Thrift Store Score Thursday - From Tan Pants to an Artist's Dream!

I'm so thrilled my son embraces thrifting for all the same reasons I do - to stay away from fast fashion, help the planet by reusing what's already here, and save money for things like trips and fun experiences. So when he asked if we could run by the thrift store last week to look for some tan pants to wear to his first dance (what?!) I was happy to oblige him.

Where could he possibly have gotten the idea that tan pants are cool?

He also wanted to look for a hat rack for his bedroom. Tan pants and hats. I just love his fashion sense. And since I hadn't had the best day at work, I was looking forward to a bit of thrifting to lift my spirits. Five minutes into our favorite shop, I found this book for fifty cents!

I judged this book by it's cover...which is wonderful!

Then we found the perfect tan pants, a steal for just a few dollars. I neglected to snap a photo, but in all honesty, I think one can use their imagination here.

However, this beaut below was the find of the day! Every since I discovered single-serve French press at Caffe 312, I have wanted a tiny French press for myself. And, voila! The thrift shop delivered!

And it's gold! Squeeeeeeee!

And there was even a handmade pottery mug to go with it! We've been slowly converting all of our dishes to pottery, and I love the color blue, so this baby came home with us as well!

No words. Just Awe. #potteryobsession

HW made this mug twenty three years ago.... I love things that have a few years on them, and a story. Who was HW? We'll never know!

Of course, when you live in a small space, something old has to go whenever something new comes in...so this baby went to a friend who is moving and needed to stock up her mug collection!

Sayonora, Starry Starry Night. You served me well, but it's over now.

Of course, there is often something I stumble upon that is akin to winning a thrift store lottery. And friends, this was it. Right here. An artist's dream, especially an artist without deep pockets who knows exactly how much these sell for new...

TEN DOLLARS??? I'm speechless. I am without speech. 

Alas, this easel could not come home with me because I already have a perfectly good one, and these tend to be one-time investment kind of purchases, but if I had a wee bit more space, I'd have certainly snatched this up! Instead I immediately shared it on social media, and an artist friend snatched it up! Sometimes you just have to share the thrifting love!

What were your finds of the week? The tiny French press made my day and my son can't wait to wear his new tan pants to his school dance. They need a nip and tuck here and there to fit perfectly, but the money we saved, not to mention charity we supported and environmentally-destructive fast fashion we didn't buy is worth a few minutes with needle and thread! The entire total of our purchases that day? Around $7, and that includes the wall mount hat rack, which we also found!

Happy thrifting!

***Jack Kerouac photo from Levi Strauss article 15 Facts About Tan Pants.

Thrift Shopping as Eco-Fashion - Yes, it Counts!

We were coming through a rural SC town where I used to work, on the way to our Isle of Palms adventure, when I first mentioned the little shop to my son. "When I found out I was going to have you, I worked in this town and there was a little thrift shop where kids' and babies clothes were so many, they sold them 10 for $1! I'd go there almost every day during lunch to shop for you!"

What makes this story so endearing to me is that only last year did I finally pass on some of the last items purchased at that little church-run thrift shop. My son wanted to see the place, and I promised I'd try to find it on our way back through. It wasn't an easy feat, as it has been ten years and it was in an out-of-the-way location to begin with, but finally we found the building, where I spent so many lunch hours perusing second-hand baby and kids' clothes and chatting with the elderly ladies who ran the shop.

 It's long gone now and so are they; the building remains but is now a community center. Still, it was nice to take the stroll down memory lane with my son, remembering the days when I was expecting him. I worked as a medical assistant, had just finished graduate school and bought my home and money was tight. The little shop was a bright spot on many a day when I felt anxious about the future and how I would manage. I'm sure I bought a huge portion of my son's infant wardrobe from those friendly ladies, as well as many items for the years to come.

Fast forward to the present, and guess where I still buy many of the clothes for myself and my son? At local thrift stores and resale shops. Is it because money is still tight? No. I do it because it's good for the environment, it's good for the charities the thrift shops support, and it's good for my budget!

I mean, really, look at this price tag. This is for a tank top, made in an Asian factory out of no particularly fascinating fiber or fabric...and $19.50? You've got to be kidding!

Lucky me, I got it brand new, with tags still on, for only $1. How? Every Thursday is $1 day at our local Goodwill store. Goodwill stores do so much to help people in our communities that I'm happy to support them by shopping there when I need something new! Like this dress...

...which I also got for $1 at Goodwill. I love, love, love the Finnish designer label Marimekko's bold patterns and styles. However, I do not love the prices...I'm raising a child alone on one income and it would be very impractical (and a bit self-centered) to shell out hundreds of dollars on a new smock for myself. So I was delighted to find this Marimekko-esque dress, which will be perfect for Autumn nights out and entertaining!

These shoes were a thrill to find, too! I think they were $2.50, but I won't even tell you what the original price tag, still on the bottom, said!

