Thrift Store Day

I'm not really one to brag about the things I buy, but today the sheer mass and diversity of items I bought for such a small amount of money was pretty overwhelming. 6 stops, 16 items, about $55 spent and almost none of it was crap.

And now I will list it all because it's an impressive list.

Location 1: Rescue Mission, Arcata
One hat: $1. It is black and knit, and will keep my head warm.
One skirt: $2. Purple and flowery. I don't wear a lot of skirts, but if I have more I will. (I have the same logic with cardigans...I only had two cardigans until today. I don't want to wear the same cardigan every day...)

Location 2: Clothing Dock, Arcata
One blue dress: $24. This dress is for recitals. It is the super beautiful, fancy dress I've been looking for all my life (since August). It's dark blue, slinky, and shows off my boobies just enough to not distract people from the music, but if they need to be distracted they will be there. Dark blue is my color. I love it so. I think I should thicken the straps a little, though, just so it looks slightly less slutty up top. Oh yeah, and there's breathing room. It will match both the clarinet and the trumpet. Did I mention it's blue?

Location 3: Recycling Center thrift store, Arcata
Two records: $1. It was meant to be that I obtained those records. The first one is Pete Fountain and the Dukes of Dixie. It just fell into my lap begging for me to take it home. I have a new clarinet student who is really inspired by this guy. The second one is Chuck Mangione, "Feels So Good." I had to get it because Chuck looked so happy embracing his flugelhorn like that. Who could ignore such a musician's tender love for his instrument?

Location 4: St. Vincent de Paul's, Arcata
One black beret: FREE. From the free bin. I, too, can be an artsy beret wearer. Now I will feel like I fit in when I go to jazz shows! Seriously, I wore it all day and felt so cool. When I got home I realized that lice could be living in it. Oops.
One blue purse: $1. Now I have a purse! It matches my blue wallet in the way that they're both blue.

Location 5: Rescue Mission, Eureka
One blue skirt: $2. Again, if I have more skirts, I will wear them more often. This doesn't apply to pants because wearing the same pants three days in a row is much less conspicuous than if you wore the same skirt.
One striped shirt: $1. It's a button down shirt, and it has red in it, and it's striped. I don't usually wear red or striped things, but this was button down and it fit pretty well in the arms which never happens. I figure if I need to not look like a sloppy college kid I can wear that shirt.
One blue cardigan: $3. We thought it might be a man's cardigan because there are only buttons on the bottom. In the end, I decided I didn't care because if there's something cool on my shirt people can see it when the sweater's still buttoned up.
Two sets of records: $2. They are those Time-Life boxed sets of records in the "Story of Great Music" collection. My mom's husband gave me a few of them, and now I have more in my collection--"Prelude to Modern Music" and "The Spanish Style." I love it, I love it!

Location 6: Gross-me-Outlet
Okay, this isn't a thrift store. But my friend needed to buy some groceries. I found things in there I had never seen before.
Two shower curtains: $10. Our other one was ripping up, and these ones had metal reinforcements in the rings. Plus they look way better! They're blue.
Nutella: $3. Okay, I was out of control. I don't think I'd ever seen Nutella that was less than $4.
Some noodles: 50 cents. Noodles are good.

Total spent, about $55. Total items obtained, 16. Average cost of an item today, $3.43. Average cost of an item minus the pretty dress, $2.07.

Success!