Santa’s elves shop at thrift stores too

In the December 6th post, Little Pie’s three sweet wishes, I wrote of our experience taking our youngest daughter to meet up with Santa. At eight years old, Little Pie is a solid believer. You may recall, our family has a standing agreement that we wish for three items, anything more might appear greedy and greedy children are not good children. For at least a week out, Little Pie had her list on the straight and narrow: 1) a monocular, “like the sea captains of old used;” 2) a big plush tiger to cuddle; and 3) money from around the world. We were set and I had all my plans in order.

The monocular above I ordered from Ebay. I found a wooden box at the thrift store for $1 and had reindeer moss for filler to spare. In the previous post, I mentioned my elfish notions on North Pole gift presentation. Simplicity is critical. If you need help to think like an elf to make the magic, I recommend and elf’s diet which is mainly cupcakes and coffee. During the holidays I figure eating sweet helps make you sweet and the coffee, well, to stay awake. Achieving a full belief system of magic requires a lot of skill so best to be alert.

I could not afford the full sliding brass monocular as typical with what we think Captain Ahab might have used. But, this monocular is old. It’s not from 1891, but old enough. I love how my daughter asked for something vintage and has a notion that Santa also gives vintage or shall we say “reused” items. Yes Virginia, Santa is indeed green and cares very much about the state of our planet and is saddened by waste.

I’ve often found old objects carry more magic and evoke more curiosity. Ever noticed how when children draw bathtubs, they are often claw foot tubs? Yet, most homes do not have a claw foot tub. Ours does and if you like the luxury of a hot bath, you should ask for an old iron claw foot tub for the holidays, if your stacked with money get a copper one.

The plush tiger. I found him at Goodwill for $4. He is in like new condition and passed a cuddle test. A quick wash, not in our claw foot, put him right and ready to meet Little Pie on Christmas morning. Many of the plush toys at thrift stores are in excellent condition. The average American child receives more plush toys than they ever could play with and it’s off to the thrift store they go. I clipped off the tiger’s tags. As mentioned in the prior post, the North Pole is a free enterprise. So when possible, get rid of the tags, boxes or anything else that might even hint that this toy is not from the North.

The money from around the world. Wait! Little Pie pulled a shell game on me and at the last moment. While on his lap, she switched strategies to an EGYPTAIN COSTUME!

What? Once home with Little Pie asleep, I raced down stairs and dove into the Net. Most everything there was that barely-threaded, flammable fabric stuff. Sigh. Santa wouldn’t give that! I was in a pickle because I do not sew. Really. I have about 30 Girl Scout patches to sew on two uniforms. I am years behind. I have two girlfriends who are amazing designers but they have daughters of their own and asking them for an Egyptian costume would not be cool in December. Maybe in June but not December.

I did what I always do and took my snake eyes to the Goodwill at Archer and Broadway in Denver. There, I found the ultra cool necklace and two little red cases. Feeling good I jumped over Broadway and went into Boss Unlimited, a well organized vintage store. I found a simple cotton vintage slip in good condition. I figure Piper is thinking ancient Egypt so this dress has to have an old feel to it. Great! I’ll sew some kind of hieroglyphic on this slip. It’s hot in Egypt and the images portrayed are always in a simple white dress.

Finally I drove over to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science where I found the gold headdress and a few scarabs to sew onto the slip. I figure that is enough to make my Little Pie feel like an ancient African queen. As little girls, didn’t we all dream of being Cleopatra? I printed off a few “tags” to help the little suit cases look like they’ve been traveling and passed through customs because this costume was coming from Egypt.

Thankfully I carefully checked out the gold wig. It had a “Made in China” sticker in a hidden spot. Good thing I found it. An Egyptian wig made in China? Indeed! I’ve always wondered what factory workers in China must think about as they whip out oddly shaped erasers, plastic blow horns and other senseless stuff. What would you think about another culture if you sat in a factory for 8-10 hours a day making paddleballs for them?

So there it is. A little girl who is asking Santa for antiquated items. Children are fascinated by the past. I refer to real items from the past. Conventional retail would have you think otherwise because they don’t sell old things. But when a child is suspended from the mass advertising, amazing things happen.

If you are a new visitor to this blog, be certain to scroll back up and pull up the Thrift Catalog slide show featuring over 230 items from thrift stores to give you an idea of what could be waiting for you.

Now, I have to find me a few good cupcakes. Being an elf isn't so easy.

Thrift Store Conventions: Textiles

Color can do amazing things.

One day, while on a 10-minute recon strike at the thrift, I spied a bag of knitting needles. Instantly I transformed into a character with the complete innocence of Lennie in Of Mice and Men and thought, “Pretty colors!” and shoved the bag smack in my face. Who knows how long I stood there transfixed. Who cares? It was my moment with the teals, magentas, reds and silvers of those metallic needles. There were at least a dozen knitting needles in brilliant colors in that bag for $3. Once I regained my senses, I realized I’d just been cosmically thumped and it was high time to take up knitting.

