Every week can’t be awesome folks. I have a theory that there is thing out there in the universe called Thrift Karma. For every trip where you find a vintage Coach Willis bag, you must suffer a few weeks of finding nothing. It’s how the universe stays balanced.
Therefore, it only makes sense that after I was gifted an amazing haul last week, all I would find to add to my wardrobe this week was this cardigan.
I really love this piece. Orange and green is one of my favorite color combinations, and the label gave me a nice grin.
But my week wasn’t a total dud. A coworker decided to sell his accidentally lavender IKEA sofa on Craigslist for a wee $50. How does one come into possession of a sofa that is lavender against one’s will, you ask? Well…his wife intended to dye the sofa’s cover blue, but was greatly surprised when this came out of the machine:
While I was perfectly content with my old sofa, I had been secretly longing for one in a prettier color. I was happy to take this accident off my coworker’s hands and put out a curb alert on my old green one. 🙂
The ones that got away…
While only one item came home with me this week from the thrift shops, I found a few other items that sparked my curiosity, if not desire. 😉
This retro-fab plug-in fondue pot is something I would have happily snatched up for its $5 price tag. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no cabinet space for it. 🙁 Instead, I just looked at it longingly…imagining the hours of cheesy bready goodness I would be missing out on. :'(
Look closely at this one, friends. That’s a hair dryer THAT PLUGS IN TO YOUR CAR’S LIGHTER THINGY. What the what?!?! If I drove by someone using this WHILE DRIVING, I would report them. Seriously, if you’re so pressed for time that you are styling your hair during your morning commute, perhaps you just need to go in to the office a little later.
For $5, you could also purchase this snuggly fish-shaped body pillow. Because everyone fantasizes about cuddling a tuna, right?
If you look behind him, you’ll see failed Marvel character, Spider Banana! (!!!!!)
I feel like something was lost in translation here. Seriously. How is this a thing?
What wonderful/wonderfully odd things did you find this week? Tell me! 🙂
Oh my! How I love your lavender Ikea sofa!
I’ve been following your blog for at least a year if not two (I don’t remember), and love the idea behind it and your amazing ability. I have no sewing ability, and no patience for thrifting… or so I thought. I’m ending maternity leave and need new clothes to return to work due to weight change, so after banging my head against pristinely polished clothing racks in the box stores, I picked up my youngest from my friend and headed to the Salvation Army thrift store. I’m sure there are others around here, but it was on my way… and I scored! You would love the polyester western-style floral-print snap-front shirt I found (which I am planning on layering). I spent a lot of money ($21) on a lot of clothes, none of which I need to alter — a blessing since I have no skill there — and plan to return on Wednesday when everything is half off. Score!!
In summary — thanks for being an inspiration!!
Spidey-Banana-Man seriously had me in giggles all weekend….reminds me of this blind date that went quickly awry when he said he wanted a “banana-man tattoo.”
Anyhoo! I had a GW bust too, except for this (c.19-I-have-no-idea!) Cast Iron Nutcracker for $2! 🙂 http://pin.it/xmNdso5
That’s no Tuna! That’s a Mahi Mahi!!!
What wonderful/wonderfully odd things did I find this week? I found -you-! (And the tuna. If you’ve never had a “stuffed” tuna steak, you don’t know what you’re missing!)
I also find that when I donate some cool stuff that I haven’t worn in awhile, I ended finding better things next time I go! You’ve gotta give back too 🙂
If Karma Thrifting is real I am doomed for the next few weeks. Yesterday I bought a shoe box full of vintage hand sewn quilt blocks. With scraps and the pattern. For a dollar. Vintage fabric for a dollar. Very excited here!
That’s not a tuna, that’s Mahi aka Dorado aka dolphin or dolphinfish.
You know what is really sad about our thrift stores here in Canada? Can’t get dollar deals or even a t-shirt less than $3 or a blouse for less than $5 ….a few days we might have 50% off but pretty slim pickings by then when stock is low. Makes me want to move down there lol
I’m from the U.K and I love your thrift shop escapades. I’m a big charity shop visitor and Sunday car booter. The only thing is I cannot sew :(. You make some wonderful things.
Pair of Homey Ped sandels in avocado green, hardly worn and in my size for $8 … do you have Homey Ped in the USA? They are for people with wide feet and retail for over $100 here in Australia so I was thrilled. We also got the grooviest 70s style chair and solid wooden and granite top kitchen island … hubby and I scored
I want that fish! I feel sorry for him now. He needs hugs.
I love the lavender couch – you have a one-of-a-kind (well, a one-of-a-colour) piece there!
