Friday, March 6, 2009

Come to Goodwill With Me!



Hello everyone! I thought I'd take you to Goodwill with me. I gotta say I got quite a few strange looks while taking my pictures but no one asked me why? I'd ask! Anyway, isn't that a pretty window treatment. Wish I had someplace to put it!



My favorite Goodwill is just a few minutes from me across the street from the grocery store I go to most. So I usually stop by at least once a week.



Pretty mirror with matching sconces!



These looked new to me!



A table to go with those chairs! $35 and it looked new too.



Look at all those unfinished candlesticks just waiting for someone to paint them up! Not me I have more than enough candlesticks!



I almost bought this. It's a zen garden of animal print votives and black stones. It was really long and it would look fabulous as centerpiece on a table or fireplace mantel.



This I just thought was a cute accent piece. The top (handle) comes off. It would be a cute planter!



Again, I almost got this. It's a pretty big mirror and really quite wonderful. If I had a study or office that was darker I'd have gotten it.



Look! Some Blue Willow!



What did I buy? Well nothing that I've shown above! I did buy this big bag of fabric for $3!! I bought it because I saw that it had two pieces of toile in it. Most of the fabric is not something I'd use so I'm going to resell it at my garage sale.




As you can see, one piece has some dirt or mildew on it. The other piece is just fine. I washed the yellow and red toile and it still has stains. Oh well, 1/2 yard is just fine. Anyone have any ideas - I don't know what the stain is.



Not all the fabric was to my liking! These I liked and would use.




These I wouldn't have any use for. Actually that frog fabric is a lined homemade curtain! I'm going to take the lining off because that I can use.




Mostly that Goodwill is really great. I think they get quite a few donations from local stores such as TJMaxx, Ross, and HomeGoods. A lot of times things are brand new! I took these pictures last week, this week I went twice and nothing there caught my eye. But that's the fun of going. I hope you enjoyed coming to Goodwill with me!

Be sure to stop by on Saturday for Part 2 of Lyn's guest post - Investing In Your Family. Have a great weekend!


51 comments:

Felicia said...

Thanks for the groovy tour :)

aspiritofsimplicity said...

I take pictures at Goodwill also. People are always worried I will get them in the shot. I love, love, love that mirror and sconses. (sp?) I would have bought them in a minute.

Anonymous said...

I love toile but not sure how to get the stain out. You might try surfing the net for stain remedies. You could always make some cute toile hearts out of the fabric. I have some posted on my blog I made. Good luck with those stains. :) Madeline

Anonymous said...

Great shopping trip! I love to browse the Goodwill for treasures. Your store looks huge!
Love all of the fabric that you found. There is much that you can use it for. To remove the toile stain, maybe try a little liquid tide and scrub it with a toothbrush. Maybe that way you won't wet the entire piece of fabric and it will keep its shape.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Jennifer

Michelle said...

Hi Manuela ~ I agree with you about it being the fun of going thrifting...sometimes you find something and other times - absolutely nothing! Love that fabric you found :)

Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

I loved the tour. My Goodwill looks nothing like this. It is really pretty nasty and stuff is just thrown in there.
Lorri

Kathleen Grace said...

We are FINALLY getting a goodwill inour area opening this month! I can't wait:>) Have you tried soaking the stained item in Biz? I use it to get all kinds of old grime and stains out of antique linens and I have yet to find a stain it won't remove. Soak for a day or two in a bucket of hot water and a good cup or so of Biz. You might have to change the water a couple times but it works on so many things:>)

leigh ann said...

I also love goodwill. I recently did a post on Goodwill,too. Yours looks like one I want to visit...those sconces and mirror set-WOW! I really like your blog. Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

Too pity we don't have anything like Goodwill here! Or maybe, thinking about it twice, it's a good thing coz I could be broken after a short time even if the prices are really low.....

Barb said...

Manuela, well, that was fun! Thank you. You have definitely inspired me to go to one.

Barb

Confessions of a Plate Addict said...

Hi Manuela...Sorry I didn't get to meet you on Monday at the GA bloggers luncheon. It was so much fun! You should come to the next one! Your GW finds are great! Where is this one? Have a great weekend...hugs...Debbie

Betsy Brock said...

