Heaven on Earth!

Today I went to one of my favorite places on earth - The Goodwill Bins. It's the Goodwill Outlet Store where stuff is piled high in rolling plastic bins and is sold by the pound. You have to dig through some crazy crap to find treasure...but there is treasure to be found if you can handle it.

I've heard tall tales of people finding everything from poopy pants to dead rats in those bins. Personally, I've never found anything worse than a really bad smell or a hand full of mystery wetness. It can be pretty gross but there is something about the challenge and the hunt that I just love. And when you find that one awesome thing, it makes it all worth while.

When they wheel out the new bins, people line up and the feeding frenzy of crazed shoppers begins. It's a mix of "pickers" who go there to re-sell stuff on eBay or to local vintage stores and folks who are there to buy their everyday needs. I need to be in the right mood to get in there and fight for stuff. Today I just looked on from afar.

SCARY CLOWN!

There are several things I WILL NOT buy at The Bins:
1. Underwear
2. Wigs
3. Scary Dolls (including scary clowns)
4. Food
They sell packaged snacks at the cash registers and I see people buy them then sit around and have a snack mid-shop. Even though it is sealed in a package, the mere proximity to the gross stuff is a deal breaker for me.

I found this super cute Valentine card and gave it to my friend Jenna to give her skater husband.

This is my cart with the items I ended up with:
*A beautiful old quilt (the find of the day)
*A knit Tigger hat for my friend Tripper
*Two handmade felt + sequin ornaments
*Some vintage baby clothes for my expectant friends :)
*A few vintage sweaters that I will screen print onto
*Vintage photo negatives with images of a 1940's wedding
*A vintage kitchen timer
*A cute old wooden puzzle

**I didn't buy those two weird looking dolls - they didn't make the final cut.

It totaled $5.69 for 8.25lbs. I went through the checkout with Jenna and both of us added up to over 50 lbs. (holy crap!) so we only paid .69 cents per pound (the more you buy, the lower the price per pound). Jenna buys loads of vintage wool and cashmere sweaters for her art. Plus she got a few old suitcases to use for display.

What a day - Long Live The Bins!

Vintage Finds!

Sweet Jesus!
I found this little gem on a recent thrifting adventure on the Oregon Coast. It's a fabulous vintage framed Jesus picture that LIGHTS UP! That special combination of religious imagery and light up kitsch makes me weak in the knees! My living room is chock-full-o-the stuff...but I'm sad to say that this special find will be going into my booth at the antique mall and will go to the lucky soul who decides to buy it. Having the antique booth has been a really good lesson in letting go. I tend to hoard special vintage finds but now I can hold onto them and love them for a few days then send them off to find a better home at the antique mall. Goodbye Jesus!







This beauty combines two of my other loves - vintage plastic and handmade wackiness. I bought it at the Monticello Antique Mall last week for a mere $7. It was labeled as a cake carrier but I think I will use it to carry craft supplies or maybe even as a purse. I'm thinking that some fabulous crafty lady made it using two old plastic containers (maybe ice cream tubs?)- one yellow and one clear. She cut up the yellow one into scalloped shapes then added plastic lacing and faux flowers as extra-fancy embellishments. Love it!




I also found these cute little bird cake toppers / birthday candle holders at Monticello Antique Mall. I already have some pink ones but had never seen blue ones. I will probably cut the stems off then use the birdies in my found object art. I just love vintage plastic stuff - especially cake toppers!