Boots are MINE but I just realized the table and chair are for sale on Craigslist!
Jane and I went "Goodwill Hunting." Jane's quite the stylin' chick and frankly my criteria for "wearable" has boiled down to "clean" and "not visibly ripped" so I knew I couldn't do a post about anything related to fashion by myself. Jane told be that for fun, she and her 13 year-old daughter pick one outfit out of Teen Vogue and go "goodwill hunting" for something similar. I thought this was brilliant so Jane offered to put together a list of fashions she thought were a "must" for the season and go shopping with me. 

To Jane's surprise, we did not go to the actual "Goodwill". For those of you who aren't thrift-shoppers , hold onto your seat and try not to spit coffee out of your nose; the Goodwill is expensive. Last I checked, jeans were around $9, sweaters could bounce up to $13 or $15. These are basically Old Navy prices. The place I like to go average half as much, and often has half-price sales. Unfortunately, it will have to remain my little secret because my dear friend Maggie took me there and made me swear not to share. 

Jane''s list was forgotten by the time we got there but what was remarkable was that we found almost everything she had written down. The #1 thing she said a person needed to have were a good pair of boots (not on the list) and I found them right away! To be honest - they were $19.99 but I told the cashier I was a senior citizen (as if!) and she gave me half off.

Jane was particularly excited about bomber hats and she told me that belted sweaters were the way to go this fall. I found lots of stuff myself and I'm particularly happy about what looks like the world's first electric typewriter. The kids have amused themselves endlessly with it this week and it turns out that vintage typewriters are pretty hot right now.

On a personal note, if you think thrift shopping is gross, I think that's great. We nifty-thirfters don't need any competition and if you can afford to buy new clothes (preferably at a local store) the economy needs your support. I have been on on both sides of the train tracks; in 2002 I would never have bought my clothes at a thrift store and if I did I would have been embarrassed. I made oodles of money and I bought hundred dollar jackets at Oilily for my two-year old son. The 2009 Stacey thinks the 2002 Stacey is ridiculous but I also realize that we go through stages and passages of life at our own speed. In fact I believe that if you can afford to buy "new," you should. But I implore to focus your spending on local shops and local resources and avoid big-box and chain store shopping unless it's a financial necessity. 

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