My kids went back to school on Tuesday after what felt like a very relaxing but very LONG break so part of my self care that day was to take an hour for a thrift stop, which I chronicled, just in case y’all might be interested in what goes through my mind while I’m thrifting!
Sometimes I have an inkling on which thrift store to go to. This particular Goodwill on 99 tends to have a good selection of dresses AND it was right by the grocery store. Winner winner chicken dinner.
First stop: shoes so that you can wear any with potential around the store while you shop to gauge comfort. Goodwill stores here put the shoes on shelves above the clothing – not my preferred arrangement! I don’t like having to divide my attention between the shoes and the clothes!! But I make do! For example, I found this pair of perfect-condition leather burgundy Nurture flats!
The shoes are above the skirts, to be specific, IF you can call this a skirt. YOU CAN’T. NO ONE SHOULD EVER WEAR THIS. I should have bought it and burned it on behalf of every mother who would not want their daughter to wear it.
Oops, I forgot to make note of the colour tag sale when I came in! It’s always a good idea to check for sales before you begin to better inform your purchasing decisions!
Back to the skirts. I’m not really looking for skirts but I keep an eye out for Anthro skirts or skirts with pockets. This one had pockets but needed about 10 more inches in length for me to consider it!
Pictures line the wall at the end of the aisle so I do a quick survey to see if anything jumps out at me UNLESS I’m specifically looking for art, then I dig deep!
I round the corner and come down the pants aisle. I almost always find premium denim like this, though not always in my size!
Looks like the previous owner of these pants could have used an Unbelt.
Not my size otherwise I would have been tempted by these mustard skinnies!
At the top of the next aisle is the book section! I LOVE thrifting books because I LOOOOVE books. I realized a while ago that I have a distinct preference when it comes to reading material. I like actual paper books for reading and I like online options for “content” like blog posts, articles, etc. It works for me.
This is one of the books on my TBR list! A classic that will make me laugh, so I hear!
Next I head to the far wall to look through the long dress rack which has coats and sweaters at one end. I used to have this exact hoodie and wore it till it fell apart. Wish this was in a bigger size! #greyhoodienostalgia
I was tempted by this Vince Camuto sheer piece but since it wasn’t on sale, I put it back. SEE HOW REASONABLE I AM?!!
Love the colours in this dress and it was 75% off! Worth a try even though I don’t typically like off-the-shoulder pieces.
And here it is on. Sure enough, I don’t like the off-the-shoulder look. It’s just too much hulking neck for my taste. Too bad.
Sometimes the labels make me laugh. Really?? This sweater may be hot but it definitely is not delicious, nor would anyone describe you as “delicious” if you wore it. No.
I liked the colours of this dress but didn’t recognize the brand. Snap a photo and Google it while you shop! Turns out to be a Macy’s brand that retails around $130… Too bad it was too big.
I was looking specifically for a jewel-toned dress and my green-loving heart skipped a beat when I saw this colour, but it was too small and too young for moi.
I also heart yellow dresses but this one was not on sale so I put it back. (crowd cheers for my restaint!)
Oooolala a jewel toned stripey dress!!!
Sometimes you need to stop while you’re ahead or you might need a fitting room miracle to get out of the dress!
I liked this simple navy Cynthia Rowley dress and was willing to try it on even though it was not on sale. I don’t currently have a sleeveless navy dress and I NEED ONE SO THERE.
Unfortunately this one was too big. Pass. Poor fit is not worth a cheap price.
Looks like someone didn’t like a ThredUp purchase…
And I can see why. What a weird fit, even with my good (AKA gigantic) panties.
Just liked the jewel tone of this dress and wished it was in my size… but that’s okay because I have thrifting faith that the right piece will go to the right person! Mine is just waiting for me…
Chambray dress with pockets??? Worth trying on even though it wasn’t on sale!
Uh, this is definitely NOT a dress and as a top it’s *too* long. Felt frumpy. Pass.
Intrigued by this burgundy Halston top, 30% off… (no idea why it was in the dress section)
This one’s a keeper for $4.20! It is in perfect condition AND it matched the shoes! Decided not to get the shoes though. They looked a bit dowdy I decided. I have better at home.
So pretty! If I was half my size, I’d wear it. 😀
I love me a great vintage dress! This one reminded me of one I had just seen on an episode of The X Files which I started watching with my teen, patiently explaining how we didn’t have cell phones or fashion sense back then. HA
Don’t overlook the housewears pieces at the end of the aisles! What a cute ironing board and chevron head board! Just be careful to thoroughly clean any items that can’t be laundered or put in the dishwasher. I saw tons of heart-print in the racks! I took it as a love signal.
I did find this little, er, urn for 70 cents! It’s actually metal and it doesn’t look like it ever had any ashes thing in it…
Hanging with my Elisa collection!
Remember how I said I was looking for a dress in jewel tones and had thrifting faith…
TA DA!!! A dress in jewel tones WITH POCKETS!
Yep, that will do just fine! Love it! It’s not a fancy brand but it is just what I wanted! Stay tuned next week to see how I style it up!
And that concluded my thrift stop! I *might* have found one other little surprise for my sister who is visiting me next week! That means I’ll be doing plenty of thrifting in January – be warned Houston thrift shops!
When was the last time YOU went thrifting? What did YOU score?!! The score is sweeter once shared!
