Funky Finds & Bargain Bunches

WOW...how's that title for alliteration!  It's finally warm enough here to open up our screened porch for the season and it just so happens that I have a lot of flea market finds from our trip to Pennsylvania and Maryland to decorate it with.

I found this great old seedling carrier, with the baskets, for $15.00 at Renninger's Flea Market in Adamstown, Pa. On the way home, we stopped at IKEA in Connecticut where I found these potted herbs - not real but hard to tell - for $5.99 each. The basil and oregano fit perfectly in the baskets. The vintage cherry tea towel was another find from our trip...$2.00.

This is the booth where I bought a lot of my bargains. The booth was way off to the side and the seller was cold and anxious to dicker. He had some great funky stuff...fresh picked.

On my way home from school this week, I stopped to check out a Maine landmark, Marden's, a huge salvage store. They buy out stores that are going out of business or are overstocked and often have name brand items at ridiculous prices...if you can overlook the lack of "ambiance". (Marden's makes WalMart look like a boutique.) They had bought out a high-end floral company and the stuff was amazing...each stem not only looks, but feels, real...with perfect detail and color. I don't use artificial flowers often but decided to buy an assortment to have on hand for porch decorating and summer crafting.

This ribbon was from the same shop...$2.00 for a huge spool...I bought four.

Here are some of my floral finds...

a Narcissis bulb in bloom, perfect in every detail...$.89.  I'll "plant" this one in one of my McCoy pots.

This milk bottle carrier is from the same booth at Renninger's...$6.00, with the bottles. I replaced the bottles with Mason jars for this photos. It will live on the screened porch. And yes, the forsythia is finally out in Maine!

I loved the boughs of lemon leaf at Marden's...huge and the stems look and feel like wood...$2.59 a bunch. I think these will make beautiful wreathes...I'll use old picture frames as a base.

Couldn't resist a few red tulips...love how "imperfect" the blossoms are...as in nature...$.89 each.

I posed a stem of white lilacs on our porch futon for this photos. I love the futon cover...a splurge last summer from L.L. Bean.

I even bought weeds...

...and cherry tomatoes. These look so real I will have to be careful that one of the grandchildren doesn't decide to eat one!

Now all I have left to do is put out the porch furniture...

...and wait for the Chickadees to find their little camper outside the porch.

It's so good to be outside again...

This post is happily linked to:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Transformations & Treasures at The Pink Postcard

Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer

Time Travel Thursday at Brambleberry Cottage

Thrifty Thursday at Tales from Bloggeritaville

Open House Party at No Minimalist Here

Under $100. Linky Party at Beyond the Picket Fence

Friday Pretties at I Love Pretty Little Things

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Home Sweet Home Party at The Charm of Home