Sale Alert: Totswap

Hi neighbors! I just wanted to let you know that there will be a fabulous kids consignment sale in Timonium at the state fairgrounds this weekend. It's called TOTSWAP, and I cannot rave enough about it. I go seasonally to pick up great clothes for Baby Z at low prices. Items are 50% on Sunday, and $1 on Monday.

Around (Another) Town: Frugal in New York City

The other weekend the bungalow clan packed up and headed for a weekend trip to New York City. It's about a 3 hour ride from Baltimore, making it an ideal distance for a short stay. I've found in the past, even for a short trip though,  NYC can be very pricey. So I challenged myself to come up with ways to have frugal fun while there. We all had a great time....so I'm passing along a few budget friendly recommendations to you.

1) Eat at VIETNAAM. The hubs is an ardent lover of pho, so I suggested we give the Upper East Side restaurant VIETNAAM a try. The food and drinks (they have fantastic mocktails!) were absolutely delicious and extremely affordable. We will be back in the future for sure.

2) Visit Central Park. If you are looking for something romantic or family friendly to do, visit Central Park. The park is gorgeous and if you haven't seen it before you'll be thoroughly impressed. Try to catch some jazz in the park while you are there and grab some street food. If you have little ones, there's a nice play area just for toddlers.

3) Go thrifting. New York is a fabulous city filled with artsy, fashion forward, all around well-styled people. This makes for excellent thrifting. My personal favorite favorite place to thrift is HOUSING WORKS. They have multiple stores scattered throughout NYC, and offer a well curated selection of clothing, accessories, and housewares.

I like to visit multiple locations when possible. On this trip I went to four stores. Here are a few of the items I picked up:

There's lots more to do while on a budget in New York, but unfortunately we only had two days to explore, and spent much of our time visiting with friends. I can't wait to come back soon and visit the museums and see what other fun I can drum up. Do you have any recommendations for affordable things to do while in the Big Apple?

FREE & SALE ALERT

Hi locals, I have a few sales and free things to tell you about.

Mambo Combo Performance - Baltimore based Latin music band Mambo Combo will be performing Friday 6/20 from 6-9pm asa part of Belvedere Square's FREE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES.

Lake Walker Garage Sale - Our neighborhood's annual garage sale will be held Saturday 6/13 at 9 am.  Come out and grab yourself some deals!

Hampton National Historic Site - Hampton Historic Site is a preserved plantation where you can go to learn about Maryland's history. It's located just past Towson Mall. They are offering a FREE COOKING CLASS Sunday 6/14, where they will teach participants how to make recipes from the past.

SALE ALERT

Hello locals! For those of you looking for good deals on household items, I have two sales to tell you about. THE WISE PENNY is currently offering 50% off all housewares. In addition, the owners of SUNPORCH ANTIQUES are retiring and offering steep discounts as they attempt to clear out their inventory. Happy shopping :-)

Sale Alert: Timonium Totswap

Hi locals. This weekend the local children's consignment pop-up shop Totswap will be holding a sale at the state fair grounds in Timonium. It's a great place to find affordable kids clothes and toys. You can learn more HERE.

Around Town: Charlotte Elliot

In the market for a striking antique African mask or some vintage Asian artwork? If so, you should go treasure hunting at Hampden's CHARLOTTE ELLIOT. They have tons of global antiques, out of print books, and vintage clothing & jewelry. If you want to add an extra layer of sophistication to your decor they'll definitely have a piece for you. I feel like a real grown-up whenever I shop there :-) Here are some of their current offerings.

Around Town: Antique Exchange

 A while back when I first started blogging I did a post about ANTIQUE EXCHANGE. I wanted to update things because since that time I've gotten a better camera, and the store's merchandise has significantly changed. The store is located in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood at 3545 Chestnut Avenue. They're one of my go to sources for accessories (after scouring the clearance section at Homegoods and local thrift stores of course). They typically carry decent priced vintage/antique occasional tables,  storage pieces, and art. The owner also stocks a large selection of stunning textiles, though they can be somewhat pricey. There's a little sale section tucked away on the second floor in the back where you can frequently find discounts up to 50 percent off. Have a look around.

 

 

Around Town: The Book Thing (FREE!)

One of my favorite Baltimore institutions hands down is THE BOOK THING. It's a wonderful concept that grew out of the hearts and minds of residents seeking to encourage more reading. The Book Thing is a non-profit that offers free books to all. You read that right, free books to all! It's sort of like a library with no due date. The store runs on the kindness of volunteers and donations made by the public.

Over the past year I've been a frequent patron and donator. I've used it to build an awesome free home library for the baby. Every time I visit I find at least one book or magazine that peeks my interest.

It would be an absolute shame to not check this place out. Be sure to bring your kiddos, they'll love it.