So, thrift took me to knit and I really enjoy it. It’s not that hard. My friend Aimee, who is also left handed, has a Little Pie of her own and is a knitter with no bounds, taught me. Aimee was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand so she taught me the Zen of knitting. Be relaxed and calm so the knit is even, flows and is not tight. In a way, knitting is borderline mediation. At least I find out right quick what state my body is in when I pick up a pair of needles. Unfortunately, I'm usually tense. But, knitting helps put me to ease.

Aside from food, yarn is the only object that I think okay to call "yummy" and not sound like a nut. The texture of this pink vintage Italian mohair I picked up for $4 is exactly that - yummy. Sounds silly but when you feel it you know what I mean. I used this yarn to knit Petite Poe and Little Pie scarves I intend to give to them on the night of the Winter Solstice. I figure a hand knit scarf is a good thing to give on the longest night of the year. More on our Solstice tradition later - it involves fire!

If you have just a wee bit of craft in you and I mean just a teeny bit, the thrift store is the spot: fabric, yarn, knitting needles, crochets hooks, embroidery hoops of all sizes, sewing patterns…It’s all there, cheap! [Plus sewing patterns make cool wrapping paper.] Better to catch these items at the thrift store than the chain craft stores. Besides, I'm convinced craft chain stores have the slowest checkers on this planet. Waiting in line for cashier ring up 30 plastic holiday picks separately at 50 cents a piece is like waiting at the DMV!

I’ve had a run of bad luck with finding quality yarn lately and this led me to something new. With all the scarves that have been flooding in the stores, I buy scarves I like and pull the yarn to knit into something else.


Knitting is infectious. Little Pie has taken to it too. Here is her first creation named Tootsie, pictured to the left. Tootsie hangs in my home office for inspiration. She’s good at bouncing ideas and really knows how to listen.

Since Tootsie, Little Pie has really taken off with knitting and now knows how to catch and correct mistakes.

Those who know their way round a sewing machine would be wise to buy up old wool sweaters and wash them in hot water to make boiled wool to make blankets to mittens.

I’ve also learned that cool fabric is a very good thing to have on hand.

This red flowered fabric was 99 cents for four yards off the bolt. The Valentine fabric was five yards off the bolt for $4. Theses prices are unheard of in the fabric store. Well maybe for some scary fabric that is so toxic it might spontaneously combust if touched by a slight shock of static electricity. But who wants to buy that kind of fabric? Don’t limit your self to virgin fabric at thrift stores. Pull a Scarlet O'Hara and repurpose some fine toile for pennies. Also there are bags upon bags of scraps where you can find the coolest fabric like this cowgirl pattern to the right.

Fabric comes in handy without even a stitch. I retro-fitted this thrifted dolls dresser for Little Pie. Yes, it's a bit girly, but I know she will love it. The ribbons and the buttons are thrift as well.

While out the other day I picked up these four trees for $4. Cleo, our Maine Coon cat knocked one tree on the floor. You can see her peering through the trees in the photo. I imagine she thinks she is fully camouflaged. Anyway, one tree still had a price tag of $22 on it. Looks like Little Pie and I will get back to making more music paper ornaments. And it looks like there will be some tinsel tainted cat vomit round the house. Anyone who has cats has a thousand cat vomit stories. Gross - I know. But I figure this is better than dog stories where the product tends to come out the other end.

If you are a new visitor to this blog, be certain to scroll back up and pull up the Thrift Catalog slide show featuring over 230 items from thrift stores to give you an idea of what could be waiting for you.

The Thrifty Chicks also welcome This Thrifted Life to our blogroots Petition for National Thrift Store month!

Little Pie's three sweet wishes

Pictured above is our little elf, Nimble. He finds a spot in our home 'round the holidays and is the eyes and ears from the North. Nimble is quick, so quick human eyes cannot catch him. He appears when it's time to visit Santa and stays until Baby New Year arrives. Baby New Year is another story. All kinds of magical creatures visit us during the holidays including Mother Nature.

Last Friday evening we went to a little pocket of locally owned businesses on three blocks of South Pearl Street in the Platte Park neighborhood of Denver, a mile due south of us. Each year, these businesses sponsor Winterfest with horse-pulled wagon rides, roasting chestnuts, mulled cider and Santa makes a call. Even though mom and pop stores sponsor this, it’s not heavily commercialized and that’s really nice. It all happens outside and sometimes it can be very, very cold. But, the man lives in the ARCTIC, so 30 degrees is like Miami. That’s where Little Pie has caught up with the old man since she can remember.

Plus, it's fun to visit the stores on South Pearl. They are the mom and pop of Anthropologie. Actually they are a step above for their inspiration is not dictated by some corporate standard and the shop owners are the people we live next to and meet in coffee shops. If not thrift, these are the people who might be best to visit first when purchasing new items. Little Pie is pictured next to one of the Five Green Boxes stores. There is a home, clothing and now cards and decorating store in the Five Green Boxes genre. All are completely inspiring.

