Monday, February 8

thwarted...

my plans of venturing to THEE thrift store
on saturday were thwarted...
thwarted by a
CLOSED DOWN
sign.

i'm not sure how i feel about this,
knowing that after forty years a thrift store,
not just any thrift store i might add
but
THEE Mecca of all thrift stores has gone,
leaving me unable to travel the well worn road,
like a pilgrim to their place of worship.
knowing i will never tread upon those hallow grounds,
trod before me by so many other
thrifty good souls caused me to 'wallow' somewhat.

our #1 said i was not to take it so hard,
to know that indeed the world is rather large and there was a good chance of another thrift store equally close, upon the ladder to heaven.
in fact, it could perhaps be even better than the one she had found.
(i doubted it, for what she had described was truly thrifty heaven on earth)
she then informed me that we were not going to let it ruin our thrifty day out
and promptly drove me to the big 'shiny' city and the big 'shiny' Goodwill.
i protested, dragged my heels at first
saying it would be too busy,
perhaps it wasn't meant to be,
etc
etc
she rolled her eyes and said
"oh come on mother, i'm not hanging around this shed being driven nuts another day and neither are you"

i'm glad she dragged me along
for i found many a lovely find with my name on
including a tray with a sweet deer upon it
and a rather lovely enamel tea or coffee pot


along with some pyrex
and a natty little plate rack


after Goodwill
we ventured to the Sally army.
i like the Sally army,
i like the fact although it's a little rough around the edges,
in the 'knick knack' department they arrange their items in groups of color.
after the first aisle, where someone has taken time to place things pleasingly
they have then got to the second aisle and thought
"oh sod this"
and literally up ended the box onto the shelves.
leaving a great big dump of a mess,
that leaves moi sensing within the 'crappity crap' is a 'find of the utmost kind' lurking,
frightened and alone...

no amount of visualizing caused a pair of 'where have you been all my life' clogs to appear,
but that's okay,
for now i have a clock instead.


they both begin with the letter 'c' so i'm thinking 'mr visualizer' up above got confused and thought i said 'clock' instead of 'clog'

i like my new clock,
i like that in the Sally army it did not work,
yet on the way back to the shed, it ticked happily all the way,
almost with 'glee' at knowing it was no longer alone.
the minute i popped it up on my mantelpiece it stopped ticking.
i like to think my little clock has been 'overcome' knowing it's living at Mossy Shed,
a place it heard about from other 'forsaken souls' upon the shelves of despair.
a place it had visited in dreams night after night,
a Mecca of sorts for waifs and strays.
i'm waiting for my little clock to come out of shock and start
ticking along nicely...

until such moment, she is spending quality time with Miss Ethel ~ Tif

40 comments:

figwittage said...

i love that coffee/tea pot! this makes me want to thrift shop this week :) i've had luck the last several trips. so sorry to hear about "thee" thrift store closing :( xx

Tracy x said...

oh my
the tray
oh my.....

Deb Robertson Writes said...

Great finds... my goodness so many treasures in one day! I wonder if the previous owner of your little clock overwound it's tender springs. Maybe it should travel about in the car for a week or two and the gentle movement might make the springs unwind a bit!

Floss said...

You did well to get talked into the second store! The coffee pot is fantastic, Tif. But what a shock to find a Mecca thrift store shut down. We live in a harsh world...

elsy said...

i really love that tray with the deer.....never find anything like that over here in the charity shops(out thrift equivalant i think).....lovely coffee pot too you lucky thing...

jen said...

Dear Tif,
What lovely finds, it is a shame that THEE store is no longer there.
I think perhaps 'Mr Visulizer' like a lot of the male species only hears part of what we say and thought that you must of been referring to the clogs in a mechanical device and a clock would fit the bill.

mollycupcakes said...

Hello Tif,

I've been a lurker for over a year now and found you via the fabulous Tracy at Cupcakes.
I've just started twitter and am following you on there.
I have to say that i just love your blog, website and house.
I always feel so calm after looking through your pages honey. Many thanks for that.
I fyou do start making those gorgeous slips, please drop me a line. I'm getting married this May am looking for something different to wear with my biker boots lol
Much love,
Catherine from Mollycupakes x

Sam said...

Lovely coffee pot, and I love the pyrex dish with the blue harvest design on it.

When I'm thrifting, I can only find the "crappity crap" so I must try harder - or try visualising.

And clock does sound very similar to clog. I can see the problem ;-)

Rubyred said...

NOOOOOO...How could it
close down!!So pleased you got your thrifty thrills elsewhere!
The little clock is sooo sweet!
Rachel x

Shirley--Knot-y Embroidery Lady said...

It must have been like walking into a wall to find the mecca of all thrift store closed, gone, nada, nobody home.....

Has the pretty clock started to tick yet? I love the way you think!

thanks

Vic said...

Oh the horror!

I don't know what I would do if my fave oppy shut down without so much as a "See you later Sucker". I think I would camp out front, perhaps form some sorty of lonely picket line... I don't know, but it would be a dark, dark day!

I'm glad you found not one, but two, worthy replacements, there's nothing like some purty pyrex and a newly rejuvinated tickity ticking clock to brighten a day marked by such an unfortunate thrift store closed down event!

sue said...

