More good junk

My pile of "junk" in the garage is growing! The past couple of trips I've made to the Bargain Center have been fruitful. Here's some of what I found.

Each of these containers is cool in its own way. The wooden one with the snowflake cut-out will probably be filled with peppermint sticks and gifted to someone this Christmas. Found another one of those cool fruit baskets that I love, and the white wire hanging basket was just too cute to pass on.

But I really love the weathered, chippy paint of this blue basket.

This pencil box looks brand new, but reminds me of the kind we used to use when I was little.

This is a nice sized wooden piece, but I'll tell you right now that those plastic CD holders have already been ripped out. This will get a paint job and maybe some hand painted details.

I picked up the bread pans because they're in better shape than the ones I have, but the other items I grabbed because they have that cute vintage charm that I can't resist.

Just wish I knew what this was called, and what it's actually for. Anyone? Anyone?



I love this tarnished little silver spoon and the rose detail on the handle. I can't decide if I want to shine it up or leave it the way it is.

This woven reed basket is a neat shape and in good condition. It just needed to be wiped clean.

I also found a grape crate...

... and what looks like a stool with no top. This will be showing up in a "before and after" post very, very soon.

And how could I resist this adorable little thing? I hope I can get it to work, though toys found at the Bargain Center are notorious for not working even after new batteries have been installed. Crossing my fingers, though.

On a particularly rough day last week, my sweet friend called me up to tell me she'd found a 100+ year-old rocking chair for sale in a town not far away and asked if I'd like to drive out with her to see it.

She told me ahead of time that it was broken, but being that it was only $10 I decided it was worth trying to repair it. This will also be coming soon to a "before and after" post near you.

The man that sold me the chair had an entire yard and 2 sheds full of bins and tables and boxes of stuff that they were preparing for a yard sale this weekend. He was so nice and let us poke around and look through everything to see if there was anything else we wanted. And of course there was. :) I got this fruit crate...

... and a box made from an ammo crate...

... and another rolling pin for my little collection...

... and this vintage scooper.



Finally, here are just a few more things that I got at my last Bargain Center visit. These 3 ceramic jars will get a slight make-over (probably painted lids), but are in really good shape already.

From left to right, clockwise: A Longaberger-esque basket, an old camp coffee pot, two aluminum strainers that will probably get turned into hanging baskets, a wooden candlestick, a rusty little chicken wire basket, and a vintage wooden dry cleaner's hanger.

I also found this tin "welcome friends" sign, a pretty framed print and a wooden leaf and acorn garland.

But I think my favorite find that day was this: a cast iron grill pan.

Check this out. I knew this was a good brand, but I didn't realize that a new one of these would cost about $90.

Actually, I don't think they make round ones anymore (at least I couldn't find one online), just square. I cleaned it up and used it that very night to grill up some tilapia for fish tacos. It was perfect!


P.S. I'm linking this post to Rhoda's party here. Check out all the other thrifty treasures linked there!