Tuesday, November 23, 2010

~ Goodwill Goodies ~


Good day, lovlies!

After hearing all of your stories about the great finds you've uncovered at your local thrift stores, 
you inspired me.
I decided that I had to make a visit to the Goodwill store that is located about 15 minutes from my home.
I really didn't know what to expect. 
I had never been to one before.
But I tell you - the parking lot sure was full.

What I found delighted me
and I nearly danced out of there, squealing and grasping my treasures -
to the sideway glances and mutterings of 
"That girl is one cookie short....."
from the people in line behind me.

But back to when I first entered the store.

My radar was set on 'High' as my eyes scanned the entire building.
Front to back.
Side to side.
People were scurrying around pushing carts brimming with goodies.
"Ok, Self.  Time to dive in!"

After cruising around the entire store and feeling disappointed that I had not one thing clutched in my anxiously sweaty mitt, I found myself standing in front of a large wall covered with framed pictures.
Pictures and paintings of flowers so ugly that no one would want them in their garden much less on their wall,
(ick),
 of bunnies hopping merrily down a road
(a road? really??),
some strange alien-looking place on another planet painted on velvet,
(Elvis would not be happy),
and an abstract of two people facing each other 
who obviously had had too much to drink
(can you spell "u-g-l-y"?).

I really didn't want anyone to know I was actually contemplating purchasing one of those incredibly ugly incredible works of art,
as I casually pretended that I was not looking at them at all.

I plucked the ugly picture I wanted off the wall
and tried to hide it under my coat without looking like I was stealing it.
As I rounded the corner,
my eyes landed on some white treasures neatly stacked on a shelf. 

Be still my heart! 

I swiped them off the shelf, and balancing them precariously on my hidden picture, 
ran awkwardly gracefully to the check out gal.
As I pulled the ugly picture out from inside my coat and laid it face down on the counter,
she casually mentioned that a woman had purchased a very very ugly painting there a week ago.
When she got home, she peeled away the backing,
and discovered a $2,000 savings bond.
Now....
if you must know,
at that point I actually contemplated going back and grabbing all of the ugly pictures off the ugly wall.....
but common sense stopped me.

This is what I took home off the ugly wall for a mere $2.99.

Cute, huh?  Not!
After an afternoon of this ~


it morphed into this.

(...with a little love....)

...and a little chippy-ness...
A vintage looking chalkboard.

(Please forgive the weird looking photo!)

(I haven't a clue why the frame didn't show up in these photos..!)


A nice place to leave sweet notes to my hubby.

Oh, and the great white find that caught my attention?


How does a gravy boat for .99 cents
and a stack of eight little saucer bowls for $1.99
strike your fancy?

Yup.  It did me, too!

I'm so grateful for Goodwill stores!  
Happy White Wednesday to you ~

and may you all  
have a blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

{ Holiday hugs }

~ laurie














27 comments:

  1. I think there are the sort of people who can look beyond the ugliness and see a chalkboard. Definitely you and sorry...not me. I have to be inspired by people like you! That's why we should go out thrifting together!! You can lead the way!! Love the gravy boat, too!

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

    XO,
    Jane

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  2. I love your chalkboard and gravy boat.It's so much fun thrifting!!You did a great job on the chalkboard.

    Kathy

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  3. You did good! I'm like you, I've not yet been to a goodwill store although I'm always reading about what everyone else has found. Maybe it took you to inspire me to go check one out! Have a lovely day ~ Hugs~

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  4. You always turn not so great stuff into gorgeous treasures Laurie! you are so talented and inspire me so much!! Have a very lovely thanksgiving, Laura c xx

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  5. WEll, first of all I can't BELIEVE you have never been in a GoodWill store before! Where ya been living-under a Salvation Army truck? Yep-if you can get past the trash there are a few treasures to be found. You see that picture that you thought was TRASH? Yeah! Yeah? That one with the cute little bears & rabbits on it? Yeah? Well, just so you know-I had one of those hanging in Mimi's room...oh..let's say about 25-30 years ago...it was kinda CUTE way back then;>)
    Today? Not so much! Now...I am NOT mad at you for making fun of something that I thought was CUTE 30 years ago..I'm just saying that I am gonna be crying at my desk all day;>) Then I smiled because I realized that YOU, my friend from the other side of Lake Michigan, could be HOLDING the very same UGLY PICTURE I donated to Goodwill many, many years ago...and perhaps it has had an owner or two in between...just think of the history~

    That being said- You did a great job on making it into a blackboard..AND...I love your white gravy boat and saucers-those are DEFINITELY not mine-I wouldn't have given them up!

    Hugs- Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Your most wonderful WI friend- Diana

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  6. You are too funny!! What was wrong with that picture?? LOL!! I LOVE your chalkboard my dear, it is beautiful!! You have such a way of bringing out the best in things!

