You all know that I’m a thrift store shopper and garage sale junkie at heart. I have great trouble passing by a garage sale sign. I plan all of my appointments around times that the thrift store in the town I’m going to will be open. It’s my entertainment…what can I say??
When I took Rosie to dog obedience class, I stopped at a garage sale. I ended up with this load of goodies. I got a 25 cent cord to my waffle maker. Mine was broken.
I got a buck of sewing goodies too.
The red is velvet fabric. You might remember that I enjoyed using that for the backing for my “Blessed” pillow. There were some other goodies too.
I remember these embroidery patterns from when I was a kid.
There were more goodies too. I kept some and passed some on. I needed Fray-check so was happy to find this.
I bought a basket of embroidery floss. I picked out a few but will pass them on. I really wanted the round suitcase. I had one as a kid and kept all of my doll clothes in it. I thought I’d put the doll clothes here in it.
I stopped at the thrift store the same day. I ended up getting these for… Kayla. She sells some things on Ebay and having the manikin is helpful. These were only $5 each.
They had packs of safety clothes. They were $2 per bag. I bought one bag of these for Buck. There are three in each bag.
There are two in each bag of the short-sleeved ones. They were also $2 per bag. I bought six bags of these for him.
He should be set for shirts.
I got a few more construction legos to go with what I already had.
I bought some craft kits to do with the grandkids. They were all cheap and will keep the kiddos busy.
I found playing cards for Kayla and some vintage sheets. Kayla collects vintage sheets. The pink fabric on top is for Carolyn to make Baby Care Kit gowns.
I bought the Lego car kit for the boys…
When Kalissa and I were out and about I hit a garage sale with cross stitch magazines in a file folder. I could use the file folder for my charts so I decided to get it and would page through the magazines too. $1 bought me a few nights’ entertainment by paging through the magazines.
Last Saturday Karl and went to the Farmers Market hoping the garden club might be there with plant starts. They weren’t. I was bummed as I was hoping to help Karl get some landscaping done around his house. We’re working on a small budget. Cheap or free was what were hoping to pay. It turns out the garden club wasn’t there. Bummed.
As I was driving home I saw a garage sale sign. Remember it’s really hard for me not to turn…so, I turned. The sign took me 7 miles down the road to another town, which happens to be in the same direction I needed to go home so I continued. Once in the town I got to the sale and guess what?? They had plants. Remember my cheap or free budget? I got a back-end full for $38!! WHOOP WHOOP!!! I was thrilled.
Here is what I bought Karl. In the mix are…
6 stripe leafed hostas
1 blue hosta
1 white lilac
2 day lilies one pink one yellow
2 shasta daisies
1 Lily
2 hen and chicks
2 coral bells
4 purple cone flowers
2 bellflowers
4 sorry can’t remember
6 fairy lilies
2 small bleeding hearts
For my house I got
1 purple coneflower
1 bellflower
2 hen and chicks
2 fairy lilies
I dropped off two hostas at Kalissa’s house and one bleeding heart.
Yep…all of that for $38.
This will expand the front of the house landscaping at Kalissa’s. It will fill in the flower that died at my house. It will put a big dent in what Karl needs at his house.
Karl just needed some basic things to start and this will definitely be helpful. I have a rose he’s digging up from my house too. We’ll plant this once it quits raining and the ground is fit then go to the nursery if we need anything else. This great haul made getting the landscaping done this year a very possible thing. YAHOO!!
Oh, I love thrifting and garage saling.
You did great, Jo, especially on the Fray-Check. Do you ever use clear fingernail polish instead, though? Here in Houston you can buy bottles at the dollar stores — much cheaper than Fray-Check, and equally effective. Buy the actual polish, though, not Quick Dry; it dries up in the bottle before you can use it up.
Oh what fun! I always enjoy seeing your haul from garage sales and/or thrift stores. The plants look great. This really shows how true it is what you said before. When you go thrifting, you have your family’s needs in mind. You save them lots of money!
