Another Late Post: Black Friday Thrifting

I meant to post this well over two months ago, but things tend to happen, like Christmas.  Oh well.

Epic Thrift had another bag sale on Black Friday that I just had to check out.  This makes for the third bag sale I’ve gone to of theirs (see It's in the Bag! and Bagging it on Black Friday).

Behold!  The contents of my bag.  Looks pretty good right?

Here are few of my favorite items.

On the top left is a tarnished silver tray of some sort, I’m sure it will look great cleaned up. 

The top right is a small glass box, possibly for jewelry or candy.  The other three items are another little box and a couple of tiny vases.  The blue one looks like a smaller version of one I got years ago at a yard sale.

It’s hard to go to a thrift store and not find decent dishware.  I found two different sets of plates, plain white and a set with simple blue flowers. 

I also found a bowl.  I like bowls like this.  Good size, simple and cute design, easy to wash, and microwave safe. 

And a I got this cute mug, perfect for my tea.  I prefer drinking from a mug instead of a tea cup since they hold more and are less fragile but still pretty.  At least the mugs I use are pretty.

Now for clothes.  I thought these two blouses would be perfect to go with all my the dresses and skirts I make.  The one on the right has embroidered eyelets all over it and the one on the left is covered with pretty lace and other details.

I know it’s wintery and cold out, but you have to ignore the season sometimes to get a good deal on clothes.   Especially when it comes to these two tanks tops. 

The black one will be great and super comfy for next summer but the blue is actually good now.  It has pretty lace and ruffles and it looks great worn over long sleeve tops.

Long sleeved such as these knits.  The white sweater on the left I actually have already worn with that blue top.  They are perfect together. 

The pink cardigan I am not sure about though.  It is cute and I love cable knit sweaters, but it’s made with rabbit hair.  Not sure how I feel about that.

So many cute tops and sweaters, just need a couple of cute skirts to go with them.  Both of them are black and ruffly, though the one on the left is super ruffly.

Here are some more casual looking clothes.  Just a few t-shirts, several pairs of shorts because I needed more, and a few tanks tops including some pink ones.  It’s a good idea to stock up on things like this at bag sales since they take very little space in the bag and you always seem to need more.

Now the last few pieces.  On the left is a cute night gown covered with bunnies and other little animals, also a pair of pink Mickey Mouse pajama pants.  Yay! Cute comfy sleepwear.

On the right is a Hello Kitty make up bag and a Sanrio pocket planner.  I actually didn’t know it was a planner when I found it.  I just thought it was cute and could slip easily in the side of my bag. 

On the top right is a lunch bag.  That’s right, it’s a lunch bag though it would make a cute purse.  It has polka dots and has a cupcake shaped pocket on the side.  The main reason I got it was to shove other stuff in it.  I thought that if I rolled up t-shirts and stuff really tightly and crammed them in it, then the lunch bag could help keep them squashed down and take up less space in my bag.  Makes sense right?

Some to tally it up:

• 4 pairs of shorts
• 3 t-shirts
• 2 blouses
• 3 tank tops
• 2 dressy tank tops
• 2 sweaters
• 1 pair pajama pants
• 1 night gown
• 1 mug
• 1 bowl
• 2 jewelry boxes
• 2 small vases
• 1 platter
• 2 cute bags
• 6 plates
• 7 knives
• 1 cute day planner
• 1 small blanket
• 1 sheet
• 1 framed art print

44 items total, valued at over $120 at thrift store prices, and again it only cost me $20.  Pretty good haul.

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It’s In the Bag!

 

This past weekend I stopped by the last day of Epic Thrift’s Back to School Bag Sale.  I really didn’t want to miss it because of how great the last bag sale was (see Bagging It on Black Friday).  I wanted to show off share what I scored at the sale. I’m afraid the pictures were taken as soon as I got back from work that evening.  Bad lighting ahead.

I found a pair of Julius the monkey pajama pants as well as some nice pillowcases.  Perfect for bedtime, or possibly to cut up for sewing other things.  I saw a pair of Hello Kitty pajama pants too, but they were too big.  It’s hard to see at the bottom of the photo, but I also found a pair of long white gloves.  They were easy to fit in the bag and I thought they might come in handy.  I also got a white curtain that I thought was a sheet until I saw the loops for a rod.  It will still work, I can either use it for sewing or for taking pictures. 

The blue dress on the left is actually made of terry cloth, as in towels.  I thought it was really cute and comfy, plus it would be perfect after swimming.  The other blue dress I kind of took a chance on, it may or may not work for me.  That’s one of the good things about bag sales, you can squeeze in extra items you may not normally consider otherwise. 

And yes, that is a Barbie movie.  Barbie’s The Princess and The Pauper, I actually like it.  It’s really funny, especially the bloopers at the end.  Remember, all Barbie movies have bloopers you don’t want to miss.  Plus, remember to check out movies from the library for free before buying.  That way if you hate them you didn’t waste any money.

Three pink tops, can you tell I like pink?  Two of them are polo shirts, I guess there is something about a pink polo.  It just looks so cute, on men as well as women too.  Of course that a completely different topic. 

It’s hard to see the black skirt, but it’s a short A-line skirt and simple but super cute.  I’ve already worn it, it works with practically everything and is really comfortable.  Can you tell I really like this skirt?

The skirt on the right has pretty embroidery on the edge and looks like it’s hand made.  It does remind me of a white and brown skirt I got before at a bag sale.  Sad this about that one is that I haven’t worn it because it doesn’t match anything.

I also took a quick peek at housewares and found three really pretty saucers.  They have gold edging and two of them have English violets painted on them.  I sadly couldn’t find the matching tea cups.  Maybe another time.

