The duck stops here

I just have to share an excellent find from my week back at the home/house a little while ago.  At the local consignment store, I found a few things for The House of Goodwill, including this very cool vintage blow mold duck.

I can add a light to the hole in the bottom and make him light up!

I don’t recall seeing one of these before, but I thought he was perfect and I shelled out the big money ($20) for him.

Now I just need to find the perfect place of honor for him.

I feel like our house just found it’s mascot!

Some Goodwill mysteries to ponder

Every once in a while (or more) I find myself in a Goodwill (or a Goodwill-like place) asking myself, “Huh?”

I suspect that I am not alone here.

Goodwill is full of mysteries, like all the randomly shaped metal pieces of things in the “metal aisle” that you pick up and wonder what in the world they are, or are supposed to be used for.

(These are good mysteries though, because I think they ignite the creative thinking.)

One Goodwill mystery is one I have pondered all my life.  Take a look at the pic below:

Ok.  So here we have a firefighting bear.  Anyone who has ever visited a thrift store has probably noticed the shelves (and shelves and shelves) of random statuary.  (Firefighting bears, policeman bears, doctor bears, odd-colored cats in weird poses, etc.)

So the question is: where the heck did all these little statues come from??

Aside from the thrift stores, which are full to brimming over with these kinds of statues, I have NEVER in my life noticed random little statues for sale at any other store.

And I think I get out regularly.  (?)

Do they sell random little statues at the grocery store?  No.  Target?  No.  The mall?  Never seen any.  Wal-Mart?  Surprisingly, no.  (Though maybe I just haven’t looked hard enough?)

So where do these millions and millions of random little statues that are donated to thrift stores come from in the first place?

Hmm.  Something to think about.

And speaking of the random little statues, I happened to notice one that’s a double mystery:

This is Santa, right?

So if this is Santa, why is there a letter “A” on his belt?

What in the world could that possibly stand for?  Santa Claus?  No.  Saint Nick?  No.  Father Christmas?  No.  Nicholas?  No. Papa Noel?  No.  (Maybe he’s Spanish…)

I’m out of guesses.

That couldn’t be random, right?  There must be some reason his belt has an “A.”

I’m pretty sure I’ve devoted way too much time in my life already to pondering this one.

And for our final mystery:

A horse table/lamp!  What your house has been missing!

Who bought this in the first place?

I’m pretty sure it was meant to be taken seriously as room décor.

I really want to do it.  I want to buy a cabin and fill it completely with STUFF LIKE THIS.

Wouldn’t that be fun?

As you lay in bed this evening, staring at the ceiling and pondering the deep mysteries of Goodwill, ask yourself this:

Which came first, Goodwill?  Or the random little statues that fill it up?

Sleep well!

Another progress update

I am happy to report that I have not held a paintbrush in the last two weeks.  After I finished painting bedroom #4 (with its bathroom and closet), we had to return to the home house for more than a week.

When we got back here, I had to devote most of my day to watching the foster kids and was unable to find any time to start painting.

I need to figure out this week how to factor the painting in, otherwise this house will never get done.

Time challenges aside, I also hadn’t figured out what to paint next or what colors I’ll be using.

All the bedrooms are done except for the one the foster kids sleep in, I can’t do that till they leave.  (Which should be in 2-3 weeks.)

I thought I’d paint the hallway bathroom next, but I realized it’s where they take baths and there’s no way I can do that either while they are here.

Then I thought maybe I’d start on the hallway or foyer, only to face the same problem.

I have also changed my mind about paint colors about 1000 times.

So what’s next?

Well, the foyer is going to be my biggest challenge to date, because it has seven doorways and two windows, all with the dark molding that needs to be deglossed and receive five coats of paint.  (One of the doorways is done though; it was part of the last bedroom I painted.)  There is also molding along the floor and ceiling, as well as a chair rail.

There is wallpaper to be removed on the upper walls.

Here is how the hallway looks in the middle of the day, with the lights off.  (On a sunny day!)

