Vacation Shopping

Thank you for all of your kind comments regarding my Home Tour at Debbiedoos!
As I mentioned before, we just got back from a trip to Arizona to visit my sister and her family. I managed to get some fabulous shopping in, and some good eats, too. I promised to share pictures with you, and I'm giving fair warning, there are a TON! Are you ready?

I have followed Karen at My Desert Cottage for awhile, and have enjoyed her posts about a monthly sale in her neck of the woods called Sweet Salvage.  Well, I was absolutely thrilled when I realized that the sale would be going on at the same time that we'd be visiting (and no, I didn't plan our vaca around the sale, as my hubby teases me! It was just serendipity :) 

I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best 'junk' shopping experiences!!  My sweet hubby drove me almost 2 hours from where we were staying in Tucson, to the sale in Phoenix, and we got there right when the doors opened.  There was a line of people, but as you enter they give you a number so that you can 'tag' the items that you want, and there's also a very friendly staff there to help. They have it down to a science!

The sale is in a huge warehouse, and every nook and cranny is filled with the most incredible 'junk'!  It's all so artfully displayed-just a feast for the eyes!

I was in full-on shopping mode, so Keith was a doll and snapped a bunch of pics for me with his phone-not the best quality, and they don't really do it justice, but you'll get the general idea!

The owner, Kim, just happened to be the person who checked me out, and she was such a sweetie! It turns out that her hubby went to BGSU in Ohio where Keith and I went-small world!  We enjoyed chatting with her.

Here I am with some treasures in hand... I could've done some serious damage if we lived closer, but I only bought things that would fit into an empty suitcase that we brought. (Luckily these inscribed silver bowls fit :) Talk about exercising restraint!

I was smitten with this amazing sign, but it wasn't packable (sigh).

There are many other fantastic shops located near the sale that we got to visit (thanks to Karen for recommending them to me!)  One that stood out to me is called Rust and Roses, and I was swooning over all the fun 'junk' there, too!  (Look at all the great dishes and again, silver pieces!) 

Keith had heard about a place to eat called 'The Duce' that sounded fun, so we tracked it down. I'm so glad that we did, because it was one of the most unique, coolest places that we've ever been to! (And we found out from our server that Guy Fieri was there the previous week filming for Diners Drive-Ins and Dives!) We got there just as they were opening for lunch, so we were able to snap lots of pics.  It's in another HUGE warehouse with half as a restaurant and half as a shop. We ate outside in this 'open-air' part, just last week, on a gorgeous sunny day. (We returned to Ohio to freezing temps and icy snow-no, I'm not bitter!)
Check out the painted pallets on the brick wall they use as planters-love it!

The kitchen and order window is in an old airstream trailer.

They have the menu painted on a pink chippy door-how fun is that?!

The factory cart, the wildflowers in mason jars, the old doors...a junk lovers paradise!

Even the bathroom was photo-worthy! (I don't think I've ever taken pics of a public bathroom before-ha!)

This is inside the actual restaurant part.

I wonder where they found these salvaged bleachers?

And this is the other half, where they sell clothing, and have the coolest vintage props!

Ok...are you still here?  This is only a fraction of the pics that we took, but I figured that you might have other things to do today, so I'll stop! ;)  I'll have to wait and show you the treasures that I brought home another time.
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!