Love the fish! May have been able to refashioned it into a cute carry all for the beach. After gutting him if course 😉
Say….that’s NOT a bad idea! I may have to go back for him!
The hair dryer is a very old model, but primarily for use by rv’ers and truck drivers. I have driven trucks for 13 years and I have had two of those.
I’m so relieved to hear this. 🙂
LOVE the couch!!! Goes great with your seat covers. Also, I want that Spider Banana thing! O,O Something about it is just so perfect! Everything about this post rocks!
I found a gray dress with teal polka dots from a favorite store, and a matching teal cardigan. Happy to find an outfit for under $20!
I love he new couch. I have the same model, acquired it from a friend as well. absolutely love it, especially that I can machine wash the cover.
I’ve passed a guy who was shaving while driving so I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone blow drying their hair
Wish I lived close enough to come snag your old couch. Have a fake leather one in my craft room and all the clothes and pillows slide off it. I slide off it too!!!!!!!! No thrifts this week, I have a 15 year old in high school wrestling and have been just lucky enough to get clean underwear for everyone!!!! Maybe this weekend.
I have a couple of recyclables I wish I could get to you from Charlotte.
My boys each have a big body pillow sized fish like the one in your picture (but different types of fish) :). They drive me crazy because they are so big and take up too much room, but my boys love them!
I managed to find two pair of jeans with the 1/2 off tag at Goodwill and a great JJill orange tunic 🙂 Orange is my fav color!
I would be tempted to buy the fish body pillow for my fiancé. He works in the mountains (Lake Tahoe) during the week. You know, in case he gets lonely.
Love the sofa, what a great colour. They had a sale at our thrift store today and all woman’s clothing was $1 and children’s clothing was free, we had fun. And spent less than $10 each
Oooh what a great sale day, my brood & I would’ve been in heaven with those prices! Happy thrifting & refashioning to all. I didn’t get to my favorite thrust store last week but instead went shopping in my boxes. So far I’ve taken a red velveteen dress and a bottom of an old blouse I had and made lil girl a new dress (T-shirt dress style), a black full skirt from a prom dress thridted for $3 a while back (hopefully to be worn to a great valentines day date), chopped off the sleeves to a blouse and added a piece of that previous prom dress to the back as a color block piece….and on I go…this blog has re-awoken my inner refashionista and I’ve been non stop for about a month. So fun, so inspirational!
The spider banana looks like she is in love with the dolphin fish. I’ve seen that look on my son. What a great picture. I had a great laugh.
I like your sharing of this week’s “exhibits” at your local thrift store. Maybe I’ll think of my next thrift trip as a museum visit!
No thrifting this week, but went to an independently owned store in my neighborhood and looked through their racks and tried on and bought only items that were both 1) made in the USA and 2) made of natural fibers. I have no issue with buying non-natural fibers if I’m buying used, but I want to encourage stores stocking new clothing to go for the natural fibers. Now, I *am* defining rayon as natural since it’s made of plant (tree) fiber, but I have a nagging feeling that the level of processing might mean I’m a little misguided in including this in under the rubric of “natural.” Thoughts?
Okay, now I’ve watched the documentary called The True Cost, recommended by other readers of your blog a few posts back, and I realize that just plant-based doesn’t really cut it, unless it’s organic and either made in the US (by non-US-sweatshop labor) or by certified fair-trade labor. So now I’ll buy only clothing that is thrifted, upcycled, or organic and either fair trade or US made. I’m still not sure how environmentally friendly any rayon is… more research!
I have so many more camping opps if I had that blow dryer. Thrifting IS representative of the universe. It seems to be too much or too little and yet there is balance. Or as Yoda would say, Balance there is.
I found an oh-so-sweet and soft Curious George stuffed monkey for my daughter; $1.75 opposed to a $15 retail value… Hell yes! 🙂
My only thrift store purchase this week was the first season of Six Feet Under (4 DVD set) for $1. Win!
I love your posts & eagerly skim through my email for them! I thrifted a cool candle snuffer, a sweater for myself (nice color blocking) & 5 cable knit sweaters for a friend that wants to make pillows out of them!
I had a bust thrifting yesterday too, after finding a Prada bag for $4 and getting $1 knocked off that price because of a broken strap last Thursday! I do believe in the thrifting karma! And I love the oddities one often finds. I love the scene in Napoleon Dynamite where he is looking in a thrift shop and finds the oddball dance lesson cassette!
I would so buy that spider banana creature for my dog !! He would go nuts over that !
Your post was hilarious, I love the oddities you find. Love the couch that was the best haul of all.!!!!!
