Monday, October 30, 2006

SunThrift Finds

We went to SunThrift and then the park this evening. I like to pick things up there that I either use for my kids or sell on eBay. Sometimes there's nothing much, but sometimes I totally score. Today was one of those days-- I found a drop-dead gorgeous dress for Ems! I wish I knew where the camera was so I could post a picture. It is just the most precious dress I've ever bought. It's obviously hand-made, and it's the kind of thing people sell for $60 on eBay-- a navy blue dress, hand-smocked with little red birds sitting on green vines, a gathered waist and finished sash in the back, with red rick-rack trim on the cuffs and collar and buttons and thread perfectly color-matched to the fabric. It's impeccably finished and made, looks brand-new, and it cost me all of $2.99. $2.99! Score! It actually probably wouldn't fit her if she wasn't so skinny, but that's okay. She is, so it does. :) We tend to get a lot of wear out of dresses, since as long as I get longer dresses, not "knee-length", and they have short sleeves, they can wear them for about a size longer than their shirts (at which point they really do usually hit the knee.) I've decided that this will be her Thanksgiving dress this year, and she can probably wear it for about another month and a half before she outgrows it. The best part is that cute as it will be on her, it will look even better on our blue-eyed and fair-skinned Bridey when she grows into it (like me, navy blue is one of her best colors. Emma doesn't have any bad colors, everything looks good on her, but she doesn't look quite as special in navy blue as Bridget does.)

I also found a totally adorable little romper for Bridget, with The Very Hungry Caterpillar and some of the foods he ate on it. Carter's, looks like it was worn about once, and this was also $2.99. It's probably intended for boys, but I really don't care. And it's got a background of navy blue and royal blue stripes, so as I mentioned above, Bridey is going to look GORGEOUS in it.

I usually try to limit myself to things that are half off that day if I can (they have different tag colors and every day they choose two tag colors and make them 50% off, they have a big sign where they display what the colors are that day, it makes it like a treasure hunt, lots of fun!) However, when you find things this good, you buy them, whether they're on sale or not. The price is still totally more than reasonable, and they'll be gone if you wait on them. Part of the thrill of thrift-store shopping is deciding what is worth buying, what you'll buy if you come back and it's still there and is a better price, and what is not worth what they're asking for it. I totally excel at this, and it's a way for me to feed my shopping habit without putting us into more debt than we've already got (we're trying to pay it off, not dig the hole deeper!) So I'm glad we live within walking distance to SunThrift, which is just about the coolest thrift store EVER. (I do draw the line at buying clothes for me. I do not need more clothes. I got some nursing dresses this year, but other than new nylons once in a while, and those, that's it. Okay, and an "I PUT KETCHUP ON MY KETCHUP" t-shirt, but that was, like, made for me. And I got some new maternity clothes last winter but that was because I was outgrowing the ones I'd used my first pregnancy. I won't buy any more clothes for myself. Unless I really really really can't live without them. I won't! Really! ;) )

9 comments:

Amy A. said...

I just love a good deal, too. And, I've never met a ketchup I didn't like, either. :)

Millie said...

SCORE! I need to live close by you, so you can teach me how to do this. I don't go thrift-shopping enough to know a good deal when I find one. :) Good for you.

Unknown said...

That's AWESOME! I always love finding great deals!

I linked over here from TMM (above) becuase the name intrigued me. To live in a ketsup bottle? I'll stay tuned...

Anne/kq said...

lol! Amber, if you read the introduction post (my first), you may "get" the name. ;)

Millie, if you ever come out to visit, I will totally take you to SunThrift and show you the ropes. :D

Mean Mommy said...

I'm sooo jealous. I wish we had a good thrift store.

Anonymous said...

Now I'm thinking I'm a bad mom because I've never bought my children Thanksgiving outfits. *sigh* I had no idea I was supposed to be doing this.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and congratulations on your finds. I love deals!

Lana said...

Yeah! I love getting good deals!

Anne/kq said...

frogeyesalad, it's a tradition in my family for girls to get a special dress that is worn first on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter each year (and thereafter as a church/special occasion dress.) (Sometimes the Thanksgiving outfit isn't a dress but a very dressy pantsuit, which is not worn to church but saved for other dressier occasions, like birthday parties and such. Boys get a new shirt, and one pair of slacks for Thanksgiving and Christmas, one pair for Easter. But let's face it, boys don't care so much.) It's not something everyone does, but in my childhood it was special, so I'm perpetuating it. :) Also, it's an excuse to shop (although it doesn't have to be new, just new to our family. So it can be from the thrift store or a hand-me-down or a gift, as long as it's not worn before the special day.)