modern thrifter
I love beautiful things and thoughtful design. I also live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, and our family lives off a single income so that I can be at home with our kids. Patience and persistence have been the key to finding stylish things on a tight budget.
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5 posts tagged books
![[ CHANGE OF PACE ]
I’m still here, I promise—still thrifting, too. I haven’t picked up any big “wow” pieces as of late, but I am quite pleased with some of my smaller finds—a shiny white Karlsson alarm clock, a book by the very funny David Sedaris that I’ve been wanting to read, and the perfect pair of italian leather sandals for summer, to name a few.
Projects around the house have come to a stall, mostly because we’ve been spending our spare time working on design projects, but also because we’ve decided to get really serious with our budgeting in order to build up a larger emergency fund/savings. It’s amazing how quickly we can settle into “comfortable” and start letting extra income flit away one dollar at a time.
It’s hard for me to not be constantly working on fixing up the house, but I’m taking this as an opportunity to find the neglected, tedious, and free things that need to be done. Yesterday we spent most of the day outside tidying up our yard [ivy jungle]. You may not know this about me, but gardening is just about my least favorite activity—cleaning moldy food containers wins the prize for most dreaded household chore, in case you were wondering.
Yard work really isn’t that bad once I get started, and it’s not the manual labor that I don’t like. It’s the creepy crawlies that I could do without. It would seem like being a mom of a little boy would have desensitized me to that by now, but, no. The only thing that eases the anxiety about plunging my hand into an overgrown patch of patch of mystery weeds is my pair of elbow-length leather gloves (I’d get shoulder length if they made them).
The other free chore that yields instant gratification is organizing, which is how I plan to spend the better part of this coming week. If I wasn’t so embarrassed about the current state of some of my closets, I would post before and after pictures to keep myself motivated. Maybe I’ll muster the courage to put them on twitter.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4pvs5EoDA1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ CHANGE OF PACE ]
I’m still here, I promise—still thrifting, too. I haven’t picked up any big “wow” pieces as of late, but I am quite pleased with some of my smaller finds—a shiny white Karlsson alarm clock, a book by the very funny David Sedaris that I’ve been wanting to read, and the perfect pair of italian leather sandals for summer, to name a few.
Projects around the house have come to a stall, mostly because we’ve been spending our spare time working on design projects, but also because we’ve decided to get really serious with our budgeting in order to build up a larger emergency fund/savings. It’s amazing how quickly we can settle into “comfortable” and start letting extra income flit away one dollar at a time.
It’s hard for me to not be constantly working on fixing up the house, but I’m taking this as an opportunity to find the neglected, tedious, and free things that need to be done. Yesterday we spent most of the day outside tidying up our yard [ivy jungle]. You may not know this about me, but gardening is just about my least favorite activity—cleaning moldy food containers wins the prize for most dreaded household chore, in case you were wondering.
Yard work really isn’t that bad once I get started, and it’s not the manual labor that I don’t like. It’s the creepy crawlies that I could do without. It would seem like being a mom of a little boy would have desensitized me to that by now, but, no. The only thing that eases the anxiety about plunging my hand into an overgrown patch of patch of mystery weeds is my pair of elbow-length leather gloves (I’d get shoulder length if they made them).
The other free chore that yields instant gratification is organizing, which is how I plan to spend the better part of this coming week. If I wasn’t so embarrassed about the current state of some of my closets, I would post before and after pictures to keep myself motivated. Maybe I’ll muster the courage to put them on twitter.
![[ SMALL FINDS ]
I’ve been feeling quite satisfied by our recent furniture acquisitions, so I’ve been spending more of my time at the thrift store pouring over some of the sections to which I don’t typically give as much attention. Though I usually do a general scan of all the shelves when at a thrift store, searching through the rows of books, stacks of dishes, and wedged together art can eat up more time than I have. This change-up in my routine has yielded some great new—though small—finds.
