Friday Finds under Five: A Little Roadside Decor

In order to keep myself motivated and blogging, I have decided to start a few "themed days." I can't promise that I will have something to mention each week...but having the goal and the title gives me something to look for and work towards. (My other themed day is Wednesday We-Do)

It is no secret that I love a good bargain and I love to treasure hunt (some call it thrifting...some call it junking...). There's nothing like the thrill of finding something totally unique for an extremely low price. In my mind, even if something is fabulously vintage, if I can't get it for super cheap, it's not as "cool" of an item. I can't begin to describe the joy that comes from finding that special item on the side of the road set out for the trash (like this fireplace screen I found for my mom).

And so...on Fridays, I hope to highlight some kind of great find for under $5.

I wasn't even planning on posting anything today...until I took a trip to the post office at the bottom of the hill. On the way back home, I spotted beautiful sprigs of bittersweet along the side of the road. Naturally, I had to stop...(I have got to start carrying some tools in the car for such occasions!) I used all my strength to break off some of the branches of the gorgeous yellow and red berries. If I had only been about 5 feet taller, I could have filled a trashbag with bittersweet. But, I didn't get greedy...or try to think of how to get a ladder down there in the woods. I merely grabbed a handful of beautifulness and got back in my car. I did get some strange looks for some other cars passing me by.

Upon arriving home, I simply stuck the sprigs into my vase on the kitchen table. The new branches looked awesome nestled in with my yarn pom-poms. Simple...beautiful...and free!!!  We sure do serve a creative God...He's surrounded us with such a colorful world.

I'm sort of glad that I haven't already decorated for Christmas....otherwise my fall colored decor would not be as becoming.

Upon posting my free find on Instagram, I noticed that I was not the only lucky junker today! My blog friend, Joni did a little dumpster diving of her own...literally.

She found an awesome wool Aztec rug. You can see the nice man in overalls in the picture above...he scored some Christmas lights and a pack-n-play. ha. Looks like it was a winner of a day for more than one person at the dumpster site.

After running the rug through the sanitary cycle and hanging it in the sunshine, Joni is now on the hunt for the perfect place for her prize.

I imagine it in front of a rustic bench on her fabulous wood porch...but we'll see where she decides to place it! (See her adorably decorated home in some of the pictures here and here.)

Did any of you find any under $5 prizes this past week? Feel free to link up!