Yard Sale Drama

I've been trying all day...no...all week to get to my computer to tell you about last weekend's yard saling! I went at the request of my sister, who had several things in mind. I was hoping that we could find a few things, but knew that it would be a stretch to find exactly what we were looking for. But, we also had yard sale drama that I couldn't wait to tell you about. I know you all think that every time I go yard saling, everything goes completely perfect without any problems. But that's not always the case.

My sister, like the organized person she is, looked online and found all the yard sales in her zip code. She entered the addresses into her GPS so that we would have no trouble finding them. If you know my yard sale technique, this is totally not my style. I was almost jumping out the window to follow the neon signs that she sped past while sticking strictly to the instructions that the GPS girl was giving her.

Randy has been renovating her kitchen, and so she was hoping to find some fun things to spruce it up, without having to spend a fortune on the accessories. With having a budget of $40, here was her list:
-pot rack
-kitchen accessories
-canisters
-fabric for kitchen

I know you're thinking...is she crazy?! $40?? A POT RACK?? That's what I was thinking, too. But I kept my mouth closed, and went along to see what we could find. We started out and at first didn't see much. But after looking a little more, we stumbled upon a pair of red candle sconces. I had already told her that having some pops of red would definitely dress up her dining room and kitchen. After thinking of where they could go, we bought the pair for $3.

We went on to another, and were excited that it was in a nicer neighborhood. As we walked around, we noticed that the lady had some high prices. But of course, we were willing to barter. My sis found a set of white bowls, which had a price tag of $8 for the set. We asked the lady if she would take $5 for the set, to which she agreed. Then, she asked if we had seen any clothes that would work for us...clothes that her daughter had put in the yard sale. We had seen the clothes, but had seen her prices at $4 a pair of jeans, and $3 for shirts, and had thought..."naahh." But at her persistance, we decided to take another look.

We found a few cute tops from Holister and a pair of fun designer jeans. We made our pile, and decided we would make an offer. This is how it went.

Sister: We found a few things and wanted to make you an offer.

Yard Sale Lady: (slow and hesitant) Ohh...kay...

Sister: We were thinking all of this for $10.

YSL: (disgruntled) Well...this one shirt costed $50...so...

Sister: Yes....but...this is a yard sale.

Y'all. Oh my gosh. I almost couldn't stand there, I was about to die laughing. Here I had been thinking it, but then my sister just came out and said it. The lady looked like her eyes were about to burst. So then, this is what happened.

YSL: (shaking her head in disapproval) I guess...

Sister and I: Thank you.

YSL: You're welcome...I guess.

I AM SO SERIOUS, Y'ALL. She really said that!! I couldn't believe it. I was so aghast!! So, then I decided to try to explain it to her a little bit. Obviously, she was not the usual yard sale hosts.

Me: I just don't think you're going to get $4 for a pair of jeans. I mean, it's a yard sale. People aren't going to pay for each item at those prices.

YSL: (ignoring me, and turning around)

So, we left, and I ranted for about 5 more minutes. And then again to my husband. And to my sister in law. And some more with my sister as we've been wearing her items this week. But I think I'm over it now.

Have you ever had an experience like this at a yard sale? I know some of you are scared to death that something like this might happen, thus the reason you avoid them at all costs! But, most of the time, people are not like that. I actually, in all my yard sales, have never had quite an experience quite like that before.

We continued on...and at the next yard sale, guess what we found?

A brand new...in the box...copper....POT RACK...for $15!!!! Yes. The man hosting this one was an elderly man who you could tell was having a hard time parting with all of his collections from over the years. We talked with him a little about his things. And then we found some fun vintage Ball jars to use as canisters in her new kitchen. Our grandmother always had them on her counter filled with rice and noodles, so we both loved them! I think he took $6 for the set of 3.

We had a blast, and decided that even though the lady was snooty, that she just didn't know about yard sales. But that the sweet old man at the last one definitely made up for her snootieness! It was a fun morning full of adversity and adventure...and never a dull moment!!

