I wanted to share four thrifty finds I’ve picked up recently (technically nine items, since I grabbed six of one). First up is a gilded pineapple vase I scored at Goodwill for $4. What I love most is the hexagon pattern that covers the body — it reads pineapple, but to me it feels delightfully “bees.” The antique gold finish is lovely in person: not overly shiny, but softly timeworn and authentic.
Three jars a friend gave me sit beside it and look perfect together. The lids share that same antique-gold tone, and there are tiny bees on each lid. I also love the criss-cross glass texture.
They live on my desk to the right of my computer so I can glance over and smile every few minutes.
Not kidding — that really happens.
The second find is something we now share: a West Elm ceramic animal speaker dock that sits on our desk and plays music while we work.
We ordered it as soon as it appeared on the site. It was back-ordered for a while but eventually arrived, and we love it — the sound quality is great, and the white ceramic animal adds a playful touch. We call him Humphrey. He brings a bit of humor and liveliness to the office with whatever tunes we queue up.
PS: We were listening to a She & Him song when I was taking these photos, and the video features Zooey Deschanel in her awkwardly charming glory. Also: you should be watching New Girl.
The third find was a set of six matching mugs from Marshall’s — $2.99 each, originally $8. I don’t usually buy matching mugs; our collection has always been a charmingly mismatched mix. But I couldn’t resist grabbing six of these so we can serve tea or coffee from identical cups when guests come over. They’re also the first pieces of “china” we own with a maker’s stamp on the bottom — somehow that makes them feel a little grown up.
I’m excited to display them on the open shelves in the kitchen; seeing them while we eat breakfast feels unexpectedly satisfying. Has anyone else made a purchase that made them feel suddenly mature — new sheets, plush towels, or something similarly ordinary-but-exciting?
The fourth find was a small thrift-store rocking horse from Goodwill that I paid $1 for. It had a country-style, faux-finished look with glued-on raffia around its neck and messy drips down the legs. I forgot to take a “before” photo, but it looked similar to some painted novelty horses you might see online.
I named him Bosley. I removed the raffia, scraped away dried glue with an X-Acto knife, and sanded until the surface was smooth. Because he was raw wood in places, I primed him with spray primer to prevent bleed-through, then used gray spray paint I already had on hand. A bright color would have been fun, but the deep charcoal finish feels modern and adaptable. If I get adventurous, Bosley might end up hot pink someday.
He’s currently on the living room desk but I imagine him traveling around the house — perhaps to Clara’s room or the playroom one day. Clara hasn’t shown interest yet, but I pictured her placing a Barbie on Bosley and sending her galloping, since his size works perfectly for dolls.
Happy weekend! Any thrift-store finds, grown-up purchases, or Barbie-sized treasures to share? I’d love to hear about them.