The Birthday Thrift Crawl: 48 Hours of Dust, Deals, Decor and Friendship!
Turning another year older is great, but turning a corner and finding the perfect mid-century dresser? That’s the real celebration. For my birthday this year, I skipped the spa and headed straight for the aisles. From local hidden gems to the massive Great NY Flea in Rochester, here is how my birthday thrift crawl weekend unfolded.
The Saturday Strategy: Local Gems
We started the weekend by hitting a curated list of local shops. The goal wasn’t just to buy “stuff,” but to find pieces with a story that could fit into my next renovation project.
The thrill of the hunt is all about the “maybe.” You have to look past the chipped paint and the 90s hardware to see the potential underneath. I managed to snag a few items that are going to look incredible once they get the Little Miss Idea treatment.
Destination: Rochester, NY & The Great NY Flea
Sunday was the main event. If you’ve never been to the Great NY Flea Market, imagine a sea of vintage glass, industrial lighting, and textiles as far as the eye can see.
Walking through the Flea is like a masterclass in interior design and history. I found myself drawn to vintage brass candle holders and unique artwork. It’s the perfect place to find those “statement pieces” that give a room soul.
My Thrifting “Survival Kit“
You can’t go into a weekend like this unprepared. Between the dust and the walking, I’ve narrowed down my must-haves for any serious thrifter.
My Top 3 Essentials:
1. A Retractable Measuring Tape: Never guess if a table will fit in your nook.
2. The “Vision” Notebook: I keep sketches & measurements of my current room layouts, so I know exactly what I’m looking for.
3. Hand Sanitizer & hand wipes: Because thrifting is a contact sport.
Want My Full Checklist?
I’ve put together a Thrift Crawl Essentials Checklist so you can tackle your next weekend hunt like a pro. From the best way to negotiate to what to look for in “good bones,” it’s all there.
Get my Thrifting Check list here!
More Photos from the weekend below:
Stay tuned for a post about how I styled the above shelf in my living room with treasures I found on this trip, and a few things I may have already had on hand.
Coming up soon, before and afters of the 1890’s house that we purchased in February of this year. I’ve started to put my personal touches on it and will show you the before and afters very soon! This summer, we will be doing some work outside, and I will be documenting it as we do the work. Some I will do myself, and some I will have to hire help. Things to look forward to are:
- An old window greenhouse with a metal roof to match our house roof
- Painted outside doors – think 1980’s pale pink and grey! I can’t wait for the weather to cooperate so I can start painting doors!
- Flowers and more flowers planted in pots around the property – think curb appeal. The landscaping around the house that needs to be planted will have to wait until the foundation work is complete. This may have to wait until next summer.
- Some kind of privacy added – a fence, box shrubs, or tall Arborvitae evergreen bushes, still working this out…
- Foundation work, tree stump removal, metal post removal, and tree trimming in the back yard
- A wildflower patch out back that is in the shade
- A cutting flower garden near the garage in a pretty large vintage-style white metal planter. I already own this; it just needs to be planted. I’m waiting for the right weather to plant the flower seeds and bulbs. I envision being able to cut flowers for vases in the house, at work, and to give as gifts all summer long!
- A small kitchen no demo reno; to include painting the existing cabinets, putting on new countertops, refinishing the hardwood floors, and installing a garbage disposal and a small dishwasher. I’ll explain why it has to be small in that post.
- A new bathroom upstairs that will have a low threshold walk-in shower for my in-laws and my Mom, when they stay with us. We will keep the original 1960’s blue vanity and toilet, for nostalgic reasons. I’d like to find the same color for the shower, but that may not be possible. I’ll update on that in a future post too. This is a summer project after the outside work is completed.
- Install heat/air conditioner pumps upstairs (2) and (2) downstairs. Instead of central air being added to our furnace, this may be the best option. We don’t have any vents upstairs…in the winter, the heat rises fine upstairs, but the hot, humid PA summers are not going to be bearable without something to cool us down this summer.
Follow me on Pinterest or Facebook if you’d like to see my idea boards for all of the projects listed above!
