Author Archives: highplainsthrifter

About highplainsthrifter

Thrift-store shopper. Lives in & loves South Minneapolis. Blonde. Picture taker. Road trip enthusiast. Likes making things. Proud WI native. Classic rock is my favorite. So are nachos.

heads up: calvary lutheran’s 9th annual rummage sale

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The Lutheran church down the street from me is holding their annual rummage sale this weekend. I made a quick pit stop there on my way to work and was quite impressed with theprices and selection. I scored a couple vintage dresses, a Minnesota state flag, a pair of beautiful gold hoop earrings, some mugs and gifties for Mighty Swell grab bags and a drying rack for dishes (my dishwasher kicked the bucket week!) all for under $8. The surprise find of the morning was this autographed, framed photo of Stevie Nicks I got for 50 cents. (50 cents!!!) The frame is fugly, but that’s an easy enough fix.

Anyway, there was a ton of stuff left this morning and they had boxes and boxes still to put out. If you’d like to check out this sale, here’s what you need to know.

Calvary Lutheran Church’s Ninth Annual Rummage Sale
Address: 3901 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis
Hours: Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to noon everything is half-price; from noon to 3:00 p.m. it’s $1/bag and $2/box; from 3 – 4:00 p.m. everything that is left is free. Proceeds raised go towards the church’s community programs, including Beechwood Inc., the Twin Cities Women’s Choir and Crossroads Community Organization.
Reasonably priced breakfast treats, coffee, soup, hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches and homemade desserts are also available.

I’ll definitely be stopping back tomorrow afternoon to shop the bag sale and pick up an apple pie bar and cup of coffee. I hope y’all are having fantastic Fridays so far!

xo,

Meghan

clickin’ around, vol. 23

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♥ Christina has been posting nothing but vintage photos of her gorgeous grandma over on her tumblr this week and they are all so happy-making. The one above I found to be particularly adorable.

♥ Speaking of family photos, I’ve also been completely captivated by Backyard Bill’s series of family portraits. His work is always so, so great.

♥ Have you ever wondered how the heck to wear a petticoat? I sure have! Let’s let Solanah, from Vintage Vixen, tell us everything we need to know.

♥ 100 thank yous go to Rebecca from Minn Chic for giving the heads up that the OPI collection inspired by The Muppets (!!!) is coming soon. You can view the slide show of colors here; I pretty much want them all.

♥ Have you been weeping into your empty wine glass because sangria season is over? Yeah, me too. Let’s all dry our eyes and make this autumn-y version, c/o Fresh Tart Steph, OK? OK.

♥ How cool is this contraption? It turns a basic jar into a beautiful, lace-y vase.

♥ Speaking of design done well, I’m in so much love with these daily metaltations, found via Miss Moss. The first one is my favorite, followed by the light bill one.

♥ This post, full of fresh ideas for wearing florals into the fall, couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. Thanks Lavelle!

I’ll be back soon with a fun how-to…til then, take care.

xo,

Meghan

cure for the DIY doldrums

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{Image above c/o Cathy of California.}

Does anyone else get discouraged when looking for new DIY projects online? I consider myself a pretty good at the Google and even still my searches are fruitless, turning up posts by glue-gun crazed moms and little else. Even my consultations with the few vintage craft books I own has left me wanting for more. It seemed like fortuitous timing then, to discover Cathy of California via Lena Corwin’s awesome blog. Simply reading through Cathy’s posts makes the ice that is my creative brain start to thaw. Her artist profiles are fascinating and incomparable to anything else I’ve read. Obviously, I had no qualms at all about ordering her book, Vintage Craft Workshop, which includes designer how-tos for 24 vintage projects and is supplemented by artist profiles and craft history. I hope the UPS man hurries…

xo,

Meghan

P.S. What are your favorite DIY blogs? I need to know.

P.P.S. I put together a back-to-school beauty supply list over on Beauty Bets today. Every product costs less than $7!

heads up: choose to reuse coupon book

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Junk mail doesn’t usually make me squeal with delight, but last week, I got a direct mail piece I am pumped about—Hennepin County’s annual “Choose to Reuse” coupon book. This baby is packed with really, really, really good coupons for all my favorite thrifts, including Salvation Army, Hidden Treasures, East Side Community Thrift, Hope Chest for Breast Cancer, St. Vincent de Paul, Goodwill, the PROP Shop and many more. But that’s not all! (Goodness, I sound like an informercial!) The booklet also has discount offers at some of the best vintage shops in town, including Corner Store Vintage, B Squad Vintage, Rewind and record shops, like the Electric Fetus and Hymie’s. (A list of all the 80+ participating retailers can be found here.)

