Happy Wednesday!

Jim Henson's Beauregard doll

I'm sitting at my desk in my work clothes (all thrifted - woohoo!), getting used to a new pair of shoes I bought Monday at Salvation Army. I'm super weird about shoes. They have to look just a certain way. I can't deal with anything that's too pointy or I think my feet look humongous. Nevermind that I have friends with larger feet who wear pointy shoes and look fabulous - I look awful. Anyhow, I went out on a limb and bought a pair of shoes that have open toes, but are definitely a little pointy. I'm getting used to them.

I've been thrifting like a mofo, listing constantly, taking tons of pictures. I'm still housesitting, so I have to find new canvases on which to photograph clothing, but I've made it work. Wooden fences look pretty cool as a backdrop with good lighting. I don't think I'll ever be the kind of girl who models for her own store, but who knows? Maybe if I'm still doing this when I'm eighty, I'll have lost all fear - that would be pretty hilarious. All of those types of online shops are typically cute young women and the occasional friend or boyfriend.

Anyhow, I was inspired by Ted Cruz's non-filibuster speech over the past 24 hours. I don't care if I agree with someone's politics - if I see someone who is passionate about something and they do whatever they can to make that visible, I have a lot of respect for them. I respect people with the courage of their convictions; I don't know that I always have that myself.

Peace out yo :)

Summer sandals :)

Vintage Hot Pink Dress with Tied Cap Sleeves and a Geometric Pattern

Now that I have a professional job, dressing is of utmost importance. So in thrift stores, I'm always looking for stuff to sell, but I've also got my eye out for clothing for myself. You wouldn't think it (ha!), but my thrifted finds often wear out sooner over later. Also, I'm terribly picky.

So I often spend time on eBay looking for deals on the finds of others. My current interest is sandals. I used to be terrified of my height, my figure, my female-ishness. But now I'm okay with it. Give me heels! Flowers on the toes! Even pink! I can handle it.

But I'm still working on my debt, which felt so possible to pay off next month, but a bunch of things came up this month, so that feels not-so-possible now. I'll have a few slow months in the summer work-wise, so now I feel less in-control, and that always messes me up a bit.

But the sandals...oh, the sandals!

"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.

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.

Thriftspiration.

El Vaquero Valerio Giuntoli boots - booyah :) Pretty freakin' awesome.

Do you like how big the photo is? Do ya? Do ya? You're welcome.

So in an effort to discover the origin of these freakin' awesome boots, I ended up on Italian eBay, looking at shoes, and boy was that a good time. They were all so colorful! I wish I had a ton of money to spend on shoes.

Why aren't we all buying more Italian leather shoes? I found these blue leather heels. They were unlike anything I'd ever seen, and they made me drool. What can I say? Even I, the lover of trash and all things used, can easily get drawn in to consumerist lust. Seriously, I cannot contain my glee, so I'll share it with you: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (oh, and I can't resist - 6).

I am spending the weekend probably reading scandalous literature to my mother in the hospital. If I don't keep her adequately entertained, I imagine that she will be more prone to sexually harassing cute young male orderlies/nurses/doctors and blaming it on the morphine. I take it upon myself to be a buffer - not in a codependent way, just in an effort to have more men in my life.

Peace out mofos :)

Grad plans #1

My outfit plan for graduation:

1. Orange linen dress from Salvation Army, altered from a long dress (for a less tall person) to a mid-knee dress, perfect for moi. I got the thumbs-up from the seamstress when I tried it on. She was super sweet. I love that I found a good eco-friendly dry cleaner next to a good shoe repair shop. An extra plus? There's a post office there too :)
2. Pearl earrings, a gift from my friends who traveled to India my first year at the seminary. They need to be fixed so I can wear them.
3. Turquoise beaded sandals, thrifted a few months ago when it was definitely not sandal weather. They're so awesome, I can't stand it.
4. My new red ring! I sold some Frye boots, so I had enough money to cover it. I didn't expect to do it before graduation, but then I got antsy when I found exactly what I wanted.
5. I'd like to have my hair done up. It's still pretty short, but I think that if I have enough bobby bins, I'll be fine. Here is something that resembles the look I'm going for. I don't know if I can make it work, but I'm gonna try.

I needed to make a plan to orient myself to a time of celebration. Now I need to figure out how to have a party, even though I'm not really a party girl. How can I incorporate recycling into a fun-for-all soiree?

Funkdigity

Knitting? Gardening? Staring out the window?

Should I be doing something else? Should I be watching less television? Should I be walking on the grass and staring at the sky more? I'm in that weird place where my life is changing and I don't quite know what to do while it's happening. I've been talking about it for the past nine months or so, but now my graduation is a week away (nine days to be exact). I'm in a funky funk, and I'm just going to have to ride it out.