I bought those same burgundy flats in Ashland, VA at goodwill a couple of weeks ago! I thought they were a bit dowdy as well but they are really comfortable and have been good for work!
For sure they are good for long days and had they been on sale, I probably would have bought them. I DO have a pair of comfy burgundy flats already, so that also nudged them out of my cart! WHY IS LIFE SO HARD?
karen
I’ve been doing lots of shopping at Thrift Town lately. They have had a great coupon for the past week — 50% off purchases of $20 or more and the coupon could be re used over the length of the coupon. I try to support a local school district’s program of providing clothing for kids that are deemed needy by school counselors. By using the color tag of the day and combining that discount with coupons, my dollars go far. BTW, Thrift Town is the chain that appeared in the film Lady Bird.
I cannot wait to go to Thrift Town one day soon!! What a wonderful way to support your community! xoxo You’re right – you can make a bigger income with the same monetary value. {I haven’t seen the movie yet!!}
Garden Goddess
I just have to say that I just LOVE your new hairstyle!
Also, I wish I had the stamina to go through racks and find the winners like you do. I tend to troll the housewares section as they are easier to see everything at a glance and are always the right size (grin).
Haha that’s a fair point – and same for bags and accessories! I don’t always comb through ALL the racks – it depends on how much time I have and how long it’s been since I last went and how much “therapy” I need! Sometimes, I just pick a section and spend some time there. I do know that thrifting begets more thrifting! The more I go the more I want to go!
Tash
I miss your posts about what you thrift every month so I was excited to read this. Today I scored Columbia snowpants for my son and 2 Gap hoodies for $0.99 and new condition Sorel boots for $5.99 at the Salvation Army. I was excited.
WOW! Those are amazing deals!! I got my son a Nike hoodie the other day for $2.50 and felt exceedingly pleased with myself. 😀 I think I’ll have to bring back the thrift hauls in one form or another. I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for reading!!
Mary Koehn
Well that was fun, I like thrift shopping with you! I’ll have to remember the tip about checking out the shoes first. Steve recently found the coffee maker AND espresso maker of his dreams at Value Village so he is now totally on board with any thrift stops I want to make 🙂
That is AWESOME! We have found some great appliances there too – a deep fryer in perfect condition #healthnut and a sausage maker! Why not?!! In the summer, we made a family game while thrifting – whoever found the most interesting thing at the thrift store won a prize (there was no prize, just the glory of the win!). The family that thrifts together…
alison
I was in my local Savers this week and I had a Nicole moment. I was headed for the checkout when I spied a mustard cardigan abandoned on the end of a rack. I snagged it, brought it home, and it’s perfect! Good thrift mojo.
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I bought those same burgundy flats in Ashland, VA at goodwill a couple of weeks ago! I thought they were a bit dowdy as well but they are really comfortable and have been good for work!
For sure they are good for long days and had they been on sale, I probably would have bought them. I DO have a pair of comfy burgundy flats already, so that also nudged them out of my cart! WHY IS LIFE SO HARD?
I’ve been doing lots of shopping at Thrift Town lately. They have had a great coupon for the past week — 50% off purchases of $20 or more and the coupon could be re used over the length of the coupon. I try to support a local school district’s program of providing clothing for kids that are deemed needy by school counselors. By using the color tag of the day and combining that discount with coupons, my dollars go far. BTW, Thrift Town is the chain that appeared in the film Lady Bird.
I cannot wait to go to Thrift Town one day soon!! What a wonderful way to support your community! xoxo You’re right – you can make a bigger income with the same monetary value. {I haven’t seen the movie yet!!}
I just have to say that I just LOVE your new hairstyle!
Also, I wish I had the stamina to go through racks and find the winners like you do. I tend to troll the housewares section as they are easier to see everything at a glance and are always the right size (grin).
Best wishes!
Haha that’s a fair point – and same for bags and accessories! I don’t always comb through ALL the racks – it depends on how much time I have and how long it’s been since I last went and how much “therapy” I need! Sometimes, I just pick a section and spend some time there. I do know that thrifting begets more thrifting! The more I go the more I want to go!
I miss your posts about what you thrift every month so I was excited to read this. Today I scored Columbia snowpants for my son and 2 Gap hoodies for $0.99 and new condition Sorel boots for $5.99 at the Salvation Army. I was excited.
WOW! Those are amazing deals!! I got my son a Nike hoodie the other day for $2.50 and felt exceedingly pleased with myself. 😀 I think I’ll have to bring back the thrift hauls in one form or another. I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for reading!!
Well that was fun, I like thrift shopping with you! I’ll have to remember the tip about checking out the shoes first. Steve recently found the coffee maker AND espresso maker of his dreams at Value Village so he is now totally on board with any thrift stops I want to make 🙂
That is AWESOME! We have found some great appliances there too – a deep fryer in perfect condition #healthnut and a sausage maker! Why not?!! In the summer, we made a family game while thrifting – whoever found the most interesting thing at the thrift store won a prize (there was no prize, just the glory of the win!). The family that thrifts together…
I was in my local Savers this week and I had a Nicole moment. I was headed for the checkout when I spied a mustard cardigan abandoned on the end of a rack. I snagged it, brought it home, and it’s perfect! Good thrift mojo.
That is AWESOME! I’m so honoured that you called it a “Nicole moment”!!! xoxoxo Thrift mojo is real and I love hearing about it!!