Ssssh...my little shopping secret

Hi!  Today I decided to share one of my most favorite stalking shopping  places I like to visit EVERY DAY!!

Yes...I may have a shopping addiction....well more like a perusing thrift items addiction.

One of the best things about this place is that even you can visit EVERY DAY too!!  Plus we don't even have to get out of our pj's or yoga pants to go.

I found this place 6 years ago.   I can't even remember how I found it but when I did I became addicted!

This place is the Shop Goodwill online auction website....have you been there?  Or heard of it?

I haven't heard anyone in blog land mention it so I thought I'd share. 

Here are some of the goodies I've bid on....

 She is GORGEOUS!

And I accidentally lost her because I was serving dinner at the time this auction came to a close.  I logged on 30 seconds too late and lost her!!!  She sold for $23 (not including shipping) but I would of paid so much more.

I have regretted losing her tremendously but learned a good lesson.  I'll tell you the lesson I learned after I show you more goodies.

I also bid on this cutie Spanish lady planter....

She sold for $31 (not including shipping).

I wanted the below mirror to hang on a display wall with my father-in-law's WWII and husband's Marine pictures and medals

 It sold for $84.03 (not including shipping).

I am going to tell you how to better your odds of winning your find.  So you don't regret losing a must have find.

Now here is what I learned from losing that first GORGEOUS Bust.

 

My tips to shopping this site:

 1. Search your local Goodwill seller. - You can pick-up at certain stores!  This allows you to save money or put more money towards winning your bid.  (Skip step #2 if you are doing a local Pick-Up.)

2.  Calculate Shipping. - Shipping can be ridiculously pricey.  Before placing your bid calculate your shipping costs in order to determine tip #3. Take your shipping costs into consideration when you are determining what you are willing to pay for your item.

3.  Enter the absolute max amount you are willing to pay for your item (not including shipping). - Why?

    Because it will bid for you by placing bids on your behalf at the lowest possible increments.  Allowing you to win the auction at the lowest possible price.  Your highest bid is only placed when another bidder also bids up to that amount.  Make sense?

Those 3 tips there are the most important.

 Additional Helpful Hints:

 1.  Check on your auction.  I set a reminder or alarm on my phone to log on to the site 15 minutes before my auction is scheduled to end.  (This isn't such a big deal if you've entered the absolute highest bid you are willing to pay.)

2.  Take notice of the time difference from where you live and the Goodwill city where your item is being sold from. Set your alarm accordingly.  
  
3.  If you're looking for something in particular, set up an email notification.  They call it the Personal Shopper and they only send you one email per day for each item you set it up for.  

4.  If you have any questions on an item, send them an email before you bid!  They will always respond.

I hope you take a gander over there and check out what they have up for bidding in your area.  Hope my tips help and send me an email if you find something!   

I hope you have a marvelous weekend!! 

Linking to:

 

Lamp Makeover

Hello there!  How are you?  Remember when I said I was going to have to go on a diet after my mom returned home.  Well I'm on it and I started to work out, just a little....but I am SOOOO sore.  It hurts to move.

I just barely moved enough to try to figure out how to change up this lamp.  I didn't care much for it.

You see our living room has really high ceilings and very little natural light, a lot of lamps are needed since there are only 2 small pocket lights over the mantel.  There are a total of 6 lamps in this room because it is so large and dark.

Here is a picture the realtor took before we moved in.  I dislike the wall color but have to make it work.  We rent and we're not sure how long we'll be here so we are living with the color.  Plus my husband doesn't want to paint that large wall (and neither do I).  

Those are not my drapes, they came with the house.  Hated them with a passion and they were screwed into the wall with "L" brackets, I took out my drill and removed those things. (Not going to lie, I was a little afraid to take them down, thought the "Renter Police" might catch me for changing something on a rental.  Scaaary.)

Here is the other side of the room...there is a small chandelier over the door.

It's bigger than it looks and darker but we really like this house.  I'm kind of enjoying renting because from each house we learn something new about what we like and dislike in a home so that when it comes time to buy we have a better idea what our "must haves" are.

I "must have" more windows.

Where was I before I went on my rant?  Oh yes....the lamp.

I found this Stiffel lamp shade at an annual October Barn Sale for $1.  I've been going for 2 years and I have found the best stuff there, I usually leave with the back of my Suburban full.

I placed it on top of the lamp...

Better but....

I lived with it for a day but realized that it wasn't very bright and all the light was shining up on the ceiling

So I looked for a solution.

I realized the screw that held the glass down had two "nubs" on each side (yes..."nubs" is my technical word).

I removed the glass "shade".

I had an extra lamp shade harp (I had to Google the technical word for lamp shade "holder"...lol)

 
I put the harp ends into the small "nubs".

You end up with this.  (I don't really like these bulbs but I love that they can save me $ so I have half my lamps with energy efficient bulbs in them and the other half with regular light bulbs.)

