Shop Local. Blessed Buys from Blessed Sacrament Next-to-New Sale.

.Look What I Bought.

Not even so much bought, as dug out a few pennies (checkbook ... they accept checks!) and practically walked (drove) away.

Today, Saturday May, 5, is the last day of the sale. Ends at noon. Everything you

can stuff in a bag for $5. Will be mobbed. If not today, mark this Sale on your calendars for next year! Blessed Sacrament Next-to-New Sale. On Monroe between Oxford & Rutgers. Go.

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Considering all of the goodies I didn't get, that I posted about yesterday, today's list of finds & buys is going to feel ... just as expansive. I'm proud to report, that with all I purchased--spanning furniture to home goods to fashion items--I only spent $54. (Okay: Momsly bought the lamp, lamp shade, plant, planter, and plant stand.) Nonetheless, $54 total. Let's take a look.

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.Blessed Purchases.

Furniture.  

End Table. $20. 

.Table at Blessed Sacrament Next-to-New Sale.

Best find, perhaps of my life. Carved, wooden end table with glass slats & a ton of storage. At $20, you're crazy not to buy. Most definitely can't even find particle wood end tables, new, for $20. New! This gem fits perfectly into the corner of my roommate's and my living room where, since we're staying-on for another year, have decided to redecorate. (Look-out for that post! Coming your way.) I love love love this table, & not just for its elegance and sturdiness, but also for its storage. Those doors fully open so one can stow any number of board games, magazines, even blankets. Plus, the hollowed-out interior makes it super light. Adult. I feel very adult. Well-done. #patontheback

Lamp.  $7 (including shade). 

.Brass Lamp.
Also Pictured (L-R): Orange-Red Glass Jar. Necklaces.

Would have been near-impossible to buy such a beautiful table and go home empty-lampless. This brass baby, though not the most contemporary, definitely fits in with the old-fashioned feel of our home: high ceilings, molding, brass and glass light fixtures. When you live in a house that was around during the days when Vick Park A & B were actually race tracks ... for horses--when your garage is converted from a carriage house!--you can get away with the old-fashioned-thing. At $7--$6 for the lamp & $1 for the shade--worth a light. 

Plant Stand. $7 (I think). Home furnishings or furniture? 

Either way, this stand (see below) that Momsly sighted is perfect. Our corner dining window table floods the dining room with heaps of vitamin D. That plants haven't migrated & taken root of their own accord, is hard to believe. As Laur & I redecorate, I'm thinking that plants, particularly herbs, or rather, particularly low-key, are my calling. Oregano, so fragrant & easy to cook with, is a great starter. Let the green begin.

.Fresh Oregano to Dress
Lemon-Butter Chick & Mushrooms.

Home goods. 

Oregano. $2.50. Try & beat that price at your local green house, or even public market! 

Once per week. Momsly, whose thumbs are various shades of green--chartreuse even!--said Oregano just needs a good smattering once per week. Good thing she said so. Else I would have drowned it with every last sip of water I failed to imbibe before walking out the door. Naturally, I'm so excited about my first herb & that it's still alive, that ... I've already cooked with it! And BarbaraEllen cooking (though delic!) doesn't come by too regularly. ...Enjoy.

.Oregano. .Planter. Plant Stand.

  

Planter. $3.  

Sturdy and cute. Momsly found 2 of these, the other with tan trim, & kept the second for herself. Being the ever-doting & generous Momslin that she is, she bought this one for me & even let me choose the color. Love that blue strip. Reminds me a bit of Fiesta Ware. (Though absolutely, it is not.) For my first potter, this is a great fit. I think the Oregano likes it, too.

Glass Jars. $.50 each.

.Kodak Classic.
(See Above, "End Table," for orange-red lid.)

Can you believe it? Practically Mason Jars, and we all know how trendy those are this season. For the next few seasons, I surmise. (Who knew the clothing of jam would be so in demand.) Can't decide which I favor. Jar with the orange-red lid, pictured on the end table above, has unquestionable character. Fill that with candy or marbles, paper clips or rocks. Anything will do. It's a great storage and display piece. In love. However the clear one, pictured opposite the authentic Kodak Polaroid, also has some charm. Look closely. ... That's right. Kodak! It's a Kodak glass jar. Fits snugly with the Rochester scene and reminds me of my roots. (When both parents moved from Hornell to Rochester, both parents worked at Kodak. And for many years to follow. The onomatopoetic namesake is practically my blood.) Looks like I'm starting my own vintage Kodak collection. And to commemorate the once glorious Rochester institution is fine by me!

Juice Jug. $2. 

.Sun Tea with Lemon.

I love these guys. How adorable. 'Specially with the summer months ahead, and all of the direct light coming in through the windows and bathing the porch: sun tea is a must. Lemons add an extra zest & zang & some color, too. Perfect for a picnic or a romp on the beach (love the shores of Lake Ontario) this polka dotted jug is going to be my new companion. I can tell that we are going to be friends.

 

Water Bottle. $1.

.H20.

Think I found it. Think I might have found my perfect water bottle. See, I drink water 16 hours/day. The other 8? I sleep. Water is my lifeline. My second oxygen. I need. Therefore I also need a handy, safe, convenient water bottle. And have I tried many. Nalgene's sitting right in the cupboard. Then there's the New Balance variety--steel, insulated, chic--and the Wegmans cheapie. Dislike all! Hopefully this is my ticket. And at $1?!!!???? Yes please & thank you.

Padded Pastel Hangers. FREE.

By far my faaaaaavorite find. I love padded hangers. Pastel no less! For sweaters and delicate blouses, these are the bees knees. And there they were, a full set of candy-colored, shiny, lovies, waiting to be picked out of a box that said, free. Free me. Love me. I am my little M&Ms. I am.

.Cute Practical Free.

Fashion Items.

Bag. $3.  

.Studded Faux Leather.

Studded. Faux camel-colored leather. Pockets. How could you not? Only thing: straps aren't long enough for cross-body (I'm cross-body obsessed. Almost dependent. ... No. I am. I am cross-body dependent) and I have a ton of this type of bag! As though I need another. But it was only $3. I got carried away. I admit.

.Gray Mules.

Shoes. $3.

I get it. They're old. But they fit. They're in good shape. They're cute as heck. And I need a gray shoe. Until yesterday, owned none! (Gasp. I know.) Plus, feel that I can absolutely get away with calling them vintage. They are vintage sling-back peep-toes, & now they are mine. Muahahaha. Muah.

Jewels. $7 total. Will ya' look at that? Just look at it. (Seriously, click that link. Even if you've seen it. You'll thank me.)  

.Faux Pearls & Metallic Blue.

.Full Length.

This is why I try as hard as I possibly can to not buy trinkets & bobs retail or, at all, in chain stores. Okay, Forever 21 & Francesca's: guilty. (Prices so low. Jewels, so unique.) Archimage: absolutely. Aside from thrifted and fair trade shops, such as One World Goods in Pittsford Plaza, independently owned boutiques are the places to buy jewels. This is exactly why. Quality & Character at Fair Prices. Plus, you're recycling. Or, if purchasing through fair trade gifts, supporting the local economies of developing nations by empowering the local work force and economies which, frequently, directly empowers women and their families. I cannot say enough about all of the jewels & bobs I've purchased from church sales, thrift shops, fair trade venues, local boutiques ... or those I've been given from my Aunt Kathy & Uncle Paul who are professional antique dealers. (Pretty cool. I know.)

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See ya at the Blessed Sacrament
Sale Next Year!