Thrift Store Finds (Project 358: Day 85)

The sun came out last week, for the entire week, and is still shining bright now as I write this. The temperature has ranged from the mid-70s to low 80s, and I have been loving every moment of it, spending as much time outside as possible. In between playing in the backyard and taking trips to the neighborhood park, I had to run a couple of errands, to Target to buy various household items, and to Old Navy to exchange a sweater I bought online for a different size (which they didn't have, darn it). Walking in to Old Navy, I was overcome with a very strong urge to spend, spend, spend! They had just received a new shipment of Spring clothing: sundresses, flowy skirts, shorts, capris, tank tops and flip flops in every color you can imagine. I felt like a kid in a candy store, my eyes wide with excitement.

And then I remembered something, a New Year's Resolution I made waaaaay back in January, that I haven't even begun to fulfill yet: "Shop at thrift stores (for clothing, decor, housewares) as much as possible before buying new." Hm. Well, I really don't think Old Navy qualifies as a thrift store, so I gathered up every ounce of resolve I had in my body and left the store empty handed. I made plans in my head to visit a thrift store later in the week.

On Thursday, I headed to Thrift Town in Carmichael to see what kind of second-hand goodies I could find. I love Thrift Town because it is huge and super-organized. Clothing is sorted not only by type (pants, shirts, dresses, etc.), but also by size and color. This really cuts down on the amount of time you have to spend digging for gold.

This is what I found:

Day 85: Thrift Store Finds

• Blue Corduroy Pants, BCBG Max Azria, $3.99
• Yellow Plastic Pendant Earrings, Brand Unknown, $1.99
• Vintage Belted Dress, Ann Taylor, $3.99

When I say vintage, I'm talking 80s vintage. I mean, look at the wide belt. And, the thing has shoulder pads. Still, I kind of see it as an 80s era nod to the 40s and think if I removed the shoulder pads and possibly had it shortened to about knee-length, it could be pretty cute. Here is a picture of the fabric up close (it looks almost black in the photos, but is actually navy blue):

And here is closer view of the earrings:

I love, love, love the color yellow, but it is not the most flattering shade for my skin tone. Accessorizing with it is an easy and fun solution to this predicament. These earrings allow me to delight myself with the sunny shade without making myself look like death warmed over. They provide the perfect pop of color to a basic jeans and tee or black and white ensemble.

While standing in the checkout line, I noticed this giant tub of foam stickers shaped like the letters of the alphabet: 

It was brand-new, completely full and priced at $1.99. I decided it was too good a deal to pass up, considering this sort of thing would cost roughly 5 bucks at a place like Michael's. The kids have been having fun crafting with them, but I may end up donating the tub to Evan's preschool classroom.

So, to recap, I purchased a pair of pants, a vintage dress, a pair of earrings, and a Tub O' Foamies Stickers all for the low price of $11.96 plus tax. It didn't exactly cure my urge to buy pretty Spring clothing, but overall, I think the trip was a success.

The Sacramento area is loaded with thrift stores, antique stores, and cool second hand clothing shops. I look forward to checking out more of them in the future, indulging my urge to shop, without the guilt of creating more waste. Win-win!