Thrift Haul: The Great Thrift Adventure

[A portion of the treasure found. Art, "Fawlty Towers" VHS set, and much more.]

We thrifted, we conquered. My craft-night partners in crime Mike and Cheryl accompanied me on a wild thrift adventure this weekend.

[My Brother’s Keeper thrift store exterior and St. Vincent De Paul thrift store interior]

We pillaged several thrift stores hard until we collapsed; spent. (If that sounds a lot like Thrift Love Making, that’s because it was. Oh, it was.)

[My friend Cheryl. We fell in love with this dreamy vintage couch.]

This was the first weekend I did thrift-related work until I literally collapsed from exhaustion.

[Colossal E.T. Loot! It was incredible, more than I could properly photograph in one day.]

Each new thrift spot to explore was an unspoiled land, and we were conquistadors surrounded by seductive vintage bounty.

[Huge menu, quality food, and engaging conversation with friendly locals. Sublime.]

We couldn’t resist the siren’s call of (at least) seven thrift stores, each one packed with seemingly infinite booty.

[ Learn How to Make Your Own Thrifting Spreadsheet ]

[Boat Art. Underneath it, a National Geographic map of the Pacific Islands.]

To go with our weekend theme of exploration, I unearthed this prim and alluring vintage boat string art. I’m entranced by unique boat art, so I happily paid the steep $10 for this piece.

[Yellow Cup Set]

These sunny yellow tea cups and creamer will be the canvas for some owl artwork. Does anyone have suggestions for painting on glazed ceramics? The cute little owls cost 25 cents all will go in my antique store booth.

[Vintage Cross Stitched Pansy Art]

This Groovy “Love” cross stitched art is also destined for my antique store booth. I love how it’s already appropriately framed.

Even as a child I never succumbed to E.T’s “charm”. I’ll always think he looks like a blue-eyed pile of crap! Yet, this bag is a shining example of exquisite graphic design. I had to have it (if at least to resell it).

[Boat Art is docked in its new home. Flanked by beckoning, exotic ladies (Japanese Dolls)]

It was an exhausting but rewarding weekend of thrift store looting and plundering, but next weekend I’ll return to leisure flea market and yard sale perusing to protect my sanity!

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Linked to: [Thrift Share Monday] [The Penny Worthy Project] [Flea Market Finds].

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrift Tools You'll Love: Find Your Hidden Treasures

This installment of Thrift Blogs Tools You'll Love shares nifty tools that will help you get your thrifting and yard sale hunting on this weekend.

[ Yard Sale Treasure Map ]

Use this tool to map out your yard sale hunting for the weekend. Yard Sale Treasure Map searches through yard sale ads listed in Craigslist.com to find the Yard Sales closest to you. I found a Jackpot of vintage treasures two weeks ago from yard sales for pocket change, so I'm definitely squeezing in my yard sale hunting this year!

You can also type in keywords like "mid century modern" or "antique" to find yard sales in your city carrying the collectibles you crave. This is a simple tool with many perks, I'm going to use it for my Yard Sale hunting this weekend! (Detailed review here)

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[ The Thrift Shopper]

An incredible resource for thrift lovers. You can use the directory to find thrift stores across the United States, and chat about thrifting in the forums. Join the shopper forum and chat with other thrift hunters. Chat in the Thrift Industry Forum for tips on opening your own Thrift or Antique Store.

What are your go-to online thrifting tools?

More Thrift Blogs You'll Love:

11/17/10 Thrift Blogs You'll Love:  [Modern Thrifter] [Trash Finds] [Apron Thrift Girl]

11/24/10 Thrift Blogs You'll Love: [Better After] [Junk Culture] [Shshh] [Regretsy]

12/10/10 Thrift Blogs You'll Love: [Ars Longa] [Things I Found at the Thrift Store] [Fabulously Broke in the City]

1/21/10 Thrift Blogs You'll Love: [Let's Go Thrifting] [ A La Modern ] [ The Elegant Thrifter ]

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Organization Thursdays: Bedroom Closet Before & After

How are you doing on your organization goals? I'm still decluttering and purging bit by bit, section by section. Yesterday I tackled my bedroom closet.

