Category: Thrifting Fun

{Pssst, you can read about my previous thrifting adventures here}

One of the things that I love about thrifting, is that I often find fancy brands that I previously knew nothing about. There’s just something in the feel of the material, or the design of the item that forces me to grab my phone and start googling… and often I’m SHOCKED at what people are donating to thrift stores.

And that brings us to one of the items I thrifted in October… a Beryll cashmere poncho.

I was going through the sweaters rack, as I typically do because I love an oversized v-neck sweater, or a fancy embellished cardigan. As I was swishing through each hanger… I saw something black balled up and thrown on the top of the rack. So, I rescued it and was planning to hang it back on for some good thrift karma.

But then… when I felt it, I investigated the tag and found one I’d never seen before: Beryll. It felt super soft, so I figured I’d do a quick little google search.

And I found the exact item that I was holding in my hands.

That’s right. This crumpled up item that I found in my local thrift store was a 100% cashmere Beryll poncho. And if that’s not insane enough, it is STILL available on their website. For $550.

But here’s the kicker. Mine had a yellow thrift tag on it for $4.99… AND IT WAS HALF OFF YELLOW TAGS DAY!

This is the part where I almost started hyperventilating. Because I bought this $550 poncho for $2.50. That is literally less than I spend on my typical Starbucks order!

I’m thinking that this will be the perfect ‘wearable blanket’ for this winter when the weather gets chilly. I can throw it on while working from home (or working at the office, because it’s awfully nice) to keep me perfectly warm. Would I have paid $550 for it? Um… heck no. But at $2.50 I will feel extra fancy as I type away at my laptop.

I do realize I should just go ahead and end the blog post here, because there is no topping that score. However, I did also purchase two items from the home goods section of the thrift store on that same visit.

Woven basket, $5.99

I really liked this woven basket and it was in perfect condition with no broken pieces or splinters. It also has dividers inside, so it’s great for wine bottles or other stuff that you may want to display in it.

For now, I’ve added it to my front porch and filled it with some gourds. In the spring, I’m imagining adding a couple glass vases filled with wildflowers.

Autumn Harvest Vintage Pyrex, $3.99

I always breeze through the home goods section when I’m out and about, on the lookout for vintage Pyrex. This cute little bowl is the Autumn Harvest pattern, which was made from 1979 – 1986. It is in perfect condition with no chips or scratches in the paint or lid and at $3.99 it was an absolute steal. Here it is added into my china cabinet with my other Pyrex goodies:

So while I only had one opportunity to stop at a thrift store early in the month and I only picked up three items… I’m pretty darn happy with my October Thrift scores!

Over the weekend, my friend Lindsey and I spent a day visiting some of our favorite secondhand shops and I found lots of awesome treasures!

{Pssst, you can read about my previous thrifting adventures here}

First up, the clothes. Apparently, I was in quite a mood, because everything I bought was black. Oops.

Eileen Fisher dolman tunic top, $18

Yes, I’m quite aware that this top looks like a big blob on the hanger. In person though, this is super soft and stretchy and when you put it on it drapes in some kind of magical way. I didn’t find this exact tunic online, but it’s very similar to other Eileen Fisher tops on her website for around $120ish. I’m thinking I’ll wear this with leggings for telework days, as it’s a perfect stretchy sort of house dress.

Loft open cardigan, $11

On my ‘thrift list’ was a lightweight black open cardigan, so when I saw this super soft and lightweight one in perfect condition, I scooped it right up. It was from a consignment shop, so I did pay up a little bit. However, for a like-new cardigan $11 is still a perfectly reasonable price. I actually wore this yesterday and realized that there is a little hole in the fabric on the back of the neckband (you can actually see it in the photo), so that’s a bit disappointing. And a lesson… even experienced thrifters like me accidentally overlook flaws, so make sure to look over your items closely before buying them!

J.Crew Embroidered Jackie cardigan sweater, $8

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As soon as I saw the copper metallic embroidery on this sweater, I basically grabbed it up and yelled MINE. This sweater is in absolutely perfect condition and it looks like it’s never even been worn. I did some google sleuthing and it was from J. Crew’s 2017 collection and it is everything I love about a cardigan. I’m so excited to add this one to my snazzy cardigan collection and it will go with so many of my work outfits!

Soma cardigan, $4

Yes, I know… another black cardigan. This one is from my favorite pajamas brand, Soma. The cardigan is super soft and perfect for layering when it’s a little chilly at bedtime. Of course, then I end up stripping it off while dead asleep and throwing it across the room when I get hot. Another addition to my wardrobe that will get lots of wear!

Constantino Roma Scarf, $7.50

Look, it’s not black! I love the bright pattern on this silky scarf and it was so inexpensive that I couldn’t resist it. I did some googling and I think it is from the 1980’s, but I’m not totally sure. I’m thinking I’ll wear this like a bandana around my neck for a little color, or maybe tie it onto the strap of a purse.

I also had some great luck with the home goods sections of various secondhand stores:

Handmade Quilt, $40

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I’ve been low-key wanting a handmade quilt for quite a while. And then last weekend, while we were traveling through Northern Virginia, I saw one I LOVED… but it was $250. So, I added it to my ‘thrift list’ so I could keep an eye out for one as I’m out and about. And I found THIS ONE! We visited one of our favorite shops that has an artist studio on one side and antiques on the other… and this quilt was hanging over a ladder.

I immediately started fondling it and the owner of the artist studio gave me it’s history. Apparently, it was used by her daughter from childhood (she’s now 42), but she had two sons and no daughters, so it was no longer getting used. But, before that, it was made by hand by a grandmother in West Virginia who gave it to her granddaughter…who also used it for many years. So, this is a third-generation handmade quilt and it’s perfectly soft and a little wrinkly and I love it so, so, so much. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it was marked at just $40 and it was basically a ‘start the car’ moment, because I felt like I totally got away with an absolute steal! I washed the quilt as soon as I got home and have already wrapped myself up in it while reading a book in my sun room multiple evenings. So, you could say that this quilt is totally living its best life.

Blanket with tassels, $24.50

I didn’t need another blanket. At all. Nope. I have PLENTY of blankets in my house. However, I like the subtle stripes on this blanket and the totally-not-subtle gigantic tassels and darn if I didn’t buy it anyways. No regrets here.

Cow canvas, $12

Okay… this was another accidental purchase. I had thought that the color tag on this canvas was for 60% off and I just couldn’t say not to it at that price. But then, I realized that it wasn’t on sale… and by then I was already emotionally attached. Not totally sure where this guy is going to live, but it’s adorable. We have a llama with glasses canvas hanging in Jack’s room, so I might add this cow with glasses to his wall too.

Holland Green Enameled Cast-Iron pot, $10.50

While secondhand shopping, both Lindsey and I were looking for something cute that we could use to make candles. I found this pretty cast-iron pot from Holland, and it is crazy heavy. I love the look of it though and that I could give it a new life as a candle. Later that night, we added in a wooden wick and filled our secondhand jars with wax, scented oils, and a few dried flowers.

I love how it turned out!

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A post shared by pocketfulofjoules (@pocketfulofjoules) on Sep 27, 2020 at 6:04am PDT

You can click through the instagram post with that little arrow on the right side to see each step from our candle making project!