October Thrift Haul

I’m quite certain that October was my luckiest thrifting month of the year. I had the opportunity to make a few visits to different stores and I’m so pleased with the items I found!

Let’s check them out together:

For my first trip, I found a cornucopia of awesome… and most items were half-off the tag price!

Sonoma Cardigan, $4.50

Okay, this one isn’t super exciting but it was on my thrift list, is the perfect mid-weather weight, and looks unworn.

Nic + Zoe shirtdress, $6

A super bargain for a classic shirtdress! I actually found the original tag for this one and it retailed for $198. I love the silhouette and color scheme and this will be perfect for work next spring/summer.

Jones New York Silk Skirt, $2.50

Another absolute steal – a silk skirt for less than $3?! The colors and flow of this skirt are so beautiful, but the waist is a bit large on me. So, it’s in my pile to tailor to my figure. While it’s more of a spring/summer skirt, I think I might be able to style it with boots and a chunky sweater for the cooler weather, so I’ll be trying that out soon.

Johnny Was dress, $9

I love, love, love Johnny Was but it’s too pricey for me to purchase unless I see it at the thrift or consignment shops. This gorgeous embroidered dress is 100% my style, so I was so happy to spot it on the racks. With that being said, it’s a little bit snug in the bust. So, I’m going to ignore it for a few months and try it on again in the spring.

Pyrex “Early American” Bowl, $9

I 100% bought this Pyrex because I knew my kid would think the cat was adorable. #NoRegrets It’s nothing super fancy – the Early American pattern was made from 1962 – 1971 and its one of the longest running Pyrex patterns. I just think it’s cute and the bowl is a great size for all our regular bowl needs.

For my second thrifting trip, I found just one item… but it’s a really good one!

Rebecca Minkoff Suede Jody Feed Bag, $34.99

Yes, I paid up for this bag. However, it’s a super thick and hearty suede and in absolutely perfect condition without even any crumbs inside. It’s the Rebecca Minkoff Jody Feed bag and it retailed for $248. It’s a great size and the shoulder strap is adjustable, so it makes for a fantastic cross-body purse. LOVE IT!

Okay, last thrifting trip of the month and it gives us some highs… and some lows:

Made in France bowl set (3 little, 1 big), $9

I saw these and loved them, but am having the hardest time tracking them down. Google images is no help. My awesome web searching abilities are not helping me. They look MCM to me, but the only markings are “Made in France” on the bottom. They have the yellow stripe with the atomic starburst-like design and the edges are scalloped and gold. I don’t know. I like them and they fit my MCM theme I have going on in my china cabinet.

Anyways, my thought was that the three small bowls are perfect for ice cream and I’d stick the larger bowl in my cabinet. Well, when I took the tape off the set I found that the larger bowl has two hairline cracks in it. Such a bummer. I still added it to my china cabinet though, since it’s so pretty. I’m still thinking the little bowls will be great for ice cream, unless I discover that they are poison or super collectible.

Qualfort 100% cotton cardigan, $9

This cardigan was totally manifested. It’s giving me Babaa vibes without the ridiculous price. I’ve been wanting a chunky knit cardigan, but I really wanted it to be 100% cotton, oversized, and a neutral color that I can just throw on with everything. This one is PERFECT and exactly what I was looking for. I googled the brand and it looks like it’s sold on Amazon for $40ish, so it’s good to know I can find a back-up if ever needed!

Loft Dress, $13

I was checking the Halloween costume section and came across this pretty tiered Loft dress. It was priced high, but I really like it and can see myself wearing it year-round with my cowboy boots, taller knee boots, tights and a cardigan, or even strappy sandals in the summer.

Eileen Fisher wool cardigan, $8

Okay, this one is a heart-breaker. I found this Eileen Fisher wool cardigan and absolutely love it. Similar wool sweaters by this brand sell for $250 – 300. Yeah, crazy! It’s hard to tell in the photo, but it has a dolman sleeve fit with a swoopy back, so looks super cute with jeans. And it was in perfect condition.

