Goodwill hunting....

[annielinz]

I've had two great weekends finding stuff at the Goodwill~woohoo~

Usually I go in and find zippo. I think by visiting all these decorating blogs and you guys here, I am fine tuning my eye. Thanks alot guys!:rolleyes:


First another silver tray--its silver plated but I love the handles and carved details, looks hefty and old. May do another chalkboard treatment with this baby. Then a silver gravy boat, and this carved white and gold frame. May paint and distress the frame or keep as is since it'll go well with the colors in the LR.
Then I saw this coffee table (I don't need a coffee table BTW) but again it called to me. I really need to start plugging my ears :D Look at the little wheels on the legs and the small amount of carving on the front. I'm thinking possibly a coat of creamy white paint, some foam, material and make it into a bench/ottoman/coffee table.Who knows.

So heres my finds, and oh, the big silver tray and the white frame.... 30% off.
I tried out the coffee table in the LR, just had to see how it looked.

[ChapterTwo]

Lovely, again, Mary Ann!

I really like what you found this week, too. The table (a.k.a. "bench/ottoman/coffee table) will look great in the living room!

I came across a mirror on feet, among my flea market finds in the attic. I am guessing it was from a dressing table? I'll have to take a photo later.

I wish we lived closer - we'd have a great time scrounging around!

[RoseMary]

Great finds this week, Mary Ann:D! The table is a great find and I love the frame. I hope you post pictures if you do something different to it.

I've been wanting to go flea marketing for weeks now and just haven't found the time:(.

[ChapterTwo]

Now if you lived close to us, we could all go "sale-ing" together! :);):D

[annielinz]

Chapter Two, could we get into trouble or what??!! But it sure would be fun times!


Well, went to the fabric store just to look. I was searching for maybe a black and cream ticking or tan and cream no such luck...

I did wander over to the remnant section and found some black and tan hounds-tooth wool fabric. That got me thinking if I painted the table black and distressed it and did this fabric on top, it would be a nice long ottoman for in front of the couch. Real comfy to put your feet up on.

Cripes, I already have a perfectly fine coffee table, and was thinking this painted white for DD in her future apartment---arggh.:confused:


Anyway I did get the material heres a pic.

Rosemary I'll definitely post pics when ever I come to a decision :rolleyes:

[MaryK]

I LOVE the table and can't wait to see what you do to it. You have some wonderful ideas. MaryK

[Carrie]

Good finds. I love yard saleing,antique shopping and auctions.
Do you know that Goodwill even has shopping on line and a lot of stores sell the good stuff there?

[shabbychick]

Online shopping through Goodwill? OMG! I'm all over that!

My feeling about buying things you don't need at Goodwill is...why not? It's not like you're spending a fortune on it, and if you can dress it up and make it pretty, even if you don't ever find a place for it, you can give it away or sell it. For me, it's buying an old thing and doing something fun with it that makes the shopping fun.

I love coffee tables and wish I had room for a lot of them. I already own three coffee tables and only one sofa. Obviously I need more sofas. :D

[annielinz]

I love you guys, your my kind of people!:D

[ChapterTwo]

Chapter Two, could we get into trouble or what??!! But it sure would be fun times!


Oh, we sure could!

I love the idea of the black/tan houndstooth...

Shabbychick - the best part of shopping at Goodwill or charity flea markets is that you're helping others! So even if the item doesn't work out, it's guilt free. :o

[yarborough house]

Mary Ann- wonderful finds. First of all I am jealous that you can actually get out to the Goodwill. Ours are closed which is okay since we can't get out to get to them. Dang south with no plows :)

I have a gravy boat like that one too. I am going to turn it into a bird feeder. Going to hook a copper flange to the bottom then put a copper pipe on it to push it into the ground for the garden.

I buy lots of silver to make bird items to sell.

[annielinz]

Tammy, what a cute idea for the gravy boat, I've seen them do that with tea cups and saucers but silver......brillant! Again if we lived close we could do group craft classes.

So DH was walking around the house and saw a little decorative something I bought, and said "thats new what else did you buy?" Little ol' me says nothin':rolleyes:. See the silver just blends with the rest and so far he hasn't seen the coffee table in the garage. If I decide to revamp it and move it into the house, it'll be, Lucy you've got some splannin' to do. He's usually fine with these things, he knows I NEED a creative outlet to be happy and ya know when Mamas happy.....

