Saturday, March 13, 2010

~ Garage sales, flea markets and a Winner ~

( Country Living )

Hello Friends! Last night we set the clocks ahead and that means an hour more of sunlight! I could not be happier with that :) Spring is almost here and it's the perfect time of year to do a post about Garage sales, Flea markets and great finds! If you've never shopped at one, its a must this season. With the economy and everything being so expensive these days , this has always been a favorite way for me to shop for that perfect little something, or even those big ticket items that you can take home and add some paint to! It used to be that I'd get up on a Saturday, newspaper in hand, a nice hot coffee and off I'd go for an entire day of driving around and seeing what treasures I could find. But last week I was contacted by this great new site called Garage Sales Tracker. I am very careful about who and what I highlight on my blog and what I think is valuable to my readers, but this one was fabulous so I jumped at the chance to share it with you!

( Country Living )

This Flea Market above is in Brooklyn, NY and I just love going and seeing all the incredible deals and seeing what great vendors appear each year! Country Living magazine does a fantastic job of showing us what we can do with the pieces we find too! It's important to look at everything and sometimes what you are looking at , doesn't have to remain what it is either. For instance, last year I came upon a torn up book , it had some good images from the 40's and that fabulous type that is just so vintage too! But it was a mess and the binding was broken too! But I looked beyond that and for $1.00 I brought it home and used the pages in it to make a beautiful collage background to the insides of one of the shelves on my hutch. Just a little glue, a finish coat, and it was done. For penny's I transformed an entire piece. Point being, think beyond the item. :)

( Country Living )

Then sometimes, you spot something far away and make a beeline for that perfect piece, I love that feeling, lol, will I get to it in time? I think , " Oh Please, nobody love that as much as me"... And sometimes items require zero work and for $10 you come home with the perfect end table :) It's just part of the fun seeing how little you can spend and how much you can get! I'd love you all to go over to Garage Sales Tracker and try it out, its so much fun! All you do is put in your zip code and it tells you all the sales in a radius of your area! They are also working on this fabulous App for your cell phone too! How convenient to be out garage sailing and be able to find out right then, where to drive next! They even have a map feature too!

If you're new to Garage Sales and Flea Markets, a little research never hurts! I've found these books below to be so valuable in helping me get a feel for how to do it all. And to make sure I am getting something worth bringing home, they have great tips too!

( This book below is the garage sale bible to me lol)

And of course Martha has wonderful ideas on what to do with our finds and turn them into treasures too!

Here is the link to Garage Sales Tracker below, just click and give it a try! You can sign up too and become a member or feature your own Garage or tag sale on it also! ( I also have a link to it on my side bar )

Here a few of the steals I've found over the years... I love hats but rarely wear them , so initially when I saw this I thought, nope, I'll never wear it. Maybe when I garden a few times, but not enough times I thought, but as I walked away from the $ 2.00 straw hat, I thought , Hmmmm, I love hats on walls though!! So thinking outside of it's normal use, I brought it home and hung it up :)

I love Vintage table cloths and glass milk bottles, but it seems when I see them for sale online or in stores, they are too expensive for my taste. So a few years back I went to a local Flea Market on a pretty spring day and there in the corner was a sweet friendly lady and her booth filled with "me" stuff :) I knew I was going to love all the Vintage items! So my "beelining" went into action as I saw a hint of a rooster showing through one of the table cloths :) I was even more thrilled when I got up to it and it was $10.00! From the 1940's and soft as spun cotton itself! Oh happy Day :) Then on another occasion I went to a garage sale a few miles away and once I got there, I saw a bunch of clothes and children's toys and figured, argh, there's nothing here, bummer! But just as I was waking away , I saw 3 glass milk bottles and so did someone else, lol, so since we got to the table together, we figured it fair we both should walk away with one , so for 75 Cents, I took the little one home :).... and... bought some lemonade from the little girl at the end of the driveway :) That, mind you was my most expensive item of the day, LOL, $ 1.00 for a half glass, but it was cold and delish :)


Old Vintage books are a favorite of mine, especially if they are about Housekeeping , cooking , or fashion! They are such a steal at most sales and sitting down and reading them is like being transported back in time. The ideas in the books still work today for the most part! And seeing the type, smelling the pages, and knowing that someone used them as a housecleaning reference or fashion reference or whatever makes me feel connected to the women that came before me....

I found this plate at a garage sale too! I have a feeling I could have found it at Home Goods ( it wasn't old, lol ) for a few bucks, but at the garage sale, it was $ 1.50 , and my favorite pattern too, so home it went :)

A Vintage Tupperware find, and a pink top from the 50's, couldn't resist!

A Glasbake mixer bowl from a Vintage Sunbeam mixer, oh la la !! I had to fight for this one :) Now it's my pancake mixing bowl :)

Well I hope you are all ready to hit some sales girls! It's really so much fun and such a great way to shop too! Bring a friend and make a day of it!! If you've found the perfect item, let me know, I love hearing what you have found on your hunts too!! ...

Now.... onto the Give-Away Winner!! First: Thank You all, so much for your encouraging and wonderfully sweet comments!! I wish you all could have been winners, truly I do! I also wanted to say that for those of you who didn't win, I have 3 different price ranges for Consultations and while you don't get the full color picture at the end of the $30 consult, that one is a great package if you need all the help you can get for 1 room! So if you didn't win and are interested and are on a budget, I think you'll find that service something you'll love! Ok, lol, now on to the winner!

