I finally started my Etsy store! It asked me to tell the story about my shop (Mahogani's Favorite Things)...I guess never really thought about it before and I just started writing. Here's what I wrote:

I started second shopping at a very age with my mother and grandmother. My grandmother, a shopaholic in every sense, would leave the house a moment's notice, just to see what was in the stores. Any five year old would find this very, very boring. However, my eyes would light up when she stopped at garage sales and I found a favorite toy that I had been eyeing in commercials. I never knew it was second hand...I didn't even know what it meant. 

As I grew older, I would browse catalogs and magazines to make a wish list of things I wanted. Since money was always scarce, my mother would supplement "old with new", taking us to Goodwill and Salvation Army to find current gently worn staples to mix in with our new school clothes . She would also snatch up old cast iron pots for pennies with excitement. "Tiffany, do you know what this is?" - she would always ask. Years later I would realize it was vintage mint condition Le Creuset. 

I started looking forward to these trips, especially to look for novels (Babysitters Club and Danielle Steele) for 50 cents. I was too young for take interest in housewares, records, furniture and all that stuff for "old people". And besides, they smelled funny. 

My first real "home" buy was a blue Pier One rag rug from the Brown Elephant in Chicago. I was 14 and starting boarding school in the fall and needed a couple of "things" to make warm up my drab, drab new home away from home. My color scheme was going to be celestial blue. I couldn't find what I was looking for in "regular" stores so I convinced my parents to let me go out on my own (by bus) to local thrift stores. I came home with all sorts of stuff!

A few years later, the same thing happened in college in the middle of Provo, Utah. I taught my best friend how to look for quality dishes while she looked for clothing. I furnished my first post college apartment for less than $100 and it looked like a Pottery Barn catalog. Pretty soon, people started asking me for advice to decorate with second hand things or build a room with virtually no money. Instead of shopping only for me, I sought out things on other people's wish lists. When I packed up my apartment to move back to Chicago in 2006, my belongings were snatched up by people across Utah County on Craiglist within a week, while friends reserved "special pieces" for their own homes. I still continue that trend of buying things for myself, for others and to sell. 

My philosophy is that a great home that doesn't have to be expensive. Nor does one have to haul back a bunch of "junk" from the thrift store. (You know what I mean). I am one of those people that doesn't mind sorting through a bunch of old linen at a church tag sale- because I know I'm going to find a treasure. I'm also the one that spends the early mornings of Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day at the Salvation Army, where everything on the open holidays are half off. I will haul through a crowd (I'm petite) dragging my mid-century table or shoo a big guy out of my way to grab that Descoware pot. I have stopped in many alleys during the first and last weekends of the month to find AWESOME pieces of furniture. (Don't worry, it WILL fit in my car!) I find thrifting fun and every single piece that I bring back has a story.

Mahogani's Favorite Things is a shop where all the of the hard work has already been done. 

I hope that some of my favoiriate things will become yours!

-Mahogani

Great Weekend Finds

12/17/10-12-18/10

Cuisinart 14 Cup Food Processor (one of my Wish List items) $6- at the Lakeview Brown Elephant, Chicago. And it WORKS!!!

I love the details on this simple bookcase- it was worth the cleaning and polishing!

Since I'm only 4'11, the bookcase made an excellent home for many of my daily use mixing bowls!

I really wanted this- but the pricers at a Westside Salvation Army really knew their stuff! This was $150.00- I'll pass...

This chair will make an excellent companion to a similar chair I found last year at the Naperville Goodwill. With a simple paint job and fabric change- it will be wonderful!

Thrifting Finds 12.01.10- Elmhurst, IL Goodwill

Its snowing outside and I'm self-banished to my house even though I *really* want to stop by the Clybourne Salvation Army in Chicago. Oh well...we'll see how the weather is in about an hour.

A few days ago after work I drove to the Goodwill in Elmhurst to unwind and scout goods. I found some really nice things- it was quite a joy. Among the finds were linen pillows, a Wedgwood china box and brand new, sealed French linen waters. I slept very well that night!

Linen Pillows
Linen pillows have always been on my ultimate wish-list. However, I have trouble finding the exact pillow that I picture in my mind. Someday, I need to take a sewing class.

These particular pillows were high on the shelf above the linens. Since I'm barely 5' tall, there was a little jumping involved. After passing visual and smell test (don't take dirty, stinky pillows home!!), I loaded all four into the cart.

Upon taking the pillows home, I removed the pillow inserts, turned the cases inside out and washed all of them on the delicate cycle. I allowed the pillows and covers to air-dry.

At first I was worried about the pillows blending into the decor, but it turned out pretty decent!
 

Wedgwood Trinket Box
Perfect condition and beautiful and $3.99! It was immediately washed and added to the top of the dresser in my wardrobe.  

Thinking about logos...

Thrifting Treasures 11.27.10

I love "thrifting"- a term my sister and I made up to describe the action of going to thrift stores and resales shops to hunt for treasures. I've been thrifting for many, many years and I love to find new places in Chicago, hunt in beloved favoraites, and recommend places based on location. I used to annoy a very of good friend of mine by making her "thrift" with me while we were on location. (By the way, the Goodwill on Mission in San Francisco is AMAZING!)

I've been looking for an outlet to display all of my finds and treasures, so perhaps I'll start here by posting new treasures and pictures of past loot.

Enjoy!

Le Creuset-Cobalt Blue Au Gratin Stoneware Dish
This is an answer to my prayer! I've wanted start my Le Cruset bakeware collection for quite awhile now...but just randomly picking up items at my local HomeGoods didn't feel right-especially since I'm so indecisive. I found this at the Brown Elephant Resale Shop in Boystown (Chicago) for $3.50! They were having a 50% off Storewide Sale. I worried about everything being picked over (it was), but I was able to find this. A lovely gentleman also helped me find a Calphalon pot. (I'm collecting those as well).

 

Vintage Pyrex- Easter Weekend 2010
 Most of my kitchen is made up of warm gold, orange, red, and yellow tones. But I could not resist picking up this set of vintage Pyrex bowls at the Lakeview Salvation Army in Chicago. The entire set was $6.00! This particular Salvation Army is one of the best in Chicago for finding clothes, homegoods, books, etc. It is also quite a madhouse- especially on weekends!  I love to go early morning and late evenings.

Another vintage Pyrex find: Pair of Serving Bowls