Then you put your lamp shade back on.  Much brighter and perfect for that dark corner.   

 

(I found those drapes at GW, 4 panels for $7.99.  SCORE!  Those red ones that came with the house had to GO!  And the "Renter Police" haven't come to get me.....yet.)

One last look...

BEFORE

AFTER

Much better! Work with what you have to make something you're not liking into something a little better.

Linking to:

Thrifty Goodies

Hello!  How ya doin'?  I've been out "thrifting" and loving it!  (My husband...not so much.  hee hee...)

I bought this dresser at Goodwill for $18.00!  Woohoo!  I do plan on repainting it, although I'm liking the color in the room.  I was worried my husband wouldn't like it so I hid stored it in the garage for a couple of days then brought it out.  It turned out he actually did like it.  Whew!  I was relieved. 

I found the lamp below at my favorite St. Vincent De Paul store.  Before we moved cross state into our current home I would stop into this store EVERY Friday on my way home from work.  They had great finds at great prices. 

I was in the area and stopped in, it was $6.00 with no shade.  The shade is from a different GW lamp I bought a couple of months ago.  It needs to be recovered.  It's on my "Projects to Do List".  This list seems to get longer and longer. 
 

I found this milk glass "jar" thing, at least I think it's milk glass, at a different St. Vincent's.  Lucky for me it had two different price tags, one for $20.00 and another for $4.25.  I showed the cashier and she gave it to me for $4.25!!  I was HAPPY because it wasn't going to be coming home with me at $20.00.

Lastly, I found these chairs 2 for $10.  Oh yeah!  I happily took these home.   

Ha!  I just noticed that the chair legs match the dresser.  Nice!  Love it when things work out like that.  

Hope you've been finding some Marvelous finds!  Thanks for stopping by!

Goodwill Finds and Puppy Love

Hi!  How are you?  I'm doing great!  How can I not be great when I've been shopping and scoring great finds at thrift stores.  Right?

I went to several thrift shops in most I didn't find anything for me and walked out empty handed but I did pick up some great finds at my local Goodwill!  Below are some of what came home with me.

I found this little snowman guy for $2.99, he's pretty big and heavy but so cute!  I couldn't resist.

Why are the Christmas items not on sale at GW?

I would love it if they were because there was a large ceramic St. Nick that was begging to jump in my cart.  He was $5.99 and I just didn't really know where I'd display him next year. 

Although, now that I'm typing this he would of been great displayed in my next find!!  *Ugh!  Banging head on keyboard!* 

This curio cabinet, hutch, display case...whatever you'd like to call it was $28.50.  I had to take a quick snapshot cause some lady was rushing towards it just as I was about to take the picture. 

The "Buy Me" ticket was already safe in my hand!  You snooze, you lose Lady!  *Happy Dance!*  (Yes! I did do a little celebration dance......in my head.)  I'll be repainting it once the weather warms up, that will be a while.

I had placed these plates in my cart, the oval one was $3.99 I wanted to hang it in my kitchen.  The round one was a pedestal and was $2.99, I didn't really need that one but I hated breaking up the set. (I'm weird that way.)

I didn't buy these because this little guy.....

Fell in love with this little guy...........

He even named it right on the spot...and it was his birthday.  How could I say no? 

So I put my dishes back and "Puppy" (yes, that's his new name) came home with us instead.  I was not happy about the $6.99 price tag but my sons smiling face made it all worth it.  (I'm itching to paint him white or some funky fun color but I'll have to see how attached my little guy is to his "Puppy" before I dare to make him over.)

Thanks for stopping by and have a Marvelous weekend!

Jumping in on the Spray Paint Craze...late...I know

Hi there!  I know I'm really late on jumping in on the spray paint craze but I'm usually always running late anyways.  So that's nothing new....it's what usually happens when you have kids.  (At least to me it did.)

I went to our local Goodwill and found this beauty for a nice $2.99 and it WORKS!  I couldn't pass it up.

Sorry not a good before picture, I hadn't thought about taking a picture until I had covered the clear plastic. Plus I didn't know I was going to go ahead and start a blog, I was only planning on showing my sisters. 

Here she is before her makeover.

Sad, old and unwanted.  : (

      

I cleaned it and skipped to the garage to spray paint it Rust-Oleum Heirloom White in Satin.  

I had to give it a few coats, letting it dry in between.   

I love the end result!!  Spray paint can cure ugly any day!  Well...most any day and only certain types of ugly.  Unfortunately.

After her makeover!

Such a CUTIE!!!

Not bad for a first timer!!  It was hanging on the wall but the cord running down to the outlet drove me nuts.  She is now sitting on a shelf in the corner of our kitchen dining area. 

Has spray paint changed your life?  Or changed the way you shop while thrifty shopping?  I've noticed that I now give things a second look and if I like the shape or style then I try to imagine it in a different color.  Hooray for spray paint!



Linking up to:

Savvy Southern Style - WOW us Wednesday