Thrift store finds

It's no secret that I have a black belt in shopping. Or, rather, about 30 belts in an array of colors and styles that qualify me as a Serious Shopper.

Some days, I know exactly what I need/want, and go into the desired store on a mission. Other days, my quest is less defined and I just want to hunt. I love to just wander around a store, the junkier the better, and scour for things. This is most easily accomplished at a miscellaneous store like a Marshall's, T.J. Maxx, or Ross. If I'm down, I like to hunt (and buy) things to make myself feel better. (I know this is bad and I have an entire post where I explore my comfort shopping but haven't yet had the nerve to post it.) It's a little insane but I like projects, goals, missions. I thrive on setting a goal for myself and completing it. (Usually full throttle at the expense of everything else, but that’s also a topic for another day.)

It should come as no surprise that I love thrift stores. If I could find a big enough one I’d probably spend hours there. As it is, the small one I frequent routinely consumes at least an hour of my time. As far as I can tell, there are virtually no thrift stores in D.C. proper. (Meaning the roughly 60 square miles that make up the nation’s capital. Nothing against the rest of the metro region, I just would really like more metro-accessible thrift stores with a D.C. address.) While I continue to hunt for other options, right now I’m perfectly content with the Opportunity Shop run by the National Cathedral. It’s small and can get busy, but it’s run by nice volunteers, is clean and well-organized, and always provides me with several things to take home.

It had been more than a month since my last visit so I took a trip on Saturday. I really do just love the thrill of a thrift store. I like looking at all the things, whether I need them or not, and searching for something good. It's especially thrilling when they have exactly what you were looking for. I had plans to finally buy a wine rack after the store, but instead found this perfectly lovely one there for $5. (Please note the fresh apples and avocados in the corner from a food-based grocery store trip.)

They have a good-sized book selection and I almost yelled when I found the the third memoir in the series of memoirs I’m currently reading for $1. (I had the second one half-read in my purse.) Also, a book recommended to me by one of my officemates just the day before. Fate! The shopping gods were on my side!

And let's not forget the clothes, my favorite thing to shop for. Since this one is in a fairly nice part of D.C., there is a good amount of higher quality clothing and goods. This time I got a potentially fancy shirt, a t shirt, and a dress to use as a swim cover-up, all for $12. (The "fancy shirt" is only "potentially fancy" depending on how good I am at altering it. I like to buy things that don’t fit and make them fit, either with sewing or belting or knotting, though my eyes are quite often bigger than my skills and I end up leaving them in my “to mend” pile or donating them again a year later.)

And that's it for that trip. I was a bit limited by only having $20 in cash, which just gives me more reason to go back soon.