Sunday, November 22, 2015

Thrifting Love

Growing up,
I've always appreciated a love for old things.
Everything has a story,
and if things could talk,
what a story they could tell.
Many things located around our home has been bought at a thrift store
or at an antique shop.
(Of course, we've got plenty of Target things too!)
I love mixing new with the old.
It's what makes my home a home.
We're so lucky to have thrift stores and antique stores at almost every corner here in our town.
It makes shopping an adventure.
Every time we go there is something new,
of course we don't always buy things,
but there's something about going and looking.
 
Recently,
I found my girls a dresser for their room
We'd been searching for one and waiting for the right one paid off.
We went to big name brand furniture places and nothing called out to me.
There were a few that I liked well over +$450 for them.
And I was certain that I was going to settle for one.
We looked at ones from Ikea but I wanted something with character,
with charm,
something that I knew wasn't just manufactured and duplicated in thousands.
I was determined to just wait.
This past week,
I randomly went to one of our local thrift shops just to go look,
and bam!
There she stood.
A beautiful,
all wood,
natural,
unpainted dresser.
Just what I was looking for.
It had legs just like I wanted.
It was simple yet filled with character.
Did I mention,
it was super clean!
I went up to it and looked at the price and was sold immediately.
I knew she was coming home with me.
At only $130,
I knew I would not find another like it.
 
 
Below: She's home!
 

 
Above are some of my girl's lovely things.
A thrifted brass floral bowl.
A globe we bought at the flea market.
A vintage ABC book we bought at an antique shop.
(Btw, have you Mama's tried the breathe easy balm? We use it as one of our nightly routines and my girls love it. They know it's time to sleep when I massage some on them.)

 
 
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Below are also a few of my finds and why thrifting is so much fun!
 
I had been wanting a bentwood chair for my home for so long.
I thought I would never find one,
and finding one for a good price would be slim.
Boy, was I wrong.
I found 4 at $10 each and brought home 2.
They were all in perfect condition,
of course with little wear.
How I wish I had room for all of them,
but 2 will work for us.
 
 
And you can't forget thrift shopping vinyl records.
One of our local thrift stores sells all their records for $1.50 each and it's always a hit.
Especially when it comes to children's tunes.

 
Picture frames.
Where do I begin.
You never know what you will find when you look.
I found the one below for about $2
and replaced the picture with a copy of Monet's water lily painting.
(From one of my art books.)



 
I also found a drying rack for $3,
all wood.
Probably one of the best finds in my home.
Many don't know,
but I hand wash most of my girls clothes.
I would hand them all around our kitchen and wait for them to dry.
That was always a struggle and such an eyesore.
I had been needing one for a while and to be honest these can be pricy brand new.

 
I hope my girls grow up and find beauty in old things.
In used things.
In these little treasures.
 
Life isn't about having "new" things.
Who buys it first.
Or what's "in".
People get carried away and feel like they're the trend setters,
when many of the things they have are duplicated in the thousands.
These trends come and go,
and that's what makes thrifting fun.
Finding something and making it yours.
You turn what's old into something new.
And that's how I've slowly made our home a home.
If those little treasures could talk,
they'd talk of stories from other homes
and  they'd talk of new stories,
stories that we're making.
 
Remember:
 
"One man's trash,
is another man's treasure."
 
So go to your local flea market,
thrift store,
or antique shop,
and shop small.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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