When you hit Goodwill just right

It's nice to have an excuse to go thrifting.  And my excuse this year has been perfect, since I've actually needed to find things to fill up a house with.

When you hit the thrift stores regularly, you find that from time to time when you go, the timing's off.  For whatever reason, there's not much there, or it's just not what you need.

But from time to time, the timing is ON.  Once in a while, you hit it just right, like this time last year when I went right after someone seemingly donated their entire beautiful plate collection to Goodwill.

I LOVE antique dishes.  I love transferware.  I even love beautiful new dishes.  To me, they're often beautiful little pieces of art and I like to display them that way.

So here are some finds from one Goodwill trip last year; these will all be wall decor when I finally get this house painting finished:

I love the colors here.  

This one is actually new (I think from Williams Sonoma?) and it's dishwasher and microwave safe, so I contemplated just keeping it for a pretty kitchen serving dish.

But it's just so colorful I want to see it every day on a wall!

I don't know how old this one is, but it's definitely vintage.  

I love the rose illustration.

Another newer one.  Isn't this lovely?

Between the bird art I've found and these, I think the house will have a really pretty nature aesthetic.

This one's old too.

It reminds me of old Homer Laughlin patterns.

This Lenox plate is brand new.

I'm not usually drawn to new stuff, but I just loved this, and the message it conveys.

If I can find the right spot in the entry, I will put it there.

(I loved it so much I paid the big money for it - $6!)

This would be so pretty to serve cookies from too, wouldn't it?

For around $20 for all, I've got some beautiful wall decor for the house.

I never eat off of antique dishes, because some of them contain lead in the paint (which can contaminate the food sitting on top), so it's not recommended.  Not to mention that they weren't meant for the microwave or dishwasher, which can break them down.  (And the high heat of the microwave can cause the lead paint to leach into the food super heated on it.)

Eating the occasional sandwich off of one is probably fine, but they're not practical (or safe) enough for me to use daily.

So I stick to display with my little antique works of art.

Thank you Goodwill donor, for your good taste!  💓  These will definitely be enjoyed.