Recent Yard Sale + Auction Finds — Trinket Tuesday

Aqua crackle vase — $2 yard sale find

Mid-century pitcher  — $2 yard sale find

Cut glassware + berry bowls — $4 auction find

Magazine rack — $10 yard sale find

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve done a Trinket Tuesday on here. For everyone who’s new, Trinket Tuesday used to be a weekly feature where I’d show photos of and write about my antiques, knick-knacks, or “trinkets.” I started running out of items to feature (a girl can only have so much!), but now that we’re in the house and have more room, I’ve started collecting a few things here and there again. So, expect more Trinket Tuesday features!

I must confess: I love yard sale season. You definitely have to wade through a lot of junky sales to find the gems, but they’re out there, I promise! I think my favorite find of this batch is the magazine rack, which I bought on Saturday while out with my mom and grandma. It’s a little pricey for a yard sale item, but I’ve been searching for a magazine rack for some time now, and it’s a great vintage piece.

Do you love yard sales as much as me? Have you found any yard sale gems this spring?

Sold! To Number 188

On Sunday, Chris and I went to an estate auction at the fairgrounds. It was a first for both of us, and I can definitely say that we now have the itch to go to another!

The auction was run by Another Addison Auction, a family-run business that’s local to our town. I’ve seen plenty of auction scenes on TV (anyone else out there watch Market Warriors on PBS?), but it’s so impressive listening to the auctioneer sell the items in-person. The family that runs the auctions acts like such a well-oiled machine, and they were able to get through item after item really quickly.

I took this video so you all can hear the auctioneer. The guy who’s keeping track of the bidders on the butter churn kills me!

At the auction, we were lucky number 188. After you won an item, you simply raised up your number card, and they had ladies on computers keeping track of how much each bidder purchased.

It was chilly on auction day, so coffee was a must!

And by the way, I wore a vintage barrette, Forever 21 Cardigan, Lime Striped Top C/O OASAP, Madewell Jeans, Converse All Star Shoes

Chris and I made out like bandits! Here’s what I got:

A pretty cake stand.

These goblets with hobnail bases.

Cut glass cups. I didn’t really want these, but they came in a box with the hobnail cups above.

Two of these mail sorters.

Chris got some nice tools for himself, and our grand total for the day was $40. A steal considering one of Chris’ tools alone is probably worth $40. Others at the auction were getting awesome deals on furniture and farm equipment. They actually paid a guy a dollar to take a super 70s-looking sofa set. Ha! If any of the furniture had been “our style,” we could have gotten quite the deal!

Have you ever been to an auction? If not, maybe check out your local newspaper and see if there are any coming up in your area!

Charmed — Trinket Tuesday

Right now I’m dreaming of putting together a new charm bracelet. My bracelet from high school is pretty cluttered and maybe a little juvenile, so perhaps it’s time to start a new one to reflect my 20s. I think these Links of London charms from House of Fraser are so, so playful and adorable, but in a sophisticated, non-garish way. The anchor? Because I love anything nautical. The frog and heart? Because I married my prince charming a year and a half ago. The airplane? Because I love to travel. The champagne and shopping bag? Those are obvious! And as for the strawberry, I love how it adds a little punch of color.

Isn’t it amazing how a piece of jewelry can say so much about you?

PS – Check out my high school charm bracelet here!

DIY Botanical & Animal Art

I love the look of old botanical and animal illustrations, so I was thrilled when my friend Moriya shared an online database that has TONS of botanical literature that is free to download. PS – Check out Moriya’s blog, where she shares fantastic DIY home projects!

The site, Botanicus.org,  is a little hard to navigate, but if you click around enough, you will find scientific illustrations of plants, animals, birds, and more. I spent an entire evening looking through the site, and I ended up printing out a few illustrations to decorate our apartment.

The first two illustrations I printed are these birds:

I printed them on off-white card stock for an antiqued look.

I then went to Goodwill and bought old, thin, and gold photo frames.

They cost me a whopping $2.

I trimmed around the illustrations so they would fit in the frames.

And now I have lovely and inexpensive dining room decor!

I also printed some fruit illustrations for the kitchen:

And I have some flowers for our bedroom. I just need to find the perfect frames for them!

Christmas Wish List

Have you crafted a perfect Christmas wish list yet? I’ve been extra good this year, so my wish list contains some special little splurges. I curated my  list on Pinterest this year, which has turned out to be super convenient. I bookmarked it on Chris’ browser so he doesn’t lose track of it ;).

The picks above are  a sampling of my list. It doesn’t hurt to wish, right?

