Thrifty City Chick

Fall at Dunn Bros

2010-10-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Now that Fall is officially here, I have started introducing autumn touches to my little shop in Dunn Bros. I thought I would share some pictures as I haven't really done so since we opened about a month and a half ago. I really love to take pictures, but usually get so sidetracked when I am out here that I never remember to even take my camera out. So here you go...

I added cornstalks, haybails and pumpkins to the front porch...

The "Writer's Corner" of the shop is decorated for fall with it's burlap banner,

and glass "Jill" pumpkins, filled with gourds.

In the sitting room, a "boo" burlap banner hangs from a vintage steamer trunk topped with an iron birdcage filled with a pumpkin, the large chalkboard made from salvaged spindles and wood waits for the perfect home, and the "vintage mustard seed chair" holds a Dunn Bros coffee sack pillow.

This is how the Dunn Bros coffee sack pillows get their start.....

This is how they look when they are done holding beans, and made into pillows.

The George and Rose silhouettes.

The dining room. Two Henry chairs (vintage wood side chairs with their seats covered in blue/white ticking), and Sophia table, several vintage trays turned message boards

with button,

and salvaged vintage water spigots as magnets.

The Kirsten pillow,

adorable Apple Snack plates,

vintage ironstone soup tureen,

and last, but certainly not least, the perfectly chippy and white vintage farmhouse dresser. This dresser is my favorite. It is the perfect size, not too big, not too small. The drawers are dove tailed and it is very sturdy. It would be perfect in a bedroom, entry way, or as a side board in the dining room.

(rustic milk cans and wheelbarrow salvaged from an old barn in Hutchinson, MN)

I would love to see you out at Dunn Bros. It is open coffee shop hours..

Monday-Saturday: 6:30am- 10pm

Sunday: 7am-8pm

8107 Eden Prairie Road

Eden Prairie, MN 55347

Have a great weekend!

Katie

Free Coffee Day at Dunn Bros!!!

2010-09-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Tommorow, September 29th is FREE COFFEE DAY at DUNN BROS!

Stop by to get yourself a free cup o' joe, Dunn Bros style! While you are there, take time to wander back to my little shop on the first floor of the beautiful, old farmhouse.

I have slowly been adding several fall items throughout the past few weeks. Later this week I will do a fall post and show some pictures!

Wherever you are coming from, a trip to the Eden Paririe Dunn Bros will be worth your while. The Smith Douglas Moore home where Dunn Bros is location is beautiful, and if the weather holds up, you can sip your FREE coffee on the adorable little veranda outside.

(Image courtesy of MacDonald and Mack Architects)

Dunn Bros Eden Prairie

8107 Eden Prairie Road

Eden Prairie, MN 55347

Hope to see you all there!

Katie

Setting the Table

2010-09-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

I know it is old fashioned and time consuming, but I set the table for every meal. We are not a family that eats in front of the television on TV trays, or eats standing in the kitchen on paper plates. We eat at our dining room table with cloth napkins, real plates and silverware, usually candles (depending on the season) and more often than not, music playing the the background. I love the process of putting the table together. To me, it feels like art. Which napkin goes best with which plate, or tablecloth. I always take in account what we are having. For example, if we are eating mexican food, I will use green or blue colors. If we are having Italian, I will use reds.

My mom set the table, and we sat together as a family every night for dinner, and almost every weekend morning for breakfast, at our kitchen table.

I know it makes for more laundry and fuss, but I don't mind. To me, there is almost nothing more comforting than sitting down to eat at a table that is set.

Here is our dinner table last Sunday night. I made one of my hubby and I's favorite meals- chicken enchiladas from One Family One Meal. I could, and probably should do a post on how much I love that blog. If you ever struggle with what to make for dinner, and keeping within a food budget, visit One Family One Meal. It's amazing.

Currently I have a piece of fabric as a tablecloth on our dining room table. It is a fabric that I found at Joanne fabrics on sale for %50 of/yard. It is called "Rustic Life." I love it. It is black and white, but faded just a bit, so it goes with everything. It reminds me of the wallpaper in my grandparents bedroom.

Here is our table during our Wednesday night meal. I made spaghetti and meatballs. Another big hit with hubby.

I have been using this fabric as my tablecloth for a few week now and just switch out the napkins every meal. Because I love cloth napkins so much, I have a lot of them. Mike would say, "we have enough table linens to sink a ship!"

I always have tablecloths/runners, various new and vintage dishcloths and napkins available for sale @ my little shop at Dunn Bros in Eden Prairie. Depending on what season we are in, the patterns and fabrics change. Here are two napkin patterns that will be available for sale in sets starting next week @ Dunn Bros.

(Please excuse the poor quality of these photos. We have had several gloomy days here in Minneapolis)

I would love to hear if anyone else out there loves the process of setting the table as much as I do.

Katie

Giveaway at Privet and Holly

2010-09-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

It's a giveaway over at Privet and Holly!!

Suzanne over at Privet and Holly and Shellagh from Ticking and Toile are giving away a collection of hand sewn sachets filled with Lavendar and a pillow slip of your choosing!

Deadline is September 23rd.

Follow the Privet and Holly link above and follow the instructions to become elidgible to win.

You may want to peak around both blogs beofre you leave, they are beautiful!

Katie

Decorating with gourds and Junk Bonanza finds

2010-09-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Here I am unloading my almost favorite purchase from my day at Junk Bonanza. As I have said before, I love Fall decorating. I especially love corn stalks and hay bails. I picked up 3 corn stalks 2 hay bails for my shop at Dunn Brothers and our house (I will soon post pictures of the fall decor at Dunn Brothers). I purchased these from the Marshall's Farm Stand at the Junk Bonanza.

Here is Mike trying to hold back his excitement over all of my Junk Bonanza purchases.

I was really lucky and found some great things this weekend. I was so inspired by all the fall touches that I saw that I went home and dragged Mike to a pumpkin patch/apple orchard to pick up some more gourds/pumpkins and apples (Note: while it did feel good to support the local farmer that we bought pumpkins and such from, it was a lot more than we expected..gulp..$83 (we got a lot though). Anyways, if you are on a budget you may want to stick to the grocery store where you can find pumpkins for $5 and under. While they will not be as unique, your pocketbook will be happy).

Here are some of the items I bought....

Beautiful necklace from Gretchen at Mimi-Toria's Design

Adorable sewing themed mirror made from vintage sewing articles.

Here is a closer view. I purchased this from Lauren and Lori Welle @ Welle Designs

I also purchased this vintage baking magnetic board form the Welle's. I thought they were a bargain @ $14 each.

Here are little bottle cap-turned vintage magnets from them as well. They were only $1 each!

My favorite purchase from the Welle's was this little button. I just love it! It was only $2.50! I have it on my jean jacket and I think it looks pretty cute.

I purchased Vintage Notions by Amy Barickman and was lucky enough to get it signed by her.

I bought this perfectly distressed wall hook piece from Robinwood Reclaim. It is the perfect addition to our kitchen.

Here is my hay bail looking nice alongside some of my ridiculously expensive pumpkins.

Here are some more couture pumpkins on our porch.

And last, but definitely not least, my HUGE hubbard squash and other assorted squash and pumpkins on our dining room. I purchased this big boy at the St Paul Farmers market. The guy who sold it to me said it should last until Christmas! He said when it starts to get some soft spots all I have to do is drop it on the pavement, scoop the squash out and bake or freeze. He said it is some of the tastiest squash around.

Yum.

Hope everyone found some good junk this weekend!

Katie

Junk Bonanza!

2010-09-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend there is much shopping to be done! Not only is there several occasinal sales open, but Junk Bonanza is also open.

Here are a few photos of last years Junk Bonanza....

Are you excited?

I am. I can't wait to walk around all the booths and find some fall inspiration.

Here is the whereabouts for junking this weekend...

Shakopee

Junk Bonanza!

