Frank & Betty.

Yesterday I presented myself with a challenge:

to spend 5 hours thrifting on a roughly-$10-budget.

My hubby was working a short shift that day,

(we only have one car) and since the kids are gone,

it was the perfect opportunity to tag along.

Or, as I prefer to term it, "wade knee-deep into endless thrifting perfection." ;)

So while Nate worked, it was my chance to take as loooong as I wanted

in the thrift shops. I always feel vaguely guilty, even if it's just him waiting

for me in the car. Even though I know he doesn't mind, I always feel a little bad.

I'm one of those people that can spend an hour no problem in a thrift.

At the same time, I was a little worried--5 hours, was that too much even for me?

Ummmm...no.

I pretty much used up every minute.

And, I actually like putting myself on a money limit (now and then, ahem.)

Even though my thrifting skills have sharpened significantly, I can still

sometimes make those "but-it's-cheap!" impulse buys.

And I love vintage so much, things can seem awfully appealing sometimes.

This vintage primary reader was one of those things--

do I need this---do I really need this?

It was just too cute to pass up.

I love that it is a teacher's edition, and has notes about each story.

The pictures do me in every time--

soooo cute!

Ah, how I can relate.

I just tell myself, "but they're for the kids room--"

when I get to decorating it vintage-style.

Vintage restaurant ware mugs.

One is different but they still make a cute set.

A small printing block letter, the first I've ever found at a thrift.

Yay!

These vintage shot glasses were just too 

cute and funny to pass up.

Apparently they originally came in a set of 3.

The last one says "just a swallow."

I've already scoped it out on ebay, lol!

I'll have to get that one.

A charming tray,

though in this pic you can't quite tell that.

I'm always wanting to find one of those vintage

metal hangers that are similar to this,

but older--as seen here.

This is the closest I've gotten.

I'll take it :)

Ok.

So I know I can be a little weird and really

err on the kitsch side of things sometimes,

but I LOVED this sign.

Frank and Betty, I bet you were one pair of cool cats.

An old photo, I'm guessing mom and daughters,

that captivated me because of their neat clothes

and the way they are posed.

A plastic glove form.

I'm going to try and cutestify it by

adding an image where the rectangle is, among other things,

so it can be a quirky decoration.

This is my favorite find from that day.

There's something so lovely about it to me.

I love the paper it's glued onto, and the orange

border going around it--

...and the clothes this Victorian woman is wearing,

her brooch, the umbrella and gloves.

The clerk selling it joked, "Do you know these people?!"

I get that a lot :)

But it's such a neat piece of history, an old photo.

A momentary glimpse into a life and time I can never know,

but certainly wonder and imagine about.

For more thrifty finds, stop by Harper's Happenings

for H.O.T.T.!