I can't wait to show you pictures of her kitchen all dolled up, but that will be another post!

For the Love of the Game...or Hunt

There are lots of things that I love about going to yard sales. The hustle and bustle of the no-nonsense early birds. The sleepy eyed 'good morning' that you get from the hosts. The wheelin and dealin to get the right price. The finds...oh, the finds that you can find. But I think my favorite thing is the way that I always feel like God reminds me that He knows what I need, down to the simplest of things. Sometimes I feel like He's been eavesdropping on my thoughts, and knows exactly what I was just thinking I needed. And then I remember, oh yeah, He already knows all of them!

Yesterday, I was separating an egg in my fingers for a cake that I was baking, and I thought to myself, I really need to get an egg separator. And I still use my mom's old cheese grater that really should be only kept as an antique because of all the rust on it. But I just never think of getting a cheese grater. Well, I found both of these handy gadgets today at a cute little Chinese woman's yard sale for the grand price of a $1 (for both).

We have all these mis-matched glasses, from different sets, that I love using, but we keep loosing them. My son happens to knock them off the table, or maybe I clank one too hard in the dishwasher, you know the deal. So, we've been down to just a couple, which gets kind of hard when you want to throw a dinner party. I haven't really thought of it much, but then this morning I found a whole set of the glass bubble tumblers, which I love! For $3. Yeah, new glasses!

Having people over is one of my favorite things to do...especially for special occasions or holidays. I went to one yard sale today, and I saw all of these beautiful silver plated antique serving dishes. I knew they would probably be asking a lot, because they're worth a lot. I remember seeing similar pieces on my grandmothers table for holiday dinners and always thinking it looked so fancy. I didn't see any prices on the pieces, so I simply asked the older lady what she was asking for them. She got excited just to talk with me about the pieces, especially when another little blue-haired lady walked up, and said, "Oh, that takes me back." I went to the car and got my checkbook and paid a big $20 for the five piece beautiful set. I can't wait for Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I've always loved those old vintage ornaments that are the gorgeous handmade glass of all different shapes and sizes, and all different colors. I was at one sale today, where a WHOLE BAG of them were in the "free pile". I even said, "Are you serious?"

My husband doesn't really get to play disc golf often. Ok, pretty much not at all. But the other day, he was getting the urge to go with all this nice weather we've been having. We happened upon a whole stack of discs for a $1. Now, at least he can play without worrying about losing his only one. Not that he would. haha.

On the way home, after all our shopping, my kids were happily playing with all their "new" toys -some of which were just freebies because of how cute and sweet they are...ummm...or maybe because it was almost 12 and people were getting ready to give the rest to good will - either way, they got loaded up with some fun things. My daughter said, "I love yard sales! You get new toys, and people give you stuff!" It was music to my ears.

*sorry for the lack of pictures...our camera was stolen, so for a while you'll just have to invision all the lovliness! ;)

Open Season

It's officially open season for yard sales. I know, I know...you're on the edge of your seat!

My friend Diane and I have always loved yard sales. We absolutely love getting the deal of our lives every Saturday morning. We'll tell each other about yard sales that we heard about or have gone to, and even sometimes run into each other unintentionally at them. This morning we had fun going together on the hunt. Years ago we used to talk about how we could open up a little store with all of our yard sale finds and call it "Junk in the Trunk". Here's why...

After one hour and about $15 later here's what the car looked like.

And here is what we looked like.

For $5 I got all of this.

(random mix, I know)

Here are my favs from the day (especially when they were .50 cents each!)

To see my yard sale philosophy and to check out other fun tips to get you ready for yard sale season check this post out! I'd love to hear your favorite yard sale tales! If you can't tell, it's one of my favorite subjects!

Vintage? Or Vintage Inspired?

