Thrifting and Antiquing

I've been reading Kathleen's blog Simple Silly Life, and I always enjoy her stories about finding all sorts of great thrifted items.  Recently she found some beautiful milk glass pieces and she wrote about it here.  It was a reminder to be on a the lookout for a great bargain or hidden treasure.  Last week I finally made time to do a little thrifting and antiquing.  We went to a local town to eat and search for some good deals.

I've been on the lookout for a crock for my kitchen. My grandma always kept her kitchen utensils in hers and I wanted one for the same thing.  Angela has one in her kitchen that I admired last year when we visited her.  I noticed Pottery Barn is selling them, but they are pricey and lack the charm of older ones.

We stopped by a thrift store (that I'd love to go back to) but I didn't have any luck finding a crock.  Well, I saw a couple, but they were painted with scenes of chickens and cows.  I wanted a plain crock without any added decorations.

Our final stop was an antique mall where individuals rent booth space.  I didn't have high hopes because I know people who have items there have to charge more than a thrift store or garage sale in order to pay for their booth and make a profit.  When I walked in I saw a booth with a lot of crocks.  Yay!  Then I saw the price.  Wow!  $75-$150 was way over my budget.  I was hoping to pay less than $20.  Now, in their defense, the crocks were in excellent condition and they were quite large so I can see why they were so expensive. 

We continued to wander through the antique mall (the boys were strapped in strollers for their safety and the safety of the breakable items!  I often feel like an amusement park attendant "Please keep your hands inside the stroller.").    Finally in the very back, in a very cluttered booth, I found it!  It was hidden among other pots and pans, tools and kitchen utensils.  It was priced $14.50.  It was the perfect size and perfect price. 

I brought it out to show it to Mark.  Mark's friend was hanging out with us and he helped me get it off the shelf without breaking it or anything else that was beside it.  We  played the guessing game with Mark.  Mark guessed $25 and we shook our heads and then he guessed $35.  We said no and he wasn't very happy because he thought it was going to be a lot (remember how much they were at the first booth).  When we told him much lower, he was really happy.

We made our way to the front and I found a pretty milk glass bowl for $5.  It was marked $9 and reduced.  Who knows if that's a real reduction, but it caught my attention and I ended up buying it.

The crock has found its purpose in my kitchen holding all of my utensils.

I'm still trying to figure out how to prop this bowl up so you can see it when I place it on top of my kitchen cabinets with my other milk glass pieces.  Any suggestions? 

I wish I had more time for thrifting, but these little trips satisfy me for a while and I know I'll have more time for thrifting next summer.