Hi there! I'm Mariah.
I'm a wife, mama & lifelong thrifter living in Virginia.
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I created The Sanders Abode in July of 2017 as an Instagram-based resale shop and passion project that became so much more.
Thrifting has always been a part of me...
Even as a young girl, I can remember going to thrift stores, yard sales & flea markets with my mom. I give her all the credit for teaching me how to scan the aisles for certain colors, textures & how to find the good deals. My mom made it all seem like such an adventure. Even back in high school, when she owned 'The Stock Exchange' (a vintage consignment shop), I would help her with sourcing, staging the store and would often be in the back painting old pieces of furniture to make them new again. Since then, I've learned a thing or two on my own, but I still find so much adventure in entering a store filled with old stuff and finding those one-of-a-kind pieces.
Let's go back to the beginning...
I started this shop in 2017 when I was in a really terrible season of my life. I was working a job in a career that I did not enjoy. I was craving creativity and purpose. Thrifting was often my outlet, my "therapy" if you will. At the end of a long day, I found relief in perusing the aisles of my local thrift store. That feeling of finding something interesting, that told a story...I wanted to keep chasing that feeling. Well, after some time, I had started to build up quite the collection of these interesting, story-telling treasures and soon enough I was like Ariel. It was time to figure out a way to relocate these "thingamabobs." One day, as I stood in a Goodwill, I made an Instagram account called The Sanders Abode--the name I had given to our first (& current) home. Now, almost five years later, I've been able to pass along thousands of my treasures to help make your homes feel more special. And now I have my very own studio space that we constructed back in 2021 to serve as a creative & productive space for all things shop-related!
Here & Now
While the shop is primarily for selling my finds, to me, it means so much more than that. The shop has been with me as I've entered motherhood (twice now!), navigated running a business during a pandemic and where I find purpose & community. For the past five years, this community has been a much-needed source of support, inspiration, encouragement, and fun. Over time, it's expanded as my life has, and I find myself sharing daily life content as a wife and mother, lover of diy's, novice sourdough bread baker and lots more over on Instagram. And I always love sharing about my trips to the flea markets and thrifts, because who doesn't love a good thrift haul?! I hope to share more in this space over in the "Blog" section - if you're into DIY's, recipes, etc. feel free to follow along and share your thoughts in the comments.
Don't miss your next great find.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram for a behind the scenes look at new pieces!