Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used

It is hard to believe that it is November. Some days I barely remember what day it is so when I am reminded that it is not the beginning of September but rather NOVEMBER, it always takes me a moment to adjust. 

These three finds below all show the beautiful patina of age and use. They are full of character and stories and time has left it's not always kind mark on them. It makes me love them even more. We all get a little rougher with age, right? 

1. I bought the pair of chairs at a sale in Jacksonville. I paid $5.00 each for them. The best part, even beyond the low cost, is that they are very sturdy.

2. I paid a quarter for this old cake carrier at a Virginia yard sale. I have two now and they are a constant reminder that I should really just bake a cake already.

3. This is a large sign that I bought at Argyle for $5.00. I bought it with the intention of altering it in some fashion but I kind of like it as is. For now.

Any of you been shopping lately and found super bargains?

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used

1. Creepy, Naked Man from an Antique Store in Quincy, IL.
2. Cornucopia for 1.00 at yard sale
3. Retro Halloween Cards - not vintage but still cute and I don't feel bad using these up - .25


My two compadres and I went to Spoonriver Drive last weekend. I think the only thing we bought from the actual booths was fudge and lunch. The real deals were at the yard sales found throughout the towns and back roads. My tactic next year will be to focus on them a bit more than the actual commercial stands.

I will not be posting Re-claimed, Re-loved, and Re-used as much this winter as I do in the Spring/Summer months but here and there I may highlight a deal I found in some shop. If any of you find something you are wanting to shout to the world, let me know and we can do a guest post!! Everyone loves bragging about a good deal!! 

30 day dress challenge.....The END and A Giveaway!

30 days. 30 dresses. It is over. My pasty whites can now be hidden again!

Some thoughts and confessions:

- I have already mentioned that putting on a dress calls out for a little more in the hair and makeup department but it is also worth mentioning that it influences the way you act and present yourself also. For example, even while wearing a dress here at home, I still found myself crossing my legs at the table and just feeling a little more poised and proper. 

-There are just somethings that call for pants and I need to confess that in all actuality, I failed this challenge. While I wore a dress every day of the 30 days, I did not always wear it the full 16 or so hours. Volunteering at Pre-k or even apple picking can pose a real challenge while in a dress so I hung my head in shame and put on jeans for those events. And if I am being all out honest here, there were days where I put my pajamas on at 6:00 because I was tired of being "dressed" up. So, I forfeit my prize. I was getting a prize, right? Surely one of you was going to give me something??  :)

Day 28 - Super casual

Day 29

Day 30

One great thing about wearing 30 different dresses was figuring out what I still loved and what didn't work for me so well. A few of the dresses were uber-short for a 36 year old lady and some of them had sat in my closet for quite a while unworn. So, I have decided to do a little giveaway. All of the dresses below are in fantastic condition. I have noted the brand name and the size below each dress. I am giving away all of them so if you love one of them or three of them, leave me a comment telling me which ones you would like to have. I will leave this open until Friday, October 4th and notify the winners then.

Spiegel Size Small
Will fit size 6-8 

Imaginary Voyage, Size Large
Will fit size 8/10

American Eagle Size 8 

Francesca's Size Med

XXI size Small
Will fit size 4/6

The Limited Size 6
Will fit larger

30 Day Dress Challenge.....Week 4

I have three days of the challenge left and that makes me happy. I still love dresses but I am sick of wearing them. It is so much easier to throw on a pair of pants and top. A dress seems to demand (at the minimum) a swipe of lip gloss and presentable hair. I don't wear pajama bottoms and slipper boots to the store (nor will I ever) but there is something to be said about a casual go-to outfit for our busy lives. That being said, I feel 500 times better when I am put together. I do not find the same confidence in pants as I do in a dress. I will save the rest of my comments for the final post in a couple of days. And then we can turn our attention to the wonderful month of October. I have a ton of cool crafts, ideas, and recipes lined up for next month!

Day 22 - Wearing this dress around the house made it a super weird day.

Day 23 

Day 24 - I wore a blazer over this for work.

Day 25

Day 26 - One of my faves!

Day 27 

Stay tuned for the last three days!!

