Goodwill Cheap Thrills

Do you love to thrift shop, or does it freak you out? This Saturday, I went on an early Goodwill shopping trip by myself. I'm not a thifting expert, but I've learned a couple of rules that really work for me:

1. I don't shop at thrift stores with my little one. In order for me to see past the dust on an item and imagine it in a new way, I have to hold the item and think of all the ways it could be used. This is really hard to do when William is trying to pull all of the porcelain dog figurines off of the shelves.

2. I don't buy something just because I've seen an identical project on another blog or website unless that item would look great in our home. This is tricky; it's so tempting to pick something up when I know that it can be repurposed into something amazing. But if that amazing thing won't be particularly useful for us or would be out of place in our home, I keep walking.

3. Every penny counts. If I overspend at Goodwill, it's just as bad as overspending at Pottery Barn.

I spent $20 at Goodwill on Saturday and came home with a slew of things I plan on repurposing. Here are two that I had time to start using this weekend.

I paid $1.99 for this very chunky gold frame from Pier 1. I spray painted it turquoise, placed a piece of chalkboard vinyl inside the frame, and used a chalk pen to write on the glass. I have this frame propped inside a plate stand because I like the way it looks, and it's sitting next to the kitchen sink with a reminder to choose joy. You could paint several tiny frames and use them as place cards at a dinner party, to name food at a buffet, or to leave a sweet note for a family member sleeping in your guest room.

The cute glass drink jar just needed a good washing in hot, soapy water, but that was it. I love it! It's holding iced tea in our fridge, but it's something unique (at least now that glass Tang containers are not a standard in every household) and a great find for 99 cents.

Have you found anything lately at Goodwill or a consignment shop (or your own garage) that you turned into something you love?