Hey everyone! I’m back with another dish of my latest thrift store finds that I snapped up whilst I rummaged through some local shops. The other weekend was the last day that my beloved Estate Specialists was open (although I hear they may reopen under a new name in a new location. Hurray!). All the items were 60% off so you know that I had to get my hands on everything something there. While the store was pretty picked over of many of the nice and larger items, there were still lots and lots of odds and ends that had the utmost potential. Here are a few little items that I got.
First we have this cute little mug, monogrammed with an “R” for Rapp. I had been looking for a stylish cup of some sort to hold my lip gloss (I know I’m girly but I don’t like to admit it all the time – I think the mug of lip gloss confirms it) after I restyled my jewelry cased with my blue metallic tree. I had originally just grabbed a mug from the kitchen but this one was so much prettier with its curly cues and feminine curves. Me-ow mug.
I already revealed that one of the items that I bought was a lovely frame that I used to make my memo board. Crazy that this beautiful frame was a find that I happened upon in their deep, dank basement.
A memo board always needs some push pins and tacks, which I originally had stored in their cheap plastic containers that they came in. However, I bought this dainty little glass with my favorite colors (blue and green to any new readers) with a delicious retro flair. It is such a wee little thing (still got a little of St. Patrick’s day in me) that I was having a hard time finding a use for it (except for it looking pretty). However, when those gold tacks came out, I knew that the glass and tacks were a pair made in heaven. What a cute little holder!
I once heard that decorating in threes is a good thing, so when I stumbled across (in the basement again) these little ladies, something up in the top of my head started percolating. If you remember from our living room, we have a little lady print there.
I picked this up at some point and finally stuck it up on that shelf, where I think it fits nicely and I like for the most part. And now there are more to add to the family.
Now, in full disclosure, I am not sold on these three prints yet…I like them but I don’t love them. I do think they have a lot of potential in the right place and with the right mixture of modern items in the room. I like their time period, vignette style, and how pretty and dainty they are. I hope to find a perfect place where these three prints may be one big happy family. For now, one little lady print stays in the living room while the other two float in the Mego Cave.
I don’t know if you can tell yet but I am a sucker for books. Books that have a dual role, for reading and for a lovely decoration item, are a huge win in my book (ha!). So when I spied a large coffee table photography book of the world, I was sold.
Come to find out, it teaches the art of colour photography (yes, colour) with examples of beautiful pictures throughout the world. It also captures the iconic 1960s/1970s. Beautiful…and hilarious, but I guess the pictures and people are not as funny as it was 5 years ago since this style is coming back in style.
Now for the last item I picked up at Estate Specialists, well, it is still a work in progress. Envision with me this rubber floor mat (I think?) as a piece of artwork on the wall. Perhaps a different color, even two-tone. I’ll keep you posted on how it progresses. My vision is still coming together.
Now for the grand finale of my finds that day. This one comes from another store, since I was already up way too early on a Saturday morning and couldn’t just hit one store while up and out. I feel kind of proud of this find since it definitely reimagines an item, and I feel it really represents my personality.
Yes, that is a cheese board on the wall. Let’s get a closer look.
I get thrilled every time I look at it! It just screams Megan to me. I’m cheesy, so cheesy that I would hang a cheese board on my wall. Plus, cheese is sooo yummy. Mmm, my favorite is brie. Yum. Oops, I might have drooled a little on the keyboard. Back to business!
There ends a little tour of my thrift store finds around the ole Burg. I always feel so good after these thrift store adventures. I feel like I have just finished a treasure hunt! Also, I love to buy secondhand. At what modern store could I have gotten such an awesomely cheesy cheese board to stick up on the wall? Where else, I ask you!? No where! So get on out there and thrift away, thrift away, thrift away all!
Any HGTV lovers out there? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Never mind, I guess you wouldn’t be interested. Oh wait. There are? Then perhaps you have caught an episode or two of Salvage Dawgs. It’s a show about a store called Black Dog Salvage run by these two good ole southern boys. They travel around to old houses or buildings that are going to be torn down and strip it of all the old goodness that is still inside. They also are masters of taking one item and turning it into something completely different. They really go for the unpredictable and oddities. Who doesn’t love someone who owns oddities and embraces the unexpected or even, dare I say, weird? It’s one of the reasons I love the show. That, and the cute dog who the shop is named after.