The other day, my friend Kari said how she like decorating with things that have stories attached. I couldn't agree more. Now, my story might be that I found it in my Grandma's attic, or on the side of the road, but it's still a story.

The other day, when skimming through a Pottery Barn Kids magazine, I saw something that looked familiar. I know that it caught my eye, just because I love the vintage style so much. But it was funny as I looked closer, I thought to myself, "I have the originals!!" And also the creeks, but hey, what's a little character!

Here is the "vintage inspired" bed from PB

the "Olivia Collection"

And here's the matching "vintage inspired" dresser in vintage pink

here's our vintage little girls' bed

(the "River" collection)

the bed beside our vintage pink dresser

I can't take credit for finding this beautiful set. A couple years ago, when we were talking of moving River into a big girl bed, my sweet mom-in-law saw it while down at her favorite antique store in Shallote, N.C. She grabbed a cell phone and got the "YES!!! GET IT!" from me, and it was loaded onto her friend's truck in no time.

Before paying the big bucks, check out antique stores if you're wanting that vintage look. A lot of times you'll find what you're looking for (and even what Pottery Barn's looking for) right under your eyes! At a fraction of the price! Like an 1/8 of the price. Yes, seriously. Now, sometimes you'll have to do your own paint job, but a lot of times you can find them already spruced up, and only a couple hundred, instead of a couple thousand!

Secrets...."New Favorite"

I went shoe shopping this week. Got a pair of new Isaac Misrahi's snakeskin flats, Apostrophe black semi-heels, gold pointy Go Max heels, and yes that is a pair of Cole Haans which retails (at a discounted price) as you can see here is $185. I wish I could find the original retail value, but oh well.

Paid $10. Not for one, not for two.....for all four pairs.

Don't ever tell me that nothing good comes out of Salvation Army. I was so excited. And I had been wanting to do a "secrets" on putting a little shimmer into your outfits, anyway. And since these pretty gold ones are my new favs, it just brought it on out of me. Not to mention, my daughters new favorites to walk around the house in. They're cuter on her than they are on me.

I think it's really fun to bring a little glam into your everyday. Not essential. Just fun. I don't do it every day. But I feel a little more fancy when I do, and it's really fun.

Because you can find gold, silver, and bronze, anywhere you look these days, it's not hard to find shoes, belts, bags, scarves, for a cheap price. Don't overdue it, and go with a silver bag, gold shoes, and big gold belt. Just little touches every now and then. Maybe a cute pair of shoes. It's nice because the metallics go with black, white, or brown. Or a big fun bag that's has a shine to it.

I also love finding vintage things and sprucing them up a bit. For example, if you were to find a pair of flats at Goodwill that feel comfy, you could always buy a can of spray paint at Wal-Mart for a dollar, and spray those babies gold. I haven't done that, but it totally is something I would do. But if it backfires, don't blame me. Hee hee.

My point is that it's fun to add a little shine into your daily life. And these babies are definitely brightening up my days!

Secrets of a Sassy Mama: "Back to School" Shopping

I always get excited about clothes in the Fall. Growing up, my parents would let me go "back to school clothes shopping", and I couldn't wait to see how much I could get with my allowed budget. It was always so fun to see new styles, and to be able to pick out new items. Even then, I loved putting outfits together. It must have stuck, because at the end of every summer, I start wondering about all the new Fall styles. What will they be and will they be cute on me? So, for this week's tip, I figured I would give a few pieces of advice with your own "back to school" shopping.

1. Don't wear frumpy clothes to try to hide your "problem" areas. I don't care how big you are - baggy, frumpy clothes are not flattering. Never. They make you look bigger than you are, and don't highlight any of your features. They just hide you...and if I can be so bold....they make you want to hide. Remember that YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that you can be confident about who you are. You don't have to be a size 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 - whatever that "perfect" size for you would be - to be cute. You are! So don't HIDE! (Now, I'm the first to put on a sweatshirt at home and snuggle up, so don't take this out of context! I'm talking about when you're wanting to look cute!)

