Thrift Score!

I know a lot of people are really skeptical about whether there's really anything good to be had at the thrift store. While it's true that I do come home empty handed sometimes, I find really cool store more often than you might imagine.

Thrift store yarn score.

I thought I'd share my latest haul with ya'll, a ginormous stash of mostly wool and cotton yarn, for around ten bucks total. One ball of pink and orange cotton yarn still had a tag on it, which said $12. (There were 6 large balls of it. My picture is terrible, but it's beautiful hand dyed yarn)

I broke my self imposed yarn buying fast, just this once...

Cupcake Stand from Goodwill Plates

I picked up some pretty yellow plates at Goodwill the other day, and together with a couple of candle holders from the dollar store, put together this neat cupcake stand.



Total cost on this project was around $4. I can't wait to use it this spring.

Placemats and Napkins For the Little Hostess

This year for Christmas, V is going to be getting a nice little wooden kitchen. I've decided to run with that theme, and make her some felt food, and other accessories to go with it. I just finished making her a set of little placemats and teeny little cloth napkins out of this cool thrifted vintage fabric. She's sort of obsessed with tea parties. Now I just need to find her a functional (and nonbreakable,) little pitcher and some cups. I'm leaning toward ordering her a little set from Tupperware.



This was one of the last projects I completed with my wonky old sewing machine, before getting a new one for my birthday. I'm looking forward to turning out some projects with straight seams for a change...


(By the way, if you're in the market for a toy kitchen, we picked ours up on clearance at Tuesday morning for around $60. We were excited to get such a good deal on such a nice little kitchen.)

Finding New Uses for Old Things

Years ago, my mom gave me a couple of green glass candy dishes that had belonged to my grandmother. They're nothing fancy, not depression glass, but rather pressed glass, apparently from the 60's and 70's. They're pretty, and inexpensive, and easy to find. You can find similar pieces at nearly any thrift store for a few bucks. Anyways I sort of started collecting them, and before I knew it, everyone was keeping an eye out for new pieces to add to my collection. Over the years, I had amassed a whole cabinet full of stuff, which wasn't really doing anything but collecting dust.



I recently decided I needed my cabinet space back, so I could hide the sewing machine and serger from the kids, who were always messing with them. I decided to actually start using all the glassware. I threw out our plastic cups in the kitchen, and moved in the green set. I filled bowls with seashells and rock collections, and scattered them around the house. I also used the candy dishes, and wine glasses, and so on to organize our office supplies on this shelf above the desk. The results are pretty, I think, and also functional, since it's easy to find everything now.
I used to be a pretty avid collector of useless dodads, but I've been phasing them out these last few years. There's just not room for it all.
(My book collecting, er hoarding is a different post, though...)



So what do you like to collect?

A Thrift Store Primer for Reluctant Shoppers...

Some people are afraid of thrift stores. Maybe your mom used to drag you to Salvation Army to buy scratchy double knit bell bottoms when you were a kid. Maybe you think they're dirty or smelly, or full of only broken, worn out stuff.
It's true, you can still find some gnarly clothes at the thrift store, and yes some stores are kind of icky.
But most of them aren't. Goodwill is one of my favs. It's generally pretty clean and well organized, and it's often times where we look first, when we realize we need something, before we head off to Target or wherever.
There are a couple of "rules" that I might suggest to a newbie thrifter.

*Try not to take the kids along, especially if they're young. They'll run out of patience before your done looking. (Because it does take a while to search through what's available.) Believe me on this one...

*Try to allow yourself enough time. It's not Macy's or Barnes and Noble, after all. You're going to have to dig through piles of books, and racks of clothes.

*Don't go to Goodwill on 50% off day, unless you like that Black-Friday-at-Wal-Mart scene. It is nuts. You'll save a few bucks, but lose a few hours waiting in line, and probably some of your sanity. Not worth it.

*Take some hand sanitizer. Even if the store is clean, you're still talking about stuff that's been hanging around people's garage or storage shed for a while. Hand sanitizer will make you feel better.

*Wash everything when you get home. Clothes are obvious, but don't forget dolls, Legos, everything. (Ok, this might not be strictly necessary, but I'm kind of a germaphobe...)

So now, you may be asking, is it really worth it then? I'd say yes, it is.

If I were buying only new clothes for my kiddos, they'd have a modest sized wardrobe from Target or Ross. By buying at thrift stores, I'm able to buy nice, brand name clothes, for much less than that. I'm frequently able to resale these same clothes later, and get my money back. (No, I'm not a label snob, but clothes from the Gap, and Zutano, and Hanna Anderson really do wear and last longer than clothes from Wal Mart.) Last week, I picked up a like new, designer sweater coat for V, that retailed for $75 for $5. L got a pair of new looking cords from the Gap for $1.99. (Also if wearing "used" clothes gives you the heebie jeebies, consider this: that shirt you purchased at the mall was probably tried on several times. Technically speaking, it's "used" too...)

If I were buying only new toys for the kids, they wouldn't have many. New toys are expensive, and the kids cycle through them so quickly. By buying at thrift stores, I'm typically able get things the kids are interested in at a fraction of the retail cost. My son had been eyeing a Thomas the Train Lego set for about a year at Target. It's around $50. I recently found the whole set for $5 at Goodwill. When he's sick of it, I can sell it for at least five bucks, and get him something else. I am also forever finding new in the package, sealed toys, games and craft kits for a couple of dollars.

Finally, If I were only buying new books, the kids wouldn't have nearly as many of those either. By buying at the thrift store, I'm able to pick up new books, old classic books, craft books, and (new,)workbooks, for between .35 and .75 each. I LOVE to read, and this is huge for us.

Besides buying less in general, the other way to save money is to find the same stuff at better prices. Thrifting allows us to find the same stuff at better prices. Better than retail, better than a good sale, even better than clearance sales. Not quite as good as free, though... ;)