Garage Sales, Estate Sales and Thrift Stores?

Why travel from one garage sale to the next? Why pick a Thrift Store over the mall? We live in a world that we  are getting paid less and the cost of living is increasing....we are forced to find ways to make our dollar stretch. You can look at this as a bad thing and complain and say poor me, poor me. Or find ways to thicken your bank account and be proud that you are thrifty. I have been going to garage sales for as long as I can remember and now in my adult years have learned to love the hunt.
Sadly the season for Garage sales is coming to a close in the next month so now is the time to get out there and see what deals you can find. My husband and I share this love for sales and we will go together with the kids on a Thursday or Saturday morning. We will trade off getting out or rock, paper, scissors if we want to increase the fun ;)

Granted we like Estate sales best because our whole house is 1950s-1960s and we are trying to replace anything new with something from this time period. You don't have to be a vintage lover to go to an estate sale. You can find all sorts of house hold items that you may need. I like to make a list of the things I need or maybe have been wanting if the price is right.
If you sew, Estate sales are an amazing place to find anything you would need. I have stocked my sewing room on a fraction of the cost if I had gone to the store to purchase.

I challenge all of you to look around your house and write a list of somethings you want to replace or need and hit the garage sales in your town. I download an app called "Garage sale finder". It shows all the sale in your town and surrounding towns.
Come back and share what you found!

Over the last few weeks we have found some amazing deals:

*Dinning room table with two leafs, 6 chairs and a hutch bought for 120.00 goes on ebay for 1000.00. (granted it needs a little love)
*We needed a entertainment center to put our TV on and house the DVD player, speakers etc. 14.99 (goodwill)
*We need bedside lamps for our bedroom, we found two matching hanging lamps 2 for 30.00. In the store I had looked and what I wanted would have cost we 60.00 per lamp.
*1959 singer sewing Machine 8.00. ( I have bought about 6 machines from sales all under 10.00 or free and they all work better then my new one that broke)

These are just a few examples of what we have found but you can find deals like this for modern stuff too. People are always needing money so find themselves selling things that they haven't had that long for cheap.

Or simple buy to flip and resale. If you have the means and the space to fix something up and resale its a great way to make a little extra money and yes you can do it! Why not? if someones can why can't you? that's what I finally decided and have slowly been flipping things when I find a good deal.

I did these chairs a couple months ago, bought for 3.00 each, spent 5.00 on paint and sold for 20.00 a piece. I added the pillows, fabric on sale and spent 2 dollars a pillow.

Happy hunting! Don't forget to come back and share. Thanks for reading:)

Having trouble with dusting? Here's a tip...

I have bought and tried just about everything there is on the market for dusting and I have never truly been happy. Until one day a couple years ago my little one was helping unload a package of wipes, I didn't find this out until after they have dried. I didn't want to waste them so I tried using one on some dusty spots in the house. Guess what? They worked great!! who would have thought. I also have found that using the sensitive wipes of any brand works the best.

Just leave a hand full out to dry and wipe away. I would dry as needed rather then drying out the who pack. A small pack can last about a six months to a year. Depending on how much you love to dust :)

Our Goal out of life is to have all that we own be from the 1950s and 1960s. We have being doing pretty good so far. A few weeks ago we bought a washer and dryer from the late 1950s. They are amazing and work so well. Love them!!!

With the "new" washer and dryer I didn't feel right using regular laundry soap so I looked online and found a dry homemade laundry soap and made it. Super easy!! and smells yummy and works great and will last me way longer then store bought. Not to mention cost effective. All you need is....

 1 cup Super Washing Soda
 1 cup Borax
 1 bar Fels-Naptha (Grated)
 Mix with a spoon, store in a container with lid.
 2 tablespoons per load, less if smaller load.

I altered it a bit...I wanted to make more then just one batch so I did:

4 cups Super Washing Soda
4 cups Borax
2 bars Fels-Naptha (Grated)

And it works great!

I wanted to keep it vintage so I used a Tupperware container and a tablespoon Tupperware coffee scoop.

 

The Vintage Beginning

This Blog is inspired by my Daughter Ella, she is such a blessing in our lives as are all of our children. Ella has a vintage spirit that can't be denied. My mom and I started a online business Ella Nicole Creations which offers many homemade and vintage inspired items mainly for children. We will be launching our site soon!!
Ella's Vintage Cottage is a place to learn creative ways to recreate items, transform it into something beautiful, or somethings completely different then their intended purpose. 
I have 5 children, 2 step children and 3 that I brought into this world. One passed in 2009 from a window fall. In 2011 I joined forces with Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Safe kids Oregon and launched our Campaign STOP at 4": The Campaign to Stop Window Falls. www.Stopat4.com.
I am a stay at home mom and I am one that is always wanted to create, to be inspired. I have found an outlet in this, its peaceful. I want to share it...the joy of creating something from nothing, or a piece that some might consider junk transforming it into the talked about piece.
I will share creative and easy projects that you can do at home. I will share fun stories of being a mom but most of all I hope to inspire others to find their inner vintage.