Chic Estate Sale Finds for the Cocina & Entertaining

I had a really refreshing sangria post and recipe to share with you today, but guess what? If you were glued to the boob tube, then you may have seen that the DC area got slammed with an odd storm on Friday night, knocking out everything including cell phone service. It was Cuban mayhem over here. With a mother who can’t stand the heat, a father who can’t stand Mami’s unannounced irritable behavior and 3 confused and horny dogs, you can imagine the kind of chaos. We suffered Friday night at the house entertaining each other with history lessons of old Cuba,  a 2-hour long exploration into our family roots comical examples of my Mami’s OCDness — the back drop being an electrical storm and a candle-lit casa. We split ourselves up among family and friends that weren’t affected the remainder of the weekend. Fortunately, we were able to save 80% of our food by storing it at said houses and a local grocer was charitable enough to give away bags of ice to families. We snagged ten. You know, it’s necessary in a house that has 3 fridges.

Because we couldn’t do any cooking and were robbed of  Internet  and cell service, (unless I hung out at my cousin’s house) we were limited to doing much of nothing complicated. Mami and I took a much needed break from the sardine-like packed house (that would be my cousin’s) and decided to go Estate Sale hunting — something we’ve always done in tandem. I love every bit of it and have found some extraordinary things I still own. The most fun part is walking away with something super special that costs close to nothing.

Driving around, blasting Cuban music in the car and following bright pink and green arrows, we finally found one yesterday, just a few blocks away. We mustered through the heat and made our way to a house full of goodies! Unfortunately, they had an outage, too, so we had to zip through the 3-story house in about 30 minutes. And, it was their last hour of operation which means sale, sale, sale!

Among the fabulous fashionble things I grabbed, these were my kitchen and super chic entertainment findings!

I am most thrilled about the rolling  bar, which hails from Ethan Allen. Not a ding, cut or dig on it. It’s large, too. The two sides extend out and it has a drawer on the opposite side. Super score!  The colors and pattern are a far cry from my style, so I’ll be commissioning a good wood-work friend to hook it up for me. The price tag??? They were asking $200 but ended up giving it to us for $40. Yes, si, oui you sure read that right. Cuarenta pesitos!  

Thank you, heat. You brought me something good!

The white glass bowl, fantastic for serving fancy candy or jewelry — depending on the day — was a mere dollar! And the vintage hobnail milk glass vase is gorgeous! Minus the little striations on the curved lip, it’s in pristine condition. It adds character, right!  It’s also 10″ tall which makes a bold enough statement. I won’t complain since the Estate Sale manager just gave it to me.

And, the most unique find, were these two Wilton RWP Armetale pewter plough tavern horn mugs. They’re not marked anything else or dated, other than a “USA” stamp and small initials bearing RWP so I’m not sure how valuable or old they are. {did some research and found out they go for about $15 a piece and were used mid-century for drinking beer}. Would be nice to know in case I’ll be sipping some history. Based on the the furniture and other collectibles in the home, the owner had good taste and collected a variety of antiques.

This set of 6 emerald German Roemer Rhine Brandy glasses with etched designs were $5 for the set. Mami bought these for me the day before.  Yeah, she snuck out without telling me, which is why she knew where everything was when we went together. Gotta love it! I love the ridging on the stem, which is a traditional design of the period and the color is perfectly vibrant. I see custards, sorbets, ice cream, cocktails on the rocks and so much more served in these lovelies.

Vintage German Brandy Glasses

I’m pleased with the finds and can’t wait to showcase my goodies. The joy in estate sale shopping is finding pieces that have a story attached to them. You know I’m all about the story behind every experience! It’s like clutching on to a piece of history, especially if you didn’t live it.

Among my other purchases was a 6 head brass hat or coat standing rack for all of FREE and a lovely 3-piece spongeware set. That seems to be from the 70s? [I’ve just been clued into some history on this style serve ware which has sparked some serious interest in the period and value! Latin serve ware involves designs with roosters and lots of vegetables.] That was $4.  I may add that picture later. I was anxious to show off these in particular. I see all kinds of sugar, rice and espresso keeping them occupied.

If you’re interested in Estate Sale shopping, here are some things to make your experience a fabulous one, especially on your pocket — b/c I’d rather be saving coins for my Louboutins I’ve yet to purchase!

SCOUT THEN HOLD

Go to the sale on the 1st day! Check out everything and hand select the things you love most. There are A LOT of items — an entire house — and some can be useless junk. If there’s a high ticket price item, wait until the next day.

2nd & LAST DAY PURCHASING

Most Estate sales mark down their items by 50% if not more by the last day. Their goal is to get money and clear out the house. What’s not sold goes to charity. This is when your negotiation skills kick in. Really want something and it’s been there since day 1? Make an offer. That Ethan Allen bar was priced at $200 and we got it for $40 on the last day, the last hour! Sellers would rather make money than not!

BRING CASH AND A TRUCK 

Most Estate Sale managers won’t take credit cards or checks unless they’re big ticket items (usually $150+), so having cash is a great idea to get those smaller things. An SUV or bigger truck that fits furniture is necessary if purchasing those things. I bought a king sized bed in Atlanta last year and needed to rent a truck the next day. They typically won’t hold those items unless you put something down. And I did.

CHECK YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER FOR SALE LISTINGS

Every paper has a listing in the local section for weekend sales. Hit up as many as you can. The nicer the neighborhood, the more likely you’ll find nicer things, but you’ll also pay a bit mas dinero!

I spent all of $48 for the bowl, bud vase, hat rack, rolling bar, set of glasses and set of containers! Oh, the tales of a super star frugal shopper! You should join me one day! 🙂

*Our power is back as of 11 am today so back to the cocina! The sangria will be up on Wed. After all the stifling heat we had, I need something to practically drunken myself with! 

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

Follow the sexy & delicious fun on

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOOGLE+ |YOUTUBE

Don't forget to check out my debut cookbook!