This is it, Friends! Time for the recap of the most amazing yard sale adventure ever!
In case you missed it, I along with six other awesome bloggers were invited by GMC to fly to Detroit, load up in one of three of their brand spankin new Acadia Denalis, and travel The World’s Longest Yard Sale (also known as the 127 Sale) along Route 127 through five states in search of fantastic deals to help furnish a Habitat for Humanity Home for one very deserving family.
Say wha?? Are they for real?? Especially after this insane yard-sale diet I’ve been on this Summer, I couldn’t respond fast enough. And it’s for a great cause…count me in! (Thank you, Megan and GMC!!)
There is so much to share that today I will be sharing our trip and what I found along the way, and I’ll be back tomorrow to share what I did with the treasures I found and the final room reveal.
Here is the convoy of GMCs awaiting our arrival at the airport in Detroit:
Pretty darned cool, right? I felt so special, and they were SO nice!!!
We drove a couple of hours that day to get our start for the yard sale in Bryan, Ohio, which is just past West Unity at the top of the map:
Here’s the whole crew fresh and ready to get going on Thursday morning/day one:
L-R in the back is Me, Courtney from French Country Cottage, Allison from Two Thirty-Five Designs, and Sarah and Nick from Nestrs. In the front are Jasmine and Katie from Team GMC, Nancy from Artsy Chicks Rule, Fadra from All Things Fadra and She Buys Cars, and Megan, our fearless leader also from GMC.
Each blogger was given a budget and a room to decorate in the house. I was given the six-year old boy’s room. Perfect since I happen to have one of those myself. 🙂
Nancy got the 12 year-old girl’s room, and she and I split to do the bathroom. Fadra got the kitchen and dining area. Alison was given the Mom’s bedroom. Nick and Sarah were tasked with the two living areas, and Courtney was available to help us all as a mentor as well as adding a special surprise to the laundry room.
We had from Wednesday until Sunday at 2:00pm to drive from Ohio to Georgia, shop for treasures to decorate our spaces along the way, refurbish the things we found, and have the entire house decorated and ready to surprise the family when they walked in.
My driving buddies were Nancy and Fadra:
Ya’ll already know Nancy, one of my blogging BFFS, who lives not too far from me, and by the end of day one we had become fast friends with Fadra too! She had us cracking up the whole trip, and did most of the driving!
As soon as we started driving, there were yard sales EVERYwhere!! There were yard sale signs literally on every corner. We were supposed to drive four and a half hours that first day to end up in Kentucky, but three hours after we started our journey, we were still only 20 minutes from where we started!
That is what made it SO hard. We wanted to stop at ALL the yard sales!
All three of us did have major scores that first day though. I found this dresser for my boy’s room:
It was $80, but I got it for $60. It was very clean inside and the drawers were in perfect working condition, and it was solid. This was in a huge barn that had a ton of furniture in it.
I also found these drawers I asked y’all about on Instagram:
These were $5 each but I got them for $7 for the pair. I thought they would make for fun shelving.
I also found a headboard and footboard for $8:
And Fadra spotted this basketball hoop for me for $5:
Since I was told the six year-old loved basketball, I thought if we couldn’t hang it to make it functional outside, this would still be fun to hang on the wall in his room as décor.
I also found a desk that I got for $20:
And this really cool antique chair which I paid a bit more for than I wanted to. It was originally marked $49, but I ended up getting it for $30:
I had a fantastic start on my space!
My girls also had a great start on day one. Nancy found a dresser and a night table in the same barn where I found my dresser, and a cute side table that she matched a chair at a yard sale to to make a small vanity, and Fadra found a great set of table and chairs:
And how did we fit all that in our vehicle you ask?
Luckily we didn’t have to! We had one of these in our caravan to pick up our larger pieces:
Is there a better way to go yard saling?? I think not.
Here is Fadra’s victory pose after loading her dining set:
Sean from GMC in the background there was the driver. (He was missing from the group photo earlier.)
