Fab Find Friday: What's in my Workshop

I have to admit, this blog has seen better days, but to be honest our mind is on other things...namely waiting for Baby Madia to show up! Today was my last day of work, so I am now officially on maternity leave. I celebrated with pedicure- classic OPI Red.

On to Fab Find Friday! My workshop has started to collect a number of items that I can't really do much with until I am without child and able to use my furniture stripper and paint products again. I probably have half a dozen projects waiting for a little TLC.

On the left is an industrial stool Chris and I picked up for $5 at a garage sale last weekend. I'm not sure where it will end up (Kitchen Island is currently in the lead), but it was too good of a deal to pass on. The item on the right was also a yardsale find. It's a wooden suitcase. I have never seen one before, not even at the antique shows. It has leather straps, and I have no idea what I will do with it, but that's half the fun right?

Weekend Find

I stopped by a garage sale on the weekend and found this really cute metal rack/planter/stand/I really don't have any idea what it is. When I asked the hosts how much, they said "10 cents, actually we'll give you a bag of cookies if you take it away." The garage sale was for charity, so I offered them a dollar and they gave me a bag of cookies and this lovely item. I don't know exactly what I am going to use it for, I think it would be a great stand for cupcakes if I had a bakery, but I do think a coat of bright spray paint is int its future! Right now I am thinking red or yellow, but we'll see!

Does this item look familiar to anyone? Anyone have any idea what it may have been used for in the past? Happy Wednesday!

A Tale of Two Quilts

We went to the Aberfoyle Spring Show on Saturday and managed to walk away with not one but two cutter quilts in fabulous condition! I love looking through cutters because I love the shabby chic-ness and the colours and patterns are usually my style.

Boy-Cat's favourite is a small square patchwork number that was in a $10 bin of cutters. I loved it and didn't even haggle!

The second quilt was found much later in the day. I had just taken my pick up slip to the loading area for the dresser we found (more on that later), and noticed this sweet quilt. When I asked for the price, the vendor said $25, which was half of what he really wanted. He asked if I wanted it and I said I would have to think about it as I had already bought another that day. He said $20 if I bought right now. At that moment Chris showed up with my other quilt and I told the guy I only spent $10 on the first one. He immediately said, alright let's do $10 and it's yours...I handed him a $10 bill and didn't bother mentioning I would have paid $15. It is absolutely beautiful and in great shape!

Community Yard Sale

On Saturday morning, we participated in the community yard sale in our town. It was awesome to be involved in something community related as well as get rid of some of the stuff we don't use anymore. Tricia and I showed up at about 6:30 to unload our stuff. We had great volunteers help move stuff to our tables, and then we set up. Here is a look at our tables just before the sale started.

Chris showed up to help as well, which was really nice. Probably the funniest story of the day was when he was chatting up a local couple who were interested in my wooden boat shelves, and then I sold them to someone else before he could finish his conversation. I felt really bad! 

As they always say "One Man's Trash is Another's Treasure", we ended up doing some shopping while we were there as well. We found this sweet rocking horse that we thought would be an awesome addition to the Nursery as well as a brand new play yard, the high chair we had registered for, a Sleep Sheep and a some organizers for the closet. All in all I think I probably broke even or made a few dollars when I compare what I sold to what we bought, but we got some great deals! 

Tips for Hosting a Yard Sale:

1. Ask a friend to help- having Tricia organize the table while I priced things out was awesome, plus when things get busy- you'll want an extra set of hands.

2. Price high and then slash prices as you go. At the sale we were at- table owners would whistle and then let the crowd know all items on their table were $1 or 50 cents!

3. Establish price floors- some people will offer you next to nothing for things. For larger items, I like to establish my lowest price in advance so I can stay firm when I am negotiating. I ended up bringing home our manual mower because I couldn't get what I want for it- I will sell it on Kijiji instead.

Sale Season

 It's quickly becoming my favourite time of year, the spring antique sale and flea market season!

Here are the dates for the big ones I am planning to attend:

April 26- Lambton Kingsway United Church Flea Market

May 3- Our community yard sale (I have two tables!)

May 10- Aberfoyle Spring Sale

May 24- Christie Antique Show

On the weekend I was introduced to an entirely new kind of sale: The Mom Sale! I was invited by a friend to a sale she goes to every year hosted by an association of parents of multiples. It is basically an indoor yard sale of kids stuff. I didn't know what to expect, but the deals were great! One of the items I was after was a play gym as I heard these are great for tummy time and early engagement. I picked up the one pictured below for $3!!! After a quick spin in the washing machine and some new batteries, it's as good as new.

Bedside Love

My bedside got a bit of a makeover last week when I moved the wooden crate to the newly renovated sitting room. I moved in this little side table (originally picked out of someone's garbage) from the craft room and hung the bunting from our wedding above our bed.

