I was thrift store...when thrift store wasn't coooool...

Sunday is quickly becoming my new favorite day of the week for an unexpected reason, the sale at my neighborhood thrift store!  On Sundays they have a $.99 sale on clothing tagged with the colored price tag of the week.  Sunday is also the day that the next color of price tag goes 50% off for the upcoming week (and at the end of the week, the clothing items with that color tag are $.99, and so on.)

Now that you get the specifics of the sale, let me tell you what you can score on the cheap - pop-it beads for your 3 year old, a set of hot wheels knee pads for said 3 year old, random art supplies, vintage wedding dresses, felt, fabric, yarn, trims/bias tape/lace/rick rack, a bag of misc. sewing supplies, games, movies, and a Michael Crichton book your husband hasn't yet read!  Vintage sheets, pillow cases, scarves, belts and more are also prized finds.  Finally, any clothing item made from leather or suede, silk, or any other more expensive fabric.  You see, I don't wear them - I cut them apart and use them in my latest projects!  Take a gander at a few of this week's finds.

You're looking at a pair of silk pants, a silk skirt, and a red patterned skirt above, each purchased for $.99!

Here they are with a couple of their friends; a fuchsia taffeta shirt and 2 taffeta napkins (which were $.20 each I might add.)

This is so beautiful!  For what I'd spend on a yard of fabric I got 2 bags worth of gorgeous inspiration!  I see pillow covers, wrapped headbands, wrapped bangle bracelets, a runner for my dining room table and so much more.  I'm reusing items already in our stream of goods, thereby being some shade of green.  Need I say more?  Are you as excited as I am?

I wasn't always this excited about thrift store finds.  When we were young our mother shopped at thrift stores (a family of 5 on a teacher's salary...not surprising.)  Looking back, we got some pretty neat things there, but along with them came a certain amount of sour grapes because they were from a thrift store and not a department store.  Needless to say, today I'm very thankful for the patience to scour the racks and bins in search of "treasure" and equally thankful that I was introduced to thrift stores so early in my life, allowing time for my appreciation of them to grow.  It's a pleasure now to hear my son call it "the arts and crafts store" and see his face light up when he finds a whole pail of beads and string that mom says, "sure honey, we can buy that" because it only costs $.99 after all!   

As I prepare to sign off for today, there is a pic of some fabulous vintage scarves (or kerchiefs, perhaps?) that I scored today.  I see one at the center of my table with a vase of fresh, spring flowers on it.  I see another on my nightstand, a book and glass of water sitting atop it.  Finally, I see one wrapped around my ponytail (if my hair gets long enough for that sometime soon!)  How about you?!  How would you use these beauties in your life?