The winner is.... ( using the infamous Random Generator ) ... Judy from Just a little something for You.!
Congratulations Judy!! And I just realized as I typed this , how funny that your name of your blog is what it is , cause I have something for YOU! :) Judy is the sweetest person, I am so happy for her! Go over and say HI if you don't know her yet, she is a wonderful , kind and inspirational person!

You all are so sweet and wonderful too! Thank you so much for stopping in and joining in the give-away and for always being such great friends and making me smile every day! I hope you have a wonderful Spring week ahead and many blessings! Oh yes, and happy Garage sailing :)

Hugs ,

~ Cynthia ~ XO

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although I am insanely jealous...Congratulations to Judy! Woohoo! ~Kelly

unDeniably Domesticimples

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

I hit a couple of garage sales on Friday on my way home from the Bank and I found several treasures. A really cute shelf to paint, a lamp and a vase and all for $1.10. Now that's great garage saleing. Your treasures are wonderful. Have a great day. Hugs, Marty

Just a little something from Judy said...

I am beyond excited to have won this very special giveaway from such a creative lady. I can't believe it! One never expects to win. What a privilege! Thank you so much! I will send you the info you requested.

Marsha @ Tattered Chick said...

Ohhh, how jealous I am . . . Congratulations, Judy!

Wonderful sales finds!!! I did find some great treasures last week at a garage sale around the corner from me!

~Tonja~ said...

Congrats to Judy...
Great finds...love going to garage sales and such...
Have a Blessed day...
Sweet Blessings...
Tonja

paige said...

Beautiful blog! Would you like to swap links with us on www.wherewomencreate.typepad.com
and
www.thecreativeconnectionblog.com?

Have a great day~

Anonymous said...

Congrats Judy, and thanks Cynthia for the Garage Sale tracker information. I listed our 3 family garage sale on there. It was so simple and free.

Blessings,
Jilly

lillie mae acres said...

Congratulations Judy. Cyn, this is a great post, and I too LUV flea markets. Hubby and I have our favorite about 80 miles north of here, and there are also good antique malls a little further. I just asked him last night for us to plan a Saturday real soon for such, including a breakfast at their Cracker Barrel.

~ ~ Ahrisha ~ ~ said...

I've been wanting to go to the Brooklyn flea, maybe this Spring. Gotta rent a truck to make it worthwhile. Thanks for the info.

arkie said...

Lovely post! I'll be checking on the garage sell tracker!

I love sales with vintage items in them. Yesterday, I went to an estate sale. I'm not to keen on going to them because they make me cry. I did go to this one, but later in the sale. I found a tablecloth that I had wanted for some time. Beautiful, white and delicately made by the former homeowner. For $4.00 I obtained a lovely tablecloth and a memory of the lady that had spent so much time making this tablecloth which she had used during her bridge club meetings.

Julie Harward said...

Yea for Judy! About the only place around here to find things like this are at local antique shops...no flea markets. I love all the things that you got and stories about what you found. Come say hi :D

Ribbonwood Cottage said...

HI Cynthia!...Boy do I love your goodies...hahaha...love that tablecloth with the little rooster embroidered on it. YOu did find some wonderful things. I love it when I find good things...even if it just one thing...I love it. Of course you got some great finds...your home is filled with lovely items. You have such a gift of putting things together in a scrumptious way. congratulations to your wonderful winner too! Have a blessed week.
Debbie

Sweet Bee Cottage said...

I have got to get up early on Saturday mornings! I am missing out on so much!

Congratulations to Judy! What a lucky duck!

PaisleyGrove said...

Thank you for the garage sale link. I can't wait to off from work on a weekend to actually get to go and see what wonderful treasures I can find. I sure wish I was close to NY to attend the flea market that you have mentioned. It looks very interesting. Good luck in finding those one-of-a-kind "can't live without" items.

Beatnheart said...

What a great site you have. So inspiring..Love your name too!! Isn''t being a Cynthia great. I was named after a Elizabeth Taylor movie. What about you. Thanks for your tips. I'm a follower! Cynthia Wolff

Elyse said...

congratulations, judy!!!

happy almost-spring, cynthia!

xo
elyse

Unknown said...

Oh I never get to do the garage sale thing! I have to count on the thrift stores. Congrats to Judy!

~Liz

Maryjane-The Beehive Cottage said...

Congrates to July! LOVE that PINK Tupperware Cynitha!

Hugs,
Maryjane

Kim from The Sheep's Nest said...

Hello Cynthia, I just discovered your blog. It is beautiful! That garage sale tracker is really cool. I look forward to following along on your blog. Kim

Beverly @ My Sew Sweet Studio said...

Loved seeing your treasures. I'm off this morning to go garage "sailing" with friends. I'm on the lookout for old linens, but when I go looking for a particular thing, I usually find the unexpected instead.

Susan Freeman said...

Thanks for the Garage Sale Tracker tip! Love it. Have a great weekend!!

Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo

Lori said...

I head to Round Top Texas next weekend! Go ahead research, you can be jealous. I have one post and will take gobs of pictures. I bought good walking shoes today, new jeans and three new tops. Girls weekend, but still have to look good. I WILL be shopping.

I'm a new follower, maybe just because of your music choices, no your posts are greatness.

Martha said...

Don't you love finding treasure! Linderhof is filled with finds and each one has a story -- so much better than just getting something!

FrenchGardenHouse said...

You bought some really fun things. Love the Rooster, that one is a real find! xo

Sweet Cottage Dreams said...

Great job scoring those wonderful things! So cute and perfect for your adorable home.

Congrats to Judy!
I'm having a giveaway you might like...drive on over!

hugs,
becky

kate said...

what a fantastic flea market, so many good stuff, i wish was there