Location: Canterbury Park: 1100 Cabterbury Road S Shakopee, MN

Hours:

September 16th: 10am-5pm

September 17th: 9am-5pm

September 18th: 9am-5pm

***There is an admission fee of $8/day. I think it is a good price for this type of event. This year there will be over 100 vendors with booths stocked full of junk and beautiful vintage displays.

Eden Prairie

Home at Dunn Brothers

Location: 8107 Eden Prairie Road Eden Prairie, MN 55347

Hours: Coffee Shop Hours!

Monday- Saturday: 6:30am-10pm

Sunday: 7am-8pm

**Get ready for fall! I am starting to switch over to fall design at Dunn Brothers. Warm colors, pumpkins, candles, mums, new table linens and a great new white distressed dresser that I added last night.

Minneapolis

The Cottage House

Location: 4304 Chicago Ave S Minneapolis, MN

Hours:

Thursday: 10am-7pm

Friday: 10am-9pm

Saturday: 10am-6pm

Sunday: 10am-6pm

Hutchinson
Marilyn's
Location: 13153 180th Street Hutchinson, MN
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-4pm

Barb's Country Collectibles
Location: 13634 Ulm Ave   Hutchinson, MN
Hours:
Friday-Sunday: 10am-5pm

Rochester
Gold Rush Antique Show
Location: 12th Street SE and HWY 63   Rochester, MN
Hours:
Friday: 10am-6pm
Saturday: 8am-6pm
Sunday: 8am-4pm
** $5 to park for the day. No entrance fee.

Isanti
Andy's Antiques Occalsional Sale
Location: County Road 5 and 2nd Ave   Isanti, MN
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-4pm

So, as you can see, there is a lot to do this weekend! It seems like anywhere you may be, there is an occaional sale/ flea market within reach. I hope you have a chance to enjoy at least one of them on this last weekend of offical summer!

Katie

Back to School

2010-09-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

(Photo courtesy of here)

I love back to school. Even though I haven't been "back to school" myself for years, I still get in the spirit. For me, as soon as Labor Day passes, Fall begins. I can hardly wait for the seasons to change. I love the turning leaves, crisp cold nights, down comforters, mums and pumpkins. Usually I can barely even wait until after Labor Day to start my Fall decorating, but this year all I have done is fill our front step planters with mums in every color. So pretty. I will post a picture soon. This weekend I will slowly start incorporating fall into our house.

Here is a picture compliments of Apartment Therapy. It is the perfect indian summer table. A harvest table, not perfectly matched chairs, white linens, candles and fall plantings. Perfect. I want to sit down and have dinner there.

If you are ready to start turning your house over to fall, here is where to shop this weekend......

Anoka

The French Flea!

Location: 211 E Main Street Anoka, MN 55303

Hours:

Thursday: 10am-8pm

Friday: 10am-5pm

Saturday: 10am-5pm

Sunday: 12pm-4pm

Les Junc

Location: 12743 Fremont Ave Zimmerman, MN 55398

Hours:

Saturday: 10am-5pm

Nic Nac Paddywac's

Location: 201 E Main Street Anoka, MN 55303

Hours:

Thursday: 10am-8pm

Friday/Saturday: 10am-5pm

Sunday: 12pm-4pm

The Wren's Nest

Location: 118 E Main Street

Hours:

Thursday: 10am-7pm

Friday/Saturday: 10am-5pm

Sunday: 12pm-4pm

Osseo

Antique Alley

Location: 218 Central Ave Osseo, MN

Hours:

Thursday: 10am-6:30pm

Friday/ Saturday:

Sunday: 12pm-4pm

Bloomington

Laurie's Trunk Antiques

Location: 9066 Lyndale Avenue Bloomington, MN

Hours:

Thursday- Saturday: 10am-5pm

Sunday: 12pm-5pm

Have a good weekend.

Katie

Vintage Aprons

2010-08-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

An adorable collection of vintage aprons

Image taken from Country Living

I absolutely love aprons of all kinds, but most recent obsession has been with vintage aprons. When I put them on I always imagine who wore them before me. I try and think what she was wearing, how old were they, what their kitchen looked like, what they were making for dinner- were they drinking a cocktail? I never used to be a big apron girl, but my sister in law gave me an adorable Anthropologie girly girly apron as a wedding gift and I have been in love since. I recently went to an estate sale and found two beautiful floor length aprons in the sweetest pink and white rose fabrics. I put one in my shop at Dunn Bros, and I kept one for myself. The day I brought it home I put it on, buttoned it up and wanted to make an apple pie- never mind that it was was about 95 degrees and 95% humidity in the house (no AC). I held back, back as soon as the temperatures cool I am going to pretend it's 1900, put my apron on, and spend the day in the kitchen.

For whatever you are into now, here is where to find it this weekend (August 19th- 22nd)......

Minneapolis

The Cottage House- Summer Garage Sale!!

Location: 4304 Chicago Ave South Minneapolis, MN 55407

Hours: Saturday - Sunday 10am-6pm

Eden Prairie

Home at Dunn Bros

Location: 8107 Eden Prairie Road Eden Prairie, MN 55347

Hours: Open everyday!! Coffee shop hours:

Monday- Saturday 6:30am-11pm

Sunday 7am-7pm

**My collection of painted farmtables and vintage housewares

Rosemount

A Cat and the Fiddle

Location: 14680 South Robert Trail Rosemount, MN 55068

Hours: Thursday 9am-8pm

Friday 9am-7pm

Saturday 9am-6pm

Sunday 11am-6pm

*11,000 square feet and 5 historic buildings full of furniture and collectibles.

Apple Valley

Haupt Antiek Market

Location: 7570 W. 147th Apple Valley, MN 55124

Hours: Thursday 9am-8pm

Friday 9am-7pm

Saturday 9am-5pm

Sunday 11am4pm

**Theme this month is French Country

Farmington

Rusty Rabbitiques

Location: 23590 Cedar Ave S Farmington, MN

Hours: Friday- Sunday 8am-6pm

Good luck shopping this weekend!

Katie

4th Annual Eden Prairie Antiques Fair!!

2010-08-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

(Photo courtesy of here)

Come one, come all! The Antique fair is finally here. I know all of us vendors have been working hard to put together a great collection of vintage furniture, accesories and housewares just for this occasion.
There will be about 18 vendors this year, which means lots of shopping! Come rain or shine, because there will be vendors set up inside and out- Home at Dunn Bros will be inside in it's usual location with more stock for the event!

We are very excited to have some special "junking" vendors/guests this year. Sarah Smith from Seasons in Carver and Jane Hall from Oh Mustard Moon will each have booths, and Ki Nasseur from Junk Bonanza and Bachman's Idea House will be there giving out infomation on Junk Bonanza and selling magazines.

I think it will be a really fun day. Lots of fun people to see and meet, and lots and lots of "good things," as Martha Stewart would say. So put your shopping shoes on and come out for a day of vinatge shopping, live music and good company.

Here is the scoop on the the day...

Location: 8107 Eden Prairie Road Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Hours: 9am- 4pm **Early Bird 8-9am   $5

If you can't make it to visit us, here is a list of other thrifty shops that will have their doors open this weekend.....

Bloomington
Linda's Trunk Occasional Sale
Location: 9066 Lyndale Ave S   Bloomington, MN
Hours: August 12th- 14th 10am- 5pm
            August 15th   12pm-5pm

Minneapolis
The Cottage House
Location: 4304 Chicago Ave S Minneapolis, MN
Hours: August 12th-13th 10am-7pm
            August 14th- 15th 10am-6pm

Flamingo's Divine Finds
Location: 3404 Cedar Ave S   Minneapolis, MN
Hours: August 12th-13th 10am-7pm
            August 14th- 15th 10am-6pm

Thank You Star Tribune!!