The little rug beside the bed is actually a small afghan my grandmother made me years ago. I have it folded in half so I have a cozy place to step out of bed in the morning. It's just the right amount of eclectic!

Favourite Spaces- Bathroom Corner

Although this room has a long way to go, and I have major plans including a full paint job and totally new light fixtures before Spring, I love this space. With the cold winter we've been having, I've spent many an evening soaking in our deep claw foot tub, which I hadn't really taken advantage of until now. I added the snowflake garland at Christmas time, and liked it so much I left it up. I think one of the reasons I like this space so much is it has so many treasures I've collected over the years, and everything has a story (like the old liquor bottle or the cracked Japanese china jar on the little shelf above the tub.

In the picture below, you can see the old metal hospital table that Chris negotiated at Christie a few years ago, a wash-stand given to my by close friends, a pretty tray I picked up at Aberfoyle, a vintage suitcase and old painting I found at Goodwill

Here is a close up of the pretty tray. I think I paid $6 for it, and loved it the moment I saw it. The frame is wooden and the tray is ceramic. No room would be complete in our house without a couple of fruit jars. I have also added an old first aid kit and tin of baby powder for good measure!

As you can see from the pictures above, I'm not the only one who likes this space. This is Missy Cat's favourite bathroom activity- catching drips on her nose. In our old house, we used to let the tap run for her, now we use an old enamel pan to catch her drips.

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you have a good weekend, we're going to see a good friend, and I am hoping to get some thrifting or antiquing in at some point, definitely in withdrawl this time of year!

Goodwill Hunting for Treasures

It's been a crazy week as exemplified by my lack of posting. I still want to get up a number of wedding posts, but I am waiting to receive my photos from my photographers. Yesterday before meeting my friends for dinner, I stopped into a Goodwill store for a quick peak at their Housewares and Furniture Section. Here are three of my favourite things that I didn't take home:


Top Left: Wooden Birdcage ($10), Top Right: Wooden Baby Sled ($15) Bottom: Wooden Bench with Storage ($15)
The pillows definitely would have been left behind or recovered!

 
We have a relaxing Saturday and busy Sunday ahead of us. We're going to Soupfest if the weather holds out, and I am looking forward to making some goodies with all the great veggies that showed up in this week's farm basket! Happy Weekend everyone:)

Things I Love: Folk Art Chicken

I love this little guy, I picked him up at a Salvation Army store years ago with my friend Dixie Anne. I unpacked the last few boxes from our move and this sweet chick was in one of them. I let out a squeal and immediately placed him on the hutch.

PS- you're getting a sneak peek of the new kitchen wall colour. I'll post the full before and after next week. 

Fab Find Friday: Aberfoyle Recap

I'm ending the week with my 200th post! Last weekend was Aberfoyle's spring sale, and as promised here are some of my favourite items from the show:

Chippy chicken coop chair, small wooden stool and cute Dove crate. I'm looking for a small wooden stool for my bathroom, but wasn't sold on these just yet!

Sweet industrial stools, shabby chic beauty desk, lovely mint accordion rack. I went back for the rack, but alas he was already scooped up...indecision sometimes leads to disappointment!

Popsicle molds, cute side table, the cupboard I almost bought and an old top-lifting  dry-sink

I don't have all the items I purchased that day photographed, but here are two of the bigger items I took home that day:

Beautiful milk-protein paint finished stool- the epitome of gorgeous patina. It is going to live in my kitchen!

Rustic Cupboard- will be refinished and used in my bathroom for storage!

The Aberfoyle spring show was excellent this year, and hopefully a sign of a great antiquing year ahead! Happy Victoria Day to all my Canadian readers. We have tons to do this weekend as it is my big Bridal Shower weekend next weekend and I will have my first out of town house guest!!!

Splurge or Save: Wicker Trunk

As you may recall, I purchased a large wicker trunk at the Flea Market a few weekends ago. I paid $5.

This weekend I went to the Aberfoyle Spring Sale and saw this guy with a $95 price tag!!! 

The moral of this story is, know the value of the items you're looking to buy and know what you're willing to spend before you approach a purchase (especially when there is room for negotiation). Dealers will have items priced differently because they paid different prices originally and because they have a history of selling items at certain prices. It's also a bit unfair to compare a flea market to an antique show. If you find something old, vintage, antique or just something you love at a flea market or thrift store- grab it! The price will be right and it won't be there for long. At an antique show, you should be prepared to pay a bit more.

I'll be back later in the week to show some of the items I loved as well as the ones that came home with me. Happy Monday:)

Fab Find Friday: Open Season

The Lambton Kingsway United Church Flea Market did not disappoint again this year. I was close to the front this year, so got a good look at the items before the sale opened. I only regret not being quick enough to grab a drafting lamp. Here's a look at my loot.