Petite Poe used to eagerly come too, but at 12 years old, she opted out for spending the night at friends. Why must we grow up?

As mentioned, our family has a long standing agreement that we offer up no more than three wishes to Santa. Anything more would make us look greedy and greedy children are not good children. This limit also makes the girls think of what they really want instead of just listing whatever comes to mind. This year Piper asked for:

1. A monocular, "like the sea captains of old used". Hmm, the sea captains of old. She is envisioning a brass instrument, something worn. Could Santa possibly save old treasures to give? Interesting concept. Speaking of sailors, our freshly chopped Douglas fir from the Rocky Mountain wilderness continues to drink like a sailor. As a family, we made three wreaths from the extra trimmings and the remaining trunk is in the fireplace as I write.

Last year, he did give her two bells from his ancient sleigh. Pictured above, you see they are old. These are real sleigh bells, not made by Hallmark with the words "Polar Express" inscribed upon on them. What does a card company have to do with making bells for Santa’s sleigh? Wouldn’t he have elves that tend to that? I love the book and the Polar Express movie but the bell is supposed to come from the sleigh, not the train!

2. An Egyptian costume.

3. A big plush tiger that is soft so she can cuddle. Piper is selective on the plush toys she keeps and she truly plays with them.

It’s wonderful to see that my daughter’s imagination travels the high seas, visits ancient Egypt and explores the jungles and mangrove swamps. All these places still need exploring, though we’d prefer to think otherwise, there is still so much to this wonderful planet that remains inconceivable to our current knowledge - of which we have only skimmed the surface.

In the past Piper’s asked for: magnetic rocks, a big bag of jellybeans, a little bag of jellybeans, a plush butterfly, skeleton keys, an hourglass and a thimble. Poet used to ask for similar things. She had one recurring wish, to fly by her own powers. Perhaps that’s why she is a champion swimmer and makes the breaststroke look like a waltz. But, I imagine if she keeps up her smarts and that resolve, she will fly someday.

No, we did not stand in line at Denver’s upscale Cherry Creek Mall for 45 minutes while getting blasted with the next Disney promotion. And no, there was no expensive photography scam attempting to make us feel guilty for not buying a poorly shot $18 photo of Little Pie on Santa's lap. At Winterfest, we take our own photo – no cost!

Parents, you must think like an elf to make things magical for your child. Here are some tips:

1. Elves make toys. They do not twisty tie down dolls or put toys in garish boxes intended to market the toy. Besides, it almost seems like a cruel punishment if you have the child's view that a toy can be a living being to tie it down. An elf-made toy comes ready for play in a simple brown reusable box. Children want to pull that toy out of the box and start playing right away! Any assembly, batteries, whatever needs to be done is done in advance. Your child has been waiting for –in some cases- months for this object. They want to play with it upon opening!

2. There are no discount chain retailers at the North Pole and they do not have access to cheap wrapping paper. Simple wooden boxes are great to hold gifts from the North. Okay, I know there are no trees on the polar ice cap but a wooden box looks more magical than misprinted Scotch-taped candy cane paper. Especially candy cane paper that is making other appearances around the tree – that is one of the most common belief killers! Children notice that and quickly conclude it is no coincidence. Besides, elves would get to the Boreal forest before they'd find a Walmart. Simple wooden boxes make appearances in thrift stores.

3. When elves need to add filler to a box to hold an object, reindeer moss is a good choice. This makes appearances in thrift stores too.

4. Elves use real ribbon – no plastic-icky imitations. Real ribbon can be found in thrift stores.

5. If it’s a big present, the elves will put a pretty bow on it. Presents don’t always need to be completely wrapped to bring magic.

6. A very quick note on nice paper, usually parchment or vellum can be left behind. The Man has class and is older than the mountains, so he’s not going to leave it on a standard sheet of paper or a card that has a company’s name printed on the back.

7. If a stocking is stuffed, it is not stuffed with name brand candy! Elves make candy! Duh! Well maybe the North Pole has a contract with Frango from Marshall Field & Company in Chicago. (If you’ve had Frango you know what I’m talking about.) Remove candy from it’s packing and tie it up with cellophane or put it in little satin bags.

8. The North Pole is its own enterprise. Despite what TV commercials tout, the North Pole neither partners nor endorses any one company. That needs to be very clear to little ones who doubt and are looking for the signs. You may think your child is a believer but, a simple faux pas could sway the pendulum in the beat of a heart.

Do whatever it takes to encourage the magic. The way I look at it, elves are sweet-natured. I figure that if I eat sweets (cupcakes mainly) I too become sweet. So make this the one time of year where you can mack on a few tasty C-cakes to get you in the mood. Gingerbread is a nice choice too. Grumpy elves, they’re no fun and their toys usually don’t measure up to North Pole magic QC.

