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.
Search
Additional pages
Twitter feed
Loading Tweet...
Find me on...
Tag Results
8 posts tagged montana
![[ VACATION FIND ]
I forgot to share this teak tray that I picked up when we were in Montana. It’s labeled Anri Form Italy on the bottom, which might sound familiar. My dad’s chess set is also made by Anri, though I didn’t realize they were both from the same maker until after we returned home.
Anri seems to be primarily a wooden figurine company now, but I have seen several beautiful mid century bowls, trays, and ceramic/wood pieces that I’d love to stumble upon. This collection is my favorite:
The tray is the perfect size for a loaf of bread, and looks even better with a 49¢ thrifted tea towel. It’s always fun to add a little pattern and color to the dinner table.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrj64bCY9z1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ VACATION FIND ]
I forgot to share this teak tray that I picked up when we were in Montana. It’s labeled Anri Form Italy on the bottom, which might sound familiar. My dad’s chess set is also made by Anri, though I didn’t realize they were both from the same maker until after we returned home.
Anri seems to be primarily a wooden figurine company now, but I have seen several beautiful mid century bowls, trays, and ceramic/wood pieces that I’d love to stumble upon. This collection is my favorite:
The tray is the perfect size for a loaf of bread, and looks even better with a 49¢ thrifted tea towel. It’s always fun to add a little pattern and color to the dinner table.
![[ SUMMER IN MONTANA ]
We’ve just returned this weekend from a two week vacation in Montana. I always have naive intentions to blog while we’re away, thinking that I’ll have all sorts of free time. But in truth, we stay pretty busy and when we do relax, being online doesn’t seem all that enticing. Instead of sitting in front of a computer, we visited Lost Lake (pictured above), canoed the Missouri, soaked at Norris Hot Springs, hiked to Palisade falls, and Tula even made the local newspaper in Bozeman on her birthday.
Now that we’re back, I have a long list of posts to write, but I’m trying to stay disciplined and take care of things like unpacking and laundry first. I promise there is good stuff coming, though… white floor photos, a Candyland birthday, and thrifty finds from Montana.
Thanks for being patient while we soaked up a little summer!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lplk1ioosJ1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ SUMMER IN MONTANA ]
We’ve just returned this weekend from a two week vacation in Montana. I always have naive intentions to blog while we’re away, thinking that I’ll have all sorts of free time. But in truth, we stay pretty busy and when we do relax, being online doesn’t seem all that enticing. Instead of sitting in front of a computer, we visited Lost Lake (pictured above), canoed the Missouri, soaked at Norris Hot Springs, hiked to Palisade falls, and Tula even made the local newspaper in Bozeman on her birthday.
Now that we’re back, I have a long list of posts to write, but I’m trying to stay disciplined and take care of things like unpacking and laundry first. I promise there is good stuff coming, though… white floor photos, a Candyland birthday, and thrifty finds from Montana.
Thanks for being patient while we soaked up a little summer!
![[ VACATION FINDS ]
It’s been a tradition for the last few years that when we take a trip somewhere, we try to squeeze in at least one stop at a local thrift store. On our latest trip to Montana, we discovered that the little thrift store in my hometown has a new owner. Since taking the reigns, he has managed to clean and organize the shop, and it is actually now possible to walk through the aisles. This might not sound like much of a feat, but take a look at the photos from the last time we were there. The other good news is that he is motivated to get rid of merchandise and completely willing to give a deal.
Here is a short list of the things we found:
Leather duffel bag set, $10. These are super soft and great quality.
Vintage Lamp, $1. I bought this to sell, in hopes of making a little extra money to put toward our chair fund.
Vintage Newspapers, $1 each. We picked up four of these, but gifted two of them to friends.
After our trip to Montana, we drove to Portland to spend a few days unwinding before returning to our normal responsibilities at home. We had a wonderful stay at a guest cottage, owned by the lovely mother of Katy (The Non-Consumer Advocate).
There just so happened to be a garage sale across the street from the cottage one morning, and here’s what we found there:
Vintage Suitcases, 10¢ each. I use these to store sewing and craft supplies.
