A typical Saturday morning routine in the Moss house includes a stop by Dixie Hwy Donuts for an apple fritter the size of your head and half-a-dozen assorted treats.
I was assigned the task of pick-up last Saturday, and after securing the package, was dutifully driving back home when a bright green garage sale sign caught my eye.
I can’t go, I thought to myself. The donuts might melt in the car and my family is hungry.
But…I could just swing by for a few minutes. Pop around a bit and then head home — yeah!
My poor, sweet family.
No regrets, though, obviously (at least for me). I pulled up to the best garage sale I’ve seen in recent memory and left with several treasures:
Can you believe I snagged this gorgeous needlepoint art for $10?!I love this so much! Instantly hung in our living room.Another vintage needlepoint for $10. This one is for Elaine’s bedroom. It reminds me of our carousel rides at the Palm Beach Zoo and on cruises we take. I found this vintage rattan lampshade and placed it on our bar lamp, which I sourced from Goodwill last year. She’s gorge.Y’all know how I feel about shells. This statement necklace is quite a statement indeed and I can’t wait to style it with an outfit. Another fun necklace with a pressed flower pendant.
Garage sales are always fun to visit but let’s be honest, they’re usually full of junk.
This sale was truly impeccable, so I had to chat up the seller to find out how she curated so many beautiful things and was not surprised to learn that she used to own a boutique in Northwood.
We exchanged numbers and she’s going to hit me up the next time she has a sale — hell yeah!
In closing: the donuts didn’t melt, everybody at home forgave me for the detour, and I had my apple fritter and ate it too. 😉
Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:
Comfy dress from Goodwill West Palm BeachSadly, the sleeve of this dress ripped, so this was my last wearing of it — found at Goodwill West Palm BeachDress and bag from Goodwill West Palm Beach. Vintage chintz charm necklace by Sarah Bray Bermuda.Bag from Goodwill West Palm BeachThis massive shell ring isn’t thrifted but I’m obsessed with it — found it in Gaudeloupe.Top and Bag from Goodwill West Palm Beach. Pants thrifted and gifted from a friend.Love this vintage vase pendant that I found at a Trashe Vintage rummage sale. My pink ring is from the West Palm Beach Antiques Festival.
I popped into Goodwill last weekend after a brief hiatus, so I’m sharing my haul with you (never mind the wrinkled jeans – never ironing anything is my toxic trait):
I love a good button up and couldn’t pass up this long, lightweight one — picturing it with linen shorts for our spring break cruise next week. $7.99
As soon as I felt this jacket, I knew it was high quality, and I always love an embroidered detail. $7.99
Here’s what it’s priced at online:
I’m picturing this silky House of Harlow top with black slacks for work. $6.99
I found this cute basket to add to my collection:
I almost didn’t get this little plate because it has some damage, but I flipped it over to see that it’s vintage Fitz & Floyd. You know I love a shell moment!
This hand painted wooden picture frame is absolutely adorable. I’m thinking of adding this to my gift stash and giving it to someone for a birthday or special occasion.
Elaine’s room has a thrifted toy bakery stand, and I’ve thrifted toy fruits, veggies, breads, etc. for her to play with. I’ve also thrifted vintage straw baskets to hold all her produce (photos of Elaine’s room here).
A shelf in Elaine’s bakery stand
I found these gorgeous baskets to add to her play area:
I’ve been wanting a new travel backpack that is cute enough to wear all day during vacation outings (I always haul wet wipes, a change of clothes, etc. for Elaine).
The thrifterverse provided: My best find this Goodwill haul was a brand new Vera Bradley travel backpack — and inside was a matching purse! I paid $20, which is a bit more than I usually like to spend on a thrifted item, but it’s totally worth it.
I thought these chairs were adorable, but I don’t have a need for them, so they stayed at the store. The embroidered detail is so sweet — with a good scrubbing, they’d look great.
Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:
A fave comfy dress from Goodwill West Palm BeachJ.Jill Linen Dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach
My husband is the type of person who likes things in extremes.
For example, if he finds a pair of shorts he likes, he gets them in every color.
He’s really into baseball caps, so we have a plethora. He buys them everywhere we go.
Just a few hats in our entryway
Right now, he’s having a major sunglasses moment.
He discovered that for about $40, he can get an entire box full of sunglasses on Alibaba.
