Thrift Store |

Thrift Store Finds–Just Add Paint

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Christy

I’m writing this post because of my twelve-year old son. The other day, as I was walking in the door from a particularly successful thrift store run, he looked at my fabulous finds and said, “Mom, sometimes the things you bring home from Goodwill scare me.” Hmmm, obviously he lacks my vision, but I wonder how many of us overlook treasures just because they’re disguised as, um, trash? This was the item that “scared” him:

I’ll grant him that she does look a little tacky right now, but once I got her dusted off and spray painted white, here’s how she turned out:

Seriously elegant, right? And have you ever priced statuary? She’s about 2 feet high and made of ceramic, so I figure I got a steal (I spent $12 on her). My son’s just glad she has clothes on, as one of the last pieces I brought home was a reproduction of the Venus de Milo, and he was pretty scandalized by her semi-nudity (and armlessness).

Here’s a little frame I found that day. I love to paint these with either a black or white semi-gloss. Before:

And after a few coats of white spray paint and a Bible verse I printed on my computer, it’s perfect in my blue and white laundry room:

If you want to borrow that idea, it’s Psalm 51:7b, and the font I used is a free one called “Contribute.” I printed it on some blue chevron scrapbook paper and hung it on the wall above my washer and dryer.

Here are a couple of other finds…it’s pretty easy to see the potential in the oval frame (I LOVE oval frames), but the duck decoy is *hideous.* The checkout lady was laughing at me for buying it!

I spray painted the duck in some seriously bad weather just so I could get that white paint on quickly! Here’s how he (she?) turned out. Not bad, huh?

The sweet oval frame wound up on my powder room door. I love hanging things on doors because they’re always underutilized–and under decorated–space.

The glass would also have looked great sprayed with black chalkboard paint and then the lettering done in chalk pen. Hmmm…may have to change that up one of these days!

I guess my point is that you have to look at thrift store items with an eye towards their potential, rather than their current appearance. It takes awhile to train yourself to mentally paint, strip, sew, repurpose, or otherwise alter items, but once you’ve figured out how to do it, you really begin to see the treasure behind the trash.

One of our Facebook followers mentioned that the trash-to-treasure metaphor is a perfect picture of how God sees beyond our worn out, dirty, tacky, unwanted, or unloved selves, and instead sees how we can look after He’s cleaned us up and restored us to newness. I loved that (thank you, Stephanie L), and what a perfect lesson for Easter week.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Before and After | Tagged spray paint, thrift store, trash, treasure | 12 Comments

My Latest “Thrift Shop Chic” Outfits

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Christy

**Don’t forget to enter our organization giveaway {here} through October 21, 2012***

When I was growing up, I would have died rather than shop at a thrift store. I was lucky enough to have the option not to, growing up in an affluent suburb of Washington, DC, but a lot of people don’t have the luxury of being so snooty. Both of my parents came from more humble beginnings, and I remember that when my maternal grandmother died, my mother brought home all sorts of “treasures” from her home. I thought everything was chippy, dirty, and old-looking–was I dumb, or what? I’ve mended my ways and now realize that older stuff is usually better–it’s higher quality, better made, and maintains its value. Plus, lots of wonderful memories cling to furniture and household goods that are inherited from older generations.

Now, thrift store clothing runs the gamut. Some of it is a fabulous deal (fur coats, couture labels, designer bags), and some of it is just junk. My daughter and I joke about the number of “Grandma sweaters” we find at the thrift store. Grandma sweaters are the ones that your grandmother gave you for Christmas that are so hideous that you just donate them immediately. I got quite a few of those growing up! If you’re willing to spend some time sifting through the dross, though, you can find some great deals. Throw them in the washer and they’re as good as new.

A couple of good friends and I have a running contest to see who can find the best outfits at the thrift store. Here are my latest entries (take THAT, girls!):

Here I am with our sweet rescue dog, Harley, at the annual golden retriever rescue picnic. I didn’t realize it until I posted the picture on my personal Facebook page and a friend asked me what style my Vera [Bradley] purse was, but my entire outfit is from the thrift store, minus my boots and sunglasses! The pink jacket was $10, the brown hoodie underneath was $4, the purse (not a Vera, by the way) was $3, and the jeans were $4. If it wasn’t for the sunglasses and the boots (budget busters for sure), the hubby would have been pretty proud of me! Of course, buying the rest of the outfit at Goodwill means that I can splurge on the sunglasses and the boots. It’s all a matter of balance.

