How thrifting led to police involvement on all accounts except for mine.

Long title, accurate summary.

This week, I had the exciting opportunity to meet up with Amy from Cincinnati Thrift and Ashleigh from The Stylized Wannabe- both authors of Cincinnati thrift blogs.  I'd met Amy before because she was kind enough to attend the Goodwill Shopping Safari, but it was my first time meeting Ashleigh. I was a little bit overexcited because I felt like I was attending my first ever blogger "meet up". Ha.

It was so much fun! You wanna know something ironic? We sucked at taking pictures of our thrift date so I have little evidence of the fun we had. It was as if we forgot that we were active members of a technological bloggity-blog world and made a collective decision to throw our cellular devices into a mud puddle. The largest muddle we could find.

To prove my point, I asked Amy to take a picture of me and Ashleigh, and the pictures she got of us making out way TO the picture were better than the goal. I will not prove it. Just accept my technological pinkie swear. (This is not a dig on Amy's pic-taking abilities. This was just the way of the night.)

So we had a blast at the actual thrift store- it was the HUGEST Goodwill I do believe I have ever thrifted. My/our only complaint was about how stinking expensive everything was, but the whole subject of the rising thrift store prices is for a whole other post for another time.

This picture can't even begin to describe how massive the store is...it's only the back half. To the right, you can see a bit of their accessories "department".

There were so many shoes!

I came away with three purchases: a pair of boots, a skort, and a stupidly romantic sculpture.

 Nine West Boots: $14

Retail: $90+

Target Skort: $.99 

Retail: $15+

Marwal Inc. (by Brower) Sculpture: $8

(Current) Retail: $50-$150

I LOVE THIS SCULPTURE SO MUCH. It's the sweetest and I love the modern-ity of it. Since it's all banged up and has all kinds of chips (the white spots on the head), I decided to decrease the value by spray painting it a matte white:

I've done all kinds of research on the sculptor and have only been able to learn that it was made by Blossom Brower in 1965. Here are some other sculptures of hers that remind me of the one above:

Ashleigh made it out with some Chinese Laundry sandals and a beautiful vintage Coach purse. Amy found some tops and two dresses!

These did NOT make it into any of our final purchases...

 Notice Dress...a little bit too much of a quirk factor in this dress. 

I definitely look uncertain.

I just couldn't even believe this next thing made it past getting donated! 

I took a picture of it in someone else's cart:

And I definitely didn't purchase the item that was attached to this tag:

I can't show you a picture of the item at the other end because I only have a picture of it ON me and I'm worried about what would happen if my high school students stumbled across the picture...It was basically a MASSIVE t-shirt with a lacy lingerie thingy majiggy printed on it. 

(One size did fit all.)

When it was time to replenish our energy, we decided to head out to get some food and beverage. Amy and I arrived but Ashleigh was no where to be found. Amy got a text a few minutes later that Ashleigh had locked her keys in her car and had to call the police to help her get 'em out! To top that off, Amy went and got herself a speeding ticket on her way home. 

Conclusion: I was the only one to make it out without some kind of police interaction. 

Luckily there's going to be a next time, so there's plenty of time to remedy that :)

By the way! If you live in the Cinci area and want to join us on our next night of thrift, please shoot me or Amy or Ashleigh an e-mail! We'd love to thrift with you :) The police only have to be involved if you want them to be. 

Closet Space

This post is for the sake of my grandmother who has asked me multiple times, "How do you have enough space for all of your clothes?"

I've written about my One In, One Out policy before, but I'd like to readdress the subject because it's an "issue" that I think many treasure hunters face at some point or another.

What do I do with all my sweet deals? How do I have room for 'em all?

Silly pants. I don't have room for 'em all.

Please excuse me as I take a trip to Brag City, but something I'm really proud of is my ability to get rid of stuff.

As better stuff comes in, the older, less worn, or just lesser quality stuff leaves.

Look at all the stuff I done donated set out in a pile to donate this week!

There are even 3 pair of shoes in that pile!

This is a bit self serving, but here's a pic of my closet so you can get an idea of my clothing stash. This is all there is- both my summer and winter clothes, beach and north pole clothes, fat and skinny clothes, frumpy and saucy clothes, fruit and vegetable clothes.

I'm not saying that I'm a minimalist and I'm not saying anything about my organization skills...the sweater explosion on the shelves shows that my "neat skills" are clearly lacking. I guess this is just a self-serving post to profess to the world I'm not a hoarder and that my thrift collection is "moderate".

No secret to it. No hidden closet beneath the floorboards or a self-storage unit built into my budget.

I just get rid of stuff :)

How do you keep a handle your thrift collection?

Ice Cream Man + Safari Finds + GIFT CERTIFICATE WINNER!

When I was a young sprat, my dad had a simple set of rules that would determine whether I could get ice cream from the ice cream truck. Although it's been years since I chased down an ice cream man and despite my father never bothering to put the rules in writing, I can and will now recite them to you:

1) It must be sunny.

