Whilst thrifting...

What I saw today whilst thrifting:

1. Two children, in two separate Costco-size shopping carts, abandoned at the back of a large thrift store, parked underneath large shelves, while the adults completely ignored them. One was a baby. The baby was staring at the plywood shelf above him. The two-year-old girl was gnawing on the shopping cart. I wanted to scream at the mother, but I flash-forwarded in my mind to what that would look like, and I walked away.

2. A woman screaming into a cell phone, in between racks of women's clothing, "No! The government will pay! No! You tell her! The government will pay!" I rolled through the options in my mind for what the government was supposed to be paying for, and I lost a good fifteen minutes.

3. A fifty-year-old contractor-looking character, flirting with the busy volunteer behind the register, asking incessantly how old things were, if they were valuable, where they came from, etc. I wanted to say, "Dude! Can't you see she's busy and there are five people in line?!" Dude. She was like eighty years old, and clearly not interested. It was obvious.

Goodwill outlet!!!!

Painted fabric - Someday a quilted wall hanging

Last week I traveled to the coast with a friend. My friend had a conference to attend, and I had an ocean to look at from our hotel room. I've been so worn down that I had trouble figuring out what to do with myself with all kinds of free time, so I did a lot of puzzles in the newspaper, and walked on the beach. I'm finding lots of enjoyment lately in crosswords and sudokus. I'm a simple gal.

The first night, I wandered around a super cool vegan-friendly grocery store, looking for dinner, only to realize that our hotel room's sole cooking device was a microwave, so I got some tacos nearby instead. I'd never had vegan tacos before (with grilled veggies). They were just okay.

Vera Marai Nightgown

The next day, I woke up to a wonderfully bright sunny day with the ocean steadily crashing on the beach far down below us. There were a lot of gulls of various sizes near the hotel. I imagine they were flying around. Some of them made crazy weird noises around sundown. I lived with howling monkeys. If there were a contest between groups of animals for weird nighttime noises, the gulls definitely wouldn't win, but they'd have a decent showing.

Anyhow, after I did some newspaper puzzles (all whilst watching Law & Order), I decided that the thing that I would actually enjoy doing would be to go thrifting. So I got out the phone book and made a plan. Obviously there weren't descriptions, so I just had to go off names. I really wanted to dig, so I looked for really dirty places. I don't know what sounds especially dig-worthy in a thrift store moniker, but I suppose I knew it when I saw it.

Pflatzgraff Norway - Cruiseline pottery

The first store I went to was a fund-raising store for the Catholic school in town, staffed with who appeared to be mothers of students. It was trying to be boutiquey, but it didn't have the je ne sais quoi that I'm always looking for. I like people who just go for it. If they're a place for digging, they own it. If it's a place that's trying to be antiquey and appeal to a higher class of customer, they own it. Anything in between is unappealing to me. I'm picky that way. I know when someone is being authentic. I'm brilliant that way.

I don't know why I picked a Goodwill store to put on my list of three (the maximum number I was willing to travel to in a strange city before needing to return to home base and eat lunch). But after the first store, I wasn't feeling hopeful. All of the Goodwills in my city are whitewashed and boring. I go when I need a fix, perhaps like Diet Coke addicts with a generic brand. But I've heard, in online thrifting lore, that not all Goodwills are like this, that there may be different ones out there, so I was willing to look.

Old football trophy - Sadly unmarked :(

It was a strange "suite" address, so I wasn't sure what I would be looking for. I drove around a large shopping area looking for it, only to drive away after a single lap. Even though it didn't look like any retail stores were beyond that particular area, I trusted my trusty address/map discernment earlier in the morning, and turned towards the questionable industrial section.

After a quarter mile or so, there were a bunch of people milling about a particular parking lot. There were some construction workers, yes, but there also appeared to be some non-working folk. Suddenly, I saw it. The Goodwill Outlet sign. I may have screamed or cried out some version of "Hooray!"

For the hydroponic gardener in us all...

After parking, I was cautious. What does one do at a thrift outlet? Are there cultural norms? Should I have a box with me? Gloves? Hand sanitizer? What if there are no helpful signs? What will I do?!

Old Speed Ball Font Book from 1952

Well, as all carbon-based life forms have found (I think), I looked around to see what other people were doing, and I did likewise. It didn't feel like what I expected it to feel like. It was smaller than I had imagined. But as I began looking, and digging, it hit me that I could find any number of things, that I would really get to "find" things. It was a fun hour.