2. Don't get clothes that are too tight, just to fit into a size __ (you fill in the blank)! Just get what fits the best. Not clothes that squeeze you so much that your belly makes a "muffin top" (as my sis likes to say) or that your button down is almost popping the buttons off! Get things that will hold you in, but not that say, "I'm still trying to fit into those jeans I wore when I was 20." Just go get a pair that look great on you now! Our bodies change, and they're supposed to!

3. Keep your basics. You can have your regular jeans, if you don't like the skinny ones, you don't have to wear them! You can have your favorite sweaters and shirts that you look forward to wearing every Fall. It's ok to keep your style the same. But, what makes your wardrobe a little more fun are the little pops you put with it. Maybe it's a pair of cute flats from Target (which by the way are on sale right now). Or some big earrings to dangle. Or maybe some "I've got great boots" boots to wear with a skirt - just make sure you can walk in them. Try to challenge yourself with finding a little flare to add into your day. Just a little. It's really fun...just wait and see!

4. My stepmom always used to say to me, "If you haven't worn it in a year, get rid of it." Now I realize, sometimes with bodies changing, and going through fashion trends, you are going to keep things a little longer. Or just for sentimental reasons. But I do think she had a valid point. If there are things that you just pass by, season after season, and you really don't ever "choose" to put on your body, than just give them away. I love going through my closet every season and making a big pile of clothes to go to Goodwill. It feels so freeing to make space, and get rid of clutter! plus, you're making room for that new tunic you've had your eye on!

5. Go by the clearance rack at places like Kohls, Target, or Old Navy and I bet you you can find a cute something(s) to add into your mix. Clothes stores always get new seasons of clothes in before that season. So, you might find a couple new shirts that are Fall friendly, but not at the $$$ price of the brand new ones there. But that are still recent.

Ok, I'm not going to go on any longer. For one reason, I haven't done the dishes or the laundry. But for another, I want to see the last night of these cutie pies having fun.

I Know You've Missed These...

I know that you've been dying to hear more yard sale tales. Since I've been traveling so much, I'm sure I've missed my fair share of goodies over these last few weeks. Hopefully, you've picked up where I left off, and found some goodies for yourself. Or maybe you've at least gotten some of these goodies on Saturday mornings.

I know you probably don't want to hear how I got oodles of lighted Christmas garland and self inflating mats for camping. And I won't bore you with telling you how I happened to find treasured books of old, new dress up clothes, and preschool games for my kids. Or that I found a little double breasted suit for Asher and cute winter hats for River. And how I got a bunch of fun comic books and 2 bird feeders that I've been wanting. And I definitely won't tell you that it only cost me about $35 for everything.

But I had to show you this...

Pretty sweet, huh? She can't wait to wear her "new" coat this winter.

Saturday at it's Finest

What a fun morning I had. First I went shopping to get a few things...

found some fun new clothes, and this great leather travel bag (with 2 smaller travel bags inside)

floor lamp for a few dollars (all she needs now is one of those tassels from the Nester!)

i love Degas, and i found these prints that are already mounted and just need to be framed, that will be fun wherever. my mom used to take me to art museums and i loved the dancers the best. so i got a set of three for the big price of $2.

And the best Father's Day present ever!

Yes, that's a like new, Thermos Gas Grill 2 Go, for $45. We love camping and I'm always on the hunt for good camping deals. Well, I scored big today - at the sales and on the homefront!

Then we went down to our neighborhood's People's Market to pick up our free rain barrel. It was really fun to meet some of our neighbors who love living in our inner city neighborhood and have a similar vision to us. To love those who look and live very differently than you, to restore what has been broken, and to care about being kind to the Earth we've been given.

