Christmas Morning

Our happy girls on Christmas Day 2011! 

The girls were THRILLED with the "treasures" they found under the tree!

That is ALL she asked for was a Belle doll.

She absolutely LOVES Frosty the Snowman.

And this is the result of going to garage sales every weekend of the summer! 

The perfect gifts just jumped right out at me!

It was another wonderful "Garage Sale Christmas"!

I cannot WAIT for garage sale season to start this year!! 

Garage Sale Christmas

Only a few days before Christmas! I need to get all the presents wrapped!! I have sorted all my garage sale treasures and this is what I have from shopping all summer!  DVDs, books, games, dresses, Barbie car, Wizard of Oz movie with ruby slippers, Belle doll. I cannot wait for Christmas morning!
Right now I have this all spread out over the bed in the guest room aka "grandma's room". I just cover this all up with the comforter and it is hidden away. So I need to get it wrapped before grandma comes to stay for Christmas.

I love the Minnie Mouse dress with ears and dozens of Littlest Pet Shop cuties!

oh yes! Fraggle Rock DVD! 

All of this was $40 !

When I come home from each garage sale trip I just stash the gifts in a suitcase in the basement. I just keep adding to it and then in December I get to sort it all out!! Then I buy 2 new rolls of wrapping paper each year. One roll for each daughter. I wrap all their gifts in their own wrapping paper.  I just tell them which paper is theirs and then they know which presents are theirs under the tree. I don't have to make out tags. They love it! OK so I buy 3 rolls of wrapping paper because Santa gets his own. 

I was looking through my photos from last year's Garage Sale Christmas. This system of using the bed to sort it all out and covering it with a blanket works so well for me! I wouldn't want to leave it all out on the floor - I feel like they could just open the door and SURPRISE! And I don't want to put it all away each day because I am only able to wrap a little at a time.

LAST year there was a giant surprise from Santa.

I heard that Mrs. Claus got this inflatable igloo from a garage sale for $5 !! The girls played with this all winter. Good to know there are great garage sales at the North Pole. Thank you Santa! 

my sweeties

December 25, 2010

:-)

Getting ready for Christmas

So sorry I have been away from my blog for awhile. Garage sale season has slowed down around here BUT I am back to my blog and I cannot wait to share what I am doing with all my garage sale treasures from this year!

It's the end of November and we are preparing to decorate for Christmas!! All summer I scooped up a ton of Christmas decorations at garage sales and packed them away. Now it feels like Christmas day for me to open up all the boxes of new decor. I am ready to fill up our house! I picked up this gorgeous, ivory, antique vase for $4. And I found these lovely, red flowers at Michaels!

This is our family wall in our dining room. It makes me happy every time I see it. 

more goodies from last weekend

from last weekend's treasure hunting...

I filled my car many times! 

These treasures went straight into my "secret suitcase" hiding spot. Christmas Presents!

games & books & DVDs 

50 cents - $2 each

Barbie golf bag $5

adorable vintage Salt & Pepper shakers $1

clock with stand $1

Footloose CD 25 cents - I need it on CD - I only have it on cassette :-)

brand new ipod speakers marked $10 but I made a deal and got it for $8 (shhh it might be a Christmas present for my husband)

Disney Princess kickboards 50 cents each

Rollerblades in EXCELLENT condition $10

Hello Kitty rain boots $3

I did not buy that table this weekend. That was a gift from a friend!

When I found this picture I got goosebumps. $5 

It exactly matches my shower curtain that I found at Salvation Army for $5 ! 

The mirror was $5 and it is now hanging by my front door.

The story of this rug is incredible! The cutest, sweetest young lady was unrolling it and I was the first to see it. She mentioned she purchased it from Pottery Barn a few months ago for $250. She is getting a divorce and selling the rug because it reminds her of her ex husband. I knew it would sell fast! I wanted that rug SO BAD!

$40 SOLD ! 

Gorgeous! Love it !

My blog's 1st birthday & 1st giveaway

My blog is one year old!

I never knew blogging would be so fun. I have learned so much and met so many supportive, wonderful people. There are so many gorgeous blogs out there that I admire.

This year has changed my life!

our stairs redo

  

          I admire the blogging and decorating expertise of ThriftyDecorChick.com

She is MY FIRST BLOG LOVE. 

