Tag: thrifting fun

Much like our multiple Thanksgiving feasts, this month’s thrifting was bountiful! I ended up having the opportunity to thrift twice this month and one of those days aligned with a 50% off sale! Let’s check out this month’s haul:

Chaps linen + cotton oversized blouse, $7

I picked this up. Put it back. Picked it up. Put it back. And finally added it to my cart. I was hesitating to add it to my closet because I have a couple other oversized button up shirts and I don’t wear them super often. However, this linen/cotton combo was really soft and I like the faded red/pink stripes. I’m imagining it half-tucked into a pair of jeans, or worn open with a tank top and pair of jean shorts in the summer. This probably won’t be one of my frequently worn pieces, but I do think I’ll get at least $7 worth of happiness out of it. I’ve put it away in my closet to rediscover in the spring.

Loft cardigan, $5

This sweater doesn’t feel like it’s been worn more than once or twice — the fibers are all smooth and there is no pilling under the arms, which is all good signs. Not my normal colors, but I do love a great stripe so it made sense to bring this one home with me. This will be thrown on with a t-shirt and jeans on non-work days and would also look cute with a blouse and twirly skirt for work. It’s giving me ‘spring’, but I’m going to leave it in my main closet because it also feels a bit like a candy cane for the holidays.

Adidas track jacket, $7

I absolutely LOVE this track jacket and was thrilled when I grabbed it off the rack and saw that it was my size! I did a little research and this is from the Adidas Originals 2014 “Mountain Clash” collection. I love the painterly mountains landscape mixed with the black cuffs and iconic three stripes on the arms. The back is just so, so cool too! I’ve been eyeing the Adidas x Farm Rio collection on Poshmark and this fabulous track jacket totally scratches that itch for just $7! I can’t wait to pair it with leggings and joggers for a sporty, but cute look!

3 Shirts for Jack, .75, .75 and $2.50

Jack recently hit another growth spurt, so I’ve been stocking up on kid’s size larges to replace his mediums. These three are totally his style and at a price that can’t be beat. And I have no idea why two of these are marked cheaper than the third… but I just had to order him some shirts from Target and these are certainly a steal!

Merona cardigan, $7

A black chunky cardigan with buttons was on my thrift list, so I was happy to find this one still new with tags! This is exactly what I was looking for to fill a hole in my closet, so yay!

Vintage Hand Embroidered skirt, $3.75

Oh my gosh, I wish you guys could see this skirt in person because it is so well made. It’s a thicker linen/cotton with all the embroidery done by hand. And all the inside seams are so beautifully sewn, you can almost wear this inside out. Since our thrift store no longer has dressing rooms, I eyeballed this one and unfortunately it was too small in the waist. BUT, I decided to get a little crafty and I replaced the waistband with elastic and it’s perfect now! You can find my post where I did it here: DIY: Adding Elastic to a Too Small Skirt.

Madewell skirt, $1.75

I was able to find this skirt online and it’s the ‘side-button skirt’ from Madewell that had the retail price of $98. It’s a pretty, flowy and lightweight cotton skirt and totally my style. I don’t love the extra short slip sewn into the skirt, so I may cut it out and replace it with my own slip. However, this skirt was less than $2, so any alterations I make will be worth it.

Universal Standard sweatshirt with side slits, $5

I was able to track down this exact item on the Universal Standard website and it’s the Fiona open side sweatshirt for $94. I forgot that Universal Standard has a different sizing chart, so this large is very oversized on me. However, I bought this for either an ‘around the house’ topper with leggings, or to add to my pajamas when I need an extra layer, so it will work out fine.

North Face “Furry Fleece”, $6

I was super surprised that they didn’t mark this North Face fleece way up, because I’ve seen them at the thrift store for $20 – 30. This one must have slipped through the cracks, at just $12 and then half off. It is super fluffy and comfortable and warm, and I really like the pretty color too. I found an identical one online for $98, so once again… quite the thrift steal!

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:

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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