One of the coolest things about the show is that it is Roanoke, which is just about an hour away from Lynchburg. Isn’t that awesome? For all you big city dwellers, this type of thing happens to you all the time, since a lot of people you see on TV are housed in larger cities. For a smaller town in Southwest Virginia, having a national TV show filmed here is pretty awesome (although now that I think of it Moonshiners is filmed pretty locally, but I’m not one to brag about that).
This past Saturday Eric and I thought it was high time we visited the famed Black Dog. We weren’t the only ones either. I’m sure they were a busy place before the TV show, but I bet it hasn’t hurt them one bit. Even though we only pulled into the parking lot only a half hour before they closed, they were packed! I felt sort of proud for them. Let’s go local!
This is definitely a store that you can’t miss. Even if I had never heard of them, it was a place that would have pulled me in with just the awesomeness that surrounds it.
I mean, come on, they have a rocket with their name on it. Wish that could fly in my neighborhood. The Rapp Rocket. That would be awesome!
I think it is great that the store is an old historic building in downtown. It just adds to the charm. It also makes sense, since they must have had to restore the building to make it store ready. It’s fitting.
Did you see this episode? Some dude pulled up in a truck with it and they couldn’t say no. It is one of the main items that welcomes you when you pull into the store.
Before we actually went inside we picked around the items outside, which is where we found all these stone slabs. We will definitely keep in mind if we ever need one for a future project.
Oh man, I have seen one of these types of bed swings on Pinterest and have swooned over them on the web. In person they are even better. I would love to have a big porch to put one of these on. Heck, I would put one in our living room!
Teal and big graphics with a touch of organ. Need I say more?
This is just their style. Where we see a tub, they see a couch – and make it happen! You would need to have a special home to house this piece but it is definitely one of a kind!
I loved this bench made from an old truck. Eric was all over this section, gleefully snapping pictures to share with his friends.
How sweet is this little tropical scape? What a neat idea for a chair!
While I didn’t actually buy anything at the store, this was the only item that really got me thinking about slapping down some cash. This mid century TEAL couch was amazing. Guess how much it was? $300! I call that a steal. I stared at it longingly. I gently caressed it. I snapped a few pictures. Then I walked away. The size doesn’t fit the one spot where we are looking to put a loveseat. Sigh. It was beautiful. I’ll probably dream about it for weeks.
That is my little virtual tour of Black Dog Salvage. This only shows some of the store, as there is much much more! More odds and ends and restoration hardware and salvaged doors and wood. Also, as we were walking through the store, I couldn’t help but get a little giddy when I saw one of the owners working with a client. However, I didn’t do the whole subtle secret picture snap. Then the giddiness went up even more when his dog walked around the corner! What a sweet pup! I would name a store after him too. If you are local I definitely recommend checking out the store and if you aren’t, make sure to catch an episode of Salvage Dawgs. It is definitely worth the watch!
Right?!?! Crazy awesome! It did have a stain on it but that’s what pillows are for! I’m still sad about having to leave it but you should definitely go get it if you need one!ReplyCancel
Haha! I totally understand. Eric and I definitely had a long talk about where we could put the couch. It involved moving furniture and selling furniture. I think it pushed the couch into “want” area for us as well. Oh well, it will look beautiful in someone else’s home!ReplyCancel
Hi Megan – thanks so much for sharing your post and for taking the time to visit us at Black Dog! Next time, grab Mike and Sally (the Salvage Dog!) for a photo – they won’t mind at all We get new items in every day, so be sure to check facebook for new arrivals! Take care ~ ChristaReplyCancel
Hi Christa! Thanks for reading the post and leaving a comment! We will definitely grab a picture next time we are in the store (and I know there will be a next time!). I didn’t want to bother Mike for a picture when he was with a customer…plus it was just about 5pm on Saturday. Next time for sure! Thanks again!ReplyCancel
Hi everyone! Happy Friday! Do you ever have one of those moments/days when you feel like you are beaming joy? Well that is how I feel today, for no particular reason except for the fact that I am so grateful to be living this life that was given to me. It just makes me happy! Thank you for being a part of it. One of the parts of my life that makes me happy every single day is our amazing house. I friggin’ love this house with a passion. I really do spread my arms out really wide some days and yell into an empty room, “I love you house!” True story. Kind of embarrassing. Oh well. The real reason for this post is not to explode sunshine, but to give you a run down of our ultimate house list.
When I started this blog Eric and I had already been living in our house for almost two years, so a lot of projects had already happened (and I am still cursing myself for not taking pictures of the house before I moved in). I thought the list would be helpful in understanding our ultimate goals for the house while also catching you up on what changed before you got full immersion via this blog. So let’s get to it, shall we?
