Julie Barrett is a freelance writer and photographer based in Plano, TX.

Thrift Shop Fun

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Tuesday, June 15, 2010


When the going get tough, the tough go shopping. I'm not into designer clothing or shopping as an Olympic sport, but I love to shop at thrift stores. I love vintage clothing, but don't want to pay an arm and a leg. Oh, and I just love velvet. Thrift store shopping is also an idea-generator of sorts. It's fun to look at some objects and wonder about who might have owned them. Looking at characters from another angle, if you will.

Clearly I was not going to get any work done today. I didn't get to sleep until nearly 6:00 this morning and the alarm went off at 7. I would have just turned the alarm off, but a power glitch reset Paul's alarm clock lat night. It was either wake him up and watch him fumble with his clock and not get back to sleep or keep my alarm on. One of us not sleeping was plenty, thank you. On top of everything else the lack of sleep and allergies had me stressed out to the point where I was seriously considering taking out some of my frustrations in a very unproductive way.

So I went shopping.

I hit the first thrift store, and it was packed. I've rarely seen it so busy. I didn't see much that piqued my interest, but as I took one last swing through the electronics I noticed that they'd just put out one of those full-spectrum floor lamps. There was no bulb, but the lamp was $4. Paul found a bulb on Amazon for less than $10 tonight. Chris and I stopped by Hobby Lobby to look for a bulb, and saw a similar lamp for $189,.

So, with a new sewing light, I needed a project. I wanted something Steampunk. Right now I don't have the time, inclination, or budget to sew something from scratch, so I decided to try another thrift store and see if I could find something that might work. Success! I found a strapless evening gown that had a skirt with a bit of a bustle. I'll cut most of the bodice off and make a new waistline, use some leftover velvet to make a belt, and I'll be almost set. The dress was $4!

For another $4 I found a velvet pea jacket. It won't go with the skirt, but it's in great shape save for one little worn spot that can be covered with an interesting pin. Then I found a couple of pairs of shoes that might go with the skirt. Now all I need is a blouse and an appropriate jacket. I'll probably wait to finish the skirt before I see about the rest.

I think I got some pretty good bang for my buck today. Best of all, by the time I got home I'd figured out a way to deal with one issue that was a major contributor to some of my frustrations. Pretty cheap therapy, I'd say.

Now I'm drugged up (allergies again) and ready to go read.

Tags: Life

Filed under: Life            

 

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