Thrift Report: Odd and Ends

I didn't do much thrifting last week...still holding out for the big buying trip later this month. I picked up just a few little odd n' ends that I couldn't resist.

These glasses remind me LOTS of an old Georges Briard pattern, but they're a bit different and I can't quite identify them. They're not signed. Anyone have any info?

I thought this little brass box was pretty with its enameled ram design. It would be great for an Aries, wouldn't it? The inside is lined with wood and I suspect it may have been a cigarette box.

I don't buy mugs for my shop that often, unless they're really rare or special, but these were too cute to pass up. They're delicate little Japanese porcelain mugs with the cutest mod mix of patterns.

I'm having a lot of trouble parting with this find. It's a solid brass Virginia Metalcrafters trivet commemorating Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.  Old Town Alex is the first place I lived after college, and I have amazing memories of that time. I lived right in the heart of the historic district in a third-floor walkup in brownstone built in the 1800s. Let's face it...I'm totally keeping this piece!

That's it for me this week....like I said, just a few odd and ends. How did you fare this week?


xoxo


Linking up here!

The Nifty Thrifty at A Living Space
Junkin' Joe at The Cottage Market
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

IKEA: Redux

Back in February, I took a trip to IKEA for the first time in two years.  Even though I'm an IKEA devotee and veteran, I hadn't visited in so long that I made several rookie mistakes.

First and foremost, we visited on a Saturday.  For the love of God, friends, unless you are completely desperate, avoid IKEA on the weekends. We practically had to park in another county.

It was so insanely packed that we were pushed along the path through the showroom as if we were riding on a human trolley. I felt like I missed half the store!

Second, I wrote down the Swedish IKEA item names from the catalog. My shopping list (the details of which I shared here!)  looked like this:

Thank goodness I used descriptors (such as "door mat") for some of the items...it's a lot harder to remember what a "Farglav" or a "Skruvskta" might be when you're actually at the store! Consequently, I forgot several things I meant to pick up.

Finally, remember that your vehicle will hold more than you think!  Especially when your shopping partner owns a brand spankin' new mini van. :)  I was kind of conservative with my purchases because I was worried about fitting the five shelving units that we were collectively buying into the van. I needn't have worried; everything fit with lots of room to spare. IKEA does a great job of packaging things to fit into personal vehicles.

So while our February IKEA trip was fun, it wasn't ideal. You know where this is going, right?  Yep...we made a return trip last week!

My cousin/shopping buddy/friend Kendra and I set out last Friday at the crack of dawn (tough on two confirmed night owls like us) for the Cincinnati IKEA. We were not deterred by wind, rain, or speed traps. We arrived at our gold-and-blue mecca only to score a second row parking spot.



Look at the intensity on that face. We were on a mission, folks! (And it was early. REALLY early!)

Since we had recognized our earlier folly and scheduled our return trip for a weekday, the store was virtually empty and we were able to meander through all the displays at a nice, leisurely pace. Almost everything we wanted was in stock. There were even [gasp!] helpful employees on hand to assist us.

Which is good...because I was buying a SOFA. My tiny 1940s bungalow living room has been undergoing a slow makeover for some time, and I've been eyeing IKEA's small-scale, sleek Sater sofa for a while, but didn't think it would fit in the van on the last trip. This time, though, I pulled the trigger.

I also picked up one of dirt cheap fiddle leaf figs that IKEA is now selling; a few more red-and-white Tekla dish towels (I'm addicted to those things!) and some other odds and ends.

I'm happy to report that I'm loving the sofa so far. I'll show you the full living room makeover soon, but here's an in-progress sneak peek:

Many thanks to my favorite shopping pal, Kendra, who not only shares my love of IKEA, but also heroically helped me to transport this crazy "impulse purchase."

She's a trooper, that one! She's also 6 ft. tall. A handy combo.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!  xoxo


Linking with:

Oh the Places I've Been

Thrift Report: Latest Goodies

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!  I was lucky enough to spend a part of the day with my mom, for a yummy brunch followed by a little antiquing -- one of our favorite things to do together.

I'm supposed to be on a [self-imposed] vintage-hunting moratorium right now. I still have tons of stuff I haven't yet photographed or listed in the shop, plus I'm scheduled to go on a big buying trip later this month. So OF COURSE I've totally been on a thrifting binge. Le sigh....

Yesterday, when I was antiquing with my mom, I picked up this guy:

Yep, a big ol' brass seal.  I totally want to keep him, but....NO NO NO NO!!!  I still have a life-sized brass peacock in my bedroom that I've procrastinated about listing for months. I must list this guy before the brass animal police come and arrest me.

 I also found this set of teak canisters recently:

 I don't love stocking canisters for the shop because they are bulky and hard to store, but I was really drawn to these, and they were a great price.

Over the weekend I found this set of four American Airlines cocktail glasses:

As I've mentioned before, I love vintage hotelware, railroad china, and airline china, so I was thrilled to find these. I did some research and learned that this set is likely ca. 1980s. Can't you just see someone sipping their cocktail in first class from one of these?

The pottery collector in me got pretty excited when I spotted these two heavy clay vases at Goodwill:

The picture doesn't really do them justice...they are STUN-NING in person. Very tall and heavy, and wonderfully formed and glazed. They are marked "Grisby '91" on the undersides and they are in perfect condition. I haven't been able to find out anything about the maker, but they're definitely better quality than much of the typical vintage studio pottery I find.

This tray and bottle coaster were a pretty unique find:

 I love the combo of the sleek black vinyl and the gold banding. Very 80s.

And finally, I was lucky to pick up this vintage spice rack:

I couldn't believe that the little Danish Modern looking spice scoop was still intact!  I've never seen a set quite like it. And I was lucky, because the thrift store clerk told me someone else had purchased it and returned it - insanity! - just a few minutes before I walked into the store. Clearly meant to be, right?

Thanks for stopping by to check out my finds! Here's hoping that you all find lots of vintage goodies this week!

xoxo

Linking up here:

A Living Space
The Cottage Market
Make It Pretty Monday