If you didn’t spot one in your mailbox last week (or if you’re like me and have already used up all thrift-store coupons!), download the entire thing here or pick up a copy at Hennepin County Service Centers, Hennepin County libraries and all Three Rivers Park District locations. And get on it soon—coupons are only good through the end of November.

Cheers to saving, y’all!

xo,

Meghan

sunday with sassoon

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Making tags is definitely one of the most mundane aspects of running my own vintage business. There’s nothing really fun or glamorous about it, but if I don’t have them on hand, nothing gets priced, which means product doesn’t leave my house…which can make a girl feel a bit crowded (also, batty). I’ve been getting better at making batches in between Mighty Swell sales, my motivation frequently bolstered by the rom coms and documentaries I save to watch while I stamp-stamp-stamp away. This afternoon, I whipped out a slew while watching Vidal Sassoon: The Movie and found myself really inspired by his story and all the beautiful images from his hey day. If you’re interested in ’60s fashion or like learning the back stories of creative entrepreneurs, I recommend giving it a watch. (See the trailer here.) Have you been motivated or inspired by any movies or documentaries recently? Goodness knows I’ll be back at tag-making soon enough and in need of something to watch!

xo,

Meghan

heads up: vintage shopping galore this weekend

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{Junk Love founder Malia Schroeder}

Holy smokes!! There are so many fantastic thrifty/vintage shopping events happening this weekend, I thought I’d round ’em all up for ya.

♥ Junk Love: The brain child of Malia Schroeder and her mom, Junk Love is a semi-regular flea-market-meets-craft-fair type of event that promises a wide array of reasonably priced “junk” along with upcycled and refurbished goodies. This weekend’s sale, happening today from from 2-9 p.m., tomorrow from 12-9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., is supplemented with photo prints from Babes in Thriftland‘s Erin Foster and hand-printed clothes from Tipsy Kitty Clothing. Hop on over to their website or Facebook page to learn more.

♥ Bloomington Salvation Army Grand Opening: There’s a new Sal Val in town! Opening tomorrow, the Bloomington Family Store promises to have a large selection of designer labels, lots of new items, some vintage Star Wars collectibles, gold and silver jewelry and a pretty impressive collection of used fitness equipment, in addition to the usual clothing, house wares, furniture and home decor. Shoppers hitting the grand opening event are encouraged to bring a winter coat to donate to the nonprofit’s Coats for Kids campaign, which ends on Sunday. The store, located at 9728 Lyndale Ave. South, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow.

♥ Twin Cities Vintage Clothing & Jewelry Show: I’m kind of embarrassed to admit I’ve never ventured out to a Cats Pajamas vintage sale at the State Fairgrounds, considering how much I love vintage AND the Fairgrounds. Their fall sale  is happening tonight from 5-10 p.m. and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and boasts 45+ vintage vendors from around the region, including my friends at Greenwich Vintage. You can find them in the Fine Arts Building…just look for the handsome mustached gent and his massive collection of fab vintage woolens. Admission tonight is $7, tomorrow it drops to $5.

♥ Angel’s Attic Sale: Many thanks to my friend Meg, who tipped me off to this fund-raising sale, happening in Bloomington tomorrow through Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The promo website touts, “thousands of valuable, unique items at exceptional sale prices” including “furniture from many fine estates, more than 500 collectible plates, high-end art pieces, jewelry, household items, electronics, new and gently used clothing, toys and much more.” Looking through the sneak peeks they have up nearly maybe my head explode—so much good stuff! All proceeds raised benefit the Angel Foundation, a nonprofit that provides financial support to adults with cancer and the families that depend on them. A $3 entry fee will be charged tomorrow, Saturday, only.

♥ Findfurnish Grand Opening Weekend: And, last, but certainly not least, this weekend, mid-century modernists Findfurnish will reveal their brand-new 4,000-square-foot vintage-filled playground. I’m really excited about this opening for so many reasons. Besides being a huge fan of Findfurnish’s rad mid-century furniture finds and their collection of sweet functional smalls, I simply adore Marie’s story and have so enjoyed watching her business grow. I can’t wait to hit up the preview party tonight after work and congratulate her this huge accomplishment in person. The studio, located in the Casket Arts Building in Northeast Minneapolis, will be open to the public tomorrow from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Please do check it out!