2) It must be over 80 degrees. No point in having ice cream unless it's warm outside.

3) It must be under 85 degrees. No sense in having ice cream if it'll melt before I can eat it.

4) I must have already had dinner.

5) I must have finished dinner no less than 20 minutes prior in order to allow for proper nutrient digestion.

6) Both my dad and I must already be outside when we hear the ice cream truck music.

7) At least three other children must be buying ice cream from the ice cream man. We wouldn't want the ice cream man to have to make a stop for just one child.

8) No more than 5 other children can be buying ice cream from the ice cream man. We wouldn't want to wait in line for too long.

9) My dad must have exact change.

10) The change must be located in his pocket.

When I tell people about The 10 Simple Rules, they say things like "Aw, poor you." "You must have been so sad!" or "Yeah right, like you fell for that!" - all things that you might be thinking to yourself right this minute.

Well, here's the thing.  I was what one might call a "gullible" child...meaning that the only negative thought I ever had when dad said, "Sorry little Ally. It's 87 degrees today and besides, YOU may have heard the ice cream truck music but I didn't because I was cutting the lawn" was more like "Aw shucks! Well, rules are rules!" and then I would return to riding my trike in circles.

I tell you all this because I have recently been working very hard to CRACK DOWN on unnecessary thrift store purchases so I've created my own set of rules...

1) No alterations needed. <--I have good intentions but zero follow through when it comes to fixing items. I'm even talking just needing a button added on.

2) Must fit perfectly. <--Exactly my size, right now. No "OOOO maybe this'll fit when I gain my annual Christmas pounds!"

3) I know exactly when/how I'll wear it.

4) I have a need for it.

You get the gist.

All that just to say that you'll be proud of me for only having bought four items in the entire day of the Dayton Goodwill Shopping Safari!

 Jones New York Dress: $3.99

(+random belt I already own)

Retail: $149 

SEE?! Same dress, different color still being sold

Land's End Sweater/Fleece: $3.79

Retail: $30+

Talbot's Cardigan: $3.79

Retail: $129

(thrifted with tags still on and with LOVE because my mom found it)

*Puppy prints highlighted when I spent too much time on PicMonkey*

Pic of cardigan from Talbots, different color :)

Rhinestone necklace: $10

Retail: ?

______________________________________________________

I asked the Safarians to share their favorite thrifted item (to be entered for a $20 Goodwill gift certificate giveaway!) and here's what they had to share:

1. Angela thrifted this DASH by Kardashian coat. I already mentioned how jelly I am of this find...

2. Marilu had two favorite finds!

Fiesta 15 inch pizza plate

She says, "I think that this may be an ash tray but I am using it in a bathroom to hold rings/jewelry."

3. Lilah thrifted these children's toys! She says, "I am a play therapist who works with young children and these toys will be a wonderful addition to my office."

4. Alicia found these amazing plum colored Calvin Klein jeans for $4.29!

 To select the winner of the Goodwill gift certificate, I assigned numbers based on the order I received your pics and entered em in a Random Number Generator...

 

Yay Marilu!!! I'll be in touch :-)

_________________________________________________________________

Look at what my mom recently sent me. How appropriate.

source 

2013 Dayton Goodwill Shopping Safari (Part 4 - Miamisburg)

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and pics from the Miamisburg Monkeys bus on Kim's blog)

At Part 3's conclusion, we were in the bus headed to the Miamisburg Goodwill store.

Miamisburg was the smallest store we visited, but that doesn't mean it was any less Safari-ed out.

Remember the bras from the Centerville store?

Well...Donald found himself a little something special to match.

For those of you who FREAKED OUT at the thought that these were used, I give you my FEVER THRIFT* word that they still had tags on! (Goodwill does not take used undies. Although, this doesn't mean that people don't donate them...)

We all got a huge laugh when we learned that Helen bought some one of the Safari bras at the Centerville store, so Donald jokingly brought these over to her! (I love the looks on everyone's faces. That poor kid is not so sure about all this.)

We spent an hour at the Miamisburg store then headed back to our cars. On the bus ride back, there were prizes for the individual who brought the most friends and for the person who could say Goodwill's mission (Empowering people with disabilities and other needs to achieve independence and enhance their lives)

Angela brought NINE people with her!

Here's her group:

The prize for the mission statement was a Goodwill duffel bag:

 When we got back to our cars, we unloaded and got some last minute pics:

SO. MUCH. FUN.

Many, many thanks to Jesse from Buckeye Charter for a fun, comfortable, and safe busride.

Thanks to Carmela's for shutting down their restaurant just for our event!

REMEMBER to submit your picture for the 

$20 Goodwill gift certificate!!! 

To be entered, just e-mail me a picture of your favorite Safari find feverthrift@gmail.com

Winner will be announced on Monday.