My love affair with Goodwill

I've come to find that everyone either has a love or hate relationship with Goodwill. 

Me? Definitely a love affair. 

I have always loved looking for a bargain - or what I call treasure hunting. I love antique stores, junk stores, yard sales, and thrift shops. There are definitely certain things I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, but those items are few and far between.

I became obsessed with Goodwill when I lived in Athens. My obsession hit its peak in the midst of wedding planning. I found the vast majority of my candlesticks and a lot of my milk glass by searching Goodwill. I still have to close my eyes and keep walking when I see a piece of milk glass... I'm still obsessed.

I was certain there would be a Goodwill in Dalton and I was excited to try it out! I was disappointed to learn that the closest one was in Chattanooga. I was beyond thrilled to find one when we moved to Cartersville, and there are several more nearby.

Here are some of my recent finds from our local Goodwill ~

Three small grapevine wreaths for $1.00 - Can you guess what they will become?

I'm obsessed with candle holders from BBW - $1.50 for this brand new one.

Now, I know that most people will draw the line at pillows and I can't say I disagree. This is the first time I've bought any so listen to my logic. There were four matching outdoor pillows in great shape. I can never justify buying them new because there are so many other things I want to buy! I brought these home, washed them twice on the heavy duty and hot cycle, dried them on high heat, and put them outside for decoration. Less than $8.00 for all four. I just love them!

These little shelves were $2.00 each. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them but they are made with grooves to hold a plate. I think they would be a great place to house my beloved Georgia History UGA plate. 

This is definitely the most random item we've found. It's a sweet little hand made wooden plane for only $4.00. It's probably a little over a foot long so it's the perfect size. It was just too sweet not to bring home with us. Chris adores it! I'm sure you'll see it again in a special place in the future. It just needs a good clean and shine and it will be good as new!

Lastly, I found this candlestick last week. It's large, sturdy, and has a $30 Hobby Lobby sticker on the bottom. Not bad for $4.00. I placed a bottle of water next to it so you could tell its size.

What have you found lately?