Saturday's thrifting success!

I hadn't been thrifting in a while, so maybe all the good deals were just waiting for me to discover them on Saturday! In the first store I went in, I spied a vintage box that said it contained a punch set. Now, I've been wanting a vintage punch bowl set to make tea punch (I'm giving a shower soon), but I had several requirements for it. I wanted it to be smallish, not heavy cut glass or silver, and I really wanted it to look old. When I saw this set in the box marked $10, I couldn't open it fast enough.

I looked down into the box and saw that the punch bowl itself was perfect, with no chips or cracks.

So was the pedestal, which was protected by a special cardboard insert in the box.

And the 12 cups were indeed right there in the bottom of the box as well. Sold! Then I got to the counter to check out, and the clerk said, "That'll be $5.35." I must've looked dumbfounded. "It's on sale?" I asked, and she said yes. So … score!

Then at the next store, a Goodwill, I found an old German teapot in one of those boxy shapes for $2.09. Do you see that pretty ombre green shading on the lid and at the bottom? I got very interested in green tea wares for my St. Patrick's Day decor this year and wished I had more, so I know this little purchase will make me extra happy next spring!

The next store turned up all kinds of treasures, including an old-fashioned wooden magazine rack I will soon be spray painting ($2.97, so worth a try), and this dingy-looking teacup for 49 cents. I didn't know if it would clean up well, but for the price, it was worth a try too.

Now, I'm not normally wild about fruit plates, but I love grapes and roses, so I loved this one! And it was just $1, so I loved the price too.

Another odd purchase for me? A stained and crackled old pitcher, and the "flaws" were part of the charm. I looked at it and immediately saw a vase and a story. Can't you just picture someone using this because Mama or Grandma used to display flowers in it? (This is one of those pieces that is probably going to turn up in a future book, so if you happen to read my novels, you'll know where the inspiration came from.)

And voila! While there's one little spot at the back that just will not come off despite everything in my bag of tricks—bleach, toothpaste, a soft paste of baking soda and water—I still like the way this thin little Japanese teacup with violets on it turned out. And to have gotten all of these dishes for less than $10? Priceless!