There were clearly regulars. Who knows what people do with all of the things they buy there. The woman in front of me at the cash register bought $180 worth of stuff. I paid $8. The load was as much as I could carry, and food needed to be in my near future. The guy at the register (totally cute), weighed the clothing that I had, but charged me for the other items individually.

It was a dirty venture. If I'd known where I'd end up, I'd have better tools in my car. I don't like to use "antibacterial" products in general, but I appreciate water-free-hands-cleaning post-thrifting. I need to get on that. Maybe I need a car toolbox. I know. I know. This is old hat for most people, but I'm a bit bad on the planning side, so I'm slow to plan ahead. But after it was all over, I was so happy and warm and fuzzy. I felt like I'd gotten a cosmic gift, just for me. And now I want more outlet adventures! I'll let you know...

The art of lounging :)

Bff got me a new lounging sweater for Christmas. She knows how I love to "lounge". I don't think I ever really let anyone know my secret "I live in my bed" until her. It's nice to be known.

I'm working on my taxes (I know - I'm proud of myself too!) and it's a pain in the ass, as I expected, but much more doable than I previously expected when I had an overwhelming rush of impossibility a week ago just thinking about it. I have a printer. I printed bank statements. Now I'm highlighting relevant transactions. Later I will add them up and combine them with my online Outright stuff from eBay, which is awesome and helps me do the impossible, like keep track of sales tax and expenses and income, and on and on...ad infinitum.

My vacation has truly helped my brain get to a better place. I'm compartmentalizing in healthy ways, i.e. not thinking about things that don't need to be thought about in a given moment. I just ate an orange off the orange tree in the backyard, evidencing my ability to feed myself, and I remembered to put extra blankets on the bed (finally), so that I won't freeze to death in my sleep.

All is well :)

Thrift Share Monday :)

Shimano clip-in Mountain Bike Shoes

On Saturday morning, I went out and had a breakfast burrito with friends, then stopped for some thrifting on the (long way) home. I had a gift certificate for $30 to one of my favorite stores, and spent all of it on shoes to sell and clothes for myself. I was going to wait until the end of the summer for clothes shopping, but I had to spend the money all at once, so I split it on my business and myself. I feel like it was a good combination.

Good 'ol Swedish Wooden Clogs :)

I sell a fair number of shoes, so I'm always on the lookout for good quality pairs. It's been difficult to sell high-quality unknown European labels, however, so I've been more cognizant of that lately. I have a wonderful pair of sandals, that look just like Birkenstocks, but they're not, so in my shop they've sat for months. Some things I buy without even thinking, like these clogs. I've sold at least two or three pairs over the past year, and they tend to sell pretty quickly, especially if they're a reasonable size (these are a 38).

Aerosole Patent Leather Pumps

I also look for high quality sports shoes, like the Shimano shoes at the top. I always think about how expensive a sport can be, especially as an adult, and how nice it is to be able to still do the thing you enjoy without having to worry as much about money. My friends love rock climbing, and I found a pair of rock climbing shoes last week. We worked out a deal. They really wanted them, and it was a no-brainer to sell them to friends (and quick!).

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl.

Thrift Share - Feline Edition :)

Fritz Rudolf Hug - Tiger - Canvas Reproduction

So, I ended up at a wonderful estate sale on Saturday. It was being run by a company with several people working throughout the house. It was well organized, but not exactly clean. There was kitty litter spilled in the garage in a walkway that no one had bothered to sweep up.

Signed "Joy"

I have never seen anything like this woman's house. Everything was cat-related. There was a ton of cat jewelry. The perfumes were even cat related! Books, crafts, magazines, artwork. I was on a limited cash budget (as in, I only had $16 in cash), but I got all of this stuff that's pictured, plus a couple cat art and poetry books, and a non-cat painting. I felt really good about my finds.

Max Factor - "Primitif"

There was even a box full of vintage cat collars covered in rhinestones. I was sticking to the basics though, and didn't want to veer too far from what I knew would sell. Again, no smart phone = no instant research. My brain is my best (and only) asset.

Framed Paint by Number - Kittens

I don't know why people like paint-by-numbers so much. They're not my style. Also, I appreciate cats, but if I had a choice, I would choose dogs every time. I like to be loved unconditionally. What can I say?

