NO DINOS LEFT BEHIND.

Again, just doin' my part to save the dinosaurs:


Savers (AMAZING thrift store in Redwood City)- $4 new with tags. Yes I do realize I am not ACTUALLY a little boy but that does not mean I can not steal their sweaters.


And another one that I was absolutely DEVASTATED to leave behind. It was too small, which usually doesn't stop me, but it was like, so small that I didn't even try:


TELETUBBIES.
I know, nightmares for days.

Quick Thrifty Decorating Tips.

So this isn't exactly a post about things I found in a thrift store, although some things in these pictures are. Another thing that I get pretty excited about is thrifty decorating. When I first moved out on my own, I was 19 and working retail, but I really wanted my apartment to be cute. I had to use a lot of creativity and I had to search a lot of places AND I had to learn how to build/paint/alter things. I definitely got stuff over time too, instead of all at once. I don't have pics of my past apartments but I have pictures of my current room; hope you like them:



All of the artwork you see was almost FREE. All of the images came from either the internet, or were scanned from other Alice things I own. The frames were some pretty sad looking frames that were either found in my parents' garage, a thrift store, or the dollar store. I took the glass out of all of them and sprayed them all the same color green. It took about 10 minutes. So I guess the total was about $7 between the paint and the thrift/dollar store.

The Alice bedding (there is a quilt and sheets under there too :D) was on clearance at Disneystore.com. It's actually king size because that's all they had left. I don't care. The polka dot bedding is from Target and the throw pillows are from Ikea. Super cheap. The headboard is one of those "shadowboxes" with cork that allows you to change the display. I'm working on making it a really badass Alice display.






These shelves are real wood- they were my parents', and when they got different shelves, I inherited these. Only I had to paint them myself, and it took about a month. Seriously, between sanding, priming and painting...oh my. It was worth it, you should have seen the sad Ikea shelves I had...I guess what I'm suggesting is that you should steal from your parents.

All of those boxes are from either Ikea or Target, none of them was over $10. And they look so much better than having your stuff out. The TV I've had since 7th grade, so that's pretty thrifty. The paper lamp on the floor was from Ikea. The paper lanterns are from (I think) Cost Plus, I think they were around $6, but I already had the lightbulb fixtures. Some of those Alice things that you can't really see were thrifted too :D







More old frames...Those butterflies are ANCIENT. They're from my grandparents' house. I have had them since I was a kid and I have painted them probably 5 times to match whatever phase my room was going through. I like 'em.

PHONE...HOME.

E.T. LIVES!!!!!



I'm so happy I could just PEE. A couple of weeks ago, Lauren and I saw this, laughed at it, but didn't buy it. Then, the regret and anxiety started to eat away at me and I went back a week later. It was gone. OR SO I THOUGHT. Today, I went back to make a donation, and I looked up, and on top of a high shelf, there he was.

Of course, the question is, what will I do with it? Besides put it in a shrine and WORSHIP it???

PS: It was half-off day, so he was only 75 cents. WIN.

Thrift Horror

CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE: THRIFT HORROR

I can't believe I didn't see this website until recently. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes, and then spewed diet coke at my computer screen. The commentary is really what makes this incredible. ENDLESS entertainment.

my favorites so far:

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

KITTENS! [inspired by kittens]

$4! I've always wanted an ironing board that appeared as if from nowhere! That's the dream! I make a lot of my own t-shirts using iron-on transfers so this was exciting, especially cause our ancient one just broke. What do you guys think? 60's? 70's?

THIS...IS...A SWEATER POST.

SWEATERS!!!


Today's lesson is: hit the kids' sweater rack.





Do you get it? He's the black sheep. Probably my favorite thing I've found ever, because I am the black sheep too. Can we talk about this? Anyway it was a DOLLAR at a thrift store in Livermore, probably 3 years ago though.



Oh oh oh-oh-oh, I'll be loving this sweater foreeeeeeeevvverrr...
They must have JUST put this sweater out when I found it at Goodwill. Because seriously, who would see this and not buy it? I think it was around $4 a couple of years ago.



Who's your favorite? Raph? Don? Leo? Mike?
You know that giant bin they put the baby clothes in at most thrift stores? I dug this out of that. It was also $1, Salvation Army.



My mom got in a really bad bike accident 2 years ago, and when I showed her this sweater, I said "look, it's my mom, and she's trying not to fall off!" I thought it was pretty funny.
I got this one yesterday for $3. It itches so bad that it makes me feel slightly suicidal, but whatever.



I got this one with Lauren last week- see the anchors? It's big and baggy and I don't think it's ever been worn. I think this is my only grown-up sweater. $4


LESSON #2: WE DO NOT PASS UP THINGS WITH DINOSAURS ON THEM. FOR ANY REASON. RESCUE THE DINOS. RAWR.

I have a problem, and it's that I am in denial about the fact that I shouldn't be wearing a boys size 4t sweater. My catchphrase when I'm thrifting is "i'll make it fit! could i make this fit? it'll fit!!" It doesn't fit like a sweater but it's like, a cropped sweater. with 3/4 sleeves. see, I follow trends...got this one for $2 last week.

There's plenty more where that came from.

Oh, and I'm sorry, but you're all just going to have to deal with my cutesy faces and angled photos. I can't deal with self-timers and I like to use my phone because it uploads straight to facebook. It's all for the greater good anyway.

HAPPY POCAHONTAS DAY

Okay guys, I don't know if you'll think this is freaky, but I totally did. I was watching POCAHONTAS last night. I watch Disney movies when I can't sleep. And when I can sleep. And when I'm happy. And when I'm sad, etc. But really, I was watching it. Then, today, I was in the Walnut Creek area for 2 appointments, with 2 hours in between to kill. Sooooo I went speed thrifting. First, I went to that thrift store that's by DVC in Pleasant Hill. And I saw this:


THAT'S A POCAHONTAS VEST. I could not believe my eyes! Not just Pocahontas, but her friend Nakoma too! And then I almost didn't buy it because it's HUGE. Like a 3XL or something. It's hand made though. But I knew if I didn't buy it, I'd just live with regret forever, and I'd feel the same way as I do about not buying the ET toothbrush holder I saw last week. I can probably alter this somehow. It was half off- $1.50.

So, I thought that was a fun coincidence, but then I went to the Animal Rescue Foundation Thrift Store in Concord, and I GOT THIS:

A POCAHONTAS SWEATSHIRT! I don't know about you guys, but I never see Pocahontas things in thrift stores, and today I found 2 right after watching the movie. I LOVE POCAHONTAS. This was a great day. $2


THEN, on my way out, I found a whole table full of these Disney cups:

I got Sebastian because I had/will soon again have a Little Mermaid bathroom to put him in. There were so many others! John Smith, Mulan, Esmeralda...I wanted to get all of them. But seriously, they were really scary looking. And at least I know I'll use Sebastian. $1