Wicker Trunk- $5
Old Mirror- $20
Yellow Euro Pillow Shams- $4 for the pair
Creamers- $1 each
China Plate- $0.25
Glass Jug- $1.00
Brooch and Earrings-$3.00
Vintage Tin- $0.25
Measuring Tapes and Lace- $1
Wooden Hoop- $0.50
Basket-$0.50
Tin Bucket- $0.50
Total: $37

Flea Market Essentials

Pictured:

• Purse with long strap so it can go across my body allowing me to have both hands free at all times.
• Cloth bag with long handles to hold all my small purchases
• Coin Purse. I keep a special coin purse for summer flea markets and yard sales. Chris doesn't like having change in his pockets so he graciously donates it to my yard sale fund which is WONDERFUL!
• Bun-jee cords. You never know when you're going to find something that won't fit in your car with the trunk closed!

 

Not Pictured

• Measuring Tape in my purse, always a good tool for making sure furniture will fit in the space you have at home.
• iPhone for capturing photos, negotiating with your Husband, looking up the value of items and referencing the never ending lists in your notes sections on items you're looking for.
• Light jacket that can fit in your purse or bag
• Snacks to tide you or a partner in crime over so you can make "just one more stop before lunch"!
• Comfortable shoes, rain boots are my go-to in the early spring!

 

Fab Find Friday: Vintage Suitcases

I found these sweet guys at Goodwill last weekend, and I just couldn't walk away. It was love at first sight. I'm still not sure entirely what I want to do with them, but that's typical. They were in gorgeous condition, and with a good douse of febreeze to the lining, they're fresh again! They are Constellation suitcases originating from the UK.

I am so excited for the weekend, I am heading to the annual Lambton-Kingsway United Church flea market. I always find great stuff, and cannot wait to check out this year's sale. Here's my post on what I found last year. I am also going to hit up a couple of estate/content sales on may way home. What are your plans? Have you started your flea market season?

37 Cents

Chris and I dropped off five boxes of stuff at goodwill yesterday! Of course part of the goodwill drop off is browsing what they're selling inside which is where I found this gem. It was priced at $1.50, but because red tagged items were an extra 75% off, this sweet vintage tray was 37 cents! I haven't figured out what I will do with it yet (what else is new) but I just loved its colours. I also picked up a bulletin board for the entryway and a small organizer for my craft room. Total bill was $5.87!

Pretty Storage

I'm a big fan of vintage tins and storage boxes, the chippier the better! Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they can also provide great storage options for your home. All of these were thrifted or picked up at an antique market. The majority of the time, they cost less than the generic plastic bins you can pick up at a big box store (they were all less than $5), and they add great character to your space. Functional pretty storage is always a plus in my books (especially when I am trying to find a home for all of our things)!

My yellow flower tin holds the cat toys and brushes. The pretty rose tin holds my cookie cutters.

The cracker tin holds my cake decorating supplies, and the basket holds tea. The basket is a Pottery Barn find from Value Village

Happy Monday everyone, hope you had a Happy Easter!

Fab Find Friday: Vintage Seam Binding

I treated myself to a quick value village trip this week on my way to my night class. I picked up a cute enamel tray for the bathroom and two bags of this vintage seam binding. I just loved the colours and packaging. Some of it is local and some from Japan! I can't wait to put it to use in a craft project soon. There was a scrap of it wound around a 1979 calendar which helped take the guessing out of how old it is:)

Happy Friday! It's the last weekend before we move, so we'll be waist deep in boxes:)

Fab Find Friday: Coming Up Roses

In the spirit of Valentine's Day. I have this sweet vintage tin as this week's fab find! I picked this up a couple of weeks ago for $5. I love vintage tins and use them as storage boxes throughout my house. You can usually get a good deal at yard sales and flea markets if you're willing to dig through their box of miscellaneous tins! I loved the colours on this one, and loved that the sides of the tin were also decorated in a sweet floral pattern!

Happy Friday! The big news I had to share this week, is finally confirmed- Chris and I are homeowners! We purchased a sweet cottage style home that was built in 1865. It has everything I wanted in  a house. We move in mid March, so you can expect this blog will have tons of house news and DIY projects!

Lovely Bones

I have a confession...I have a sweet spot for vintage platters. Iron stone, bone china, ceramic, pottery; I really don't discriminate. I limit myself to thrift stores, scratch and dent and the mismatched bin at Antique stores to keep my costs down. My dream is to use all of the platters to present my baked goods at my bed and bakery one day! Until then, they're used for personal baking and I'd like to get a few on the walls. Here are three I picked up last week at the Value Village:

Winter Blues

It's the simple things in life that make me happy, and rearranging my buffet decor is one of those things. I was in a bit of a blue (colour only) mood on the weekend, and this is what I came up with!

Happy Monday everyone, hope you had a great weekend!