Saturday Steal

It was a productive Saturday. Mike and I cleaned the house top to bottom in the morning. Next I took Oliver for his first walk in over 2 weeks! He is supposed to have another week of crate rest but he has been back to his normal energy level the past several days and he desperately needed to get out of the house. I did my best to get him to take it easy but he was understandably excited to see the neighborhood and other dogs for the first time in weeks.

In the afternoon I took a little "me" time to get out of the house and wander about East Sacramento. I stopped by a consignment shop where I have taken a few things before (and hence had a store credit). Found a couple gorgeous Anne Taylor suits 1 size too small and a pair of 7's For All Mankind in just my size, but a bit more worn than I was willing to purchase. So, I passed.

The 57th Street Antique Mall was just around the corner so I stopped in for an hour to browse and see if I could find either (a) a credenza to work as a TV stand or (b) a small leather chair for our living room. We really only have comfortable seating for 3 (2 on the sofa and 1 chair) so we needed another seat to end the awkward moments when we decide if 3 people are going to cram on the couch together, 1 of us is sitting on the floor, or worse - Mike brings out the green canvas camping chair from the garage. No luck finding either of these 2 pieces. I love antique shop/estate sale/flea market shopping but I find its really tough to go looking for something in particular because when I do I never find it.

Today I did find the cutest little oil painting that I just had to take home. At $4.50 I couldn't pass it up. I found it in an upscale antique shop that specializes in pottery. In fact, it was so out of place that when I brought it up to the owner he asked if I was looking to sell the painting. It took him looking at the tag on the back to convince him I had found it in his shop, and that, yes, it was marked $4.50. The owner commented that it looked primitive. It reminded me of American Primitive/Folk Art style immediately when I saw it. I love the winter scene and the pop of yellow color on the house! I'm going to have no problem finding a spot for it. When you are just starting to decorate your house and collect art for it, you can do well and find good pieces without spending a fortune. Gorgeous original pieces can be even cheaper than Target or Ikea art! I read years ago that one way to build a collection is to start with small original pieces which tend to be more affordable than large pieces of similar quality. Small pieces can be arranged in a collection to fill up a large wall space. Don't worry about the crappy frames these cheaper pieces might come in. For example, I believe that this piece was seriously undervalued and overlooked because someone had but in a $1 frame with a cardboard back. In time, I'll have the piece matted and framed in a piece that will do it the justice it deserves. For now, I can still enjoy it as it is.