Thriftin'

I know everyone went thrift store shopping last week because of the YHL Macklemore Challenge, but I actually had no intention of partaking because it was cold and I didn't want to walk in the cold to the thrift store. I'm lazy! But then my friend Sarah messaged me on Friday night and asked if I wanted to go to a bunch of thrift stores with her on Saturday so that she could get frames for her gallery wall. So off we went! (as a side note, I am not actually partaking in the challenge because I totally spent more than $20! haha)

For reference, we went to Goodwill, Value Village, and two Salvation Armies. She had the best luck for frames at Goodwill and Value Village, but I had pretty much all my luck at Value Village! As a FYI- we both thought Salvation Army actually had the best furniture options, but we weren't looking for furniture.

We had so much fun wandering the stores and finding the most random things for sale. I totally thought Sarah should hang this letter from the mayor (circa 1992) in her gallery.

But if that wasn't her taste, I also found this bathroom rules list with some lovely clip art!

It was hard to pass up this Cinderella toaster that burns a glass slipper image onto your toast (my friend in University actually had one of these! haha).

But the piece de resistance that did not get to come home with me was this perfectly intact sun umbrella. Darn it! How did I pass this up?!

At one point we did see these two girls about our age carrying the world's ugliest armchair through the store and giggling. It was seriously so ugly it was kind of cute. As we left the store, we ended up following them while they slowly made their way home with that monster chair. I hope they made it!

But enough dilly-dallying with the awesome stuff that I sadly didn't get. Let's go onto my real haul!!

I got some multicoloured, polka-dot fabric that I thought would look sweet in my niece's bedroom (which is purple) and I am thinking I could turn into curtains, a pouf seat, or even just use as a future sheet. It was only $5! I also got a bunch of photo albums for $4 each so I can finally put away some old photographs.

As for the other stuff...

Sarah found this awesome elephant frame and it came home with me. It was a big splurge at $7. I am not sure where I will put it, but first I want to paint it a bright new colour! The wood finish isn't great in person and I think it would look awesome in a bright yellow or deep turquoise. hmm...

Then I found this awesome elephant statute. It's wood is in great condition so he can remain as-is. As you can see, he was $5! The only problem is that his tusks are missing. I am blaming some sort of tiny wooden elephant ivory trade, but we may never know.

I really like this faux-sweater vase that I found at Goodwill! It was only $2 and I can't wait to get some flowers for it because this condo needs some Spring influence!

Lastly, I got this tiny frame. It was only $2 and I have some ideas for where I am going to hang it (but first I need to open it up and get that piece that fell out of the flower arrangement). It seems like a random purchase, but a week ago I was brainstorming an idea and I pictured a frame JUST like this for it.

Right now a lot of my new stuff is still trying to find a home in the condo, but the elephant has moved right into my bookshelf arrangement! I love the pop of wood up there!

Did you partake in the Macklemore challenge? Or do you like thrifting in general? Do tell me some of your best scores (or most hilarious finds!)

My funniest find ever was this couch I saw at Value Village once, which was the same couch we had growing up! I sometimes wonder if it was the exact same couch.