"Salt & Pepa's Here and We're In Effect"

Ah, Push it!

Sorry, just had to complete that lyrical thought! ;)

This post is for one of my very best friends. A girl who put up with me in small living quarters for a whole year when I lived in Arkansas and who has continued to be one of my dearest friends ever since, putting up with many a long phone call full of giggles on both ends!

Kari likes to collect Salt and Pepper shakers. So lately whenever I'm in a thrift or antique shop I try to take a few minutes to look over the salt and pepper shakers. Mainly to get ideas so that I can make her some using my skills as a ceramic artist! 

But the Gulfport Beach Bazaar had soo many salt & pepper shakers that I just couldn't help sharing the images I snapped for Kari and any other collectors to enjoy! 

 This eggs in a basket is definitely one I'm going to recreate in my own style at the studio! 

 And I loved these petite little shimmery orange ones which in hindsight I kind of wish I had just gotten but felt like they were too much at $8. I know, I'm a cheap scape! But they were missing the corks in the bottom and were literally an inch and a half tall! Sorry Kari! 

Also, because the glaze was shimmery I am pretty sure it was a lead glaze on them which would have made them unsafe for food, and if I'm anything as a ceramic artists, it's that I am a stickler about food ware ceramics being food safe.

 I'm not kidding, there were soooo many! I could have stood there for an hour just trying to take in the individuality of each set... so instead I snapped a few pics! 

See anything you like Kari!? :)

Thrifty Thursday- Saturday Morning Garage Sales and Tips!

Taking a break from my adventures in Florida for a Thrifty Thursday- Garage Sale share!

A few Saturdays ago back in April it was Yard Sale Day in my community! I had 30 minutes before I needed to be downtown to open the studio so I had a time limit which I really liked because it made me look more intentionally and not get stuck on the maybe's. If it was a maybe it was a pass. 

In 30 minutes of hopping around to about 10 neighborhoods in my community and about 15 separate garage sales, I spent $7 and found two great leather bags.

I've been using this messenger bag as my purse ever since and I seriously LOVE IT! It was my 1st find of the morning and cost $3!

I love garage sales! Its funny because for all the time I might spend one saturday morning perusing as many as I can I often walk away with nothing. And that is a GOOD thing! It means I'm not impulse buying but instead being thoughtful about what I'm purchasing. 

Does it really have a use? Will I actually use it? Do I have something similar to this that I am just not thinking of?

Garage sales are fun, but they are also a place where hoarders hang out. Not trying to be mean, just stating a fact. I'm sure you too have seen beat up old trucks with trailers packed to the gills with well worn furniture and other knick knacks hopping from sale to sale. There are a few of those regulars where I live. And thats cool, to each his own, but what I'm trying to say is that if you aren't intentional when you go garage sale-ing its easy to come home with buyers remorse. 

Its easy to impulse buy because its cheap and you want it right now and it won't be there tomorrow or even 30 minutes from now.

Its also easy to come home and look at your cache and think "I already have that" and "Why on earth did I think that would make a good DIY project!?"

I knew I'd be going to Florida in a few weeks so when I saw this leather duffle bag for $5 I knew I'd be able to put it to use! It was perfect for my 4 day mid-trip visit to St. Petersburg while in Florida a few weeks ago!

Have a plan. Much like thrift store shopping I set myself a budget. Budgets are your friend! My Garage Sale budget is the same as thrifting... $10-$20 depending on my cash flow for the month. In fact its the same money for both so really it $20 total for Garage Saling, Antiquing and Thrifting. Of course, if I find something great that's more than that and which I really need that's different but when its just for fun and to look... its a $20 max for the month budget! 

That may not seem like a lot but if you use it right $20, even $10 can go a long way! 

In 30 minutes of hopping around to about 10 neighborhoods in my community and about 15 separate garage sales, I spent $7 and found two great leather bags. Which left me $13 left to spend for the month. I used it pretty quickly because the next weekend, while hanging out with my friend Gillian, I got a Rusty old iron "S" from my favorite store in Ashland, Class & Trash on sale for $12! Score! 

Too bad they didn't have an "E" and an "H" cuz if they had I would have bought them and had SHE to hang up! But instead I'll keep looking for two other unique ones to create a fun collection!

Hope you picked up some tips! I'll be compiling these and more into a go-to list some time soon so if you have any questions or tips of your own please leave a comment and I'll add it to my list!

Happy Garage Sale-ing!

Gulfport Beach Bazaar

No, despite the name this is not a festival or Bazaar in the it happens on Saturday mornings sense. In fact the Gulfport Beach Bazaar is a local retail shop right along Beach Blvd in Gulfport, the street that I showed pictures of in my last post. 

The location was originally the U.S. Post Office of Gulfport and the retail shop was added in 1972 and then most recently its been taken over by its current owners and turned into an awesome antique/thrift store! 

I had quite a bit of luck here, finding 3 elephants to add to my collection and a set of 6 small brandy glasses that were a match to the very unique one my parents were given early in their marriage by an elderly couple they were friends with who traveled all over the world. Needless to say I was SOO excited when I stumbled across the set. I hadn't been looking for it, but one of the glasses in my parents set had broken during the holiday and I felt it was fitting to just get the set as a replacement! Also, I have literally never ever seen them anywhere except in my parents house so it felt like one of those "you'll never find these again" kind of finds!

I'll do a post of my purchases later. For now... I just want to share all the eye candy there was to see! 

Thrifty Thursday: Class & Trash

Last Friday one of my college girlfriends drove down from NOVA to visit for the afternoon. 

It was so nice to see her and just have a girls day! We went for lunch at Proper Pie (which will be its own post) and then headed to my and now Gillian's favorite thrift store in the Richmond area. 

 It may not look like much to the unknown eye, but to me it is a thrifter/DIY/artist/ all around old things paradise! They had lots of old windows and doors if you ever had need of one for a DIY project as well as some great fixer upper lawn furniture. 

 Hello gorgeous wrought iron gazebo! If I could take you home and put you in storage until I meet the right guy, fall in love, and get married I would! You'd be so pretty to say "I do's" under!

And these pretty white metal chairs! A little elbow grease to clean them up and then a fresh coast of bright yellow or blush pink paint and they'd be just like new!

 Metal wagon wheel, wrought iron picnic table.. oh the possibilities! 

 I really loved this glass vanity set. It was so pretty with the insides blush pink and the gold detailing. I should have grabbed them at just $5 a piece but I couldn't think of where I'd put them because well I have many pretty glass things much like these so I passed. Sigh. I'm sure they'll find a good home though. 

 This bold black leather chair caught Gillian's eye. I agreed it had a nice masculine look. Personally it reminded me of a lot of the furniture that was in my Nana and Grandfather's house growing up. 

After testing it out... 

 And getting my opinion on comfort... 

 She decided to get it. I have to add that Gill and her husband just bought an adorable house... and suddenly have more rooms to fill so this was going to be Mike's "man chair". I can't wait to see it in their house!

 As you can see, the shop is just packed with great finds for the imaginative thinker. 

Gill really loves this big old lamp post and wants to put it on her back patio... someday ;) It was here the 1st time she checked out the shop on her way back from her photo session with me a few months ago.  

I found a great find for myself there too, but it's gonna be saved for another post. It was a fun day of catching up and sharing a mutual love of bargain shopping with Gill. If you have an afternoon to spend I high recommend checking out Class and Trash in Ashland, Va!