be my (thrifty) valentine...

coach sal is not really impressed with my idea of a "romantic" Valentine's Day gift. I tend to lean towards the practical. I also tend to want time by myself.

So, today I went thrifting all alone (aaahhh...) and spent some "girl time" with my daughter (ie, we went shopping).

I love to thrift. It's a treasure hunt. I'm also nostalgic, so I search for vintage items. I love to come home and google my finds. Knowing the item's history is important to me. Today I found...



Plates...I like vintage dishes and I've been looking for salad-sized plates. I found this set of 6 eight inch salad plates and 7 six inch saucers and a lone sugar bowl top for $4.99. They were labeled "Pickwick: Franciscan WhiteStoneWare". (Labeled= good find!) They were manufactured between 1965 and 1971 and are worth about $5/salad plate and $2/saucer. We live in a 1964 ranch house. These are the type of dishes that once graced my kitchen. I would love to know who owned these dishes and the family meals they've seen.



Blouse...I like to wear peasant style blouses in the spring and summer. This one is a light blue with darker blue detailing, and the label says Yargici, a popular Istanbul, Turkey clothing line/store. Authentic! Cool! And it only cost me $3.79.



Purse...the turquoise-blue color and the unique style caught my "snake eyes", as thrifters call it. I also noticed the imprinted designer name, Matt and Nat Montreal, on the bottom front. Go look at their website- I'm trying to decide if I keep this little gem or sell it on ebay. I paid $3.99 for it.




Christmas buckets...my grandmother had a set of holly/berry drinking glasses that matched these buckets. We only have one of them left. I bought some similar glasses off ebay at Christmas because I missed having them. So when I found these two buckets (they were supposedly used for ice) at a wonderful price of $2.50 FOR BOTH, I was silent screaming! I hate that I have to wait ten months before I can use them.

These were my favorite finds today. I also found some other clothing items (denim Ann Taylor Loft skirt, two pairs of Limited Two pants and a sweater for Mary E, an awesome pair of white denim jeans with tan/light blue detailing, and a pair of capri jeans for summer camp), a Melissa and Doug puzzle, two fun long winter-styled scarves at $1.25 each, and a tiny beaded necklace. I spent a grand total of $38.00.

Then we hit the jackpot at JCPenneys- 75% off all winter clearance! I bought a pair of brown boots; a pair of deep burgundy red boots; and a pair of patent leather wine colored pumps for a total of $30!!! My receipt said I saved $252!

So even though it wasn't a very romantic gift to coach sal, it was to me. I love that he appreciates my ability to shop frugally and allows me time alone to do it.

Happy Valentine's, sweetie...I love you too...

(oh...coach sal received two totally glamorous history books from me...Amity Shlaes' The Forgotten Man and The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe...and a little photo book of us that I made. But that's for another post.)