Why in the world are black clothes so hard to photograph?  Anyway, from the left is a see through lace top, a sheer black blouse and a black vest with lace on the sides.  Basically three pieces that require me to wear another top underneath for the sake of modesty.  They are also all small things I took a chance on.

Here is a couple of basic tank tops and a really cute red violet sleeve less top.  It has lace, pin tucks and ruffles and it ties in back and on the front.  It look really pretty on me too.  I wore it the other day with the cute A-line black skirt.  Told you it works with everything.

Another black top that wouldn’t photograph well, it’s a nice button down that fits me well.  It actually has nice looking cuffs with cute buttons.  I also got a pair of embroidered napkins and a wallet that looks just like the one I currently have.  At least it has the same design for things like pockets and stuff.  It even has a built in keychain, just like my current wallet which is why I like it.  It’s really handy to have my keys attached to my wallet.

I know it’s still Summer, but I like to plan ahead so I got these pretty long sleeved tops.  They will come in handy when it finally cools down here.  I also got this short sleeved bolero, it’s perfect to use year round.

More trouble with black clothing.  The black velvety dress is so adorable, I would actually wear it now if it weren’t so warm outside.  I also found another pair of black pants for work and a special pair of jeans.  Special because they actually fit me.  I have the most trouble finding jeans that fit me.  They are either perfect everywhere but the waist, or fit the waist perfectly and are baggy everywhere else.

And the best piece.  A coat.  Yes more planning ahead for Winter.  I’ve always had trouble finding cute coats on sale, no matter what the season.  That’s another good thing about bag sales.  It doesn’t matter what the price tag says, it only matters that it fits in the bag.  Of course things fit better in the bag when you know how to roll it.  Rolled up clothing takes up much less space than folded, meaning you can fit more in the bag than usual.  That’s why I could get so much in the bag.

Speaking of which, here are the totals:

• 4 white pillow cases (1 with lace!)
• 2 floral print pillow cases
• 1 white “curtain”
• 1 pair cute pajama pants
• 1 pair long white gloves
• 3 dresses
• 2 skirts
• 3 pink short sleeve tops
• 2 long sleeve tops
• 3 black tops
• 1 vest
• 1 bolero
• 1 small piece wall art
• 1 Barbie DVD
• 2 pretty napkins
• 1 pink wallet
• 1 pair black pants
• 1 pair jeans that actually fit
• 3 sleeve-less tops
• 3 pretty saucers
• 1 cute coat

38 items total for $20 plus sales tax.  A pretty good haul.  Still can’t wait for the next sale.

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Bagging It on Black Friday

Thanksgiving and come and gone, so has another “holiday”.  Black Friday, the craziest shopping day of the year.  Now here’s something totally shocking.  For the first time ever, I actually bothered to go shopping on this day of all days.  I always dreaded the thought of it, I heard too many horror stories.  But I found a sale that I couldn’t pass up.

The Stuff It sale at Epic Thrift store.  You basically get a paper shopping bag from the store, cram a bunch of stuff in it, and as long as it isn’t ripped and the handles still touch, etc. you get the whole thing for one price.  What was that price?

Twenty dollars. Here’s the receipt as proof, I only paid $20 plus sales tax for that bulging bag.  I got a ton of stuff for it, would have cost about $110 normally.  Plus it was so much fun stuffing the bag which was the main reason I went in the first.

Most of what I got was clothing, it’s easy stuff in especially if you roll it very tightly as opposed to folding it up. 

What I got by the numbers:

• 1 pair of shoes
• 4 t-shirts
• 6 tank tops
• 3 skirts
• 2 cardigan sweaters
• 1 knit dress
• 1 pretty vest
• 1 shrug
• 1 belt

For a total of 20 new(ish) items to add to my wardrobe.  Now for some of my favorite pieces.

My sister actually picked out this skirt for me.  It is tiered with lace at each tier and some pretty lace at the hem too.  Of course it is lined, thank goodness.  The best part is the fullness.  I could probably fit a petticoat under it for added poofiness, or just leave it as is for casual days.

When I saw this Hello Kitty t-shirt I lunged at it.  Anyone who knows me knows that I have an almost unhealthy love for just about anything Sanrio.

 

This tank top was just calling out to me.  It’s basically a plain ribbed tank, but the trimming makes so much difference.  Rows of lace and velvety ribbon down the front with ribbon laced up, plus the wide lace at the hem is surprisingly fitting.  I figure that I can used this tank for inspiration as well as for wearing.  

I think it’s important for those who sew clothing to spend time in stores and occasionally make purchases as a way to gleam ideas for designing and embellishing their creations. 

This shrug was just perfect.  It’s so pretty and it will look wonderful with all the tank tops I bought as well as many of my sleeveless dresses.  

Some may think it strange that I bought so many warm weather items since it’s December now.  I believe in planning ahead for things, like seasonal clothing.  If I can save a bundle buying spring clothes in winter, then I am a happier person indeed.  Plus, I live in Arizona, so much spring/summer clothing can still be worn in colder weather especially when layered appropriately.  Fashion-wise I actually love the look of layers, so there’s another bonus for me.  :)

Now in addition to clothes I got this graphic novel.  It’s Alice in the Country of Hearts.  It is actually very amusing, but I won’t spoil it for you with too many details.

And of course I got a few craft supplies.  A couple of bags with ribbons and random trims and two types of fabric.  The floral one is so pretty and I think I’ll save it for spring.  I think it will be perfect for my next Easter dress.  But knowing me, I might make a dress with it sooner than that.  As for the red plaid, I plan on using it right away.  It will be perfect for a new dress for Christmas and maybe for some extra holiday crafts.  

Speaking of holidays crafts, I have to start cracking at them right away.  I have some interesting ideas for this year that I will talk about later.  Look forward to it. :)

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