Curtis Jere :) :) :) :) :)

I'm sure there are at least a million gifs out there that could mimic the reaction I had internally when I found this in a bathroom during last weekend's estate sale. I'm sure you can imagine it.

There are two leaves that have fallen off (I bought it that way), and they are included with the listing. Initially, after purchasing it, I asked a friend to weld it for me, but this was before he'd actually looked at it, and I saw that the green wasn't a metal patina, but paint on the metal. I decided this morning to list it as-is, and allow the next owner to decide what to do. The welding options didn't sound safe enough to me. It was too risky to harm the piece irrevocably and I wasn't going to do an amateur epoxy job. I'm just not that kind of girl.

Speaking of which, have you ever noticed yourself more as you get older, realize how you are unique in the world? I'm noticing lately how much of a "big picture" person I am. I'm the person who finds things well, but I struggle more with the small details of my business. I'm not inept or anything - I can learn new things - I'm just recognizing that I naturally gravitate towards big ideas and less towards putting a plan into action. Little things scare me. They trip me up. They make me think I'll miss something huge and get trampled for it. I don't know if that makes any sense. I struggle with it most in romantic relationships, when I worry that I'm missing something huge (hugely bad).

But there was no way I could miss these owls. I was prepared. I knew what I was looking at. I'm awesome that way :)

What I bought and sold.

1. Vintage Sunset Stitchery kit
2. Vogue sewing pattern
3. Alice in Wonderland rubber stamps
4. Anthropologie floral coffee mug
5. Vintage framed tropical painting
6. Vintage Men's bodybuilding brass belt buckle
7. Vintage olive green necktie
8. Vintage Valuetales book lot (19)
9. Christian disciples wall plaque
10. Men's shirt with horse heads on it
11. Vintage small orange Hanova dish

Interested in what I sell? You can see the whole list here. It's eclectic. It's vintage. It's boring. It's mine and I love it :)

Thrift Share :)

I've taken to buying perfume pretty much wherever I go. Sometimes I buy stuff that isn't worth all that much, but sometimes I buy stuff that is worth its freakin' weight in gold. Case in point: This Opium shit from Yves Saint Laurent is like crack for the people who wear it because YSL changed the formula and it's universally panned by critics. Bring in resellers who don't care to wear the stuff and you've got an interesting eBay siteeation.

I love buying bags of stuff, bags of jewelry, bags of perfume. I love the not-knowing, the waiting 'til I get to my car to ravenously dig through it to see what I've got. Of course, I only buy it if I see something in it worth buying, but it's all the stuff I didn't see that really excites me. Then my car and my person smell like ten kinds of cologne and perfume and I take the bag home and spend the rest of the evening researching bottles and how much I should list them for. The thrill is in the hunt, my friends.

My newest thrift store boyfriend is a bearded fellow who swears I look exactly like his friend Megan who works at Ruth's Chris in the kitchen, grillin' steaks. Now he doesn't seem like a guy who would hang out at such a hoity-toity establishment, with the hair and general swarthy demeanor, but he's kind to me, and has yet to totally creep me out, so I'm starting to be friendly back to him, show him what I find, make fun of the broken leaf-blower he has in his cart.

There are way more male resellers in town than there are females. I see these men all the time, sometimes every day, and I know I'm more like them than I care to admit. I don't want to claim them as my peers, what with all the talking about electronics, and jibber-jabbering with thrift store employees about how they run their business. I like to keep to myself, make smart comments occasionally, but generally stay under the radar. These men are not under-the-radar sorts. They're always talking to eachother and just generally gabby. I'm loathe to be besties with these guys. They're just so, I dunno, unpretentious. Listen to me. I'm such a hypocrite.

Linking up with Sir Thrift A Lot :)

Thrift Share :)

Jie Sweden Ceramic Traveling Couple

I think I'm getting better at finding things. These three selections from my last few days are a good representation of my awesomeness. I traveled an hour south today to hit three shops in one city, and bought something at every one of them, which made me feel like the trip was worth it. The Ferragamo pumps and Hug print definitely sealed the deal.