[chyna]

Won't you lose the carving/etching on the tray if you paint it with chalkboard paint? Goodwill does have a cool site but beware that they aren't always forthcoming on the auction results. We bid on some mocassins and they waited until the auction was over to inform us that my hubby didn't sign in right or something. the auction went on for days!!!!:mad:

[ChapterTwo]

Lucy you've got some splannin' to do.

HaHa! You've gotta STASH those items, and quickly!

Smart to have put the coffee table in the garage.

If he ever says something, tell him that he's very lucky you don't collect something like Fabergé eggs...:o

[annielinz]

QUOTE=chyna Won't you lose the carving/etching on the tray if you paint it with chalkboard paint?

Chyna, I use the peal-able contact type of chalkboard :D No harm, no fuss.

Chapter Two I am the "Queen of the Stash", many a time it's "Stash and Dash" because he's walking in the door. Ahhhh, the little games we play.

[ChapterTwo]

QUOTEChapter Two I am the "Queen of the Stash", many a time it's "Stash and Dash" because he's walking in the door. Ahhhh, the little games we play.

HaHa! So long as you're not stashing another man in the closet, you're doing fine! :eek:

[yarborough house]

Chapter Two - silly girl. You don't stash the pool boy in a closet. You stash him in the cabana house. :)

[ChapterTwo]

You don't stash the pool boy in a closet. You stash him in the cabana house. :)

Ahaaaaaaaa...NOW I get it! :rolleyes:

[vintage girl]

What great finds:) I have a Goodwill and a Salvation Army store within 2 blocks of my work. I love to run over there on my lunch break. I went last Friday and got a wonderful Silverplated pitcher, a great little brass dish that I am using to display my vintage pins, a braided rug and a silver ornate cross. Got it all for about $14. I love the coffee table. It will make a great ottoman with the fabric you picked out. I have my eye on an old trunk that I saw last week. I have the perfect "nook" between the living room and dining room that I want to put a nice leather chair and a table. The trunk would make the perfect table. It is next to my woodburning stove and would make a great reading area. Might have to run down there today to see if the trunk is still there. I have also found that Goodwill and Salvation Army are not firm on their prices. They will bargain with you. I am really looking forward to seeing the coffee table/ottoman :)

[ChapterTwo]

It sounds like there are definitely differences in Goodwill stores. The one that is a few towns away from me has mostly clothing, and there's nothing so good there. :( The only thing I bought there was a "Begin to Knit" kit for $3...probably geared towards kids, but I have always wanted to learn (I'm a lefty, to complilcate things.)

[vintage girl]

I go to several Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, both near my work and home. There is definately differences between them. Some are very neat and clean with a good selection and some have mainly clothes and some are just nasty. It is a definate hit and miss. For furniture I shop on craigslist rather than Goodwill or Salvation Army, as I normally don't find very many good deals on furniture, other than the trunk I mentioned. It does pay to go often though, as they get in new things on a daily basis. I also go to a couple independent thrift stores and have had some good luck with those also. And of course garage sales. I LOVE garage sales. I got a brand new eliptical trainer for $40 on Saturday. Now I just have to use it:rolleyes: I have gotten a bit "fluffy" over the past couple of years. Not bad if you are a bunny or a stuffed animal, but I would prefer to be a bit more "lean":D

[vintage girl]

Oooh!!! I just found the perfect leather chair and ottoman on craigslist for my little "nook". I am picking it up tomorrow morning at 9am. It is only $25 for both:eek: I cannot believe it is that cheap. He says he is moving immediately and just needs to get rid of it. Have to drive a ways (35 miles), but well worth it for the price:D

Here is the pic:

[annielinz]

Vintagegirl, that is a deal!

Oh, BTW, I too am feeling "fluffy" after the holidays :D

[ChapterTwo]

I have gotten a bit "fluffy" over the past couple of years.

That reminds me of a little fridge magnet I used to have. It was in the shape of a female sheep and said, "EWE'S NOT FAT, EWE'S JUST FLUFFY!" :D

Oh, vintage girl, what a great deal! That looks like a super "curl up and read" chair, complete with foot support. ;-)

[vintage girl]

I also was thinking it will make a good curl up chair. I did use the eliptical last night, but only managed to do 15 minutes. I am really out of shape:eek: I am going to try and do 15 minutes twice a day until I build up to 1/2 hour once a day. I used to exercise like a maniac and loved it, but than life intervened (dogs, birds, kids, work, etc etc). I have vowed to get in shape this year. Really don't care if I get thin or not, just want to be healthy. I am hitting my mid-50's and everything seems to be breaking down:rolleyes: As far as being an "Ewe", lately I am more like an entire herd of Ewe's:D And it does not help at all that Hubs never gains an ounce. Of course he walks a lot during his shift (campus police), and he does martial arts, etc, but it is so unfair. He can eat anything at all and never gains. I hate him!!