2010-08-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Star Tribune featured Home at Dunn Bros on the front page of the Business section as the feature "item" of the day! Jackie Crosby, Star Trib staff writer did a nice write up on the gist of the project and included 2 pictures. I am so grateful to them for featuring me and Dunn Brothers. They also talked about our upcoming Antiques Fair- in the paper it says it is August 12th, but it is actually Saturday, August 14th.

To read the article, follow this link.......

http://www.startribune.com/local/99656219.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU

Thank you to all of you who have read the article and stopped by Dunn Bros to both browse and shop my new collection. It has been so much fun! It is reallly a dream come true to have all of this happening.

Katie

My Summer table

2010-08-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

I went to my favorite thrift store (Arc's Value Village on 66th and Penn) this past week and came home with this beautiful antique blue yellowware bowl and silver cake stand. I was delighted when I walked in to the store and saw both of them in the "locked case" for $15.99 each! Now thats a deal!

When I walked up to the counter to pay, the man ringing me up looked at the bowl and then look at me with a puzzled look on his face and said, "Ma'am, do you you realize there is a small crack in this bowl- are you sure you want to pay $16 bucks for this old thing?" I laughed to myself and said, "it's okay- i'll still take it. Believe it or not I don't mind the cracks." I am sure glad no one else there realized my blue bowl's value.

The bowl is the perfect size for my huge zucchini

I love my silver cake stand. Maybe I will make my husband a sweet treat this week- then he'll forget all about the fact that I have brought more serving pieces into the house!

I found the pewter candle snuffer at an estate sale Saturday for $4.

I bought this yellowware bowl at the same estate sale for $4.

I love the inside of the bowl. Mom told me that, "back in the old days" they used to hand these bowls out as freebies out to farmers at the fair. Wish I could have been there.

Publish Post

In the Garden

2010-08-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

(Sweet and purple basil)

Early this summer Mike built me cedar raised beds so we could start our first garden. He worked all day and then we filled them with a special soil mixture of peat moss, compost and vermiculite that we read about in Square Foot Gardening. The soil because of the peat moss and vermiculite, the soil is so light, I didn't even need any tools when I planted.

Our raised bed is L-shaped and place in the sunny corner of our yard to try and disguise our chain-link fence that I despise.

Even though our garden leaves much to de desired, it's not looking too shabby for it's first full year in swing.

(cherry tomatoes- notice some browned leaves- probably because it's mother forgot to water it!)

(Daisies- one of my favorite flowers)

(Black Eyed Susans- another beauty)

Even though all these flowers are beautiful, the real winner in our eyes is our beautiful cedar adirondack chairs that Mike's parents gave us earlier this spring as a gift. They bought them from Stan, of Woodwork by Stan, a local Minnesotan who custom builds all of his pieces by hand. We used a natural stain just to bring out their color and positioned them back in the sunny spot of of garden. We love them, and have spent lots of time enjoying them this summer.

Enjoy your gardens.

Katie

Pictures.....

2010-07-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

(Vintage steamer trunk filled with pillows made from Dunn Bros coffee sacks)

Here are some pictures of Home at Dunn Bros......

As I said before, the puropse of this shop/ design project was to both to make Dunn Bros feel more like home, and also to give customers inspiration for decorating their own homes. We then decided it would be fun if everything was for sale too!! So, in a sense it is like an occasional sale- but items are available all the time. Fun!

Mike, my husband and I have been slaving away for the past few months working on all of these pieces. Everything that is for sale is an item that we have salvaged or re-purposed from its original state. for example, the coffee sack pillows are made from the coffee sacks that Dunn Bros West actually recieves their coffee beans in everyday. When I go to stitch them in to pillows, I have to carry each one outside to dump the remaining beans out!

The steamer trunk pictured above was from the estate of a little old man who had used to bring all of of his belongings here from Czechoslovakia back at the turn of the century.

Everything has a story. When you buy things that are "second hand or salvaged" you inherit that story. That is what makes these items so special. Each of them has already lived a life of their own before they become a part of your story.

(The writer's corner: Daisey writing table and chair, vintage stool and vintage typewriter (which has since sold))

(The mustard seed chair, Sofia Side Table, and my collection of vintage magentic/inspiration boards)

(view of two rooms)

The blue Gatsby table and 4 chairs in the front room. In the distant room- there are 2 vinatge cabinets filled with adorable linens ("sweet cherry table runners"), stoneware, pretty pink dessert plates and assortment of other vintage housewares.

As you can see- I do not have stuff packed in. First and foremost, the space needs to still be useable for it's customers- we just wanted to cute it up a bit.

Please, stop by for a visit and take a peek.

The Dunn Bros in Eden Prairie in the Smith Douglas More House

8107 Eden Prairie Road

Eden Prairie, MN 55347

Home at Dunn Brothers: A New Chapter

2010-07-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

{Dunn Brothers coffee shop in Eden Prairie's historic Smith Douglas More House}

Home at Dunn Bros

I am so excited to tell you all about my new adventure at the Dunn Bros in the Smith Douglas More House in Eden Prairie! This summer I have been working hard hunting all over the state (from Hutchinson to St Paul to Anoka) for furniture, vintage housewares and fabrics in need of some love and attention. I have taken over our garage (my poor hubby) and basement to sand and stain, paint and sew to bring these once loved treasures back to life.

This weekend my sweet Mike and I will be hauling everything over to their new home at Dunn Bros where I will be filling three of the home's rooms with my salvaged and antique finds for customers to use and buy ALL the time. Last weekend we (my Dad, Brother and Husband) painted the rooms that I am redecorating. I am modeling this project after the occasional sales that I blog about, but the difference is this shop is open Dunn Bros coffee shop hours- seven days a week!

I am really sorry that I have no pictures of my merchandise yet, but I will be taking pictures as I set up tomorrow and Saturday. Otherwise, I would love to have you come by and grab a coffee (or glass of wine, depending on the hour) and browse through my shop at this beautiful house. Some of the items I have for painted and vintage furniture, antique steamer trunks, inspiration boards made from salvaged materials, retro linens and aprons, adorable table runners and dishcloths and pillows made from Dunn Bros coffee sacks. So, I promise pictures next week!

A little history: One of the main reasons that I am so excited for this project is that the home that Dunn Bros is in is the oldest house in Eden Prairie. Built in 1877, after being home to 3 families, the EP Historical Society took it over and with Dunn Bros started the restoration process, which included an addition to accomodate the coffee shop. Ann, the owner of DB has successfully made the coffee shop and home the hub of Eden Prairie. It is always busy with it's "regulars" ranging from 15 to 80. There is always fun events going on such as live music, storybook reading, local author signing, and the Annual Antique Fair. It is such a vibrant and beautiful home and I am excited to be a part of it! I hope you can all make it out to check out the shop and a piece of Eden Prairie's History. Click here for more information on the house

Here is what is going on this weekend...

Minneapolis

Artsy Digs

Location: 4754 Grand Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55419

Hours: Today (7/22)- Saturday 7/24: 10am-6pm

Sunday: 10am-5pm

Eden Prairie

Home at Dunn Brothers

Location: 8107 Eden Prairie Road Eden Prairie, MN 55347

Hours: Monday- Saturday: 6:30am- 11pm

Sunday: 7am-7pm

Have a good weekend!

Katie

This Weekend's Hunt....

2010-07-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

(Photo compliments of here)

Lately, it seems like everyone I know is looking for a good dresser. And when I say good dresser I mean pretty (of course), well made (preferably dove tailed drawers), one of a good size and scale, and of course, reasonable. The last requirement probably being the most important. While I think that that all of these requests are more than fair, it is harder than you may think to find a dresser to fit the bill. Unfortunately these days budget furniture is not made very well, and well made furniture is out of most folks price range. There is good news though- if you are willing to do a little leg work to find that perfect dresser, table or whatever it may be. Many dressers just like this adorable one pictures above are just old dressers all dolled up. I bet this one here was a sad, old dresser that was rescued from a garage sale or thirft store and the owner just painted it and added new pulls. So if you are into that kind of work, start hitting up those sales, shops or even keep you eye open on your way home from work- you never know what you may find!! Or, if you don't have the time, check out these sales going on this weekend, you might get lucky.......