Well, all was not lost - you got to have a wonderful adventure with your girl anyway and scored some neat stuff too! I am a new reader of your blog and love your take on things. Is your daughter heading off somewhere?

Christina said...

"gasp!" Look . . . at . . . that . . . teapot! I love it.

Also, those "Forbidden Fruit" boots of yours are haunting me. The non-thrifty part is me is demanding I but them immediately. Curses!

Barbara Keenan-Bailey said...

Whoa, that was some bad news. Of all stores and it is closed down and you had planned this, I would be so bummed. Truly feel for you Thift Sista. There has got to be another one out there for you, will keep my fingers crossed.

Anonymous said...

I can't even decide which find I like the best....so great!

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

I think I might just be a little envious of your new finds. Such nice colours too, they will fit into the shed very nicely I'm sure. And as for the little clock, well who cares if it doesn't work all the time, it's cute anyway.

millyandme said...

lovely! you write so wonderfully :) I am looking forward to following you more regularly.. do you have a newsletter?
Candice

Jennifer said...

It's a shame that it closed down, I'm sure you will find another one soon. Love the pink pyrex.

Traveling Mama said...

Oh! but were you alone not enough to keep the other afloat? :-) Sigh... such is life, but look at the treasures you found!

chloejessica said...

I had the same weekend! My favorite thrift store was closed! So I ventured to others but didnt get nearly as lucky as you! But I did find a sweet old apron which is my new fav! I love all your finds! Especially the pink dish! :)

mrs mediocrity said...

Your thrifty trip sounds like it was so much fun! And I bet your cute little clock is going to love its new home and start ticking away any second now...

erica said...

Bittersweet. When one door closes another opens....looks like you found some great stuff. That clock is awesome!

Polexia said...

what nice finds :) i must mention that my mother owns a bowl exactly like the white one in your last picture. i just looked in the cabinet and it's inside of one that's blue with the white design. how odd to have sense of familiarity while reading your blog :)

Jessica said...

Your thrifting stories are so funny and familiar. Wonderful treasures you found -- they look perfect together!

barbara said...

Dear Tif
Thank you for the close up of the adorable deer on the tray - my favorite thing from your latest finds, tho they are all lovely - enjoy!
ps Your "forbidden fruit" book is one I would really love too, I have two of these books from pre-challenge days and they are gorgeous ...

dottie angel said...

i think that's it dearest readers, if only i had found THEE thriftstore in time, i'm quite sure i would have kept it in business a while longer...
i must report this evening the little clock has yet to tock but do not fear, i think it is just a matter of time and if not, i'm happy with it's sweet self just the way it is :)

oh and candice, how wonderful to have a newsletter... i feel that would be most peachy :)

Carrie @ Cottage Cozy said...

How sad to lose your special thrift store...but what great finds!

teddybearswednesday said...

Gorgeous finds! Major bummer about the old favourite closing it's doors. I'm sure that clock is super happy to be with you and appreciated and not alone anymore.
I like the way you think, I think things have feelings too.

Heckety said...

Love your coffee pot and the clock- and I love your 'sod this' remark about the sally army store- I laughed til I cried, as I can just picture it...in fact I have the odd closet which could be filed under a similar 'sod this' label!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful home you have. I love your photos.

Pretty Whatnots said...

I love love love that pink casserole dish. So pretty and it reminds me of my Granny's blamange when I was a kid! What a great treasure trove of finds.

Michaela said...

I love what you found, but that teapot is to dream about.. Lucky you!! :)))

Unbuttoned said...

Funny, I read this post before bed last night and fell in love with the pink dish. upon waking I remembered my dream-i'd chanced upon that wonderful heavenly pink pyrex dish all the way over here in sweden but they wanted a steep 99kr (10 bucks) but I was so in love I paid up.
Love the tray too!

Christine Clemmensen said...

I simply adore your blog. Absolutely stunning!

monda-loves said...

Perhaps THEE store closing was a sign - not to stop thrift shopping but to seek out the owner, rent the shop and manage it yourself. Now wouldn't that be a fab idea!

Monda
x

montague said...

those are some outstanding finds!

Anonymous said...

I am sad you lost your favorite thrift store! If I lost mine, I don't know what I would do! I love your blog by the way.

L @ Salt and Sentiment said...

Love this post...I have to tell you My mother in law has a set of pink mixing bowls similar to blue and white ones above. She doesnt keep them because she thinks their cool or vintage...she just tends to hang on to things forever! I want to tell her...."I will buy you a brand NEW set of mixing bowls...if I can have that set." But, we are not on that level of comfort yet. I thought you might understand how I feel. :)

Heidi Jo said...

I had that same clock as a child. Did you know it glows in the dark? It sure does.

dottie angel said...

thank you again for the lovely comments, so wonderful to think we all have good memories bought on by pyrex dishes :)

heidi jo!!!! my little clock does surely glow, i have just taken her to a dark spot in mossy shed and she glowed and glowed. i'm thinking that makes up for no tick tocking. her pretty little numbers all lit up! thank you for telling me her secret :)