Friday Favs: Thrift Store Shopping

One of my favorite places to find unique decor on the cheap is a good thrift store. Here in my town we have several really good Goodwills, a few Volunteers of America and a Salvation Army. As far as I know we don't have any independant stores. Goodwill is by far the one that I have the most luck at. I'd say 85% of my wardrobe comes from Goodwill, and most of that has been brand new clothes with the tags still on them. So I end up only paying a few dollars, but still get the clothes brand new. Works for me!

This was my go-to outfit this summer, a pretty green shirt and some oh-so-comfy gauchos, both from my nearby Goodwill. Both cost me about $4.00.

Then there are the major scores like this silver trashcan that I blogged about a while back.

Most of my blogging projects come from items that I've picked up at Goodwill. I've talked about the candlesticks I made over, the little box that I painted for the living room, my solution for jewelry on my dresser, and a centerpiece made from a tray that I transformed.

I've also picked up a few decorating items that were pretty enough on their own to hang out in our rooms. The glasses and candleholder in this picture are all from Goodwill. (The lantern is from a garage sale this summer.)

The key to finding treasures at thrift stores is taking your time. I go to one probably once a week. When I am doing clothes shopping I will spend a few hours picking out clothes and trying them on. When I am looking for decor, I'll do a quick sweep, making sure to look on the bottom racks and behind other things. Don't despair if you don't find anything on each trip, I've left emptyhanded many times, but other times I've really scored. That's part of the fun!

What's your favorite thrift store score?