Carver

O Mustard Moon

Location: 300 Broadway Carver, MN

Hours: Friday and Saturday (7/16, 7/17) 10am-4pm

http://www.omustardmoon.com/

Seasons in Carver

Location: 300 Broadway Carver, MN

Hours: Friday and Saturday 10am-4pm

http://www.seasonsincarver.com/

The Nature of it

Location: 300 Broadway Carver, MN

Hours: Friday and Saturday 10am-4pm

http://www.thenatureofit.com/

Shakopee

How Quaint

Location: 714 1st Ave E Shakopee, MN

Hours: Friday 9am- 7pm

Saturday 9am-5pm

Sunday 11am-4pm

Chaska

Linda's Cellar Occasional Sale

Location: 112 E. 2nd Street Chaska, MN

Hours: Friday and Saturday 10am-4pm

Hope you find what you are looking for! Happy shopping.

Katie

July Heat Wave

2010-07-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

(Photo courtesy of http://cocomale.com/blog/tag/outdoor/)

Isn't this lovely. Now I would love to eat an "al fresco" dinner there. Unfortunately, it is hotter than heck, and the mosquitos are out here in Minnesota, so not much outdoor dining going on (at least at our house).

If you are looking for a way to beat the heat this weekend, check out some of these cute shops that are open just this weekend. You could find all kinds of fun stuff for your house and garden- and hopefully- you can find some great deals!! The great thing about occasional sale shopping is the merchandise is priced to move. These shops typically only open their doors once a month, so they want to sell their inventory to make room for next months finds. Remember, if you are not totally sold on a price, it doesn't hurt to ask if they can make a small price adjustment.

Minneapolis

The Cottage House

Location: 4304 Chicago Avenue S Minneapolis, MN

Hours: July 8-9 10am-7pm July 10-11 10am-6pm

Theme: Funky Junk

Flamingos Divine Finds

Location: 3404 Cedar Ave S Minneapolis, MN

Hours: July 8-11 10am-6pm

Bloomington

Laurie's Trunk Occasional Sale

Location: 9066 Lyndale Ave S Bloomington, MN

Hours: July 8th-10th 10am- 5pm July 11th 12pm-5pm

Hutchinson

Uniquely Yours Occasional Sale

Location: 1030 S. Grade Road Hutchinson, MN

Hours: July 8th-10th 10am-5pm

Anoka

The Wren's Nest Occasional Sale

Location: 118 E. Main Street Anoka, MN

Hours: July 8th 10am-8pm

July 9th 10am-6pm

July 10th 10am-6pm

July 11th 12pm-5pm

The French Flea!

Location: 211 E Main Street Anoka, MN

Hours: July 8th 10am-8pm

July 9th 10am-5pm

July 10th 10am-5pm

July 11th 12pm-4pm

Nic Nac Paddywac's

Location: 201 E Main Street Anoka, Minnesota

Hours: July 8th 10am-8pm

July 9th-10th 10am-5pm

July 11th 12pm-4pm

Hope you find some relief from the heat of this week and enjoy your weekend!

Happy shopping

Katie

Weekend Shopping....

2010-06-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

I love this picture (I did not take it!). I love that the old, clawfoot tub (my dream tub) is filled with sweet basil. And the old sink behind it filled with flowers- so creative. What a great idea for someone with either a small yard or garden, or poor soil.

I bet you will be seeing lots of displays like this one at occasional sales this summer.

If you are looking for some inspiration for your garden this weekend, or hoping to pick up a few last minute items for your house before you host your big ol' family Fourth of July Bash, here is where you can look...

Dassel

Little Red Hen

Location: 261 Atlantic Ave W Dassel, MN

Hours: Thursday 24th- Saturday 26th 9am-6pm

Hutchinson

Marilyn's Occasional Sale

Location: 13153 180th Street Hutchinson, MN

Hours: Thursday 24th- Saturday 26th 11am-5pm

Sunday 27th 12pm-5pm

**Note- Historically, the last weekend of the month is not a biggie for occasional sales. If you do not live close to either of these shops, check Craigslist or the Star Tribune Calendar of Events for garage and estate sales in your area.

If you happen to be/ live in Minneapolis, you should wander over to the Nokomis neighborhood for our first ever Nokomis East Neighborhood Gargae Sale!! Unfortunately, my hubby and I will be out of town (for good reason though, our Goddaughter's Baptism) so I will not be able to attend, but I am sure there will be many treasures to be found.

Happy Shopping.

Katie

June Shopping!

2010-06-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of occasional sales that will be open this weekend. I sort of fell of the blogging bandwagon for the past few weeks- we don't get internet at home right now, and my 9-5 job has been very busy, hence not much time for fun. Sorry about that. My plan is to get back to my weekly posts of where to shop each weekend, along with "idea posts" here and there of things I find interesting and inspiring.

Hope this post is not coming too late for those looking to shop this weekend!!

Carver
Seasons In Carver
Location: 300 N. Broadway   Carver, MN
Hours: 10am- 4pm Friday June 18th and Saturday June 19th

O Mustard Moon
Location: 300 N. Broadway   Carver, MN
Hours: 10am- 4pm Friday June 18th and Saturday June 19th

The Nature of It
Location: 300 N. Broadway   Carver, MN
Hours: 10am- 4pm Friday June 18th and Saturday June 19th

Shakopee
How Quaint
Location: 714 1st Ave E   Shakopee, MN
Hours:
Friday: 9am-7pm
Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-4pm

Minneapolis
The Cottage House: Crazy Daze
Location: 4304 Chicago Ave Minneapolis, MN
Hours: 10am-6pm Saturday June 19th and Sunday June 20th

Have a good weekend Shopping! Katie

The Lola Chair

2010-06-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

Meet Lola. She is a sweet little chair that I saved from my local thrift store. When I found her, she was dark and dingy, with horrible 70's style fabric covering her seat (sorry I don't have a before picture)! I freshened her us with white paint and fun fabric.

Here is a less cluttered picture.

Here is a close up of the fabric. Pretty and fun.

Detail on back of chair.

Right now the Lola chair is residing in our breakfast nook. However, she will shortly be moving the Dunn Brothers in Eden Prairie (the Smith-Douglas-More Homestead) as part of my new decorating project/adventure where she will be for sale. I will write a post about this project as soon as I have all the correct dates lined up.

Thanks for reading. Have a good rainy weekend.

Katie

The Miracle Restor-A-Finish

2010-05-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

Here it is- my new favorite miracle product! Restor-A-Finish. I found this little bottle of amazing a few weekends ago at an antiques shop in Red Wing, MN. We were on out way home from a trip to Larosse to see our adorable little Goddaughter Julia when I spotted a shop that could not be passed up. Of course my sweet sweet husband pulled in and he and our pup Bart made themselves comfortable while I scoured 3 floors of antique shops. After a good hour of shopping, this is what I came out with. Even though I would have liked to find more- I was definitely not disappointed. This varnish like product actually works really well. It does not strip the wood, it just restores the original color of the wood to the piece- erasing away water rings and worn down areas. If a cloth doesn't do the job, they recommend using steel wool for really rough areas.

The first thing I used it on was our dining room table- a tiger maple table ($27 yard sale find) that needed a little facelift......

Here is the table before...looking a little rough

And here it is after. I know it is not total night and day, but pretty good. It took care of water rings, wear and tear etc.

Here is another view...

My next project was our coffee table/cedar chest. It was my mom's in college and had been painted, stained and re-painted over the years. It needed a little help. Sorry I don't have a before to show, but as my husband would say.... it was shabby, but not chic.

