Score!!!

Yesterday I went to a few garage sales with PJ. I got this beautiful Vera Bradley Beach Tote for $5! We were on our way to the beach so this worked out beautifully!!!

I got bored with being home today so I decided to some garage sales. Our town is having a big garage sale but I will avoid it for various reasons. I decided to go to a bunch of other sales that were in our area plus one 2 towns over that advertised an annual BLOCK sale. The first 6 sales that i went to in my area were horrible. I didn't get a thing. Then I headed to the block sale... HORRIBLE! I couldn't believe how high their prices were... $5 for their books!!!
I decided to save my money and just go home. I got stuck at the light on Wantagh Ave and sat through 3 of them to make a turn! I noticed a sign for a sale to go to Harold St. I decided to make a left instead of a right and head there.
WHA-HOO. I hit a GREAT sale! I first spotted a big wicker basket. My thought was that this is just what I've been looking for to put all of PJ's millions of pairs of sneakers and shoes in that he just leaves on the living room floor. $1. That was all I was going to get but decided to ask about the Lia Sophia jewelry. I never go to Lia Sophia parties because I refuse to pay their price for their jewelry. I like some of their items but mostly I don't. Alyssa just went to a party and said she liked the items but it was way past what her budget allows but bought a pair of earrings anyway. So when I asked about the jewelry, I expected her to say ridicules prices and I'd spend my one dollar and leave. She said she is selling it cheap and just wants to get rid of it. She used to sell them but is out of it now. I'm sure the items that she had were a few years old. Who cares!
I saw a pair of earrings that I liked and asked how much? $2... OK I'LL TAKE THEM!!!!

Then I picked out this bracelet... How much? $2 !
Then I stopped asking and just picked out items that I thought Alyssa and Brooke might like before the lady next to me got her hands on them!


I had her add up everything including the basket. $14!! I felt like I hit the mother load! I hope the girls at least like SOMETHING!

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I had to show Alyssa these pieces. She wanted to go to the sale now so we went back and the lady put more out! She got a nice necklace and I got 2 bracelets and a necklace for $10!!

WEEKEND OF TRASH TO TREASURES!!!

This weekend was a rather busy one for me. I have discovered a blog The Thrifty Groove http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/ and it has sparked something in me to get moving on updating the look of my house. We have too much of the same decor as we did 20 years ago. I have to get out of that way of thinking. Alyssa and I painted the living room a blue color. It came out too pastel looking but whatever. Scott and I decided on Friday that we would make this room into a 'beachy feel'. I have some 'beach' frames so that got me started. I took the glass lamp out of the dining room that had potpourri in the base and I filled it with shells that we had collected from various beaches. The shade is a pierced shade that allows the light to shine through the cut out pattern, which in this case is flowers. It was already painted a pumpkin color which went with the dining room decor at the time.
Saturday morning I was reading The Thrifty Groove and realized that a can of spray pain can really do wonders! Alyssa and I bought some paint to update out 'things'. She got a can of metallic gold to paint a wicker table for her room. It used to be plum but is just beautiful now!
I bought a Caribbean Blue for the lampshade. I think it turned out pretty nice!
The next project was the coffee table. My last one was used to color/ do crafts on etc when I used to BB sit. While at a garage sale with Judy last year, she spotted this table and it was only $5 ! I have pretty much scrubbed off the glaze though w/i the last year.
While looking at the spray paint with Alyssa, we got all excited with the can of paint that we spotted... STONE Ancient Ruins by Valspar. It looks just like the sand at Jones Beach! There's little tiny flecks of sand in this so it looks official. We're very happy with how it came out!
Then on Sunday, I took myself to a few sales in Huntington. One lady had a bunch of items with grapes on them and being that my kitchen decor is grapes, I couldn't pass this one up.
This Domed Butter Dish cost me $1.50. I searched online and found it here http://www.replacements.com/webquote/TAUVIG.htm for $84.95!!!!!
I went to another sale and saw this. The box was never opened and I was just going to trust it which is a downfall of mine. I asked the man how much it was and he was going to ask his wife but she ran to the store. He said $5. DEAL! When I got home I saw a sticker on the box hand written $20 on it!
The lady with the grapes also had these mugs... 6 for $2.00, still with the stickers on them!
I also got these placemats from her, 4 for $ 1 ! They're heavy and backed with cork!


My favorite item was found in Northport at an antique flea market that is held every Saturday through November. Who knew??? It's now in between the kitchen and living room. It opens to put a candle in it. I got this for $10.
This was from the man where I got the Olive oil set from... $1. The little square plates have a few chips in them but I liked the bigger piece so it didn't matter!
I had a great garage sale day. I look so forward to reading the daily posts of The Thrifty Groove to inspire me more!

Mother of all Garage Sales...

I hit the MOTHER OF ALL GARAGE SALES yesterday! It was at a convent in Amityville, NY... just 15 minutes from my house. First, we hit Crabby Amy's in Seaford, for a nice breakfast wrap. It was so relaxing to watch the boats with the sea breeze.
Then we headed to the sale.
It was held under a huge tent that had 2 rooms full of items. One room was mostly furniture, tv's, Christmas, wicker and books. The second room was mostly housewares. The nuns had their tables in a large square where vendors had their items along the back.
My friends and I went through the rooms about 10 times and each time, found more items! The nuns just kept putting out more and more. Even as we shopped, people were still donating their items! This was some of what I got...
Above... I got 3 crocks and 8 Au Gratin dishes. The others were in the dishwasher.


My 3 favorites...
I got all of that for LESS THAN $10 ! The wrought iron coat rack thing is 3 1/2 ' long and only cost $1. Those frames were .15 and .25 each! We had to leave because Louann's car couldn't hold any more items! Before we left though, we went for a nice walk to check out their organic garden. You can actually buy 'shares' for a season full of fresh veggies!


I really liked their perennial garden. The Clematis was an unusual variety. I have to look that one up! The bird bath was just a pretty glass bowl on top of the cement stand. Very nice.
We had such a fun time. After I got home, I was itching to go back! I told PJ that he has to make sure he's off from work next year. This is one NOT to miss!!!

I LOVE CAST IRON!

I have a small collection (8) of cast iron pans that are in different sizes, shapes etc. I LOVE when they're old and have a story behind them. You could just feel the love that went into cooking with them! YUP! I'm romantic when it comes to cookware!
I had gotten this cast iron pan from a garage sale last summer for 75 CENTS! The woman that sold it to me said it was her Grandmother's pan but who really knows if that's true. I re-seasoned my other cast iron pans yesterday so I included this one too. I posted on 2 P's what people though gets made in this pan because all I thought of was corn bread. Quite a few people said they think it's an Aebleskiver Pan. After doing a google search, I think they're right. I'll have to try a recipe for them maybe this week!