Short, Sweet and Thrifty

As you can see by my severe lack of posts, I have been enjoying my summer immensely. I'd like to say I'll get better, but quite frankly my fellow nifty thrifty dears, I have been loving my time in the sun!
Especially when this:

is an extremely short bike ride away. Picture taken in the fall, but you get the picture. Peaceful swimming holes and beautiful bike trails galore!
So, I'm going to keep this short and sweet.

Shirt: American Eagle (found at a Snowline Hospice in Placerville) -$3
Jean shorts: Arizona (found at Thrifty Bargain on the Esplanade here in Chico) -$3
Necklace and shoes mentioned in previous posts. :)

Sunglasses: Found at a gas station- $5

Wanted to post another picture, as both sides are different. I honestly think they are homemade, because there were several different pairs and they are all a little different. They at least look homemade. 
Love them!

Celebrating Life & Nifty Thrifty Bargains

It has again been another crazy and eventful (some good, some bad) week! 

I have yet to really blog about anything too personal, but since I have had some recent big things happen in my life so I figured this is the perfect time.  I haven't had too much time to go thrifting lately, but I did find a couple things yesterday at the Salvation Army that I will show you as well...

But first a little glance into the recent life of the self-proclaimed Nifty Thrifty Gal.

First off, Tuesday night of last week I was informed that my grandpa had been given six hours left to live (thankfully it ended up being more so we had enough time to see him). After some drama at work about getting time off to go see him before he passed away, my mom and I headed down to Stockton the next day as soon as we got off work to go see him.  He passed away away a couple hours after we got there, 5 hours before his 72nd birthday- yes we had the same birthday, 50 years apart.

Grandpa with some of his children and grandchildren...

Rest in Paradise Grandpa (June 2 1939- June 1 2011).  We weren't as close as I would have liked, but I am still thankful to have had you in my life, and that I got to be there to see you one more time while you entered into eternal peace. I'm sure you are enjoying heaven, and have all the beer, cute girls, and cheeseburgers that you could ever want. :) Love you.

So, the next day was my birthday and needless to say I was emotionally and physically drained so I didn't do anything. But over the weekend even though I was still a little out of it mentally, my boyfriend and I decided to head down to Sacramento to go to Laughs Unlimited (a comedy club). I have had gift certificates since my last birthday from his parents. It was a great time- there were four comedians and all were hilarious.  A group of people at a table next to us gave us $20 of gift certificates that they had left over (so happy there are still such sweet people left in the world!), so we are definitely going back for more laughs.

On the way back to his parents house he surprised me...

He always knows how to cheer me up :)

So, here I am starting my 22nd year with a big reminder that life is short and I need to make the most out of the time I have here in this beautiful world.  Thank you for listening. :) 

Now onto my recent finds...

There are only a couple because I went to the Salvation Army stores and although it sounds silly their prices are pretty high- especially when you are used to thrifting and going to half off days ;)  

My sweet new shades (50 cents!) !! The top is lined with purple, my favorite color :)

Not such a good picture, but I just liked the way the sun was shining in it. Finally some great weather, Chicoians!

I've been wanting a plant hanger (there is probably a more proper term than that) for so long! $4 :)

Both of these were found at the Salvation Army in the Safeway shopping center on East Ave.

I also checked out Arc (another opportunity to shop for a great cause!) that day, it was the first place we went to and I wasn't quite in the thrifting groove yet and didn't find anything BUT if you are in the market for furniture or a dining set they have a TON! They were on sale at the time for 30% off also, I'm not sure if they still are but I'm guessing so because it looked like they have a lot to get rid of.

Anddd since its officially summer and everyone is out of school, lets start planning that Clothing Swap party! I'm thinking a Saturday or Sunday, probably mid to late day? Let me know what you think! And tell your friends! The more good company (and clothes!) the better!

Just wanted to end with this quote because it's got me through the last week:

"If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors.  All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people."

Well, since tomorrow is Friday, Happy Weekend ya'll! Tomorrow I'm headed to Santa Barbara to watch my great friends graduate from UCSB.  It's going to be a very quick and action packed trip, but if I have any extra time to get to a thrift store, I will share in my next post!