I'm pretty much a professional now. I'm a professional who sells trash on the internet (when I'm trying to convince someone how lame I am, I create really pithy sayings like that). I'm actually pretty awesome, but I don't know if it's okay to really live in that feeling. I might become obese or sociopathic if I care about myself too much (or too little for that matter). I guess I have a core fear that I have to maintain some kind of emotional balance that errs on the side of depression. That way, karma will repay me in my next life by blessing me with many virgins (seriously, why are virgins so valuable in the afterlife?) or cows.

I created an outfit for graduation day. I bought a dress yesterday, and took it to be altered today. I still need to have my earrings fixed. Everything fell apart at the beginning of the school year, and I've just kinda limped along ever since. Now I'm on the other side, and everything needs repair. Including me, probably.

Thrift Share Monday :)

 

I've bought several pairs of vintage Florsheim men's shoes in the past month. I was initially looking for a new revenue source, and looked for what brands were selling well, and I noticed that I wasn't purchasing vintage men's shoes. I'd been focusing on women's shoes. Here's a look at what I'd been missing.

I've found that good photos are key to selling vintage shoes. The more photos, the better. Remember how much you appreciate the experience of touching the items you buy in a store. I think that research is key here. The same shoe can be listed, but only one sells. Why? Sometimes, it's just dumb luck. But most of the time, in my humble unlearn-ed opinion, it's because of the research that goes on before the item is listed.

For example, I found a website with all of the Florsheim styles and their names. Of course, now that I want to give it to you, I can't find it for the life of me. It's okay though, because I looked through 500 styles and didn't find the one I was looking for.

I have really started to pay attention to how I personally react (thought-wise) to how people are dressed. It ain't pretty. I have less respect for people who aren't dressed well, regardless of who they are. It got me to thinking that school uniforms are pretty important. When you feel good about how you look, you act differently. The social concept of dress is important. In Brazil, you did not go out, "into town", without your best clothes on, ever. How often do I walk out of my house looking less than my best? I haven't washed my hair in five days.

In sum, you'll feel better with a nice pair of long-lasting shoes.

Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl.

It's so hard to be frugal.

 

Oh-mg. I was at the mall tonight, and there was a big (30-70% off everything) sale at a women's clothing store that has clothes that look nice on me (i.e. long pants), and I was so longing for new clothes. I had that moment, that I have sometimes, where I wished that buying new clothes didn't bother me so much.

I have been going through a bit of a shoe craze lately, though. I've bought Dansko clogs and galoshes in the past month on eBay. I've also completely lost my black slacks. Has anyone seen them? I have also been buying clothing for work even though I could wear the same thing every day and it wouldn't matter. It's a bit compulsive, in my opinion. I've been so hyped up about buying a new car, but when it comes right down to it, I can't do it. I want it so bad, but it just won't work. I can't afford to add that much money to my monthly budget. So I think I have to keep the Rabbit, the car with no working doors, no speedometer, no heater or air conditioner.

It's so sad to admit, but I can't afford more than what I have, and I have to live with what I have.

How often do you purge?

One of my aunts once told me that every time she buys something new, she gets rid of something old. I think that she was specifically talking about her wardrobe at the time; get rid of a pair of shoes when you buy a new pair; new pants, old pants, and so on. This seemed genius to me.

Of course I have quite a book collection, and it isn't entirely for me, so that isn't something I purge from very often. My clothes are definitely possessions I go through regularly to get rid of what I don't wear anymore, doesn't fit right, or isn't looking as good as it once did. Since I've been buying all of my clothes at thrift stores, it seems apropos to just thrift them back. "From whence they came..."

Moving is the best time to purge of course. Spring cleaning, or something similar, will also do quite well. I myself have begun purging mid-November because I watched Hoarders for the first time, and it made me anxious.

Final note: If someone could please give me an appropriate range of "number of pairs of shoes allowed one individual female person", that would be very helpful to me (I tend to return to my feral child roots when I'm unsure about something). It may be helpful to know that I am a professional person. I try really hard to live simply, but I just bought another pair of (used) Dansko clogs, and now I'm up to three pairs, and I'm feeling like that may be too many, but I don't know which ones to get rid of.

Mantra #1: Donate what you don't use!

Mantra #2: When in need, always ask for help!

It's okay to want things

Things I want:

1. A used hybrid car
2. A kitchen countertop
3. These shoes, in my size
4. To live in a small space with lots of curtains (ah! Bohemian is the word)
5. To eat a jar of chocolate frosting (the good kind, with preservatives)
6. To look good when I wear necklaces (never gonna happen)
7. A little chihuahua of my own
8. Ooo! A bathtub (or spa)
9. A person to hug, every day, for more than fifteen seconds
10. To sleep through the night tonight