Box of tights for Tula, $3. There were about 12 Hanna Andersson tights in various patterns.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lm0v5trysm1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ VACATION FINDS ]
It’s been a tradition for the last few years that when we take a trip somewhere, we try to squeeze in at least one stop at a local thrift store. On our latest trip to Montana, we discovered that the little thrift store in my hometown has a new owner. Since taking the reigns, he has managed to clean and organize the shop, and it is actually now possible to walk through the aisles. This might not sound like much of a feat, but take a look at the photos from the last time we were there. The other good news is that he is motivated to get rid of merchandise and completely willing to give a deal.
Here is a short list of the things we found:
- Leather duffel bag set, $10. These are super soft and great quality.
- Vintage Lamp, $1. I bought this to sell, in hopes of making a little extra money to put toward our chair fund.
- Vintage Newspapers, $1 each. We picked up four of these, but gifted two of them to friends.
After our trip to Montana, we drove to Portland to spend a few days unwinding before returning to our normal responsibilities at home. We had a wonderful stay at a guest cottage, owned by the lovely mother of Katy (The Non-Consumer Advocate).
There just so happened to be a garage sale across the street from the cottage one morning, and here’s what we found there:
- Vintage Suitcases, 10¢ each. I use these to store sewing and craft supplies.
- Box of tights for Tula, $3. There were about 12 Hanna Andersson tights in various patterns.
![[ MODERN INSPIRATION ]
I just returned yesterday from a quick trip to my hometown in Montana. My father is ailing and in the hospital, so the kids and I flew back to be with him for a few days. As many times as I’ve driven past this rural hospital, I’ve never paid much attention to some of its more charming details—my favorite is the sign near the front entrance. I can’t remember what it used to say above “Hospital” but I love that it is so simple now.
Again, the signage at the Emergency entrance is fantastic, though I’m not sure what is going on with the “G.”
Here is one of the old exam tables in the clinic portion of the medical center:
It was a little refreshing during this heavy-hearted trip to find small snippets of visual inspiration. I wish I could have been with my family for a longer stretch of time, but I am so thankful that there are so many caring people surrounding my dad—taking care of him, visiting him, and praying for him.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgn7xkzWxX1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ MODERN INSPIRATION ]
I just returned yesterday from a quick trip to my hometown in Montana. My father is ailing and in the hospital, so the kids and I flew back to be with him for a few days. As many times as I’ve driven past this rural hospital, I’ve never paid much attention to some of its more charming details—my favorite is the sign near the front entrance. I can’t remember what it used to say above “Hospital” but I love that it is so simple now.
Again, the signage at the Emergency entrance is fantastic, though I’m not sure what is going on with the “G.”
Here is one of the old exam tables in the clinic portion of the medical center:
It was a little refreshing during this heavy-hearted trip to find small snippets of visual inspiration. I wish I could have been with my family for a longer stretch of time, but I am so thankful that there are so many caring people surrounding my dad—taking care of him, visiting him, and praying for him.
![[ CHILDHOOD TREASURES ]
When I was a little girl growing up in rural Montana, my family would frequently drive an hour and a half north of our town to an even more rural part of Montana, near the canadian border, to visit my Grandmother. She lived in a farmhouse on the edge of a town with a whopping population of 68 people. It was the same house where she raised my dad and his two siblings, and it was filled with old treasures—my dad’s old die-cast tractors, a wind-up cowboy rider, an old board game that was some sort of fox and hound chase, and many more fantastic toys.
Of all the toys at the house, nothing stands out in my mind as much as the wooden castle blocks do. My sister and I would play with them for hours, lost in our imagination. My grandmother has long since passed away, and I figured that the blocks were gone as well, so imagine my surprise when my Aunt pulled them out of a closet last week at her home in California. She said she had originally purchased them in Germany (though judging by the writing on the box, they are maybe French) when she was teaching elementary school in Europe during the late 1950s. She brought them back with her and kept them at my Grandmother’s house.
