I Love the Dump

Ok, I am not trying to make this a thrifting blog, I swear, but it's what I've been doing a lot of lately and I'm too excited with my finds not to share!  This one is a bit photo heavy.  I thought about breaking it up into mini-posts, but I just didn't want to wait to show everything off.  Plus, I should probably try writing about something else again soon.  Anyway....

This lovely wooden tray/drawer had one of those velvet cutlery dividers in it, but it was kind of dusty-linty, so that stayed there.  This is the perfect size for 12 x 12 scrapbook paper.

Folded flag case, or a really neat display case for something.

A decent basket.

A cross stitch/embroidery holder.  I've always wanted one of these.  You stretch the fabric on it so you don't have to hold a hoop.  However, I am used to and kind of like holding the hoop.  Oh well, it's mine now.

I know- Wait, what?  Rip the fine decor off of it and....

....it's a 14-inch quilting hoop!

This one I'm quite proud of (and no, I'm not storing it on the dryer, it just happened to land there).  Thinking my map-loving husband would get great joy out of this (he didn't), I rushed to grab it.  Great condition (one small dent) and see that big purple blob up there?  French West Africa.  Which fell apart in 1960.  Which means this globe is at least from 1950.  Too cool.  Now I either have to twist his arm to put it somewhere in the house or it will be on its way.

Another lovely wooden tennis racket for our basement wall.  We actually have 6 up now, all from Savers, and it looks even better than before.  I'd like to do 2 more, hubs says we're good.  We'll see.

This totally dusty shelf (which actually belongs upside down from the way I have it) would be great in either of my workspaces to hold small stuff and get it off the table.  I'm just not sure whether to leave it or paint it white.  It's a nice color, but there's a flaw right on the top/bottom of it, depending on how you hold it, that I'd like to cover up.

Compared to my bookcase.  Someone in town was busy cleaning out this past weekend.

Books!  Old books at that.  Check out that date!  I got a bunch of books for Gus (Babar! The Polar Express!) and some neat finds for us, too.  I got an A.A. Milne poem book dated in the 1940s.

And the piece de resistance (did I just use that phrase recently?):

Yes, a Hot Wheels bike for Gus, who is way too small for it but I couldn't leave it there.  Actually, he's not way too small for it- he can almost reach the pedals- but it will be a few years before he's riding this, I think.  I saw one just like it at Walmart the next day for $77.

I'm totally excited about all these finds!  Like I said, I actually went to the dump twice on Saturday just because I had found such great stuff in the morning.  I'm so glad I did- the bookcase and shelf and all the books were there on the second trip.  Oh, and someone left a tool box there, so I grabbed hubs a brand new heavy duty staple gun, staples, screws, anchors, picture hangers, etc.  He liked that stuff.

Have you had any great finds this week?