Thrifty Finds May 27

I went to Goodwill on Friday instead of Monday this week because I was looking for a costume for my school presentation.  I didn't find a costume, but I did find a bunch of things I knew just couldn't wait until Monday, 25% off day.  These things would for sure have been gone today if I left them and I would have been kicking myself, especially over the horse candle holder.

Here is a list of my haul:

1.  Pink ottoman which I am using for a toy box.

2.  TV tray.

3.  Vintage horse candle holder.

4.  "Relax" sign for my bathroom.

5.  Set of teal and gold glasses.

6.  Vintage plate.

7.  Green clutch.

8.  Grey ankle boots from "Hot Kiss".

9.  Vintage Japaneses egg cups.

10.  Circle paper cutter. 

Thrifty Finds May 6

Today was a breezy (literally and metaphorically) trip to Goodwill for my weekly thrifting fix.  I didn't find as much as I hoped as again I didn't get there until noon.  But I didn't come away empty handed. I got 2 sets of 70s era dishes. And it being Santa Fe, I had to walk to the car while a mixture of rain, snow, and hail pelted me and my new finds. 

And just to include another set of beautiful photos, here are some lovely vintage buttons, again from my grandmother.  I was sorting through these today picking out the ones I will no longer use and plan to list on Etsy.  These are the ones I found: 

As always the above items will be listed and for sale soon in my Etsy store!  Feel free to contact me to reserve anything. 

Craft Fair Tips from My Experience April 27 and 28

This weekend I participated in The Flea on Saturday and the Artisan's Market on Sunday, both at the Railyard in Santa Fe, NM.  So far I have not had good luck at any of these I participate in, including this weekend, but at least I have always made my money back.  And I have never regretted doing them.  I had been asking for abundance heavily in the last week or so, but I failed to specify financial abundance, so I received this in other ways, like knowledge and connection to others, which I have to say are better than money!

The first day was at the Flea so I could sell things that are not hand made.  I had my vintage jewelry and china out with my hand made jewelry.  A word of advice...when selling at flea markets and craft fairs, don't clutter up your table!  People need to see exactly what you are selling from a distance.  And the customers at flea markets are much different from art or craft fairs.  The former tends to be only looking for a bargain while the latter has much more appreciation for the work you put into your art.  But that doesn't mean I don't recommend flea markets!  It really depends on the city, the day, and the particular venue.

Also, being friendly is a huge way to gain traffic and sales!   You don't have to think of yourself as a "salesperson",  just be yourself!  Say "Hi" to anyone walking by and give compliments.  Starting a conversation with someone will bring them closer to your booth for longer.  I had a prime example of this on  Saturday at The Flea.  A very lovely girl walked close to my booth, and I said "Hi" and complimented her on the flowers she was wearing in her hair.  Because of this, she stepped closer.  After looking she gasped, and had to buy a vintage glass with an orange slice motif (one I bought last week at Goodwill...didn't even have a chance to shoot it!  The matching carafe is pictured here).  This had been an item she broke recently,  an event that was a really "emotional experience" for her.  And whats crazy is she was just telling the man she was with about it that morning!  It felt amazing to make someone so happy!

Chalkboard for displaying necklaces

On Sunday I had an even better day!  My booth was set up beautifully, and I met lots of wonderful people, including 2 sisters who talked with us for about a half hour and took our cards.   And I had another example of being friendly leading to a sale.  A young man walked past wearing an Invader Zim T-shirt, which I HAD to comment on because I love that cartoon.  The guy then walked up to my booth, looked at everything, and told his mom to come look which lead to a sale!  So I cannot stress enough just how important it is to be engaged and friendly with customers.  Don't just sit and read a book the whole time.

 Different displays

If you missed me at the craft fairs this weekend don't worry...most of my stuff (and more!) is available in my Etsy shop...https://www.etsy.com/shop/ErikawithaKDesigns?ref=seller_info 

Set up different display areas for different items or styles of items. See how the bead embroidery is separated from the other types of  jewelry with the black cloth?

So in addition to having a fun weekend with my friends and meeting new people, I had my second celebrity encounter ever in the span of 2 weeks!  This time Giovanni Ribisi (probably most famously from Avatar) was just walking around, and since my good, and very outgoing, friend Diane was there she drug me over to him to say hello and take a picture.  I was so embarrassed, but now I have a memory to last a lifetime!  He's pretty cute isn't he?  For anyone here in Santa Fe who wants a sighting, he is here filming "A Million Ways to Die in the West". 

Me and Giovanni Ribisi...I LOVE Santa Fe!

Thrifty Finds April 22

Today I didn't get out to Goodwill until around noon, which I have learned means I won't find as much by the way of vintage, with no exceptions today.  The trip was not a waste, though, as I found a great ottoman for my big chair, something I have been wanting for a while, and it was only $5!  I'm going to clean it up and post pictures at a later date.

But since I didn't find much I'm going to post some past finds and what I did with them! 
 