Some people may look at our neighborhood and see run down old houses, weird alternative people and low income families - and think, "definitely not a place to raise a family." When we chose to buy our house 4 years ago, we knew that we wanted to be in an area where we could live simply, be around people who were different than us, and stand for racial reconciliation, and justice and mercy in the little ways of life. And living here has definitely been a journey of faith in many ways. But recently I have really come to love living here more.

From meeting new friends, to going to the best storytime in town , it has been neat to be given back a heart of love for where I am. As I was speaking to one of the men at the market today, he said, "I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the world. I feel like we're making history." It was encouraging to hear from someone I've never met, but am living around the corner from.

Adding Principals and Good Gifts

Sometimes, less is more.

A lot more.

We went to the Farmers Market today, because it's just so fun to do on Sat. mornings. And I was a wimp today - I only went to one yard sale. Because my car AC is broken, and it was like 200 degrees at 10am. However, the one that we went to, we scored big time.

We've been wanting a TV armoire for some time, but as usual with us, don't have an extra $500 bucks laying around. This is what we got today for $100.

Y'all are gonna think that I'm crazy, but I swear to you, just as I was leaving the house, I was thinking how great it would be to find a really nice TV armoire for a good deal. And as the guy drove it in his truck to our house, I just praised the Lord for how sweet He is. And how He loves to surprise us with good gifts that we don't have to have. And we don't really "need". But just like I love giving my kids something I know they'll love, He loves to give us fun gifts. And surprise us out of the blue with something that He knows we'll love.

So since I don't have tons of things to thrill you with this week, and last week was filled with the dance recital, let me hear what you have been finding over the last couple weeks!

If the heat is getting to you, and you're feeling kind of deflated in all this yard sale drama, here's my second addition to the principals:

Don't Give Up!

Just like the saying goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again." The more you go to, the more chances you have of finding those amazing finds. I know sometimes getting up and going out to yard sales is a task in itself, and then if you don't really find anything, it can feel like it was all for nothing. But don't give up! Your treasure is out there waiting for you to take it home!

Junk In The Trunk

Saturday morning necessities: coffee, sunglasses and/or hat, change in your pocket.

This Sat. I was so excited to go yard-saleing because my sweet friend Kelly came along with me! I need to make a couple additions to my principals, one of them being, it's always more fun to go with someone else! I don't think I've ever talked about my history with yard sales, but my friend since forever ago, Heather, and I started going when we were in high school. It was a new found love for me, since my family never really did much yard saleing. But Heather was a pro. And she taught me to love traveling down those Pitt County roads to find whatever treasure we could. So, I learned early, it's always better with two. That way, you can ask each other's opinions, and have fun together, and also...there's strength in numbers. Which brings me to my second addition...

Don't Let Price Tags Intimidate You.

So, you know, yesterday turned out to be really pretty in the afternoon, but not so much in the morning. It wasn't really "yard sale" weather. And, actually, many people moved their sales to Monday, since it's Memorial Day. (So if you missed it on Sat., you still have a chance to go on Monday!) But Kelly and I still went, and were having fun even in the sprinkles, and getting some pretty good deals (which you'll hear about in a minute).

It's not very often that you meet grumpy yard sale hosts that are stingy and unwilling to deal. I mean, if you're buying their old junk, usually their pretty cordial. Well, we met Stingy Man this weekend. We came to one house, and there were a lot of fun toys. And especially a lot of little girl toys. I start looking, and realize that there are Groovy Girl dolls and accessories, Littlest Pet Shop playhouse and accessories, Little Town toys....I could go on, but for those of you without children this age, you would probably lose interest in this post. I saw that the toy prices were high, with stickers noting that each "set" is $5 and then the accessories another $5. WHAT?! Ok, maybe for a couple of sets, I would pay $5. But not for just one set. Not at a yard sale...in the rain....on Memorial Day weekend. So, I start to gather a few things together, and make an offer for a couple of the sets, asking $10 for for a few sets plus a box set of puzzles. The stingy man looked like that was the worst offer ever, but he looked at his daughter allowing her to make the decision, since they were her old toys. She kind of reluctantly said yes.