With our major pieces out of the way, we were able to focus a bit more on the small things we still needed, but it seemed that by midday Friday, things were starting to get picked over just a bit. I wish I had taken photos of the vehicles we saw that had furniture piled high on top of them. People were cramming it in (or on) any way they could!
There was still a ton to see though…here’s just a peek of what else we came across:
Katie and Jasmine from GMC spied those huge metal letters which would have been really cool in the room, but crazy expensive at $75. Fadra found the horse and the tiger heads.
You see it ALL at The World’s Longest Yard Sale!
I found this shelf for the room for $8 on day two:
If we weren’t driving through small towns with yard sale signs on every corner, we were passing huge fields, each with tons of vendors.
Or huge barns like this one, filled to the brim with stuff for sale:
It was SO hard not to stop at every. single. one. We still had several more hours to drive that day if we were going to make it to our hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee in time for dinner.
We did take time to enjoy the view though:
I believe this was Tennessee…breathtaking!
And have a little fun:
That was in Kentucky! Gorgeous too!!
We also squeezed in a couple of hours on Friday to shop for the items we wanted to purchase new like bedding, rugs, towels, etc.
That was marathon shopping at its best. We were loaded down!
I mean really. My seat…
I think I was just delirious at this point ha ha…at least I look it. 🙂
One of our stops was Michaels and guess what I spied on the stands at the check-out? The new Somerset Home crafting magazine! That was pretty exciting since I had a spread in there this month! Remember my DIY Jewelry Holder from my March Madness series this year…
Woohoo!! Exciting! 😀
We pulled into our hotels each night grimy, sweaty, and thoroughly exhausted, but it was so worth it!
Saturday morning we still had to drive a little over two hours to just outside Atlanta, and pick up a couple last minute items for our rooms. We also had to buy paint and a few supplies to rehab the furniture we bought. Although the Habitat crew was still working on finishing touches in the house, we were able to take a peek at our spaces.
Here is the boy’s room:
This space was seriously about 10 x 9 feet, and I immediately knew not everything I had purchased was going to make it into the room.
I’m sorry to have to leave you hanging here, but it won’t be for long. I’ll be back tomorrow with the final reveal, and you’ll see what I had to eliminate from the plan!
Can’t wait to share…see ya then!
UPDATE: Lucky you! There’s no need to wait for the reveal now…HERE it is!!
XO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Carla says
You are totally in your element with this adventure. I can’t wait to see his room!
Christy says
I know, right? I’ve been training for this challenge my whole life ha ha! 🙂
Kim says
That’s so fun! I’m originally from Alabama and the yard sale goes through my hometown. It was always fun to have a yard sale just to meet the people. Can’t wait to see what you did with all the pieces you found. 🙂
Christy says
Oh how fun is that?? I would love to do this again! 🙂
Sandra@lookingforpotential says
What a fun adventure, It looks like you guys had a blast! Wow it would take real focus to stay with the program , especially with all those treasures you came across! Can’t wait to see the reveal!
Christy says
We did have a great time, and having a specific room in mind plus the fact that we couldn’t fit much in our suitcases helped keep us on task! 🙂
Heather @ Viral Upcycle says
So cool Christy!! I can’t wait to see the final results especially what you decided to stick with for the boy’s room.
Christy says
You would have loved digging through all the treasures we came across! I’d love to plan a road trip and do it again! 🙂
Paula@SweetPea says
You were the perfect person to be selected for this challenge. I am excited to see the reveal for the bedroom you designed for your 6 year old.
Christy says
Aww thanks, Paula! This was SO my thing for sure!! Can’t wait to share the reveal tomorrow! 🙂
chris aka monkey says
that sale is on my bucket list, and i probably won’t get far if i ever get to go’ because i would want to stop at every sale too lol xx
Christy says
Ha ha that was me! I just didn’t want to pass any up! XOXO
Gina Keysor says
Loved your re-cap, like a good book you can’t put down! Excited to hear about and see the results!! Hope we will see some of the other rooms as well.
