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Junk Sale

February 13, 2010 jennifer Happy Finds

I always complain that there aren’t enough junk/thrift sales around here. My husband emailed me an online advertisement for one taking place this weekend, so I had to go.

And, crazy woman that I am, I loaded up 8 children (yes, all 8 of them) and went.
I arrived on day two, and I was one of two, yes two, customers there. I’m guessing that a lot of stuff went yesterday, but the advantage to going today was that most items were at least half of what they were yesterday, and all the things marked $5 were now $1. All of yesterday’s $1.oo items were free today.

For $35, here’s what I scored:

The “watch children” sign is at least 2 feet square. It makes me laugh out loud! Don’t you think that a woman with 8 children should have a sign like this? I’m not sure yet where I’ll put it, but I believe it’s found an appropriate home.

I got the set of vintage blue canisters for $5. They’re in great condition, and they’re my color! I also scored some vintage glass jars, most of them blue and one that is clear. Two of them are really big, one of which came with a vintage metal lid on it. The large ones were $5 and the other four cost only $1 each. I’m so excited to clean them out and put flowers in them.

This set of vintage plastic letters was wrapped in saran wrap and I snagged them all for just $1.

They’re about 12 inches tall, and should be fun to use somehow. I know I’ll use one of the J’s for sure, but because I have multiples of all of them, shout out if you see one you could use! I’m serious here, I think that someone besides my two sisters reads this blog, so speak up! In front of the letters is a vintage glass shelf that was in the “free” pile, so I snagged it. It has potential, I promise. Remember my pink mirror . Hiding somewhere in all that stuff is a shelf and two candle holders that mount on a wall which were also free. Paint can fix anything!

In addition to these things, there was a box of little glass medicine bottles with droppers. They’ve never been used. I grabbed it for $1, knowing there will be something great to use them for at some point in time.

Also from the “free” pile, I grabbed some old sports equipment: youth football pads, an old football helmet, a batting hat for baseball, an old football jersey, and an old hockey goalie mask. I figure at the very least I can clean them and put them in the Halloween costume box, but I also think that the hockey mask might look cool in one of my son’s rooms.

Just for fun, here’s a picture of some of the huge, cool old signs that were hanging in the building on this guy’s property. They were fun to look at.

And thus ended my one hour thrifting spree with 8 children in tow. Now I’ve got to get cleaning! Hope you’re having a great Saturday!

6 comments 8 kids, blue, thrifty, vintage

Placemat to Pillow: DIY

February 6, 2010 jennifer Decorating, Quilting and Sewing

I was on the hunt for pillows with some turquoise in them when I found these placemats on clearance at TJ Maxx.

I liked the colors and the pattern but I didn’t need more table linens. And then I thought: wait, there are four of them. Why not make pillows with them?! So they came home with me.

I already had some 11 by 14 inch pillow forms in my basement. They were the perfect size. I didn’t want to cut up the placemats because the seams would be so thick. I also liked the back and the gentle scallop around the edges.

So I decided to just sew the pillow inside the two placemats. If I ever get tired of them, I’ll just unpick the seams and have placemats again. It was the easiest pillow I ever made (as in, 5 minutes per pillow.)

I figured out where on the placemats I needed my seams to be so the opening would be the right size. Then I simply sewed the placemats together on three sides, leaving one of the narrow ends open.

Then I simply stuffed the pillow form inside.

I carefully sewed the opening shut, making sure I didn’t sew the pillow form into the seam at all.

That’s it! Done.

Nobody would ever guess that these were clearanced placemats. They’re perfect for my space, and they have a nice shape to them BECAUSE of the floppy scalloped edges all around.

The fact that you can see the striped back if you peek only adds to the charm.

You can’t beat $4.00 per pillow, either! As far as I’m concerned, it’s a success all around. It was inexpensive, I used materials on hand (pillow inserts), it was quick (10 minutes) and I was able to be creative. My new pillows are now at home in this room .

Try it sometime! They’re fun and easy to make.
This post is linked to Kimba’s DIY Day .

4 comments blue, Decorating, DIY, sewing, thrifty

Lucky

February 5, 2010 jennifer Happy Finds

Sometimes things are purely a matter of location and timing. I was in TJ Maxx this week looking for something specific (that they DIDN’T have) when I came across a lovely cable knit blanket in the clearance section that had no tag on it. On a whim, I took it to the registers with me to see if they could come up with a decent price.

Well, while I waited in line I noticed the manager talking to an employee about markdowns and moving merchandise and so forth. He seemed a little anxious about it all. When it was my turn to pay, I showed them the blanket, pointed out several snags in it but also acknowledged that it was very clean and much of it looks great. Well, the cashier took it to the manager I’d overheard and asked him for a price…..

“Three dollars.” he said.

I pretended like I wasn’t shocked it was so little and happily said I’d take it. Three dollars! It’s so pretty! It’s really light weight, and I love the pattern on it. My favorite thing, though, is the contrasting twill trim around the edges. Seriously? Three dollars? It would have cost at least twice that if I’d found it at the thrift store!

So my couch is now sporting a lovely new blanket that is a perfect weight for spring. I’ve been thinking it would be nice to have a cream or white colored blanket. Sure, it has some flaws, but that simply means I don’t have to feel so bugged when my children add to those flaws as soon as they notice its existence. That’s the best use I’ve made of $3 in a long time! Fun!

2 comments thrifty

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