SO THEN, I started to look through the books realizing that I had missed some fun ones. He had said paper backs were .25 each, and hard backs were $2 each. (OK, just fyi- $2 per book, at a yard sale is not a good deal.) So, I pick out 6 paper backs, thinking that I'll take a few off his hands, and I ask if he'll take $1 for the stack (instead of $1.50). Again, he acts all offended, and says "I'll take $2!" Dude, you just went more than the asking price. That's not whatcha do. If people take more than one, you make the deal a little better. Since they are taking your junk off your hands, and paying you for it. I said, "Well, if they're a quarter each, and I only have 6, that comes to $1.50. But I'll put one back, and give you $1.25." And that's what I did.

So then, when Kelly went up with her pile, it was supposed to add up to $10 at their price, but she got it for $5. A much more reasonable price. I think I wore him down.

I tell you this story to let you know that sometimes you have to be on your game. Now I realize for the more timid ones, this is hard to do. But you do not want to be taken advantage and pay way more than you need to or want to. If they won't come to your price, than they probably won't end up getting rid of it, and it will be their loss. Most of the time, you can tell them what you are wanting to pay, and usually if it's reasonable, they'll be happy to take it. Unless they're stingy man. I think this may have been his first yard sale. (When I told Randy about it, he said, "It's probably because he remembers how much he paid for all of it." I laughed.)

So, yes, there is strength in numbers, but also just remain confident about what you feel comfortable with price wise. It's your game - you're the buyer!

So I ended up doing pretty well getting some fun new things for the house. Here are my favs...

River loving her new pet shop toy - yay!

big old decor things for anywhere (I paid $10 for both!)

Yes that is Calphalon - like new, and only $15!!!

pretty new candelabra to put up

fancy finials ($10 for all of these!) ( these are the things you put on the end of curtain rods)

i love these fun big lanterns that can go anywhere - inside or out! $2

We piled it all in, and loved every minute of it. I meant to get a picture of my trunk, with all the junk in there, but maybe that will be next week. Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend!!!

Good Finds!

(Sorry it's Wed. already, but hey, half way to this weekends finds!)

So...two words.... rocking chairs!

Friday night, I was writing down the things that I would love to find yard saleing, to kind of be thinking of when I'm looking around. I named my list "Yard Sale Prayer List" and kind of laughed at myself for it. Because I love lists, and of course it needed to be a list. The top thing on my list was rocking chairs. I've been wanting some for a while, just because I love them on front porches, and have always wanted them for ours.

On the way to get cash out Sat. morning, we drove by a sign in our neighborhood, and said to Randy let's just go check it out real fast, and then we can go to the bank. We drove up, and both looked at each other and laughed. There they were. Rugged, unfinished, but in good condition, and just needing a coat of paint. We were very excited and later (after going and getting money, and taking it back to them) stuffed the car full with them for $15 for the pair. I'm going to save the pics for before and after pictures.

Among the other goods, were fun new (like tags still on new) board shorts for my little boy, along with a pair of cute pants and a fall fleece for him, and Littlest pet shop toys for my little girlie girl, a play hospital, a couple new books, and a pack of 800 Kodak film for $1 - and yes it's still good.

I also found one of these, which I've been wanting one for a while.

And this

And a great dresser that my husband is fixing up a little. Another great furniture find, but just needed a few touch ups - we don't mind, since it was only $5.

And I think my other favorite thing from the weekend was this all in one joystick atari game that we got. Some of our friends enjoyed watching Randy beat the computer on this one. Can't you see the joy?

Yard Saleing; 101

I'm so excited that it's yard sale season again.    I don't know if I've talked about it here before, but I'm quite the bargain hunter and I love yard sales.   I usually can't and won't pay full price for something.    And once you've gotten things for next to nothing at yard sales, it's even harder to see the full price at retail stores.   So, for any of you, who may feel intimidated by this past time that I love so much, I have decided to share with you the joy of yard sale-ing.    I hope that as you journey with me, you will learn how to get better bargains,  find what you're really looking for, and find new ways of enjoying this part of the summertime!