I don’t know anything about this site and am not endorsing it — y’all know I’m a thrifter/secondhand champion, so this sunglasses-in-bulk business is not my vibe.
I prefer to source cheap sunglasses from Goodwill.
We are aligned, however, in the general concept of cheap sunglasses for him, because he’s lost several expensive pairs, including on airplanes and in the ocean.
When the sunglasses box arrived, I immediately knew I was in danger.
With each pair Vince tried on, the previous was tossed to the side, and my kitchen counter was soon covered in sunnies.
A future flashed before me that was full of sunglasses — surfaces throughout my home covered in them — all the same pair in different colors.
The horror.
BASKETS TO THE RESCUE.
Sunnies basket on the top shelf
I’ve thrifted two baskets from Goodwill that are now full of sunnies.
GAP Sweater, Anthropologie Skirt, and MANGO Tote from Goodwill West Palm BeachLand’s End Dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach, Beaded Leather Belt from Trashe VintageDressed this look up for an evening dinner! Eberjey Swimsuit from Goodwill West Palm Beach, Sunnies from Goodwill Ft. LauderdalePrintfresh dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach
As a younger person, I didn’t collect anything and didn’t really see the point. It didn’t seem like a practical thing to do.
Now that I’ve settled into a family home, I like having more stuff around me and genuinely enjoy staring at my shelves and walls full of collected things.
I’m sure there’s science behind the benefits of just….staring in this overstimulating world.
Lately, I’ve been collecting home design books.
Owning this type of collection serves two purposes — it’s easy and fun to style shelves and surfaces with books, and I glean lots of inspo from the pages.
I love cracking one open on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee after a busy week.
I’ve also started collecting pins.
I thrifted this old Dooney & Bourke canvas purse from Goodwill years ago, and have given it new life by sticking vintage pins on it that I’ve found while thrifting.
I love the shape and size of this purse, but it has some imperfections (stains on the leather). Adding the pins has gussied this old girl up!
I recently purchased a Lands End canvas tote for beach and travel, so now I have even more real estate for pin collecting.
These vibes but make ’em thrifted.
Accessorizing bags, hats, and sweaters with pins is adorable! Why wasn’t I doing this before?!
Old collecty me is all about it.
Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:
Top from The Nearly New Shop West Palm BeachSandals from Goodwill West Palm BeachButton Up and Linen Pants from Goodwill West Palm BeachMom’s entire outfit is Goodwill West Palm Beach – Top, Skirt, Sandals, and BagTop and Bag from Goodwill West Palm BeachCardigan from my Swap Brunch Party, Pants passed down from a friend, Tote from Goodwill West Palm BeachCole Haan Pumps from Goodwill West Palm Beach
I’m a big fan of the gallery wall, and have several in my home. I’ve always liked using them in a non-traditional way (traditional being matching frames hung in a perfectly symmetrical grouping).
A traditional gallery wall in our home featuring images from our favorite vacation.
I like thinking of my gallery moments as wall scrapbooks. I mix and match frame styles, include photos next to artwork, and hang objects like baskets and hats.
If someone writes me a cute note, or I leave a wedding with a polaroid keepsake, I’ll tuck these pieces into the edges of frames.
The gallery wall above my desk.
My gallery walls are constantly changing as I bring in new pieces from my thrift adventures, like puzzles that are never finished.
One of my favorite galleries is the one above my desk/office space in our primary bedroom.
It includes a floral painting found years ago at Stitches and Rust (the owner now operates a shop called Trashé Vintage), and a painting given to me by my mother.
The artist’s granddaughter was my mother’s neighbor in Missouri, and gave this piece, along with another large collection, to my mom for free, as long as she promised to keep them safe.
The post office gave us a copy of Elaine’s passport photo, so I tucked it in the floral painting’s frame, along with a tiny image of my boys that was leftover from some prints I made to go into a locket for my mother-in-law.
Now that my mom lives seasonally with us in Florida, we’re keeping all the art on our walls.
I’ve hung a hat from Stone Button Studio in Northwood Village, a little stained glass and shell mirror purchased at the Northwood Holiday Home Tours market in 2024, a basket I’ve just added to the collection this weekend (purchased at The Rust Market in Lake Park), and my favorite piece of all — framed hand written notes from my mother.
My mom wrote these notes to me when I was two years old. I had done a couple of cute/sweet things, so she jotted them down as memories and added little love notes in too.