Have a great weekend! xoxo

My Most Recent Thrifting Escapade :)

Sorry friends, I have been seriously slacking on blogging... And I just started.  But I promise I will get better (especially now that its officially summer!) It has been a crazy couple weeks with friends graduating (Congrats Rose!), finals, and extra hours at work.  But, I'm back with some recent finds!

My mom (my thrifting mentor) and I went shopping at a thrift store we hadn't been to before called the Shalom Free Clinic Thrift Store (located at 250 East 1st St, here in Chico).  This place is AMAZING!  First off- we both found a lot of great finds (you'll see here in a second) and we were shopping for a great cause.

The Shalom Free Clinic offers all kinds of FREE services to the public.  This is their mission statement:
 

"To provide under-insured and uninsured children, teens, and adults with health screening, primary care interventions, health service, and education.  This includes physical and mental/behavioral health services.  All services are provided free of charge. We welcome and accept people of all sexual orientations, races, genders, nationalities, ages, economic standings, marital status, mental and/or physical abilities, and family configurations."

Check out the link above to learn more and/or find out how to volunteer! :)

 Now on to the awesome finds... 

 My favorite of all the shoes I found- super cute (I really don't feel like pictures do them justice) and SO comfortable, I can literally wear them ALL day and feel like I'm walking around in tennis shoes probably because they are wedges, and the strap on the front is stretchy material. All of their shoes were $4.

I love these ones too! I have wide feet, and these really elongate them.  Apparantly my poochie Ajax wanted to get in the picture too. ;)

These ones my mom and I bought to share. :)  I love how Spring-y they look, and the low heel makes them very comfortable.  Please don't mind my un-pedicured toes... These shoes will be inspiration to get them lookin good. ;)

I love these T strap 40's-esque heels! Again they are really comfortable with the low heel- but the best part is they make me feel like drinking a glass of wine and listening to Billie Holiday.

This red blazer I purchased for $6.  It's from Nordstrom, and I'm guessing from the shoulder pads I removed that it was purchased in the 80's.   It's a little big on me, so I'm considering getting it tailored if its within my budget... But for now I'm good with rockin it the way it is.  Also pictured: my new heels, and earrings shown in an earlier post purchased from Lou Ellens in Chico.

This light jacket-type-thing was $6 as well. I know its a little funky- my boyfriend says its 80's; I just liked it and thought it would be a fun piece to change up my wardrobe. I posted a closer picture to show some of the stitching details, although I'm not sure if you can tell. Also pictured: the same heels again (sorry I should have switched it up) and earrings shown in an earlier post in Placerville for $1.50.

 And here are some shots of Ajax with his favorite toys purchased at Thrifty Bargain on the Esplanade in Chico.  Above is his favorite (and giant) bear to snuggle up with and below is Pumba- his absolute best friend-he takes him EVERYwhere. Notice how icky and worn out they are due to extreme love and over-use.

So, I hope this blog inspired you to do some thrift store shopping in the future, and if you live in Chico, make sure you check out the Shalom Free Clinic Thrift Store! I have a feeling you won't be disappointed- just leave some of the good stuff for me when I come back! ;) Haha. But really, remember the money they earn from the store helps keep the clinic running, so help out the cause by shopping! Gotta love that ;)

Oh yes, and last but not least thanks to my wonderful boyfriend for being such a great photographer!

My Retrospective Thrifting- Part 2 of 2

I hope you all have had a fabulous weekend! Sorry its been a few days, it was a busy (but fun!) week. 

So, here you go! Make sure you read til the end- I have an important question to ask you!

 I had been wanting to get a dish set like this from Target- they are usually somewhere around $60, from what I've seen. I got my set (one place setting shown above) for $8 at Thrifty Bargain on the Esplanade. Also- bamboo place mat shown- found at the dollar tree! I bought 4 :)

 I don't know why, I just loved these goblets.  I don't remember how much they were but I remember there was a glassware sale where I bought them at the Snowline Hospice in Placerville.

 Some random cook books purchased by either my mom or me at thrift stores or yard sales.

