I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Friday, May 10, 2019

Road Trip ~ New Thrift Shop



Hi! Yesterday my thrifting friend B arrived for one of our shopping days. She has a beautiful new car and our sights were set on exploring a thrift shop she'd found online.


The day was windy, grey, and dismal. Bridges were rumored to be stuck open, traffic was snarled!


To me the shop was far far away, I think 50 miles. [yes I know you all who live in the wide open US spaces don't think that's far, but it's far for me. Another world.] B's new GPS took us via every huge congested expressway it could find, so the hours of driving weren't for chatting but for keeping silent while steering safely through the crazed traffic while the nav person directed. I know not to chat at times like those.


The shop was big and clean[ish]. Another cement floored cavern with flickering fluorescent lights.


Some bric-a-brac to sort though, a small shelf of books; no furniture, no linens or craft items.


A few potential finds peeked out here and there. But no.


I swear some of the dresses were the same ones from the old shop that closed, by Marshall's.
What did I find, you ask? I did rummage out a few goodies.


Tropical Plus sized pants, 5.99 marked down to 2.99, chosen for their generous amounts of fabric.


Pretty tropical,  in my new ''fave-but-not-really" yellow [Pineapple String quilt?]:


and this darling menagerie tropical in chartreuse and turquoise. It almost looks like a Lilly Pulitzer, but is some unknown off-brand. Both are nice 100% cotton.




Look--giraffes!


And unicorns!



I never/ rarely buy clothes for myself to wear but I loved this wool plaid swing coat, from I think Saks catalog store brand. Never worn.





Interesting details in the cut.


Cool big buttons. Retro swing shape. I think next Fall, with the right pants and sweater, it will look cute. Warmish wool-acrylic mix in the soft Autumn plaid.



Pearl and ribbon necklace.

Love the taupe grosgrain. This design originally is from Anthropology but the little tag says its a J Crew  knock off. Big marble-sized pearls. Probably very passe, but I liked it and I think it might be fun in the summer, casually worn with tank top, black? and capris.


A Little House on the Prairie Christmas book [99 cents], fun to read next December.



I adored the books as a child; the drawings seem so familiar .



Little House books probably inspired my  lifelong interest in US pioneer history and social history as revisited while making Westering Women quilt a few years ago.


And a yelloware pitcher picked up at the last moment.


What IS it? It's real yellow ware, yellow clay not glazed yellow; the decal design is sort of 1940s,


but the base looks brand new c 2019. Unmarked. Cheap and ugly? Not sure.


It goes really well with my bowls, so I got it. It will be interesting next fall with black-eyed Susans or mums maybe. Price was right.





We had read online that the prices here were extremely high:"I can buy this stuff new, for less, at Walmart." [If we had a Walmart. Maybe.]. But to us the prices seemed fair AND were very  discounted, most pieces 50% off. Only the coat, at 9.99, was not on sale. I'd give the store 3.5 stars, the road trip definitely 5 stars. So fun!


My friend brought me these fabrics she'd found while antiquing in PA. The shop's table said FREE but some were $1.oo, lol.



Lovely velvets, hard to show the rich strawberry red. The darker one feels like silk velvet, maybe.



Taffetas? The pink is so sweet, no clue what I'd use it for so far.  It would make a darling party or prom dress for a young girl if girls wore dresses like that.



This black I liked for maybe a quilt backing [she'd sent photos via her phone]. It's quite odd, feels like cotton but also like taffeta???  I'm running a swatch through the wash now---I think the pink rosebuds washed off.




******************************


More shopping: scented candles for summer, also for Mothers Day if you need a quick gift. I love them all, quite herbal and fruity, lovely. My candle supply was getting low. You may think they are an indulgence but the glass enclosed three wicks make somewhat safe storm candles too. So I keep a supply on hand. B&B Works had a half price sale.


We had a great shopping day, despite the rather long swaths of driving. We did sort of lose track of time and our Mexican dinner, post-Cinco de Mayo was cancelled as I had to rush home to Mo.