A polaroid from Vince and Elaine’s first daddy daughter dance, and a tiny envelope with “Vanessa and Vince” written on it and a cute little butterfly
To this day, I can’t read the notes without crying. Even before becoming a mother myself, they brought tears to my eyes.
I love those notes so much that when my parents asked what I wanted for my college graduation gift, I just asked to have them matted and framed.
My mom couldn’t believe it — frame her slanted writing and spelling errors?!
Hell yeah! That’s what I love about it. The busy, working mom of a toddler taking a few minutes to jot down a moment she wanted to hold onto. A piece of life with her family she wanted to keep from fading. A quick little love story for later.
I love having moments like that on my walls.
Finally put up this rattan mirror I thrifted from Goodwill a few weeks ago.
Sweater thrifted and gifted from a friendButton up and striped H&M pants from Goodwill West Palm BeachHuarache sandals from Goodwill West Palm BeachAnthropologie skirt and MANGO tote from Goodwill West Palm BeachSunshine State cap from Goodwill West Palm BeachHandmade dress created from a thrifted, vintage tablecloth purchased from a designer who exclusively sells at The Rust Market in Lake ParkJ. McLaughlin sandals from Goodwill West Palm BeachMen’s striped button up from Goodwill Denver, CO
Palm Beach County’s thrift community is made up of the best, most generous and creative people.
As an avid thrift shopper, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know several local shop owners, and I’ve come to discover that folks who curate and collect have the warmest hearts. It’s just a tried and true combo.
I’ve known the owner of Trashé Vintage, Heidi, for many years. Our sons were elementary school friends, and when Heidi and I first met, her store was called Stitches and Rust.
Image Source: The Palm Beach Post
Her eye for curation is impeccable, and her prices have always been within reach for the average shopper. The style of her shop has evolved over the years, which I think is a reflection of her own evolution as a person — a very cool thing.
Heidi hosted a community-wide rummage sale in the parking lot of her shop over the weekend and it was fun to see that, much like her artfully collected shop, she’s curated a community of people who love shopping secondhand, eating tacos, and singing karaoke in the middle of the day.
The girliesThe Cozy Cottage table had items exclusively $5 and under Mom snagged a free pair of sandals from the clothing swap section.Baby chose her own outfit for the outing — head to toe black was an aggressive but respectable choice.
The rummage sale prices were insanely good. I spent $15 and came away with an awesome haul.
I also got to catch up with Denise, owner of The Cozy Cottage in Lake Worth Beach, who gave me a bag of clothes she’d collected that reminded her of me.
See what I mean about this awesome thrift community?!
Here’s my rummage sale haul:
Bag of goodies! Goodies included these wreath earrings (so tempted to wear these all year round) and a little vintage vase pendant. I’m picturing this on a long chain! Love unique finds like this. I also grabbed two pins – I’ve been adding pins to some of my purses, and have been accessorizing sweaters with them this winter.I snagged this awesome pouf for $5!
We ended the afternoon with a trip to Goodwill. Naturally, I left with a few bags.
Thrift haul coming soon to my insta profile!
Things I left at Goodwill:
I know someone was JAZZED to snag this side table. So good!!$10!!!Awesome coffee table‘Twas a day for coffee tables.
J.Crew sweater from Goodwill West Palm BeachNo tag sweater from Goodwill West Palm BeachNike windbreaker from Goodwill West Palm BeachSweater from Goodwill West Palm Beach, J.Jill linen button up from Goodwill Denver, Pin from Trashe Vintage’s Rummage SaleLinnette bag from Goodwill West Palm BeachClose up of this lil cutie pinTreasure and Bond Boots from Goodwill West Palm Beach
Happy New Year! I’m grateful to have this creative outlet and friends who support it by reading and engaging with my ramblings.
So let’s waste no time and get right into my ramblings this week!
I ordered a hot glue gun from Amazon, and I fear it has made me too powerful.
She’s pink and she’s perfect.
I’ve never been an arts and crafts type of gal, though I admire artsy and crafty folks so very much.
But…has this hot glue gun made me artsy and crafty? Perhaps you can be the judge.
I initially ordered the hot glue gun for my mom, actually. She needs it for a project, but once I had it in my possession, I quickly realized that the possibilities are vast.
