More yard sales…

It is time for the weekly edition of other people’s trash to Mandy’s treasure!

Despite the fact that I am suffering from a summer cold (hate those!), I managed to get out of bed on Saturday morning and head over to a neighborhood yard sale.  If it hadn’t been a neighborhood wide event, I probably would have skipped yard-saleing this weekend.  I also had to make an appearance at a barn work-day, so I couldn’t spend the day lounging in bed as I would have liked.  As it was, I got a late start (after 7:00!) heading to the yard sales and I was worried that I might have already missed out on everything. 

I hit many, many sales – I think eight or nine in all.  Sometimes I found a few things, other times I did not.  I did not find the elusive belgian waffle-maker, but never fear – I am sure persistance will pay off in the end.  Here is what I did find:

Two gold plastic chargers for $.75 each.  I use these alot during the holidays as underplates at the table or candleholders.

A set of ceramic pumpkin salt and pepper shakers and a little ceramic lidded pumpkin designed to hold a tealight inside.  This will go great in my fall decorations and I LOVE all things pumpkin.  $.75 for all.  This was also the sale where I gave the cutest little girl one dollar for the tiniest, yet tartest cup of lemonade.  I am a sucker for cute kids selling un-palatable drinks.

Costume jewelry set of pearls for $.75.  I love pearls - but already have several strands.  I am thinking of giving these as a gift or using them in some other creative way.  Wrapped around a package?  Especially a wedding shower gift?  If you have any other great ideas, be sure to let me know in the comments section.

This cute little lamp for $3.00.  I have been on the lookout for cute little lamps – now I have two.  (I found a little pineapple one last weekend.)  I feel a change of lampshade coming on, but the base is cute as is.

How many of these cheese servers are out there?   I have seen them many times in the past and on many of your blogs.  Of course, I bought it for the glass dome (the wooden base will probably be trashed).  There are so many cute uses for cloches out there.   Now I have one to use when the inspiration strikes me.  $2.00

These little sherbert dishes were only $.10 each.  In my best blog-stalking, copycatting mode, I plan to use them to create pedestal dishes the way I have seen many of you more creative bloggers doing.  Now I am on the lookout for cute (paintable) dishes. 

This pair of paintings was $2.00.  I bought them for their gorgeous frames:

I wasted no time in popping the paintings out and covering them with chalkboard paint.  Now I have two of these:

Some of you might remember this – I picked it up a few weeks ago for $10 at a yard sale.

(sorry about the fact that this picture is so huge compared to the others in this post – I must have been feeling generous when I took this one!)

I removed the mirror and covered the painted back of it with chalkboard paint (I am hoping this holds up).  I removed the hardware, lightly sanded the piece and spraypainted it a light green color. 

It looks good from far away, but up close there are two spots that look like this:

The paint is all buckled and crackled.  This didn’t happen until I applied a top coat of poly.  My other foray into spray painting yard sale finds was a valet for my husband.  I did many light coats of a brown spray paint.  It wasn’t until the very last coat (no poly involved) that this happened:

Has this happned to anyone else?  Can anyone help me?  You all make spray painting look like a cinch. 

Oh, one other thing – I found this sitting out by the road on trash pick up day.  I thought it would make a nice printer stand in my office.   Of course, it needs a fresh coat of paint, so I need to be schooled on my painting skills before I tackle it.

Of course,  I am linking my finds with the fabulous Southern Hospitality blog’s .  Man, she found some AMAZING stuff this weekend.