This cute little end table has neat Asian style cut outs on the side.  I found it years ago at a "thrift store", which was basically a junk pile, in Texas for $15.  I spray painted it burgundy and covered the top with buttons for one of my design classes in college.  Its a bit hard to see in the photos, but the design made by the buttons is a spiral. 

More recently at my local Goodwill I found the two spiral "coasters" (how perfect for this table!), the leaf plate, the vintage lamp, and the lamp shade.  The wax melter is from Melaleuca.  (A great company which makes wonderful products...visit their site and contact me if you are interested!). 

Maybe I will add a tutorial or DIY project instructions for the button table...what do you think?

Thrifty Finds April 15th

Goodwill Monday, garage sales and flea market Saturday.  Mostly vintage china and glass, but also got a pair of pants, a book with good collage images, a pair of shoes I plan to paint, and some spoons I will be using for a new jewelry technique.  I will let the photos speak for themselves!

Visit my Etsy Shop soon to find some of these items for sale!

Weekly Blogger Feature #1--JazzJodi

Because my blog is all about connecting with and getting to know up and coming bloggers, artists, crafters, designers, thrifters, Etsy sellers, etc, I have decided to start a weekly feature. 

This week's featured blogger, thrifter, and Etsy seller is JazzJodi of JazzJodi Vintage! This lady has a serious love of vintage!  And what I love about her blog is that we get so see all of her escapades at the thrift store in a photo format.  Her "photo essays" as she calls them take her readers into her world, so much so that I felt like I was in the thrift store with her! 

And then after reading about her finds, her readers can go directly to her Etsy shop and buy them!  Isn't that is what Etsy is all about?  Knowing the story behind the item you are buying and where it comes from is vintage shopping at its finest in my opinion.  Her shop is filled with beautiful vintage clothing, shoes, home decor, and kitchen gadgets. 

JazzJodi's blog is fairly new, there are many indications of dedication and good things to come.  She has not only her photo essays, but also great information on how to identify your vintage clothing and a forum where a community of her thrifty readers can come together and discuss their own finds. 

And JazzJodi is a real person with a real life!  Here is her bio from her about site:

  

"I live in Virginia near the beautiful ocean. I have a MFA in creative writing, fiction, and I teach at a university in the fall. Between writing fiction and teaching and raising my daughters, I am a thrift-o-holic. I love searching for vintage - everything! I can never decided what I love more, vintage clothing or home decor. So, why pick one over the other? No way!

To me, vintage clothing is beautiful and constructed with such quality that is not often seen now-a-days in a get-it-now consumer society. Often, I feel like I've found a piece of art work when I find a shirt, dress, purse, or shoes, and I can't wait to share it with the right buyer who will love the clothing as much as I loved finding that item. Now that I buy vintage clothing for my Etsy store, I am no longer restricted to buying clothing for myself or my girls, so I buy everything from a small to plus sizes.

Home decor is my weakness and ceramics is at the top of my list. I cannot resist art pottery, mainly drip glaze -- cups, plates, vases, pitchers, and more. I also really love unique items and often bring home strange pieces that require a lot of research, but it's worth the time. I love learning about a variety of vintage home decor items and vintage clothing to discover its history, which to me is like a story. Sometimes, I stand in a thrift store and think to myself, "Okay, who wants to come home with me and tell a story?" I know this adventure of searching for vintage and learning about the past is what keeps me buying and selling.

But where does the jazz in jazzjodi come from? When I was young, I used to listen to jazz records all the time. I loved vocal jazz like Billy Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and big bands. I felt like I had been born in the wrong decade. I wanted to go back in time and dance and sing (I still do)." 

 

Follow Jazzjodi on many social media sites below:

 

JazzJodi Blog:   http://jazzjodi.weebly.com/my-blog.html

Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/jazzjodi

 

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/jazz.jodi

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jazzjodi

Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/jazzjodi/

Flickr:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jazzjodi/

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Thrifty Finds, Goodwill, April 1st

Today I did my weekly shopping at Goodwill. I cannot stress enough just how AWESOME the Goodwill here in Santa Fe, NM is.  Great things at great prices.  I went early today, around 10, so I found a lot.  Monday's are 25% off days and the place is packed!  As I walked in I already saw a globe, something my son has been asking for, being snatched up.  That's twice now!  As usual I went straight to the back of the store where the furniture is and found a TV tray for $1.50, something I had just the day before thought about to use as a workstation while watching TV.  I also found a cool end table with square cut outs on the sides ($11.50) and an office chair for $4.50 (another very much needed item).  I don't know if there is serendipity in thrift shopping, but it sure seems like it!

I also picked up the cool china pieces below, my favorite being the 3 collectors plates.  These are from the Edwin Knowles Artists of the World series featuring the oil paintings of "Ted" De Grazia.  And I only paid $7.50 each! Most of the china I will be listing in my Etsy store soon! 

I also got a pair of shoes for my daughter, my son (who was running around the store and asking if we could go the whole time.  I will NEVER bring him again!) a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap.  Lastly, I picked up a bag of Chinese lantern "Christmas" lights, which I put up in my room right away along with many of my other previous finds (including the paper lamp next to my bed, the black and white chair, and 2 paintings on the wall) .