i'm over here in the green section, see you by the hats

DID NOT buy:

* about 15 other sweaters i looked at
* brooch
* robinson crusoe en español with awesome illustrations (it was too heavy, i was walking)

i think i made the right decisions on those things

I am thrifting hiatus at the moment because christmas exploded all over the house and there is so much stuff that needs to be put away and i'm probably moving in a couple months anyway? i need to sell / donate some stuff

i wish we could have a swap!

i'm wearing the gray creepers today and even though i know they're basically orthopedic shoes for old ladies, i think they look kinda cool? they're extremely comfortable, that's for sure. maybe once i get my own stink on them a little more they will feel more naturally mine.

that's always a phase -- i have to wear something around the house for a while before i can wear it out and not feel like i'm wearing someone else's clothes.

V v intrigued by "grey creepers" and curious if they are actual creeps or just a heavy-soled orthopedic style, but that is right up my alley right now tbh.

yeah do u have pics?

hold on lemme take one!

they're not OFFICIAL creepers
just regular orthopedic shoes with a strange shape

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8231/8346291139_147030b671_c.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8376/8347347356_abf320deb6_c.jpg
i'm ok with them being kinda ugly btw

I see how they are ortho old lady shoes but apart from that they're quite pretty and quaint imo!

the detailing helps a little, also they're not black/white/"tan"
basically i would never pay more than $5 for these shoes, but they were there, they fit, they're comfortable for walking, and +/- presentable
i'm super excited about the purse, that's at home though.

i think the green argyle socks add a little something less nursing home but maybe i'm kidding myself

No no I think you're on the right track there.

i found a really great vintage heavy wool hiking shirt made for eastern mountain sports the other day, i'd say c. 1970 -- i think it's actually a women's shirt? -- really awesome, almost blanket-weight black & ivory twill. sadly, the collar facing is all torn to hell and it's missing a button and it doesn't quite fit me, but I COULDN'T LEAVE IT THERE. if i can't pawn it off on someone else i'm thinking of cutting it up for fabric.

a quick trip to wikipedia reveals that EMS was bought in 1979 by... the franklin mint?? weird. anyway, this shirt was definitely made before that.

ok so that purse i bought? it took me a while to realize where the smell was coming from, but it REEKS of cigarette smoke. i think this purse spent a lot of time in bars before the smoking ban.

i had a leather jacket with the very same problem, but it was easily solved with this PROTIP: saddle soap

clean that shit with saddle soap and the smell is gone -- my jacket is fine, and i plan on scrubbing the shit out of this purse as soon as i go home.

in the meantime, PEE YEW

All better!!

saddle soap is the best

speaking of leather, just scored this sweet orange suede hoodie spring jacket for 95 cents!
it does not smell (and i think i have either gotten used to my purse or the smell has been solved)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8387/8622601500_f9ac9a7e8b_z.jpg

also that green wool sweater had to go because it was the worst kind of dog hair magnet and fit really badly
oh well!

Update: Spending time in the furniture department is fuuuuuuun. Also digging through boxes I've had closed for a decade is also fuuuuuunfunfun but arranging little dioramas of my favorite things? Honestly that has been the best. I've been putting photos on flickr if anyone cares. AT&T can eat shit but other than that clearly things are v v v pleasant way up here.

:D

my new neighborhood is full of yard sales and the wealthy folks putting perfectly good lawn furniture out with the trash

oh god that reminds me that the brown & risd dorms are going to be emptying out in a couple weeks -- for a few magical days, college hill in providence is a trashpicker's paradise

i'm hold a yard sale this weekend coming up, too. all of the dregs and remnants and accumulated unloved junk from the move will get put out on the table, and good riddance too

Yaaard sales this summer for sure!! I need to ~furnish my guest room~.

