Thrifty Thursday: Petersburg, I love you!

So last weekend two of my favorite girl friends came to visit! We planned this visit over a month ago and I had been excitedly looking forward to it all of July, so I was very excited when the day finally arrived and I got to have some fun with these friends. 

Lauren and Bethany are sisters and we all went to college together. Lauren and I were friends 1st but as  we've hung out over the years since graduating from college, I've gotten to know Bethany and we've become good friends as well. 

So while they were visiting, we decided to use our Saturday morning to do some antiquing and drove down to Petersburg. I seriously am falling in love with this forgotten city that is just 30 minutes outside of Richmond and full of beautiful Civil War era brick buildings. While the economy there is pretty much non- existent and it is unfortunately biased as being a not safe city to live in, I find myself understanding why artists are willing to "take the risk" so to speak and live there/ start a business there.

Ok, enoughgushing over how much I like the place and on to the fun we had! We stopped at Petersburg Pickers, definitely worth the visit, for their Goat Days of Summer sale that happens every other weekend. Fri is 50% off, Sat is 60% off and Sunday is 70% off. So everything was 60% off the morning we went. 

As you may have read in a previous post, I have been setting up a ceramic studio in my home studio and while I found a wheel, I haven't been about to find a good stool that is the perfect height. If you are a thrower, you'll understand why having the right height seat to your wheel is important. 

Well, I wasn't even looking, not intentionally anyways, and what did I find at Petersburg Pickers but the perfect stool for my studio! This fancy fella was perched on top of a table and its industrial metal and black caught my eye. I'm never one to turn down style and function! The price tag was $95 but with %60 off it came to $40. 

While that isn't really what I'd planned on paying for a stool for my studio, I was willing to for this because I know it can function beyond a studio perch in a future place. And who can turn down a height changeable swivel stool! Now I can have one seat for both working at my wheel and for working at my hand building table!

But that was just the 1st find of the day, and while it was the one I most needed and had the biggest "sale" on it, it was by no means the best find! In another antique shop we stopped into I found these gorgeous crystal doorknobs in a box in the back corner. 

Ok, so ever since I got that iron bed, I'be been thinking that using glass/crystal door knobs to cap off the corners would looks really pretty since the brass knobs it had are gone. However, the cheapest I've ever seen glass door knobs for was $15 a peice and its usually more like $20 or more. Not to mention there are never more than 2 that match. So in this box in the back where about 12 door knobs and after picking through them I selected these four, all matching and all with pretty clear non yellowed glass. 

And guess how much I paid for all four!?  $21!!! They were $5 each! There was no way I was gonna pass that rpice up! I even kept trying to think of other uses I might have for them like one of those door knob shelf/hanger things but I was watching my spending and didn't want to just buy more becuase they were so cheap. At least now I know where to find them! :)

The last thing I got was this pretty green book for $5. Its called the Judas Tree and I have no idea if I'll ever read it, though when I perused it the story seemed interesting. I just like collecting books for their covers, its a bonus if its a story I love or one I enjoy reading. This cool pastel lime green was too nice to pass up!

My friends had some great finds too! Bethany got a beautiful Oval mirror on a stand for $40 and they both got a bunch of pretty vases and table decor. We went to the Blue Willow Tea Room for lunch and then drove around exploring the real estate... and even got out to check out a few houses that had for sale signs on them. 

Lots of fun! A perfect day with dear friends who equally love old houses, antiques, a good sale and exploring! :)

The Waiting Game Paid Off!

So, now, I am not talking about the waiting game as in the waiting to meet Mr. Right. I'm still in the thick of that wait, but I am talking about waiting to find just the right (look & priced) wrought iron bed!

I know, you are like seriously? A bed? Why are you so strange Sarah!?

Seriously though, for the past 3 years I have really been wanting to get a real antique wrought iron bed. I'm a romantic, its true, so there is just something about the idea of a beautiful old bed that makes me happy. Not to mention feels like it would complete my collection (until I get a place of my own) of old and distressed furniture. 

