Category: Home Decor

6 Month Thrifting Check-In: Winners & Losers

While it feels hard to believe that half the year has flown by already, it’s time for my 6-month thrifting check-in. I started doing these a few years ago to hold myself accountable. Even after many years of thrifting, I still make mistakes. I get a little price blind. I get a little brand blind. I figure, it’s so CHEAP just DO IT.

It seems even rougher this year, since they’ve closed most if not all of the thrift store dressing rooms. Sure, you have a week to make returns (for a store credit), but my favorite stores are more than 45 minutes away… so I can’t always return to them within that time period. So for my mistakes, I typically will list the item on Poshmark or just add it to my donate pile so that the next thrifting queen can enjoy it.

Since we are halfway through 2024, let’s take a look back at my thrift winners & losers. (PS you can find all my thrifting posts here: Thrifting Fun)

January 2024

Winners:

  • DRU Holland Dutch Oven, $6.99
  • Glitter Converse One-Star Shoes, $8.99
  • Rain boots, $5.99

Losers:

  • Athleta Arrival skirt, $13.49

Loved the addition of the dutch oven to my china cabinet and both pairs of shoes have gotten use in my closet. However, as much as I liked the Athleta skirt, it just didn’t fit me well. I listed it in my Poshmark closet and after their fees and shipping, I made $5 dollars on it.

February 2024

Winners:

  • J. Jill Embroidered Top (mustard), $5.99
  • Two Vintage Enoch Wedgewood Tea Cups, $2
  • Charter Club embellished cardigan, $8
  • Laura Ashley skirt, $7

Still Deciding:

  • Soft Surroundings Coruh Gauze Top (blue and white), $7.99
  • L.L. Bean Cotton Cardigan (blue), $3

Love the embroidered top, tea cups, cardigan and OHMYGOD that Laura Ashley skirt. They’ve all been used/worn over the past few months and will continue to be remixed. Rather than having ‘losers’ for this month, I have two items that I’m still trying out.

I’ve worn the Soft Surroundings top once and it’s just kind of ‘eh’ for me. I need to try styling it again. As for the cotton cardigan, it’s pretty heavy and I only had one or two times to try it out when the weather was cooperating. I plan to style this again in the fall/winter when the weather gets chilly. If I can’t make them work, both items will be hitting my Poshmark closet.

March 2024

Winners:

  • South Parade Hoodie, $15
  • Birkenstock Arizona Sandals, $40

Both these items were secondhand purchases off Poshmark. The hoodie is super comfortable and the sandals were for Jack, for his summer shoes. They’re holding up great and I’m kind of excited that he’s only a couple shoe sizes away from MY shoe size… so I’ll be getting his hand-me-downs soon!

April 2024

Winners:

  • Universal Threads v-neck t-shirt, $2.79
  • Don’t Be A Salty Heifer t-shirt, $5.99
  • Vintage skirt, $8.29
  • Handmade Pottery Tray, $6.49
  • Jeannette Cube Sugar Bowl, $7.99
  • Birds Outdoor Pillow, $4.49
  • Egg Crate jewelry dish, $5.99
  • Leather Braided Belt, $3.49

Still Deciding:

  • Old Navy Fern top (green), $12
  • Line of Oslo Blouse (purple), $5.99

Lots of fantastic scores in April, much due to our fabulous Tuscan, Arizona trip. Everything in the ‘winners’ list has either been absorbed into our house décor or worn happily. On the still deciding list are my two ‘maybe’ items. I wore the fern top once and it was fine. I need to try it again styled differently – I thought I would like it more, but it’s just okay. As for the Line of Oslo blouse, I dyed it purple and it’s very pretty… but I haven’t actually worn it yet. So, I’ll need to make sure I reach for it soon, or it will hit the chopping block!

May 2024

Winners:

  • Lou & Grey joggers, $6.99
  • Jofit skort, $6.99
  • Madewell Walker Chelsea suede ankle boots, $5.99
  • Athleta v-neck lightweight sweatshirt, $9
  • Pyrez “Zodiac” casserole dish, $8.50

So many winners for the month of May and most were scores from our visit to Naples, Florida. It was already too warm for the booties, but I can’t wait to wear them in the fall. The joggers and the sweatshirt were both so comfortable, so they will see a welcome return to the front of my drawers in the fall too. I’ve worn the Jofit skirt regularly on my evening walks and the Pyrex bowl happily joined the rest of my collection. Hmm… is this proof that we need to revisit Naples?

June 2024

Winners:

  • LAND Backpack, $7.49
  • Max Studios skirt, $6.99
  • Workout shorts, $4
  • Chana Dress, $30
  • Starbucks ceramic mug, $3.99
  • Dona Joe Running Skirt, $7.99
  • Leota dress, $12
  • Coach Dakota purse, $29

Losers:

  • Lacy/Crochet Cardigan (black), $3
  • Kate Spade Viva Colores Sidney Skirt (floral skirt), $11.29
  • Anthropologie Skirt (black and white), $5.29

First, let’s talk winners. I haven’t used the backpack yet, but I’m planning to try it as our snacks/drinks bag at the beach this summer. The skirt, dress, running skirt and dress are all winners for me right now. I’ve used that ceramic mug probably a half dozen times already. And OH the Coach purse is divine. As for the workout shorts, they’re growing on me. They are a bit too fitted in the tummy, but I’ve been wearing them for evening walks and they serve their purpose.

For the losers, that cardigan was an experiment that didn’t pan out. That one is already in the donate pile. As for the two skirts, one was too big/short and the other was too tight, so they both are currently in my Poshmark closet and I’m hoping to break even on them.

Total Spent:

Just to hold myself super accountable, let’s total up all the thrifting purchases from the last 6 months. According to my handy dandy excel spreadsheet that I pulled the info into, my total for 6 months of thrifting was: $346.46. Which equals out to $57.74 per month. I didn’t pull Jack’s sandals out of that number, but perhaps I should have since I would have paid retail prices if needed. While my thrifting total/monthly breakdown is not an insignificant number, this is my main ‘fun money’ I spend on myself. I very rarely buy books (I use the library and my kindle religiously) and make 90% of my coffee at home, and most importantly… our budget can afford it.

Overall Favorites:

Oooh my favorite part, looking at all my thrifting purchases over the past 6-months and picking my favorite items!

Home Décor Favs:

  • DRU Holland Dutch Oven, $6.99 (January 2024)
  • Handmade Pottery Tray, $6.49 (April 2024)
  • Pyrez “Zodiac” casserole dish, $8.50 (May 2024)

While the age of thrifting amazing mid-century items may be passing and it’s getting harder and harder to find true vintage… these three scores made me so happy! The dutch oven and casserole dish (after a quick little rehab) are in my china cabinet, where I get to admire them regularly. As for the handmade pottery tray, I have it in my den next to my reading area, and it’s perfect for keeping my random stuff contained and looking pretty.

Clothing Favs:

  • Laura Ashley skirt, $7 (February 2024)
  • Birkenstock Arizona Sandals, $40 (March 2024)
  • Vintage skirt, $8.29 (April 2024)
  • Madewell Walker Chelsea suede ankle boots, $5.99 (May 2024)
  • Coach Dakota purse, $29 (June 2024)

Both of the vintage skirts I thrifted are my favorites right now. That Laura Ashley skirt is so special and every time I wear it, it just makes me smile. As for the other vintage skirt… it’s just the right amount of swishy and flowy and I’ve already worn it at least a half-dozen times. Jack hates socks/sneakers, so as soon as school let out, he went straight to his new Birkenstock sandals for daily wear. He will easily get an entire summer’s worth of use out of them. He may be able to use them for vacations throughout the year, but I fully anticipate he will grow out of this size before next summer.

As for the booties, they’re so gorgeous and I have big plans for them in the fall. I’m imagining them with long dresses, short dresses and tights and rolled jeans too. And last but SO VERY MUCH NOT LEAST, that Coach Dakota purse. Perhaps one of my best thrift finds of the entire year!

After years and years of thrifting, I feel like I’m finally doing better at being more selective. Only a handful of losers and a few more items that are on the chopping block. Not too shabby!

May Thrift Haul

This month was another extra fun thrifting adventure, as it includes scores from our trip to Naples, Florida.

As I mentioned, my husband found so many amazing treasures that we had to zip open our carry-ons wider so that he could fit them all in! I think there was around 6 pairs of golf/fitness shorts, 2 polos, 2 t-shirts and 2 hats. He’s been wearing everything since he came home and it tickles me to no end that when I compliment him, he responds enthusiastically with “THANKS, I THRIFTED THESE SHORTS FOR $5!”

I was very, very picky with my thrifting treasures, but I came home with a few winners:

Lou & Grey joggers, $6.99

I’m pretty sure these are the Lou & Grey Signaturesoft sweatpants that retail for $69.50. They are incredibly soft and fit like a pair of leggings and a pair of joggers had a baby. I absolutely love them and have already worn them a bunch of times. Love, love, love these and after seeing how they wear for a while, I might even purchase another pair at retail prices. On sale, of course.

Jofit skort, $6.99

I love a good skort for running or even for our afternoon/evening neighborhood walks. There were skorts a plenty in the Naples thrift stores (thanks to all the local golf courses and tennis clubs), but this one was a winner for me. I loved the bright orange accents and the pleats make for some sassy twirls. Similar skorts retail on the Jofit website for $98.

Madewell Walker Chelsea suede ankle boots, $5.99

These Madewell booties were my best score in Naples! They are in fantastic condition, fit me perfectly and retailed for $178 on the Madewell website. If I were shopping retail, I’d be hesitant to purchase suede shoes since they can get ruined by rain, however at $6 there’s not much to lose and these will look fantastic with some dresses and jeans in the fall.

Athleta v-neck lightweight sweatshirt, $9

This is a score from home, but I love the v-neck Athleta sweatshirts (I own two, one in navy and one in green). So when I saw this black one for $9, I figured I might as well add it to my closet. I love them as a layer for hiking and I also wear them regularly on chilly days in my house.

Pyrex “Zodiac” casserole dish, $8.50

I’ve never seen this pattern in Pyrex before, so I was intrigued. It was in TERRIBLE condition though, so I thought it would be a fun gamble to see if Bar Keepers Friend could really magically restore it. Spoiler alert, it did NOT save it. However, olive oil helped a lot:

Girl’s Weekend Antiquing & Secondhand Shopping Adventure

At the end of January, I had a much-needed girl’s weekend with my friend Lindsey where we wandered around to a bunch of shops touching everything. There were consignment shops and antique stores and more consignment shops. And yummy food. And girlie movies. And face masks. And coffee. It was basically everything I needed for a mental reset.

And OF COURSE I found some awesome stuff on our travels, so let’s check it all out!

Let’s start with Clothing:

Tahari dolman sleeve top, $18

This t-shirt is soft, comfortable and flattering. This is one of those easy flowy tops that I like to pair with leggings on my telework days or throw on with a pair of jean shorts in the summer.

Lou & Grey Cardigan, $20 and Chicos Cardigan, $18

I wear cardigans pretty much year-round, and most of the time I’m able to keep them looking nice with a little sweater shaving every so often. Over the past few months though, I’ve donated a few of my casual cardigans so when I saw these two in new condition, I figured it was a no brainer to add them to my closet. Both brands are typically nicely made, so these should last through a few dozen loads of laundry.

Athleta ‘With Ease’ Top, $6

I have no idea why this top had a clearance tag on it at the consignment shop, because it’s pretty much a brand new Athleta top that is still being sold in stores for $59 (the inside tag shows it was released in stores in 7/23). I hadn’t tried the style before, but I had no idea what I was missing because it is soooo soft and super flowy and flattering. I was originally planning to wear this to bed, but now that I’ve washed it and tried it on, it’s going into heavy rotation for my telework days paired with joggers.

Smartwool Intraknit Merino 200 Crew Base Layer, $15

While I wasn’t specifically looking for a fitted base layer, Smartwool is a great brand and this was cute and my size. Smartwool’s Intraknit pieces run around $130 each, so for $15 it made sense to pick this up and keep it for when I need it. While I don’t have any skiing plans right now, it will be great to have the next time I need to snowsuit up!

Clothing total: I feel like I went a little crazy on clothing with purchasing 5 pieces. However, my clothing total was $77… which worked out to just over $15 per item.

Moving on to the antiques!

Jadeite hand, $18

There was a jadeite grouping on an antique store’s bookshelf and I immediately grabbed this fabulous ring holder. It has the mid-century vibes that I love and was in perfect condition – and it looks super adorable holding my rings. Fun fact: my kid now refers to it as the alien hand.

Vintage Pink Homespun Depression Glass Tumblers, $8 for 3

Google images is telling me that these are vintage Jeanette Depression Glass tumblers, but I don’t see the ‘J’ mark, so I’m not sure. I love the pretty pink tint though and the price was great. I only wanted 2 of them, so I gave the third to my friend to enjoy.

Pottery mug, $7.50

 I love handmade pottery and this cute cup fit perfectly in my hand. It has been added to my coffee cup rotation.

Sargent & Co Carpenters Level, $18

There were two of these antique levels and I ended up with one and Lindsey bought the other. This one is from Sargent & Company, which was formed in 1858 when three Sargent brothers combined their businesses. It looks like they stopped making hand tools in the 1960’s, when they focused more on locks and builder’s hardware. This level is just really cool and I love the look of it on my bookshelf. Also, I know my dad is going to love it and I’ll have to keep an eye on him the next time he’s over my house!

Fulton Woodworkers Marking Gauge, $9

I just thought this vintage woodworking tool was really cool. I already had the level in my hands, so this naturally needed to come home with me too.

Blue Jay by Elizabeth Paxton Oliver, $80

Out of all the treasures we found, this is my absolute favorite! It was hanging on the wall at a consignment/antique store that we love and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I left it to look around some more and just had to return to it again. I did a quick Google Image search while I was in the store to make sure it wasn’t overpriced, but found the same print had sold online for $300.

After doing a little more research at home, I found that the artist, Elizabeth Paxton Oliver, lived from 1891-1977 and was an absolute pioneer of the time. Due to the bias against women artists, she used her initials to conceal her gender (it is signed E. Paxton Oliver). I love it so much and I’m thinking I’m going to hang it on an empty wall in our bedroom. I need to live with it a bit first and walk around different rooms of my house to make sure that’s the best place before I commit.