          I was hooked on her detailed DIY tutorials. 

         SHE inspired me to redo our STAIRS. 

          I am so amazed at how much

          she transforms in her home.

  

Girl In Air

Then there is Girl In Air who is very creative and ambitious! I fell in LOVE with her  Magnetic Chalkboard, Dry erase, with sliding ladder wall!

She has wonderful tutorials for home decor! I am so impressed by the AMOUNTS of projects she has accomplished! Wow! And she has an Etsy store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/girlinair
I really wish she could come to my house and create that fabulous Activity Wall !






And someone whom I have met in person... the very talented Sarah from ThreeBoys-home.blogspot.com. She has transformed some amazing pieces of furniture! I really could learn a million things from her!!

This is just to name a few of the many blogs that inspire me!
I really enjoy following all the amazing blogs out there! You motivate me!
There is so much talent out there and I am in love with all the creativity!


It has been a big year for Garage Sale Diaries...


I had the opportunity to meet the sweetheart Cari Cucksey from the HGTV show 'Cash and Cari'. I have managed to visit MANY of her estate sales this summer. One sale is where I found this amazing treasure for my dad's collection.



My family and I traveled to the world's longest yard sale along highway 127. The sale runs over 600 miles from Michigan to Alabama. It was an adventure to see what other people collect and sell in other parts of the country. Every year it runs the first week in August. We are going again this year!!

Also, this past year I saved our family a ton of money by purchasing the girls' Christmas gifts and Birthday gifts at garage sales. It is amazing all the BRAND NEW goodies you can find. And I shared my secret hiding spot for the presents. I just kept adding treasures to a very large suitcase throughout the year and at Christmas time I had more than enough to put under the tree! 

I won a Silhouette machine from Thrifty Decor Chick! This machine rocks! 

It cuts paper and fabric in any shape and font that is on your computer!

And I have continued to decorate our home with garage sale / estate sale treasures. 

Including 7 tables in one year! 

This next year I want to learn more about transforming furniture! Home Depot has had some fabulous colors of OOPS paint that I have been buying up for $5 for a gallon and $1 for a quart. 

In celebration of my blog's 1st birthday I would like to present a gift to my friends!

My very first GIVEAWAY!!

FLEA MARKET STYLE MAGAZINE 

(retail $9.95)

There are so many inspiring photos and articles in the 144 pages! 
I love this magazine and I want to share it! 

Ways to enter my giveaway:

1. Become a follower of my blog. Then leave me a comment letting me know you are a follower. If you are already a follower just leave a comment letting me know!

2. Follow me on Twitter. Then leave me a comment. http://twitter.com/#!/garagesalediary

3. Like my Facebook page. Please leave a comment letting me know.
 www.facebook.com/garagesalediaries

4. Post a comment about your favorite garage sale treasure, what you like to look for at garage sales or your favorite garage sale story! I love to hear about everyone's treasures!

I want to thank you all for reading along with me on my adventures!!

Yes, this is open to everyone, even my friends outside the U.S. (you there in Australia and China)
This giveaway will be open for 6 days, until next Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at midnight EST. I will announce the winner of a FLEA MARKET STYLE MAGAZINE and post my new treasures I find over the weekend on Wednesday, July 13, 2011 !! 

$2 Christmas

From all my garage sale shopping over the summer I was able to get all the Christmas gifts for the girls this year! I would get good deals all year long and hide it away. I was so excited to sort it all out and see what I had! It was amazing! I had just the right amount for both of them. I paid $2 each for these treasures and spent less than $100 for all their gifts!!!

And for Christmas... I received

The Antiques & Collectibles 2011 price guide. (smile)
There is actually a section on Mike and Frank of the American Pickers show on the History channel.

Merry Christmas Wooden Blocks

What I love about garage sales and even church sales is being able to find unique items. I found this wooden block set at a church sale for $3. I love the rustic look. I am not sure what store I would find something like this. My 5 year old helped me put the letters in order.

Jewelry box for Christmas

Adorable 5 drawer jewelry organizer. I found this for $1.50 and it will be a pretty little Christmas present for my girls. They will LOVE it! I think it will fit perfect in their bathroom.