Fun, fun! My thrift store isn't near any of my routine stops...I wish it was near my grocery and I'd go every week, too!

Anonymous said...

Wow, your Goodwill rocks!! Hmm, maybe I need to go around to the other Goodwills in town. That table and matching chairs would great in my kitchen! Too bad, it's too far away to pick up!

Anonymous said...

the toile, the blue willow, and possibly the table and chairs would be in my cart! i'll have to post my latest goodwill finds later.

Terri Steffes said...

I have a Goodwill and I rarely go there. I need to check it out!

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Your Goodwill looks alot larger than the ones in my area! I would have bought the blue willow....for my mosaics :-)

Great buy on the bag of fabric!

Heather said...

That was fun! I'm so jealous of everyone's goodwill stores. We have one near us and it's horrible. They never have anything but broken junk. and if they do have something halfway decent it's way over priced. It's such a disappointment to go there.

Glenda/MidSouth said...

I like the toile - sorry can't help on the stain. Your Goodwill looks so much better than the one closest to me. I went junkin yesterday, but not to a Goodwill. I never remember to take my camera - I need to work on that.
Glenda

flmom said...

Your store looks so much nicer than the stores here and the pricing is better too! The table you showed would easily be priced double that amount here. It amazes me how Goodwill stores differ in their pricing. I mostly look for books - one store in my county prices paperbacks at $.59 and $.99 while hardcovers are $1.99+. Another store just south of me right inside another county has all paperbacks for $.39 and hardcovers for $1.49+. The inconsistensies drive me nuts! LOL

Salmagundi said...

I've had good luck with Biz, also, to get out stains. Soak for a long time, and the results are sometimes amazing. Enjoyed to trip to your Goodwill. Sally

Georgia Girl said...

Wow....your goodwill is really nice...ours is nothing and the prices are way to high. Sometimes the prices are higher than Walmart which is a joke.

Vee said...

Loved the tour...you are brave to take photos. I never dare without asking. Such a wimp am I... And, usually for the trouble of asking, I receive a resounding "no."

Hope that the stain may launder out with a bit of diligence.

ShabbyInTheCity said...

I have an idea!
Cover some small books?
Make a cozy for something small...not the teapot...

Unknown said...

well that was fun. lets go again. lol. mishelle

Ally's Corner said...

This is the goodwill I go to. Iw as there on Tuesday and didn't see any to this stuff. I would have gotten those chairs and my kitchen chair are falling apart, there were not there on Tuesday.
I did get a sweater for me and a jean skirt for my 4 year old.

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Manuela - your Goodwill is WAY better than mine. There were some rally great things in there!!!

XOXOXO
Jen

Mary Ann said...

Loved going to Goodwill with you! I was just at ours this morning and very little caught my eye. It's not the best store for beautiful treasures, maybe I should drive a little farther to a better store?! On the other hand, I'd want to buy more! Love those Blue Willow plates.

Debbie J said...

I hope to visit my favorite thrift store today after work.

I have some of that frog fabric that I think came from a thrift store or was given to me. I used some of it to make a fabric animal book for my grandson! The book also had giraffes, etc. I still have some left to maybe make another item for a certain little boy.

Looking forward to Lyn's post.

Debbie J.

Confessions of a Plate Addict said...

OK Manuela...deal! lol My plates came from Big Shanty in Kennesaw! It sounds like your GW might be too far to drive anyway! :-( Hope to see you next time!! ...Debbie

Anonymous said...

Gosh you have a nice Goodwill.... ours is icky....
I wonder if vinegar would take the stain out of that lovely toile.... looks like mold.... maybe.....
Thanks for taking us with you...... sigh ... wish I could go with you in real life...
HUgs
Linda

Laura said...

Wow!!! Your Goodwill looks like a treasure trove of items! I'm going to have to check out one near me as soon as I'm able. Thank you for posting!

Katy said...

WOW!!!!! What great things at your Goodwill....ours is more of a true treasure hunt...you REALLY gotta search for something good there...LOL!