Here it is after the the facelift....

A closer look. My favorite magazine looks pretty nice sitting on top of the coffee table now.

And here is a more complete view of our living room. Still needs things here and there, but slowly taking shape.

I also used it on our wood banister and it worked really well there.

Hope it works well for you too!

Katie

May Shopping

2010-05-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

My favorite flowers...pink peonies. They look so pretty in the classic Ball jar.

(Image compliments of Twelve 22)

Here is the list of sales that will be open this weekend....enjoy! Sorry I din't post last week- life got really busy!

Minneapolis/ St. Paul

Seward Neighborhood Garage Sale
Hours: Friday May 14th and Saturday May 15th 9am-5pm
**To find out more information on the Seward sales, click here to to connected to their website

Mac Groveland Antique and Collectibles Sale
Location: 1397 Grand Avenue   Saint Paul, MN
Hours: Saturday May 15th 9am-4pm
            Sunday May 16th 10am-3pm

Anoka

The French Flea!
Location: 211 East Main Street Anoka, MN
Hours: May 13th 10am-8pm
            May 14th 10am-5pm
            May 15th 10am-5pm
            May 16th 12pm-4pm
Click Here to see pictures of their upcoming sale on their blog....

Nic Nac Paddywack's
Location: 201 E Main Street Anoka, MN
Hours: May 13th 10am-8pm
   May 14th 10am-5pm
   May 15th 10am-5pm
   May 16th 12pm- 4pm
**Note- there are many more fun little antique and unique shops on Main street in the downtown area of Anoka...I think it is definitely worth checking out.

Bloomington

Laurie's Trunk Antiques
Location: 9066 Lyndale Avenue South   Bloomington, MN
Hours: Friday May 14th- Saturday May 16th 10am-6pm
            Sunday May 17th 12pm-5pm
**Click here to see Laurie's website and blog

Hutchinson

Uniquely Yours Occasional Sale
Location: 1030 S Grade Road Hutchinson, MN
Hours: May 13th-15th 10am-5pm

Have a great weekend!! Katie

Lilacs

2010-05-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

Lilacs adorn almost every room in our little bungalow for the brief time that they bloom in the Spring. In my mind they are the perfect flower. They are the perfect price, smell beautiful and look good anywhere you put them.

Here they take center stage on our dining room table...

They sit on my bedside table

Lilacs are perfect in my vintage Mint Julip glass

In the living room

These lilacs will keep my house looking pretty until the rest of my garden comes to life again.

Katie

Good thing we took the Volvo

2010-05-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Katie knew we had room in the Volvo, and she used up every last bit of it (Bart had to sit up front on her lap, which was okay until his paw turned on the heated seats) The garage sale festival was a bit of a zoo, and much like the monkey exhibit, there was a lot of... um stuff. While Katie was able to find a few nice items (which I had to lug back to the car, made me wish she would have just taken up her Dad's hobby of collecting toy soldiers, then I could just put the days take in my pocket, instead of using a rickety old wheelbarrow to hall back the huge chest, but Katie said one day it will be filled with flowers)

This picture of Bart sums up how the boys of today felt about our garage sale outing, at least Bart got a few treats from people, all I got was a cut on my finger, and a mediocre coffee.

I guess I just don't have the shopping endurance, or the desire to weed through and seek out the treasures, and it is hard for me to help clean out someones garage, knowing that it is just filling up ours.

Mike

Garage sale season!!

2010-04-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

Its that time of the year again- garage sale season! My favorite part of spring. There is nothing better than scouring through piles of people "junk" stacked up in their yards and garages, finding a diamond in the rough and toting it home and bragging about the amazing deal you just found. My favorite garage sales to shop are the Minneapolis neighborhood garage sales. This weekend the Bryn Mawr neighborhood is hosting their big event. Click here for a link to for details on what to expect to find.

Where: Start at 245 Thomas Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55406

When: Today (sorry so last minute) and tomorrow May 1st

Good luck and happy shopping! Katie

Lazy Spring Days

2010-04-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

My Husband's parents brought over these lovely red cedar Adirondack chairs this past weekend. They had them made by a local furniture maker and gave them to us over the past year as gifts (Woodwork by Stan). We love them. We have enjoyed almost every dinner since Sunday on these chairs soaking up the early evening sun. Some how sitting in these chairs makes me forget all the things I want to change about our yard, like seeding the lawn, preparing the vegetable garden and replacing the old chain link fence. When I sit in these chairs I slip into a deep state of laziness. I can foresee my husband and I spending many a summer afternoon snoozing away on these chairs, quickly forgetting about all of the projects left undone, followed by warm summer nights roasting marshmallows with friends around a blazing fire.

With that thought in mind I have a mission. I need to find a nice little side table for us to rest our drinks on while kicking back in our new chairs. Here is where I plan to shop this weekend.......

Apple Valley

Haupt Antiek Market

Location: 7570 W. 147th Street Apple Valley, MN

Hours:

Thursday: 9am- 8pm

Friday: 9am- 7pm

Saturday: 9am- 5pm

Sunday: 11am- 4pm

***Sorry, last weekend I posted that this sale was open- but it was not. It is open this weekend though!

Have a good Weekend. Katie

Inspiration For This Weekend.....

2010-04-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

Chaska/ Carver

Mustard Moon, Seasons & The Nature of It

Location: All three are located at 300 Broadway in Carver, MN

Linda's Cellar & The Vintage Cottage

Location: Both shops are located on 2nd Street in downtown Chaska

Hours:

Thursday: 10am-5pm

Friday & Saturday: 10am-4pm

Shakopee

How Quaint

Location: 714 1st Avenue E Shakopee, MN

Hours:

Thursday: 9am- 8pm

Friday: 9am- 7pm

Saturday: 9am- 5pm

Sunday: 11am- 4pm

Eagan

Haupt Antiek Market

Location: 1067 Tiffany Drive Eagan, MN

Hours:

Thursday: 9am-8pm

Friday: 9am-7pm

Saturday: 9am-5pm

Sunday: 11am-4pm

Rosemount

Cat and the Fiddle

Location: 14680 Robert Trail Rosemount, MN

Hours:

Thursday: 9am-8pm

Friday: 9am-7pm

Saturday: 9am-6pm

Sunday: 10am-4pm

Minneapolis
Bachman's Spring Idea House
Location: 6010 Lyndale Ave S Minneapolis, MN
Hours: Click here for details on how to purchase tickets and tour times!

Happy Shopping! Katie

P.S. Photo is compliments of google images

Spode, White and Silver

2010-04-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

When my grandmother died, I inherited her set of six Spode Blue Room collection of plates, cups and saucers. Now that spring is here, I decided to get them out and put them on display in our buffet.

I absolutely love these plates. My mom has a set that she acquired over the years, picking up plates here and there when she would find them, so you can imagine how elated I was when I became the new owner of these beautiful plates. What I love about these plates is not only the beautiful color, but the story that each plate tells.

Here is my favorite vignette. This plate is entitled "Girl at Well." I wonder what she is thinking? Is she thinking about all the chores she has to still do, or the fact that she probably has to carry 50# of water back to her house, or is she dreaming of her lover? I like to think the latter. It sounds more romantic.

I decided to put the Plates out with our white everyday dishes, I needed some filler pieces, so I decided to use some of my silver as an accent. We got some really beautiful silver gifts for our wedding, so I love to display them whenever possible.

I like this combination, it looks fancy, without being fussy. Hopefully my Mimi approves! I never polish my silver. I like the way my pieces look when they get tarnished- the patina they acquire. It makes it feel more casual, more everyday.

A view of the back of the "Rome" vignette plate

Another great thing about Spode is that they have become more and more readily available at the chain discount stores that I know we have all grown to love. My mom and I have seen them at Marshall's, Home Goods and TJ Max for as little as $2 a plate! Of course, those store are always hit or miss, but with a little time and patience, I bet you will run across this collection one of these days.

