Imagery from the Tossed & Found Preview Night Party

On Friday night, a party at Crystal City Shops kicked off the Junior League of Washington's 17th Annual Tossed & Found sale.  Now, if you have never had the pleasure of going to this weekend-long event, let me give you a taste of what you miss...

First off, this isn't your average, run-of-the-mill rummage sale.  For months, the volunteers sort and weed through all of the donations and decipher if the items are good enough to be sold (think creme de la consignment vs. too-trashy-to-be thrift).  The items that do not make the cut are donated to another source that can use them.  The goods that do make the cut are a total bargain for even the most discriminating shopper, whether they get a jump on the deals on Friday night or are still browsing by Sunday.

Opening the weekend is the Preview Night Party, complete with DJ, catering, open bar, a fashion show, silent and live auctions, and more.  There is a cover charge and everything is twice the price, but the value of getting a head start on some of the finest in gently-used goods makes any purchase, of the evening, a total steal.

Of course, I did what I was there to do and snapped shots of the event, making sure to catch my friends Allison Priebe Brooks http://www.QueenBeeDesigns.comand Suzanne Day Seidman http://www.LocalKicks.com and Makeda Saggau-Sackey in their fashion show sequel to their appearance on Fox 5.

Check out the raspberry beret...------>

After taking photos of the action, I brought along a little toy to play with...my Lensbaby 2.0!  I find that whenever I go second-hand shopping, I tend to fall in love with texture and color, more than the actual items.  So, I thought I would use the Lensbaby to profile what caught my eye and drew me in.  Enjoy.

<--In the textiles section, there was a multitude of options, speaking to just about any style.

Just about anything and everything imaginable could be found in kitchen accessories...I still have yet to figure out why this is was there----->

 <----A cast iron frame and picture that says "la moderne" flanks a black vase with bright green concave ovals.

If you are a committed bargain hunter or second-hand shopper, you will know that the early bird gets the absolute best deals on furniture.  But in this furniture section, there were still some great steals left for the weekend warriors.  Black leather chairs and ottomans, classic antique furniture that only needed to be refinished or re-upholstered and sexy, unique light fixtures.----> 

Ladies accessories had many different shiny, fun things that I could not stay away from.  In the photo below, on the right, is a hat I wanted to rock but the registers were already closed.

It was gone the next day by the time I went back.  It looked to be hand-crocheted and would have definitely fit in with my wardrobe...a sea of black and black.

<---Who cares who makes it?  Who cares if I need it?  Who even cares if the one next to it has more options or staying power?  It's a delicious "mix" of avocado, stainless steel, and retro tastiness.  I must have it for the kitchen!!!

So, what becomes of everything on Sunday?  The Junior League notifies all of the charities in DC to bring a truck and load up.  Plus, for around $25 or $30, the Sunday shoppers are given a very, very large bag and they can load it up with whatever they can fit in there, with exception of appliances, furniture and a few other areas.  However, if you are a fiber artist a designer on the prowl for upholstery fabric, or just looking for new textiles to destruct and re-use, this is the time to do it.