When One Thrift Door Closes... - The Spirited Thrifter

Oh April! You waited till the end of the month to play pranks on me! I was all set to shop April’s thrift-store-of-the-month, The Red Door, on Tuesday with my thrift sis Mary…

But when we arrived at 10am, the store was closed and the hours posted were different from the calendar – it said it opened at 11am. Fine, no problem, Mary and I decided to kill the hour at a nearby coffee shop where… they were out what I wanted so I ordered the server’s recommendation, expecting a toasty hot creamy coffee but I got…

*Coffee ice cream. Okay, no problem, I can work with that.*

*Or maybe not. This is why I don’t wear white.*

Back to Red Door we go…

where I park and my van promptly dies AND the store is still closed. No problem, I just signed up for AAA two days ago, I got this.

*My first purchase of the day was a new battery!*

After that, I was ready for some thrifting relief but the store was STILL closed, well after 11am. We tried calling, we peered in the windows…

After waiting and watching other customers come and go, we finally gave up.

*I don’t like to be a negative Nelly but it’s just bad business to inexplicably remain closed. I won’t bother returning to the Red Door.*

Mary and I decided to take our thrifting ambitions to the nearby Blue Bird Circle Shop which is not included in Houston’s Finest Resale calendar but will always be known as Ms. April to me.

The Blue Bird is like The Guild and The Charity Guild in that it is HUGE, run by volunteers, items are priced by date and proceeds support community needs.

There was furniture, books, men’s and women’s clothing, housewares and more!

I liked that little bookshelf but I just got new furniture, I mean a van battery. :\

*Interesting fact courtesy of Mary: flat-topped trunks were used by poorer people. They are flat so that other trunks can be stacked on top.*

*This round-top trunk would have belonged to someone of higher means. Who knew?!!*

There were plenty of shoes and clothing racks…

*What you’re looking at is an ENTIRE row of Salvatore Ferragamo pumps in excellent condition! My size but too narrow for my horrible feet! They were about $25 each.*

I found a couple of potential pairs…

*Loved these but my feet are hot just looking at them! #houstonproblems*

*The taller you stand, the more you can eat. #fact However, you might also break an ankle so I passed.*

Generally, I found the first price, the most recent date, to be slightly lower as compared to the Guilds’ but still higher than other little thrift shops or Goodwill. You would have to take your chances on the last date price for the best deals! We still found plenty to try on!

*First candidate was this floral top in a crepe-y fabric. I liked it but decided to pass because *someone* (Shannon) did not advise me on her opinion in time.*

*Next up, a yellow silk sleeveless top and too-tight maxi skirt. I liked the yellow top but it had a tear and several stains. I decided it was too much work.*

I did hit the jackpot with this Rebecca Taylor silk top for $16!!! This top would retail for over $200! #thriftscore I have wanted one ever since I *thought* Adina was bringing me one to try on during a Goodwill trip back in Canada…

FINE, I admit the XS Rebecca Taylor top was not for me! — *Still makes me laugh!*

*The last thing I tried on were vintage silk high-waist shorts. Nothing like a pleated 12″ rise to make a lady feel SEXY.*

The day started off rough but once the other thrift door opened, all was well! It’s always a pleasure to be in Mary’s company and I was so grateful for her patience during the battery fiasco! Blue Bird Circle Shop is a fun thrift shop and well worth a stop when you’re in the area!