Weekend Inspiration

2010-04-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here is the run down of what is happening this weekend.....

Minneapolis

The Cottage House
Location: 4304 Chicago Avenue Minneapolis, MN
Hours:
Thursday- Friday: 10am-7pm
Saturday-Sunday: 10am- 6pm

**The theme at The Cottage House this month is "A Paris Apartment"

Flamingos
Location: 3404 Cedar Ave S Minneapolis, MN
Hours:
Thursday- Sunday: 10am-6pm

**I went to Flamingos for the first time last month and I think it my new favorite sale. They are connected to a small flower shop and are in their first months of business. They don't have quite as much stuff as The Cottage House, but their prices are really low and they are willing to barter.

Bachman's

Bachman's is hosting two big events this weekend. The first is the opening weekend of their "Idea House," an historic home owned by Bachman's that has been filled with antiques and vintage finds. Each room has been set up in creative ways to inspire you when you shop for your own home. The Idea House is coinciding with the debut of Bachman's new line of home furnishing's which combines vintage and new items in many of their stores. I think the prices at Bachman's will be more than those at the traditional occasional sales, but they say that they have many items under $50, so it's probably worth at least checking out....at least for some ideas.

You must buy tickets for the Idea House either on-line or in any of the Bachman's stores. The cost is $5 and 20% of the procedes benefit Children's Home Society & Family Services.

www. bachmans.com

A Gathering of Friends- This is a twice yearly antiques market with several dealers that is being held at the Bachman's store on Lyndale Avenue

Location: 6010 Lyndale Avenue South Minneapolis, MN
Hours:
Thursday & Friday 9am-8pm
Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday: 10am-3pm

**This is definitely worth checking out. There is no admission fee and with 18 dealers, there should be lots to look at. Check out their website to see pictures of past sales....

www.agatheringoffriends.net

Bloomington

Laurie's Trunk
Location: 9066 Lyndale Avenue S Bloomington, MN
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 10am-6pm
Sunday: 12pm-5pm

Check out her website for more details and directions...

www.lauriestrunk.com

Have a good weekend!

Flower Power

2010-04-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

It's about that time of the year when myself along with 99% of my fellow Minnesotans get a serious case of spring fever. We bask in the warmth and sun on those nice days, and then get miserable on others when we step outside to find that it's only 45 degrees and flip flops just won't cut it. We all hope that old man winter has packed his bags and hit the dusty trail, but these days I need daily reminders that spring is indeed coming. I may have jumped the gun just a bit this year as I packed up all my winter clothes to make room for my warm weather attire- hopefully I won't jinx us, but someone has to take the first step, right? For me, the most comforting things about April are the smell of the air when it rains, the bright green color of the grass in half our yard (the other half, sadly, is still dirt), the little peep of our perennial's starting to resurface and most important, tulips sprouting up all around the neighborhood. Nothing says spring like fresh flowers! A friend recently told me she once heard a quote, "Money is never wasted on good books and flowers." So true! I am totally addicted to fresh cut flowers. I try to almost always have at least one bunch, but have been known in the summer months to have a jarful of flowers in every room of our small house.

The best part about flowers is they are a really cheap way to make you house look and feel 100% better. I think a lot of people have this misconception that you need to spend a lot of money to get a nice bouquet of flowers. While you definitely can, it is not mandatory. There is no reason you need to spend over $6 or $7 to get beautiful flowers. I usually don't spend more than $5, and no, I don't just buy carnations. The best part is, I usually buy my flowers at the grocery store. And believe it or not, in my experience, the best and cheapest selection is Bachman's flowers at Lunds and Byerlys! I know, it seems non-sensicle since they are two of the highest priced grocery stores in town. They have a great variety and sell more than just roses and carnations. Most of the time they will have plenty of variety in the $5-$7 range that will perk up your house just as much as a $14 bouquet of roses. One of my favorite varieties to buy is eucalyptus. They are beautiful fresh but also can be dried really easily to look nice for a long time.

If you don't have a Lunds and Byerly's close to you, check out the flower section of your local grocery store. While they may not have quite as large a selection, I bet they have a few options to choose from. And don't worry if you don't have a flower vase at home, sometimes I think flowers looks the best displayed in non-convntional ways like a jug, pitcher, pretty glass bowl, watering can or jar. So start your week of on the right foot! Before you make you way home to a house filled with a to- do list a mile long, crazy kids, dogs and a hungry spouse, take a moment for yourself and swing into the grocery store to pick yourself up a pretty, cheap bunch of flowers! You deserve it.

On the Hunt for Junk

2010-03-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Well, not really junk. As the saying goes, "one's man trash is a thrifty chick's treasure." That pretty much sums up the whole idea behind second hand shopping, or as my 7 year old cousin says "treasure hunting!". One person may think that their old tarnished pitcher from Aunt Mable is hidious and throw it in the good-will bag- a week later you are strolling through your local thrift store and spot a tired silver pitcher that you think you can save. You take it home, rub it down with a little polish and elbow grease and Voilia! you have a beautiful sparkling piece of silver that you will have on your table for years to come. Better yet, you only paid $1.99 for your treasure.

There really is something so gratifying about digging around estate sales, thrift stores, yard sales, your neighbors remodeling dumpster (it's fair game if its on the curb, right?) and finding that one thing that makes your house look complete. It's almost feels like you and your piece of junk were meant to be. That being said, here is what's going on this weekend.

Occasional Sales

Little Red Hen
Location: 261 Atlantic Avenue W. Dassel, MN
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 9am-6pm

Marilyn's Occasional Sale
Location: 13153 180th St. Hutchinson, MN
Hours:
Friday and Saturday: 11am-5pm

Since there aren't many sales open this weekend, I thought I would share with you another great way to shop if you are on a budget- thrift stores! I know thrift store shopping can sometimes be overwhelming, but if you have a little patience and time you can find some really great stuff. Not to mention, I can assure you that many of the items you would find at occasional sales were purchased at thrift stores. With that in mind, here a couple of things to remember when shopping at second-hand stores........

1. Best not to go to a thrift store with a specific item in mind that you need or would like to buy. If you are buying clothes, be prepared to buy out of season as you never know what you will find.
2. In general, do not buy comforters and down comforters from thrift stores- since you have no idea where the bedding has been, or, even worse, who has been sleeping with the comforter, it is best to stay clear.
3. On the other hand, sheets, duvet covers, towels, tablecloths, napkins, drapes and most rugs are okay because they can be cleaned and disinfected.
4. Make sure you wash/ air out everything that you purchase from a thrift store. There is pretty much no nice way to say this, most thrift stores have a very distinct stale smell. It's never a bad idea to have a bottle of hand sanitizer in your bag when digging around, and probably a good idea to wash your hands when you are done shopping.
5. If you are new to thrift store shopping, you may want to pick one area that you are going to focus on for that day. That way you can focus on looking through everything in that section. If you try to take on the whole store on your first visit, you might end feeling a bit overwhelmed and leave empty handed- which is never good.

By far my favorite thrift store is Unique Thrift, which is located on Rice street in St. Paul. They also have other locations Burnsville, New Hope and Minneapolis.

Here are a few other popular thrift stores:

Valu Thrift- Here is the link to their website...

www.arcsvaluevillage.org

The Salvation Army also has tons of great thrift stores all around the twin cities. Here is their website...

www.use.salvationarmy.org

Savers- here is their website

www.savers.com

A Rainy Weekend

2010-03-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

Sadly, last weekend turned into a total bust. Not only was I unable to get to Buffalo, I also learned that I am not a very good spray painter! I was working on some projects for my upcoming class, Thrifty Funky Junk (which you should all attend- it’s going to be a blast) but did not get very far with any of them. I suppose I should have learned a long time ago that being hungry and tired is never a good combination with painting!! Don’t worry, I will get it all figured out before the class.