Salvatore Ferragamo Suede Pumps

I thought I'd stop on the way home, but I was extra tired from a long weekend. Friends threw me a housewarming, and there were over thirty people at my house on Saturday afternoon, on into the early evening. It was the perfect day for it. People mostly stayed outside in the backyard, under the big tree, and enjoyed themselves.

Fritz Rudolf Hug - Stretched Canvas Print

Sometimes it's hard to get up on Monday morning and hit the ground running. This morning was especially important for me. I needed to focus on my work after an especially emotional weekend. Sometimes life has the worst timing. There's something about work (thrifting in my case) that keeps me grounded. I need to work. I need to have purpose, even when life feels hopeless or scary or sad.

People brought me all sorts of lovely things for my housewarming. Some people even brought secondhand stuff. My bff brought me a round pedestal table and chairs that fits perfectly in my little eat-in kitchen. She found them at Salvation Army. The thrifting gods were shining down on me that day :)

Linking up with Nifty Thrifty & Sir Thrift a Lot.

Selling art :)

I think I sell art. I occasionally sell art. I've sold a lot more art in the past month or so, especially the week after Christmas. I feel good about my decision to sell art. All that being said, I know absolutely nothing. I have a good eye - this much I know. This helps. I rarely purchase anything I don't appreciate looking at. This is important.

Anything I know is because I have researched it for my store. My German friend learned about art in school. I had some art instruction, but I don't recall learning about styles. I wish I knew more about styles and periods of art. Sorry art-teacher-of-old. I'm sure you did your due diligence. I was a bit out of it as a teenager. I don't blame you.

So every time I find something I like, I start researching similar pieces to find a general pricing structure, but mostly I want to know how to describe the damn thing. Is it impressionist? Realist? Modern? Expressionist? How the hell should I know? Well, I make more money when I put the right words on, so I put the time in.

That's all I have for today :)

Silver everything.

I've sold a fair bit of silver in the past month or so. I sold a lot of odd-and-ends sterling jewelry. I sold a set of three sterling soup spoons. I sold a set of matching cufflinks and a tie pin. I'm a fan.

I bought the soup spoons with these knives. I couldn't believe that I actually found sterling spoons, as in, full size sterling silver spoons. I felt like I'd won the freakin' lottery. So when they weren't selling, I spent a couple hours really trying to figure out what the pattern was, since the pattern wasn't matching anything the manufacturer ever made in sterling. Eventually I was able to name the pattern, and that's when they sold. $150 for three spoons. Heavenly.

I'm off to a memorial service in the morning. My bff will be accompanying me for emotional support. I don't know what I'll be walking into, who I'll see from my past, who will be nasty (it's happened before). I'm right on the edge of feeling capable of staying in one solid adult-sized piece the whole time. I will likely be getting pan dulce for the road, with my favorite cafe con canela. Food is inextricably linked to my emotional health (thanks diabetes!). But really, food makes me feel capable in a deeper way than the provision of energy. Food gives me literal and figurative fuel for the journey. Isn't that weird, how something so primitive can become so inextricably linked to who we are?

Chew on that, yo.

Taking better pictures :)

For the past two years, I have been limited in my ability to produce quality photographs for my listings. I have improvised in ways that have been appropriate to my means, and my abilities, but I have known that certain listings have gone unnoticed because of the quality of the photographs in them.

Van over at Thrift Core posts regularly about the quality of her online shop as connected with the quality of her photographs. It took me a long time to get the hint, but in the past couple weeks, I have had some extra energy to spare, and the photograph you see here is an example of what I came up with. I'm pretty proud of myself right now. I like getting better at things.