Please share with us what you pair with your new sweater!
I scored a pair of Michael Kors jeans for $6 (nwt) and a really cool pink plain jacket. Love the tuna 🙂
Am I crazy? Green and orange? The cardigan (cute!) looks dark grey and reddish to me…
Last night scored at St Vinnies.(bought several things to “refashion”) The time before I didn’t find anything. It is interesting how that works. Love your new couch
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Wow – I think you may have another case of the black/blue/gold/white dress here – I totally only see red and black, not orange and green!
Me too! Looks red and black.
Great post! I have to admit the spider banana made my day!
I would have bought the fish pillow! The couch is great. I found a couple of great dresses at Savers. MLK 1/2 off clothes! $4 (Ann Taylor) Yay, me! I also bought a size 2 (ummm…not me) satin turquoise prom dress with blue and green sequence at the top. I plan to make a mermaid costume for my little cousin. Can’ wait to get started. She is the cutest thing ever! Jillian, I would LOVE to see you make some big puffy dress up clothes for little girls occasionally. That would be fun!
Love this post! I’ve had my share of dry spells, but the Red Escada coat, La Pavoni espresso machine and Bottega Veneta purse I’ve nabbed, among many other fab things, keep me going. Latest happy find was a cool Nine West pleather cross body bag in new condition for $3. Looonnng strap for my tallness and just roomy enough for my jaunts to Manhattan.
Keep on thrifting and keep up the great job!
Your blog is a great advertisement for your thrift stores! So few of us have access to a good shop with such low prices. Thanks for sharing and inspiring!
Hey, that fish is no ordinary fish! He’s a Dorado, highly prized here in Mexico! Yummy, too.
OMG that sofa is the BOMB.COM! What an amazeballs (see I’ve been reading your blog for a while now!) find and I totally LOVE that color. It could not be MORE perfect for you Jillian, you had good couch karma this week if not great thrift karma this week. It all evens out. Great post today! 🙂
I can’t believe you didn’t get that fish pillow!!!
Spider banana? That’s crazy! Ha ha 😛 I haven’t been to the thrift store this week, but I plan on risking my life at the clearance Goodwill soon! 😀 I didn’t realize those things existed ’til I saw this blog and was so excited to find that I live close to one 🙂 The people that shop there act like wild animals; is what others say ^~^ Yikes! Should be fun!
My sons received two fish body pillows from their great-grandpa a few years back. After a while, they made their way to our local thrift store as a donation. My kids haven’t asked about them since.
Just FYI, the fish is a Dolphin…lol and I also love the sofa!
My kids have a bat-banana… same style banana but its batman… they love it haha. Think it was a show bag prize.
While not good for the car I bet that hairdryer is perfect for an RV.
Sadly, I thrifted nothing this week, but I did borrow some clothes from my daughter. I look a trendy 20 years younger today. Haha!
That cardigan is the bomb diggity.
Aww the fish pillow would of looked fab on you new sofa 😉
I think the hair dryer is to be used in motor homes or when camping, but then I have passed people driving and doing there mascara (ouch waiting to happen) so it wouldn’t surprise me if “blow dry-ve’s” we’re next!
Some of those are just–bizarre! My favorite is the hairdryer and your comments. It was probably from the estate of the woman who I saw putting on eye makeup while driving, after her tragic accident.
Hilarious post!!
I love the sweater great find, but the crock pot is my fav.
Blessings
Catherine
Loved your post.
This week I found a banana republic turtleneck sweater. Fits great. I also found a child’s sweater dress for my daughter. She was thrilled.
I didn’t find anything this week, but I hope to next week when I travel for work: I’ll be within driving distance of my favorite consignment shop! Wish me luck!
Also, I think the new couch shade really makes the lavender in your seat covers “pop”! I love it!
I love the lavender sofa! And the fish pillow is cute in it’s own way.
Car plug-in hair dryer? Great for people who love camping, but who hate skimping on glamour!
Okay. THAT makes sense! 🙂
Car hair dryer — how is this NOT a thing??!! My camping friends would be drooling all over it!
I live in a northern state. I imagine this could have been used to defrost the windshield when car defrosters didn’t work so good.
Thrift Karma makes me sad… 🙁 I missed you not posting yesterday. Maybe since you suffered through a few days, this weekend will bring something extra delightful. 🙂 Although, that couch is the bomb! Hope you have a great Friday!
Don’t worry! You’ll be getting another post for today too! 🙂
I’d be more impressed if the fish came home with you!
You absolutely crack me up! Great blog post this morning!!!