So, over the past 3 years I have been looking. And I have found. A lot of beds actually. But some were just so expensive I couldn't even start dreaming and others just didn't have the "WOW" factor I wanted. My ideal bed was to be old, definitely pre 1950's and preferably very feminine with scrolling soft lines and details. 

I turned down many a bed I found through online searching and thrift and antique store shopping from VA to NY to AR to FL.  Mostly because if the price was right the bed itself wasn't and if the bed was right the price was just not comfortabley within my budget for a luxury purchase since I don't need this bed.. I just wanted it.

Then, this past Wednesday night I couldn't fall asleep. So I at 1am I got on my iPhone's craiglist app and started searching and I found what seemed to me the most unbelievable price. 

$25 for an antique fixer upper wrought iron Full size bed. Exactly what I was looking for. 

I called the next morning and amazingly, the guy still had it! Not wanting to miss out on this rare find I said I would come that day to pick it up and through the bribery of buying him both McDonald's breakfast and Chipotle lunch, dragged my brother along to help. We drove up to Crozet, Va and packed it into my little Hyundai Santa Fe. It just barely fit!

Now if I include the cost of gas to get  there & back and my brother's appetite, it really came to closer to $70 however that is still $70 less than the best finds I've had in the past and was considerably below my $125 budget.  Not to mention, once I sell my current bed I will end up making all of that back plus a but of a profit! So if you're in the market for a double bed frame I have a black metal sleigh bed to sell you! ;)

 Ironically, it is not the scrolling curvy lined one I had always imagined. However it does have beautiful scallop shell detailing where all the bars meet and since I have an overall aesthetic for beach shabby chic it felt like the perfect addition to my collection of furniture!

It has both a headboard (below) and footboard (above) along with the rails. And it is definitely rusty and paint chipping and needs some love but I'm never afraid of a little sweat equity to get something looking fabulously newly old!

And boy oh boy is it heavy! No doubt about it being a real wrought iron bed! I can't wait to show you how I clean it up and then transform it! But for now, I just couldn't wait til Thrifty Thursday to share my awesome find! 3 years of being picky about what exactly I wanted and was willing to pay for it really paid off! 

I'm hoping that means that really waiting and being selective about who I date will really pay off in the future too ;) Hehe!

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! 

Thrifty Thursday

If someone were to ask me my favorite places to shop they may be surprised to hear me say Goodwill is at the top of my list. But really, its one of my favorites. I never fail to find something relevant and useful and for a steal! Plus, I know its going back into a good cause.  Its also our families favorite place to drop off things we no longer use but know might have another life in them for someone else. Also, if you live in Richmond, we have one of the distribution stores... on Midlothian heading towards Chippenham... its at least 2 times the size of a regular Goodwill!

I make a point of only going once or twice a month and never spending more than $20 in a visit. Often though I only spend $10 or less.. like on my most recent visit. Which came to a wopping $8.57!

I stopped by after my daily visit to the gym just to browse as I hadn't been in for almost 2 months. And of course, found a few things that needed to leave with me! Like the pretty green mugs from World Market that I got for $3.25! Yes, all four of them together were just $3.25! They are dishwasher and microwave safe and add the perfect touch of spring.

Some people might say, but Sarah, you are a ceramic artist, why not just make yourself some mugs? Well, I do.. but being a potter I also have a love for things not made by me that are ceramic and these mugs were so pretty. I especially was drawn by the way the glaze pooled and flowed over the details on the outside of the mug. And while these are commercially made and therefore nothing unique or special they are slip cast and low-fired both of which are techniques I don't use as an artist so for $3.25 I was more than happy to add some pretty detail to my collection without having to make it myself. 

If you follow me on instagram @shedesignswithgrace, then you'll know I've been on a flower kick of late. Specifically keeping fresh flowers on my bathroom vanity just to brighten my day every time I see them. So when I came across this pretty glass vase that was just the right size to hold only a few flowers  and the pretty ceramic china painted one below... for less that $3 each, I couldn't pass them up!

As you can see I brought them home and immediately put one to work with some pretty camellias from my mom's garden!