Retro Owl Trivets $1 and $2

I was not familiar with the word 'trivet' before I bought these guys.  I sent my best girl a picture of one and she said, "my grandma had that trivet".  I was like "oh, word".

These owls came from two different sales in two different cities and were purchased 5 months apart.  I was not on the hunt for trivets, but I'm glad they appeared.  They liven up my stovetop and act as perfect teapot hot plates for my evening couch-side tea parties.

If you dig 1970's / 1980's retro trivets, there are a boat load on Etsy.

Here's where I found mine.

1. F.B. ROGERS OWL TRIVET 

The larger of my two owl trivets was purchased at the Piedmont Community Church Treasure Sale for $2.  I found out about this sale from a Google Alert. From what I remember, the name "Treasure Sale" was pretty darn accurate. Multiple large rooms were stuffed with items and they were separated by departments so it was easy to navigate. Prices were fair. I bought a wallet and a belt as well.  This is a photo of the room where I found the trivet. FUN!

2. SMALL CAST IRON OWL TRIVET  

I found this little guy a few blocks from my place. The garage sale was awesome, because I got the impression it was the first time they cleaned out their home in 30 years, in other words, COOL OLD STUFF!  Plus, they were eager to sell so items were priced low. It doesn't get much better than that.  

I saw this box from afar and thought "oh boy, oh boy"! There was no price, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I asked the sweet older gentleman running the sale what he wanted for it and his reply was, "What do you want to pay"?  This situation always makes me nervous, because I don't want to offend by lowballing. I honestly didn't want to pay more than $2 so I blurted out $1 and he accepted. 

Do you own a trivet? What kind? 

5 Easy Ways to Find a Sale Near You!

I love a good garage sale, yard sale, tag sale, rummage sale, estate sale...STOOP sale (that's a new one). 

Whatever you choose to call them, awesome sales are everywhere! Back in the day keeping your eyes peeled and driving a car with good breaks and European handling was your best bet for sale searching. Slap on an "I BREAK FOR GARAGE SALES" bumper sticker and you were golden.

Nowadays finding sales is easy (and less likely to cause whiplash). Here's how.

1. BROWSE CRAIGSLIST
If you're not using craigslist to search for sales, you best get on that! You can use filters to check specific neighborhoods and search keywords to find sales relevant to your taste. In the image below I selected neighborhoods nearest to my home and searched keyword 'vintage'. Two matches! Woo Hoo!



















2. SET GOOGLE ALERTS
Google Alerts changed my life. Why take time to search the web when Google will do it for you? All you have to do is set up search queries (keywords, phrases) and Google will e-mail you when they find web pages, articles, blogs, etc that match your search.  Click here for more detail. If you are looking for specific items, Google Alerts are a great option! For example, let's say you are on the hunt for a mid century modern dresser. Create an alert called 'Mid Century Modern Dresser Sale San Francisco'. You may not get an e-mail every day, but when something matches, Google will tell you via e-mail. Below is an example of some of my alerts.

3.  CHECK SALE SITES
There are a number of websites that make it easy to find sales in your local area. All you have to do is enter your zip code. Most have a keyword option too. Here are a few.

• yard sale treasure map
• yard sale search
• gsalr.com

On some sites, like gsalr.com, you can sign up to receive an e-mail when a sale that matches your search criteria emerges.

I think Yard Sale Treasure Map is really cool.  All of the sales appear on Google Maps. Select a few and the site will suggest the best route to vist them all, based on hours of the sale and location.

FYI, many of these sale sites pull data from Craigslist, so no need to look both places.

4. DOWNLOAD MOBILE APPS
A lot of the sale sites (mentioned above) now have mobile apps. They make it super simple to find sales when you are on the go. They pretty much all function the same way; sale locations appear on Google Maps and you can touch the pinpoint to view a description of the sale. Easy and effective! Here are some to check out.

• garage sale rover
• yard sale treasure map
• Garage Sale Finder

5.  GET ON MAILING LISTS
Estate sales are my fave. Most are organized by estate liquidators or companies hired by the home owner or home owner's family. Try identifying these companies in your area and see if they have a mailing list. I was at an estate sale a few weeks ago and the company who organized the sale had a notebook out to collect e-mail addresses. You can bet I added mine!


How do you find sales? Tell me in the comments below. Happy Hunting!

used jewelry: stories you can wear.

I'm not consistent with Jewelry. I go through stages. I remember a couple years ago I was really into earrings and I NEVER wore necklaces. Now I rarely wear earrings and I love long necklaces. I haven't worn many bracelets over the years, but now I'm all about them, and watches. Ah, the circle of trend.

It is for that reason, along with the fact that I don't trust myself to take care of expensive jewelry, I enjoy buying or 'acquiring' used jewelry. I say 'acquire', because some are from my mother's/grandmother's/friend's, etc jewelry box. Those are extra special.

I'm attracted to unique pieces, usually something with a bold statement. Estate sales are the best. I have found some pretty cool things. To locate an estate sale in your area, go to craigslist, click on garage sales and search for key word "estate". It is that easy. Or, you can just search key word "jewelry" and see what pops up.

Below are some that I bought or 'acquired' this summer (everything else I have is already in San Fran).



Jewelry can tell a story. Clothing can too, but I feel like jewelry more so. For example, the bracelets in the first photo I bought from my parent's neighbor whose boss bought them for her in Vietnam. Some pieces have a story that you will never know, like the elephant necklace I got at the Disabled Veterans thrift store. Last year I bought a gold locket at Value World with a very old faded photo still inside (not pictured). I love the mystery.

Usually items like those pictured above can be purchased from $.50 - $2. Very cheap for a one of a kind piece.

Do you buy/acquire Jewelry from Thrift Stores / Garage Sales / Estate Sales / your Mother's Jewelry Box, etc? If so, please feel free to share stories in the comments below.

Enjoy the week!

Quirky Cross-Stitch Portraits

I'm in love with these quirky cross-stitch portraits I bought at a garage sale.


I remember seeing them from afar and thinking, "I bet they're overpriced". Luckily I was wrong. The homeowner was moving to Arizona and very eager to get rid of her stuff, which meant most items were dirt cheap (love that). She told me her mother-in-law handmade them. Other than a little dust they were in great condition. I came home, cleaned them up and now I'm quite happy.



The craftsmanship is amazing! I do not cross-stich, but my guess is these portraits took some major time and skill.



Check out the different fabrics and detail. I like how the man's pocket handkerchief overlaps the stitched gold border.

Quirky is probably the best word I can think of to describe these things. I'm not sure if they are actually cool to the general populous, or if I just have a strange fascination. Either way, I'm glad to give them a new home.

Wise Old Owl Says, "Save Wrinkled Dollars"

I found this little gem at a garage sale a couple weeks ago for $.25.



It is an amber glass "Wise Old Owl" bank. Perfect for saving wrinkled dollars, am I right? The internet tells me that it was made by the Libbey Glass company in the 70's.



The internet also tells me that they typically sell anywhere from $5-$25.



Garage sales are dangerous for me right now, because everything I buy is another thing to pack. I couldn't pass this up though. If you like it there are plenty available online (eBay, Etsy, etc). I saw a clear glass version as well - in case you enjoy looking at your money.

If I get up early enough tomorrow I think I might seek out some garage sales. I've heard that Thursdays and Fridays are great days to go sale-ing. In the past I've mostly gone Saturdays and Sundays since I worked during the week.

Do you guys like/love/hate garage sales?
What do you think is the best day to go sale-ing?
Do you use craigslist to locate sales or do you drive around and see what pops up?
What is your biggest garage sale pet peeve?