So this weekend we are back in Minneapolis!! With the weather forecast predicting rain, it may be good to stick close to home. It’s never good to drive a jam-packed car in bad weather. At least in my experience!!

Here is line-up…..

Minneapolis

The Cottage House
Location: 4304 Chicago Avenue S Minneapolis, MN
Hours:
Wednesday- Sunday: 10am-6pm

However, for those of you who live a bit North, The French Flea will be open again in Anoka along with several other Antique stores on Main Street.

Anoka

The French Flea!
Location: 211 East Main Street Anoka, MN 55303
Hours:
Thursday 10am-8pm
Friday 10am-5pm
Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 12pm-4pm

If you get a chance, check out their blog. They have some cool pictures of the store as they are getting ready for the upcoming weekend......
http://thefrenchfleaofanoka.blogspot.com

As long as you are at The French Flea, you might well stop by some of the other Antique stores that lovely old Anoka has to offer……

Antiques on Main
Location: 212 E. Main Street

Amore Antiques
Location: 2008 2nd Avenue

There are several other small stores and Antique shops that are definitely worth checking out while you are in the area. My favorite shop in town is:

Krista Artista
Location: 2005 2nd Avenue N. Anoka, MN

This is a really fun art and craft gallery that showcases 60 different artists- all local! They have really beautiful paintings, pottery, cards etc. While you won't exactly get things for dirt cheap, you can for sure find a gem now and again. The first time I went to Krista Artista, I got these pretty glass coasters with copper trim and pressed flowers in between for $2 each! They were the first purchase I made for our house when we were remodeling and they are still one of my favorites.

http://www.kristaartistagallery.com/

This weekend I plan to make my way up to Anoka, husband in tow. Hopefully I will have room for him on the way home!!

Happy shopping. Katie

Pack up the Car and Head to Buffalo

2010-03-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

Finally we have made it to March, which is good on so many levels! Not only have we had several 40degree days in the last week ( I know, kinda pathetic!) making the light at the end of Winters tunnel visable for us weary Minnesotans, but this weekend Buffalo is hosting their monthly Occasional sales. Yay! So if you are looking for a little inspiration for your home head West to Buffalo and check out all the fun this weekend.

There are 7 occasional sales opening their doors starting on Thursday (sounds like a good excuse to take a personal day, huh?) and ending on Sunday afternoon. This weekend will be my first experience at all of these shops, so I am really excited to share all that I find with you. Here is the line-up......

Barntiques
Location: 3337 15th street NW
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday: 12pm-5pm

Lillians
Location: 134 Lake Blvd
Hours:
Thursday: 9am-8pm
Friday - Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-4pm

Moon Goon
Location: 2nd Street S
Hours:
Thursday: 9am-8pm
Friday- Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 11am-4pm

Second Hand Rose
Location: 609 Soo Lane
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday: 12pm-5pm

The Porch
Location: 32 1/2 Central Avenue
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 9am- 6pm
Sunday: 12pm-5pm

This & That
Location: 605 Soo Lane
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 9am-6pm

Three Sisters Collectibles
Location: 18 Central Ave
Hours:
Thursday- Saturday: 9am-6pm

So there's the scoop. Are you excited?? I hope you have lots of fun digging around the shops this weekend. I hope you find that one perfect thing that your house is missing.

Happy Shopping. Katie

Saddle up and Head West..........

2010-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

Well, western Minnesota that is. If you get the itch to do some hunting this weekend, there are two occasional sales that I know of. The first is in Dassel and the second in Hutchinson.

Dassel

The Little Red Hen
Location: 261 Atlantic Avenue West Dassel, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 9am-6pm
Friday- 9am-6pm
Saturday- 9am-6pm

The Scoop:
I have not yet ventured to the Little Red Hen, but apparently it is quite the hot spot. A year and a half ago, Little Red Hen opened their doors in a historic Dassel building. Over the years the building has housed many buisnesses including the local newspaper office. 10 dealers contribute to the sale each month. Each one scouring through thrift stores, auctions and garage and occasional sales to gather up a unique loot to sell to eagar buyers each month (ie. me!).

Hutchinson

Marilyn's Occasional Sale
Location: 13153 180th Street Hutchinson, MN
Hours:
Friday- 11am-5pm
Saturday- 11am-5pm

The Scoop:
Although they have shorter hours than most, Marilyn says that if you would like to come and dig around outside the posted hours, just give her a call. She can try and work something out with you. Now that's service!! The merchandise at Marilyn's is a bit like Mustard Moon in Carver, rusty and crusty. Or, in other words, has lots of character.

If you want to stay in the city.......

If you don't want to drive very far and you live in the Minneapolis/ Saint Paul area you should check out one of my favorite little St Paul shops, Gypsy Moon. Although it is not an occasional sale, it still is a fun store to poke around in. They have a mix of new and vintage items for sale. Some of their furniture pieces come from auction, so you can really score some nice deals. For example, in college I got a really nice, well made dresser for $100. I just love it! It is yellow and somewhat distressed, with really deep drawers. They just don't make em' that way anymore.

Gypsy Moon
Location: 1887 Randolph Avenue Saint Paul, MN
Hours:
M-F- 10am-8pm
Saturday- 10am-6pm
Sunday- 11am-5pm

Happy Shopping!!! Katie

Southern Finds....

2010-02-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took advantage of the good weather and ventured down south to check out the Chaska, Shakopee and Carver occasional sales. I must say, there were some pretty good deals to be had! It was fun to hit all of them up in one day and compare what each store had to offer. Lots of inspiring things to look at. It made me want to run home and re-arrange my whole house!!

Take a look at some of the fun stuff that the stores had on display....

The first store I visited was in Shakopee, called How Quaint....

Beautiful colored pairings of thread and buttons.

Lots of fun westen/hunting and cabin themed finds at VERY reasonable prices.

This weekend we saw lots of these rustic doors that were diplayed in tons of fun ways. A different way to jazz up a bare wall or corner. Another store showed a door up against the back of a desk as a way to create hanging space above the desk. A good idea if you want to save your walls from a million nail holes!!

Our next stop was in Chaska at Linda's Cellar....

Our final visit was in the small town of Carver at Mustard Moon, Seasons and Country Cottage. The three stores all share a small building. One stop shopping that lets you browse through two floors of very unique,

shabby shiek and rusted assortment of antique and salvaged gems. Take a look at some of the cool stuff Sara Smith sells at Mustard Moon.....

You can also see her art in the new magazine, Flea Market Style, which is brand new this month!!

Here is my most exciting find...

My husband is still a little leery about hanging up an "old rusty piece of metal" in our living room. He obviously doesn't see the potential I do...men! Maybe I will have to wait until he goes skiing.........

Treasure Hunting This Weekend.......

2010-02-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

Put on your Shopping shoes everyone!! This weekend is a biggie in the Occasional sale world. Starting tomorrow, there are 8 sales total, all in the southeast and southwest suburbs. Carver, Chaska, Shakopee, Rosemount and Apple Valley are all hosting sales where bagain hunters can expect to find heaps of funky unique home goods and re-vamped furniture. You might want to load up the biggest car your find with your best friend and lots of snacks becuase I can bet you will want to get carried away at these shops this weekend!

Here is the scoop.....

Rosemount

Cat and the Fiddle
Location: 14680 S. Robert Trail, Rosemount, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 9am-8pm
Friday- 9am-7pm
Saturday- 9am-6pm
Sunday- 10am-4pm

**I have never been to this sale, but it consists of three old houses with almost 20 dealers contributing to it each month. There will be lots of antiques and retro peices.

