Thrifter's Remorse

Monday, I had the privilege of having lunch with my college roommate. We then went exploring in some local antique/thrift stores. I found some great treasures...2 large red canisters and a picture frame.

Rarely do I turn down something red and fabulous. I have actually seen these canisters on previous trips to these stores. But Monday, they had been marked down! Good things come to those who wait.

I immediately found homes for them on top of my hutch...

and on top of my refrigerator.

The one living on top of my hutch is empty for now, but the one on the refrigerator turned out to be the perfect size to hold cards and notes that I want to keep that we receive in the mail. I love when I can "contain" a pile.

The third item I picked up was a little picture frame. In one of the booths, there was a box marked "FREE." On the surface, it looked as if it only contained a few ugly clown dolls and some ugly pink candles. But nestled in the corner of the box was a fabulous little light weight frame.

It was missing the backing and the glass, but for the project I had in mind, I would have been removing those elements anyway. I proudly took my free frame up to the counter and hoped that the cashier would believe my strange store of a free box. And she did! 

Yesterday, Ashlee (my bff/neighbor) and I worked hard to mix together some paint colors to find the perfect new color for this little frame. At first, I wanted it to match this rug. But mixing such a bright shade of teal proved to be too difficult. Instead, we settled on an awesome grayish-tannish color (which I may want to use as a wall color in the future). 

  

Since the frame was a light weight foamish material, I decided that magnets would be the perfect tool to use to give my frame it's final resting spot. 

A few dabs of hot glue later and my frame was complete. You can see the markered word "FREE" in the picture above...It was free! I wasn't making it up! 

And for now, my little freebie is magnetized around the peephole in our front door.

I thought the door needed a little something to break up all the whiteness. 

And I must admit, even though I LOVE my crocheted rug, I am leaning towards wanting something orange to live these on the floor instead. I've already begun to search for an idea on Pinterest! Or I will switch out the strip of orange in the curtain for either a grayish-tannish or teal. 

BUT maybe you are trying to figure out why I titled this post "Thrifter's Remorse." It's not because I  wished I hadn't bought something that I came home with. I love my new treasures! But instead, I wished I HAD picked up another 2 items. I had seen them in a little store that is usually too pricey. Most of the time, I end up walking into the store and walking right back out. Since I'm a bit of a bargain shopper, I don't get much thrill out of things priced to highly. But sitting in the middle of the isle, leaned up against an ugly sofa from the 60's was the pair of awesomeness...I examined them, drooled over them, tried to think of a place in my house to put them...and then put them back. I couldn't come up with a single place to use these fabulous things. The price was great! But, one of my rules is, "If you don't know where or how you're going to use it, you don't need to buy it." And so, I obeyed my rule and went on to the next store. There is a large pile in my basement now of items I thought was cool, but I haven't found a way to use them yet.

When I got home, I could not get them out of my mind. And that night, while I was watching some Anne of Green Gables, it hit me! I KNEW WHERE THOSE ITEMS COULD LIVE!! I KNEW HOW I COULD USE THEM!!! I NOW NEEDED THEM!  

I thought about them all night. I even had a dream about them! I told Jeremiah about them. I told my mom about them. I told my shopping partner from that day that I wished I had purchased them. I could not get them off my mind. And so, the next morning, I made another trip to the antique stores. I just hoped they were still leaning there in the middle of the store. I just hoped someone else hadn't come up with a fabulous way to use them. 

And when I walked in, there they were, waving at me! I brought them home and immediately set up my painting station on the deck. They needed to be white, but were a dingy cream. After getting one coat of paint on the back side, it began to thunder. So, I dragged my tarp and paint can inside and finished painting. (And my legs are still store from all the squatting...painting is good exercise!) 

Now, they are dry and sitting in my kitchen, waiting to be hung. And they already had the hardware attached to hang them (Jeremiah is always glad when he doesn't have to figure out how to hang my weird things on the wall). There are a few things that need to come off the wall first before they can be hung. And I plan to touch up the wall paint a little while I'm at it. 

I know you are dying to know what they are....but I'm going to make you wait. Once they are hung, you will get to meet them in all their awesomeness. (Or maybe you'll hate them, but I think they are amazing).   So, hang tight, and check back...soon! 

Do you have any thrifting rules for yourself? Or have you even regretted not buying something and just hoped it was still there the next morning? Or am I the only weird one?