I ask all other elves reading this to chime into the comments with their activities to educate the masses.

Oh, here’s a funny irony with gift giving. It’s often hard to tell whether my gift is thrift or new because I most always remove items from the original packaging. Let’s face it, it’s ugly! Well Tiffany’s isn’t, but just about everything else is. Packaging is not designed to present something pretty, it’s designed to market the items or make it impossible to be stolen. Besides, why would Santa Baby need an inventory control chip on a gift?

These earrings that I placed on vellum, did they cost 75 cents or $17.50? Do you like them? Does the cost matter? Or does it matter how they look on you?

If you are a new visitor to this blog, be certain to scroll back up and pull up the Thrift Catalog slide show featuring over 200 items from thrift stores to give you an idea of what could be waiting for you.

Thrift Store Conventions: Toys

There has been a disappointing trend in America. When people need to purchase a toy, they arrive, like zombies, to the aisles of one of many of chain discount retailers. This homogeneous, sterile world of excessive packaging and plastic nightmares laced with thousands of tiny plastic pieces that any infant sibling could choke on has become America’s idea of where to find a toy. With a few exceptions, I tend to avoid these aisles. Pictured above is Little Pie's "kitchen hamper" that she plays with on a regular basis. All items came from thrift stores.

Thanks to mass advertising on cable networks, our children come running to us, demanding the latest toy they just saw played out in some rollicking drama of a commercial that looks like the actors are having the time of their lives. Of course our children don’t view these kids as acting. Nothing could be more fun than this toy! Nothing!

In the early 1990’s, I believe is was, the American Marketing Association that hosted a conference in Chicago. As a fundraiser/marketer for The Lincoln Park Zoo Society, I went to several sessions one of which turned my stomach. This session was led by the fairly new Nickelodeon Network and was basically about how to use children to drive their parents to the point of breaking so the parents will buy the child a what-cha-ma-gigger to end the rant.

Senseless commercials take me back to 1st grade and my obsessive want for the game Hungry, Hungry Hippos. I wanted that game more than is right. But my elementary-aged mind didn’t understand I really wanted the experience portrayed in the commercial. The kids in that commercial were pumped, it was fast action, and there was music! To the left, Little Pie plays real music on these items from the thrift store.

My wish was granted, and I was thrilled to open Hungry, Hungry Hippos on Christmas morning. I just needed my friends and then we’d play like the children on TV! My friends were thrilled too as we sat down and cracked the box. Nothing! It was a complete bore. No. It was more than a bore. It was pain. Pain, that I wasted my Christmas wish on this thing, a a complete waste of everything. I think it held our attention for four minutes. Did Hungry, Hungry Hippos sucker anyone else out there? Where you ever sucker punched by a TV commercial and thus waste a valuable Christmas wish?

This is, of course, reminiscent of Ralphie Parker's experience with his Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring that held a secret message for him to "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine," from the 1983 classic A Christmas Story based a 1966 anthology of short stories, titled In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. Shepherd actually narrates the movie.

As a child, little did I not understand that we were able to achieve the experience promoted in the commercial just by doing something as simple as twirling around until we fell down. That always put us to laughing and cost nothing. Pictured to the left is Little Pie's outfitted picnic hamper, all from thrift, that is pulled out at least once a week.

Here’s where we need to set the record straight. There is a huge difference between what a child is led to think they want versus the true individual nature of the child, in this case, their interests.

One of the fundamental elements of any form of play is imagination. Initially toys were developed to promote imagination. These days it seems that many toy manufacturers are unable to understand that simple concept because the dollar signs in their eyes taint their vision. Now, toys are meant to drive profits and make parents have tug-o-war matches over the last Tickle Me Elmo at Toys-R-Us. Or it makes some people speculate what toy is going to be the big seller so they actually buy low and sell high on Ebay when toy store shelves are bare and parents are desperate.

As I’ve been writing my soapbox, I’ve been showing photos of the things that Little Pie truly plays with. She goes to her room closes the door, and sings to herself as she plays. She really enjoys this time.

This is really a serious matter. What kind of imagination comes from junk toys? It’s almost like some toy companies have said to children, “Don’t you worry your little head about developing an imagination, will do it for you. While we’re at it, we’ll prime you to want more so your parents must buy more.” Let’s face it, what’s Barbie training little girls to want? A 24” waist and a D cup?

Many of the toys we find in the aisles of chain retailers have a planned obsolesce of about 30 minutes, the first 20 spent laboring, almost like childbirth, to free the darn thing from its extensive packaging. When the toy finally born from the box and seen for what it really is, bare bones, the mystique is gone. It’s really just a piece of plastic. Think of all that is completely wasted on that 30 minutes: resources, energy, ucky emissions, probably some toxic runoff – all that for 30 minutes. I wonder what the real, total cost is to that 30 minutes. I bet if we really knew, we wouldn’t be buying it because we’d probably rather pay the heating bill. Crazy, no?