This house receives very little natural light from outside, so all of my painting is focused on lightening colors everywhere.

The hallway looking in the opposite direction, toward three of the bedrooms.  I love this great floor tile, but HATE the color.  It's not in the budget to change right now, (and honestly, it IS practical) so I'll be adding a lighter colored rug here.

I know it was the style in the 70's, but why put such a dark stain in a house that doesn't have a lot of windows?

And finally, there is a spiral staircase in the corner; I told my husband he has to design some kind of floor cover for this area so I can get on a ladder and paint.  No shortage of challenges here!

I wonder what I'll be standing on to paint this ceiling molding and remove wallpaper?

Since I am waiting on the children leaving and paint decisions to be finalized (I need to get back to the hardware store that sells paint to pick up more sample strips), I decided I can start deglossing and painting the ceiling molding in the foyer.

Of everything that needs to be done in the house, this molding will be the least fun of all.  And it will take a long time, especially considering that I only have pockets of a few hours a day to work this month.

So that is where it’s at.

I’m pretty sure the kids can’t mess with fresh paint on ceiling molding.

Famous last words, right?

What to do with a broken bird bath

When I was younger, I bought a concrete birdbath for the back yard.  Being young, I didn’t realize that you can’t leave concrete containers outdoors in the winter uncovered.  So I left my birdbath outside, collecting rain and snow all winter, only to find it cracked by spring.  By the next year, the center of it had completely crumbled and fallen out.

Hmm, so what to do with a bird bath pedestal?

I decided to try to find some type of container at Goodwill that I could cut a small hole in the bottom of, and rest on top of the pedestal, that I could fill with flowers.  Then my bird bath pedestal could be a planter.

I kept my eye out, and after a few weeks I found the perfect solution for a couple of dollars.

It was a metal plant holder, with a hole in the bottom.  I bought it and it fit perfectly on top of my pedestal, no alterations needed.

Since I found my this metal "basket" at Goodwill, I've noticed them there somewhat regularly.

I love a $2 solution!

It just so happened that when the birdbath bowl fell apart, the “ring” around the top part of the bowl remained intact.  It was so pretty I decided to set it in the ground in my garden, as a frame for some flowers I’d plant inside.

The bird bath "ring" is the perfect little frame!

When we bought The House of Goodwill, I noticed a small patio on the hill in the yard, with a concrete bench and a birdbath pedestal next to it, with no bath bowl on top.

Once again, I just happened to find the right metal plant container at Goodwill.

Another birdbath pedestal with new employment.

I just love recycling!

Never judge a flea market by the fleas…

So I had a free day last week, which rarely happens, and I decided to use it to explore the antique mall scene near The House of Goodwill.

The nearest city is Jackson, which looks like it has a few great places to check out.

But it was a beautiful day, so instead I thought I’d take a back road to a place that looked promising online.

The drive was beautiful.  I had a little trouble finding my destination, and as I got closer I started feeling a bit skeptical.  It was definitely the Tennessee country, and the area was very interesting.  I will leave it at that.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I almost felt afraid to get out of my car, the location (and everywhere around it) seemed so run down.

The view from the parking lot was not particularly promising.  I thought maybe I’d wasted the 30 minute drive there.  To be honest, it didn’t look great.

But if I have learned anything from thrift store stalking, it is this: sometimes places look like real dumps and then you go inside, and your suspicions are confirmed.  On the other hand, sometimes you discover a place that looks questionable, and then you go in, and, as in this case, it’s amazing!

(And of course there are also the places that look amazing from the outside, but everything inside costs a fortune, or just isn’t that good.  And then there are the sketchy-looking places that look that way outside, and inside, but as you sift through the contents of the interior you find fantastic stuff – like the scary looking estate sale I went to earlier this summer.  You just never know.)

As soon as I stepped inside and saw the old guy seated by the door, I knew this place was a winner.  What you can’t hear by looking at this pic is the awesome decades-old country music that was playing on a speaker – the perfectly suited soundtrack.