Taking better pictures means taking them more than once. It means getting the background right, getting the lighting right, and editing appropriately. This is all time consuming, and I'm not one for time consuming tasks. I like the searching and the finding. The photographing and listing are more difficult for me. I've come to a point where I can make it happen, and do it well, but I still struggle sometimes. I have yet to make any clothing look as good as this giraffe looks :)

Makin' pancakes.

I guess I tend to blog when I'm trying to figure out some big thing in my life. Perhaps when things are good, I avoid overanalyzing. Perhaps things are good because I'm not overanalyzing. Touché.

All the Salvation Armies had "half off everything" sales yesterday, so naturally, I bought a ridiculously expensive camera and am attempting to sell it. Girl's gotta eat yo.

Speaking of eating, I am still eating several burritos daily weekly, but have now been cooking in my new kitchen on a somewhat regular basis. It's hard to get used to having a kitchen. Someone gave me a cookbook for Christmas, and I had the thought, "Does this mean something because you've never actually seen me cook, and I have no food in my fridge?" Asking myself that question was some sort of  necessary therapy, and I'm happy to say that I ate pancakes for dinner this evening.

Last night I listened to Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings records, whilst listening to someone wax philosophical about the meaning of old school country music. I think at some point there was also dancing, so yeah, life is good :)

Thrift Share :)

Vintage Clipless Cycling Shoes from Diadora

I have a new fun Monday activity. I drive about 45 minutes south, into the country towns, where there is a small town with great thrifting. I even did myself a solid and ate lunch instead of what I usually do: waiting until 3 o'clock when I'm done running around for the day. I was pretty proud. I got a veggie burger and fries. The people next to me had chicken fried steak platters with mashed potatoes, etc. When I left, I realized they had smothered gravy and potatoes with raisins across the plate. How did my Oakie family never teach me this? Anyhow, I got some great stuff and had a really good time.

Vintage 1950s Silk Vera Scarf with African Women :)

There was a lady with a toy yorkie in one store, and someone asked her how much she paid for it (seemed like a strange question to me). She answered without hesitation, "$500". Wow.

Hanova of Pasadena Candle Holder - Very Cool

I actually tried a new thrift store, which I rarely do, since they are usually pop-ups with no vision and close just as soon as they started. Anyhow, the place was great! It was cleaner than any other store in town. They didn't have a ton of great stuff, but they had great prices. I actually bought my first maxi dress which goes all the way to the ground (wow, and I'm tall!). I'm gonna wear it today. I'm pretty excited about it.

Please take a moment to read the most recent news about Syria, and consider making a donation to MCC, currently providing direct aid to Syrian refugees.

The big picture.

I'm so in love with this painting :)

I've sold a lot of stuff in the past few days, so I'm feeling really good. For a long time, I've had a goal of selling 50 things a month for at least $20 profit/item, and that hasn't been working the way I've expected it to. My new goal is $50/day, and it's working a lot better. I'm less concerned with individual item sales and more concerned with daily sales. It makes me more conscious of the bigger picture instead of being bogged down in the little things. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it's working for me, so I'm happy.

I tend to get really anxious about little things, and pulled down into things that may not matter in the long term. I'm convinced that little things are the most important things, like how my thrifting impacts the world, and how my riding the train keeps Amtrak sustainable. I don't think this is working for me the way I want it to. I think it's keeping me from bigger things, from having a bigger impact. I dunno. I'm still on my first cup of coffee.

I am surrounded by helping professionals. I'm a seminary graduate. I have a lot of friends who are pastors, theologians, professors, non-profit peeps. I love this. I love being surrounded by people whose mission every day is to make a difference in the world, in the community. This keeps me motivated and inspired to keep going, even when I'm having an off day. I think a lot of these people vacillate between two extremes, the big picture and the small details. I'm realizing, as I write this, how limited I've allowed my life to be, by getting so caught up in little things. Thought for my day, I suppose :)

Please take a moment to read the most recent news about Syria, and consider making a donation to MCC, currently providing direct aid to Syrian refugees.