[ChapterTwo]

I did use the eliptical last night, but only managed to do 15 minutes.

Oh, gosh, I forgot to comment on that. You got a STEAL on that eliptical machine! I am jealous...lol (not really). I have no room for any exercise equipment here - I gave my friend my treadmill and gave away my exercise bike too.

But yes, the fifties seem to be when those subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes take place in our bodies. RealAge.com is pretty good - they have exercise videos and all kinds of help for us. (Click the buttons up on the top of the site.) Boy, do I need help! :o

[shabbychick]

I want to get a quality treadmill to put in the library at school to not only use myself, but to let kids use. With a book stand of some kind, they should be able to read and walk at the same time. I'm having a hard time finding funding for it because the heavy-use variety are in the thousands of dollars, and grants are hard to come by for this kind of program.

That leather chair and footstool are awesome. I can't wait to see what you do with them.

[ChapterTwo]

If craigslist.com or Freecycle.com operate near where you are, you'd be surprised at the amazing things you can find on there for free or minimal cash! Someone may be moving in a hurry and want to get rid of a treadmill.

[shabbychick]

I am on a local freecycle, though I have never had any luck being selected to receive something being given away. I've given away quite a bit of stuff, though. The school district is picky about what it lets us use (for safety and sanitary reasons) so I really want to get something new and under warranty.

I'm going to try freecycle for the gardening tools and supplies for the community garden I'm trying to set up at school. I'm having a hard time getting funding for it, so I think freecycle will be a good option at least for the tools.

[ChapterTwo]

I do understand, shabbychick; you have to abide by the rules of the district, and you'd be responsible if you get something that turns out to be not so great.

Have you ever thought of approaching a local garden nursery about helping to sponsor your community garden with the offer of some plants, tools and or/discount?
Perhaps even Lowe's or Home Depot would be agreeable.

When I was a member of the PTA Executive Board, we used to go around to the local businesses to ask them to donate items for tricky tray events or raffles in exchange for the positive public relations they would reap from our publicity. If you have a little local newspaper, you can usually have a photo or article published for free, which alerts local residents about their generosity. Every little bit helps! :)

[vintage girl]

I used to write and research grants at one time when I worked for a University hospital. Youth fitness is a big thing right now. They just had a great article on Yahoo about a current grant related to youth fitness, exercise, diet etc. They have been tracking at risk youths (those just a little bit overweight and just starting to get obese). This study was supported exclusively by grants. You may want to do an internet search to see if there are any current grants going on that you could tie into or some new ones coming up. Other option would be to write your own proposal and than approach Target, Walmart and KMart to see if they would be willing to donate a treadmill. All of these companies give a very large percentage every year to community outreach, charity, etc. This is also the best time of year to ask,as they normally start doling out their community/charity dollars at the beginning of each calendar year. You would want to target a store that is in the same community as your school. If this does not work, how about a school-wide and community-wide fundraiser. Something like "Pennies for Fitness". The kids could put containers in all the classrooms and also at local businesses, and you could do community fundraisers also. Bake sales, jumpathons, etc. I used to be very involved in fundraising, and I loved it. Unfortunately my current position does not involve fundraising. I miss it. Good luck and let us know how your quest for fitness equipment turns out:)

[annielinz]

Found a few more goodies this weekend between the showers.

Found another silver plated tray and some crystal-like candle holders for $6.00, everything was 35% off at the goodwill. I also found this very old silver coffee/tea server. It was looking pretty sad but I like the shape and it had a monogram on it for $5.00.I shined it up a bit and put a bow on it, much more snappy looking, don't ya think. :)

[ChapterTwo]

What a big difference a little polishing will do. Once again, nice "prizes" for your hunting! ;)

[shabbychick]

You would want to target a store that is in the same community as your school. If this does not work, how about a school-wide and community-wide fundraiser. Something like "Pennies for Fitness". The kids could put containers in all the classrooms and also at local businesses, and you could do community fundraisers also. Bake sales, jumpathons, etc. I used to be very involved in fundraising, and I loved it. Unfortunately my current position does not involve fundraising. I miss it. Good luck and let us know how your quest for fitness equipment turns out:)

Thanks for the information. The people at our local Precor store offered us a discount on a quality treadmill, but it was still going to be $2500, and at the time (last year) I couldn't find any grants in the making. I'll try again after I've finished going around trying to get funding for our school's community garden. Even the PTSA wouldn't give me any money for the garden. They only wanted to support classroom initiatives. We have one fundraiser a year in our school, and it's a magazine sale. We aren't allowed to do any others. The money from the fundraiser goes to the ASB (who wouldn't give me a single penny for my reading or manga clubs last year) and to the PTSA. So if you can't get either of those two to buy into your idea, you're kind of sunk. The PTSA gives me money to buy library books (as my school budget this year for books was a measly $300) but that's about it.

