Thrifty Treasures: Nautical Heaven!

I’ve never really done a summer “theme” in my decorating before, but this year I’m really loving the colors and feel of the seaside! And it seems like everywhere I go, I’ve been finding great treasures that fit right in. Last Saturday was drizzly and rainy, so the rummage sales were not as thick as they probably would have been :/ Still, I managed to find some cool prizes for my summer decorating!

This pair of corked bottles is begging for some sand and a starfish or two inside for the summer! The tall one is about 15 inches high, and the shorter one is about 9 or 10 inches. I can also see them filled with leaves or apples in the fall, and then some pinecones or Christmas ornaments in wintertime! They were marked down to $1.00/pair from $2— not too shabby for décor with year-round potential!

This  cool fishnet-bobber style light (at least I’m told it’s supposed to be a light—it’s got a weird red light-bulb inside and a plug-in cord, but I have yet to figure out how to get it open to change said light-bulb) was hiding on a shelf behind the “checkout lady” at a rummage sale. It caught my eye as I was paying for my other items, and asked how much it was. For $2, it was mine-- in spite of the middle-aged, not-so-attractive lady’s grumblings about how she was planning on hanging it back up in her bedroom! (seriously, lady, just because it has “fishnets” and a red light does NOT mean it will automatically make you look sexy! *shudder*)

For another $2, I snatched up this lamp and lampshade for my hubby’s “office corner” in our living room. (Yes, I had to clear off an ever-present stack of Bibles, books, and papers to take this picture J) At least he will now have sufficient light to study—and maybe straighten his books- by!

I also found a small oval gilt frame (for a future gallery wall), as well as some clothes for my Princess & Little Monkey. I have a general policy that if I walk into a garage sale, I will buy something. I’ve had enough rummage sales of my own to know how encouraging even the smallest sale can be, and how disheartening it is when someone walks around your sale and leaves without even saying anything. In my experience, I can always find something I like for a quarter or two—which is a small price to pay for encouraging and supporting another family! And because I scour each sale instead of doing a “lap and leave”, I have actually found many of my best treasures!

Probably my favorite find of the week, though, was not even from a rummage sale! I walked into Dollar Tree looking for something totally different, when these adorable glass bottles practically screamed my name!

I love their graceful bubbled shape, and the green and turquoise blue perfectly brings out the colors both in my new (to-me) table runner (75¢ @ a garage sale), and my new dining room curtains (which you can see a tiny glimpse of in the corner of the above picture).  They also compliment my nautical summer décor, while still tying into the green of the rest of the house. J

So what’s your “theme” for summer decorating?

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