• Kate Spade Jewel-Print Dress — I’m loving all of Kate Spade’s jewel-printed items right now. The print is so bold and playful!
• Cartier Baiser Vole Perfume — I received a sample of this at Fashion’s Night Out, and it’s my new favorite scent.
• Capri Blue Candle — This candle is my all-time favorite. I’ve burned through several already!
• Diane, A Signature Life — Diane Von Furstenberg is such a strong, smart, and stylish woman. Her autobiography has been on my to-read list for a while.
• Tea Time in Paris Print — I have several watercolor prints from Etsy shop  Lucile’s Kitchen. I love how whimsical they are!
• Adding Awe Stole — This faux fur beauty looks so warm and cozy!

Check out the rest of my Christmas list on Pinterest!

What’s on your wish list this year?

A Pretty Plant Stand — Trinket Tuesday

You guys already know that I’m big into houseplants because I go on about it all the time. With shorter days upon us, I knew I needed a new way to keep my plants as close to the window as possible so they can soak in those fleeting hours of sun.

So, two weeks ago when Chris and I went to the Exit 76 Antique Mall, I was on a mission to find a vintage plant stand. What I really wanted was a stand similar to the one Bleubird Vintage has:

But you know how it is when you’re looking for something really specific — it usually doesn’t exist. However, I did find this awesome stand that’s kind of similar, but has a bit more pizazz.

Yes, it’s purple. At first I was set on painting it, but the lavender hue is actually growing on me.

PS – This past weekend Chris and I went to Noblesville and looked in an antique mall there. Can you believe that I found the exact same plant stand as Bleubird Vintage? And it cost a bit less than the one I bought. That, my friends, is the Murphy’s Law of Antiquing.

Exit 76 Antique Mall — Trinket Tuesday

Like I mentioned yesterday, Chris and I spent four hours on Saturday wandering around the enormous Exit 76 Antique Mall. This place has 600 booths, and pretty much all of them are occupied!

While there, I was looking for two things: an antique print of a horse and a plant stand. I can say that I purchased one of these, which I’ll share next week. 😉

Fenton Glass Rocks — Trinket Tuesday

As described in Day 1 of my Gatlinburg Trip Diary, our first stop upon reaching the Pigeon Forge area was a shop called Gemstone that sells gorgeous glass rocks of every shape, size, and color.

I thought these “glass rocks” were so pretty, so I picked up a piece of jade glass because I’ve always had quite the penchant for jade. And after thinking all week about how nice it would be to have two pieces of the glass (book ends?), I picked up a pink and white-striped chunk as well. I paid around $8 total for both:

These pieces of glass are both cullet Fenton glass. Don’t worry, I had to look up cullet, too. It’s simply scraps of glass gathered for remelting. So, after Fenton makes their pieces, they take the leftovers and create rock chunks that people sell.

I do have a couple pieces of Fenton glassware, including the hobnail berry bowl above. I think it’s pretty cool to see the jade glass in both a cullet and a finished form!

I found a shop that sells Fenton glass rocks, in case you want one of these gems for yourself. Check it out here! And here is an Etsy shop that has a similar pink swirl piece of glass.

Needlepoint, Cross Stitch, & Embroidery Fancy — Trinket Tuesday

Last year for our wedding, my mom made us a lovely little needlepoint to put on display at the reception. It now hangs in our apartment as wall art, and I love it.

I think needlepoint, cross stitch, and embroidery all make fun and quirky decor. Whenever we go thrifting, I’m always on the hunt for a vintage needlepoint, but many times they’re discolored or stained. Or, if they’re in perfect condition they cost a pretty penny.

I would love to learn how to needlepoing/cross stitch, but I fear I don’t have the time and/or patience to learn and then finish a piece.

Here’s  a little roundup of some lovely pieces I found on Etsy:

alphabet and fox sampler

vintage frog and mushrooms needlepoint

vintage flowers needle work

mini cat needlepoint

you are my sunshine embroidery 

Does anyone out there needlepoint, cross stitch, or embroider? I read that the difference among them is the medium that you stitch on, as well as the technique used. Any advice on what a beginner like me should start with?!

The Little Things — Treat Yourself Tuesday

My dad always says that I’m “easily amused.” Which, long story short, means that I don’t have a hard time finding things to laugh at or be entertained by. I also don’t have a hard time finding little, inexpensive ways to treat myself. Whether it’s a new nail polish, a new book, a new show on Netflix, or some fresh flowers that I can arrange in my antique vases, I know how to appreciate the little things in life.

My treats this week: New Essie polish — Recessionista from the Stylenomics Collection. A new book about an American Copy Writer who moves to Paris to write for Louis Vuitton. $1.50 flowers to arrange in my great grandma’s vase.

How are you treating yourself this week?