Collecting for the Playroom

I have a vintage schoolroom look in mind for our future kid's playroom, so I've been collecting items towards achieving that goal. I've been approaching the task as though I'm planning to decorate a classroom. Something I have a little experience in having taught high school for a year. I loved decorating my classroom, so I'm looking forward to working on the playroom.

One of the pieces of furniture that I swiped from my Dad's house was this old school room chair that we had as kids. 

My sister-in-law Sarah has watched me lust after old classroom desks like this at the thrifts, but I always held out for a better price. I'm glad I did, since I acquired this baby for free!

I love how old and loved the thing is. I think it might have once lived in a school in Beauport, South Carolina. 

Just a hunch.

As a social studies teacher, I kind of have a thing for maps and globes. I have a collection of antique map prints that will eventually end up in the upstairs guestroom. But for the playroom, I've decided to start up a globe collection, something I've always wanted to do.

I think the gumball machine is also destined for the playroom.

I picked these two globes up last weekend at a community yard sale in Bridgewater with my friends Mark, Erin, & Anita. Mark quickly decided I had a built in homing beacon for old globes. If one caught my eye, I made an immediate bee line towards it.

The first one was originally $3, but I haggled it down to $1. My policy at yard sales is to almost always ask for a lower price because most of the time, the owner justs wants to get rid of it and will agree. The second (and larger) one was only $1.50, so I simply ran with it because I thought that was more than fair. I heart the Bridgewater Yard Sale! There's another one in September and I'm definitely going back! It's no Rt. 11 Yard Crawl, but it sure is the next best thing!

Did you know that the Soviet Union is still in existence?

Along with East & West Germany & Berlin?

So they are a little outdated. I still love them. Besides, Joseph likes to spin them around and around.

Knowing my love for schoolroom items, my sister-in-law Theresa brought me this old bell. They were getting rid of it at her work and she snatched it for me. I love it and her. Madly.

On my way home from the Bridgewater Yard Sale, I drove by another yard sale that was over. All the items had been set on the street with a big "FREE" sign next to them. And we all know how I feel about free stuff.

I think free stuff is just drawn to me. Or I have magical powers I'm unaware of. I'm always amazed at how many things I can get for free. Heck, my first van in college was free.

So, having eyed a sign with "FREE" on it, I quickly turned around and went back to peruse the piles of stuff. I grabbed some mint condition games (Trivial Pursuit, Risk, Battleship) and this vintage suit case. It's a bit grimy, but it was the right color and it was FREE!

Once I clean it up, I'm thinking it might be a good way to store the dress up clothes and items I've been collecting for the playroom. And so far, I've found all of the dress up clothes on Goodwill Outlet expeditions with Sarah. To include an almost perfect 100% wool Indiana Jonesesque hat which I snagged for mere pennies. I was going to make Stephen or Joseph wear it, but Stephen ran out the door for work and Joseph is napping. So...

Commence laughter. Maybe it would be better if I had whiskers??

While I was very happy with the big pile of FREE stuff, I noticed that the owner was sitting next to an old overhead projector. That I wanted. I sidled up to him and asked if it too was free. No such luck. He'd originally priced it at $10, but since the sale was over he was willing to give it to me for $8. Puh-lease. I don't spend $8 on anything. I shrugged & walked away to load up my car with indifference. Then non-chalantly went back and asked if he'd give it to me for $3. And he did. WIN!

Lastly, I already have a collection of classroom maps from my stint as a social studies teacher, so I'm holding on to those for the playroom as well.

I've also been collecting ideas and pictures on Pinterest. To borrow a phrase from my sister-in-law Sarah, I big pink puffy heart Pinterest.

I like walls covered in children's books (which I've also been collecting from Goodwill Outlet for pennies).

I love the idea of creating a giant abacus for help with elementary math.

Giant ruler? Yes please!

Coat racks made out of yard sticks? Sure!

Big chalkboard? That just goes without saying. And I like the wire baskets too.

Giant map on the wall? Definitely. Have always loved this.

I promise to come back and credit all of these ideas later, but right now Joseph just woke up.

So far, I think my vision is coming together nicely. What do you think?

And I can't wait to collect even more globes at the Route 11 Yard Crawl!