I need someone in the school who likes fundraising because I hate it. I am fundamentally opposed to teachers having to raise their own money for special projects and equipment, anyway. It's funny how they're always saying they wish teachers would work harder and be a little more innovative, but when you try to do something innovative (and innovation is almost never free) everyone turns their backs on you.

I have written three grants for the garden this year. I got one for $500 from a local foundation that raises money specifically for my school district, was turned down flat by Lowe's, and am expecting to be turned down by Home Depot when their grants are announced next week. We've decided we're going to have to scale our garden back to just a couple of beds this year as well as the containers we planted in last year (which were financed entirely by me last year to the tune of $300) and hope that we can be impressive enough to attract funding next year. It's all been very frustrating and discouraging, but I'm determined to get these gardens planted if it kills me.

[shabbychick]

I do understand, shabbychick; you have to abide by the rules of the district, and you'd be responsible if you get something that turns out to be not so great.

Have you ever thought of approaching a local garden nursery about helping to sponsor your community garden with the offer of some plants, tools and or/discount?
Perhaps even Lowe's or Home Depot would be agreeable.

When I was a member of the PTA Executive Board, we used to go around to the local businesses to ask them to donate items for tricky tray events or raffles in exchange for the positive public relations they would reap from our publicity. If you have a little local newspaper, you can usually have a photo or article published for free, which alerts local residents about their generosity. Every little bit helps! :)

I've actually applied for grants from both Lowe's and Home Depot. Lowe's turned me down, and I haven't heard from HD yet. However, I do remember Lowe's saying they'd give me a slight discount on lumber. We found some pressure treated wood at HD that was less expensive than the cedar we were going to use, so when I decide on how much we're going to order, I'll make sure they know we're a school and see what they'll do for us. If I tell them Lowe's offered us a discount, maybe they will, too.

I've got the PTSA asking parents for donations of garden tools, and I put a box in the office with a shovel and a few trowels in it to kind of prime the pump. I think I'm going to ask people to start saving their yogurt and margarine containers for the science department to do the plant starts in. We're going to ask people to donate strawberry plants from their gardens and will grow everything else from seeds, so I'm hoping we'll be able to keep costs down that way. We've decided on a limited number of crops, all of which will be able to be harvested before school lets out. Then the kids will have had some success (I hope) and we won't have to worry about assigning people to water over the summer. Next year I hope to actually grow some crops to harvest in the fall. A pumpkin patch would be awesome! Someone's donating a compost bin, and we already bought one rain barrel. We've got about $439 from our grant to do the garden this year, so we're being as frugal as we can.

I didn't know this, but it turns out they don't use arsenic to pressure treat lumber anymore, so pressure-treated lumber is now safe for garden beds. That was good news as it is only about half as expensive as cedar, which is what we were going to use. Now I have to figure out how to get my hands on good dirt and compost for this year. Last year I filled our school container garden with cheap topsoil, and the plants didn't exactly take off. I hope to save enough on lumber that I can afford better dirt and some quality compost this year.

Good idea on the newspaper. We do have a local newspaper that might be interested in coming out, and I plan to make a big deal out of this whole enterprise on our school webpage, too. I'm not usually someone who goes around looking for publicity, but it seems to be necessary, and it might be a way to get some money for next year, when we hope to expand. My eventual goal is to grow enough to give to a local food bank and let the kids feel like they're contributing to the community. That may not happen this year, but it'll get us started, I hope.

[shabbychick]

I bought a silver tray at Value Village to paint and use on the coffee table. I've spray painted it pink, and now I'd kind of like to apply something (maybe a darker pink) to highlight the etching in the center of the tray. How do I do that? Do I need to dilute a darker color, apply it, and wipe it off? I want to make sure it doesn't just look like I spilled Kool-Aid and didn't wash the tray.

Also, I bought a round aluminum tray with a rim, just one of those cheap ones, and I want to put it on an ottoman so I can use the ottoman as a sort of side table. I've painted the tray a nice, light yellow with a satin finish. It doesn't have any etching, so I thought I might stencil something on it. I'm wondering about some kind of a finish that would resist the heat of a coffee cup without leaving rings. Would some kind of polyurethane work? I seem to remember you can buy polyurethane in a satin finish. I figured you all would be my best resource. Got any ideas?

