thrifted fashion – Page 2 – This is my hobby.

Thrifting in Denver

I stayed in Denver for two nights last week for work and, though my schedule was packed, you know I had to squeeze in some thrifting time.

Maybe my new thing is visiting a Goodwill in every city I visit?

Thrifted conference attire – I got this jacket at the Rust Market in Lake Park, Brand – Love Sam

I was staying downtown, so I typed in Google maps “Thrift Store Near Me,” and a Goodwill popped up 2 miles away.

Conference sessions didn’t end til 6:30 pm but that wasn’t a problem – this Goodwill stayed open til 9!

I pulled on my sneakers and walked over to the largest and most organized Goodwill I’ve ever been in (the walk was also a great way to see the city at night — sorry, mom).

Threw on this sweater for my walk – The Drop, Source: thrifted and gifted from a friend.

First of all, look at this place.

All the clothes were organized by type, color, and size (!!!!) and the shoes had sticker sizes on each pair.

There were two levels and the first floor had a little bookstore section at the back!

Shook.

I only had about an hour to shop, but by now you know that ain’t a problem for me.

I’m like that classic story of The Princess and the Pea when it comes to sniffing out a cute top — I can just feel it in the piles of stuff.

I spent $55 and came away with a pretty good haul:

Almost left the picture frame but decided I could safely transport it in my backpack.

I only brought a backpack and a small carry on, so I had to be judicious in my selections.

Here are items I was sad to leave behind:

I wanted this so badly for baby girl! Imagine collecting thrifted minis for this.

Love a tiny chair! So sad to leave this!! There was also a pine chest I didn’t snag a photo of that would be perfect as a coffee table – they were selling it for $29!

Several Denver natives told me the truly good thrifting is in Boulder.

I’ll be back, Colorado!

Last week’s thrifted ‘fits:

Baby girl and I both wearing dresses thrifted from Goodwill West Palm Beach. Mine is Universal Threads.

Clearly was having a moment with this belt last week. 😜 Dress thrifted and gifted from a friend.

Ring from West Palm Beach Antiques Festival

Sterling silver shell necklace from Jupiter Medical Thrift

Baby girl’s shorts and shoes from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Janie & Jack Swimsuit from Goodwill West Palm Beach

Cat Toys Be Gone

A special thing about my home and decor is that I have a lot of items that friends have gifted to me.

One of those items is a gorgeous pine cabinet that sits in our dining area. For years, it has held my boys’ library books and…cat toys.

Yes, all those drawers had cat stuff in them. Why? Because until recently, our cat Gloria was the most spoiled girl in the house.

One of my husband Vince’s love languages is gift giving, and all the girlies in his life benefit from it, the cat being no exception.

It’s unclear whether Gloria thinks Vince is her boyfriend or father, but either way, he belongs to her and up until my daughter was born, she was in charge.

Now that our (very bossy and commanding) little girl is here, Gloria has settled into her rightful place in the pecking order, but the cabinets have remained full of toys that she’s honestly too chunky to play with. The girl gets winded after 2 minutes with a squeaky mouse, God bless her.

So, it was time to repurpose the cabinet and fill the drawers with items more appropriate for the dining area.

I’m now proud to share that I’ve organized our napkins, place mats, table cloths, napkin rings, and taper candles in the cabinet – such easy access and so satisfying!

These are actually the only drawers in my house that are organized.

I’m doing great.

Last week’s thrifted ‘fits & treasures round-up:

Plant pot, leather western-style belt, shell wall decor, Source: Community Thrift Store West Palm Beach

Ralph Lauren Button-up, Source: The Coastal Consignment Boutique

Purse – Dooney & Bourke, Source: Goodwill

Top – Eileen Fisher, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach, Pants – gifted from a friend

Tory Burch Pumps, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Dress – Printfresh, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Dress – Universal Thread, Source: Goodwill, West Palm Beach

Minnie Mouse purse and Ty unicorn backpack, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Doll highchair in the background also from Goodwill West Palm Beach

We bought these fairy wings at Community Thrift Store West Palm Beach, and realized when we got home that there were no straps for Elaine to wear them so now they are wall decor.

I found a basket just like this at a different Goodwill in West Palm Beach years ago! Vince uses it under his desk as a trashcan. Cool to find another one.

Another basket from Goodwill West Palm Palm Beach

Pretty bowl for holding shells, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Fall napkins for an upcoming party and cute taper candles, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Pretty dish that we’ll use as a plant tray, Source: The Community Thrift Store West Palm Beach

Floral stone dinner plates, set of 8 (!!), Source: The Community Thrift Store West Palm Beach

Picturing this on a beachy vacation, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Tunic – BCBG Maxazria, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Picnic basket, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Earrings (each pair less than $3!), Source: Community Thrift Store West Palm Beach

Top – , Skirt – UNIQLO, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Thrifted Gifting

Our daughter is besties with the little girl who lives across the street, and any time our families get together, the kids run around and scream and the parents drink wine.

