Thrill of the Hunt: Vol 3
A brief pause for: Disney World, Knee Surgery, 4 Things I Look for at Every Estate Sale, and What I'm Loving
Thrill of the Hunt is a weekly publication by Eliza Morrill. Every other week, you can expect a Volume of “Thrill of the Hunt,” featuring a few musings, recent thrifted finds, and tips to help you curate a collected home. On the “in-between” weeks, you’ll find a longer-form article in your inbox tackling a single subject.
Thank you for being here!
I’m back!
After a (somewhat) unintended two week break, I’m back to writing and thankful for it. This space has become such a nice outlet for me, and being away for two weeks was a great reminder of that.
Two weeks ago, we ventured to the magical land of Disney World, and the following week, I had a pretty significant knee surgery. How’s that for whiplash?
DISNEY WORLD
The last time we took our brood to Disney, the twins were 4, and the babies were 14 months and not quite two. While the twins remembered it as the best 3 days of their lives, the babies felt very grieved that they could not remember anything from the trip. Well, that is - except for the fact that Maeve broke her collar bone. How? We have no idea. I digress.
I mean seriously… how cute were they!?
As some of you may or may not know, Maeve (and Henry) have been through quite a lot on their short lives. Read: many, many surgeries - for Maeve, especially. Maeve’s signature ask post-extubation has been for a kitten and a trip to Disney World. As Mike is allergic to cats and Disney World is $$$, our answer was always a disappointing, “not yet, darling” - but the last few months have proven to be quite the payout for our girl.
For starters, a family of mice living in our home (gag) brought us the gift of Ruby Mittens Heartstrong Gumbo Morrill in the fall, and at long last, mid-February was our trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. We drove down around lunch on Thursday and hit the parks on Friday.
Though I was a little nervous that our nine-year-old twins wouldn’t be nearly as enamored with Disney as they were 5 years ago, I had nothing to worry about — they loved it. We did three days in the parks (non-park hopper) - arriving at rope drop, going back to our Airbnb after lunch, and returning to the parks until close. We discovered that every kid LOVES roller coasters, and that with cowboy boots, our youngest was *just* tall enough to ride all of them with us. Watching them dance with characters and cheer for the fireworks made my eyes a little wet. Sure, there were some tears and threats and fighting, but overall, it was one of the best family trips we’ve ever taken, and it had me Googling things like “Disney season passes” on the way home. Spoiler alert: passes for an out-of-state family of 6 were more than some college tuitions. EL OH EL.
A few days after arriving home, I had my second major knee surgery in 15 months (the first being a total knee replacement in 2023 - yes, I have the body of an elderly woman). I’m pleased to report that this recovery is not nearly as brutal as the first, and I’m finally starting to feel like myself again - though still rocking a walker or cane most of the time. Huzzah!
THRIFTED FINDS
Gonna be honest - I didn’t do much thrifting this month. Shocking, huh? Instead, I thought I’d share 4 small items I always look for at thrift stores and estate sales:
An iPhone snap of the dresser in our bedroom. Every frame here is secondhand - and each photo brings me great joy!
Picture Frames: It’s no secret that I love photos (I mean… it’s my job, literally) Ergo, I love picture frames. I’ve found that you can get picture frames for an absolute steal at estate sales and secondhand shops. I once found a trove of sterling silver frames at the Goodwill in Atlanta for $2.50 each! Even if I don’t have a place to put them, I grab them if they’re nice and use them as gifts for friends and family (with a photo added, of course!)
Small Linens: Cocktail napkins, tablecloths, placemats, and tea towels are often overlooked and can be such a great addition to any entertainer’s collection. I especially love them if they’re embroidered. Even if they aren’t my own initial(s), I will grab them for a friend, and have also had them embroidered after the fact.
Oh my gosh - six years ago. Where does the time go?
Books: Be they coffee table books or books for styling, I am always looking for well-priced books. Even if the jacket of a coffee table book is dingy, don’t let that fool you - check to see the condition of the book cover itself. Often times, it’s great. In our last home, I had a rainbow bookshelf (above)- most of which originally had white jackets. Sure, there were some odd titles in the mix, but the end result was so fun.
Christmas Ornaments: Though ornaments are popular to purchase secondhand around the holidays, they aren’t nearly as sought after in June. At some estate sales, whole holiday decor collections will be stored in a corner of the garage - priced for pennies. Though I’m not at a point where I can decorate my tree with the vintage Shiny Brite set I bought last year (cough cough, cats and children, cough) they’re some of my favorite decorations that I know I’ll use for years to come.
What do you always look for?
What I’m Loving:
Content: Carolina Gelen - NYT bestselling author and creator of some of the most interesting, awe-inspiring recipes (and reels) I’ve seen in a long time.
Reading: Spotify Audiobooks - did you know that Spotify Premium has a ton of free audiobooks? I didn’t until recently, but have since very much taken advantage. I listened to The Third Gilmore Girl last week, and am on to Beyond the Wand this week. I’m clearly on a memoir kick!
Using: Tula Facewash - Tula was kind enough to send me some items last month, and let me say: I’m clearly late to the party. My favorite is the face wash. Whereas before, I used a makeup remover and two types of face wash, I’ve found that this both removes all my makeup and thoroughly cleans my face. It has the tiniest bit of grit to it which I love. They also sent their SPF (smells like banana bread), primer, and cooling stick. Want your own? Use code ELIZA15 for 15% off. Thanks, Tula!
Streaming: This one was a bit of a love-hate situation: Bridget Jones - Mad About the Boy. I absolutely adore the Bridget Jones series for its hilarious, irreverent, feel-good movies. I regret to inform you, however, that I snot-sobbed through 80% of this movie. Was it great? Yes. But did I use half a box of tissue to get through it? Also yes. I also had never seen the trailer, so I went in blind. Stream on Peacock at your own risk!
Wearing: Nuuly - This is a big one for me. It’s essentially a clothing subscription service. Each month, you choose 6 items to rent, wear, and send back at the end of the month. You can choose from (literally) thousands of items - coats, formal dresses, those fun pants you’ve been eyeing, cashmere sweaters, or athleisure. I’ve found myself far less interested in shopping for clothes since starting, and more emboldened to try things that I normally wouldn’t. I had a damaged item in last month’s box, so they refunded me a portion of my subscription fee and added on a free item for this month. Can’t complain about that! If you use the link above, I *think* you get some kind of discount on your first month, but I’m not really sure… ha!
Cooking: This green pasta that I’m pleased to report 3/4 of my kids ate (and two asked for seconds!)
Not only would it be the perfect St. Patrick’s Day meal, it’s also pretty darn delicious. No real recipe, but here’s what I blended together before tossing with pasta:
Half a bag of frozen avocado
Half of a ripe avocado
One small log of herb goat cheese
Two handfuls of spinach
Generous amount of garlic
Pasta water
Salt + Pepper
Healthy and a hit!
That’s all, folks! Thank you so much again for being here. I’m thankful for you!
Amazon premium music also has a free audible book each month now in case people have Amazon!
Blue and white, rattan and bamboo accent pieces, outdoor furniture and terra cotta pumpkins (strange but true!)