This top is my latest find. It’s blue and red chains are a pretty obvious Hermes knockoff, but I might be the only person in Nashville to know that!

While I wore it with a pair of dark-wash SFAM jeans here, it would work equally well with a pencil skirt and ballet flats for a dressier occasion. Silver hoops and a silver chunky chain necklace completed the look. Check out the reversible cuffs (love that blue and white stripe), but ignore the tiny ballet dancer in the background. She was getting ready to go to Nutcracker rehearsal (something that we do A LOT!). Not bad for a $3 shirt, huh?

I guess I’ve changed a lot since my youth, because not only am I admitting that I buy clothes at the thrift store, but I’m broadcasting it to a pretty big audience! I think that buying good quality used items makes me both a good steward of our household income and our environment. Why go out and buy something new, possibly of inferior quality or sewn in a sweatshop, for ten to twenty times the price of a good vintage item? I am blessed in that I can afford to buy new items, I just choose not to do it as often as I used to. Do any of you have some fabulous scores from the thrift store that you want to share?

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Fashion Inspiration | Tagged Clothes, clothing, Fall, Fashion, thrift shop, thrift store, vintage | 8 Comments

~Thrift Store Tray Gets a Bright Makeover~

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Christy

A few months ago, I was making my usual weekly stop into Goodwill, when I came across the cutest breakfast in bed tray. It was dark red and $5, which seemed expensive to me (for a thrift store, at least!) but I saw potential. I debated painting it white or black, my usual colors, and using it in the kitchen or the screened porch, but then I thought it would also make a cute piece for my daughter’s room, which we’re currently updating with pops of watermelon pink (read my first post on her room HERE). Enter my trusty can of spray paint…I used Krylon’s “Watermelon” gloss and gave it a couple of coats. Here’s how it turned out:

When I first sprayed the top, it looked a little bare, so I used my Silhouette Cameo and some white vinyl to make a monogram to put on top. The font is a free one called “Contribute” and it’s one of my favorites for monograms. My daughter is a Francophile and wants to bring a little bit of Paris into her room, too, so I debated putting something French on the tray, but I want to avoid “Paris Overkill” if at all possible!

The more I get to know this little tray, the happier I am that I spent so much $$ on it. The legs fold under and secure so it can be used as a regular tray, too, if we ever want to put it on top of her bookshelf or desk as a display piece.

I’ll continue to share pieces from her room as we go, and hopefully we’ll have the full reveal for you in a week or two!

Thanks for stopping by.

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Posted in Before and After, DIY, Kids Rooms | Tagged bedroom, diy, Girl, Monogram, paint, Pink, thrift store, tray, watermelon | 4 Comments

Trash to Treasure–Painted Plastic Thrift Store Mirror

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Christy

My latest thrift store find!

I will paint anything–probably even things that shouldn’t be painted. So when I saw this rather hideous mirror at the local Salvation Army for $8, I saw potential, as long as I could paint it.

Gold? Brass? Bronze? No, it's plastic!

I actually walked by it for a couple of weeks (so did everyone else!), then I realized that I could probably work with it. I taped newspaper to the mirror surface and went to work. Just a note: do take the time to tape the newspaper in place. I’ve been lazy before and just placed it on top of the mirror, and then I waste time scraping paint off the mirror with a razor blade when I’m done. I also elevated it on four soup cans, so my edges wouldn’t stick to my dropcloth (er, newspaper).

Taped up and primer on!

I intended to spray paint the mirror ( spray paint is my weapon of choice), thinking that all the grooves would be filled more easily. However, those grooves and ridges made for lots of drips and pools of paint as I sprayed on the primer, so I used a can of creamy white latex from Benjamin Moore that I had in the basement for the top coat, and put it on with a brush. What a pain to get in all those nooks and crannies! Once it was dry, I took a piece of sandpaper and distressed it. My movers distressed it a little more when we moved from North Carolina to Tennessee in June!!

Almost done...

Here it is, in the foyer of our new house. I guess you can paint plastic, after all!

Thanks for bearing with me during my long sabbatical from blogging. We moved, as I mentioned earlier, and then I spent my whole summer–literally–painting the cabinets in my new kitchen. And I did take lots of pictures, so I’ll post on that soon!