IKEA Thrifting Score

If you follow me on Instagram (serenitynowgirl) or Facebook, you may have already seen an update about the awesome thrifting find I scored last week. I couldn't wait to share it here on the blog! In an effort to stay way from bringing extra clutter home, I have a "thrift list." If I was highly organized, it would be a printed list, or even a note on my iPhone...but I keep a running mental list of items I'm on the hunt for at local thrift shops, consignment stores, and yard sales. That doesn't mean I don't occasionally bring home an odd gem or diamond in the rough.

(pretend like you don't notice the shorty short curtains, mkay?)

On a whim, I pulled into the Salvation Army parking lot last Friday and went in. I didn't have the kids with me, so cruising the aisles would be a breeze! I made it halfway through the store when I spotted it:

I've been looking for an IKEA Expedit shelving unit for months and months. Not only was this the finish I wanted (white), it was the large unit, the one that retails for $199.00! I took a deep breath, considered carving my initials in the side, and asked a worker if they had priced the piece yet. She returned a minute later and told me they were listing it at $50. And I had a Visa Gift card in my wallet!

Um, seriously?!

It was all I could do to not do an Elaine Benes dance of joy in the middle of the store, but I kept my cool and said, "Oh, okay, ohmigawshIcan'tbelieveitI'mtotallyfreakingouthere, let me call my husband and see if he can swing by and help me load it up." 

T was not particularly happy about leaving his yard work at home to load a monstrous white shelving unit onto the bed of his truck, but he had the foresight to know that an assembled unit is better than a couple of hours with a box of parts...cursing, tool throwing, and bemoaning the existence of particleboard. 

So we struck a bargain that involved me agreeing to spend our 11th wedding anniversary with his family this Saturday (yes, you did read that correctly), but sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good, this case being a ridiculously wicked thrift deal. I may have also said something about not being a cranky pants about the family dinner thing; but really, all bets are off when you are a woman scorned on your wedding anniversary. There may be a slight chance that I will purchase myself something very nice at the end of all this. So maybe I am a winner after all.

At any rate, the Expedit is taking the place of my glass-topped craft desk, which I know will make some of you sad. The thing is, while the glass table was really pretty, it wasn't large enough to do much work on. I ended up doing a lot of my crafting, sewing, and DIYing on the dining room table.

What we really need is more storage space. Our house is a 1970s Colonial, and I guess people in the 70s didn't have "extra storage" high on their list of priorities. 

Out with the old and in with the new!

Sadly, the light on the top right doesn't work, so I may see if IKEA still carries them. I also need to head up and look at their selection of bins. I plan on using the unit to store toys, puzzles, kid craft stuff, and books.  

So long story short, I am over the moon excited about my fabulous new find! And even more excited that I didn't technically spend any money on it at all because of the gift card. 

Have you come across any great finds lately?