Sunday, March 11, 2012

Thrifting Adventures


When I was a teenager, my best friend and I would hit the thrift store in search of wool cardigans, mustard coloured v-neck sweaters and old men’s brown leather jackets.


I was tall and blonde, while she was shorter and brunette, so I always thought that, with our shabby clothes, we looked like this:




As I got older, I lost the patience needed to sift through racks of cast-off clothing. I would sometimes visit a thrift shop to look at old furniture, or dishes, or something easier to browse through.

Recently, however, inspired by blogs like Sherri’s and James’s, I decided to give thrift store shopping a try once more.

I asked the family to join me for a trip to the local Salvation Army shop. My husband was happy to tag along, while my son put up a major three-hour protest about how boring it would be. 
Turns out we all got some treats, even the dog, although I’m sure she would have preferred some more of her mailman-shaped cookies.
Jolene’s new sweater made her irresistibly cuddly. That dog barks like a maniac at other dogs, but put a sweater on her and she has no complaints. The kids were fighting over who got to hug her.
She also got this new hat. She was less than thrilled about that choice.
My daughter got some SpongeBob pyjamas.

She also spotted some new sunglasses and a funky scarf.
The kids got some toys, brand new in their boxes, for under $1 each. Num Nums enjoyed his new ride.
With the spring weather comes my son’s new obsession with skateboarding. We found him some shirts and hoodies with skate themes.
He also spotted this necklace for 99 cents.
I got my sister and I these brand new boxes that are meant to hold greeting cards.
We definitely don’t need another stuffed animal in this house. But, my daughter couldn’t resist this little guy. The kids were shocked when I kept saying yes to things. I guess I got carried away, since I am used to mall prices. It’s like I thought everything was free.

My husband and I picked up a few books and records at the start, and decided to put them back at the end. Unfortunately, we just don’t have the room. We have hundreds of books and tons of records, so much so that sometimes I buy repeats. I did pick up a couple of picture frames, though.
And a towel rack.

I know some people have reservations about using second-hand items, but that’s why I love my front load washer and dryer duo. I even threw in this bed rest.

Women seem to have a natural inclination to shop, and thrift stores provide your shopping fix without the high price tag. All this stuff was about $50!
Have you been to a thrift store recently? Got any great finds?

10 comments:

  1. Cool cool cool! Love it! The pics of the pup made me giggle; along with the commentary. Loving the skateboard threads. I'm so glad you found some useful items and for my tiny inspiration. Hopefully this week, I will get a post up about a household item I purchased and found a place for.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sherri! I look forward to seeing your new post.

      Delete
  2. Killer finds! Seriously, I love thrift shopping, but never do nearly so well. I look mainly for plates and props, and I'll be lucky to find one nice serving piece per trip at this point.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I get so many dishes from my parents that I can't justify buying any. They were big auction-goers in the past.

      Delete
  3. it is amazing what you can find in those Thrift Stores!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Jo! Thank you so much for visiting me today! I love your blog! I am your newest follower! I would say that you had quite the successful day at the Salvation Army! Lots of great stuff! The Sponge Bob pj's are pretty darn cute! I can see you are in Canada, but I was wondering what province? I am compiling a list of Canadian bloggers and also would you be interested in a guest post on my blog? I am going to open up my blog to other Canadain bloggers to guest post...especially newer bloggers and blogs with under 1000 followers! Drop by and let me know! Have a lovely weekend! Angie xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Angie, I am in Ontario. Very kind of you. I will send you a message via your blog! All the best.

      Delete
  5. Wow! So that guy the protested going picked up quite a few great items huh? Thanks for sharing at Cap Creations and your doggy looks great in her new sweater love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's true - he did! Thanks for the link party!

      Delete