 These are vintage Italian pumps I got at a small thrift store behind Big Al's in Chico. I haven't been there in a while- I really need to go back- but I believe it is called Lou Ellens.  A lady runs it out of her house.  She sells mostly vintage items that she finds, and it is slightly more expensive then your average thrift store- but really, only slightly. I honestly don't remember how much these were but I believe $10 or under. Scuff marks on the toe were made by me on a girls night out.

 Felt a little weird posting this picture, but I wanted to show you the shoe rack I bought for $1.50 last weekend. The one on the left.

 This vintage long flowy skirt was purchased at Lou Ellens for $8.  She had a huge rack of skirts like this and it fits so nicely- the picture doesn't do it justice.

Since I only have a tape player in my car I like to get cassettes when I find them- usually $.50. Not pictured: Salt n Peppa, Ace of Bace & Fleetwood Mac.

 My boyfriends favorite thing to do at thrift stores is rummage through all the records.  He has a

record player, but one of the other reasons he likes to collect records is to frame the cool covers he finds.

I know I have found a lot more books than this, but here are some... Memoirs of a Geisha, The Vagina Monologues, He's Just Not That Into You (seriously one of the smartest books ever), White Oleander, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, The Other Bolyn Girl, Blink, and The Hazing. Random fact about the last one- I was at a thrift store and the name caught my attention, I turned to the first page and it was a 911 call from a frat house that had taken place in Chico, exactly 10 years before to the day that I was reading it. Weird right?

 Books that my boyfriend has found- The Shining, Murder Most Irish, The DaVinci Code, Jurassic Park, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six and The Hobbit.

 A wine rack purchased by my mom. I want to say she got it for $3 at the Thrifty Bargain.

 Some of my favorite wine bottles :)

 Hangers-$.50- Never purchase them anywhere else again!

 We love to collect games- can you tell? Each were under $1.50

We just bought Clue- The Simpsons version. It's practically brand new! The "weapons" include a poisoned donut, slingshot and a saxophone- Locations include Nuclear Power Plant, the Simpson house, Kwik-E-Mart, and Burn's Manor.

Bop it- 50 cents! Thanks to the Provine sisters for getting me addicted and inspiring this purchase!

 Nintendo 64- $6.  So excited about- Scott says getting the controllers for it shouldn't be hard.

Eureka vacuum, like new when we got it- $15. Good vacuums can be extremely pricey- and this one works really well. We found it at a yard sale a while back.

This week I am going to try to go to as many yard sales and thrift stores as possible. I have a long list of thrift stores in Chico I have never checked out- so my plan is to do just that so I can tell you which ones I thought had the best finds and the best prices.

Also I have a question for you all. Over the weekend a friend of mine was having a Clothing Swap party- I really wanted to go but I ended up having a reallyyy late night with some friends I never get to see the night before, and I missed it.  So, I was thinking of possibly having one myself- inviting some friends over for some food (and possibly/probably drinks), where everyone can bring whatever clothes they are wanting to get rid of and have a big clothing swap.  Would any Nifty Thrifty Gals like to participate? If you do, leave a comment and when would work best for you- Weekends, during the week, nights, days?

Well, thanks for reading! I hope you all have a great week. :)

My Retrospective Thrifting- Part 1 of 2

So, I showed my mom this blog when we celebrated Mother's Day on Monday, and she lovingly pointed out something that I hadn't thought about before (aren't moms good at that?)... My boyfriend and I have very, lets say funky tastes.  A lot of the things we get from thrift stores are kind of weird- but that's why we always are so satisfied with what we come home with.  We always find very one-of-a-kind items, but the kind of things probably only we would really enjoy.  That's the whole point of a thrift store right? One person's trash is another person's treasure.  So, as you look through these pictures of our interesting purchases, keep in mind that just as we have found things that only we may enjoy; you can do the same! There are a few things I couldn't get pictured- like a chair I need to shampoo and vacuum, and a shirt that I wore today, but I will get on it.

Which leads me to another important point- I know that a lot of people out there probably get a little freaked out about the germs, and the fact that things are previously owned at a thrift store. There are definitely times that I get a little weirded out- my boyfriend is usually right there to tell me to stop being a baby. Thanks babe!  ;) But a lot of the things are easily cleaned or can be disinfected.  Any furniture I get I take to a car wash where I can vacuum and shampoo whatever it may be.  They even offer different fragrances! Anyways, I just wanted to throw that out there.

