Remember on Monday we said we were taking it easy and enjoying family time? Well, we actually spent a long weekend at John’s parents’ beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware. It was a relaxing escape full of long walks, seafood, thrift-store hunting, and a surprisingly warm day on the beach (it hit the mid-60s on Monday). We thought we’d share a few highlights from our trip.
First stop was our favorite secondhand shop in Bethany, Beach Plum Antiques. A few finds really stood out — like these woven lamps priced at $10 each. They had great texture and I imagined spray-painting one in a glossy canary yellow or emerald green to give it a bright, modern twist.
I also loved this large woven ottoman — a perfect piece for adding texture and a relaxed vibe to a seating area.
There was a cute bench for $20 that reminded me of a thrift-store bench makeover we did a while back. It had good bones and would be a great candidate for a refresh.
A small side table was just $5. I would have grabbed it if there had been a matching pair for our bedroom, but there was only one, so I left it behind.
What I did buy was this geometric eight-sided mirror — only five dollars. I couldn’t resist. I’m planning to paint it something glossy and fun (maybe lime or plum) to make it pop.
We also strolled the Rehoboth boardwalk and did a bit of non-thrift shopping.
One standout was an oversized calendar filled with vintage map prints. It looked expensive at first glance, but at $20 for the whole calendar it worked out to about $1.60 per print — an absolute steal. We plan to frame them and create a grouped display.
I also picked up an adorable paper lantern pendant for the playroom for $18. While a plain white lantern and a DIY paint job could have been cheaper, this one was so charming that it felt worth it. With a $5 Ikea light kit, the total for a new fixture will be about $24 — not bad for an immediate smile-inducing upgrade.
We visited more thrift stores and antique shops, including a spot called Millsboro Basaar Antiques.
There I found two quirky ceramic horse bookends for $2.50 each. Their orange-and-black glaze gave them a zany look, but I’m thinking about spray-painting them — maybe white, navy, or yellow — to better suit our decor.
I snapped a picture of a frog butler statue that was too funny to pass up — it reminded us of a Modern Family gag. There were lots of whimsical items that made us laugh and debate whether to bring them home.
Another quirky piece priced at $15 was tempting but I passed — John wasn’t sold on it, so it stayed behind.
There was also a $22 stuffed bear head that could be wall-mounted. We considered it briefly for the playroom but ultimately decided it would suit a woodland-themed nursery better.
I did pick up a small luggage rack for the guest room, originally $12 but I haggled it down to $10. We’ll replace the stretched ribbon across it — still deciding on a color — but for now it’s a great, inexpensive find.
We ducked into Goodwill for fun but didn’t buy anything. Still, there were cute items, like a $2 bowl that would be perfect for holding jewelry or small treasures on a dresser.
One-dollar finds can be the best — we spotted the same glass jar we’d used before to make a “Thanks” jar, which was a fun coincidence.
Another $2 bowl could hold anything from keys and jewelry to the extra buttons that inevitably come with new clothes. I always save those buttons “just in case,” even though I hardly ever use them.
Of course, the beach was the highlight. We had classic family fun — Clara and John looking happy, and Clara proudly showing off her two front teeth. She even tested the sand cautiously and had a great time.
Good times all around. We set a $100 thrifting and shopping budget for the weekend and ended up with 12 distinct items—23 if you count each calendar print individually. I’ll share a full breakdown of what we brought home in a follow-up post.