Monday 14 May 2012

What we grabbed from the estate sales

Our weekend turned out to be rather lazy - particularly after I somewhat knocked myself out with allergy tablets and pain killers resulting in a very sleepy me for most of Sunday. Add a slight hangover to the mixture and I was a bear with a sore head. When we weren't playing on Guitar Hero [we're addicts] or eating home made rocky road we spent an hour or so hitting some estate sales. Our intentions had originally been to attend an Antique and Vintage show - while I love attending vintage things like this everything in them tends to be overpriced, plus it would have cost us $20 to just get in and it would have been a fair drive from where we live. For me estate sales are much more fun - cheaper and free just to go for a nosey.

I've noticed decent sales close to us come like buses, and this weekend we had two on our doorstep. The first was in a tiny house which was crammed full - from which I managed to grab out a 1960 recipe book [you can never have too many recipes]. Joe found the vintage mirror with the posh lady cameo and what was a very very battered, somewhat rusting vintage powder compact with no puff or sift and I then worked out it was missing it's top. It really had seen better days but me being me I couldn't really leave it there could I?! All this came to a mere $3.75. Bargain!

The second sale was a crafty girls paradise! The spare room was transformed in a craft room [how I long for something like this one day] filled with goodies! From huge stashes of fabric [going for less then $3 each] to embroidery hoops, patterns and crafting essentials it was hard to find somewhere to start. But when I did I stuck gold. Everyone else seemed to be ignoring the patterns on the floor so I had a good hunt and managed to grab four vintage crochet patterns and a cross stitch booklet alongside some crochet yarn and some aida material. What was even better was grabbing this all for 50 cents! Driving back home, flicking through the booklets I saw they were dated between 1915-1917 - total score! The patterns along deserve a post all to themselves so I won't talk about them all here but I can't wait to do some of the patterns.

Additionally, I'll leave you a hint that the compact has been given a new life and a new top - stay tuned to see how I've updated the powder compact!

27 comments:

  1. What fantastic finds, that hand mirror is absolutely gorgeous. Can't wait to see your patterns and hope those pesky allergies are all gone now. x

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    1. I have that head cold seeing constantly and my nose feels full. Ikky summertime allergy things! The patterns are gorgeous!

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  2. You always make me so envious of your estate sales. My area just doesn't have a lot of them and the tag/garage sales are always just old games, baby clothes, & glasses. That mirror is beautiful! The cameo looks like Marie Antoinette! =)

    Lemanie's Randomness Blog

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    1. There's a lot of garage sales around here too but i've never stopped and had a look - although from the car window they do seem a lot more for parents/kids. I do love the mirror - it cleaned up really well!

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  3. Living in the UK, estate sales are a rare occurrence, but thanks to this post I really wish they happened more often, I woud love to get my hands on some lovely vintage goodies.

    Gems x

    Fashion, Well Done

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    1. Yeah I never noticed them in the UK - maybe it's the idea of going into peoples houses that might put the majority of the British people off!

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    1. I love the mustardy colour that it is, fits in well with the rest of them that I seem to have gathered.

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  5. What lovely finds. I have never been to an estate sale before but I have been wanting to attend on for years. How do you find out when and where they are going to be held?

    Sunny Days and Starry Nights

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    1. I use the website http://www.estatesales.net were I'm signed up to get daily updates about forthcoming estate sales within a certain radius of where we live. You can see weeks ahead of when estate sales are planned but you won't get their actually addresses until a couple of days before.

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  6. Visiting the estate sales sounds really fun, the mirror you got looks lovely!

    Caroline x
    Caroline's Catwalk

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  7. That baking book looks awesome! xo

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    1. It certainly is, only really had a quick flick through but there's loads of recipes i've never seen before - can't wait to try making some of them!

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  8. Estate sales sound like heaven....I want to move to America!

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    1. Seriously - i'm getting addicted to them!

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  9. Wow! Such good finds, I love the idea of an estate sale, I kinda wish they were more common in the UK. Can't wait to see what you've done with the compact xxx

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  10. I've seen a few estate sales in my area, maybe I need to check one out!

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    1. You should - normally something for everyone in one!

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  11. That mirror is so pretty! =)

    http://pinkchampagnefashion.blogspot.com/

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    1. Its one i've never seen before that is for sure.

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  12. What great finds! I hope you're feeling better :)

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    1. Yeah apart from the constant feeling of a head cold!

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  13. Estate sales are the best - these are great finds!

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  14. What a great estate sale haul! I can't wait to see what you do with the compact top. I also love that mirror :]

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