Front Yard (70% finished)
To Do:
Limb up the trees
Restain the front porch
Paint shutters black
Paint front door red (perhaps add some fun decorative touches)
Install soaker hoses
Switch out lights by front door
Make house numbers more visible
Done:
Cleared out the runaway flower beds and put down rock (as seen here and here)
If we decide to have a child, this will be the nursery. While our thoughts are pending on this, it stays a random stuff/guest room, although we may all of sudden get a vision and go for it.
Paint (perhaps stencil, ombre, or stripe one wall)
Done:
Moved in beautiful furniture from Eric’s parents (pre-blog)
Eric’s mom made us curtains (pre-blog)
Got a new duvet cover from IKEA (pre-blog)
Store a bunch of random stuff here
Large Guest Bedroom (85% OR 25%)
To Do:
Artwork
Sometimes I want to do a complete overhaul, beginning with a beautiful comforter that will inspire new curtains, new fabric for the headboard, new paint colors for the walls and TV stand/side tables (possibly). This room is beautiful to me but lacks that vibrancy that I love. Not sure yet…
Paint inside of closet pretty color
Get a bed skirt of upholster the box spring
Done:
Moved in a bed we had from my mom and used Eric’s brown bedspread (pre-blog)
Moved in antique bureau from my mom (it first had a quick hiatus in the master) (pre-blog)
Upholstered Eric’s old wooden headboard with padding and fabric (pre-blog)
Bought new curtains (pre-blog)
Found beaten thrift store side tables and painted them
Bought new lamps (pre-blog)
Got a hand-me-down TV stand that I painted teal and put our old TV on
Used Eric’s pre-marriage bathroom accessories that I love!
Cut up a van Gosh poster to make a small gallery (pre-blog) that I repainted white
Master Bedroom (95%)
To Do:
Refinish jewelry stand in a mirrored look
Done:
Brought in bed given to us by my mom (pre-blog)
Bought side tables, lamps, storage baskets, rug, bureau, chair, artwork, hampers, down comforter and duvet cover (pre-blog)
Painted walls (pre-blog)
Eric’s mom made us these amazing curtains (pre-blog)
Master Bathroom (85% or 50%)
To Do:
Create a better storage system
Paint vanity
Replace toilet seat (seriously, this needs to be on the list since I have been meaning to do this since the day I moved in)
Replace vent with a quieter one with a heater
Sometimes I also want to redo this whole space as I like it but I’m not in love with it. This would mean new shower curtain, paint color, artwork and perhaps new curtain, but I love the new curtain.
Done:
Rebathed all the tile in the room (the shower, tub, shower ceiling, and tile around the entire half of the wall) (pre-blog)
This room we are also going to let evolve as we mainly use it as a gaming room/man cave and an exercise room. It is such a blank slate, we will let our future needs dictate what we need to add.
Unfinished Basement (5%)
To Do:
Organize the heck out of this space
Create a paint place and a more built-in work bench area
So there is our ultimate house list! Whew! I find it very exciting to read through it. The done list makes me feel accomplished and to to-do list makes me excited! I will make sure you keep you updated as we check things off the list and make changes.
Ahh the memories, sweet memories. And where better to hold them than on a board? That’s what I thought at least. I have been itching to make my own memory board to put up in the Mego Cave near my desk so I can put inspiring words and pictures up there. Nothing beats having a little happy place to boost your spirits or your creativity. I knew I wanted to make a fabric covered memory board but the challenging part was finding the frame for the project. I have been scouring thrift stores all around the Burg trying to find one with a little bit of character. I finally found one recently at the last day of Estate Specialist being open. 🙁 Anyways, everything was 60% off and I walked away with this beauty for $8.
I loved her gentle curves and her wood grain. I was open to the idea of painting her, but I thought I would find the fabric next and see what the pair looked like together. Nothing says a hot date like JoAnn Fabrics on a Friday night, eh? (Although, delving into things personally here, it was prefaced by a pretty romantic night out at our favorite Indian restaurant. Me-ow). If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen this picture.
Oh fabric stores make my fingers itch to make something and get sewing…guess I really should learn how to sew a straight line better first. Thankfully, this project was a no sew dealio. After an extended period of time oogling fabrics, I walked out with a yard of this beauty.
