on a whim

So often I see signs for garage sales, yard sales, and estate sales on the side of the road and think that it would be fun to stop... but don't for whatever reason.

On a whim I decided to change that. I was on my way home from Bainbridge Island and spotted a sign for an estate sale. I didn't have anything pressing to do (other than chores at home, but they weren't going anywhere) so I followed the signs to a little house near the water. (Yes, it's on an island so almost everything is near water... whatever.)

It was the last day of the sale so most things were 50% off the original price. There were items spread throughout the whole house... art, knick-knacks, kitchen items, a few pieces of furniture, random art supplies, clothing.

It was kind of sad to go through things knowing that these were items collected by someone over a lifetime... but it was also kind of neat to think about what her life might have been like, the stories that went along with her things. She was a lady that wore gloves, enjoyed tea, and did some crafting (probably sewing and embroidery mostly).

I walked through once without grabbing anything... but then I went back to this print:





I couldn't stop thinking about it so I knew it had to come home with me... it was originally marked at $30, but I got it for $15.

It's by an artist by the name of Raoul Dufy. I did a bit of searching online to see if I could find more information about the print, but I didn't find much. I found a lot of his other work that is similar to this one and only one image came up that matched my print, except that the colors were different. I don't know if my print just got bleached out by the sun over the years or what. Doesn't matter to me because I like it as it is--it fits the colors in my home perfectly!

Not only did I buy a piece of art... but I actually got it up on a wall, too! (Shocking.) I wasn't sure where to hang it at first, but I think it looks great in my living room. I might want to re-frame it someday, but for now I like it.





I also got a small bowl and a book. They were each originally $1, but the cashier lady didn't even charge me for them (but I had to pay tax on the print). The book has a bunch of tips and tricks for the home.





Not too shabby for a whim and $16.29.