#2. I heart thrift stores

On my way home, the insanely overcrowded Muni I was riding stopped and the driver announced that all of us had to get off and wait for another since this one was being rerouted and going back the way it came. This was rather obnoxious since we were already uncomfortable and cranky from having to wait. But I stepped off the train and right in front of an Out of the Closet. So while the other grouchy Muni riders waited for the next train, I killed some time at the store and ended up buying this sweatshirt:

I think it will keep me rather cozy. It's not something I would have paid a lot of money for, but I think it's cute and I like that it's been worn and probably won't shrink. Plus it was under 10 bucks.

The other day, I was actually at the same Out of the Closet and I bought this:

because I STILL have a box in my bathroom and need something to hold my various bubble baths. And this is wickery, which I like.

My recent purchases have gotten me thinking about how much I love thrift stores. I think it was probably Miss Jenny who initially introduced me to the ones in Santa Cruz when I wasn't sure if I should shop there. I always knew I liked rifling through junk and wearing unique clothes and she showed me a place where I could combine my interests. I think the first time we went to a the Thrift Center, I bought my favorite shirt ever. I wore it for something like 7 years before I finally retired it into jammies.

The last time I was there, Jenny and I went to the Chico version of the Thrift Center-- Thrifty Bargains-- where she convinced me that I needed this strawberry teapot:

I went to Goodwill in LA and bought the other teapot-- with the peacocks on it. I like to fancy myself as a lady who sits around and drinks tea that she pours from a teapot while responding to ball invitations and waxing shut my envelopes. But it's possible that I'm just the girl who collects teapots and has a wild imagination....

Anyhow, another time I was at the Goodwill, I bought this little bowl:

It's perfect for lemon wedges, am I right??

Speaking of bowls, Jenny also bought these at Thrifty Bargains. Well, she bought a set of 10, so guess who ended up with 5?!

And when I was homeless in LA, Dave invited us to a "Black & White Party" which meant that I had absolutely nothing to wear because everything that was black or fancy or, for that matter, clean had already been moved to SF. So C and I headed to the Goodwill in Palmdale, where I bought this dress:

for 7 dollars. And tied a white string around my wrist.

Some of my other purchases at thrift stores include but are not limited to: a maroon book case with hearts carved into it, my favorite pair of jeans, the movie "Sister Act" and a skirt with $20 in the pocket.

I love thrift stores not just for the treasures you can find, but also because things are so equalized. If a shirt cost 20 bucks or 200, it's going to be on the same rack at Salvation Army. Unless it's made out of some fancy material like suede, these stores generally sort items according to part of the body where worn: pants, shirts, sweaters, shoes, etc. So you could find a Banana Republic ballgown for $12.

Considering these fantastic purchases all made at thrift stores, I'm pretty excited to explore my new city and all the old junk it has to offer!