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  • Hi, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

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Thank You For Your Garage Sales, Spring Cleaners

May 2, 2011

I love the springtime and the spring cleaning it evokes. I love that spring cleaning yields the occasional garage sale. I love garage sales, and even more, I love the occasional organized neighborhood sale. No IKEA or Pottery Barn or fancy-pants Anthropologie castoffs this year (which yes, I’ve been lucky enough to snatch previous years), but I did obtain some exceptional goodies at the Biennial Ultimate Garage Sale in the Browncroft neighborhood of Rochester. If anyone from that neighborhood follows my blog and recognizes these from your sale… thank you. And sorry for the haggling.

Self-control (and fear of bedbugs) in full-effect while I peruse people’s junk, I don’t often carry home trashed items or buy things just for the sake of buying. And I don’t purchase bedding at garage sales, or clothing for that matter, but I am a sucker for home improvement and decor items. Last time I visited this particular neighborhood sale, I scored the paned glass door that ended up being installed between my living room and sunroom. For $2.

My self-installed paned-glass door. The curtain is the object of affection this winter, and in this post.

My investment this year totalled $4, but I acquired some items that I really like (and will use). True to form, here’s what I found and what I paid (Sorry sister, I know my price outlines drive you insane):

1. A ragged out owl statue. Heavy. Will be painted a neutral color. 50 cents.

2. Glass amber vase. 25 cents. This will go nicely with the golds and yellows in the house. Haggled.

3. Brass heart bowl. Needs a good cleaning but I am sort of liking the tarnished look. Nice for a candle, is what I’m thinking. 25 cents.

Garage sale finds.

And I realized after I took that photo that you probably wouldn’t have any perspective on the size of these goodies, so I stuck my standard Venti Starbucks cup in the background.

Garage sale finds.

4. I’m also a sucker for candles, mostly because the ones you find at garage sales were used once or twice and still have adequate burn left in them. People practically give away candles… and I practically never buy them retail, even when I’m tempted by the Pier 1 “oh, this votive is just 79-cents and it smells SO good” urge to buy. Since I burned through my supply over the course of the winter (pun noticed, not intended), it’s time to stock up where I can, and the ones included in this set were only $1 and didn’t smell bad at all (most were actually unscented) so I took the whole pack. And the big one is grape. I love grape.

Lots of candles, only $1.

5 and 6 and 7. At the last house I stopped at, I found more candles (unscented and lightly used) and this beautifully shaped glass jar for $2 total. The pink thumbtacks were in someone’s freebie bin; I couldn’t not get them.

Glass jar and extra candles. And Pete + Handy Girl are playing with bubbles in the background (ultimate cuteness).

Yep, $4. Reasonably good finds for an otherwise cost-free excursion. Anyone else have an exceptional weekend picking through other people’s cast away decor?

Still on my list for summer finds are: books (I found some on this hunt but I just couldn’t weigh myself down as I walked around for hours), large planters for gardening on the back deck, a big lampshade (or a full lamp) that I can take apart for a future project, and some christmas ornaments (because I like an assortment of random ones for tree, including well-made and ornate vintage designs). And yeah, I’ll probably pick up more candles if I find any.

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Being Thrifty  / Helping The Economy

Emily
I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. I've been a freelancer writer for 10+ years and you can find my work on popular home and garden sites, like HGTV.com. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note.

14 Comments


Katrina
May 2, 2011 at 9:29 am
Reply

Great finds! The owl will look awesome in a solid color – I love it. This was my weekend to be on the other end of the garage sale – getting rid of my stuff. Now that I made a few bucks, it’s time to hit some sales myself!

I love seeing what people get from garage sales and thrift stores – I’ll have to do a post of my own once I find a few treasures this summer :)



    Emily
    May 2, 2011 at 10:14 am

    You had a great weekend for your garage sale! We’re starting to get things organized to hold one of our own, but it’s probably still a month out. :)

Cait @ Hernando House
May 2, 2011 at 10:18 am
Reply

Completely agree with Katrina- the owl is going to look great in a solid color! Love that glass jug!



Pete Fazio
May 2, 2011 at 10:36 am
Reply

And look at that handsome devil in the bg making bubbles.



    Emily
    May 2, 2011 at 10:42 am

    I don’t know how to do a flirtacious whistle in text to you, Pete (whistle-whistle).

    And thank you Cait – the glass jug was the perfect find; I look for those kinds of things in retail and can never find anything (that I deem) affordable!

Erin B. Inspired
May 2, 2011 at 11:56 am
Reply

I luuuurve garage sales and thrifting. I find a lot of great glassware at my local Humane Society thrift. Can’t wait to see what you do with the owl.

PS YAY US! :D



erinmakesstuff
May 2, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Reply

I just love your website.



    Emily
    May 2, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    To both Erin B.’s: Yay for empowerment and happiness. And I love both of your websites also!

Shannon @ Compartment Life
May 2, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Reply

Awesome finds! I love the owl, I was I———————–I this close to buying some duck head bookends and I was going to spray paint them turquoise but someone beat me to it. I’m still mourning their loss.



    Emily
    May 2, 2011 at 2:21 pm

    Baaahhhh, that’s sad Shannon… but it reminds me that I could also paint my owl bookends. I don’t know why I’m subconsciously drawn to owls.

Christine
May 3, 2011 at 9:56 am
Reply

Very impressed with your garage sale finds, Emily. The owl and candle holders look like they could be from Anthropologie for sure!



    Emily
    May 3, 2011 at 9:59 am

    Thanks Christine! I LOVE me some faux-Anthropologie. :)

Heather
May 5, 2011 at 10:35 am
Reply

I owe you 10cents for my key rings.



    Emily
    May 5, 2011 at 10:38 am

    No thanks. Psst, I went back the second day and that’s when I found that huge glass jar – in the Merchant’s area of the sale.

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