My Aunt is one of the most generous people I know—always serving, always giving, always loving other people. She insisted that the blocks be taken home by either my sister or myself. Since my sister’s suitcase was nearly bursting its zipper, and because she, too, is incredibly generous, I was the lucky recipient of these treasured blocks. What a joy it was to see the looks on Alden and Tula’s faces when I pulled these from my bag and opened the box.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lceitr0Bfr1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ CHILDHOOD TREASURES ]
When I was a little girl growing up in rural Montana, my family would frequently drive an hour and a half north of our town to an even more rural part of Montana, near the canadian border, to visit my Grandmother. She lived in a farmhouse on the edge of a town with a whopping population of 68 people. It was the same house where she raised my dad and his two siblings, and it was filled with old treasures—my dad’s old die-cast tractors, a wind-up cowboy rider, an old board game that was some sort of fox and hound chase, and many more fantastic toys.
Of all the toys at the house, nothing stands out in my mind as much as the wooden castle blocks do. My sister and I would play with them for hours, lost in our imagination. My grandmother has long since passed away, and I figured that the blocks were gone as well, so imagine my surprise when my Aunt pulled them out of a closet last week at her home in California. She said she had originally purchased them in Germany (though judging by the writing on the box, they are maybe French) when she was teaching elementary school in Europe during the late 1950s. She brought them back with her and kept them at my Grandmother’s house.
My Aunt is one of the most generous people I know—always serving, always giving, always loving other people. She insisted that the blocks be taken home by either my sister or myself. Since my sister’s suitcase was nearly bursting its zipper, and because she, too, is incredibly generous, I was the lucky recipient of these treasured blocks. What a joy it was to see the looks on Alden and Tula’s faces when I pulled these from my bag and opened the box.
![[ UNTIL NEXT YEAR ]
We say goodbye to my beloved home state today. The car is packed with suitcases, thrift store goodies, and a few boxes of memories that I unearthed at my parents house. We even packed three dozen eggs that we bought from a little farm near the Highwood Mountains. As we say farewell to the treasure state until next year, I’ll leave you with a few photos of our visit to the farm.Alden quickly befriended the two boys, Caleb and Jacob, who’s family own the farm. They showed him their swamp, their fort, and their horses. My little city girl was a bit afraid of the horses at first, but she quickly warmed up to them.Patrick and I both share the dream of someday having a little bit of land in an area like this and erecting a little pre-fab like this one:](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l59v5mRTNe1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ UNTIL NEXT YEAR ]
We say goodbye to my beloved home state today. The car is packed with suitcases, thrift store goodies, and a few boxes of memories that I unearthed at my parents house. We even packed three dozen eggs that we bought from a little farm near the Highwood Mountains. As we say farewell to the treasure state until next year, I’ll leave you with a few photos of our visit to the farm.
Alden quickly befriended the two boys, Caleb and Jacob, who’s family own the farm. They showed him their swamp, their fort, and their horses. My little city girl was a bit afraid of the horses at first, but she quickly warmed up to them.
Patrick and I both share the dream of someday having a little bit of land in an area like this and erecting a little pre-fab like this one:
![[ THRIFTING IN MONTANA ]
We went to two little shops yesterday morning, and we’ll hit the local thrift store today since they were closed yesterday. The first store we went to was River Breaks Gear & Books. It’s mostly a used book store, but there are a few antiques & knick-knacks crammed between the piles of books, as well as used outdoor gear scattered throughout the store.The little ceramic owl was hanging—unpriced—from one of the bookshelves. It was covered in dirt and had melted wax caked inside, but I don’t mind having to clean off a few layers of neglect. The owner of the shop sold it to me for $4. Here’s what he looks like with a candle lit inside:Next we checked out a saddle and antique store. The owner repairs and sell saddles, and even has one of my parent’s old saddles for sale right now in his shop. I hadn’t seen it for years, but as soon as my mom pointed it out to me, I recognized the leather lacing on the back—that’s where I used to ride when our family would take our horses out for the day. My sister always rode with my dad and I always rode on the back with my mom. I wish I had appreciated those rides when I was little. Instead, I remember being bored, hot, and repulsed by the foamy horse sweat seeping out from under the saddle.There were some great wool blankets for sale at the saddle shop, most of them priced between $35 and $85. They reminded me of the blankets at the Ace Hotels. I’m still tempted to go back and buy one, but I don’t know if I want to deal with the dry cleaning.This yellow striped one is actually a saddle blanket and was smaller than the other blankets, but I loved the colors! Here’s the blanket at the Ace:My mom also picked up this glass hen dish as a birthday gift for me. I’m not sure what I’ll put in it yet, the black and green iridescent glaze is peeling slightly on the inside, so I’ll have to be careful with it.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l57ksbIdtI1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ THRIFTING IN MONTANA ]
We went to two little shops yesterday morning, and we’ll hit the local thrift store today since they were closed yesterday. The first store we went to was River Breaks Gear & Books. It’s mostly a used book store, but there are a few antiques & knick-knacks crammed between the piles of books, as well as used outdoor gear scattered throughout the store.
