GoodWill Hunting...Thrift Store Finds for Fall

I am starting my blog a little late / or a little early depending on how you look at it.  I am up at 2:30 waiting for N. to come back home.  He had an ambulance call, and once that pager goes off and I hear him go out I can't seem to get back to sleep til he is home again.  I am proud of him for getting up in the night, he is usually a very heavy sleeper.  If only he jumped up so ready to go to school in the morning. Well, a mother can dream...

I had a very good, but very tiring day off yesterday.  The weather was nice, my dental checkup was good, and I spent the rest of the day til boat time shopping in Salisbury.  I was able to check out the Goodwill Thrift Store, Ross, Michael's, Family Dollar, and Cato's all between the hours of 11 and 3, AND stop for a quick bite of lunch when my poor gums quit hurting.  Let me say though, I like my dentist. He's really good - and he numbs up my gums with baby teething medicine before he starts (cause I can be kind of a big baby when he gets that pick out).  But it's still...shall we say...uncomfortable for a while.  Some nice soft cheddar and bacon fries from Hardees helped them feel right much better, however.  Hardees would not normally be my first choice for stopping to eat in Salisbury, but I wanted something quick, and those things are delicious!

I was not really all that impressed with Salisbury's Goodwill store.  The prices were high!   I went in looking for glassware and mis-matched plates and china for a project, and while the selection was larger, the prices were much more than I have paid at the other two thrift stores I go to.   I did find some decorations though to help me fix up my kitchen and breakfast room for fall.  Here is what I came home with:

Oh, and Chinese food for supper too, as seen by the fortune cookie slips and pot holder left on the table. Remember in my Fall Door Decor post when I was mad that I had seen a wall pocket at another thrift store and didn't pick it up?  You can read about it here ( Fall Door Decor Link ).  Well, I learned from that mistake.  This one is in very good shape and has nice colors for fall.  The candle sconce is is rough shape, but I think it will paint up good as new.  The outer frame on the picture is going to need a new paint job too.  But it said my name, so how could I resist?
  
The decorated stoneware crock I really liked, and the other thing that I don't even know what to call (a shelf sitter?) caught my eye sitting nearby. The three platters were my best find.  They are heavy stoneware in cream with raised rope trim.  They are "Octavia Hill" by Tracy Porter.  I think they are actually dinner plates but they are huge!  And a bargain among the other over priced stuff at just $2 each.  They are really much prettier in person than the picture shows.  These will not be a project, they're staying with me.  

Ross and Michael's yesterday was a treat!  Lots of great items on the shelves and good sales.  I can't show you everything I came home with, because lots of things are going to be presents and such.  When you live on an island, you learn to shop for presents year round, because your shopping time is limited. So, whenever I see something that would make a nice shower/wedding/baby/birthday gift I pick it up.  Luckily I have a big attic and I can store stuff.  Not so luckily, as I have learned the hard way, it that it gets very hot up there and things with hot glued decorations, wax, or candles tends to melt. Here is a peek of some things I got for me.

You might remember in an earlier post ( link here ) that I told you if you were ever in Ross and saw Brent & Sam's Key Lime White Chocolate cookies you needed to get a box.  The last few times I have been in Ross they have not had any. It's a hit or miss thing.  They usually have some variety of Brent & Sam's, but not this one very often.  So, imagine my excitement to spy a Brent & Sam's shaped box with hints of lime green as I rounded the gourmet food aisle.  Imagine my panic when I realized there was only ONE box and there was another shopper already down the aisle in its vicinity.  The urge to run her over with my shopping cart was strong.  But instead I abandoned my cart, ran walked down the aisle, said "excuse me" as I squeezed past her cart, grabbed them and kept going.  Poor thing, she looked confused.  Sometimes you see these in the mini size cookies, and they are the best, but these will do...The other thing I picked up was this really cute bird themed wall art.  It's colors are just right for my breakfast room when I need a change.

At Michael's I was able to pick up some craft supplies, a few cute home decor items to stash away as gifts, and a "chalk pen" that holds fine line chalk for writing on chalkboards.  I wanted a chalk marker, which a couple of people told me is great for those DIY silver tray chalkboards I have made.  I saw the space for them, but sadly they were out.  I hope what I did pick up will work similarly.  

Lastly, I stopped in Cato's.  I think Cato's is a regional type store mainly in the south, so you may not have heard of it.  It sells nice women's clothes, jewelry, and accessories at a good price.  I love their jewelry section, there's always something nice.  And their purses aren't bad either.  Of course I've almost never met a purse I didn't love.  If you are ever around a Cato's check them out.

And please check back in here at my blog when you get a chance, and feel free to comment.