Day two. Let's all thank God for Thrift Stores. (aka the Frugal Girl's Anthro-Pottery-Restoration Barn.)

And yard sales.

Oh! And Craigslist.

Why? Because without other people's discards, I wouldn't have all of the amazing entertaining-slash-serving-pieces and funky-and-fabulous-home-decor items that are an integral part of creating a charmed life (on a shoestring, of course.).

(Can I get an Amen?)

For me, part of living a charmed life is surrounding myself with unique and charming little treasures that make every day feel special.

Without costing a small fortune.

By keeping my eyes peeled when I'm out thrifting, I can score some over-the-top-some-kind-of-wonderful items that make our home look extra special, uniquely personalized, and welcoming.

Some of my favorite-gotta-have-'ems-easy-to-find items are:
Pilsner Glassess: So much more more "special" than drinking a beer from a bottle or can. (We have oodles of them, all in the freezer so they are frosty on demand for any beverage...pictured above are my favorite style, fresh outta the fridge.)Oh! And for what it's worth, there's nothing yummier (more yummy?) than a frosty cold glass of strawberry lemonade.

I promise you will find at minumum, two matching Pilsner glasses on any given day at any Thrift Store in the good ol' U S of A.
Bread Boards: I just love the look of them stacked against the backsplash in my kitchen, but having various sizes is extra nice. I like using my small one on the kitchen counter between the two of us for holdng out bread and butter when we have big ol' chicken salads for dinner.
Picnic Baskets: Oh yeah. These are my secret storage containers, and you'll find them in several rooms of our nest. (My favorite is probably the one in the bathroom, which hides extra rolls of toilet paper.)
Mirrors: (Ignore my bad photo attempt and trust me that these mirrors make the room!) Oh my, where to begin. I swear I could buy a fantastic mirror on each and ever trip to a thrift shop. There are always mirrors of pretty much any size you might need, and usually for next to nothing. Look beyond a faux wood (1980's plastic) or brassy gold finish. These are hidden treasures. There is no surface that cannot be painted and weathered and made into a masterpiece! Remember this.
White stoneware: Old, or new, or new-that-looks-old, you can always find some kind of white dished or serving pieces. White is classic, so, even if you are a color person, having white pieces is a great idea to have handy. They go with virtually everything. Classic.

Perfection, really.

I am at a loss for which book it is in, but somewhere in the old testament, I am pretty sure there is a passage that reads,"And on the second day, right after God made Eve, he created a thing of pure, timeless beauty, called white stoneware.")

Did I mention picnic baskets?
Maybe I did, but thye bear repeating. Storage folks. And, you can paint them any color you like, so they will always match your decor.

Take time to browse through the fancy-schmancy catalogues that land in your mailbox, or check the sites out online...then...hit the thrifting trail. Thrift Stores, yard sales and Craigslist will have something you want (and possibly need!) for pennies on the dollar, and I guarantee the item will have more personality and originality than the mass produced items in the Yuppie shops.

Now, go! Go get your thrift on, and let me know what diamond in the rough you find. I'm excited to hear about it (and I know you'll feel all warm and fuzzy every time you look at your new treasure!)

Comments

[Chris Gowing]

Great post. I am looking forward to the next 29 days :), that is a lot of posts!
Off to go look for two of those beer glasses, even lemonade will be fun.

[Victoria Silva]

This is the sweetest and greatest blog!!!!

I will be back!

Victoria/www.FeminineChicBoutique.com

[A Yahoo! user]

I'm loving all those wood cheese boards with glass domes that I use to pass over...and the candlesticks. I paint the wood boards and use epoxy glue to attach a candlestick on the bottom...presto a cute small cake type stand. I have put a paper doily and displayed a cupcake on my island for that special someone. Now I have a pumpkin in one, and some small red apples in another. As for mirrors, I love to paint the glass with chalkboard paint (or replace with luan board before painting), or fabric covered cork and hang for a kitchen message center. Love your ideas. Jeni