Christy says
Thanks, Gina! Glad to hear you’re enjoying the play-by-play so far. Unfortunately my post would be a mile long if I shared the reveal of the whole house, but everyone who went is revealing their spaces tomorrow, and I will definitely share the links to their reveals at the bottom of tomorrow’s post so you can see them all. 🙂
rose l. says
You all are having way too much fun! Eager to see the outcomes of all the creative minds.
Christy says
It really was fun, Rose! Yard saling with someone else’s money and it’s for a great cause? Yes, please! XOXO
Sherry Pelle says
Hi Christy! I loved hearing about your adventure AND you guys got some awesome stuff! Can’t wait to see what you did with the boys room!
Christy says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sherry! Can’t wait to share the room! 🙂
Fadra says
I found myself smiling as I relived this whole adventure through your pictures. Are you still tired? I think I am! But, man, that was exhausting AND fun. Hope to be back next year!
And sorry – I didn’t realize how cramped you were back there!!
Christy says
It was such a fun experience and I couldn’t imagine doing it with any one else…you girls were a blast! I think I am finally felling rested, thank goodness! And I was only crammed that way for that last trip from Walmart ha ha no worries at all! XOXO
Patty says
It looks like you had so much fun. I love that sale, I carry large canvas bags with me for the small stuff and it seems like I walk forever and that is ok until it is time to walk back to my car.
It must be a wonderful feeling to know you are buying for a deserving family and what fun to get to decorate the rooms.
I can’t wait to see what you all do with your rooms and the great furniture you got.
Christy says
You are so lucky that you are close enough to enjoy that sale, Patty! I know…some of those tents stretch on for what seems like forever! And yes, I feel so truly blessed to have been a part of making this house a home for this special family! XO
Cyndi J says
Looks like so much fun! Love your “delirious” pic. And how exciting to spot your jewelry holder project. I’m looking forward to your room reveal!
Christy says
Ha ha Nancy snapped that picture…we were so hot and so happy and so grimy and so punchy that we were feeling a bit delirious lol. And yes I was so excited to see my jewelry holder featured…such a nice bonus to a great week! XO
SHARON says
wow!!!! what a trip–looking forward to the next step
Christy says
It truly was a great experience, Sharon! Can’t wait to share the rest tomorrow! 🙂
Julie says
Christy,
Congrats on the spread in Somerset! So exciting!
Christy says
Thank you so much, Julie!! XO
Haley says
I live on Signal Mountain (right outside of Chattanooga, TN) and the yard sale comes right through the middle of our town. It is amazing how many treasures and junk are sold along the road and the traffic is insane! Next year I will keep an eye out for the GMC crew.
Christy says
You are SO lucky!! I would love to go back to shop for myself, but it’s quite a hike! I bet you find great treasures. 🙂
Ange says
What a great project to be part of. It’s a win for everyone involved. GMC, Habitat for Humanity, you and your blogging friends and esspecially the family that will have a wonderful home filled with reppurpsoed treasures. Excited to read more about your adventure.
Christy says
It truly is, Ange! I feel so blessed to have been able to be a part of this adventure! See ya tomorrow! XOXO
Jenna says
Looks fun, exhausting and so exciting!! Can’t wait to see the reveal!
Christy says
It was all of those, Jenna! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! Can’t wait to share the rest! XOXO
Addie says
Love your “delirious” pic!!!! Your “I can’t believe this sale” eyes and smile say it all!!!! Really cracked me up!!! Can’t wait to see the end results. Were you able to buy anything for yourself? If not…that would be cruel and unjust punishment!!!!
Congrats on the magazine spread!!! Wonderful!!!
God Bless~
Addie
Christy says
Thanks, Addie! We were so giddy I tell ya! I was not able to buy anything for myself since we were on a time crunch and I could only fit so much in my luggage, but it was fun to have a focus. Would love to do this again! 🙂
At Rivercrest Cottage says
looks like a really fun thing to do. looking forward to the final showing.
Christy says
It was a lot of fun! The final reveal is up now…you can see it here: https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/gmc-yard-sale-room-reveal-with-habitat-for-humanity-part-2/ 🙂