When I shop at thrift stores I don’t visit the “toy” section. I don’t need too. I find items elsewhere like I found this doll furniture mixed in with housewares. It cost $3.50 on a 50% off Saturday. Granted, I’m shopping for an eight-year-old, not an infant. And, since Little Pie can afford to shop in thrift stores, she often buys things on her own. That is very empowering. I love watching her get out her purse, then her wallet and carefully count the money. Granted, this takes a while but no one seems to mind as they watch this child so innocent and careful with her money. The cashiers are always so kind. I just want to hug her, hold her and kiss her forever.

So what’s hot in thrift stores? Vintage enameled cookware. I say vintage because the pots are small. Just like our waistband and plate size, our pots have grown too. But these vintage pots are perfect for play. They’re durable and colorful. Teapots too. Whisks, spoons, flour sifters, scales – all heavily used items. And, when imagination comes into play –pun intended- a pot might become a house.

What else? Tea sets with vintage linens. The little girls I know are fascinated with vintage linens. Maybe it’s because, they’re, uh, interesting? Marbles, bags upon bags of them. Musical instruments like the lap harp for $1 or the Melodia for $4. And of course there are books.

I don’t intend to knock the entire toy industry. Little Pie and Petite Poe have played with store bought toys. These have been the classics: wood blocks, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, and wooden train sets, and Legos. These are the same toys I played with and I’ll be saving them for my grandchildren.

I wish I’d learned this lesson with our first daughter Petite Poe. The family bought that girl a lot of crappy toys that she didn’t play with. Instead she played with Scotch tape and tissue paper. She’d build these elaborate “traps” designed to catch our cats. Our hallways would look like a giant spider’s web of tape. I will still be finding tape stuck on molding, doors and floors when I’m 90. It was so rampant that I was working in the back yard and noted that one of the squirrels that live in our 80ft. Colorado blue spruce had a horrific growth on it’s back. The squirrel looked like Quasimodo. I grew concerned and gently stepped closer. It wasn’t a growth; it was a giant wad of Scotch tape!

Another funny story with Petite Poe was this toddler music class we used to attend. It was fun and we learned many new songs. But, there was something that all the children had their sights on the entire time, a big basket of scarves. Upon entering the room, their internal GPS would instinctively seek out the basket and concentrate on exactly which scarf they wanted. When it came time to grab a scarf, the race to the basket would be something akin to Kid Survivor. It didn’t matter that there were plenty to go around. All the children loved those scarves. One day I asked the teacher where she bought the scarves. She told me she goes to thrift stores on 50% off Saturdays and buys them for a buck a piece. Oh, did I feel ignorant at hearing that. But, not so now!

Don’t let toy companies tell your children what they want. Let your children develop their own personal brand of interest and then give them tools to build upon it

Our family came to a mutual agreement many years ago. We figure it best to ask Santa for three items. Anything over might appear to be a bit, say, greedy and greedy children are not good children. The three-item limit helps our daughters really think about what they want.

Little Pie is currently working on her list for Santa. Once finished, I will share. I assure you it will be things you might never guess.

See, the Golightly’s haven’t had cable since 1998. Little Pie watches PBS. She doesn’t even watch Saturday morning cartoons like I used to. Free from the compulsive, honed and heavily researched commercials from toy manufacturers, Little Pie will ask for items she really wants and not what she is told she wants. I think her list will evoke a smile and a tug of the heartstrings to hear the true voice of a child during the holidays.

She should be finished with her list this weekend.

In the meanwhile, please pull up the Thrift Catalog to the left, among many things that will surprise you, there are over 30 photos of items of play, some brand new, still in the box like this crochet kit that retails for $30 that I picked up for $2. Little Pie already knows how to knit, why not crochet?

Thrift Store Conventions: Holiday Trimmings, over a 100 elegant decorations for under a dollar

Like many Americans, the Golightly’s spent a very busy Thanksgiving holiday. But our agenda was different from the conventional.

We were graciously invited to a friend's cozy home, where Thriftfully Modern Mommie made perhaps the best stuffing I’ve ever enjoyed. I gave the five daughters present a vintage apron apiece hoping that might inspire some help with clean up. It did not. However, the three younger girls very much enjoyed wearing them as they played.

On Friday the Golightly’s, along with Thriftfully Modern Mommie’s family, drove into the Front Range of the Rockies, about 50 miles from Denver to near the darling town of Buffalo Creek. Every year, the South Platte Ranger District of the Pike National Forests sells holiday tree permits for $10 a tree. Chopping the down the smaller trees of 8” in diameter or so, helps to clear out the added fuel that inspires extra fierce wildfires and helps the forest stay a bit more honest to its natural state. The Golightly’s have opted out of participating in Black Friday crowds and have instead gone on a holiday tree hunt for nearly a decade. Plus, we officially break out the holiday music on the ride up.

