Showing posts with label Vintage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vintage. Show all posts

Friday, August 12, 2011

My Day Thrifting

A couple of days ago, I got the urge to go vintage shopping. I arranged to spend the day with my mom today & that's what we planned to do - go to every thrift shop, antique shop, & second hand store we could in one day. What a fun day we had!!

We started out at Value Village & the Salvation Army thrift store. We found a few little goodies. Then we moved on to the big dogs.

We headed to Creekside Country & Antiques. What a charming little shop! Here's a few tidbits from our visit: 



We really liked how she would put things like game pieces & puzzle pieces on display.





Her store was displayed so attractively! She definitely has a knack for it!



The pretty antique looking bracelet my mom got there:

The one nearest to her hand
Then we went hard core antiquing. You know the kind... dusty, piles of collectables, the places you have to hunt to find the little treasures you didn't know you wanted until they leap out at you.

Here were some favourite finds:

This guy's prices were OUTLANDISHLY high or I may have made an offer on this beauty.

Antique library card holder

We stopped at Calories for lunch & ate light so we'd have room for dessert. We were at CALORIES after all! 

My salad

Mom's super yummy mushroom soup!

Dessert case - how do you choose?!

Apparently you ask your server what's good... funny story... read on.

Funny side story: Mom & I had decided what we wanted for dessert & when we told our server he calmly said, "Disappointing choices, ladies." To which we started laughing & asked him what he suggested. The above were his suggestions. Mom had the carrot cake & I had the toffee cheesecake. They were both fabulous!

After fortifying ourselves with desserts, we marched on. This next store was my favourite, even though I didn't buy anything. It was a feast for the eyes!

Here are some delectable images from Past & Present Antique Shop:

This guy's prices were quite high. I'd like to barter with him to see if he would be willing to bring them down to the reasonable category. His store is PACKED with goodies. Don't go if you're in a rush. You need time to appreciate this place.


Stacks of old luggage... I now have a hankering to start a collection of old suitcases!


I'm a sucker for anything turquoise! 

Great old radios

Again with the turquoise.

More old suitcases & a pretty chenille bedspread.

This "Elevator" sign intrigued me. I wonder what old building it came from?

Look at that HUGE bass drum!
My mom was tickled to find something she already owned. Guess how much SHE payed for hers?? Hint: it starts with 50 & ends with cents. Let's hear it for garage sales!!


Check out all these vintage phones. What colour would you pick?





 After a fun day of epic proportions, here's what I came home with:


Chair: $12!! (Major score of the day)
Sleeping Beauty Record: .50 cents 
Vintage postal scale: $10
Black & White photo: free with purchase of above scale
Vintage silver clutch purse: $3.99
Wire basket: $3.99
Colourful crochet thread - big bag full: $1.99

I will definitely be going "thrifting" more often. I love the history of the objects I see. Wondering where they came from... Who's houses did they decorate?... Who bought this brand new? And I love the eclectic look the items add to my decor. 

If you would like to see what I did with my goodies click here and here.

I hope you enjoyed my day thrifting almost as much as I did!

~Steph

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Vintage finds

I quite enjoy vintage-y type things. Not just anything vintage, but something that fits my style or that I can see some potential in. I haven't been thrifting / antiquing / flea marketing / garage saling / buying on Kijiji for a while but today I have resolved to do it again soon.

The last time I went out, I found a couple of little treasures. This one is perfect as is.  It's just a little fellow. I think I paid .50 cents for it. Don't you just love the swirl effect?


It now sits on my front entrance table. It's perfect for catching a few coins from someone's pocket. It would also be pretty on a lady's dresser to catch rings.


The other thing I found that same day was an adorable owl. I'm crazy for all things owl these days. They are (usually) just so cute! So I found this guy in the thrift store & could see the potential for something great. 

Before

My mom (an interior decorator) had got me thinking about taking things that have been painted in a busy, fussy way in the past & spray painting them in a solid colour. So, guess who my first victim was? You guessed it... this wonderful fellow. Check out the transformation with just a few coats of white spray paint. 

After

I have him sitting on some books in my bookcase. He is sitting on a book, after all, so it seemed fitting. 

I find inspiration for vintage finds in a couple of magazines from Better Homes & Gardens. They put out some great special issues several times a year. One title is 100 ideas: Makeover Style. Another is Do It Yourself.

Do you like to buy second hand? What are some of your favourite finds?


Blogging tips