I love finding vintage children’s books, especially ones with great illustrations. I found all of these on one shelf during my last trip to Deseret Industries:
The kids are really drawn to these stories and have been asking me to read them over and over and over. I really don’t mind, especially since most of them are ones that I remember fondly from my childhood. I had forgotten how great the Frances books are! We check out a ton of books from the library, so I’m surprised that it hadn’t occurred to me to look for them there. You can see some of my other favorite children’s books that I’ve collected here and here.
In the housewares department, I found a new sugar bowl—I’ve been looking for one for quite a while. My previous one was top-heavy and the shape didn’t really go with the little creamer that I bought at Goodwill last year. Though I would have loved it if this Mikasa pattern would have been made in white, the black and white combination seems to be a new accidental theme in my kitchen.
Lastly (though there were several nice, but un-blog-worthy finds), look at these Hanna Andersson swedish moccasins. They retail for $18–$22 but I picked these up at Deseret for 50¢ in almost new condition. They are too big for Tula right now (and sadly, too small for me), so I’ll tuck them away for a few years until she can fit into them. It’s always nice to have a little stash of clothes and shoes for those times when I realize that the kids have had a growth-spurt.
Aren’t they a little “Wicked Witch of the East” looking? I adore them! It seems that this pattern is no longer available, and the ones that are on their site now are a little boring. I’m so glad to have run across them.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfvfojmUOs1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ SMALL FINDS ]
I’ve been feeling quite satisfied by our recent furniture acquisitions, so I’ve been spending more of my time at the thrift store pouring over some of the sections to which I don’t typically give as much attention. Though I usually do a general scan of all the shelves when at a thrift store, searching through the rows of books, stacks of dishes, and wedged together art can eat up more time than I have. This change-up in my routine has yielded some great new—though small—finds.
I love finding vintage children’s books, especially ones with great illustrations. I found all of these on one shelf during my last trip to Deseret Industries:
The kids are really drawn to these stories and have been asking me to read them over and over and over. I really don’t mind, especially since most of them are ones that I remember fondly from my childhood. I had forgotten how great the Frances books are! We check out a ton of books from the library, so I’m surprised that it hadn’t occurred to me to look for them there. You can see some of my other favorite children’s books that I’ve collected here and here.
In the housewares department, I found a new sugar bowl—I’ve been looking for one for quite a while. My previous one was top-heavy and the shape didn’t really go with the little creamer that I bought at Goodwill last year. Though I would have loved it if this Mikasa pattern would have been made in white, the black and white combination seems to be a new accidental theme in my kitchen.
Lastly (though there were several nice, but un-blog-worthy finds), look at these Hanna Andersson swedish moccasins. They retail for $18–$22 but I picked these up at Deseret for 50¢ in almost new condition. They are too big for Tula right now (and sadly, too small for me), so I’ll tuck them away for a few years until she can fit into them. It’s always nice to have a little stash of clothes and shoes for those times when I realize that the kids have had a growth-spurt.
Aren’t they a little “Wicked Witch of the East” looking? I adore them! It seems that this pattern is no longer available, and the ones that are on their site now are a little boring. I’m so glad to have run across them.
![[ DICK BRUNA BOOKS ]
We are big fans of Dick Bruna’s work, so it’s always fun to find one of his picture books at the thrift store. We already have a few books from his most famous series, “Miffy,” but this was one I hadn’t seen before. The Little Bird was was first published in 1959, and is filled with Bruna’s beautifully simple illustrations and limited color palette.
So far, we have only collected his children’s books, but I would love to have any one of his other 2,000 book titles which he designed.
Want to learn more about Dick Bruna? Read this fantastic interview with the then 80-year-old Dutchman, then go check out a few of his picture books from the library.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbdex7ctVn1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ DICK BRUNA BOOKS ]
We are big fans of Dick Bruna’s work, so it’s always fun to find one of his picture books at the thrift store. We already have a few books from his most famous series, “Miffy,” but this was one I hadn’t seen before. The Little Bird was was first published in 1959, and is filled with Bruna’s beautifully simple illustrations and limited color palette.
So far, we have only collected his children’s books, but I would love to have any one of his other 2,000 book titles which he designed.
