If you’ve followed our blog over the past year, you know the formula: Goodwill + Katie B + me (and John behind the camera) = total mayhem. This visit we literally ran through the store supermarket-sweep style, tossing anything that caught our eye into our cart and laughing the whole way.
To keep it authentic, we recorded a one-take video of everything we found—no edits, no do-overs. John hit record and we went on and on, so much so that we split the footage between both of our blogs. You can watch the first half on our site and the second half on Katie’s blog. So, to answer the obvious: no, we don’t know what’s wrong with us. Yes, we get weird the second John presses record. Think of us as two giddy girls rather than two adults: we squeal over Goodwill finds in the same way tweens swoon over celebrity crushes.
A few quick notes from our trip:
- People walked by and the intercom blared, but not one employee asked us to stop. Gotta love those friendly Georgians.
- I’m about a foot shorter than Katie. #shortgirlproblems
- I convinced Katie to buy two books, so expect a book review around 2:30 in the video.
- The way Katie says “bone” is inexplicably funny to me.
- There’s a classic “that’s what she said” joke from me at 4:11.
- I have a habit of accidentally saying things like “flipping off”—it just slips out sometimes.
- We apologize to anyone offended by our Napoleon ignorance around five and a half minutes in.
- We laughed about reminding people to keep their jewelry boxes dusted—random, but true.
- Confirmed: the urn we found was empty.
- Some color confusion happened: I called the brown dogs on a pink cup “blue” for no reason.
- Check out the second half of the video on Katie’s blog to hear us coin catchy phrases like “put a basket on it.”
If you can’t watch the video, here are photos and highlights of some of our favorite finds. First up was a ceramic urn or vase that we imagined in a small vignette on a dresser or buffet. Paired with a stack of colorful books (Katie removed a few shiny dust jackets to reveal softer, beach-glass colored bindings) and a couple of rice bowls and a white ceramic owl, it made a sweet arrangement.
Because the back of the shelf looked messy, we held up a piece of fabric—a dress that could be converted into a pillow—to create a prettier backdrop.
Here’s a wider shot so you can see the whole setup and how much more put together it looks with a little styling.
Another inexpensive idea: a 99-cent dress that could easily be sewn into a decorative pillow. Thrifted clothing often makes great fabric for home projects.
Katie scored a gorgeous oversized coffee table book for $2.50—perfect left open on a table to showcase a large photo.
We also explored the sporting goods aisle and found an old racket and colorful croquet mallets that would look great as wall decor in a playroom, den, or entryway grouping.
Katie discovered a small ceramic Napoleon figurine that only needed a little cleaning. Tip: use hydrogen peroxide on an old toothbrush to brighten white ceramic pieces.
An ornate jewelry box for $2.90 caught our eye. If the nautical motif isn’t your style, remove the glass pane from the back and replace it with fabric or decorative paper for a quick update.
We also found a giant queen sheet with polka dots for $1.91—enough fabric for placemats, a table runner, or throw pillows. A wooden dish would be handy for snacks or to corral small craft supplies like buttons and ribbon.
I’ve been collecting small Easter figurines to spray in bold modern colors—teal, lime, bright yellow—to create a playful, updated display that feels contemporary instead of kitschy.
A tiny yellow basket for 77 cents would be perfect for outdoor silverware or napkins, bathroom supplies, or as a holder for a clear vase and flowers.
I bought a bright green serving dish for 99 cents that’s ideal for snacks, cheese, or even holding soaps and hand towels in a bathroom.
We also found a toothbrush holder shaped like a bone (actually plastic) that could be repurposed as a vase—its holes can act as a flower frog, or you can remove the top and use it traditionally. A preppy ceramic cup with a pink background and repeating dogs (99 cents) would make a fun pen cup for a home office.
A large metal bowl for $2 was another purchase of mine—perfect to spray a fun color and use for organizing ribbon, odds and ends, or as a decorative catchall.
Lightweight woven trays could become striking wall art—either left natural or sprayed in a fresh color like robin’s egg blue or a soft metallic gold.
A giant Crate & Barrel popcorn bowl for $4.94 would make a fun, ready-to-gift movie-night package—clean it, fill it with popcorn and a treat, and you’re set.
I picked up some homemade pottery pieces for about $1.20 each. The pop of blue inside the creamer and sugar container was irresistible—the creamer makes a sweet single-flower vase, and the sugar jar could hold sugar cubes or tea bags.
We also found vintage suitcases—one for $1.91 that’s perfect for under-table storage and another for $2 that would be adorable in a kid’s room for toys or art supplies.
And yes, we bought a delightfully cheesy Georgia Tech tissue box—for a cousin, of course. I probably shouldn’t have sniffed Goodwill tissue, but I’m still standing, so it must have been fine.
Here’s what I walked away with:
- The lime green cheese tray (featured in video 1)
- A giant Lipton Sun Tea glass jar (video 1)
- The big metal bowl with aeration—I can’t wait to spray it a bright color (video 2)
- A wooden truck for Clara’s crayons—stay tuned for a DIY project (video 2)
- Handmade creamer and sugar container with a blue interior (video 2)
So what about you? What treasures have you found at Goodwill or other thrift stores? I love hunting for cute dishes, bowls, and kid-friendly finds that I can repurpose for Clara’s room. It’s Thursday—let’s swap thrift-store scores and inspiration.