Apple Valley

Haupt Antiek Market
Location: 7570 W. 147th street Apple Valley, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 9am-8pm
Friday- 9am-7pm
Saturday- 9am-5pm
Sunday- 11am-4pm

**Follow this link to their website to find out more about this sale. Looks really neat! http://www.hauptantiek.com/

Carver

Country Cottage of Carver
Location: 204 N. Broadway Street Carver, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 10am-5pm
Friday- 10am-4pm
Saturday- 10am-4pm

**Lots of vintage finds and fun painted furniture

Mustard Moon
Location: 300 N. Broadway Street Carver, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 10am-5pm
Friday- 10am-5pm
Saturday- 10am-4pm

**Check out their webiste to see pictures and get more information on this sale http://www.omustardmoon.com/

Seasons
Location: 300 N. Broadway Street Carver, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 10am-5pm
Friday- 10am-4pm
Saturday- 10am-4pm

Chaska

Vintage Cottage
Location: 116 2nd Street, No 105 Chaska, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 10am-5pm
Friday- 10am-5pm
Saturday- 10am-4pm

Linda's Cellar
Location: 112 East 2nd Street Chaska, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 10am-5pm
Friday- 10am-4pm
Saturday- 10am-4pm

**stocked with vintage items, junk to rescue and funky primitive finds

Shakopee

How Quaint
Location: 714 1st Avenue East (Hwy 101) Shakopee, MN
Hours:
Thursday- 9am-8pm
Friday- 9am-7pm
Saturday- 9am-5pm
Sunday- 11am-4pm

**Nine dealers contribute to this sale, so I am sure there are lots of fun finds to be had.

So, as you can see lots to do and see this weekend in goood old Minnesota. Why go anywhere else, right?

Hope to see you there. Have a good weekend shopping! Katie

Thrifty Funky Junk....a Decorating Class

2010-02-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

My friend Carrie and I are teaching a class on the art of thrifty home decorating. We will be sharing with you some of our ideas on putting together a cute, comfy and unique home. This class will be lots of fun! If you are looking for some inspiration, or just need something to do on a Saturday morning- come to our class! Here is the gist...

March 27th from 10-12pm at the Fairview Community Education Center in Roseville, MN. Cost $19

During class we will teach you how to "distress" furniture to give it new life, and demonstrate a creative new way to jazz up a tired old file cabinet. We will also share our ideas on how to repurpose everyday items to put together fun and creative displays to spruce up your home for spring. At the end of the class, I will be handing out a packet with resources for thrifty shopping opportunities around the twin cities in the upcoming months. Hope you are able to make it! We would love to have you there! Katie

To sign up for Thrifty Funky Junk, you can either call...

651-604-3770 and the receptionist can help you register, or go to...

http://www.isd623.org/commed/ and type in "thrifty funky junk" in the search bar and it should pull our class up.

You can also find our class listed in the Star Tribune events calendar.

Stay tuned for this weeks occasional sale post......

My Weekend Loot

2010-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I made my way to the Cottage House this weekend to check out the Valentines Day sale. I must say it is much better to arrive at these occasional sales earlier, rather than later, as most of the merchandise was picked over by the time I went on Sunday morning. However, in usual fashion, I did still manage to find a few diamonds in the rough.

I spotted a chair in the garage of the Cottage House suspended on the wall that looked like a Hitchcock chair. I took it down and, by golly, it sure was!! Plus, it was only $32! I was elated. I have been looking all over town for the past year for a Hitchcock chair. At most antique stores, they sell for at least 3X that price. That is the beauty of occasioanal sales, much like garage sales, sometimes you can really get lucky. You just need a little paitence. My husband would say that I am still working on that part.

Here is my chair in the store

Here it is looking much more comfortable along side my Nana's antique gateleg table.

My next find was this vinatge wasboard..........

Looking good nestled among some frames in our breakfast nook.

Here are a couple other fun things that they had for sale this weekend......

As promised, I am working on jazzing things up here (hence the pictures). Unfortunately, I am working on my dinasour of a computer that is slow as a snail. In the time it took to upload these 6 pictures I was able to polish off half an M&M cookie, read Vita.mn and if it wasn't snowing, I could have made my way all the way around Lake Nokomis. Okay, maybe I am being a little dramatic, but you get the picture.

Heading north this weekend??

2010-02-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

The French Flea

I just learned of another sale that will be going on this weekend! About a 35 minute drive from Minneapolis, The French Flea in Anoka, MN will have its doors open this month Starting today, February 11th through Sunday February 14th.

211 East Main Street
Anoka, MN 55303

Hours:

Thurs 10 am - 8 pm
Fri 10 am - 5 pm
Sat 10 am - 5 pm
Sun 12 pm - 4 pm

The scoop:

The French Flea is a relatively new occasional sale that has lots of fun, chic vintage items. Many of their items have a french flair, and much like the cottage house, their displays are adorable. The women who run the French flea have a knack for re-purposing everyday items to give them new life.

I was introduced to this shop last year and just loved it. Of course I found something that we just had to have, and my poor, unsuspecting husband was talked into loading up the car with a pair of adorable matching antique chairs and foot stool. They were a great price and quality and are perfect addition to our house! Hope you have the same luck I did! I think it is definitely worth the drive.

One more fun thing- Every Thursday night is "Girls Night out" where they say they provide refreshments. I have personally never been to a "ladies night," so I don't know if many boys shop on those nights, but I would be willing to bet they will serve drinks to anyone in the shopping mood. Or to any poor man dragged along for the ride!!

If you want to read more about the French Flea, you can follow this link to their blog.....

http://thefrenchfleaofanoka.blogspot.com/

A fresh start

2010-02-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

For my first edition of Thrifty City Chic, I am going to highlight an occasional sale that is very near and dear to my heart, and home!! Here is the skinny.....

The Cottage House (612-825-4934)

4304 Chicago Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Hours: Today (Wednesday) through Sunday 10-6pm

**They will be open on Monday from 10-3 for a BIG presidents Day sale.

The scoop on the Cottage house.....

This place is really pretty fun. It is a funky little house right in the middle of Chicago Avenue. If you don't pay attention you could almost miss it. They have a SALE sign that sits out front when they are open. They have lots of stuff! Every month they clear the place out and repaint, redecorate and for the most part, have new merchandise. Often times though, if an item doesn't sell the first month, they will have it there the next in a new location (so make sure to ask for a lower price on those items). They have lots of cute displays, some antiques, and lots of funky unique finds. On many occassions I have loaded up the old Subabru at the Cottage House.

A couple things to keep in mind when you attend this sale...

At The Cottage House, they do not really barter until Sunday. You can always ask "will you take a little less for this," but they don't always budge until Sunday.

Be a little careful when buying accessories. In general, I think their prices on furniture are very good. However, the little stuff can sometimes be overpriced. For example, one time I found this adorable vintage cranberry crate and paid $12 for it. I was very excited until I got home and found the Goodwill sticker still stuck to the bottom that said $1. Bummer.

Happy shopping!!

Thrifty chic on a mission

2010-02-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, welcome to my new blog, Thrifty City Chic. This blog is being created to inform all my fellow thrifty, decorating-loving minnesotans about the places in the twin cities and surrounding areas to find unique, stylish and practicle items for their home. Believe it or not, we are lucky to live in a city full of people who not only have lots of style, but also love a good deal. There are tons of cute stores and great occassional sales that are jam-packed with great furniture, accessories and ideas for you to turn your houses into homes.

I will be updating this blog weekly with the current sales being offered around the city for the upcoming week. Most occassional sales are open once a month for the weekend. Each week, I will also try and highlight a store that (in my opionion) sells good quality items for reasonable prices. I welcome any ideas/suggestions/tips on new "hot spots" from my readers.

Before I start, I do need to make one confession.....I am a blog-virgin. Meaning I have never written a blog, followed a blog, you get the idea. I am far from computer savvy, so this site will be looking pretty bare for a while. Kinda like a new house. It takes a while to take shape. As I learn about the computer and blogging, I promise, I will make it much prettier. For the meantime, please, bare with me.

Stay tuned for the 1st post.......