Some of you already know that my favorite places to shop are Goodwill, the Salvation Army, the local Mission and of course, your curb.  I thought now would be a great time to share how and what I shop for.

The first and foremost on my list is furniture, mainly chairs and dressers.  I always make sure they are in good shape structurally speaking.  Color and fabric are the easiest to fix.

This chair wins the award for best in show.  I purchased this at the the local mission.  No work necessary, it is perfect as is.

I have had friends offer to buy this at one point or another, it is not for sale people!

I found this rocking chair at Goodwill, and hope to paint it white and put some bright fabric on the seat cushions.  I love the curly detail along the bottom.

I found this a the Salvation Army for $5.00!

This chair has some flaws, the finish shows a ton of wear and the cushion is a funky color. I have plans to paint it, ALL of it, fabric too, so why not experiment on something that only cost me a few bucks.  I will post on that another time. 

Second; Art.  Most of the time I am only focused on the frames, like the landscape painting for example.  I will probably paint over the scene with chalkboard paint and keep the frame as is.  The painting of the little girl really captured my heart, it is so beautiful, and it will be hung after I update the frame a bit.

Third; Lamps, lamps, lamps!! If you EVER see a pair, buy them!! I usually only purchase them if I know exactly where I am going to put them. The pink ones will go in the girl’s bedroom and the white ones will go in my office.  If the wiring is a little sketchy, that is fixable too.

Fourth; Urns in all shapes and sizes.  I am a sucker for milk glass and use them all over the house.  The black ones here were different colors originally and I painted them to match my decor.  I fill them with plants, pens and pencils, moss, keys, jewelry and even ornaments during Christmas.  Pretty much a win win purchase.

Fifth; Trays for days!  I use these when we have cookouts to carry the food outdoors, and as catchalls for keys, change and to manage my kids things in their bedrooms.

Sixth; Aren’t these mirrors just perfection?  If I don’t like the finish I can just give it a good coat of spray paint.  You can hang a mirror in just about every room of your house!

Seventh; Brass is back baby!  I purchased the large map for my hubby as an anniversary gift, it was at the local Mission.  I plan to spread the rest of the brass around the house to give my home nice “collected” feel.

Eighth; Vintage bar carts and small industrial tables are so huge right now!!  You can use them inside or out, as a bar or a shelf to hold your favorite things.  This one needs a good scrubbing, or maybe a new paint job.

I have huge windows in my great room so this will be perfect to place between two chairs with room for plants and books and such.

Ninth; My latest obsession is china.  I recently found these at Goodwill.  They are trimmed in 18k gold, and are just the right amount of fancy for me.

It isn’t a complete set, but I plan to search for another incomplete set and combine the two.

Tenth; Vintage glassware.  These are some of my favorites.

I actually have used these for wine, but the gold detailing is starting to rub off, so I might use them as vases from now on.

I purchased these the same time I bought the china.  So cute!  I need to learn to make cocktails.

These cool dudes remind me of the tea glasses Capt. Picard used in the Star Trek Enterprise series….Earl Grey anyone?

OK, I know I said 10, and technically this isn’t in a category so I didn’t lie, but just look at this vintage umbrella?!?  this was $2.00 at Goodwill.

Look how wonderful the pattern is.  I will find space for it in my girl’s room, or maybe just open it and stare at it every once and a while…so pretty!  Never pass on something so pretty and unusual, you will regret it, I promise!

That is a list of things I am always on the hunt for, it changes according to what projects I am working on.  My main project now is finishing my house and I need a TON of furniture to fill it, so that is why these items are at the top of my list.  Someday, when my house is done, I will host a big sale of all my leftovers, and you can come and shop!!!

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