Tracey McBride ~ Frugal Luxuries® said...

Love that Blue willow and would have bought it if I'd been with you :)! Have you tried hydrogen peroxide on the mildew stained fabric? You can use Oxy Clean (which is composed primarily of dried Hydrogen peroxide) or regular drug store stuff. Just poor it on the stain (saturate completely) and let it sit for about a while, then rinse out. If this doesn't work, perhaps soak the stain overnight?? There's always a chance that the stain is protein based and may deteriorate after long soaking, but in all my attempts, this has only happened once. Great post Manuela. I love how you keep things real, but charming at the same time. What a gift you have.
Love,Traceyxo

Nora said...

I need to go to your goodwill. Ours aren't as great. Maybe if I go to one a little more on the outskirts of town :)

Anonymous said...

That was a fun tour, Manuela! I am so impressed with your Goodwill. I don't think I have seen a prettier one than that. I can see why it would be so fun to shop there. I hope you'll take us along with you again sometime.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever tried "Zout"? It's a stain-remover for the laundry. It works pretty well. I think Biz is very good also.

Of course there is always the recipe in the Tightwad Gazette - 1 cup of powdered Clorox 2 and 1 cup of Cascade powder dishwasher detergent. Put in 5 gallons of hot water and soak item overnight (make sure item is colorfast though). It even gets out stains from baby food, etc.

I hope something will work for you. :)

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh Crown dishes at Tj maxx?? Not at mine darn it. Were they white with a crown in the middle? Other accessories to go with it ?? mishelle

Unknown said...

I want to go to your Goodwill! It looks so much nicer than ours (which is new and a "superstore"). I try to go once a week just to see what's new. I, too, love the fabric. I've gotten some great deals on some heavy decorator fabric. It's now the first place I go when I get through the door.

We recently visited another Goodwill, where everything is just dumped in bins and you pay by the pound. It was so dirty and depressing that I had to leave.

Mimi Sue said...

I do love thrift store shopping. You got some great deals. Mimi

Anonymous said...

Your Goodwill is so much like mine :) Love those candlesticks! I'd have bought those - something I need more of. I'd have bought the red toile fabric too. good luck with the stain, love that red and yellow toile!

Tote, Debby, Sammy and Caleb Jimenez said...

you have a great goodwill!!! we're getting one close to us soon! woohoo!
i love the zen garden and the candlesticks! i could use 2 of those for on top of my shelves that i don't know what to do with! =)

cherry said...

I had sooo much fun shopping with you..now lets go get something to eat!! Rofl, cherry

Angie said...

Your Goodwill looks like it has much better stuff than mine does! So neat that you found that fabric!

Free Art Printables said...

Your goodwill is sooooo much better than mine! MIne is always ransacked and picked over! Great stuff Manuela! Jen

Vintagesquirrel said...

My latest post is all about what I scored at my local Salvation Army Thrift Store. You are definately right in that you just need to come back regularly.

Suzanne said...

That is so funny that you were taking photos at Goodwill and no one asked you what your were doing! Lol!
I went to two Goodwill shops (I like to go every week for frames), and found some great baskets this week!
Love all of your fabric finds!...well, almost all of them! :)

Rochelle said...

Tri OxyClean - I hear it works great at getting stains out of linens - it might work on the material!

Lady Katherine said...

Love the tour, I was eying the white dishes by the blue willow. lol The cloth you bought is great! When I find something thats stained or mildew. I wash it, no drying and hang it out in the sun for a week sometimes two and the sun takes it away.

Autumn Haven said...

oh my gosh! I wish I could find Blue Willow @ my Goodwill!

Diane Fay (littlealma) said...

I use Lestoil quite often on bad stains, and it nearly always works! I have even put mine in a bottle with a top like dish soap bottles have so I can squirt it on any stains I see. Good luck!

Hugs from Michigan - Diane

Kerry said...

If you haven't already gotten that stain out maybe you could try just covering that part of the fabric up. Like, if you're making pillows, make that the middle of the pillow and put a cute button over the stain. Or if you're doing curtains see if you can put trim right there.