I spent one hour last night on a quick closet organization. It's not perfect, but it's much better than it was before. All clothing is off the floor (!) and easy to access. I can see all of my shoes. It functions as a closet now!

[Before & After. D'oh, lost my natural light in the second picture. I get home late.]

And because it's easier to keep something clean when it's pretty, I added some color with a rug.

And with some artwork in the top shelf. The three bits of luggage in the closet hold off-season clothing.

 [The shameful mess I removed from the closet floor. Box is full of clothes that need repairs.]

The next task will be to repair a huge box (and bag!) of clothes I can't wear because they need repairs. (Minor things like broken straps, adjustments, fixing tears. With a huge pile of clothes to fix you can see why I'm not buying new clothes this year.)

Organization Thursdays: It's hard to keep motivated during a massive decluttering process. It took us years to accumulate the mess in our homes, so getting rid of unnecessary clutter isn't going to happen overnight. I want Organization Thursdays to motivate us to get that damn clutter under control!

Share Your Organization Inspiration:

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Free 2011 Thrift Core Thrifting Tips Calendar

A couple of months ago I had a distinct vision. I wanted to make a Thrifting Tips Calendar for Thrift Core. It had to have colors, smooth mod looks, and robots! And now, near the end of January...it has arrived! Well, better late than never!

This Calendar is Free to Download. Just follow the steps below.

In order to receive high resolution  print quality images of this Calendar:

1. Follow Thrift Core with google connect on the right sidebar.

2. If you already follow Thrift Core I sent an e-mail to all subscribers with a link to download the calendar. Check the e-mail you subscribed with. If it's not there, leave your e-mail address in the comments and I'll send you the calendar. 

3. You should follow Thrift Core on Facebook and Twitter, too. It's fun, I share thrift news and bits and host random Giveaways.

The Calendar Designer

I tried since late November to fit in designing the calendar but had to give up in defeat. Finally in mid January I faced up to the fact that it would never get done unless I hired help (for the first time with a personal project!) I hired visionary designer Elle of Switcheroom. She whipped up the Calendar exactly as I envisioned it, thank you for the excellent work!

Spread the Word!

Please share the wealth and let others know about this calendar. It was a labor of love for both me and Elle. We put a lot of hours into making it and want it to be used.

This post is shared on...

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrifted Before and After: DIY Word Stones

 [Bottom left is my roommate mixing cement...with a bowl in his pants. We're silly.]

When I discovered Make Your Own Word Stone kits at a yard sale months ago, I couldn't resist. I'm always entraced by the packaging of these craft kits at stores but never buy them because of the price.

What you'll need: Molds, Lightweight Cement,  Plastic Tub (to mix cement), Cement Dye or Stain (optional), press-in letters, tiles/marbles/glass (optional), cement trowel

1.  Make sure to protect your work area, this craft is a messy one!
2.  Mix your cement, follow the instructions but always make sure it's on the dry side.
3.  Pack the cement into your mold well and use the cement trowel to even out the top.
4.  Press in your letters, small tiles, glass, and marbles. Write or draw in details.
5.  Set your stone aside to dry for a couple of days before you put it outside.
   
   

"Make Your Own Word Stones" Rating: My craft buddies and I give this kit a C-. The instructions were misleading and unspecific (we had to use more water than what was listed, for example) and the product just didn't come out like we'd hoped. I will continue to use the letters and molds, though.

When the weather warms up, I'd like to use the kit outdoors and use in-between working on the garden to add some kitschy fun to my herb and vegetable beds. I can't wait for Spring!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrift Share: Aladdin's Magical Lamp

My brother has come to the dark side, he's now a thrifter. He was that guy who couldn't buy anything used. It had to be all new video games, movies, clothes, and electronics. He'd rely on credit if necessary. Slowly but surely, he's realized the virtues of second hand shopping.

This ceramic lamp from Disney's Aladdin was a random thrifted gift from my brother. It brings back memories of our living room in Italy. My (twin) older brothers and I had just finished watching Aladdin. We all looked at each other, then promptly hit rewind on the VHS so we could watch it again. I'll think of that moment every time I admire this lamp at home.

