Thrifty Thursday: Avoiding the "Rescue Purchase"

Happy Thursday, folks. It's hard to believe that another week is almost over, as well as the month of March - a quarter of the year.  I'd like to think I've accomplished a lot in the first 3 months of this year, but that is not the case.  The best I can do at this point, is let the beautiful weather (even if it's not happening, yet) energize, renew & motivate me.

For now, Amanda & I decided that I should talk about another of my weaknesses, in the hopes that a) I will stop doing it, or b) I can prevent someone else from doing it.  What is "it?"  We call it "The Rescue Purchase."

Trendy Tuesday: Check the Sizes & Always Try it On

So as I said before I LOVE fashion but my weakness is shoes!  Let's start with a short story.  I have rather large feet (like size 10, sometimes 11) so I don't normally have the best of luck finding shoes at a thrift store.  My family always says I wear the shoe box instead of the shoes. LOL.  So when I saw these shoes I was very sad to see that they were only 8 1/2.  They looked a little too big to be 8 1/2 so I tried them on and what do you know - they fit!!! The moral to my story is always try on.  You never know if they will or won't fit.  Happy thrifting!!

Funny Friday: Why Did I Buy That...Again!?

*edited because pulished EARLY...* Well, funny thing about this is that I went into my drafts to make sure this post was ready for publishing in the morning...ya know, on FRIDAY.  I realized that I accidentally published it early...oh well.  I guess it's all part of the learning curve.........

Looking back over my many years of thrifting, I've mostly paid attention to the good deals & the thrill of the kill finding that good deal.  Most of the "funny" has been due to our (my) own lack of situational awareness!

The next somewhat (to us, anyway) humorous tale also stems from my lack of awareness.  A couple years ago, I gathered a few boxes of treasures that I no longer felt I couldn't live without & donated them to the Hospice thrift store.  I was a bit proud of myself for actually delivering said boxes, because I tend to box up the stuff & then work around it for a few weeks. 

Miscellaneous Monday: What We ALWAYS Try to Buy "Thrifted"

We hope you all had a great weekend. We went to a couple yard sales & even managed to visit a couple of our favorite thrift stores.  It was sunny, but not particularly warm - it may have reached 60.  We can't begin to tell you how eagerly we await the arrival of warmer (not HOT) temperatures!  We're ready to work in the garden, hike, & go to the beach! We've been watching for new-to-us warm weather clothing & sandals.  We've spent the winter scouring Pinterest & the internet in general for new things to do this summer...and, now, we're just so anxious to get to it!

For now, though, some miscellaneous thrifty thoughts...

Funny Friday: I Bought My Mom's Shirt!

It's not Funny Friday - I have a splitting sinus headache & we neglected to post on Wednesday & Thursday, so I'm feeling like a flake! (It's not like we have a HUGE readership, but it's not a good way to start a new project!)

We've been keeping busy preparing for Justin's Big 5 Pirate Party...Amanda had done most of the work, which I guess is ok, since it's HER kid, LOL. 

I managed to go on a mini-thrifting trip on Tuesday (1/2 off day at one of our favorites).  I scored a couple sturdy baskets, a novel, and an adorable onesie for my first grandbaby, who should arrive in about 6 weeks -- all for $7.

OK, in the spirit of Funny Friday, I'll share a story Amanda teases me about, periodically...

Trendy Tuesday!!

I am Amanda, the other half of this blog and love of thrift stores. 
My love for fashion has always been around.  My style changes by the day so when I was introduced to thrift stores I was hooked!!
My tips for finding your fashion at thrift stores is to look at everything even if it doesn't fit.  You can always change it or add something to make it you.  There is always a way!  As the weeks go on I will be posting my finds and some ways to change what you find.  Remember have fun!!!!

Misc Monday: Spring Cleaning

Miscellaneous thought for this week...

Spring is in the air! I LOVE waking up to the songs chirping birds! My fruit trees are loaded with early-season blossoms, daffodills & dandelions abound, the honking geese are happily flying northward! It's time to shake off the winter doldrums & enjoy the outdoors! We have grand plans for the upcoming Spring & Summer months & I can barely stand the wait.  If you've ever met me, you know that patience is NOT my best quality.  So, it's time for SPRING CLEANING!

Funny Friday: Free Beds & Half of a Day in the Car

Funny Fridays...

We'll try to keep the funnies related to thrifting, but I make NO guarantees.  I do promise, however, not to embarrass anyone other than ourselves!

Last week, maybe the week before, Amanda found two twin bed frames at a thrift store - sturdy, metal frames.  They cost her a little more than she would've liked to spend, but she has two little boys who are ready to graduate out of their toddler beds...  She put them aside until she could find inexpensive beds.  (We plan to re-decorate their bedroom at Christmas, so she was in no hurry, really.)

National Thrift Store Directory Listing Charity Resale, Second Hand, and Consignment Shops

I stumbled upon THIS site while looking for something else...pretty nifty.  You can search for charity based stores by zip code OR city/state.  This will be good to have when traveling.  Yes, I try to go thrifting while I'm traveling!

TheThriftShopper.Com National Thrift Store Directory Listing Charity Resale, Second Hand, and Consignment Shops

Thrifty Thursday: Lists & An Open Mind

Welcome to our first Thrifty Thursday ~ when we'll share random Thrifty Thoughts and the occasional tip for successful thrift store shopping.

When we talked about using Thrifty Thursday for tips & thoughts, the first thing that came to mind was to CARRY A LIST.  I'm a big fan (addict) of lists.  I should probably have a list to keep track of my lists.  My family makes fun of me for my lists, but I am not deterred!

Our Current Favorite Thrifty Find - The Musical Ship



Our current focus is the 5th birthday party for Amanda's oldest.  This will be a pirate themed event, so we are on the look-out for all things pirate. 

We found THIS:  (at the Sutter Amador Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop)

and while it doesn't scream "pirate"... it was, at least, a ship.  AND it is musical, which Justin also currently loves.  So, for $2, we were thrilled, and even though the musical mechanics weren't working, we could see that it had potential.  Amanda, resourceful as she is, posted a question on a facebook yard sale group asking if anyone knew where to go for music box repairs.  We were referred to The Sutter Creek Music Box Company (link in our "places we love" list).  We visited their beautiful store yesterday, thinking we'd have to leave the ship for repairs, assuming it could even BE repaired, and hope to get it back in time for the party.  WELL, lucky for us, Mark was able to clean it & had it running within 30 minutes! As it plays, the ship moves up & down...Justin will LOVE this thing!

Even though it is not a THRIFT store, we want to make sure we give them some "word of mouth" advertising! We are sure to visit The Sutter Creek Music Box Company again!

This BLOG under construction.  We'll be up & running soon, so please visit again!