Thrift Store Treasures!

I love thrift stores for a multitude of reasons.
A) You never know what you will find. The element of surprise is part of the experience. It isn't your typical shopping trip where you expect the latest trends and fashions. Since the items at thrift stores are usually used, they can be completely outdated or worn. Is this necessarily a bad thing? No, of course not! If they are outdated, they are vintage. Worn? Nothing a splash of paint or a new coat of varnish won't fix. Plus, this will give you a fulfilling project.

B) The thrill of the hunt. Granted, there will be a lot of useless junk to sort through. Sometimes, you will come up empty handed. Oh but how satisfying it is when you come across a precious find! You know it's meant to be if you leave it for a while and have to come back because you can't get it out of your mind. If you're not sold on the piece; however, you are better off allowing a day or two to mull it over. The last thing you need around your house is more clutter and items you can live without. You can always come back later and it usually won't be gone.

C) The price tag. The key is to feel like you're getting away with something when you swipe your card. You simply can't beat thrift store prices. This is ideal for those on a practical budget, like me.

My Thrift Store Find of the Day:
Item 1: Entryway Mirror
I found it at Good Will for $12.99. I had been looking into an entryway mirror for quite some time (I have a whole game plan for my entryway that isn't yet in effect), but did not like the prices. Hundreds of dollars can easily be dumped into a big mirror. Then I found a nine-paneled mirror buried in a bin that was almost perfect. It just needed to be painted to match the neutral color scheme I had planned for the living room.

I set to work right away! I figured I should go for it while I felt motivated. Ideally for painting, I would use a plastic sheet to cover more of the floor, but I am a big fan of working with what I already have around the house. My quick solution was:

• garbage bags
• "Behr: Ultra Pure White" house paint
• craft brushes
• craft tape
• a sanding block / sand paper

Sanding down the wood enables paint to spread on more smoothly. After using the sanding block lightly on the piece (personally I shudder at the sound of scratching sand paper so my usage of it is minimal), I taped up the corners of the mirror panels to protect them from stray paint. At this point, it is wise to use paint primer to make the painting part easier. Seeing as I had no primer around, I dove straight into painting (a dare devil, I know).

It took a few coats (and about half an hour of drying each time in between these coats); pretty soon my mirror was starting to resemble my vision.

I drew a mock-up of how I envision my new entryway (incorporating the new mirror, of course). When it has come together, I promise there will be an update!

------------------------- Disclaimer ------------------------
I am in no way affiliated with any of the products, publications, and resources I may mention. I name specific things as I deem them potentially useful but they are merely opinions and nothing more. You do not have to share in my opinions whatsoever and I respect your right to respectfully disagree.

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