Glazed Terra-Cotta Pot Makeover
Have you ever done a glazed terra-cotta pot makeover? I haven’t either…until now. *insert dramatic music here* I found a glazed terra-cotta pot at a thrift store for $10. It is huge, almost 18 inches tall, and it was begging for a makeover. Begging. You can see the potential, right? This is not one of those situations where I’m going to slap mud on a vase to make it look like authentic earthenware. I already had authentic earthenware. It was just hiding under some painted on flowers and swirly things. My plan for this glazed terra-cotta pot makeover was simple. I was just going to paint it. Easy breezy. However,…
Collecting: Antique Car Horns
I have two antique car horns and I’m looking for a third, so I guess I’m collecting antique car horns now. I’m pretty jazzed about it! Every once in awhile when you visit this blog I want you to not only leave with inspiration, but some random trivia to impress your friends and family with too. It’s the least I can do for you, right? Here goes… Antique car horns were first used in Britain in the 1800s. It was a matter of safety when self-propelled vehicles started sharing the road with horses, wagons, and people. By the late 1800s, motorists were using horns, bells, and whistles to alert others to their presence. In the…
Four Recent Thrift Store Finds
I’ve become more interested in thrift store shopping for my home in recent years for three reasons. I really, really, really, really like a bargain. Certain items of yesteryear are made better than they are now. I don’t want my home to look like everyone else’s. Plus, it balances out my Amazon shopping habit. Oh, and did I mention I like a bargain? My conundrum with thrift store shopping is that I really don’t like shopping in general. It feels like a waste of time and I don’t usually have the patience for it. More often than not I go to a thrift store and see nothing that sparks a…
Happy Thrifting: Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market
Today I want to introduce to you a flea market I’ve been to twice now: Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market. It is located along the scenic Delaware River in Lambertville, New Jersey, right across the border from Pennsylvania. The flea market has been open since the late 1960s, so you know it is a good one. Plus, it is open year-round and three days a week: Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Some flea markets are only open seasonally and that’s a bummer when you really have a hankering to find some neat treasures, but nothing is open! The name Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market is a nod to the man who…
Invisible Picture Wire Saves the Day
Do you ever have one of those “anything is better than nothing” moments? Any seasoning at all would be better than having to eat one more bite of this bland food. A few lunges while I brush my teeth is better than no exercise today! This mint stuck to the bottom of my purse is better than having no mint and bad breath! Using my husband’s deodorant is better than not using any deodorant at all! Added perk – I can enjoy the manly smell of ‘arctic ice’ coming from my armpits all day long. I had one of those “anything is better than nothing” moments as it relates to…
The Best Flea Market Score
Not only did I recently find the best flea market score EVER, it happened twice at the same flea market. I know, I know. I don’t think you can technically have two “best ever” declarations in the same sentence. Alas, it won’t be the first or last grammar violation on this blog. Now, while I’m still riding the high of the moment, I am well aware that the best flea market score to me is not the best flea market score to someone else. And thank goodness, right? Otherwise, they’d be walking home with my finds and I’d be walking home sad and empty-handed. Actually, I’d be driving. New Jersey…
Happy Thrifting: Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market
Have you ever seen a faraway place on TV or in a magazine and thought that it would be a cool place to visit someday? That’s what I’ve always thought about Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in Connecticut. It is often the backdrop for the HGTV show Flea Market Flip. It has also been mentioned in magazines the likes of Architectural Digest and by interior designers like Emily Henderson. As it turns out, I can now drive to Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in about two hours. I’ve been stuck in traffic jams in Atlanta for longer than two hours, so driving this long to potentially score some unique treasures at a…
Happy Thrifting: Smalltown Antiques
I’ll happily admit I’m the type of shopper that judges an antique or thrift store by the stuff they have outside. If it looks like “good” stuff – whatever that means – I’m more likely to want to stop. Do you do that too? Smalltown Antiques in Flanders, New Jersey, had all sorts of good stuff outside its front door when I visited. I’m guessing thieves don’t steal old crocks? Not only was the outside packed, but Smalltown Antiques the kind of shop that is brimming with interesting finds inside too. It’s not big space-wise, but there’s a lot to take in. I loved the bookends on this table and…
My Latest Thrift Store Finds
Believe it or not, I’ve been shopping – thrift store shopping! And I have some thrift store finds to share with you. There’s really no difference at all between thrift store shopping and regular store shopping for me. 99% of the time the outcome can usually be categorized as one of the following: This store was a complete waste of time. I can’t believe I left my house for this. The store contains all my hopes and dreams and I can’t afford any of it. That last 1% of the time I find something at the intersection of I can’t live without it and I’m willing to pay for it,…
Happy Thrifting: Andover, New Jersey
The fastest way for me to get “alone time” is to ask my family if they want to go hunting for treasure. They know this is code for thrifting and everyone single one of them will say, “no thanks!” Then I pretend to be disappointed while skipping out the door. My latest adventure for the Happy Thrifting series took me to the small town of Andover, New Jersey. Andover is located approximately an hour and fifteen minutes west of New York City. I didn’t get a firm count on the number of antique or thrift shops in the Andover area, but I went into four shops. I’m fairly certain I…