We brought treats and leftovers from our Thanksgiving dinner and sipped hot cider. Modern Mommie and I partook in our annual tradition of nipping a little cognac from the infamous Santa bottle (yes, it's repurposed). We think the nip helps set us in the mood to spot the perfect tree while the kids go sledding. In the photo to the left I have on my repurposed boiled wool mittens, the warmest things I have. I bought them newly repurposed for $3 at Goodwill. Both families brought home fresh Douglas firs.

I love getting into the woods on Black Friday and often wander off alone for a spell just to have some personal peace. This year we found ourselves in a tough spot. There were so many beautiful trees to choose from. I followed a chickadee from tree to tree for about 20 minutes, thinking maybe she was leading me to our own. I chuckled as I thought of breaking into some sort of Disney Snow White song to have all the forest creatures come flocking to me - but I can’t sing that high. We do see critters, nearly always mule deer. One year we came about 20 feet from a gray fox and checked each other out for about five minutes. I never knew that gray foxes are so beautiful.

After a picnic, chopping and sledding, we stopped in the small town of Pine at the Pine Emporium, a vast treasure box of thrift. I purchased this medallion necklace there for $3. It depicts a hunter, I believe, and is inscribed in another language. It’s my new necklace love. I highly recommend the Pine Emporium; they had bits of everything at reasonable prices.

As for trimming the tree, we are using "A Treasury of Grand Opera" edited by Henry W. Simon in 1946 to decorate the tree and other parts of out home. I purchased this book for $1 at a 50% off Saturday and, so far, have made over 200 ornaments from it by cutting out pages and forming them into paper ornaments. Little Pie has made about 15 feet of delicate chains. As of today, my home is decorated with Don Giovanni, Lohengrin, La Traviata, Faust, Aida, Carmen and I’m about half way through Pagliacci. With a few added red glass balls we already had combined with the operatic ornaments, the tree is spectacular. There is more decorating to be done and Little Pie will help. We also fold old pulp fiction into lantern-like decorations and hang them about the house. When bought as thrift, these decorations cost a quarter to fifty cents a piece. The family took a break on Saturday afternoon to have lunch at Le Central, a Denver institution. Petite Poe and Little Pie had their first taste of escargot and concluded they taste like mushrooms, which is a good thing.

Tomorrow, I will finish the job and take the excess greenery from the tree and make a wreath, and we will have our home beautifully outfitted. The only items I had to buy were a few eyehooks from the hardware store and the $10 tree permit. No tree in any Denver parking lot could be fresher or less expensive. Add in the fun that we have every year going to the woods to find it and I think it’s one of the best deals in Denver.

Did you do something else besides participate in Black Friday madness? If so, please share. America could use some other options.




















The Golightly Girls on Thanksgiving: Little Pie in a dress with cropped jacket from Chocolate Soup for $3 new boots for $4 and a Little Pie’s favorite faux fur hat for $1 from Goodwill. At $6, the new tights were the most expensive item in her ensemble. Ms Golightly in a vintage wool dress from the British designers at Jaeger for $9, Diba boots for $7 and red beret with black velvet bow for $3 from Goodwill. Petite Poe in a gorgeous vintage dress for $7 from Goodwill.

Many ideas for using paper to create decorations can be found on the Internet with any search engine.

Thrift Store Conventions: Addendum to Entertain

Mr. Golightly and I worked a marathon photo shoot last Saturday to document items for The previous Thrift Store Conventions: Entertain post featuring items readily found in thrift stores. Two things happened today: 1) we realized we forgot a few items and 2) I hit the thrift stores and scored. For your viewing pleasure and thrift enlightenment we offer an addendum to the initial post on Entertaining a la thrift.

These "snack sets" are a must for entertaining either at a cocktail party, a dessert party, a luncheon or a book group meeting. I bought this set of four for $2. They are still in their original box that reads “This snack set of four plates~four cups in sparking crystal glass for quick attractive service.” I love that.

Let’s grow that exponentially. You could serve, say 16 guests for $8. Consider the cost of paper plates and cups, make them pretty and sturdy. Hmm, you’re going to need more than $8 to cover that. Plus, paper plates are outright wasteful. So why not go to the thrift store, stock up on these “hospitality snack sets” and never buy a paper plate again? Have more refinement for a better environment and save money. The Elegant Thrifter writes, "I always keep odd dinner and salad plates on hand to give a guest a little something to take home. That way, they don't have to worry about returning the plate. They are also great for baked-goods gifts for the same reason. I love to say to someone who wants to return a plate, 'Why, just keep it!'"

Plate stands, like pedestals are great for entertaining. Like Louis Sullivan, they build up to add more content to the table without sacrificing real estate, $3.