Here are most of my purchases taken throughout Chico, Placerville and South Lake Tahoe. I will do my best to tell you where I got them, and how much they were. Enjoy!

This HP printer we actually purchased at a friend's yard sale for $3 and it works perfectly!

This chair was purchased at a local thrift store by my mom(probably at Thrifty Bargain on the Esplanade, one of our favorites in Chico), I'm not sure for how much, but I know it was cheap.  My mom's newest obsession is finding unique chairs from Thrift Stores- she plans on reupholstering them.  I will post some of her great finds at a later date. :)

 We are going for a ocean/beach theme for our bathroom, so imagine our surprise when we came across this little homemade picture frame! I have to add that before this particular shopping trip, my boyfriend and I had gone wine-tasting... That probably explains a lot ;) We got this for $3.50.

 

This candle holder was another purchase at our friends yard sale- $2.

 This candle holder we found at our absolute favorite thrift store (One of the many Snowline Hospices) which is in Camino (near Placerville), for $5- but it was half-off day (gotta love that!), so we got it for $2.50.

This is just a picture of random jewelery I have found at different thrift stores. We just moved, and I know I'm missing some.  One of my favorite things to do is collect broaches, but for some reason I could only find one of them. I hope the rest turn up :( The necklace and the long blue earrings (which I believe are homemade, made with blue beads and porcupine quills) I got this weekend in Placerville- the necklace was $4, and the earrings were $1.50- again it was half off day!

 This lamp we purchased at a Snowline Hospice thrift store in Placerville. We loved the design- but we plan on having some fun with it and painting it black and red. I don't remember how much it was, but again I'm sure it was cheap.

This is probably my favorite things we have ever purchased- as of yet! We got it this weekend in Placerville- you could choose whatever one item of your total purchase to be half off, so as this was our most expensive thing we chose it.  Originally $12, we got it for $6.  I love how early 70's-ish it looks.

We got these throw pillows this weekend as well. I'm sure this is one of those items that would bother people to get at the thrift store- we definitely disinfected the s*&$ out of them.  We got both of them for $9- and I think we all know how expensive throw pillows can be! I think at a store these could have easily been $12-$15 each, and they look brand new.

 I really wanted this guy because he reminds me of a lot of things my mom has given me over the years that she purchased in the late 70's, early 80's. Just thought he was neat- I'm not sure how much it was.

Purse- $2. Need I say more?

 We found these ship bookends at a thrift store a while back (again, one of the hospices in Placerville), I believe they were $5.

 Over the weekend a friend of ours (Shout out to the Garners!) told us to surprise him with one of our thrift store finds- $5 max, which is more than enough for thrift store shopping.  Since he's a sports addict, we found him this old Michael Jordan Wheaties box- unopened- expiration date November 1994 in a vintage section of one of the stores we went to.

 

These are another one of my favorite purchases- we found these in South Lake Tahoe (I can't remember the name of the thrift store) for a total of $4! I love the vintage feel they give to our kitchen- which is also where I hung the mushrooms I posted above.

 I love this guy! This jazz musician holds my bottles of wine so nicely- and I love all of the detail, especially the piano keys and music symbols along the bottom. I believe he was around $4.50.

 This Scottish fella holds Scotch (as you can see)- his head comes off with a cork- seal.  He was $3.50.

 We found this this last weekend- my boyfriend checked each bottle to make sure everything was still good, and it was.  Its sure to come in very handy- and it was just $3.

 These salt and pepper shakers go perfectly with our vintage (as well as green and yellow) theme we have goin on in our kitchen right now. They were $1 each.

So, I need to stop right there as its getting late and I don't want this post to be much too long (although it probably already is- I apologize). I have plenty more great things to show you- including some vintage Italian pumps and a vintage flowy skirt (sooo cute) that I found right here in Chico, as well as more household items, and some things my boyfriend has found as well so you can convince the men in your lives to accompany you on these shopping trips ;)

I hope you enjoyed this post, and don't forget to tell me about some of your great finds!