Bag o' bling: Part 2

A selection of pieces from the jewelry bag

I don't think I'm going to do anything today. In the past three hours, I have already stepped into a sinkhole, plugged up a dog-dug hole in the fence with bricks, and ended a dog fight with a hose. Yeah, I'm a bad ass. I know. Also, I cooked and ate a stack of pancakes.

I'm still thinking about the jewelry bag I bought last week. It was so much fun to go through the thing after I brought it home. I spent most of the day going through it, examining each piece, selecting the ones I wanted to keep for myself. I can't wait to do it again. I unwittingly discovered another thrifting thing I absolutely love. I don't know why I chose that particular day to do it. I'd seen jewelry lots before. I guess I never felt the need to treasure hunt before. It was a blast :)

My new goal is for $50 a day in sales. My ultimate goal is $100/day, but I figured I needed some middle ground before that time. I'm trying to avoid low value items as much as possible, though occasionally I find something that I have to share. Anyhoo, I am at my goal right now for the month, so I'm feeling like a really good reseller. I'm also feeling like a really tired reseller, trying to work as much as possible when I'm able, housesitting all over town, and making sure the dog gets walked and I get exercise. I'm getting it all done, but I'm feeling worn down in general.

Please take a moment to read the most recent news about Syria, and consider making a donation to MCC, currently providing direct aid to Syrian refugees.

Bag o' bling: Part 1 :)

Six pound bag of jewelry from Salvation Army :)

On Monday, I went out to thrift just a little bit, because I didn't want to leave the dog alone for long, and it was a holiday so not all of the stores were open. Salvation Army had a 50% off all clothing sale, but I didn't buy any clothing. I bought some art and this here bag of jewelry.

Now Salvation Army employees are my favorite. They work really hard, and so many of them have told me how much they appreciate their jobs. Sometimes they recognize me and are a little too friendly, but this is not the norm. So Monday, I got in the only line available. All of the employees were taking the day to clean the entire store, so the only line available was with someone who I'd never seen before, selling fifty hardcover books to a well-dressed woman who appeared to be purchasing books for a model home or something.

Now the cashier was slow with the books. All she really had to do was count them, but for some reason she was ringing them up one at a time. The customer was being super patient too. Off to the side was a man with a scraped-up face, who smelled like cigarettes and looked like he may have been drinking. But he was smiling and not bothering anyone, just patiently waiting to buy a new shirt. So I got behind book lady, and the cashier starts to have an anxiety surge of some kind. She turns to face scrape man and says, "The line is over there!" and points to me. She says it several times because he doesn't move very quickly. He doesn't want to crowd model home woman, so he stands off to the side. The cashier starts yelling at him, "That's not the line! This is the line!" and points to me (we're dealing with a very small space, there are carts involved, and clothing racks in the way). I tried to be calm and encouraging to her. The guy was doing his best and not being a nuisance, but she was clearly disturbed by his face and smell and couldn't get over her fear of him. They reached some sort of detente when he started to get frustrated by her ridiculous demands, and she went back to the books.

In the middle of all of this, and a line of three people behind model home woman, a manager came over to get something and said, "Let me know if you need any help, k hon?" The cashier is in so much distress at this point that she can't even respond, and the manager walks away. Face scrape man yells "She needs help!" He rushes over to the manager, points to the cashier, and repeats, "She needs help!"

All three of us in line moved across the store to the other register. When I left, the cashier was still ringing up the books.

Please take a moment to read the most recent news about Syria, and consider making a donation to MCC, currently providing direct aid to Syrian refugees.

Thrift Share :)

Anyone ever heard of Molyneux? Twas new to me :)

The only thing that has inspired me to write in the past two weeks is Serena's Thrift Share. I have been working really hard to pay all my bills so I can go to Canada in July. Frankly, I'm exhausted. But not so exhausted that I can't do my thing and thrift like a mofo.

All of these Vogue patterns are size 16, bust 38", and uncut! So awesome.