Notice I say WAS. Sigh. I threw it in the washing machine on cold, as I typically do with everything I thrift. But I kind of forgot that you aren’t supposed to wash merino wool, because the enzymes in detergent can cause little holes. Sure enough, when I pulled it out to let it flat-dry…holes. NINETEEN holes to be exact. And yes, I’m absolutely kicking myself. However, it’s not a total loss. I taught myself how to mend holes and it’s easier than I expected. I darned all 19 of those holes and it’s surprisingly hard to find the spots that I fixed.

So lesson learned. Well, two lessons learned. #1: Hand wash wool. and #2 Holes are pretty easy to fix if I make another mistake (or find a sweater with a hole for a steal)!

Like what you see? Share me with your friends!

Thrifting Tips for an Overwhelmed First Timer

Over the weekend, I convinced an “I hate shopping” person to try thrifting for the first time. Which got me to thinking how absolutely overwhelming it can be even just walking into the store to try and find something.

In this case, we were targeting the kid’s clothes, which made it a bit easier to be ‘strategic’ about what we were looking for. If you’ve been wanting to try thrifting and don’t know where to start, here are a few of my tips for a thrifting first timer:

Do Your Homework

Write down a list of what you want/need before you come. If you know you need winter items in a size 4T, write down on a piece of paper or in your phone EXACTLY what you’re looking for: winter coat, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, mittens, etc. Check your drawers to see what you already have too, so that you don’t buy a duplicate you don’t actually need.

Go Straight to your Targeted Section

Go to the section on your list FIRST. This helps with thrift fatigue. It’s super easy to get distracted by all the cool stuff and suddenly you’re in the electronics department or picking out a new set of dishes and you’re too exhausted to even deal with the kid’s section. Stick to the plan – at least when you walk in the door.

Accumulate, and Then Purge

Go through the row and grab everything that meets your criteria and throw it in your cart. Then, once you’ve gone through all the options, pull your cart over out of the way and hang your items up to review them. Put all the sweatpants together, the long sleeve tops, etc. Then, go through each group one by one to make your selections. Pick your favorites, check for wear/stains/holes and don’t forget to compare prices. Sometimes a very similar item can have a wildly different price, so make an educated decision.

Do a Second Round but Expand Sizing

Go through the racks again, now that you know where you’re still lacking items. And this time, expand your search to the next size up. Many times things are donated due to shrinkage or sizing issues… so be sure to check other sizes too!

If You Love It, Buy It

This is super true with kid’s clothes – does your little girl need a blue denim jacket AND a pink denim jacket? Probably not. But at $5 for the first and a sale color price of $2 for the second… get them both and you won’t regret it! Worst case scenario, your kiddo barely wears them, and you donate both for another kid to enjoy.

Be Patient

If you’re not finding exactly what you’re looking for, just try again in a couple weeks. You don’t have to settle… just give it a little time.

Happy Thrifting!

Like what you see? Share me with your friends!

September Thrift Haul

September was quite the busy month, so it’s no surprise that I didn’t have very many opportunities to go thrifting. And the less opportunities = less thrift gold. That’s just the way it works. With that being said, I did find TWO fantastic items that make my heart pitter-pat.

Mahogany top, $6.99

How adorable is the pattern on this 100% cotton top? I love the v-neck, the elbow-length sleeves and the little slit on each side. I wasn’t familiar with the brand, so I googled it and found the The Mahogany Company specializes in sleepwear… so this top may be a sleepwear top. It doesn’t match the design of any of their other offerings though, so maybe it was a non-sleeping top that they previously offered? Any which way, it doesn’t really matter. I like it. It’s adorable and will totally look great with a pair of denim shorts, tucked into a skirt, or layered under a cardigan for work.

Target Pleated Running Skort, $5.99

I can’t even tell you how thrilled I was to find this adorable pleated running skort. Yeah, I know, it’s only a Target brand skirt. However, I had recently looked at an almost identical one on a recent Target trip and decided that I didn’t need to spend $25 on another running skort. However, when I came across one in my size for $6… well, that’s just a darn lucky deal. Even better, it fits great and I feel so dang cute in it!

Like what you see? Share me with your friends!