He is a bit spoiled and cries pitifully if I am out too long, despite a long visit from his walker, who reported the crying. He is okay if I am out during the day, or for an evening, but not both. Other family and helpers weren't around either, so he got very sad and cried! When I rushed home he was sitting in his bed with his green baby doll, all big eyed and whimpering. The loud wind wasn't helping matters either. Gotta plan better next time, we don't get out so often.



have a fun weekend. Gonna be cold!

love

lizzy

gone to beach......

PS Church flea has been a bust again.. No parking! Last week when I went dozens of  police were closing the narrow road with orange cones, all the lots were filled. The tiny town town has two Catholic churches and BOTH has massive funeral masses that Friday at the exact same time. Plus the flea shoppers. Crowds of mourners milling about. Someone[s] important? A union leader or some such, lots of working man types. Bizarre. I'll try next week before giving up.













11 comments:

  1. Great finds--loving the retro swing jacket--what a gem! and that yellow ware pitcher is so you, I think--it does go well with those bowls...
    all in all you made a great haul...poor Mo--he is just a baby after all....hugs, Julierose

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  2. How fun!! I love the thrift store...I have banned myself for while, because they have 99 cent men's shirts...I just must refrain for a while, LOL!

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  3. Looks like fun! I love the coat!! I went yard sailing yesterday and only found a rug for a quarter. But it was a blast driving all over town. I love peeking into yards. :) Happy Mothers Day! Kit

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  4. I would love to thrift shop with you! You always find such great items. Love that ceramic pitcher. One of my weaknesses ( the tinier, the better).

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  5. It sounds like a really fun day! So happy you got to go and have a good time. I take it you didn't get stuck at any open bridges!

    You found some good stuff, I love the fabric on the pants. The yellow pitcher is pretty even if not antique, and I love the coat! I think it would look nice with slacks and jeans, too - something just a bit dressier than most regular jackets.

    Poor Mo, too bad he got upset. Hopefully better next time!

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  6. Great items from the thrift shop! The yelloware pitcher looks great with your bowls and the coat will be perfect for the fall weather. The prices were good.
    Poor Mo, you would think he would be happy to take a nap & enjoy the quiet!!! Happy Mothers Day tomorrow!

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  7. You had a great day thrifting, love those tropical fabrics, and the jacket is so unique especially compared with what we normally see. And no, you can't get the same things at Walmart at any price! The pitcher will be lovely in late summer with a couple sunflowers. Poor Moe, they really do go into a funk when we leave them behind, Gibbs is so spoiled he even hates it if one of us is gone and one stays with him! Has to have both of us accounted for before he can relax.

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  8. Wow! It looked like you had a very successful day!!! I think your coat will be perfect this fall!! Love the book. I do love them. Poor Mo.. bad mommy-ha ha That is how I used to feel too. They don’t like to stay home alone for long periods of time do they?? I now have a cat- she comes with a long story.

    Glad you had such a good day.

    Blessings
    Gert

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  9. What a fun outing! That coat is soooop cute, and the necklace too! Also like the fabrics from the pants, so fun. What beautiful red velvets too, sigh.

    Too bad you had to skip dinner, I get it. Poor lonely Mo. So sad to think of him crying :(

    Reading the comments, and thinking I would like to hear about Gert's cat :)

    Beautiful sky pics!

    Happy Mother's Day to you!

    Kel

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  10. A good haul you had there. Love the animal fabric - fun colour combination. The Christmas on the Prairie illustrations are very special. I never get tired of them.
    As always, your beach pics are a treat. Thank you. Penny

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  11. One way to test for synthetic in any of the fabric finds: cut a 1" square of said unknown, with tweezers or forceps' hold a corner of the fabric, holding it over a bowl, and light with a candle lighter. If just ash then it is natural. If it forms a small hard ball then it is synthetic. I have no test for rayon or silk. Hope this helps.

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