Second Story Goods

Second Story Goods Giving beautiful things a second story. Curated Vintage • Thrift Flips • Upcycled Treasures
Birmingham, AL ✨
Every find gets a new chapter.
(2)

Shop my booth at:
Yellowhammer Antiques
8430 1st Ave SE, Leeds, AL 35094

07/18/2026

Some people have girls’ night.

We have Auction Night!

Once a month, my friend Leslie (Leslie Bradberry Sills) & I head to one of our favorite auctions. But the tradition actually starts with dinner at a sweet little small-town diner because we know it’s going to be a late night.

This month, we had a truck…and her husband (muscle)!
That was dangerous. 😆

(Truth be told, they’ve been going for a long time & I’ve become the 3rd wheel LOL)

One of my favorite parts of the night is that Leslie and I have the exact same taste. Before something comes up for bid, one of us usually asks…

“You want this one?”

If the answer is yes…

“You take it.”

Well…most of the time. 🤣

Sometimes we both forget to ask until our bidder cards are already in the air!

We got outbid on several pieces we both wanted, and by the end of the night our running joke was:

“Well…I guess we have good taste!”

This was only my second auction, so I’m still trying to learn the auctioneer’s lightning-fast chant. Half the time I was looking at Leslie or the auction crew asking,

“Am I winning?” 😂

The auctioneer and his crew just laughed and promised “We’ll get her (aka me) learned.” 🤍

I somehow made it through the night without accidentally buying the whole building and still came home with some incredible treasures.

I’d call that a successful Auction Night.

Have you ever been to a real country auction?

07/14/2026

Well…I finally made it to Vanessa Durham at Vintage 426 in Attalla, AL.

After my little garage sale detour (where I got overheated, nearly passed out, and arrived looking like I’d jumped in a pool 😅), I headed to one of my favorite places to pick up a few treasures I’d already claimed from her Facebook post.

Simple enough, right?

Well…I walked in and discovered her booth was 50% off! So much for just picking up a few things!

I ended up bringing home two vintage breadbox tins, giant wooden spools, a primitive bucket, platters, floral dessert plates, a quirky old New Jersey Road Department bag, this adorable Welch’s pitcher, and a few other goodies.

One of the treasures I’d already claimed was a pair of Blue Boy and Pinkie portraits. If you grew up around antiques, there’s a good chance you’ve seen these iconic companion prints hanging in someone’s home before. Look at those gorgeous frames on this pair!

And then came one more unexpected bonus…I got to see and chat with The Cozy Nest’s owner again while I was there. 🤍That’s always one of my favorite parts of supporting small businesses—getting to know the people behind them.

It turns out one day of treasure hunting included an unexpected garage sale, almost melting in the Alabama heat, a planned stop that turned into an even bigger haul, and catching up with an owner I always enjoy seeing.

I’d call that a pretty successful day!

Which piece would have gone home with you?

07/14/2026

So much treasure to be found & it changes everyday!

07/12/2026

Ever see one of those GARAGE SALE signs and suddenly your turn signal comes on before your brain has time to vote? 😂

That was me last Saturday.

I was on my way to pick up a few things from one of my favorite places, The Cozy Nest, when I spotted a handwritten garage sale sign with an arrow.

Immediate U-turn. No discussion necessary.

The sign led me down winding country roads. Every turn got a little narrower, the kudzu got a little thicker, and I started wondering if maybe I shouldn’t have made the detour.

I almost turned around.

Instead, I pulled in.

I was the only customer there, so I started browsing and chatting, thinking there probably wasn’t much vintage to be found.

Then I spotted the hutch.

And then…more treasure.

One U-turn later, I was loading up:
• A beautiful primitive hutch
• An incredible old desk
• A vintage locker
• A peacock fireplace screen
• An old door with amazing character
• A little student desk
• Artwork
• A sweet little egg plate that’s already earned a spot in next year’s Easter display

I left with a vehicle full of treasures, a story I’ll be telling for a long time…and a new friend. 🤍

Sometimes the best garage sales aren’t the ones with long lines and packed driveways.

Sometimes they’re hidden at the end of a winding country road…waiting for someone willing to make the detour.

Have you ever made a U-turn for a garage sale? Or did you keep driving and wonder what you missed?

07/11/2026

Some traditions are worth sweating for.

Every Fourth of July, my hubby’s family has a tradition of going to the annual Our Lady of Sorrows (OLS) rummage sale and festival. If you’re local to Birmingham, you probably already know…this sale is legendary.

People start lining up before 4:00 a.m. for doors that don’t open until 8:30!

We arrived around opening time, and the line was still incredibly long. It was in the 90s, the humidity felt like 100%, and the sun was doing its best to melt us before we even got inside. I was absolutely drenched before I ever started shopping!

But that’s not our only tradition…

My hubby’s birthday is July 6, so every year we do the cake walk in hopes of winning his birthday cake.

This year was a little different, though. It was my first OLS sale since opening my antique booths, so you can probably guess where my priorities were! I made a beeline for the rummage sale while my hubby headed to the cake walk.

He even snapped a candid of me shopping and later posted, “She’s living her best life.” He wasn’t wrong. 🤍

And what were the chances? He won his birthday cake on his very first walk!

The early birds definitely scored some incredible finds (I’ve loved seeing everyone’s posts!), but there were still plenty of treasures waiting.

The next day I went back to pick up the drop-leaf table I’d purchased…and, as usually happens, I came home with a few more things. 😂 The little cabinet and black chair!

Oh…and did I mention Day 2 is half-price day?

As they were loading my furniture, one of the volunteers told me the lines were actually longer than the first day!

One of the things I love most about OLS is that it’s more than just a great place to source vintage treasures. Every purchase helps support the church, and everything left over is donated to multiple local charities. That’s a win-win in my book.

Here’s everything that came home with me this year. Now comes the fun part…deciding what stays as-is and what gets a Second Story makeover. 🤍

Have you ever been to the OLS rummage sale? Or do you have a hometown event that’s become a family tradition?

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has been my favorite movie since I was a kid. It might even be my favorite movie, period.I had n...
07/09/2026

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has been my favorite movie since I was a kid. It might even be my favorite movie, period.

I had no idea it was originally a book until I stumbled across this 1964 edition while sourcing online. The moment I saw it, I hit BIN (Buy It Now)!

Fun fact: I had no idea the author was Ian Fleming…yes, that Ian Fleming. The creator of James Bond!

Best $5 I’ve spent in a long time.

It’s amazing how one little find can take you right back to childhood. I can’t wait to read the book, and I think I may have to watch the movie again this weekend. 🤍

What’s one movie from your childhood that you still love today?

07/04/2026

Happy 4th!

20% off in all of my booths!!

Open today at 10a


07/03/2026

Sometimes curiosity wins.

This little ceramic duck came home with me from that private estate sale. Every time I picked him up, he rattled!

At first I thought something inside had broken. Then I wondered if maybe he was a bank…except there wasn’t a coin slot or an opening anywhere. The bottom was completely covered with felt.

Well…the mystery was bugging me, I had to find out.

I carefully peeled back the felt, turned him over, and shook out the hidden treasure—a collection of vintage marbles!

I’ll admit…I was kind of hoping for cash! 😂 But vintage marbles are a pretty fun surprise, too!

It’s moments like these that make sourcing so much fun. You never know when an ordinary piece is hiding an unexpected story.

What’s the coolest surprise you’ve ever found inside a vintage piece?

Address

8430 1st Avenue SE
Leeds, AL
35094

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