Happily thrifty

If you know me at all, you are probably aware of my passion for all things thrifted and all sorts of hand-me-downs. Every now and then it hits me that my apartment is all mine! I get to do whatever I want to it and not ask permission from a single person! (Nope, not even my landlord- I'm of the 'ask forgiveness not permission' mindset!) However even with this aesthetic freedom, I don't necessarily have equal financial freedom- so I am becoming very familiar with our local thrift and second hand shops. I like to think of it as my own form of recycling. If you are local you should definitely check these places out!- or maybe don't... I don't want you to get all the good stuff before I do! (:

Last weekend my mom came to stay with me for a few days and it was a fantastic visit!! We especially had a lot of fun searching through the junk for treasures to adopt and bring home.

Here are some of those treasures I found last weekend (as well as some other goodies that joined my little home recently):

Our first stop was Second Time Around on Arch Ave. downtown- my goodness that place can be overwhelming! I seriously needed my mom to help me make any sense out of the piles! I had been in there a few times before and after walking in a few circles, I had to walk my little self right back out before the claustrophobia engulfed me.

I have needed salt and pepper shakers for a while- I had the generic Kroger pepper grinder (I refuse to use pre-ground pepper... ew) and a nice big container of Morton iodized salt on my shelf. Classy.

I picked up these cuties for $2!

I also got this frame for $2- it will be repurposed and hung... eventually (if you know me, you also know that these projects sometimes take a little while...)

This was my favorite find of the day--

Like I said- you have to dig to find treasures in this place. And I literally dug for this chair. I saw an arm and wondered what the rest of the chair looked like- so I pulled two or three chairs from on top of it and moved a few couches out of the way to set it out in the open and check it out. I could tell my mom wasn't crazy about it... but once I fall for something it's hard for me to walk away. So we decided what I would be willing to pay and I ran to get the lady to give me a price. I was totally set on talking her down and I threw in several comments about how I had to dig it out (a.k.a. dude, you didn't even know you had it! Come on!!) But when she set her price of $15 I was so happy I didn't even need to haggle. And this little friend came right on home with me (and it quickly grew on my mom).

(I am pretty sure the lady at Second Time Around and I are going to be good friends!)

Later that afternoon I remembered seeing a new thrift store on Broad Street- it is called Love of Jesus Thrift Store (yes, I chuckled when I heard the name too). But I was very happy with the few things I discovered there.

Sometimes I don't know why, but things just speak to me- and these were a few of those things.

I think this is actually for pasta, but I knew that I'd never eat that much spaghetti. However, Cheerios is a different matter! I took it home with me for $1. Heck yes!

I loved these 4 glass containers- $3 for the set, my friends! Right now they are trying really hard to be festive for Christmas (one is half full of silver christmas ornaments and the other is full of tinsel... The dollar section at Target ran out before I could fill the rest of them- sad day.)

I found the back two vases at Love of Jesus ($.50 each) and the front vase at the Salvation Army ($.50)- I think they make a cute little trio on my mantle! (And who knows, they might even be antiques!)

When I moved in the previous owners had left a pretty ugly couch and chair. It was definitely a blessing or I'd probably still be entertaining company on the floor- but man, you wouldn't believe how expensive slip covers can be! But not at Big Lots!! It is actually a pretty great place and I found this gem for only $30. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it, but I'm a pretty big fan and gosh it beats paying for a new couch!

My mom is so sweet- she surprised me with this pillow (it actually camouflages a strange hole behind the right cushion and the back of the couch that was driving her nuts)- it is perfect! The perfect colors (matching my beautiful wall color and new slip cover) and the perfect pattern!! Thanks Mama!

My very talented mother also made this pillow for me out of a pretty terrible set of curtains. Aren't those little rosettes adorable?? I saw them on a blog and Mom picked up the technique really fast!

This high-topped table and chairs were hand-me-downs from my house in Roanoke. I reaped the benefits of it getting tossed aside. It now sits in my kitchen and is the only legitimate place to sit and eat in my apartment.

I was tired of my place showing no sign of life- or the fact that I have lived or have any friends. So I finally printed some pictures and they fill frames throughout my rooms and cover the refrigerator. Look at those smiling faces (:

So my apartment is definitely still a process (like everything else in my life!!)... and sometimes it feels like a very slow process- but it's coming along and I am becoming very proud of my little home!! I'll keep you posted on the progress- there are a few projects in the works that I am very excited about!!

"But as for me and my household,

we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:15

Happy thrifting,

B