I'd send pics but I don't have a camera and forgot to borrow one from work, but I'll try to snap a pic when they're done. I'm also making a Tinkerbell lamp for a woman at work and am repainting one of my own lamps. It's going from grass green to soft yellow, and I'll make a new shade for it, too. Lordy, I love spray paint!

[shabbychick]

Mary Ann, that coffee pot is lovely! The bow is a nice touch. Are you going to use the candle holders as is or dress them up?

[annielinz]

Shabby regarding the little candle holders, I'm thinking of marrying them with a plate to make a little cake stand.

[shabbychick]

Shabby regarding the little candle holders, I'm thinking of marrying them with a plate to make a little cake stand.

Sounds like a lovely idea. I can't wait to see the pictures!

[shabbychick]

So I painted the little metal lamp I was going to redo. I primed it and then painted it with yellow spray paint in a matte finish. The paint is starting to crinkle up and remove the primer layer underneath! I don't know what I can do about even sanding it off and recoating it because the directions on the paint can say you have to recoat within two hours to avoid lifting. I had never even heard of paint lifting before. Does it have something to do with the matte finish? I've never had this problem with gloss paint. Jeez, I hope I can salvage this.

This also brings me to a question about the tray I painted with the same paint. Will the paint layer lift when I try to stencil over it? Should I try something like decoupage instead?

[ChapterTwo]

Oh, Shabby...I'm like you - I LOVE spray paint. But I've never heard of ptt experienced anything like what happened to you.

What I would do is walk away from the lamp and the tray tonight, and call the spray paint company tomorrow and explain what happened. It's hard to fix something when we don't know what caused it, so maybe they'll fill in the blanks for you and have suggestions.

Sorry it dampened your enthusiasm, but I bet there's a way it can be fixed.

[shabbychick]

The paint came from Joann's. It's one of their brands, so I'll pop in next week and ask them about it. In the meantime, I won't use that paint on any other projects. I have another yellow that I like almost as well and have good luck with before. It's too late for the lamp, but it'll be okay. I'm wondering if I should just scrape off those wrinkled bits and call it "rustic." That would be sort of shabby chic, wouldn't it?

[ChapterTwo]

I'm wondering if I should just scrape off those wrinkled bits and call it "rustic." That would be sort of shabby chic, wouldn't it?

I do believe it would be!
On the other hand, do you think you could sand down the wrinkly parts with fine sandpaper?

[shabbychick]

I do believe it would be!
On the other hand, do you think you could sand down the wrinkly parts with fine sandpaper?

I could sand it down, but I don't think I could paint over it because it's been more than two hours since the last coat, and the can says that if you wait longer than that, the paint may lift. I could take all the paint off and start over, I suppose, but at this point I am loathe to do that. I'm hoping that once I get the new shade made and put on the lamp, it'll look okay. The lamp base is really a metal easel to hold a plate, so the plate will cover up some of the icky stuff. I'll just have to make sure I use a really big plate. :)

[ChapterTwo]

I'll just have to make sure I use a really big plate. :)

Yes, perhaps one of those giant charger plates! ;)

Seriously, you're right - it'd be waaaaay too much work to try to take all the paint off. It will lose it's "fun project" appeal, at that point.
You've got the right idea, and attitude.:)

[chyna]

Did it get cold perhaps? I ask because if the metal was cold when you sprayed it then the paint would crinkle. also if the primer was a differnt type of paint that would happen too. My dad did that when he painted my iron bed, the old finish was one type and then he went over it with a different type and it did the crackle thing. Latex vs enamel

[shabbychick]

I'm not sure, Chyna. It was in the 50s yesterday, so it should have been warm enough for the paint. The primer was Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover which "provides a tight bond for a top coat for the longest lasting finish." Hah! The yellow was Jo-Ann Essentials Crafters Edition Color Spray Paint. Interestingly, it didn't crackle on every part of the lamp, just on a few spots. They're both supposed to be for use on metal or wood, and it doesn't say that either of them is oil-based, so I'm assuming they should be compatible, but obviously they're not entirely. I used the same primer and same top color on a tray, and it turned out just fine. Isn't that odd?

[chyna]

I've had that happen with the spots of crinkling. Spray paint is pretty picky about conditions, too windy, too cool, too hot, too????? Don't get me wrong I use the stuff alot but all the planets must align for it to work out really good. ;):p