Fritz Rudolf Hug - Leopard - Canvas Reproduction

These Hug reproduction canvases are fantastic. The top one is super hard to find. The bottom one is easier to find, but I couldn't find a solid name of the print, and neither of them was marked. The top one is called "Tiger on Red Background". I was very happy to find that. It took a while, but was definitely worth the research time.

I've had two returns this week from unsatisfied customers, and that always bums me out. One of them said I sent her an item covered in cat pee! I'm hoping it was some sort of freak accident, because I don't have any cats, and am very particular about smells on my items. We shall see (omg. I am drinking a ton of ice water today - so hot).

So there's your all-inclusive cat post. Peace out friends.

eBay customer rant

Stop eating people's old French fries, pigeon. Have some self respect! Don't you know you can fly?

~ Tracy Jordan (30 Rock)

I receive offers weekly where potential buyers literally beg me to sell them an item for a particular price. Now, I have a "Best Offer" feature on most of my listings, and I welcome offers, but I hate these interactions. Each of them is more insulting than the last. I reject them all, regardless of the amount. I am not your savior! You will not die if you don't have these shoes, or these hair clips. It is not my responsibility (as a stranger!) to take care of you. Do you go to the grocery store and beg the checkers to sell you groceries for less than the asking price? Is begging via eBay really your bottom? Do you need to debase yourself to feel worthy? Seriously, if that's all you've got, that's all you've got, but own it already! Be who you are without apology.

Rant over. Peace out.

Welcome back Selena :)

Vintage Vera scarf from the late 1950s

Welcome back to another edition of "Thrift Share Monday", a post where thrifting finds are shared with the thrift world at-large.

This vintage Vera scarf has been sitting in my storage for maybe six months. I haven't listed it, because every time I look at it, I think, "This isn't in good-enough condition to sell", but then I don't get rid of it. So today, I am listing it, and we'll just have to see what happens.

Coach purse

My first every Coach purchase. We'll just have to see what happens. Oh dear, I just said that. It's pretty much my new philosophy on life. It's hopeful, but not too deranged. It's mature without being a pain-in-the-ass. Oh wait, I think I am being a pain in the ass. Shoot.

New in package - unopened - So cool

I found this embroidery kit listed for $120 on someone's non-eBay site. I often wonder how people do when they set up their own online shops that are not affiliated with a larger entity. I know there are lots out there. I just don't think I have the kind of name recognition to go off on my own, nor do I particularly want to.

I've been thinking about closing my Etsy shop. It doesn't make very much money (I'm gonna go check on this statement right now). Well, it made $1100 last year, and $550 so far this year. Maybe I'm expecting too much. I don't know. I guess I am frustrated because it means that every time I purchase something, I have to decide where it would fit, and lately I have not been thinking about my Etsy shop at all. Does it even have a purpose, or a theme? What is it? I can't answer these questions, so I'm wondering if it's time to close it down in favor of putting all of my energy into my eBay shop, which I love and enjoy.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Too busy to care

My idea of Hell is to be young again.

- Marge Piercy

As I get older, I find that life is never what I expect it to be. It is always more difficult. It is always more complicated. This past week, I have found myself at an end I've never experienced before, some sort of emotional place I didn't know existed, where life can be physically exhausting, and still continue. I can be more tired than I've ever been before, but still go to work, and still be good at my job.

Everyone is limited. We are human. But to choose to live in that imperfect humanness, accepting all of one's faults and limitations, allows us to be who we were truly meant to be. For me, that means that I am less able to be "on" than other people I know. I have less energy to give than other people I know. And every effort I make to fight that reality just puts me further behind.

Today, I didn't go to church. I felt guilty. There are things I need to take care of, and people expecting me to take care of those things. But I only have what I have. I can only give what I am able to give. The past few weeks have opened me up to a new reality of understanding what people mean when they say that the older they get, the less they care about what other people think. Older people also say that they like themselves more than they did when they were younger.

It's way better being a grown-up.

omg — what have I done?

 

All of my insecurities are flying at my face right now, and I'm in pain. I don't know how it happened, and now I'm in this hole where I'm ugly and fat and I can't do anything right. Just typing that was difficult, and now I'm crying.

I was raised to be attuned to everyone's emotions but my own, everyone else's needs to the exclusion of my own. I was raised to believe that I had to be perfect or my parents would get rid of me. Oh my goodness. How horrible is that?