All this for $1.90! I was feeling frivolous. Imagine that, frivolous for $1.90. That’s less that a latte and I get to keep the silver. If you are a connoisseur of fine dining, you may have noticed that my $4.61 place setting was missing a dainty butter knife. Bump that cost per setting to $4.71 for I hit silver plate pay dirt at the Salvation Army today! Note the dainty butter knives in my booty.

I also picked up this darling teaspoon set I just wanted to share. It was $4 and will make a lovely gift. Yes, it’s used but would you be offended to receive it? Might it not bring a smile to your face each time you measure Vanilla or Almond extract? Sonya, over at Dime Store Thrift doesn't have a hang-up with reused gifts either. She wrote a post about it today.

I must thank Mr. Golightly for humoring me tonight and snapping these extra photos. But he was pleased with this 1908 Keuffel & Esser slide rule that I picked up for $7 in it’s original case. It’s gorgeous. It’s art. It’s not planned obsolescence. It’s built to last like the old refrigerator in my grandparent’s basement that’s been running as a spare for 50 years unlike the many replacements that have come and gone from their kitchen. Currently, Mr. Golightly and I are in a tug of war over that slide rule. He wants it in his office but I want it on display in the living room.

Thrift Store Conventions: Entertain, $4.61 per placesetting

When most Americans think of entertaining, they think of racking up purchases at department stores or discount retailers. To put on a full spread for twelve guests for one swank occasion could spend $500 on the china alone!

But there is an alternative that few consider. The thrift store is the smart entertainer’s choice. Thrift stores routinely have all the accoutrements: punch bowls, domes and pedestals, linens. The host can save hundreds of dollars buying these items thrift.

The above photo features one of my treasured finds, an L. Bernardaud $ Co. Limoges antique covered dish bought at Goodwill for $5. LIMOGES at Goodwill! Well not so surprising, I found a sage Wedgwood cake stand for $4 at ARC Thrift. You can ask my grandmother about that. She loves it. The photos in this post have been added to the Thrifty Chicks Thrift Catalog featuring well over 200 items purchased from thrift stores; some new, others gently-used, some antique, all unique.

My favorite spot to save big is the $0.49 per item shelves a la Goodwill stacked with plates, bowls and glasses; both tumblers and stemware. That’s right $0.49 per item. Sure some of its Corelle, but some of it can be Alfred Meakin Tea Leaf Ironstone, or crystal.

The above photo serves testimony. Not certain if it’s apparent in the photo but the water goblets are new, with sticker still affixed. They were $0.49 apiece, the heavy crystal tumblers $0.49 per item too. When buying china from the $0.49 shelves, stick with a simple dinner plate for the foundation of the pacesetting. These $.0.49 apiece plates have a simple gold rim and fit well with most china patterns. Now, I confess my grandmother pulled the green glass salad plates and gold bread plates (I think) out of her giant grandmother’s purse that also serves as a weapon in a pinch. But similar items can easily be found on Goodwill’s $0.49 shelves. Okay, my grandmother found them at estate sales and they didn’t put a dent into her checking account. But they could fit in that purse.

Wait. It gets even better. Silver plate flatware shows up in thrift stores for $0.10 apiece. The flatware in this setting is a mix of estate sale and thrift. We use it daily. Sure, it’s not sterling but I prefer the vintage patina that silver-plate earns. Sterling can be 100 years old and polish up looking new. There are advantages to that, but I don’t want to pay the price for a set of sterling flatware.

Adding this up per place setting we have:
three plates $1.50,
two glasses $1.00,
seven pieces of silver-plate flatware $0.70,
individual salt and pepper shakers $0.41,
tea cup and saucer (not in photo) $1.
The entire placesetting totals $4.61.

That’s a tiny fraction of one plate in the conventional retail market. There is but one catch, place settings as such are built over time. A few months should do it.

Add simple glass votives and candles purchased at thrift stores and moss terrariums will save on fresh flowers and won’t be obstacles to conversation.
Mix and match silver-plate flatware with wild abandon, just about any combination looks cool. The more patterns, the more eclectic the look.

Buffets can be arranged with thrift. The silver covered dish was purchased at Denver La Cache’s annual sidewalk sale for $5. One would never know it based on the quality of merchandise but La Cache is the white elephant for Denver’s Children’s Hospital. The crystal jars with silver lids and footed bases were $15 for the three. All candles and candle holders are thrift. The runner was $3 at Goodwill.

Punch bowls are easy finds at thrift stores and can usually be purchased with cups for about $7. Always wise to buy two, one for virgin and one for alcohol. All candles and candle holders came from Goodwill for pennies on the dollar. Vintage books, for one to two dollars a piece, are a lovely way to raise items. The buffet was purchased at a yard sale for $80. I refinished it and transformed it entirely.