Ok I'm done furnishing, but yesterday I finally gave in to my mad craving for a paisley dress and looked online. There were some things, but nothing really stood out as MUST HAVE. Today I was walking to the store to get some stuff to make a food item, and I stopped at a local consignment shop and realized that I am living blocks from my personal motherlode. Will def go back, but today this paisley blouse/shirt combination that was clearly hand made to fit someone who is exactly my size had to be mine. And now it is mine. Can't wait to have new work clothes that I like!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/9255671213_0dd282fcc6.jpg

I love that style of shirt! They always look so elegant but effortless

i wore that shirt just a few days ago!

recently i got a nice green paisley scarf that will make my boring sweaters look a little less boring as well as a high waisted dark grey polyester skirt with two nice rows of buttons down the front. it could go with almost anything and will be good for 3 seasons at least.

my LA vacation which was partially spent looking for vintage housedresses
damn that sounds like so much fun
i don't have any tattoos and i think some people expect me to be more square than i am (maybe) but that's their problem

― Florianne Fracke (La Lechera), Friday, June 12, 2015 3:36 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the most noticeable thing about LA vintage stores vs. SF Bay Area ones -- LA stores are so much bigger!

― let he who has not approved of the ronaldinho bottle opener cast the (sarahell), Friday, June 12, 2015 3:40 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i bet the clothes were really outlandish too -- i love to try on ridiculous costumey things and LA seems perfect for that
i did some thrift shopping in maine and it was pretty great -- i got a shirt + some earrings in belfast and was wowed by the selection in bangor even though i didn't have any room in my luggage :(

― Florianne Fracke (La Lechera), Friday, June 12, 2015 3:43 PM (9 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i forgot there's a thread for this!

― Florianne Fracke (La Lechera), Friday, June 12, 2015 3:43 PM (0 seconds ago) Bookmark

i seem to have lost that skirt btw
no idea where it went!

this is one of my favorite thread titles ever

ha! it was intended to simulate the experience of being at the thrift, one of my favorite places to be

also that was sarahell's LA vacation, not mine btw

a week later, i questioned my strategy and thought, maybe i would have been better off looking for sweaters and coats with the logic that lots of people move to LA from colder places and then donate/sell their sweaters and coats that are rarely needed.

eh you can't overthink it -- did you get anything you love?
i forgot to mention a lot of the good stuff i've found in the last year, including a female friend who will pick something up for me if she sees it in my size. she got me nearly new frye boots for $25! <3

now that is love

she's awesome. she recycles fabric to make other stuff and i gave her one of my favorite dresses from my 20s (a blue toile shirtwaist that just kinda always looked just right no matter the occasion)
it was sorta hard to say goodbye to it but i'm glad she will make something out of it.

i got this vintage 50s(?) (looks a bit like something out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) green nurse's uniform dress that I plan to wear on stage w/band

oh shit
yes
that sounds soooooo cool

do you have tips for making pre-worn shoes comfortable? I always find that they have a worn in pattern that isn't compatible with my feet.

you could always try fitted insoles? i dunno much beyond that. i've bought a few pairs of used boots recently but they're all not used heavily enough to have a foot pattern yet.

the odor in the shoe section of the bangor maine salvation army was so bad i had to walk out. lots of heavily used shoes in there.

but there was a whole ROOM of them
i bet there was some good stuff in there but i wasn't looking for shoes. there was a whole wall full of ice skates for hockey!

also, i am a bit weirded out that vintage stores have 80s sections now.

Yeah that's bonkers. Are they like teen clothes or adult clothes or both?

I forgot I bought 2 skirts in Bangor at this tiny place across the street from the place where we ate lunch.

a combination of both: dresses that look Jessica McClintock-y that were worn to proms, dresses that look like something out of Dynasty or Falcon Crest, and dresses that look like something out of my mom's closet -- suburban office casual.

My fever for Gunne Sax has waned somewhat but even seeing the name Jessica McClintock makes my pulse speed up!

I wanna see the nurse uniform!

oh yes, Gunne Sax, way too many square feet of Gunne Sax dresses

Now I know where they've all disappeared to.

totally scored at my hometown thrift over the weekend! got the following:

-- small cross-body purse for going out
-- gold sequined j crew miniskirt w/ elastic waistband in my size
-- diagonally striped button up rayon shirt in pastel ice cream colors
-- really cute pink and green summer dress with cute details on the pockets

and a teacher's discount = total cost $12.51

Nice! I'm not good at thrift stores. I need a tutorial.

First step: stop telling yourself you're not good at thrift stores :)