And now, in the midst of this silly business I try to pay the bills with, I keep getting hit with the reminder that no thing and no one is perfect. And to top it all off, I'm the one throwing the punches. I'm the one who loves thrift and recycling, the imperfect things of the world, the things that have been thrown away. I'm the one who decided that somehow this love would define me and my worldview. I'm the one who is somehow made whole through it.

And somehow, I'm the one I keep throwing away.

Senioritis is very, very real.

 

eBay makes me a little OCD about checking my email, and checking eBay and checking Etsy. Sometimes I just go back and forth. This happens because I am tired. I have a senior paper to write, but who needs to write a paper when there are other things to keep me non-busy. Yikes. I am so done with school, so done. I just want to eat my chocolate soy ice cream with natural peanut butter, and watch television comedy shows. I have no other desires. If someone could light a fire in my belly, it would be nice. Senioritis is real. It's very, very real. Tell your kids, hide your wife, etc.

Thrift Share Monday :)

I've been on a belt buckle craze (solely for reselling) over the last month or so. I don't know if in the end, it will be profitable, but it's a new thing to look for, and I'm enjoying it. I really love that they take up less space. The more time goes by, the less willing I am to hold on to bulky items that aren't selling. I only have so much space in my tiny apartment.

Things I am currently looking to buy used (for myself):

1. Hybrid car
2. Kitchen island/countertop
3. Laser printer (wireless)
4. Dress form base (for my legless dress form)

What are you looking for? People in my church are always asking me to keep an eye out for them for a particular item. It's pretty difficult if you just want someone to just look, and not purchase, because I guarantee whatever it is will be gone by the time the person gets there.

But if you have someone you trust and know pretty well, it's a fantastic way to utilize your resources. Regular thrifters either see it or they don't, and it's rarely an imposition. I love my job. I am having trouble imagining a time when I will have to do something else. I'm even thinking about amping it up after I graduate to see if I can sustain a higher volume. I'll keep you posted :)

~ Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl

Sometimes, I eat milk chocolate

 

This recent post by Katy over at "The Non-Consumer Advocate" got some heated responses, so much so that she shut down commentary on the post.

I myself have been the recipient of some pretty nasty online communication. It hurts when people are rude because they can be, instead of assuming the best and perhaps beginning some dialogue about their "negative" feelings. I think that people on Katy's blog were generally able to say how they felt, and the conversation was cordial and honest.

I talk about online manners a lot because I work online. Very, very rarely do I get to meet a customer face-to-face, or a reader for that matter, and I have learned time and again how important it is to be literal in one's communication, and kind above all else. Sometimes, it is even appropriate to anticipate problems and address them before they happen.

I admit that this week, I did not respond well to an online overreaction. I was curt and annoyed when someone took offense at something that was in-no-way meant to be offensive. But in the end, I am only reminded that I am also human, and often fail. Sometimes, I eat milk chocolate.

Thrift Share Monday :)

Peg Worthington hats. The only other Peg Worthington hats I've been able to find (online) have been in museums from private collections, so I don't quite know what to make of that. I've listed them for a ridiculous amount for that reason. Does anyone have any wisdom on this specific topic?

 

Also an amazing vintage hat, very "Spring-is-Sprung, Wedding Festive" kind of style. I used to wear my great-grandmother's old pillbox hats for playing dress-up when I was a little kid. These totally remind me of that time.

 

Vintage Harley Davidson motorcycle boots. So awesome. They looked disgusting, so I cleaned them, and now they look really great and I feel good about them.

 

Dansko Sanita clogs. I've actually already sold them. Good times.

One of four pairs of vintage purple pantyhose.

I don't have a ton of time today to write, so I'll just leave you with these. Thanks for stopping by! I love my readers.

Linking to Apron Thrift Girl.

My life- a regular soap opera

So for some reason, I have received several insulting criticisms over the past few days via the internet. Some were veiled with false praise, while others were just blatantly unkind and unnecessary. Add to this some very passive-aggressive behavior by other people in my immediate life, and you've got yourself a regular soap opera, courtesy of Megan's world.

I was once very sensitive to critique of any kind. But now I hear criticism and I have to let it go, or else I would crumble. I have to suck up my defenses that immediately bristle. Instead of saying, "Hey bee-otch. Why do you find it necessary to be so rude to someone you've never met?" No. Instead, I say, "I am so terribly sorry that you are unhappy. Please let me know what I can do to make this right." There was no response to that particular email. Success! I was somehow able to diffuse a very hostile situation with total submission.

Finally, I take a deep breath, remind myself of the numerous people who appreciate me, and move on with my day.