Going Once, Going Twice...

If you've been around Toile in the Family for very long, you know how much I love a good auction. Since my recent "blued" dining room, I thought I share with you the things in there that I got from various auctions.
First up, Scarlett.

You've all met her. She's lovely and she was super cheap...$2. Really, that's not a typo. Now when I first met her she looked like she had a rough life in the fields of Tara, but you can read about her transformation here. Now she is as gorgeous as her namesake in her red garb.

Next is something that was a little more expensive. My curio cabinet, but I bought it exactly as you see it now (minus the stuff). It replaced my antique secretary which just didn't fill the long wall like I wanted. The curio was $190. But I think that is a pretty good deal.


On top of the curio is a huge red transferware platter. It was $25. I saw it online (which I will tell you about later) and went to the auction specifically for it.


I use alot of silver in my dining room. I pick up pieces at flea markets and auctions. Recently I got this silver tray and pitcher for about $25 total. I love the tray and the pitcher shined up beautifully!


Finally my favorite auction find(s) are these leaded glass windows.

I saw these online too and went on the prowl for them. I got the skinny one for $12.50 and the gigantic one for $32. I couldn't believe people didn't give me more of a run for my money. I didn't know what I was going to do with them, I just knew I had to have them. I love the big one hanging by the garage door. It always felt like you just "fell" into the room before. Now the window acts as a wall or divider of some kind.

I used to always just look in the paper for auction listings then show up hoping for something great (that was the case with Scarlett). But the discovery of a magical website opened up a whole new world for me. Many of you probably already know about this, but http://www.auctionzip.com/

You enter in a mile radius (I always go for 50 miles because I'm in a small town) then your zip code and wait for the magic!!

For example, here are some things that are going to be at an auction this weekend:

Wouldn't this be amazing painted white and distressed, then recovered with some great fabric??

I don't know what this is, but I love the legs on it!

I'm not sure how big this is, but I can image it holding blankets, pillows, magazines, firewood. The possibilities are endless!

Because I want to share the love, I'm going to link up with Crazy Domestic and share my secret. (Only because I think most of you are not from around here and won't be competition!!)

Go check out what kind of treasures you can find close by!

Cut a Rug?

I had a great shopping day with an amazing friend. She is one of the few people I can shop with. I can count on one hand the people that I can shop with.

She's one of them.

I don't know what my deal is, but I am totally at ease with her and don't feel guilty leaving her to go on my own-she's prefers it too.

Anyway, big digression.

I found a great rug at TJ Maxx today. I not going to say that peer pressure wasn't involved in my decision to purchase said rug. But now that I have it home, I realized that 8x10 is huge and it doesn't jive as well with my living room as I thought

(plus it is too big, I think).

But all the colors upstairs are the same, so I decided to try it in my dining room. That is where the cut a rug comes in. I decided to take a picture and see which way I like better. You guys can weigh in too. I don't mind honesty, just don't be mean to me :)

Here is the room without said rug:

And here it is with said rug:

You know is it too formal for the rest of the look I have going on in there? I do have about 4 different styles dancing around. Cottage, traditional, whimsical, and vintage but maybe the rug throws it all off. Let me know what you think.

Oh and about the peer pressure. I was pondering the rug as it lay on the table at TJ's, looking at the rugs underneath it when this other woman came up and started manhandling my rug. I didn't say anything, I just tried to inconspicuously look through the rugs all the while keeping my eye on her and listening to her talk it out with her friend. She thought the rug was too light and would show dirt. But then she said,

"Well, I'll think about it. It will still be here."

As soon as she walked away I thought, "no, it won't" and quickly rolled that bad boy up and put it in my cart.

Have I mentioned that I am highly competitive? Well, I am. But she may be right afterall...