The One That Got Away

I got up this morning and did what I hadn't planned.  The plan was to sleep late, then get up and dressed and out to find some household items that I really need because I can't find them.  Things like garbage cans, plungers, tp holders.  What I did was get up early, take my son to school for ACT Prep class and go back home for a couple of hours before I had to pick him up again.  
I had an item that I sold about a week ago that I needed to get in the mail because, well, it's been a week.  I needed a box, and with all the packing and unpacking, I didn't have anything small enough for this.  I found out that a mac and cheese box was perfect, so I dumped one out and since I dumped it out, I figured that I may as well cook it.  Being the creative type (?!), I decided to add a little "umph" and try to pass it off to my kids as homemade.  I added some Swiss cheese and extra milk and thought I might succeed until I saw this:

Way to blow my cover!

Next!  

So I picked the kid up, and took him to his next stop, which was a soccer game.  He had to get there early, so I dropped him off and went off in search of...wait for it...a thrift store, resale or consignment shop.  Of course I did!  I had a good reason too because in addition to all the missing household items, I really need dressers.  I'm overrun with clothes and when I moved out of my house a year ago, I gave my bedroom set away.  My daughter's room had built-ins so she never had one.  Now you have two women with way too many clothes and nothing to put them in.  The situation is desperate. A quick Google search yielded two within a mile of where I was, so off I went.  

First stop:  A thing of beauty!

The front of the store was housewares and furniture, but it was pretty lean.  In the back of the store was the "boutique" and it was huge.  I was being very "picky" and committed to restraint since I really only came here for furniture.   Everything I picked up was a "maybe" until I saw this Talbot's sweater that I knew my daughter would love:

Even if she didn't, I did, and that was close enough.

I actually found this sweater when I walked away from my cart.  When I went back for it, I couldn't find it, so I got another one and put this, and several other tops into my cart.  I figured the other one was nabbed my either someone who appreciated my good taste, or an over zealous store volunteer.  Either way, it seemed to have vanished.  Not to worry, there were just a couple of glasses and a red suit that I'd pretty much decided not to buy.  I was happy with my new basket and started finding a lot of cute things, like the aforementioned tops.  I decided, in the interest of showing the also aforementioned restraint, that I would try on the things I'd picked up for myself.  I NEVER try anything on in the thrift store.  If it doesn't fit, I just give it to someone else.  BUT, I just moved and really need to watch my budget.  If it didn't fit, that would be a great way to pare down the pile.  Somehow, before I got around to going into the fitting room, I walked away from cart #2.  When I went looking for it, it wasn't there.  Not that I had any idea where "there" was.  Nabbed again!  I was starting to get a little annoyed.  I mean, if you want my expertise, just ask me.  Don't steal my cart!  Well guess what?  While I was looking for cart #2, I found cart #1!  I looked and looked for #2, but I never found it.  The Talbot's sweater was gone and it never came back. 

Next stop, another little resale shop that would have been right next door to this one, except that little car lot was in between them.  As soon as I stepped inside I heard "GOOD MORNING!" in a nice Indiana twangy drawl.  The proprieter was sitting right at the door at a little table with a register on top.  I also think there was a gun under there somewhere.  It was an interesting mix of a few bags, a few items of clothing, about 10 pieces of furniture and assorted other random things.  No rhyme or reason to it at all.  But---who needs rhyme or reason when you can have random?  Yep, I can pretty much go with the flow, whatever's flowing.  Today, my flow netted this bag for just $8.  Nearly new I'd say:

The owner was a really nice guy, and he was listening to classic rock, which made him cool too.  The Stones were playing when I left: "You Can't Always Get What You Want".  Truer words were never spoken.  I wanted a dresser.  But I needed that purse.  

I got back to the soccer field just as the game ended.  Bad Mom, Good Shopper.  I parked my car and for some reason, looked back across the street before I made my way to the field.  There was a consignment shop RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.  How did I miss that?  How did the GPS miss it?  Well anyway, I'm on a resale/thrift/garage sale budget, not a consignment store budget. But since my son ended up not going home with me, but with a friend, I figured I had to  may as well check it out.  It was priced way too high for me today, but it was lovely:

One of these days, I'll be waking up to go to work and work will look like this. 

Glass mortar and pestle.  I love glass.  This is totally impractical, but if it had been under 20 bucks, I would have brought it home. 

Later on, after a pit stop at home, I took a quick trip to Savers.  This is usually a great place for housewares.  I needed a few more pots, some curtain rods, and maybe a picture frame or two.  I parked next to someone who obviously loves paint as much as I do.  Why spend money on custom wheel covers when you can do this?

Spray Paint!  A woman after my own heart.  At first I thought it was pretty cheesy, but then I remembered that from a woman who paints her shoes, I had no room to talk.  She even had embroidered butterflies on her seat covers to match the wheels.  (What's that you say?  Oh no, I wasn't being nosy, just observant.)

I didn't find much at Savers, but I made the mistake of taking my nephew with me, who has decided that thrift stores are cool.  He went looking specifically for Levi's, and he found them.  He also found a few other things--shorts, shirts and a baseball cap.  Me?  I found a pot.  

It was a full day, and it wasn't over yet.  I went home to resume my unpacking.  My daughter and I loaded Christmas bins into the garage, put away all the shoes and purses (that are currently here) and found "homes" for lots of things that were lying around.  It was all coming together!  

I never sold my vintage sofa, so I'm figuring out how to make it work in a more modern setting.  

I love these Art Deco lamps found at one of my favorite rummage sales.  

Less than five bucks each. The framed pencil sketch was purchased many years ago for a dollar.  Still one of my favorites, and I'm convinced that I really "have something" here.  It's too beautiful to be just another thrift store find. 

My one new purchase for my short stint as an apartment dweller.  I really wanted to get away from the green and brown, but not so fast.  The budget says, "you better make it work".

Then I discovered yet another two boxes of clothes.  BIG boxes.  Just looking at it makes me tired:

 The good news is, I am actually IN the bed, and I got all of the clothes put away.  One thing I set out to buy today was hangers, and I did.  The closet is full and there are four plastic bins sitting in the corner of my room.  I never did get that dresser.