This B Rogers silver, footed ice bucket has an attached lid that swivels back, purchased at Goodwill for $4. This product sells for $20 minimum online. The Six Baccarat Tumblers I wrote of from my great grandmother rest nicely on this mirrored tray from Goodwill, $7. The decanter was purchased at a 50% off Saturday at Goodwill, $3.50. Champagne is served on an aluminum pedestal, $4. French lemonade bottles may be reused to serve water or purchased at thrift stores for around a dollar. Marbles can be purchased for about a dollar a bag and to ensure you never lose your marbles, store them in apothecary jars for a dollar apiece and lift them on a pedestal for $4. Don’t want to lose those marbles, especially after a glass of champagne. Thriftfully Modern Mommie and I prefer, Gosset Champagne Grand Rose.

Glass pedestals and domes are musts for entertaining and are easy finds that run from $7 to $12. We don’t need bother to compare these prices to conventional retail the difference is laughable.

To the left, decanter $3.50 and cordials off that wonderful $0.49 shelf again that mirrored tray comes in handy, $7. Total ensemble, not including brandy was $13.50.

Entertaining doesn't need to hurt. And, my guests do not flip a dinner plate over to see what they are dining off of. Golightly's guests are not that rude.

If you are a new visitor to this blog, be certain to scroll back up and pull up the Thrift Catalog slide show featuring over 200 items from thrift stores to give you an idea of what could be waiting for you.

The Thrifty Chicks leak thrift store deals before Black Friday

Reports are out that the giants of conventional retail are leaking deals early, before Black Friday that infamous shopping day after Thanksgiving, to entice shoppers to get ahead in 2009’s retail home stretch. But, they’re talking $598 television sets. Call me crazy but $598 for one gift is not a deal and I think most Americans, given this economic climate, would agree. I don’t believe I'll spend anything close to that this holiday season. But I certainly won’t feel cheated.

We thought it wise to leak thrift store deals in turn. In the left column there is a Picasa Slide Show titled “Thrift Catalog” of over 200 items we have thrifted for pennies on the dollar. I believe the most expensive item is an antique gilt mirror for $30. The vast majority of items range from $3-$9 and don't compromise quality, most of them are originals, some brand new.

We tried to assemble a catalog that would appeal to most everyone from brand new items still in the box or store tags still attached to gently used to vintage to antique. Yes, even in this rough economic climate, people are tossing brand new items over to thrift stores. How could we?

I understand that many people have hangups with the idea of giving a used object as a gift. Funny to think that just a few generations ago, a used item would be accepted with gratitude, appreciation and grace; ahh - the days before planned obsolescence.

News flash - if you shop EBay chances are you’re buying a used object – that’s where I go to learn about many of the products I find in thrift stores. I also learn that I pay a lot less than the EBay list price and don’t pay shipping. For example, I purchased a beautiful silver plate ice bucket for $4 at Goodwill. The same bucket had a starting bid of $20 on Ebay before shipping.

I don't wish to knock EBay, it's a fantastic venue for the reuse market, which in turn is better for our economy and environment. And if you prefer not to thrift, please feed EBay buckets of money. I just find it amusing that people who so readily peruse EBay listings say “eww” to thrift.

A funny thing happened the other day while Thriftfully Modern Mommie and I were checking out a boutique in Denver’s upscale mall. This store was a mix of new and vintage items, some of which I’d seen on the shelves at Goodwill a few days before only now at a 300% to 400% markup from the thrift store price. There was a fur stole on the rack and I noted to Modern Mommie that I had just seen this fur stole at the ARC Thrift just a few days prior. A customer glared at me like I’d said something blasphemous. We had a giggle over that. Where else would the buyers find vintage inventory? Do customers think these buyers have a time machine that transports them back to the 1920’s fur shop to buy the stole fresh off the rack or better yet, from a French trapper? If I had a time machine, I’d certainly do something other than retrieve new old items before they are used.

There is much to the thrift store mystique that needs some clearing up. Once converted, most people rarely go back to conventional retail.

Please take a few minutes and double-click on the left column in the box marked “Thrift Catalog”. I recommend you run it full screen, to really see the products. I am certain there will be enough items to inspire you to thrift. We will continue to add to this slide show as we post photos to our weekly post, Thrift Store Conventions, on how to incorporate thrift into your life.

Please enjoy the show. I’ve learned so much more about products and quality since I’ve been thrifting. I’ve an eight-year-old daughter who can spot cashmere in a ten-foot long rack of sweaters. I think that's pretty darn notable.

Should you not go holiday tree chopping at in certain programs sponsored by National Forest Rangers on Black Friday like Thriftfully Modern Mommie and I will do, I hope your Black Friday leaves you in the black and not the red.

The items below were prepped for shipping at the end of the summer. The total cost of these items was $129. To peek what's inside, click Here. But remember that ultimately The true gift is to be known and understood and that's something money cannot buy.

You're mission, should you choose to accept it, its to relax and enjoy your time this holiday season. Being an adrenaline junkie for nearly two months is not what I call fun.

The next post will show you how to create a gorgeous table for entertaining at $4.61 per place-setting.