PORTLAND GOODWILL GOODNESS — APRIL FINDS

Sometimes when you have an itch, all you can do is scratch it.

Nowhere else does this apply quite so aptly as with thrifting; if you’re in the mood, nothing else will do.

Nothing.

So when the mood strikes, you might as well grab the car keys and hope for the best.

I’ve been in major purge mode lately (I will tell you about that another time) but to balance the heavy outflow of goods donated lately, I felt the need for a little newness.

I’d made some room for some new objects in my home, and I was ready to see what fate and the Thrift Gods would throw my way.

At the Goodwill Superstore on 6th and Grand, here are a couple things I found, each for under a dollar.

The perfect shot glass.

I realized lately that I didn’t have one, and this looks great alongside my new decanter of whiskey.

Also this — a brand new-in-the-box set of Martha Stewart stencils.

These are going to come in handy for the kids’ next poster board or science project (I never seem to have a complete set of stencils around when I need them. No more.)

And because a gal and her crew can never have enough water bottles around, I found a new one I like for the porch or the car.

Can you tell which Aladdin I bought last week at Target for $10 and which one I found at Goodwill for one-tenth the price five days later?

(The purple one was from Goodwill but it still had the plastic wrapper around it so I’m thinking that it was probably brand new).

I found these, too– and both in a variant of my favorite color.

Oliver always leaves his water bottle somewhere so backups are welcome– and these are the kind he likes best.

And then there’s this.

Purchased for just under two dollars, it’s going to reside in the trunk of my car for impromptu picnics (again, never used).

Okay, let me show you what the Bins had for me.

A giant, well-loved (aka chippy) white and red enamel bowl.

If I’d found this bowl at a vintage shop it would’ve probably cost twenty-five dollars, but at the cheapest Goodwill bulk price it cost me a little over a dollar.

When I put drinks and ice in it (or say, fried chicken on wax paper), you’ll never notice the odd chip or two.

I love it.

I’m also happy with a pair of robin’s egg blankets I found.

They’ve already been put to good use on the porch (they might look sky blue but they really are that chirpy blue-green that I love).

I also found a new cushion for my vintage chaise.

Again, perfect color, terrific condition — and only three dollars.

And then my kitchen got some love, too.

I’ll give these measuring cups a proper scrubbing but I think the label still on it points to the fact that they were probably never used– or barely if that.

They seem very 50’s to me — and adorable nested like that.

I also got an enormous bread board (maybe two feet across) that I think will make a stunning cheese tray or appetizer board.

I’m not daunted by the knife marks; I’ve scrubbed it well with lemon, vinegar and salt so it looks and smells clean, and I can always place parchment paper atop it if the dings are distracting.

I also found an unopened package of cocktail napkins (with a $5 retail sticker) and a sweet box of stationery.

For the forty cents these cards cost, I now have a supply of cards in the car. This is surprisingly handy when you decide to drop off flowers or an impromptu present on-the-go.

Lastly, two new additions to my accessory shelf.

A vintage 60’s clutch.

It was two dollars, in flawless condition, and the perfect carryall when going out with friends and all you need to carry is your Iphone, some cash, a credit and a lipstick (and maybe some good chocolate).

And then, last but certainly not least, my favorite Bin find this month.

I found a brand new Baggu knapsack in a jaunty French looking stripe.

It retails for $38 everywhere, but this one (with no marks or spots) was about $1.80 for me.

I think it’s going to be my go-to summer bag.

And here’s an added bonus of my Binning.

I bumped into the caregiver of an old Meals on Wheels client at the Airport Bins.

I knew that her charge, Dorothy, had died recently (at 98 1/2 years old), but it wasn’t until I bumped into Felicidad that I knew the particulars of Dorothy’s passing.

Right in the midst of that giant warehouse, we both became teary talking about her. Everything around me — the bins, the other people, the excited chatter as new merchandise was unveiled– slipped away for a moment as she told me of her last days and we swapped stories about her. Dorothy was a tough old bird but had an appealing feistiness and was fiercely loyal.

When we exhausted that topic, she told me that she’s moving back to the Philippines. She’s going to open a florist/nursery/consignment shop, and she’s currently in the midst of a Goodwill shopping spree. For the last couple weeks, she’s found hundreds of things and shipped them back home so they’ll be ready for her in June.

Look how cute she is with her husband in tow and their 67 pounds of finds.

She was laughing when I took this pic, talking about how many wonderful things she’d found for just 49 cents (glassware and breakables) and 99 cents a pound (everything else).

Purses, china, clothes, shoes, small kitchen items — you name it, she was buying it.

It makes me smile when I think of all those Oregonian donations being sold in the Philippines– and supporting a family of four (including their developmentally challenged daughter).

Ah, Goodwill… Bringing people bargains, creating secondary businesses and reuniting me with faces I hadn’t seen for a while.

That’s what I call a powerful triple header.