As much as I love eco-fashion companies like Spiritex and Globe Hope, it would be impractical for me to strive to purchase all of our clothing from these eco-conscious brands. What works for us is to buy a few well-made staple pieces from brands whose mission we know and believe in, and shop resale and thrift stores as often as we can because, like Spiritex and Globe Hope, second-hand shopping not only helps our wallets, it also helps the environment as clothes are recycled back into use. As most thrift stores operate for charity, I can feel good about my purchases helping to improve the lives of others as well!

And while I will on occasion use coupons for local retail stores, after reading a recent article about the 'true cost of cheap clothing' I became more aware of just what the article states - the real cost of excessive consumerism when it comes to fashion. 

Ten years after I racked up a vast boys wardrobe at a small thrift store for near pennies, I am still happily thrift store shopping and can't imagine that will ever change. It just makes good sense. It's also a fun adventure because you never know what you'll find on those racks. And even if you stray from the $1 racks you can still find good bargains and quality clothes with plenty of life left in them for a fraction of what you'd pay retail.

And you are helping people, and helping your environment, and helping your own wallet. I feel good about my choices to shop second hand, but it isn't the only way to save money and still look fashionable! 

Clothing swaps with friends and other moms (for children's items) can be a lot of fun. I host clothing swaps a few times a year and always find some yummy new things, like this tank top I wore all summer and simply love...

I also get to purge my own closets for clothing swaps, which I really think is a necessary step to avoid over-buying of clothes. When my closet is stuffed, I can't see what I have or make sense of my wardrobe. Keeping it simple by routine purging helps me tremendously make use of what I already have! 

Also, simply BUY LESS. That's the best tactic. When you know what you have, you can have fun with items in your own closet and jewelry as well, like these two necklaces I no longer wore...

I wanted a long statement necklace for fall, and rather than hop in the car and head to the store, I looked through my own jewelry to see what I already had and could re-purpose. A little bit later...

Voila! I had my statement necklace for fall!

And it didn't cost a thing!

I will be dedicating more space on the blog this fall to tips for affordable eco-fashion; recycling and re-purposing fashion clothing and jewelry into new items (as I did in with the necklace); and stifling the urge for needless spending on 'more' clothing and jewelry items when we already have plenty -  all in support of my motto, live simply while living as though money is no object! 

And psst...kids can rock second hand styles, too!! 

Asheville Adventure!

In early March, I wrote about the Adventure Principle, stating in that blog "my soul tends to need renewing as the seasons renew." While I love a big adventure that involves planes or trains or long, long drives, I'm a huge fan of the mini-break...little weekend getaways that break up the everyday routines. Because I believe in living simply, I try to keep these mini-breaks local enough that we are seeing new sites without large traveling expenses. After all, even a walk in a different part of one's hometown can be an adventure! By keeping them somewhat local, however, I believe we appreciate more what our own area of the world has to offer, which is ALOT!

This past Monday was Memorial Day, and Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the beginning of summer in the US. As temperatures soared this week, we headed to for the coolness of the Western NC mountains to visit Asheville for the holiday weekend. The first stop was the main Spiritex store for a little eco-friendly shopping!

And a show! The Carolina Catskins, one of Asheville's popular street music groups, were performing directly outside the Spiritex shop. We enjoyed listening to them very much!

Later we enjoyed lunch at a favorite restaurant and looking about in the town...

 

I love hotels and staying in new places. On this trip, we stayed at the Days Inn on Tunnel Road, near the Asheville mall. I knew I had chosen nice place to stay when I was checking in and saw complimentary holiday-themed pastries with coffee in the lobby! We were very satisfied with this hotel and I would recommend it if you are traveling to Asheville for overnight stay!

Though Asheville has an endless array of things to do and see, we were all about being outdoors and taking it easy. As well as city exploring, there was much swimming and poolside lounging to be enjoyed!

 

A major highlight of the trip was a session at Asheville's Therapeutic Salt Cave. I can't say enough wonderful things about this place. I've wanted to try it for a very long time, and I'm so glad I did! My son enjoyed it alot as well. It was very peaceful, healing experience! I could not take any pictures because of policy, but visit http://www.ashevillesaltcave.com/ to see images and learn more!

The best thing about our holiday is it did not, as we say here, 'break the bank'. It did not even come close. We were able to have a great time without overspending on activities and souvenirs. I try to apply simple living practices I believe in so strongly to traveling as well as daily life. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city, delicious foods and colors present everywhere.

 

 

A fun treat was having coffee and dessert in this renovated double-decker bus, brought over from England in the 1970s and converted to a coffee shop!

 

I must say again, there is so much to do in Asheville, more than I have even touched on in this post. But this is a little glimpse of our time there, which was so wonderful and refreshing break from routines. And because Asheville is only a couple of hours from our town, I was home Sunday just in time for an evening run! 

And now to focus on remaining school days and then changes as we begin a summer schooling program, a new experience for the both of us that changed our summer travel and leisure plans, but has also opened up new opportunity for me to pursue a goal I've had for a long time. Here's a hint: it's related to yoga! More on that coming in future post! :-)