever worked with. It gave so much coverage, that I only needed the one coat.  I then distressed it, used a white glaze, and put a coat of wax on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot what cute details this little table has.  It's funny how you think that a project is gonna give you trouble and it actually ends up being pretty easy.  I guess, not so funny when it's the other way around...

 

XOXO

Wendy







The Slow Down

Long time no post, huh?  Since moving to San Diego a few months ago, I have noticed a huge change in my furniture selling.  Extremely slow:(  I have no idea if it's the colors and style that I use or something else...  In the three months that I have lived here, I have only sold 3 pieces.  It's okay though, I will keep chugging along.

I found this little table at one of the thrift stores in my area.  It needed a little TLC and was in my price range, so it came home with me.

I gave it a quick sanding, and then painted it with a medium grey that I had on hand.  Next, I whitewashed it, and then distressed it.  It was my first time distressing something that I have whitewashed.  To be honest, I prefer it without the distressing.  I used my favorite contact paper to line the back of it.  And then I protected it by using a paste wax.

Here is the after.

Sorry that the pictures are so boring.  This was one of the pieces that sold.  And it sold faster than expected, so these are the Craig's List photos from my cell phone.

I do have a exciting piece that I am starting to work on.  It's going to take a lot of work.  The veneer is coming off in some of the places, but is really on there on other parts.  I am going to have to get my iron and elbow grease out!

XOXO

Wendy

Blue and White Desk

Hi Everyone!  I am excited to show you this next project.  This is my first desk.  I have no idea why it took me so long.  I have come across tons of them that were so cheap, but I seemed to always pass them up for an end table or small dresser.  I guess that I get comfortable with what I know.  I found this little Broyhill desk at Goodwill.

I had to do some repairs to this guy.  There was a chunk of wood missing from the side.  It just needed a little wood filler.  I needed  to do four layers to get an even look.

Here is the after.

I learned my lesson from my last table.  When in doubt, PRIME!!!  I primed the whole piece and then mixed together a bunch of whites that I had to make my chalk paint.

My plan was to put a stripe on this desk, but the more I looked at it, the more I wanted it girly.  I put two coats of paint on, and then using dark blue paint, stenciled the drawers. 

 

I have yet to wax it down.  I still have not decided if I should glaze it or not. What do you think?

 

 

XOXO
Wendy

Thrifty Finds #2

Hi thrifty friends!  I wanted to hit up a few yard sales this past weekend, but as always, I got off to a late start, so I spent my free time at some thrift shops. 

 I also went into a new thrift shop that is owned by people who go to storage auctions.  There was nothing there for me, but so much cool stuff.  The furniture is kind of spendy, but super nice.  Wouldn't it be fun to go to one?

Here is my haul from Saturday.

Does anyone know what these are?  I think that they might be salt and pepper shakers sans their tops??

I paid three dollars for the set.  Score!!!

Waiting for me at the Salvation Army was this cute little bowl.  I didn't have one this shape, so I snatched this up right away. It's always exciting to find a new one. With a price tag of 50 cents, you can't go wrong!

The last one that I found, was a little custard dish.  It was 1 dollar.  I have 7 like this one already, but my weakness for milk glass prevailed once again!

Now, this is one of those finds that is not so thrifty.  I bought a table from the Goodwill, but I forgot to bring cash.  They had a minium of 5 dollars, and my table was 4.99.  I grabbed this picture frame for 5 bucks.  Still less than I would pay for it brand new, but more than I would have liked to spend.  Lesson learned!  Always bring cash!!!

Purple is not my color, but with a little spray paint and glaze, I can make it fit into my house.

I was driving by my local Salvation Army today and saw that they are having a 75% off sale. I might just have to sneak in!!!

XOXO
Wendy

The Trouble Maker

Happy Monday! How was every one's weekend?  We had a nice relaxing one here.  I did my normal thrift shopping on Saturday.  It's my 2 hours of getting away each week. Having a couple of hours to myself really re energizes me.

My first stop was Goodwill.  It's a really small, but extremely clean store. Actually, the cleanest Goodwill that I have ever been to.  You know how thrift stores usually have that musty smell?  This store does not!

I came out with a few treasures.  The first thing I found was this adorable Drexel accent table.  My first thought was this is such a sweet simple table.  It should take me no time at all...  I was wrong!

This little monster was a pain in the butt.  It soaked up paint like no tomorrow.  Normally, I don't prime if I am using chalk paint.  This piece really should have been primed.  I noticed right away that the paint was being soaked up, but I kept on painting.  It ended up taking 4 coats, and it still wasn't completely covered... Grrr...

I am working on a desk right now, and I wanted to add a grain sack stripe to it, but I have never done it.  I thought since this is such a small table that it would be my practice test.  I wanted a white stripe, but I accidentally grabbed grey paint.  I did not notice until it was too late.  My fault for doing it when it was getting dark outside.  After all the trouble it gave me, I was not about to redo it.  Yellow and grey go together anyway.

Here is the after.

 

 

 After all my frustration, I am finally happy with it.  They can't all be easy right?  What fun would that be???

XOXO
Wendy