BAM! Pink, red, and orange tones galore. Anyone who is surprised by my choice raise their hand. Mine’s raised. How about yours? Why am I surprised? Because it is not blue and green. Yes, yes, I was definitely glued to that section for quite a while but I pulled myself away. There are enough blue, green, and grey tones going on in the Mego Cave. I need a pop of color and some warm hues. I also just fell in love with this fabric immediately. A wise woman once told me (yes, you Mom) that if you just buy things that you absolutely love, they somehow all fit together. That advice has never failed me!
I had also bought some cork previously (don’t hate but Wal-Mart had the best price I saw for cork squares at about $6). I gathered my frame, cork, fabric, and some tape and was all set.
My frame had no back, so I had to make one. Thankfully my $1 foam board came to the rescue again (like it did for the china cabinet makeover). I just measured the inset on the back of the frame and cut it out of the foam board. I made sure to make it a snug fit.
Then I just laid the cork out on the foam board as a template. A few little snips and some adhesive squares later, my cork was ready for the fabric (after a quick check to make sure it all fit snugly in the frame still).
I then just wrapped the cork and foam board like a present, making sure the fabric was on straight and stretched tightly. I took the present idea literally and just taped the fabric on the back of the foam board. Then I took it one step farther – I secured the entire fabric covered cork foam board to the back of the frame with packing tape. My reasons were: I didn’t have duck tape, packing tape will be able to come off one day if I need it to, and this heavy duty frame might get marred when the tape comes off eventually but who cares? No one will see it in the back. So I really taped her well. She was all set to hang.
Shazam, how I like that pop of color. Gosh, I like her as straight artwork but it is a major plus that I can stick some inspiring pictures up there too. There’s not much up there yet. I didn’t want to force it but will wait until I have something I really want to put up there. I am sure you will see her evolution in future Mego Cave pictures.
What about you? Have you been making any memories (or boards) recently?
[…] already revealed that one of the items that I bought was a lovely frame that I used to make my memo board. Crazy that this beautiful frame was a find that I happened upon in their deep, dank […]ReplyCancel
[…] piece of fabric that would liven up the room more, perhaps bringing in some of the colors in the memory board. Then, my mom and I visited Ikea and plans changed, like they tend to do in that store with so many […]ReplyCancel
The other day I noticed that I was getting some click throughs on my blog from Just a Girl and Her Blog. One click through isn’t something I usually pay attention to, but when you see a few, it probably means something. So I was so pleasantly surprised them I clicked over to her blog and saw my name! There is this award in the blog world called The Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you so much for the nomination!
Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Include a link to their blog.
3. Tell the people you nominated (and your blog readers) 7 things about yourself.
4. Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve discovered recently or follow regularly.
5. Nominate those 15 blogs/bloggers for The Versatile Blogger Award (include a link back to your post!).
7 Things About Me
My go-to number one crazy/weird fact I tell about myself was revealed in this post. In short, I became a vegetarian because of watching Babe, the movie.
I went to Principia College in Illinois where there were only about 400 students in total. Crazy, huh? Oh, and I loved every moment.
3. I have traveled all over the world: China (10 weeks), Australia (8 weeks), New Zealand (1 week), France (1 week), Spain (4 weeks), England and Scotland (1 week), and many islands in the Caribbean thanks to two cruises.
4. My family lives all over the country. My mom is in New Jersey, my Dad is in Atlanta, and my sister is in California (check out my visit here and here).
Dad at the Atlanta Aquarium
5. I met my husband at my high school job (a dry cleaners) and he actually proposed there! This story needs it own post… 🙂
6. Indian is my favorite type of food.
7. My career dream is to become a full-time blogger and whatever side projects/jobs that brings with it!
My Fifteen Nominations / My Fav Reads
Young House Love – You know how much I love this blog. You can read about meeting them here.
I Heart Organizing – This blog feeds my organizational needs in life. She has such great ideas!!
The Ugly Duckling – This blog cracks me up while inspiring me. What an awesome combination!
Sugar and Cloth – Just a sweet blog with a nice variety of posts.
Hope you enjoy the fun facts (with some random pictures) and my favorite fifteen blogs right now. Thank you again to Abby from Just a Girl and Her Blog for the nomination!
Thanks Abby! This has been a fun contest! Thanks again for nominating me! I am thinking I may do the proposal story for our anniversary coming up in April. 🙂ReplyCancel
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love that paris pillow! Where’d you get it?
Thanks Ellen! I actually got it at TJ Maxx!