The little ceramic owl was hanging—unpriced—from one of the bookshelves. It was covered in dirt and had melted wax caked inside, but I don’t mind having to clean off a few layers of neglect. The owner of the shop sold it to me for $4. Here’s what he looks like with a candle lit inside:
Next we checked out a saddle and antique store. The owner repairs and sell saddles, and even has one of my parent’s old saddles for sale right now in his shop. I hadn’t seen it for years, but as soon as my mom pointed it out to me, I recognized the leather lacing on the back—that’s where I used to ride when our family would take our horses out for the day. My sister always rode with my dad and I always rode on the back with my mom. I wish I had appreciated those rides when I was little. Instead, I remember being bored, hot, and repulsed by the foamy horse sweat seeping out from under the saddle.
There were some great wool blankets for sale at the saddle shop, most of them priced between $35 and $85. They reminded me of the blankets at the Ace Hotels. I’m still tempted to go back and buy one, but I don’t know if I want to deal with the dry cleaning.
This yellow striped one is actually a saddle blanket and was smaller than the other blankets, but I loved the colors! Here’s the blanket at the Ace:
My mom also picked up this glass hen dish as a birthday gift for me. I’m not sure what I’ll put in it yet, the black and green iridescent glaze is peeling slightly on the inside, so I’ll have to be careful with it.
![[ SUMMER IN MONTANA ]
Happy 4th everybody! We packed the car and headed for Montana on Friday, so I’ve been neglecting my blog for a few days. We’re spending the weekend in Bozeman and tomorrow morning we will head up to Fort Benton, a small town situated on the Missouri River where I grew up. A week of summer vacation in Montana is just what I needed—the hypnotic sound of sprinklers in the morning, thunderstorms in the afternoon, and chirping crickets in the evening.Since we’re in Montana for the week, I thought it would be appropriate to share a garage sale find by Kellee, a Modern Thrifter reader from Montana. She managed to score this wood cabinet for $10 at a recent sale in Great Falls. Kellee loves garage sales, but since she’s planning to have one of her own this summer, she’s promised her husband to only go once a month.
bozeman photo by meganpru via flickr](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l51yhvjs1U1qc7v1bo1_500.jpg)
[ SUMMER IN MONTANA ]
Happy 4th everybody! We packed the car and headed for Montana on Friday, so I’ve been neglecting my blog for a few days. We’re spending the weekend in Bozeman and tomorrow morning we will head up to Fort Benton, a small town situated on the Missouri River where I grew up. A week of summer vacation in Montana is just what I needed—the hypnotic sound of sprinklers in the morning, thunderstorms in the afternoon, and chirping crickets in the evening.
Since we’re in Montana for the week, I thought it would be appropriate to share a garage sale find by Kellee, a Modern Thrifter reader from Montana. She managed to score this wood cabinet for $10 at a recent sale in Great Falls. Kellee loves garage sales, but since she’s planning to have one of her own this summer, she’s promised her husband to only go once a month.
bozeman photo by meganpru via flickr