Did you go thrifting this weekend? What did you find? I wasn't feeling to well on Sunday, my new thrifting day. I braved a couple of flea markets before I had to go home (empty handed) to rest.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrift Blogs You'll Love: Thrifting Passion

Thrift Blogs You'll Love Friday shares some of the best and most unique Thrift Resources I encounter on the web. The following three blogs have diverse voices and styles, yet they're united by a passion for second hand hunting that shines through in their work.

[ Let's Go Thrifting ]

The blog recommendation comes with an absurd story. It was love at first sight for me and Let's Go Thrifting. I love the design, whimsical finds, and thoughts on thrifting.

Close to Halloween 2010 my best friend Kira (I wrote about her Dad's amazing Philly tomato and weed garden here 3 years ago) sent me an e-mail about how she was shocked to see a link to Thrift Core on her sister's friend's blog, Let's Go Thrifting.

'Twas fate that we should find each other, I say!

And lastly, my personal favorite. Though this photo card looks slightly smudged on the left, this image is priceless. From the New Jersey-inspired overindulgent makeup job to the confrontational crossing of the arms, this granny could kick the shit out of you.
-Let's Go Thrifting

Must Read Posts: Finger Fun for Children: Teaching Scripture Truths One Inappropriate Gesture at a Time and Collections

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[ A La Modern ]

The A La Modern shop and blog both showcase an undeniable passion for modern design. A La Modern blog posts are filled with perfectly selected second-hand finds and excellent thrifting and re-selling tips.

Bonus: The photos are gorgeous! Please write us some photography tips!

If you have a sweet tooth for cute vintage treasures, check out the A La Modern Etsy shop. Another website by A La Modern is Pyrex Love. I love the handy Pyrex Pattern Guide.

Must Read Post: TT: 10 Things you May Be Missing at the Thrift and TT: Should I Start A Reselling Business? Part 1

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[ The Elegant Thrifter ]

Stan of The Elegant Thrifter always surprises me with his affectionate words on second hand items, generosity, and overwhelming creativity. You won't regret following his blog or purchasing his book, The Find.

 

Must Read Posts: Never miss the "Gift of Thrift" series on Fridays. I love his Hooch Bag


More Thrift Blogs You'll Love:
11/17/10 Thrift Blogs You'll Love:  [Modern Thrifter] [Trash Finds] [Apron Thrift Girl]

11/24/10 Thrift Blogs You'll Love: [Better After] [Junk Culture] [Shshh] [Regretsy]

12/10/10 Thrift Blogs You'll Love: [Ars Longa] [Things I Found at the Thrift Store] [Fabulously Broke in the City]

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Organization Thursday: Your Room Needs Art

Many times I've scribed my inexplicable hatred for my bedroom. Now I know why: NO ART.

Hello There by Wilson Hsu on Thumbtack Press

Every other room in my home has a childhood relic, art I've made, or art I've bought for that room. My bedroom has nothing selected specifically for it, the wall art is merely a collection of what doesn't fit in other rooms.

1) Reuseable Dinosaur Fabric Stickers 2) Re-Usable Snack Baggies 3) Record Player Pin 4) Lovely Rain Print 5) Happy Clay, Short Tumbler  6) Remember this Album Notebook

Let the Art Hunt Begin! I'm shopping Etsy, Paper 'N Stitch, Thumbtack Press, and Mod Cloth. I encourage you to go out and support these great art vendors, your favorite artists, and local artists.

Make something. Ask your friends to make something. Make something with your friends.

 [10) Rod Hunt 11) Mark Frauenfelder 12) Pascal Campion 13) Michael Nobbs 14) Terry Fan 15) Chris Lyles]

Make your room your own, add art and give it a soul; and you'll be less apt to let clutter creep in.


Where do you hunt for art?

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Could You Go One Week Without Soap?

I received my first chemical-laden hygiene products at the age of four. Impressionable, I followed society's lead. Now I know differently. I want to prove a point in the crusade against unnatural cleansers; to show that the human machine self-repairs.

My Challenge began:

- I bathed daily with no soap for one week
- (I still used deodorant and soap for my face/hands)
- No funk complaints received
- Passed stringent roommate sniff-tests

No stink, no problems. I still embrace soap; I'll simply use less, choose it wisely, and spend more on what counts.

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No More Dirty Looks

I really enjoy the No More Dirty Looks blog. The website is full of  information on being healthy and chemical-free. (I highly recommend you buy or check out No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics from your library)

 [Lies, I tell you.]

The No More Dirty Looks Soap Free Challenge

I had already started my soap free challenge when No More Dirty Looks dared readers to go one week without soap and submit their stories. I'm going to submit mine; so should you! The prize is a $100 gift certificate for the natural beauty store, Nunonau. Get the details here.

Both me and the ladies at No More Dirty Looks were inspired by Sean Bonner's Why I've Given Up Using Soap story.

The Soap Box

Lab tests prove that chemicals in your soap and shampoo causes cancer in test animals, yet manufacture continues. I wouldn't advocate using these products the same way I wouldn't advocate smoking- but I'm not that guy who tries make you stop. I'll just share one compelling reason to make a switch from chemical products: They Don't Work.
 
Even your $200 creams have more filler than active ingredients. Buy natural products from places like Whole Foods, or make your own. These products have little to no filler and no chemicals, they'll make the difference in your hair and skin that the expensive chemical junk never did. (Bonus: They'll be cheaper! But do read the label and make sure they're really "clean" products!)

Would you take a one week soap free challenge? 

Admit it: After one week with no soap, this blog didn't smell funky!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrifted Before & After: DIY Kitschy Chessboard Table

After revealing my plans to transform my water-damaged dining room table into a kitschy "chessboard table" two friends kindly spend 3.5 hours cutting and pasting squares with me!

This craft is easy to do, the hard part is being patient enough to cut out and put down each square carefully. The best way you can do this is with an x-acto knife and t-square, I couldn't find mine so we used scissors.

After the table was done my friends settled down to play checkers and chess...with bits of food like almonds and bowtie noodles. The next craft we need to make are some hilarious kitsch chess pieces.

The total cost of this project was $2.00! The result is a pretty table that can double as entertainment when my friends are bored. I like it better now than when I found the table brand new!

This post is linked to Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays and Make Share.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

The Jackpot of Vintage Treasures

I only thrifted on Sunday this week, but I hit the jack pot! I've never picked up so many vintage items for such low prices in one sitting.

Most of the treasures are from a yard sale. This yard sale was held from Friday to Sunday and I wasn’t able to make it until near the end of Sunday! Can you imagine what treasures were picked before I got there in the last minutes of the busy sale?

[ Learn How to Make Your Own Thrifting Spreadsheet ]

Antique Store Booth Update: Most of these items are destined for my antique store booth. I added some more inventory this weekend and learned I sold four items. I haven’t made enough to pay my $37 rent yet, but Southern Crossing Antique Mall gets heavy traffic, and I feel hopeful that I can make a profit there.

[Mint Condition Magazines, $1/Each]

My first Sunday stop was The Bargain House of Fleas. One vendor always has a plethora of mint condition magazines for $1 each no matter the original cost or magazine size. I was on a budget so I resisted two Elle Décor and three Modernism magazines, coming home with the choice four above.

[Sunset Book $0.50, Goldfish Trivet $0.50]

I also found this useful Sunset book with chairs I may make soon and a gorgeous goldfish trivet. I want to paint it a solid primary yellow. What do you think? My roommate begs me to keep its integrity and keep it a metallic shade.

[Retro Owl, $0.50]

This cute owl is designed for my antique shop booth. As I write this I’m using it as a coaster and it’s working beautifully. Maybe I'll put on the tag that it's a two-in-one coaster and wall art!

[TERRA Pyrex Glass Mug and Bowl]

@alamodern of A La Modern/Pyrex Love and Katherine Raz of Backgarage kindly let me know on Twitter that this beautiful set of Pyrex Mugs are in the TERRA pattern. You can buy this same set of mugs from the Backgarage Etsy here.

[Black Mod Trey, $1.00]

I love the shapes on colors on this mod trey. I'm already pondering where I'll put it and how I'll use it if it doesn't sell...

["Retro" Rooster Shot Glasses, $2.00 for the set]

I love the bold Red Rooster here. This has a vintage look so I scooped it up, but  @RavenWren of Mountain Vintage let me know on twitter that this set looks like one from Crate and Barrel! Well, no wonder it's in such good shape!

[Plant Wall Art, $0.25 and Butterfly Wall Art, $0.10,God Bless Art $0.25]

I'm going to clean up all of these small pieces, add some paint, and see if they'll sell. Expect some before/afters soon.

[Rooster Coffee (Tea?) Pot & Oil/Vinegar Set]

I really love this clean black set. This also looks like it’s from the 50s-60s but I can be sure. It has a little damage but I’ll clean it up and sell it or give it to my rooster-collecting mom as a gift.

[Avon Solid Perfume Owl]

The solid perfume in this has to be old, but it still smells good, it reminds me of baby powder. It’s headed for the shop.

[Craig and Johnson, Pathways In Science, copyright 1932]

I have no expertise in the value of books, but I couldn’t resist the beautiful book at a yard sale. I collect excellent science books and this one is not only gorgeous, but full of information.

[Awesome Books, 60s-70s, $0.25 cents each with the exception of two at $1.00 Each]

I might read each of these interesting retro books before putting them in my shop for sale. I regret leaving a Dracula one behind!

[Funny Sign, $0.25]

I just see this hanging nicely in somebody's den...or above their teen's bedroom door. I hope a kitcsh collector finds it and takes it off my hands.

[Decor Book, $0.25 each]

These books have seem better days! The inside illustrations are rather nice, though, so I'm thinking of selling some of the individual pages as fun framed prints.

[Decorating Book, $3.00]

The single most expensive thing from the yard sale! I have a sewing book just like it (Cover is yellow, same great information. Oddly stained and mildewed that same way!) I'll flip through it and maybe share any great tips from it in future posts.

[Vintage Cups $1.00 for set and Cup Stand $0.25]

The seller told me she thinks these cups were her mother's wedding present 40 years ago! I've seen this design around, but I don't have any information on it.

[Japanese Dolls, $1.50 each]

I tried to resist this slightly unnecessary purchase, but this Japanophile thrifter couldn't. $3 is a good deal for two f these pretty ladies.

[Before “Fratire”, 60s and 70s Satire Books]

There two comic filled books are beautiful and hilarious. “How I spent my summer vacation” is my favorite of the lot. It’s filled with comics featuring nude beauties and sexy babes galore. The 12-year-old in me rejoices!

There were a couple more finds we don't have space or time to cover thoroughly, like two fancy yoga mats I bought for my roommate for $2 each and a couple of small pretty things to fill up my booth.

I got a lot of treasure for $23.10 total. I left the house intending to spend only $12, but who could resist so many excellent deals? Next week I may take a break from thrifting so I can give this haul the cleaning, painting, tagging, and attention it deserves.

This post is shared on Thrift Share Monday and The Penny Worthy Project.

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The Real Deal and an Apology: I didn't realize until last week that I was calling my posts "Thrift Share Monday" without linking back to Selena's Thrift Share Monday link share on her blog, Apron Thrift Girl. I consider Selena a friend and I’m pretty pissed off at myself for letting this happen.

I devote countless hours and a lot of my weekend to Thrift Core, yet I'm often confused when people compliment me on Thrift Core in public. When they say “I like your website!” I have to scan my brain hard to figure out what they're talking about. I work on Thrift Core extensively, but not exclusively. I work on personal sites, client's sites, and my full time job involves writing for other websites and blogs. Additionally, I can answer hundreds of e-mails in one day. I get loopy. This is why I didn't immediately make the connection between my share posts and Selena's.

Setting The Record Straight: I am never out of ideas, I plan posts months in advance and have so many thoughts to share on this blog's subject. The only thing that holds me back is lack of time. I want everything I write to 100% unique, and I'm dedicated to integrity in blogging. My sincere desire to to share and help anyone who needs it in the only and local community. I really put my all into this, and I hope the passion I pour into my work really shines through.

If you want to give me feedback, good or bad, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me or send me a message on Twitter.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.