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

Toys are probably one of my biggest yard sale purchases. I find it hard spending 30.00 for a toy when there are so many cheaper alternatives. Not only that, those "vintage" toys seem to ask for a bit more imagination from the child. It is really cool to see my daughter play with toys that I played with as a child.

1. I picked up this cash register at the same yard sale where I purchased these other Fisher Price toys.
2. I bought this keychain for one of my older girls. It is a lunchbox, complete with an apple and thermos inside. Emerson nabbed it and then Kerrigan found it and nabbed it from her. Right now, Emerson has it again.
3. Cooking Utensils!

Yard sale season is winding down. There is a final burst of sales and flea markets during the color drives in October but after that it is a long season of digging through second-hand stores. I don't mind this entirely but by February I am desperate for TRUE bargains and outside shopping.

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sunday

I avoided going to any yard sales during those super hot weekends of August so the cool down this past weekend was wonderful. Perfect time of year for going to yard sales and flea markets :)

1. Small bedside table for $5.00 at a large Morton building sale in Chapin.
2. More craft and scrapbooking supplies. Scrapbooking must be on its way out because I find stuff for sale at almost every yard sale I go to.
3. Tie Dye Kit - I am saving this for next summer. We are planning a large family camp-out and this would make a perfect craft for the kids to do :)

 So, I am curious as to what your biggest second-hand score was? I have got to say that mine was probably an unopened "chest" of the complete set of hard-bound Harry Potter books. I saw this for sale at Barnes and Noble for over $100.00 and I paid a whopping $7.00 for mine. There was no price on it so when I asked the lady how much and she said "Ummm, $7.00??" and my jaw dropped and I started drooling and caressing the chest and steadily walked backwards away from her, she realized that she had priced it way too low. Maybe it had been a gift and she didn't know the value? Maybe she hated Harry (THE NERVE!)? Whatever the case, I threw down the money and ran before she could say "I meant seven....ty!!!"
It sits unopened in a place of honor on my bookshelf until the day that Emerson can read them and fall in love, like I did.

30 Day Dress Challenge

I, Trisha Scott, hereby do pledge to wear only attire in a dress form for the next 30 days. If it is found that Trisha Scott does not comply with the stipulations of this challenge, she is forever more deemed a lover of pants and unworthy of free-flowing frocks and super cute shifts.

Disclaimer: This does not apply to night-time attire. 

So as to save all of you from being bombarded with daily pictures of self, I will do one post a week with pictures of dresses from Sunday to Saturday. You can thank me later. 

This challenge will replace the Wardrobe Wednesdays for the month of September.

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used

All three of my finds below were found at yard sales this summer. I thought the large metal object was a sort of cake/pie stand but upon further inspection I have no idea what it is for. It has a place where you can hang it so I am thinking I will place some pillar candles in it and maybe hang it up?? Any ideas? The scrollwork shelf now resides in my library and holds a large floral arrangement (left over from my wedding :) And I love fleur-de-lis so I could not pass up the little statuary. 

I headed to Argyle State Park with a friend of mine today for the annual Antique Gas Engine Show. I went for the flea market and yard sales and was a bit disappointed in the number of stands. Maybe it was the heat or maybe it was because it was the last day but there seemed to be quite a bit fewer booths than I remembered. I enjoy browsing at events like this but it can be a trial finding a good bargain. I spotted two old toys that I had recently purchased for a buck each, priced at 23.00 and 13.00. I also would really like to have some metal wire baskets but I could not find one priced under 20.00. I remember when you could get all the wire baskets you wanted for 3.00 and 4.00 bucks each. It is quite remarkable how things will skyrocket in price for a few years and then literally be thrown to the curb shortly after. A good example is those old washboards. I remember wanting one when I was much younger and them being priced $25.00 and higher. Now, you can buy them for a couple of bucks. Oh well, the hunt is half the fun, right?

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

TOY TIME!! I love coming across old toys! (Here are some other toys I have found this summer) A woman in Jacksonville held a yard sale a few weeks ago that had the motherload of old toys, all decently priced. The condition of the toys is not stellar but that just means they were thoroughly loved by her children and grandchildren. Now they are being loved and played with constantly by my little one. I have been amazed at how much she has played with these simple toys. No bells and whistles here...just good old imaginative play.
Here are three of the sets I picked up that day.