Now, let me just give a disclaimer before I begin - this is in no way to brag about my finds.   Just simply to share how fun it really can be to grab your coffee and biscuit and go on your merry way. And don't be surprised if you hear me whisper a prayer along the way to lead me in the right direction!

Last Saturday I participated in a yard sale with my friend Whitney and so I didn't go last week. And now that we have a little soccer player, my schedule looks a little different than last summer.   However, no matter what time of Sat. morning it is, the principals remain the same. 

Here are my 7 principals that always seem to help me!

1.   Always start with a prayer - I'm serious y'all!   I always just say, "Lord, you know our needs, so I pray that you would show me where to go."   And He truly does.   Sometimes, I find exactly what I went out to get, and sometimes, like yesterday, I get surprised by things that I've needed or wanted for a while, but just haven't been able to get.   And sometimes, I don't find anything - but not often.  =)

2.    Decide on a budget (preferably a cash budget, but I have been known to write a check once or twice!)

3.   Look for the signs!    Even if it's not in the paper, keep your eyes peeled for the neon signs, and they'll lead you all the way there!    I tend to not be a "map it all out" kind of a girl anyway, but if you are, than get yourself a paper, and go at it!    I tend to just drive around to well traveled roads, and look for signs.

4.    Keep an open mind.   Don't be so set on finding one thing, that you don't see what's behind that ugly stuffed animal - it could be a Mikasa French White pitcher that will be awesome for iced tea this summer (or for flowers on a table anytime) for $1!

5.   Always check and see what's there!  You don't have to stay long, but it's good to walk all the way up to just check and see what's hiding on the table of mismatched china.    (I've even been known to do the occasional drive by and slowly scan over the yard merchandise to see if any of it's of interest.  How tacky am I?!)

6.   Don't be afraid to barter!!!    If they say $5, ask if they'll take $3.   If they say no, no big deal, but 9 times out of 10, they'll take a lower offer.   After all, they're the ones trying to get rid of their stuff (their junk!) and they want it gone!!!!   Also, another trick is that if you want to pay less per item, buy a couple of things, and then offer one price for everything.

7.   Don't be afraid to show how much you like something!    When people see how much you love something, they WANT it to go home with you.   Chances are, they loved it once upon a time, too, so they're glad to see it go to a good home.    Also, if you love it, they're more likely to go down on the price for you.

This week, I started out with $15.   Coming home from the soccer game, we hit a few spots, and boy did we find some steals!

This is me with this week's goods!

River has started to pick things out for herself, and was on the hunt for some new flip flops, but instead we found a couple shirts, a cute dress for the Fall, and 2 pairs of brand new shoes all for $2.   She also got some baby doll clothes and blankets as freebies, but they didn't make the picture.

I wasn't looking for any, but when I saw this great fabric, I just had to ask how much.   She was set on $2 a panel, but for lined 84" panels, so would I!   So, I looked around, and we got the before-mentioned clothes for River, and the drapes, all for $5.    (The clothes had been price at $1 each, but instead, she sold the dress and 2 shirts for $1 because of getting the drapes, too.)

The vacuum was less than a year old, worked great, the seller was moving, and already had another one, and the clincher...was only $3!   (ours Hoover is very old, and we bought it used, so it needed to be replaced.)    

Now for my favorite find of the weekend -

How can you not love a like new, tailored black pea coat for $2!!!    I also got a really cute pink J.Crew French Terry hooded sweat shirt from this same lady for $2.   

So there ya go.  I still had $2 left from my budget, and returned home very happy with new (or new to me) goods!    Hope you'll turn in next week, to see what else you could find!    See you at the sales!