Don’t choke because I’m here two days in a row, okay? Thanks. I would hate to be the cause of esophagus distress, or irritated sinuses because you sprayed your coffee on your poor keyboard. Keyboards have it hard enough already. …Oh I guess it was two days ago, so no worries.
So, lots of people tell me they have trouble thrift store shopping. I have shared some tips before.
I have come to realize there are actually a few different levels of thrift shopping success:
1. I am so happy I found this item, I know just what to do with it!
2. This is awesome! I have no idea what to do with it but I’m getting it anyway.
If you come across the category-
3. Hmmm. This is neat but I don’t know what I would do with it.
-you might consider leaving that item behind. Or at least pull up Pinterest on your mobile device and see if you can copy someone else’s ingenious idea which they copied from someone else!
If I was clueless, wishy-washy or undecided about an item and purchase it anyway, I often end up finding no use for it and regret buying it. But if it was something on my thrifting list, or something I immediately loved, I’ll always find something to do with it. So I am getting even better at predicting that level of success and knowing when I need to walk away from something.
So here are some successful items from recent trips. First, from a trip with a friend to the antique stores in town…
And where they found fulfilling employment around the house…
These are the things that fit into the “I am so glad I found this, I know just what to do with it!” category…
I also got some scrabble tile letters I didn’t show in the original picture…
I had used a white board for my weekly menu but it was getting grungy and looking messy, so I copied this pin. I especially love my version because my meals are written on restaurant order slips. I feel like such a waitress. It’s a life dream of mine to be a waitress. For someone NOT related to me.
This one was a “This is awesome, I have no idea what I’m going to do with it but I’m getting it anyway” item…
It is a an old wooden stamp that was used for stamping textiles. If you search “textile stamp” on Etsy you will find many. This one happens to be pretty large and also sports a quite trendy chevron pattern. I splurged on it because I knew if I decided to resell it I could easily make a profit. It’s a fun addition to my crafting supplies, and I may actually use it for some projects! It’s a keeper.
This was an instant love at a thrift store on a different trip…
Instant love for Susie’s room, even though I don’t really have a place for it since the kiddos are sharing a room right now. But I spray painted the frame white and stuck it on the wall in her lower bunk. I’m sure it will have a great place when she has her own room someday. $14. I am a sucker for educational posters.
These bowls were something I’ve been thrifting for and not finding lately and I found tons at an estate sale…
All for $5. Score! I think I will have them be our everyday bowls since I have so many now.
Okay, now a couple examples from the “I love this but don’t know what to do with it” category…
A Restoration Hardware vase that I thrifted for $1.99 which actually used to be silver. I finally spray painted it with some primer and then glossy “biscuit” white and as soon as I did, and it was drying in the garage, I suddenly envisioned my paint brushes in it. Love it. But it took buying it and waiting for it to settle down and find a purpose somewhere.
And I found a super use for one of my many jelly jars found at a yard sale which have been holding random candles or just empty, stacked in the cupboard (though cute, even then)…
In this pin I happened to notice from afar that she used a jelly jar and its lid for a salt dish (see it way over on the left? it’s also in a later picture on that post). <3. I instantly ran and got mine and did the same and I love it. Now it doesn’t get food splattered in it and get crusty.
So anyway, there you have it; some thrifted items put to good use. Do you enjoy thrift store shopping? Do you find good things and put them to use or are you still stuck in the sometimes paralyzing “I don’t know what to do with this but I like it” phase?
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