“Books are what you step on to take you to a higher shelf. The higher your stack of books, the higher the shelf you can reach. Want to reach higher? Stack some more books under your feet! Reading is what brings us to new knowledge. It opens new doors. It helps us understand mysteries. It lets us hear from successful people. Reading is what takes us down the road in our journey. Everything you need for a better future and success has already been written.”  ― Jim Rohn

Around (Another) Town: Kensington Antiques Row

Recently a kind READER suggested I head down to Kensington, MD and explore their antiques district. Not one to pass up a new antiquing adventure, I decided to check it out during my most recent visit to the DC area. I'm truly grateful for the tip, because I'd never heard of the district before, and had an exquisite time perusing the stores. Though there are several nice stores in the area I most enjoyed Jill & Company and Sally Schaffer Antiques. The two stores are connected and specialize in country americana antiques.

 Beautiful baskets were a noticeable theme throughout. I'm a sucker for vintage baskets, anything with beauty and utility gets a gold star in my book.

There were also several gorgeous quilts. It was like being in an impressive textile museum. It was hard to pick which one I liked the most.

I was also a fan of this pair of chairs.

I thought the rooster lamp and solidly built old porch swing were nice finds too.

Beautiful folk dolls could be found scattered throughout the stores.

 This dining set made me jokingly beg the hubs for a new house so I'd have some place to put it. He suggested I start up a decorating business instead so I could put it in someone else's house. I just may take him up on that suggestion.

Well, that's all! I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week.

Sale Alert: Weekend of 7/25-7/27

Hi locals. There are a few good sales going on this weekend that I thought I'd tell you about. First up is THE SURPRISE SHOP's annual $5 bag sale taking place the 25th and 26th. Any merchandise you can fit inside of one of their provided bags, is you guessed it, $5! Next, is TOTSWAP a large baby and kids consignment sale being held at the state fair grounds in Timonium the entire weekend, on Sunday select merchandise will be 50% off. Lastly, I wanted to highlight the Cedarcroft neighborhood's summer garage sale starting this Saturday at 8am.

Have a lovely weekend!

Sale Alert: The Surprise Shop

Hello locals. I just wanted to alert you to a great sale going on at THE SURPRISE SHOP. If you're not familiar with The Surprise Shop it's a church sponsored thrift store near downtown Towson. It has wonderfully priced men's, women's, and children's clothing and accessories, as well as housewares. They always have a nice selection and are currently offering 50% the entire store. Hurry the sale lasts until the 24th. On the 25th through the 26th of this month they will have their annual $5 bag sale. I lucked up on my last trip and found the goodies pictured above for a total of $10 (lamp not included), including a nice Yves Saint Laurent tie for the hubs for only $1.25! As my mother would say.......you can't beat that with a stick. Stop by to do a little shopping or make a donation when you can.

Have a marvelous weekend!

"Be thrifty, but not covetous." ~George Herbert

Around Town: Joan Eve (Ellicott City)

About a half an hour outside of Baltimore is the city of Ellicott City, MD. Until recently I had never been to Ellicott before, but had heard it was a great destination for antiquing. One day with a little free time on my hands I decided to head down and see what the city had to offer. Lining the quaint streets of their downtown historic district were several antique shops with lots of window eye candy. I stopped in a few stores all of which did not disappoint. Here's a look around one of my favorites JOAN EVE.

They had a nice selection of vintage purses as well as lovely costume jewelry.

 I saw several pieces of drinkware I wouldn't mind owning.

More cool purses :-)

They had a very impressive inventory of lighting.

If you're really into antiques/secondhand shops it's definitely worth the drive, as Ellicott has a densely populated offering of stores. You're sure to find something you fancy, just be sure to go early in the day so you have sufficient time to comb through all their selection.

Sale Alert: Lake Walker Yard Sale

If you live in the area, be sure to stop by the Lake Walker Community Yard Sale. You're sure to find some great deals :-) It starts tomorrow at 9am.

Sale Alert: Baltimore Free Store

What's better than a huge discount? You guessed it.......free! As the name implies, that's exactly what the BALTIMORE FREE STORE is, completely free. If you haven't heard of it before, the Free Store is a volunteer run pop-up shop that accepts donations of goods, and distributes them to anyone who wants them absolutely free. Stop by to drop off some of your things you no longer need, and shop around for a free thing or two. The shop will be open this Saturday from 10am-3pm at Northside Baptist Church, 1100 E. Northern Parkway.

Around Town: The Wise Penny

One of the things I love about living in Lake Walker is its close proximity to awesome thrift stores. My favorite thrift store is THE WISE PENNY, located at 5902 York Road next to Senator Theatre.

On my latest trip I lucked up and got this cute Jack & Janie sweater for the baby for only $1.50. You can't beat that!

Here's a look at some of their other merchandise.

They often have very nice evening bags that are reasonably priced. There's also a bridal section if you're getting married (sorry I forgot to take a picture of it).

The kiddie department is definitely worth a look. Most pieces are $5 or less, and if you browse carefully I promise you'll find something you like.

The men's department is the best of any thrift store in the area. They regularly have great men's staples like sports coats and polos. You can get a nice Brooks Brothers shirt for under $10.

You can find nice drinking glasses, tea sets, and more.

Be sure to stop by when you get a chance. They're on the corner of York and Belvedere. Select merchandise is currently an extra 30% off!

"Livin' in a world that's oh so fast, gotta make ya money last." ~Erykah Badu