1. Fisher Price Medical kit. (Just so you know I am very healthy. I have had more shots than you can count.)
2. Lunch box. Love this. It is a simple puzzle contained within a lunchbox carry case.
3. Fisher Price Tool kit.

Do any of you remember these? What was your favorite toy as a child?

Re-claimed, Re-used, Re-loved Sundays

I can remember coming across hundreds of small saucers and plates (like the one posted below) in years past. Now, it is hard to find any at all and when you do they are usually priced higher than what I am willing to pay. I wanted to buy around 250 mismatched pieces to use at my wedding last year but quickly found that it would take way too much time to amass. The idea has not left me though and so when I do run across a plate here or there, I plan on picking it up. I purchased this beauty for one quarter. What am I going to do with them? I have ideas, I tell you. 

The doilies were in a big gallon bag for 75 cents. I plan on starching them to make a banner. 

I bought the blue wicker lunchbox purse at Goodwill for $4.00. Love it!!

Re-claimed, Re-used, Re-loved Sundays

Christmas in July.....er, August!

I bought each one of these Christmas items for a quarter.

1. Wooden Victorian Reproduction sign
2. Vintage tags!! I was super excited about this find!
3. Felt Tree Ornament
4. Vintage Mr and Mrs Wind Chimes....New in Box

Speaking of holidays, I have noticed Halloween items out in the stores. I love Halloween but I think I may try and ignore those aisles and enjoy the last few weeks of summer first.

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

I had a couple of tag-alongs this past Friday. It is not often that I get Paytan and Kerrigan to take off with me on my treasure hunting but sometimes (when the moon is full and cats walk backwards) they accept my invitation. One of the downfalls of yard-saling on a Friday is that while there may be 30 listed, half of those will be in the morning and half will be in late afternoon. I may be a junkie but I am not waiting all day to hit a yard sale, so I have to choose. This particular Friday, I must have picked the wrong time frame because we didn't find much. I am completely okay with that though. Makes the (flashing neon lights) DEAL (flashing neon lights) all the better when you find it.

1. Half apron in the cutest red and white print.
2. Box of vintage Christmas Cards.
3. Vintage wrapping paper. Who will be the lucky recipient of this??

Now that I am finished at John Wood, I am going to make Mondays my flea market/Goodwill day. This could be good :)

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

Emerson and I took off Friday to hit some yard sales in Jacksonville. It was as hot as Hades out there. I think we averaged about 2 minutes per yard sale just so we could run back to the air conditioned car. One unadvertised sale held the motherload of old paper ephemera and 70s household dinnerware. In normal weather, I probably would have stayed at this sale digging through boxes for at least an hour but Miss Em had abandoned the toys after a couple of minutes and was sitting under a shade tree next to me. I knew that it was time to go if toys didn't hold her interest. Still, I managed to walk away with some awesome finds!

Here are a few things we found this weekend.

1. Old blue bottle with Emerson Drug Co. stamped on it. 

2. 3 bright porcelain coffee mugs (70s?)

3. Red snap closure purse in excellent condition.

4. Set of vintage toys - most are soft squeakies.

Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

I didn't find any "exceptional" deals this weekend. It was still a nice time though...not too hot and I had my lovely hubby for company. On Friday, we went to Jacksonville and hit some sales there. Saturday we headed over to a thrift shop that I pass every day on my way to work. This place never seems to be open so when I saw the sign stating 'Open Saturday 9-2', I knew I wanted to check it out. It is one of those places where there are piles of merchandise leaning haphazardly over the aisles. Dust and dirt are commonplace and you cannot shy away from digging through crap to unearth a great find. I LOVE it! I had Emerson with me and while Jake was supposed to go in order to help me with her, he quickly found the manly stuff and I lost him for a good half hour. I will have to re-visit this shop solo in the future :) 

Found at various Jacksonville yard sales.

Re-Claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays

I have been working on an editorial calendar for the blog and while I am not sure about some of my wacky ideas, the following feature is one I knew I wanted to include from the get-go.

I love finding treasures and I thought it would be fun to highlight those extra special items I pick up, thus Re-claimed, Re-loved, Re-used Sundays is born! 

1. Cool Owl art made out of thread for my oldest daughter's room.
2. Vintage clown invites for my baby girl's future carnival birthday party.
3. Magnetic Poodle memory board.