You find such amazing things.
Oh you lucky woman! Getting those plants at that price was a steal/bargain. The rest of your thrifting is nice too but I love those perennials.
Me too! I also recently discovered facebook marketplace. Wow!
Jo, you are my entertainment, (don’t charge me). I read your blog and smile and laugh.
Hugs
D.W
It’s fun to help the kids with these great finds. I love garage sales but I PASS on any that have terrible signs. How is it possible to drive AND read writing that’s 1/2” in high ? Or written in pencil ? Or signs that have way too much information ? Or signs wrapped around a pole ? Signs are the difference between success and disaster.
Is the “Sorry Can’t Remember” winter hardy?
YES they are winter hardy. I have some in my own garden.
The garden plants were a huge deal, and they’ll just get better with each year at Karl’s place.
I’m curious. Do you think the round “suitcase” is actually a suitcase (I had one too) or maybe a hair dryer case? My mom had one similar that her round hair dryer power gizmo sat in while a tube and bonnet come out to direct the warm air to her head.
thrifting. yes!!!!! same same. i love it too! the vintage clothes of cotton for quilts, the beads on vintage clothes are priceless to cut off and use and a big variety. nice nice dress shirts for quilts. it is my fun too! you have a good heart Jo
Loved all your treasures! I feel I must warn you about Bellflowers. It is a perennial that becomes a nightmare, like creeping Charlie. They are next to impossible to eradicate. There are several types of bellflowers, but the one I thought was so pretty is a bane! Otherwise, one can never have enough Hosta! There is even a website dedicated to the eradication of bellflower. Seriously!
Happy 4th of July!
Wow! Love your great finds, Jo. I especially liked all the plants you picked up. I always find that plants like that are nice and healthy, and I have great success with them. Happy planting!
I really enjoyed perusing your finds. That big safety pin-esque item is likely a stitch holder used in knitting, and a very nice one at that. And shown with your floss, is that a piece of blue and white tatting, or crochet. You had some good fortune with all you found, you lucky gal!
The giant safety pin is actually a kilt pin. It holds the top wrapped layer on the front of a kilt to the under layer. I always loved kilts and have worn many through the years, although they seem to be out of style right now. The pin is similar to a stitch holder, but would be far too heavy.
A kilt pin! That’s even more special! Clearly my Scottish genes failed me in that ID lol
I love reading about all of your finds even tho it makes me a wee bit jealous. :) I did go to an estate sales a few weeks ago and got a little bag of Gutermann cotton thread! LOVE the plants, that’s a great deal.
I’ve become a voyeur with all your thrifting—I can’t drive anymore. But all your finds
make me smile every time!! And you are so lucky to have so many thrift stores.
Love, love love your blog!!
Apparently, they are also quite invasive!
Wow!! As it used to be said— I think that you “made out like a bandit”!!??? I can’t think of anybody that I know that is so good at finding such treasures at thrift stores, garage, rummage sales. The plants you found—terrific. The Bellflower– my daughter has 2 in Maine-and they have not “spread” –and ones I was familiar with where I was Nanny, didn’t spread either. That was a new fact to me. Wonder what those really look like, to be able to identify???
Hi Jo, I miss seeing the progress going on at Karl’s house. I bet it’s turning out wonderful with you two creative souls working on it!
What a wonderful find on the plants. It can get costly when one is starting with a clean slate to make it look nice. I love Lillies and Coneflowers and try to find new colors every fall.
I still have a little round suitcase from my childhood days – but mine is cardboard with a clasp instead of a zipper. It always brings back memories of doll clothes, etc…
Love the plants – those hostas will fill in a space nicely! Also love the darning egg… a good item that often makes people wonder what it is…
It always amazes me what incredible deals you always get! If I ever visit Iowa, I will need to get a list and map of all of the thrift stores there for sure.