Surprisingly, there were some really, really beautiful, high end antique furniture pieces – the kinds of things I love but are way out of my price range.

Then there was all the usual stuff – the antiques mixed with estate sale leftovers and random vintage items.

Between that flea market and another, and a Goodwill stop, I picked up a few more things for the house.  Besides my excellent duck planters, here a couple things I found:

This beautiful flowered lamp was just $5!

With a new shade it will look amazing.

I love this vintage duck coaster!  There was only one; I wish I had a set.

These great plates of Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains were $7 together.

One came from the flea market, the other was at Goodwill.

Last week is the longest I've gone without posting.  My computer crashed and my tech support (ie. the husband) was out of town and unavailable.  He got home and was able to get my computer functioning again in about 10 minutes - hopefully I won't miss that many days of posting again!

It's $1 chrysanthemum season!

Of all the seasons, one of my favorites is $1 chrysanthemum season.

Every year, at the end of summer, WalMart and Lowes sell small chrysanthemums for $1 each.

For $10, I can enjoy little pots of chrysanthemums all around my house for a couple of weeks.  Does it get any better than this?

I had the chance to get out a few days ago and go thrifting; I found a new place I'll post about tomorrow.  Afterward I went to the local Goodwill.

Would you believe that I found not one, but two of these planters the other day?  One at the thrift store and one at Goodwill?

I just had to do it.  I just had to do it.

Are these not adorable?  $3 for one, $4 for the other.

This lake house NEEDED these ducks!

After I ditched the fake flowers and put in the chrysanthemum pots...

I loved the delicate bird images on this planter I found at an antique store last week.  (There are 3 different birds on different sides.)  It was just waiting for it's chrysanthemums.

More $4 and $5 arrangements - my favorite kind!

And that includes the reusable planter.

An owlbsession

Over this past year I've noticed I've become a little owlbsessed.

When you regularly haunt thrift stores, and Goodwills, you get to relive all the past decorating trends from the last fifty years.

It's very interesting.

One of my favorite past trends?  Owls from the 1970s.

I have no idea why owls were so popular, but I love finding anything vintage and owl-related.

And I have amazed myself because I haven't yet bought a single owl.  (Though to be honest, the reason I didn't buy most of them was because of the price.)  I've got a couple of themes in progress here at The House of Goodwill, and though birds are one, owls aren't.

I want to buy a cabin somewhere and fill it with vintage owls.  Wouldn't that be cool?

Here are the some of the awesome owls I've seen in the past few months of thrifting:

I love this wall hanging I saw at the consignment store!

This super cool owl lamp/planter was on craigslist for over $100.  Definitely out of my price range, but I just loved it.  I wonder if anyone bought it for that much?

Someone really creative did a great job on this fantastic macrame owl.  Just look at the neat tree branch pieces used as a perch and hanger!

This owl latch hook is so colorful and detailed.  I didn't buy it, but wish I had.

Maybe eventually I'll get to start my owl collection.  Whoo loves owls?  Me!!!

A landlocked & lake-less - but lovely - Labor Day weekend

It's true, we spent the first Labor Day weekend since we bought The House of Goodwill landlocked back at the home/house (the horrors!), while ironically, everyone around us was headed out of town to visit someone somewhere at a lake house, or so it seemed.

It was the first Labor Day in years that we weren't doing something somewhere on the water.

That part was a little weird.

But we had a good week.  We had to go back to the home/house for the week for some doctor appointments, to do some overdue yard work, to take care of some errands and to go to a celebration of life for our wonderful neighbor Pat.

Our neighbor's memorial was really special, and while we were home Labor Day weekend we were able to catch up with some friends we hadn't seen in a while.

As always the evening had a subtle Goodwill theme, so I'll share a couple of pics:

Dinner with our beloved Colombian friends!

The tablecloth, napkins, candles, table & chairs all came from thrift stores and craigslist, of course.

I was in Goodwill last week perusing a Southern Living cookbook when I saw this recipe for "Deluxe Chicken Casserole."  I bought the cookbook ($3) for this recipe, and it turned out to be the PERFECT thing to serve for dinner with friends.  