On literal Christmas day, I took this hot glue gun into my bathroom to renovate our struggling towel hooks, because the thought had been scratching the back of my mind ever since the Amazon package arrived and I could wait no longer.
Here’s how the towel hooks looked before:
Woof. Chipped and broken.
As you’ve learned by now, I’m really into shells and have a lot of them laying around my house, so I thought: why not hot glue some shells onto these broken towel hooks?!?
So, that’s what I did:
This experience was so intoxicating, that I took my hot glue gun and shells to a picture frame I thrifted during my Denver Goodwill trip in October:
Zara top from Goodwill West Palm BeachHouse of Harlow dress from Goodwill West Palm BeachGorgeous necklace made of thrifted fabric, charms, and shells by Sarah Bray Bermuda Dooney & Bourke bag from Goodwill West Palm BeachBaby girl’s Christmas eve dress from Goodwill West Palm BeachMy Christmas day sweater and linen slip dress from Goodwill West Palm BeachVintage, secondhand Lilly Pulitzer caftan purchased at a nonprofit event Baby girl’s Lilly Pulitzer romper from Goodwill West Palm BeachWoven bag thrifted and gifted from a friend!Sweater layered over a white sun dress – both from Goodwill West Palm Beach; Necklace made of thrifted materials by Sarah Bray Bermuda; Ring from A Timeless Treasure in Northwood VillageSam Edelman sandals from Goodwill West Palm BeachSunglasses from Goodwill West Palm Beach; Top from Nearly New Shop West Palm BeachCan you believe my mom found this bag brand new at Goodwill?! She gifted it to me for Christmas.
I hope the new year brings you many thrifting adventures, friends!
This year, our boys were out of town for Christmas, so Vince and I hosted a small Christmas dinner with just baby girl and our moms.
I’ve been collecting items for my Christmas tablescape for several months and am sharing here all the details of my completely thrifted, gifted and secondhand Christmas table:
-White Dinner Plates – Goodwill West Palm Beach -Green Cloth Napkins – The Nearly New Shop West Palm Beach -Napkin Rings – Thrifted and gifted from a friend -Silverware – Wedding Gifts -Milk Glass Goblets – Passed down from my mom -Candle with Glass Christmas Tree Charm – Goodwill West Palm Beach
-Taper Candles – Thrifted from Goodwill West Palm Beach or gifted -Crystal Candle Holders – Wedding Gifts -Table Runner – Goodwill West Palm Beach
The table runner originally had tassels on either end, but they fell off after I ran it through the washing machine, so I tied ornaments on either end to replace them! The vintage wreath ornaments were sourced from The Nearly New Shop West Palm Beach.
-Brass Candle Holders – Passed down from my mom -Small White & Green China Candleholders – Goodwill West Palm Beach -Glass Christmas Tree Votive Holder – Passed down from my mom -Christmas Holly Candle Holder – Goodwill West Palm Beach -Cake Stand – Garage sale find -Wooden Nativity People – The Cozy Cottage Lake Worth Beach
Now that all my Christmas gifts have gone out, I’ll also be sharing details on most of the items I thrifted for friends and family this year — stay tuned!
I hope you had a cozy Christmas full of warmth and love, friends.
Sweater and MANGO tote from Goodwill West Palm BeachRing from A Timeless Treasure West Palm BeachSweater from Goodwill West Palm Beach; Madewell Jeans from Goodwill Boutique in Boca Raton Hightop chucks from Goodwill West Palm Beach J. Peterman jumpsuit and leather belt from Goodwill West Palm BeachAnthropologie skirt from Goodwill West Palm Beach; Amazing necklace made of vintage fabric, charms, and shells sourced from thrift and estate sale trips made by Sarah Bray BermudaA closer look at my stunning Sarah Bray Bermuda necklace! Baby girl’s dress from Goodwill West Palm BeachMom bought me a pair of tassels from the Rust Market in Lake Park – they are on our end tables in our bedroom for now. This stunning handmade, one-of-a-kind dress made from a hand stitched vintage tablecloth is from a Rust Market vendor named Marcia. She doesn’t sell online/has no digital presence and more people need to know about her!! This dress is one example of many gorgeous designs. I highlighted her in my recent instagram reel – check it out! Vince and I brought a bottle of wine to dinner with friends and I popped on this vintage ornament sourced from a collection I found at Goodwill West Palm Beach.Elaine’s set from Goodwill West Palm Beach
I’ve always loved the idea of a bench at the foot of our bed, and keep my eyes peeled for one at all times while perusing the shops.