    I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving my sweet friend!!

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  7. There is not a Goodwill close by but there is a thrift store with lost of ugly paintings that I admit to purchasing just for the frames.

    Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

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  8. I really like your chalkboard.......lovely post beautiful things !! ...happy thanksgiving darling............and thanks for your kind and lovely comment on my blog ......love Ria.....

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  9. Hi Laurie,
    Ha... I have been there carring the shameful item knowing what it will be, but wanting no one to see the before:-)) Love the idea of a little chalkboard for sweet notes to the sweetie :-)
    Thanks for your nice comments... yes the hummer feeders freeze, Thats why the ugly cheap plastic one is hanging in the photo, I have to swap the out each morning, and sometimes in the day, Our cold spells usually only last a couple days at a time so it's not too bad.
    Have a Great Thanksgiving!
    Bella

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  10. Hello Laurie, and thanks for your nice comment on my "snow angel"! I am smiling as I read your post, and thinking "SEE! its a treasure hunt out there! and not only fun, but a great way to recycle and avoid landfills... in fact, i often redonate things when i'm ready for something new. Am going to follow your blog...

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  11. You found some great whites and I love your chalkboard!!!

    Happy Thanksgiving Laurie...so happy I met you this year!!!

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  12. Thanks for popping by to say hello! this blogging thing is really fun! Thanks for your kind words! So sweet!

    I so love your little chalkboard...i need something like that here in my house! Happy Thanksgiving! xoxo
    -tracie

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  13. Hi Laurie,
    Your story made me giggle,you described it perfectly...love what you did with the frame it looks amazing and the gravy boat and plates look gorgeous just stacked,
    Love Kristina x

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  14. Hey sis! Had to come over and see what you've been up to these days. Your bathroom looks so nice with the little changes here and there.
    Those white dishes are so pretty, and so is the gravy boat!
    Your chalkboard turned out great!!!LOVE it!
    Hope you had a relaxing Thanksgiving with Rog.
    Love,
    Debbie@lakehouse

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  15. Super cute Chalkboard! You did good!
    And yes still fighting those pesky Lil' ants!
    I think they are determined to move in.
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Elizabeth

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  16. Love the chalkboard...I've been contemplating if I should paint a wall in my kitchen with chalkboard paint...and I'm lov'in the white dishes...you can never have too many white dishes.

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  17. Happy Thanksgiving Laurie
    Thanks so much for your lovely comments my way... Sad my vacation was so short but lots of photos to remind me and prompt me on the next...

    I love shopping goodwill [or St Vincent's de Paul].. I also tend to deposit their way too.... But I did just as you did recently and went in search of picture frames for repurposing...I usually find lots of lovely silver ware there also ... and can become dangerous once you know where to find the goodies..

    Love your new chalkboard.. If I ever get around to doing mine I'll show you.!! hehe.. Have a great weekend.. and thanks again.. xxx Julie

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  18. Great transformation on the ugly picture...it makes a perfect chalkboard! And I love your new gravy boat and plates!

    Kat :)

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  19. You did good with the Gravy boat and saucers!! And what a transformation you did out of that oh so 80's picture.......Sorry there was not a large savings bond taped on the back..........
    Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
    Sherry

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  20. You found some great treasures at Goodwill, Laurie! You are a crafty girl, aren't you! Love the chalkboard... great job girly!
    I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday my friend!!
    xoxo,
    Jo :)

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  21. p.s. LOVE your new header picture, btw!! BEAUTIFUL!! :)

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  22. I am in LOVE with your new chalkboard, my dear!! I am sooo excited you found some goodies at your first adventure! makes you want to go back daily, huh? lol!! I hope you all had a lovely holiday and continue to have a beautiful weekend. I also wanted to mention that sadly, no, I didn't make the pie in the pic on my blog, ha! I napped it from images on google and forgot to add that. ha!
    Huge hugs to you, sweets!!!
    ~Terrell @ Frou Frou Decor~

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  23. wonderful treasures! greetings from Germany

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  24. Oh my what beautiful treasures. Love the name of your blog:)

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  25. The chalkboard came out great! I made one very similar for Goodwill too. I bought an ugly old framed painting and transformed it. I felt a bit guilty (for a second) painting the chalkboard paint right onto the canvas - but the canvas was that ugly!!

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  26. Laurie I thought I had a bargain when I found a gravy boat, that looks just like yours, for $5. I think I shall have to let you do my shopping from now on. :) I just love the way your house is coming together.

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Bless you and thank you for visiting! I read each of your comments and treasure them all. So, please make sure your settings will accept emails, or leave your email address so that I can reply! ♥ Laurie