Modelesque in every way. Look at those cheekbones!

 
I have been having so much trouble buying pants lately, not because they don't exist, but because I am particular and I want to be thrifty about it. These things make it really difficult. I think I might spend some time this summer making some long linen pants and maxi skirts. Unfortunately, due to the exhaustion, I'm finding it difficult to do much more than feed myself, and go to work. Yes, I understand why celebrities get hospitalized for exhaustion. You're tired and you need an excuse to just lie in one place and do nothing.

I just thought I might keep this one - wow :)

Maybe someone will make me long linen pants and maxi skirts? A girl can hope.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

Thrift Share - Brass Edition :)

Vintage Apple Belt Buckle by BTS - 1978

One day, one completely normal boring day, I found two of these buckles. Two. I've listed them for the highest price they sold for in the past few months, and crossed my fingers. If I sell one, I'm going to visit my friend in Canada. Fingers crossed. I have "Best Offer" on it, so maybe someone out there, somewhere in the big wide world, will want it.

I'm willing to wait.

These Ernest Sohn Design - Brass Coaster

My fourteen-year-old friend and I went rummage sale-ing two Saturday mornings ago, and that pretty much fell flat. Rummage sales have huge ranges. My view of a good rummage sale is a lot of stuff to dig through. Anything less than a lot is a yard sale. When you see a lot, you just know.

Rummage sale-ing wasn't going so well, so we drove to a thrift store to make up for it. But on the way, we saw an "Estate Sale" sign, and it was a special sign made of wood and painted, so it was the real deal. And it was worth it. The house was full of stuff, and the estate sale was being run by a dealer. Every single freakin thing was marked and they weren't taking any offers, so I only bought a few things, but it was a fun place to walk through. Tons of vintage stuff, and hundreds of decorative plates.

Brass mice family - these are the kids :)

I found this little family of mice, two parents and three kids. I found the Ernest Sohn piece nearby. I've heard that bras is supposed to be cool right now. What do I know?

Today is Memorial Day, and I slept in late and now I feel drugged and maybe like I won't accomplish anything for the rest of the day, and I might be okay with that. Anyhoo, when I went to Hawaii a couple years back, I went to the Pearl Harbor Memorial, and the message was "Remember". I kept thinking about all of the people who have died, and all of the soldiers overseas in wars that few of them believe in, and I thought, "What are we remembering? What's the point of remembering if we never do anything different?"

Do something different today.

*Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)

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...

Recycled bubble wrap :)

A reselling blogger sells these all the time - I have been less successful

So a part of being "The Recycling Ethic" is in trying to use recycled materials as much as possible. I'm pretty picky about what I buy for shipping, because I'm constantly using shipping materials, and so this is the area I have the most potential for creating waste (or lack thereof). So I buy recycled labels and envelopes. I use all kraft tape, no plastic tape. Blah, blah, blah. I'm so awesome.

For a while, I've been buying bubble wrap from someone across the country who recycles large bubble wrap. I don't know where the product originates, but it comes taped together with masking tape, so it even looks recycled. But recently, I found a new recycled bubble wrap seller on eBay, and it's only a few hours away from me (a couple hundred miles), so I don't have to wait as long for it to arrive. Somehow the seller saves this pristine bubble wrap from a large-scale furniture company, and resells it (at what appears to be a zero profit margin) to continue the waste-reduction cycle.

Anyhow, we're kindred spirits, this bubble wrap recycler and I. And though we are small, insignificant eBay sellers who sell trash on the internets, I believe that our awesomeness will somehow surreptitiously seep into our packages, and influence our customers, who will then continue the cycle, and on and on.

I've been wanting to buy this stamp for ages, but it seems too decadent. It does need to be said, however, since I'm expecting that my customers are kindred spirits. I shouldn't assume though. I should make it clear that in addition to the recycled product you are purchasing, I also want to invite you to participate by reusing the packaging.