They are hard to find! I guess people tend to hang on to their benches.
Granted, I haven’t been overly serious about finding one and am only willing to pay Goodwill prices, so that narrows down my possibility of snagging the perfect bench, I guess.
Would scream if I found something like this in the shops.Or this.
During my latest Goodwill trip, my eyes fell upon two seagrass poufs. I almost passed them up, because I truly have enough furniture in my living room and loft, and couldn’t immediately think of a place for them.
I stood thinking over it for a while before moving on, though, because I knew those things were expensive and I could snag them for $20 each — a steal.
Then, I realized — I could put these at the foot of my bed in lieu of a bench! I hadn’t really seen this before, but a quick Google search confirmed that it’s a thing:
I’m pretty sure these are the poufs. I was right about the original price!
The floral pillows are from Goodwill too!
The thrifterverse provides yet again. I’m so pleased with this purchase.
Do you think the poufs work here? Or would they be better suited in a different setting?
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With the weather cooling down in FL, I drove past several garage sales while out running errands over the weekend. Here’s what I found:
A basket as big as my baby and the sunglasses she’s wearing (she picked them out) — the basket was only $10!My first pair of crocs 🤪
Things I left at Goodwill:
This rattan napkin holder. Would be good for parties, but I already have several little basket caddies that I use for napkins and party flatware, so I left this for a fellow thrifter to find. Look at the prices on these Tory Burch espadrilles! I didn’t leave these by choice – they were both too small for me. 🥲These lime green sunglasses that Elaine looked FAB in.
I also attended a holiday home tour event in an historic district of West Palm Beach over the weekend, which was a blast and also inspiring.
I loved seeing how people have cared for and upgraded their old homes — my community has such great taste!
Me, my mom, and our friend Jill at the holiday home tours event.
My favorite shop keeper, Inge, from the absolute best vintage and handmade shop, Stone Button Studio, was part of the event’s holiday market, so I grabbed a few of her treasures — I can never resist!
I love collecting Inge’s hand painted stones and tucking them on shelves and desks, the same way I place my shells.I have several of her hanging charms in windows and on plants throughout my house. This table runner is so gorgeous, I can’t wait to style a tablescape with it.
I hope you’re having as much fun as I am this holiday season, friends.
Holiday party green dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach, Vintage glass candy earrings from the West Palm Beach Antiques FestivalTop from City Girl Consignment Baby girl’s bumblebee dress from Goodwill West Palm Beach
I grew up with framed portraits of my sister and me hanging in the upstairs hallway of my childhood home.
They were in a spot I couldn’t avoid seeing every time I walked from my bedroom to the bathroom.
I hated the way I looked in my portrait. She didn’t look like me at all and, in fact, looked homely compared to my sister’s portrait, which was gorgeous.
Naturally, this would be the case, right? One sister jealous of the other sister’s portrait — a tale as old as time.
But I ain’t lying. Mine looked like a boy to my 12-year-old eye.
Also — my ears were not that big. So rude.
My mom eventually gave me the portrait when she sold her home and I’ve tucked it away in various spots in the couple of houses I’ve lived in with my family.
I decided recently to hang it on the wall again, right in the entryway of my home.
I still don’t think that little girl looks like me (or how I used to), but now when I look at it, I think about my childhood, my sister, and my mom’s love for her kids.
As a mom now too, I totally get wanting portraits of your kids — it feels elegant and more meaningful than a photo in some ways.
I also understand wanting to capture your children at a moment in time so you can cherish it forever. This portrait is now a reminder of that.
Dress – Lands End, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach; I think it needs a belt, noting this for the next time I wear it!Vintage blown glass candy earrings from The West Palm Beach Antiques FestivalLove that they are two different shapes. Shoes – J. Mchlaughlin (brand new!), Source: Goodwill West Palm BeachBaby girl’s Beauty and the Beast needlepoint onesie (so sweet!) thrifted and gifted from a friend.Kimono and belt from Goodwill West Palm BeachClose up of the details!Shirt – LOFT, Source: Goodwill West Palm BeachDress – Old Navy, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach, Leather & Silver Belt Source: Community Thrift Store West Palm BeachItalian leather sandals, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach
This is my hobby. 