Want to learn more about Dick Bruna? Read this fantastic interview with the then 80-year-old Dutchman, then go check out a few of his picture books from the library.
![[ DECORATING ADVICE FROM 1960 ]
I’ve been sifting through the vintage decorating books that we picked up a few weeks ago, and there are so many great pages, I’m a little overwhelmed in choosing what to share! These images are from the Better Homes & Gardens Decorating Book (1961). By making a few modifications, like updating the flower arrangements or changing out the throw pillows, any one of these could look like a picture taken today.
If you’re curious, here is what the book says (in the top photo) about using color:
Neutrals for large areas - You’ll probably be more comfortable and “at home” with your color scheme if you select soft neutrals or grayed tones for the largest color areas in your room—the walls and the floor. The more subtle shades give a restful feeling. It’s a good idea to hang a swatch of the color you’ve chosen on the wall, live with it a week to see if you like it.
Medium tones on furniture - Next to the six sides of the room—floor, walls, ceiling—your biggest color areas in the living room are the upholstered pieces, such as chairs and sofas. In the kitchen, it’s counter tops, in the bedroom, it’s the spread. You can make your room more inviting by using a medium tone in such places. Repeat shade in room for balance.
Use strong color sparingly - Reserve the really bold and bright tones for accessories and accent notes that will pep the room up, give you a spark of interest without too much excitement for day-to-day comfort. Pillows, ashtrays, bright mats for your pictures… the sharp colors of highly glazed cera,ic accessories—these are the places for the strong, bright tones.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l83s9mTqiE1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ DECORATING ADVICE FROM 1960 ]
I’ve been sifting through the vintage decorating books that we picked up a few weeks ago, and there are so many great pages, I’m a little overwhelmed in choosing what to share! These images are from the Better Homes & Gardens Decorating Book (1961). By making a few modifications, like updating the flower arrangements or changing out the throw pillows, any one of these could look like a picture taken today.
If you’re curious, here is what the book says (in the top photo) about using color:
- Neutrals for large areas - You’ll probably be more comfortable and “at home” with your color scheme if you select soft neutrals or grayed tones for the largest color areas in your room—the walls and the floor. The more subtle shades give a restful feeling. It’s a good idea to hang a swatch of the color you’ve chosen on the wall, live with it a week to see if you like it.
- Medium tones on furniture - Next to the six sides of the room—floor, walls, ceiling—your biggest color areas in the living room are the upholstered pieces, such as chairs and sofas. In the kitchen, it’s counter tops, in the bedroom, it’s the spread. You can make your room more inviting by using a medium tone in such places. Repeat shade in room for balance.
- Use strong color sparingly - Reserve the really bold and bright tones for accessories and accent notes that will pep the room up, give you a spark of interest without too much excitement for day-to-day comfort. Pillows, ashtrays, bright mats for your pictures… the sharp colors of highly glazed cera,ic accessories—these are the places for the strong, bright tones.
![[ ABC3D - TEACHER GIFTS ]
Tomorrow is Alden’s last day of preschool, and he’s loved his school and his teachers so much that we wanted to get them something special. You might have already seen Marion Bataille’spop-up book, ABC3D, because it’s been out for a few years. It’s been one of our favorite books since Alden was given one for his fourth birthday by his cousins. We thought it would be a great thank-you gift for his two teachers and we hope that the kids that come to preschool next year can enjoy it, too. Watch this quick video of how amazing all of the pop-up letters are:](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l48tfthtmn1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ ABC3D - TEACHER GIFTS ]
Tomorrow is Alden’s last day of preschool, and he’s loved his school and his teachers so much that we wanted to get them something special. You might have already seen Marion Bataille’spop-up book, ABC3D, because it’s been out for a few years. It’s been one of our favorite books since Alden was given one for his fourth birthday by his cousins. We thought it would be a great thank-you gift for his two teachers and we hope that the kids that come to preschool next year can enjoy it, too. Watch this quick video of how amazing all of the pop-up letters are:
