JULY GOODWILL AND GARAGE SALE FINDS

Summer.

To some it means time on the water, outdoor BBQ’s, and park picnics.

For me, it means one thing first and foremost.

Primo Garage Sale Season.

Sure, there are the occasional sales early fall and late spring, but the summer seems to be when people have the time and inclination to clear out all that junk that’s been accumulating — allowing this junkhound to swoop in and add their pile to mine.

Do I need more stuff?

Heavens no.

But do I so often love the items I find in these sales — and I’m always fascinated by the intimacy of strangers opening up their lives (and shedding of their detritus) in such a public fashion.

Like this old bank book showing the bill for a funeral of a relative.

Combine curbside stops like these with some quick Goodwill Bin trips scattered throughout the last couple weeks, and you’re talking quite a little stash of goodies.

Here are a couple of the things I’ve picked up of late that’ve been sparking joy in my world.

I’ve amassed a great deal of interesting flatware — including this cherry red set I picked up at a huge garage sale in town.

These aren’t vintage but they mimic the color and styling of some of my favorite Bakelite pieces (which are getting harder and harder to find) and for $2 for the set, it rounds out my picnic set quite nicely.

Also from this Irvington sale– quite a few specialty silverplate pieces.

I love the little hors d’oeuvres forks (olives, anyone?) and the flatware has the words “Thunderbird Motor Inn” stamped on it (I’d love to know the back story on these).

I also bought from this sale a set of ten champagne flutes (which means I can now donate my three or four mismatched glasses).

I love the fluted piping on them, and at a quarter apiece, I can break a couple without feeling too bad about it.

I also bought a couple traditional shaped ones which I love using when I crack open a bottle of cider (as seen here on a friend’s deck this week).

Okay, now that I’ve shown you some items in my very stocked bar, here are a couple finds from Goodwill (both from the regular stores and outlet).

I love my small vintage garbage can (that matches my little salt and pepper shakers, also from here) — it’s the perfect size for recycling glass bottles.

Also from Goodwill is that minty green tray (as seen above and below); I use it all the time for all kinds of things — food, cocktails on the porch, corralling the odd bits and pieces on the countertop.

It was only $3 and it still had the new Target sticker on the bottom.

And now a few last things to show you.

I found these tennis-ball sized rounds of ripped vintage fabric ribbon at the Bins — they cost me under a dollar for all of them and I’m salivating at the thought of all the crafty things I can do with them.

I can imagine wrapping sandwiches with craft paper and these.

Or making tags (or maybe even headbands).

Speaking of crafty — here’s maybe one-tenth the rick-rack I’ve accumulated from the Bins in the past couple weeks (what is it about this scalloped ribbon that I love so much?).

Finally, I also snatched up these vintage mugs (I will probably stick the holiday one with green gumdrops come holiday time)

and a very old (published 1941) comic book.

I also bought this enormous bread board there — and I’ve used it multiple times since (including at Charlotte’s Paris Picnic Party).

Finally, I unearthed this little fella under a mass of clothes at the Airport Bins.

He has a squeaky thingy inside and I move him around from time to time –sometimes on  my hammock, occasionally on the shelf over my kitchen sink, and other times in our pocket bathroom.

I keep moving him around — to my seemingly endless amusement.

He’s like those little elves at Christmas time — only squeakier (and dare I say, far more cute).

So another Friday is upon us, which means keep your eyes peeled for those bright neon signs, and may the Thrift Gods smile down upon you, allowing you to unearth some treasures in your own little pockets of the world.