Easy Trash Finds for Christmas

It’s great living next door to a caterer.

My neighbor, the caterer is ever so kind in sharing leftover food from weddings, special events, etc. and more often, her decorating ideas.

She’s a genius.  This last month, she inherited a huge box of antique sheet music.  She’s made a sheet music wreath, wrapped candle sticks and bird houses in sheet music, added holly and red glittery birds, candy canes and snow flakes.  Her house is a winter wonderland.

Much of her decorating reminds me of some of the stuff Kelly and I saw at Anthropologie, like this Christmas tree, made out of sheet music priced at $38.00.

And these Mason & salt/pepper shaker jars, full of a Christmas tree and snow.

No reason to pay this much for cute Christmas decor, when you can make the same type of stuff from thrift store finds.  My neighbor, the caterer, had a box of old Christmas decorations ready to take to Goodwill, when she offered them to me.

I brought them home and paired them up with the 20 feet of garland I purchased at a garaging this weekend (paid $2.00 for all of it).

I strung up more garland across my windows and paired it with the caterer's decorations she gave me.  

Remember my gorgeous Christmas tree I found at a garage sale last year?  The home owner charged me $1.00 per foot, pricing the tree at $10.00.  Yes, this is the counselor's childhood sleeping bag covered with football mascots used as a tree skirt.  The counselor put up the tree while I was out garaging and the tree skirt was his idea.  We all have our battles, don't we. 

With the colder weather, Reef needed some warm shoes.  I found these leather boutique European boots at D.I. for $4.00.  

I love how he pairs them with his swimsuit.

Ride like the wind, little guy!

I found little sister's Christmas dress on Goodwill's dollar day this summer.  I found the red shoes last week at Deseret Industries for $2.00. Here she is after church.

We took family photos on Sunday.  I went thrifting with my mom on Saturday, hoping I'd find something fun and bold with a hint of Anthropologie coming through.  I found this Jones New York 1990's jacket and loved the color.  It was half-off day at Goodwill, so I paid $7.50 for it.  The boys all had their $1.00 day Goodwill sweaters.  Eden and I are wearing hair pieces I made from vintage silk flowers.  I think it's the only time this year Chandler and Payson have worn something besides basketball shorts and Nike t-shirts.

I'm glad I have some extra cash to start my holiday shopping.

I’d have to say my biggest payoff of the year was this credenza I found a few weeks ago.  

I paid $10.00 for it at a church rummage sale. It’s the same song and dance I’ve heard before and the reason this blog is called My Dear Trash.

“Yeah, it’s just an old ugly thing ready to go in the dumpster.  You really want it?  $10.00 and it’s yours.”

So, for $10.00 it was mine. 

It’s all in the eye of the beholder and I could tell this piece of furniture had a home somewhere.

Solid wood, no scratches, excellent working condition, so I listed it as-is on craigslist.

It sold in just a few days for $150.00 to an interior decorator who has huge plans for it.

What a way to start my holiday season.
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