Category: Thrifting Fun

October Thrift Haul

October was quite the busy month, so I actually wasn’t sure I’d have the time to do any thrifting. However, some last minute changes in plans over the weekend meant that Jack and I were able to try out a new pizza place and our favorite thrifting stop!

So, with my trusty thrifting list in hand and leaving my finds to the Thrifting Gods, here is what we brought home:

Eileen Fisher linen cardigan, $8

While it’s not the chunky knit I was looking for, I couldn’t pass up this lightweight linen Eileen Fisher cardigan. I usually find a couple pieces of Eileen Fisher each time I thrift, but often they are not my style or just worn into the ground.

This one was still in great condition, but a bit scratchy – so I solved that problem by throwing it into the washer AND dryer to soften up the linen. Similar cardigans are on the Eileen website for $200, so I’m happy to add this classic sweater to my closet for much, much less.

Harry Potter Gryffindor cardigan, $8

Okay, hear me out. This cardigan is adorable and super soft. And yes, I’m a Harry Potter nerd and have been sorted into the Gryffindor house. With all that being said, I almost put this one back… until Jack convinced me that I need to buy it so I’m prepared for our next trip to Universal Studios.

Do we have a Universal Studios trip planned? Nope. Will we be going there in the future – um, most likely. So, now I’m the happy owner of an adorable Gryffindor cardigan (retails for $40-50) that will go quite nicely with a cute skirt and our wand on our next visit.

Flax linen skirt, $5

This one was a bit of a gamble, since they closed the dressing rooms a couple months ago and you can no longer try on clothes. However, since I’m a fan of notPERFECT LINEN, I’ve seen the brand Flax by Jeanne Engelbart come up time and time again, since they both source(d) their linen from Lithuania.

I figured if this skirt doesn’t fit, I can resell it to someone else who will love it. As it is, it’s a little bit snug… but I’m just going to stick it in with my summer stuff and give it another try in the spring before I make any decisions.

So, once again nothing on my current Thrift List, so maybe I’ll get luckier in November!

Thrift List: What I’m Looking For

When it comes to thrifting, there is a certain open mindedness that needs to come into play. You never really know what you’re going to find and fall in love with, or what the Thrifting Gods will deliver that day. Sometimes it’s nothing. Other times, it’s something awesome. However, for me it helps to always have a running thrift list in the notes app on my phone.

Typically, I’ll do a round of my favorite parts of the thrift store – dresses, skirts, sweaters – and then pull out my phone and check over my list. This helps me hone in on certain sections to give them a little extra attention.

Currently on my thrift list:

  • Jack Adidas track pants in the next size
  • Jack long sleeve t-shirts in the next size
  • Jack winter boots/hiking shoes in the next size
  • Chunky knit cotton cardigan for me (green, black, brown)
  • STEM toys – K’nex, Snap Circuits, etc

Yup, Jack stuff has pretty much taken over my current thrift list. He’s 11 and growing, so I’m always on the hunt for the next size in clothing. He will barely wear winter boots/hiking shoes before growing out of them, so it makes sense to try and find a pair that are secondhand if I can. Now that he’s a kid’s shoe size 5/women’s shoe size 7, I can check a few sections to see what’s available.  Also, he’s a STEM toy fiend and I’m happy to supply him with all the random bits and pieces possible to help him create something fantastic.

As for me, my closet is looking pretty happy these days. I’ve been purging continuously, so I definitely have many less items now than I did a few years ago. However, I like 95% of the items in my closet and it all fits. There’s maybe 5% that will be donated or sold over the next few months.

I do have a couple sweaters that are on their way out, due to me wearing the crap out of them (and I’ve used the sweater shaver many, many times), so I’m on the hunt for a perfectly chunky and soft cardigan that is mostly cotton. I see a bunch of sweaters similar to what I want, but they always have wool in them, which makes me hot and itchy.

If I were to buy retail (which I will, if I don’t find exactly what I want), I want something similar to these:

Source: LLBean.com
Source: LLBean.com
Source: Quince.com

L.L. Bean Women’s Heritage Soft Cotton Fisherman Sweater – $99

L.L Bean Women’s Signature Cotton Fisherman Sweater – $149

Quince 100% Organic Cotton Oversized Cable Cardigan – $69.90

I’ve been keeping an eye out for a chunky, fisherman’s type of sweater for months, including the women’s and the men’s sections. I’m looking for something similar to the above photos — which are all 100% cotton. If I can’t find something, I’ll probably add one one of these to my Christmas list.

Now, some things I’m NOT ALLOWED to thrift:

  • Handmade crochet/knit blankets – I can not save them all. Repeat so it sinks into my brain… I. Can. Not. Save. Them. All.
  • Cups/Travel Mugs/Water Bottles – unless it’s Corksicle, it’s not allowed to come home with me. We have plenty of cups, mugs and water bottles in our cabinets and I’ve even donated a bunch recently.
  • Holiday items – unless I’m head over heels in love with it, it’s going to be a NO for me. We have plenty of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations and I don’t even use all of them each year (I like to rotate). There is no reason to buy anything else for holiday décor.
  • Wooden Pallet/Canvas Frames for artwork – for a while I kept collecting canvases and pallets so that I could paint over them. However, I still have a few in my closet that I haven’t touched and I’m not allowed to add any more to the collection until they are used.

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September Thrift Haul

After last month’s giant thrift haul, this month’s feels positively tiny. However, let’s call it ‘small but mighty’… because I still found some fabulous items to add to our home.

Stoneware pitcher, $8.49

I’m not sure if this is vintage stoneware or something new and handmade, but I love it! I picked it up at our local thrift store and put it down a few times before just committing to the fact that it needs to live in my house.

This pretty little pitcher now lives on my den bookcase with some other fabulous vases and pieces of pottery that I’ve collected over the years.

Fenton Glass Hobnail mini vase, $8

While out and about at a fun vintage/consignment shop with my friend, I found this Fenton colonial green vase from the 1960’s. I don’t have any other similar vases, so I figured I’d add this one to my collection. It certainly fits in with the rest of my mid century modern pottery and ceramics that I’ve been accidentally collecting.

Frye Deborah Deco studded short boots, $50

These are the FIND of the month! I came across these Frye boots at a little consignment store that my friend and I love, and they were tucked around a corner of a bookcase totally out of sight. They’re an 8 and I typically wear an 8.5 or even a 9 in some boots, so I slipped them on and wore them around while shopping the rest of the store. They were comfortable enough, so I made the call and spent $50 on them. When I got home and did my research, I found that they are the Frye Deborah Deco short boots and they sold for $598!

Once I put on a pair of socks with them, they were a *little* tight on the top of my left foot. So, I tried a freezer hack I saw online:

And now they fit great! I can’t wait to pair them with some of my dresses and skirts this fall. I’m hoping that as I wear them time and time again, they mold more to the shape of my feet and they get even more comfortable.