It was SO, SO good, and when your company returns for a third serving, you know your instincts were on point.

Shout out to the husband for making it 💗 while the son and I were cleaning the house.

$3 of chrysanthemums in a brass pot I got for a few dollars at Goodwill.

Welcome to fall! 🍂

I think I've seen it all...

I got to spend the whole day yesterday thrifting/antiquing/consignment hunting/discount shopping for The House of Goodwill.

It was such a great day!

When you regularly thrift store shop, you see a little bit of everything.  And sometimes you find some really weird stuff.  The randomness of what you find is what makes it fun.

When I'm by myself, sometimes I end up texting my husband random photos of crazy things I see, because I just HAVE to show somebody.

But now I've got a new destination for those pics I just have to share.

A little while ago I came across an instagram site that is one of my very favorites.  It's called @weirdsecondhandfinds, and it curates photos from people everywhere just like me - who find something so bizarre at a garage sale or Goodwill they just have to share it.  This site makes me lol, a lot 😂!

I'm going to submit a couple of my finds from yesterday to the site - let's see if they post them!

But let me share them with you, first:

A duck stapler.

Because why not?

I did NOT buy this for the lake house, and this morning I'm filled with regret.

I found this alien in a jar at a thrift store on a shelf with some other glassware.

It looked like someone made this using a spaghetti jar.

I don't remember the price, but he wasn't cheap!

I would LOVE the back story on this guy...

Now, to make your Friday, I'm going to share a few of my favorite posts from the @weirdsecondhandfinds instagram feed.

Enjoy!

Yes!  I love that these came from 2 different places.

I thought this was one of the guys from Hall & Oates in the 80's. 

But someone said it was Lionel Richie.

Why couldn't I have found this?

Every time my family leaves me alone at home I spend the night watching The Golden Girls reruns. I would be so happy every time I walked in my bathroom if I saw this!

Ah, the 80's!  A totally awesome find.

I do!!

People, you're welcome.  

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Mt. Everest of bedrooms: conquered! And a little time off...

I'm sitting on the patio at my home/house right now, watching the foster kids playing in the yard and wishing I was looking at water.

We had to come back here for a week for a series of doctor appointments, foster kid appointments and a Celebration of Life service for our wonderful neighbor Pat.

This is the first full week that I haven't touched a paintbrush since some time in June; that part is nice!

I look forward to getting back to work at the house next week with fresh energy.  Meanwhile, I need to do some work in the almost-jungle of a yard here and (yay!) make some thrift store visits for some of the little things The House of Goodwill still needs.

I was able to get bedroom #3 painted last week before we left, and it's time to post photos!

Again, I will post the before pics first, because the color change in this room really made a dramatic difference.

Before: dark brown walls and dark stained molding.

After: light "orange" walls and white molding.

This room - like the rest of the house - just felt so dark!

I may try to line the back of the bookcase with some wallpaper, or maybe just paint it - just to lighten that area up a little too.

The dark brown bathroom before

And after.  Now it's a light green.

I'm hoping to paint the vanity next week.  It's definitely older (not cool vintage older, just older) and it could stand to be replaced, but building a dock area outside is our budget priority for this year.  We'll see what next year brings.

The closet before, looking from the bathroom.

The closet after, painted the same color as the bedroom.  It was the lightest shade on a strip of orange paint shades, the color is "sandy beach."  I would have loved to have gone another step darker with the colors, but these bedrooms only having one window per room just really needed more light.

Looking from the bathroom into the bedroom.

This color change was a fun one!

And one last pic of the color difference.

I have always loved painting for its amazing transformational power.  I love how fresh and clean a room can feel, just by getting new paint.

In about two weeks, I got all the molding and walls painted in this bedroom, including the attached bathroom and closet.  

All things considered, I'm happy with that!  I only have one bedroom left to paint, but the foster kids sleep there and I can't do it until they leave.

Mt. Everest of bedrooms, I conquered you.

On to a new mountain next week...