Thrift Shop Challenge

Saturday I made big plans, I spent a bit of time researching thrift shops in the Dallas area, drawing a map, and even reading reviews on some website called Yelp. I love me some thrift shops, but here in East Texas I do better at garage sales. BUT when some of my favorite bloggers (real deal bloggers) over at Young House Love issued a Thrift Shop Challenge last Friday I was motivated. Well, after watching the video I was dancing and motivated... (and I recommend watching the video on their site because just searching for the Thrift Shop music video will probably get your mouth washed out with soap... if you know what I mean).

The YHL Thrift Shop challenge had three requirements, but I saw even more crazy stuff and went home with some great finds! I'm not kidding, one item in the store may have given me nightmares.

Step#1 from John and Sherry: "Go to a thrift shop with - just as the chorus of the song says - '$20 in your pocket' and take a picture." So that's what I did.

I went to the Rescue Thrift Store located on Oates in Dallas. I decided to bring my fancy camera to get good pictures and then realized that it was going to be hard to get a picture of myself and the store sign and my 'twenty dollas.' So I tracked down a nice lady and had her snap a photo for me. I tried to explain but I think she still thought I was crazy.

Step #2 from John and Sherry: "Spend that $20 any way you'd like and photograph your spoils."

And then Step #3: "Find one item (or more) reference in the song and snap a pic."

So as I ventured through the store I had my camera ready looking for: a.) good finds b.) moccasins/keyboards/luggage/shoes with Velcro, and c.) anything worthy of picture-taking.... 

First aisle I found these house numbers. They were nice and heavy and thick and they had some numbers that meant a little bit to us. Since we got married on May 8th, the 5 and the 8 remind us of that. They are also great looking numbers if you ask me. These were $1.91 each then and additional 20% off. I bought 4 of them... why not. I've got the perfect spot for two of them on the gallery wall (that I have yet to show you guys... because the frames are still empty).

Saw some old random medical equipment and then I spotted the luggage section. Step number three: Check!

Rounded the corner by the old golf clubs and realized they had everything here at the Rescue Thrift Store...

Everything AND the kitchen sink...

... and MUMMIES! I'm not kidding. I looked up at the whites of the mummies eyes and about passed out. And there were TWO of them! I should have checked the price, but I was a little too creeped out. Do you see those eyes?!

After I got over the mummy, I spotted the keyboard. That's two items for Step #3: Check! Maybe it's a smaller keyboard than they were expecting...

But then I got to the frame and furniture section of the store. That's what I was looking for. I passed the crazy desk selection and I saw this beauty. It was labeled "TV stand" but I think it looks like a great little side table or something. It even has wheels! Although it was a little wobbly, once the screws were tightened it was pretty sturdy.

And for $10 with an additional 20% off, I couldn't pass it up for $8. Did you see it in the background of Wednesday's Ikea post? It kind of already found a spot in the house...

I snagged a few old picture frames that had good bones. Figure I'll probably paint them white. Funny thing was, I found an Ikea picture frame at the thrift shop that was pretty beat up for like $4.50. That was too much for me to spend on an old frame. I'm glad I passed that one up because I got a brand new white frame (the exact same one!) for $1.99 just a few hours later at Ikea. But I did get these thee frames at the thrift store for $1.53 each. 

So I don't know if you've been keeping up (plus tax), but let's just let the receipt do the talking...

Total $19.64. How nice was that? I didn't even try hard to get it that close to the $20. Ended up with three frames, 4 numbers, a sweet little table on wheels, 36 cents of change... and a whole lot of entertainment. Remember the mummy?

I know, you can't get the image out of your head. I can't get the Thrift Shop song out of my head. I keep singing "I wear your granddad's clothes, I look incredible..." If you decided to skip the video, don't... go watch it.

And if you have a chance, go check out the Young House Love blog today. They're supposed to be sharing their thrift shop finds today along with links to all their readers who went thrift shopping last weekend too!

Happy Thrifting. Really, go check a thrift shop out this weekend... or at least hit up a few garage sales Saturday morning. Who knows what you'll find?

For me, I can't wait to figure out what I'm going to do with all this stuff and the Ikea loot...