when i share my thrift-store finds here, it’s more about the treasure than the price. i’ve floated around the web and taken a peek at some thrift-hunting blogs. i don’t know where people find such good deals. “picasso’s paintbrush, authenticated by his teeth mark on the wood and cross-referenced to his dental records … 10 cents!”. wha? kudos to you all.

for me, it’s more about finding something that’s a little different and unique, something you can’t find at the average store. it’s about the hunt, finding an item that clicks with your personality and your needs. and speaking of needs, i try to be so careful about how much stuff i bring into my home. i generally have a “one in, one out” rule. space is at a premium here, and visual clutter makes me antsy. i also think in my mind, as i’m pondering whether i really want an item or not, “will i enjoy lifting and dusting this?”… that right there usually makes me put it back immediately. it has to be really special to be dust-worthy. and it has to bring some sort of function. and yes, looking pretty and making me smile when i look at it IS a function in my books.

speaking of books. the one area where i throw out all my self-imposed rules about bringing things into the home is books. i love books. i love reading. i love the feel of a book’s weight in my hands. i love the smell of the paper as i open a book for the first time. i love how books can teach and inspire and make us grow and stay young all at the same time. they’re deliciously portable, too, much like an apple. place it into your bag and devour at will. they also ground a home, and make a house a home. they tell you so much about the person who lives there. take a look through a person’s bookshelf and you undoubtedly will learn a thing or two about that person.

i found these books the other day.

aren’t they lovely? i think every home should have the luxury of a collection of classic children’s novels. there is a reason why these novels have endured over time, but explaining my thinking on that will take a whole other post. for now, let’s just look at how pretty these books are.

the covers are fantastic.

and the inside of each book is lined with these great prints.

doesn’t it make you want to pick it up and get lost in an adventure for a few hours?

the books were in fairly good condition. they have been well-read, but they cleaned up nicely. i just use some rubbing alcohol on a cottonball, gently swabbed all over to remove the surface grime; i have no idea if this is the method suggested by antique book collectors. i doubt it actually, but it works for me.

the pages are in excellent condition and the spines on a few of them are barely cracked. published MCMLIV … 1954, except for the heart of a dog, published 1971. the illustrations are typical of this era.

ahh, i’m in love with these and i can’t wait to read them. i may even share them with the kids ;-)

i shared this post on southern hospitality blog and apron thrift girl. you can share your thrifty finds there each monday.