Thursday, September 3, 2009

Handy Dandy Thrift Store Tips

Just get out your handy dandy notebook (anybody else nanny or babysit and OD on Blue's Clues?), and your jumbo pencil, then lean real close and I'll let you in on my centerpiece secrets.

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Hahahaha, I wanted to do a fake out whisper until you leaned closer, but I don't think it's translating in type.  Riiiight.

Anydandy, I've pulled together the majority of the glassware that I will be using for centerpieces.  Here are all the pieces that I've collected so far:


Cool huh?  I've collected most of it from various thrift stores in the area.  The larger candle holders in the back are from Home Goods and averaged $7.00 each.  The total for everything I have on the table is a whopping $160.  I'm proud of how much I've bought for so little, but I've also learned some lessons the hard way.  Feel free to either repeat or learn from my mistakes - whichever way you learn best.

1. Visit several thrift stores regularly - choose 3-4 that are on your grocery store or bank circuit and then drop in whenever you're running errands. This way you'll be seeing good items as they come in.
2. If you think the price is too high, come back next week.  At the CHKD Thrift Stores in the Hampton Roads area, they keep marking down the prices each week.
3. If you or your fiance or one of your parents is military, see if they give military discounts.  The Goodwill Family Store on Virginia Beach Blvd. gives 25% off to military members on Tuesdays. 
4. Bring a box or bags and newspaper with you - sometimes if you're buying a large number of glass items, they have limited supplies of packing supplies.

If you haven't tried Thrift Store shopping, just be prepared that you'll have to sort through things.  You will get an eclectic assortment - which is just the look I'm going for, but if you're going for matchy matchy, it might not be the place for you.  Also, don't be disappointed if, every once in a while, you come up empty.  We all strike out on occasion.  Then again, we all strike gold on occasion.  See my two cake plates up front?  $3.99 each!  Booyah Target, booyah!

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