All for now :)

"What the hell does she sell?"

Serious, hard core, Sanita Danish leather clogs with wood bottoms - Booyah.

I get asked this question all the time. And every time it happens, I dig deep into my brain, and think, "What the hell do I sell?"

I get caught up in the routine of it, I guess, the buying, the cleaning, the organizing in my small space, and then the shipping and then the bill paying. Ack! There are a lot of steps, and it's no wonder that I get lost in the busyness of it all. So I'm evaluating my purchase/selling history, in an effort to define what I do, share my extreme lack of wisdom, and continue to move away from my brooding into a lighter mood for the holidays.

1. Milk glass/Fire King Mugs with Words/Pictures (blank ones don't sell as well)
2. Genuine Danish clogs
3. Vintage sewing patterns
4. SO many boots
5. Vintage Vera Neumann linens and scarves
6. Starbucks city mugs
7. Vintage heels, usually colorful and fun
8. Crewel and Embroidery kits
9. Vintage or artsy ties
10. Belt buckles

I especially thank Apron Thrift Girl and The Recyle-ista for keeping me up to date on what is selling, and inspiring me to look for new and interesting things in my own corner of the world.

Peace out mofos :)

The Atkins Diet

I hope this doesn't cost me readers.

You know how they tell you that the healthiest stuff at the supermarket is on the perimeter, and if you stick to the perimeter, you'll be okay?

Yeah, that's my new rule for thrifting. A quick sweep of the room, three pairs of shoes, and I'm out. I've got this thing down to a science, people. I could do it with both hands tied behind my back and a crying baby. There's always a crying baby.

Peace out.

Thrifted gifts?

Kid-friendly and appealing vintage Yosemite mug? Made for me.

Dear germophobe friend (you know who you are), stop reading. Do it. Do it now.

Thanks to Van over at Thrift Core for being awesome and vegan and thrifty and cheap, and inspiring me to be less lame and a total downer (as I totally have been lately, admit it), and talk about some recycling.

Thrifted gifts? Yay? Nay? My ethic of gifting is finding the perfect thing, the thing that says "I know you, and I see you, and I love you as you are." Oh my gosh. I'm cracking up right now, because after writing that, I realized what a weirdo I am. But anyhow, there are no guarantees. You may get a thrifted gift from me, or you may get a poem, or a framed piece of art, or a framed original comic (I am an excellent single-pane comic artiste - no joke).

So yes, that does mean that I have a stash all year long that waits for birthdays and Christmas to get used. It also means that my goal is your happiness. So selfless of me (meh. I'm just trying to buy your love like everyone else).

You will not get something gross. Because if I couldn't think of anything on the way to your house at the last minute, I will bring you alcohol, or cake. And that will make you happy.

Peace out :)

Thrift Share Monday :)

Ah yes, ol' cousin Ren :)

So I have a routine of going to the local Amvets after church because they have 50% off everything on Sundays. But, as you can well imagine, it's a mad house, and once I decide to make a purchase, I am also deciding to wait in line for 20-30 minutes, always surrounded by screaming children. But this got me Battleship and Guess Who, and a myriad of other wonderful things, so I make the choice willingly.

All of them are at least twenty years old - 80s/90s

But yesterday, I just didn't want to do it, so I went somewhere else (DAV baby! I love the veterans - What can I say?). And I'm grinning because it was like, the best decision ever. I found a total of nine (9!) of these stocking kits. They're already all listed, even though it was Sunday. I worked the rest of the day anyway because, hey, I wanted to, and I had the time, and there was a seven-year-old's birthday at some point, so I even got some cupcakes on a break during the afternoon.

I am really not very crafty - sorry folks

For whatever reason, December has been a great month thus far. I feel so much calmer, so much less anxious. There's nothing in particular that I'm looking forward to. I'm just, I dunno, better overall. But I also have a lot of paperwork that I'm avoiding, so maybe that has something to do with it. On to that now...peace out.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl :)