home office: before and almost after

I had planned to post a few pictures last week of the new office shelves that I've been working on, but with all the laundry, packing, and errands that precede a road trip, there just wasn't time. I was able to snap a quick before & after photo, although the "after" picture isn't quite complete. We still have a few more shelves to put up on a different wall, so there will probably be more shuffling of the boxes and books that are in the picture. As for the "before" picture... well, let's just say I might as well show you a picture of my dirty laundry. It's pretty embarrassing to admit that this is actually what it looked like. It wasn't from a lack of trying, there was just no way to organize that much stuff on the old steel shelf. It was a temporary solution, and I'm so thankful to have found the new shelves at the thrift store. It's such a nice surprise to be able to tackle a project sooner than expected.

I hope to finish up the rest of the office when we get back to Seattle next week, and I'll be sharing more photos when it's done as well as that acetone transfer project I've been promising. In the meantime, I hope to hit some local Montana thrift stores, and maybe I'll turn up some blog-worthy finds. If you'd like to keep up with our road trip adventures, you can follow me on twitter.

new shelves & an eye patch

This weekend started with a friday find so big that until now, I haven't even had time to post it. It ended with a call to poison control and an eye patch on my right eye. If you're thinking that those two things are unrelated, you'd be wrong.

Goodwill was full of great stuff last friday afternoon. We've been looking for some nice storage to use in our office, but we haven't been able to find anything in our price range until now. To my delight, I found these two Danish wall units for $39 each. In our old house, we had three rows of shelves above our desk that were about ten feet long, but we had to leave them when we sold the place. For the last few months we have been temporarily storing all of our art tools, books, and office supplies on a steel shelving unit. It has been a complete eye sore, but it was either that, or keep them in boxes and rifle through the piles every time we needed something.

Re-organizing the office has been a huge undertaking. We have piles of old artwork, sketchbooks, and paperwork that goes back who knows how far. The new shelves have a nice balance of drawers and cupboards for hiding the unsightly airbrush hoses and kids play-doh, and open shelves to display items like books, and Patrick's pipes.

Part of the sorting and storing process was examining our art supplies to determine what was still usable and what had dried up. As I was editing my box of oil paints, I came across a full bottle of linseed oil. At first glance I couldn't tell if it was still the same consistency as it used to be, so I gave the bottle a little shake and a squeeze (don't ask me why—I don't know). The plastic bottle instantly cracked and the oil exploded... right in my face. It wasn't just a little squirt, either. The oil shot about three feet in every direction. Fortunately, I was wearing glasses, which managed to protect my left eye, but somehow it made it into my right eye.

After a quick call to poison control, a few minutes of hot saline flushes, and an hour of sporting an eye patch, I'm back to normal. Now it's time to get back to organizing. Hopefully I'll finish up this project tomorrow and I'll be able to post some pictures.

friday finds: salt & pepper shakers!

Tomorrow is my birthday, which means I get spoiled by my wonderful husband and kids, but it also means that my driver's license needs renewing. Before I could do any thrift store shopping this morning, I needed to make a stop into the DMV (woohoo). I was prepared to spend all morning waiting to hear my number be called, but I was pleasantly surprised that the whole process—picture and all—took under ten minutes. Here's a little tip for when it's time for you to renew: go to the Department of Licensing on Aurora and 185th! They are so much better than any of the other locations I've tried.

Because the licensing office was so efficient, I was able to make two stops this morning to do some thrifting. First I stopped into Goodwill. There wasn't much there that I was interested in, but I did find some salt and pepper shakers for $1. They aren't quite as impressive as some of the other ones I've seen on Etsy and other sites, but I'm happy with how clean and simple they look.

Next, I stopped into what may have been the worst advertised church rummage sale I've ever seen. I noticed a sandwich board on my way to drop Alden off at preschool that said "CHURCH 9-3 Friday & Saturday, 8th NE." I assumed they had unintentionally left off the important words "Rummage Sale," otherwise, that would be one long church service. I drove to the church, and I didn't see any other signs, but I parked anyway, and walked around the building looking for the sale. While I was circling the building I saw this sign—on the ground, with some deflated balloons:


Finally, I found a back door with a little flyer and some arrows. The sale was about as good their signs, but I still managed to find a few nice things that were really cheap—a gorgeous wood bowl for $1, a super cute winter hat/scarf combo for Tula, and some other clothing items that I won't bore you with. Between both places I spent a whopping $3.50 this morning.


Send a photo of your most beloved thrift store purchase to modernthrifter@gmail.com, and I'll pick a few to feature each Friday.

friday finds - saturday edition

I wasn't able to post this find yesterday because we were headed out of town to visit family on beautiful Whidbey Island, and to visit the farm in Skagit Valley where we get our milk. If you've never been up to this area of Western Washington, it's well worth the trip.

Back to my find... I picked up this Thonet stool last friday at Goodwill for $9. It's really solid, and has only minor scuffing on the wood legs. It's also white and wood, so I suppose no one should be surprised that I brought it home. It is marked with the Thonet name on the bottom of the seat, and also has the name of an optometry clinic written on the bottom.


I'm not sure if I've found a permanent spot for it in our home yet. So far we've tried it in the entry and in our bedroom as a little side table. It's the perfect size for the awkward little space between the bed and the closet—narrow enough that the closet door can still swing nearly all the way open, but big enough to set my ipod, a book, and a cup. But, I've also contemplated using it outside on our deck.


Show off your most treasured thrifted find! Email a description and a jpeg file to modernthrifter@gmail.com.

friday finds - june 4

I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I agreed to accompany Alden's preschool class on a field trip to Richmond Beach this morning. In my temporary lunacy, I must have forgotten that it has rained nearly every day this spring! I woke up this morning to what sounded like a torrential rain, although if you've ever lived in a house with a flat roof and no attic, you'll know that even a minor storm can sound like a monsoon. So, I'm about to bundle up in rain gear and herd twenty excited five-year-olds through the mud and sand, in hopes of spotting a few sea anemones.

All that said, I've bumped my usual Friday morning thrifting to this afternoon. I won't let that keep me from sharing a new find, though! This one is credited to my husband, who is a much better craigslist scavenger than I am. He was recently given some money for his birthday by a few family members, and has been on a chair hunt ever since. Yesterday he managed to find a tuftless lounge chair by George Mulhauser for Plycraft for $200. He's picking it up this evening, and I can't wait to see how it looks in our living room. I'll post some pictures next week, although it is craigslist, so there is always the huge possibility that this will all fall through!

Next, I want to share some great finds sent to me by Judy. Although we have different styles, we share our love for thrifting and decorating. Here are some of her favorite thrift finds:

1. Bernhardt Furniture Antique Sideboard, good condition: St. Vincent De Paul's $50 after Memorial Day discount.

2. Floral arm chair, great condition: St. Vincent De Paul's $15 after Memorial day discount.

3. Antique Player Piano with auto player function disabled, good condition + bench: Free on Craigslist.

4. Velvet & wood rocking chair, great condition: Value Village $19.99 - 30% off coupon.

Show off your most treasured thrifted find! Email a description and a jpeg file to modernthrifter@gmail.com.

friday finds

Today I had the pleasure of thrifting with a good friend. We are both regulars at Goodwill so we decided to try a few thrift stores that we don't shop as often. Our first stop (after coffee) was St. Vincent dePaul in north seattle. The prices seemed on the high end for thrift, but the store is organized well, and the book section is reasonably priced. We both found several books for our kids ranging from 49—69¢ cents. I did see two nice pieces of furniture, but neither were priced and I don't really have places for them, so I never inquired further. There was a sign posted for a 50% off sale on Monday which would make the prices much more comparable to the other thrift stores in the area.

The little pink book is filled with really sweet illustrations. I'm going to find a place in Tula's room for it. Here's the illustration from the dust jacket:



We only had time for one more stop so we decided on Deseret Industries. We were short on time there, so I wasn't able to do a thorough search. I did find a beautiful teal vintage Moire Glaze KYES tray for $1.50. I'm not sure if I'll use it for a vanity tray or a serving tray. Now I kind of wish I had two! I've seen several for sale on ebay and Etsy, so I probably could.



Here's another great find by Margaret Ann. It's a KitchenAid K45SS that she picked up at Goodwill for $19.99. Considering they retail on Amazon for $183, I think she got a fantastic deal!


Here's what she has to say about it:
"I tested it at the store, and then brought it home and cleaned it. I used it to make some chocolate chip cookies. I am in love with it. I am also expecting it to develop a crazy loud motor noise and/or start smoking momentarily, but [we] thought it was worth the risk."

friday finds - vintage kitchen & craigslist

I had another post planned for today, but it has turned into a bit of a rant, so I think I'll let it sit on the shelf for the weekend.

I'm not out at the thrift store today. Instead, I'm spending most of the day in the kitchen getting ready for Patrick's birthday tomorrow. I love cooking and baking, so I don't mind at all. Having a kitchen stocked with fresh ingredients and tools that I enjoy help too. If you need a little color in your kitchen, here are a few things from etsy that you might like:

clockwise from top left: 1950's metal kitchen wall clock $56; turquoise tea kettle $38; vintage superior electric fan; condiment servers $18

If you are in the Seattle area, here are a few furniture pieces currently on craigslist that might be worth checking out:

clockwise from top left: walnut full size bedframe $250; modern bar stools - set of 3 $90; mid-century slat bench $50; vintage yellow floor lamp $25

Friday Finds - May 14th

Today was another gorgeous spring day in Seattle so we spent most of the day in the sun, but I was able to step away this evening to check out Deseret Industries for a few minutes. I was met with disappointment again in the furniture section, but on the bright side, I picked up some great vintage canisters for my kitchen that I plan on spraying a bright yellow. I'll post some pictures of that project when I get to it. I also found this shadow box frame:
A few months ago Patrick took Alden to the Emerald City ComiCon and they picked up a pile of buttons that one booth was giving away. I've been wondering what to do with them, and I've finally decided to frame them for Alden's room. I'm excited to hang it up tomorrow.
I've been feeling pretty crafty the last couple of days, so here's to hoping I stay motivated enough to complete a few projects!

Friday Finds

We just got back from our little mini-vacation to Great Wolf. It was a really nice break from everyday routine, which would have normally included my weekly trip to Goodwill this morning. Although, I did just get off the phone with my husband who, on his way back from picking some things up from his office, just so happened to be at the thrift store. I guess he's as die-hard as I am.

Instead of posting things that I found today, I'm going to share some kids-related past finds.
Above is a picture of one corner in my little girl's room. The rocking chair, guitar, and the tall doll were all purchased at Goodwill. I am particularly fond of the vintage dolls. The short one, nicknamed Little Miss Trouble, is from my childhood. The tall one reminds me a little of these Alexander Girard wooden dolls.
My dear friend Margaret Ann, who is a seasoned thrifter, sent me this picture of a recent purchase she made:


She had been looking for a ride-on toy for her son, and came across this great Radio Flyer trike—new it sells for $60—for under $10. I laughed when I saw the picture, because I almost bought this very trike at the thrift store on what must have been the same day, but I decided that we already had enough wheeled toys in our house. I'm so glad she picked it up!

Send a photo of your most beloved thrift store purchase to modernthrifter@gmail.com, and I'll pick a few to feature each Friday.

Friday Finds

My husband works Sunday through Thursday, so every Friday he takes our daughter out for a little date, and I drop our son off at preschool. Then I get the rest of the morning to myself. Usually, I spend a few of those child-free hours at the thrift store, and today was no exception.

It was a mediocre day at Goodwill. Not much in the way of furniture, but I came away with a few other things that I've been looking for. My best find this week was a full set of The Chronicles of Narnia. That might not seem like a big deal, but I recently finished reading the Lion witch wardrobe to my son. He's been begging to start The Magician's Nephew, but I haven't been able to find our copy anywhere. It was nice a nice surprise, since I was just about to order a new copy from Amazon.

I also had the privilege of listening to a guy sing every song that he came across that he knew, while perusing the LPs. That kind of entertainment is just priceless.

Here are a few things that I found today (at the Goodwill on 145th St.) that I decided to leave for someone else.

Vintage Stenograph - $19.99

Asian Batik (great condition) - $5.99

Vintage "Big Ben Moon Beam" Clock - $2.99

Graphic Print Bowl - $3.99

I'd love to see what other people are finding. Send a photo of your most beloved thrift store purchase to modernthrifter@gmail.com, and I'll pick a few to feature each Friday.