It pains me to say that I don’t think I’ll be able to hit up any of these events, besides the Findfurnish opening. Wah-wah. I’m heading up north with my sweetheart tomorrow morning for a day full of thrifting and a night of country music, which is pretty much perfection in my book. Since we’re going to see Glen Campbell, I’ll leave you with a vid of my favorite song he does, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.”

I hope you all have wonderful weekends, my dears!

xo,

Meghan

clicking around, v. 22

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♥ I had to pause and enjoy this beautiful snapshot of June Carter. Seriously such a breath of fresh air.

♥ Speaking of beauties, these gorgeous pics from the most recent issue of Vogue have got me singing a different tune about the upcoming Marilyn Monroe biopic.

♥ Not one, but two boozy pumpkin drinks have caught my eye this week, one with bourbon, the other with vodka. Tis the season, I say!

♥ My co-friend Amanda got married and her wedding video, titled “Since Fifth Grade,” made me cry. Watch it here and try not to tear up. I DARE YOU.

♥ An airstream trailer packed with gorgeous shoes. Yet another reason I need a second home in Texas.

♥ Nacho night is officially back on and I could not be more excited. Tonight, I’m topping chips with beef and chorizo, a riff of this recipe from Sunset mag. Nom.

♥ These tips for selling vintage from one of my favorite of favorite bloggers, Sammy Davis Vintage, are so spot-on!

Have fabulous afternoons, all!

xo,

Meghan

recently thrifted

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Hi dears,

Yesterday I waited out a downpour to head out thrifting over my lunch hour. The rain was still coming down when I left my office. Futilely attempting to  dodge puddles in my flip flops on the way to my car, I stepped directly on what I thought was a rock…which actually turned out to be a little nail. (Nice!) Instead of turning back for the office to promptly look up “tetanus symptoms” on Web MD like most sane people probably would, I chanced it and continued on my way to Hidden Treasures Thrift Store. And boy am I glad I did. I scored majorly on clothes and found a lot of other pretties for my house. Here are a few of them.

An embroidered runner for my bedside table.


An illuminated beauty mirror from GE. An extinct, but oh-so-helpful beauty tool I plan on…spoiler alert!…giving as a gift.


A fancy frame that appeals to my equal love for hearts & flowers.

This adorable album for recording your loved ones’ birthdays and anniversaries AND storing the appropriate stationery. Fun!

I’m so smitten with the font used throughout the book. Even though I never plan on getting a tattoo, I have a slew of fonts picked out that would make for great ones, now including this one.

A cute owl for my bookshelf…or a Mighty Swell grab bag.

And last but not least, a dozen mint julep cups. As if I needed another reason to count down until Derby Day.

Not pictured: Some killer, killer blazers, a stunning ’50s red party dress I’d wear to every holiday party on my calendar until the end of time if it was my size, a set of butterfly mugs, some Pyrex, some sweet vintage stationery and a few other odds and ends. All in all, a pretty productive lunch hour.

Have you hit the thrifts lately? Did ya find anything awesome?

xo,

Meghan

mid-centry dollhouse photo shoot

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Good morning, y’all!

Approximately 6,000 years ago, super stylist Hollie Mae stopped by to borrow some vintage loveliness from my stash for a test shoot she was doing with Michael Haug. The concept pitched was “mid-century dollhouse,” and I honestly didn’t know they were going to pull it off. Unsurprisingly, the resulting shots are gorgeous! Isn’t this pic, featuring some pieces HM borrowed from me, just lovely? I love  how the coffee mug on the right gives it a miniature scale.

Here are some other fun takes…I can’t get over how beautifully doll-like Tearra, the model, looks! And how nice the lighting was executed.

{Credits}

Photography, Michael Haug
Fashion Styling & Creative Direction, Hollie Mae Schultz
Hair & Makeup, Carol Stopera
Styling Assistant, AJ Lund
Model, Tearra

I’m off to thrift some more supplies for the Design*Sponge photobooth project. I’ll post some peek and process updates on it real soon, I promise!

Have wonderful Saturdays, dears.

xo,

Meghan

going to see the queen

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It’s barely 8 a.m., but I can tell already that today’s going to drag on more than the average Friday.

{source}

Why you ask? Well, tonight after work, my honey’s taking me to see the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. As much as I adore her soul hits, I’m most excited to hear her belt out some good old-fashioned gospel songs. I have a feeling it’s going to be a great night. What are y’all up to this weekend?

xo,

Meghan

P.S. Today’s freebie on Beauty Bets is a $50 Spa Week gift card and winning it is a piece of cake. Go take a look!