Thrift Store Shopping and a What Would You Do?

I'll start by saying that last week was maybe the second time I have ever stepped foot in a thrift store. I don't know why I feel a little funny admitting that. The first time was for a high school dance. We needed some Hawaiian shirts and it's a pretty good place to get them. Since that time, I think the combination of clutter and disorganization has made shopping thrift a difficult experience for me. I'm overwhelmed easily when shopping, so I find it extremely difficult to sift through stacks or racks of clothing (and with children in tow? Impossible).

Well, I had a project that I wanted to complete for Valentine's day that required some plain t-shirts. So, I finally decided to bite the bullet and do some thrift shopping. I just couldn't stand the idea of spending a lot of money for something I might end up ruining. Which is not at all an unlikely scenario when talking about my usual DIY project results.

We have a local thrift store right down the street that has a nice variety. I know this, because I donate to them often. Fortunately, I was able to find three shirts quickly that fit the bill for my project and cost a mere $2 a piece. I was with my children so this wasn't going to be a short in and out trip. We wandered around for a while and discovered some fun children's books (I can never deny my children books, especially when they are each $1.)

Finally, we ran across this children's bench:

My children loved it, wanted to sit on it and begged me to purchase it. $5 later the bench was ours. So, I'm trying to decide what to do with it. My children won't be small enough to be able to sit on it forever.

So many questions: Should I paint it and put it in one of my kids' rooms? Should I weather proof it and put it out on the back deck for the summertime? Should I paint it with an eye towards using it as a front porch decoration in the future? Wouldn't it look cute with some potted plants on it?

How would you use this little bench? If it was yours, what would you do to it?

I'll leave you with that food for thought.

Have a happy day!

~MJ