So, inevitably, wine glasses break. When my neighbor had a birthday recently, I decided to go in search of a nice set of wine glasses — fellow thrifters will know that it’s hard to find 6 or 8 matching glasses, much less quality ones.

I don’t want this to jinx me or anything, but I truly feel that the thrifterverse has my back. I found six gorgeous Italian wine glasses and (bonus!) two fish-shaped stone serving dishes, glazed in a pretty blue color (wish I had taken photos).

I shined everything up, packed them in tissue paper, and gifted them.

This was the first time I’d thrifted a gift for someone who isn’t family (me, my mom, and mother-in-law all love thrifting and have a shared understanding that secondhand gifts are more than welcome).

So, I felt the need of course to disclose that I’d thrifted the items and say, “…I hope that’s not weird?”

Girly girl with her thrifted suitcase and heels. 💅🏽✨

This led me to wonder how people in general would feel about receiving a second-hand item as a gift.

I think because most people who know me understand that thrifting is *gulp* (whisper) my life, they probably wouldn’t be surprised or offended to receive a thrifted item.

It would be curated by a careful and practiced eye, of course, and cleaned prior to gifting.

Baby girl in a beautiful top found at Goodwill West Palm Beach

The more I’ve been in the shops — which has been weekly lately (coping mechanism? these times we’re in are trying) — the more I’ve thought about how important and ideal shopping secondhand is.

First of all, the stuff is FANTASTIC. I live in a place where people give away pristine, quality, high-end pieces. But also, shopping secondhand offers a way to scratch that pesky consumerist itch without breaking the bank and harming the environment.

A short list of the benefits of thrifting:

–It’s affordable (still screaming over my $60 chair/ottoman set…will be riding that high for the foreseeable future).

–It’s sustainable: Thrifting keeps usable items out of landfills and reduces demand for new manufacturing, making it one of the easiest ways to live more sustainably.

–It’s fun: I can’t fully describe the high I experience when I find a high-end item for a steal. If I could bottle it, I’d give it to you for free.

–It supports your community: I frequent charity shops that donate a percentage or all of their proceeds to a cause.

–It keeps things interesting: Thrifted finds spark creativity and give you a reason to switch things up in your wardrobe and rearrange things around your house.

I’m considering practicing mostly thrifted gifting for the holidays this year. What do you think? Would you be skeeved to receive a thrifted gift?

Last week’s thrifted ‘fits & treasures round-up:

I took my kids to Resource Depot in West Palm Beach and, let me tell you, we had a time.

We did not buy this hat, but it felt right to wear it while we sifted through shelves and bins.

We got a nice collection of things for only $22 and explored the super cool art exhibit.

Most of last week’s haul, sourced from Resource Depot and The Nearly New Thrift Shop West Palm Beach. Can you tell which items baby girl picked? 🤪

Purple dance costume, Source: Resource Depot West Palm Beach

Loved the “M,” not sure what I’ll do with it yet. Source: The Nearly New Shop West Palm Beach

Heart shaped pillow, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Top, Jennifer & Grace, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

Seagrass wall basket, Source: The Nearly New Shop West Palm Beach

Seagrass mat, Source: Goodwill West Palm Beach

More Dining Room Upgrades

Since I found that amazing chair + ottoman set at Goodwill last week, I had to rearrange several chairs throughout the house, leading to more changes to the dining room.

That’s one of the fun things about thrifting — when you find new treasures, you have to make room for them, so you’re constantly reconfiguring your spaces and expressing creativity.

A chair that was up in our loft (found a few months ago at Goodwill, naturally), and a chair that I thrifted for our wedding in 2015, were relocated to the dining table to become host chairs (chairs at either end that are different in style from the rest).

Chair found at Goodwill a few months back. Pottery Barn pillow found at Furry Friends Thrift in Jupiter.

Chair thrifted in 2015 for my wedding (maybe Faith Farm?), Pillow thrifted from a vendor at the West Palm Beach Green Market several years ago.

I often see home designers set up matching host chairs, but I think this mismatched look jives with the rest of my eclectic style.

A dear childhood friend helped me source thrifted furniture then reupholster and paint them for cocktail hour vignettes at my wedding.

Last week at Goodwill, I found these wooden wall sconces (which I’ve been manifesting!!), and they’re now flanking the lattice backdrop in our dining room.

The taper candles are also from Goodwill.

I can’t wait to light these up and add more romantic lighting to our everyday dinners.

My final dining upgrade of the week are these clip-on rattan chandelier shades! This was an impulse purchase from Amazon that I’m obsessed with. It’s a subtle change that elevates the room and integrates with surrounding decor.

I chose a shape that matches our kitchen island pendant lights.

Evolving a space with thrifted treasures brings me so much joy and creates a home that feels collected and personal. You should drop into a thrift store this week to see what inspires you!