Sunday, September 25, 2011

A Grand Experiment

My parents provided many luxuries to my siblings and myself during our respective childhoods, but for some reason they rarely involved going to a retail store and making a purchase.

Family vacation to Europe? No problem!

Season tickets to the opera AND the symphony year after year? Sure!

Private education? Of course!

T-shirt from The Gap? Well...I heard there's a really big garage sale over on Kirby Lane. We can see what they have.

HC recently informed me that formless, oversized sweaters decorated with woodland creatures are "hipster" and therefore cool. I think that's just tragic. Why? WHY? Why wasn't it cool when I was wearing it?! Why was I forever traumatized by high-waisted jeans when the world declared that plumber-butt was the new cleavage? Why was the exposed midriff considered sexy when I was too young to wear it, considered outdated when I was old enough, and is coming back only after I've had my first baby? Why is it that when my legs could have been straight off the pages of Holocaust Chic*, JNCO wide leg jeans were *the thing* to wear. I'm not talking about just wide leg jeans here. I'm talking about double-wide. No, forget double-wide, you could fit the whole dang trailer park in one of those legs. Some of them had cuffs with a 26 inch circumference. Then, the year after I get out of college with some jiggle in my wiggle, skinny jeans pop up out of nowhere...and they just won't die.

The point is, I'm proud to say I've fully recovered from my awkward teenage years (well, sometimes), and while I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm well dressed, now it's just because I'm lazy and not because my parents are evil and never want me to have any friends.

One thing that hasn't worn off though, is the thrifting. It won't stop. Garage sales, tag sales, yard sales, thrift stores, second hand, Goodwill, call them what you will, I'm ahead of you. I reached an all new level today when I arrived at a stranger's house to pick up a Craigslist item, only to discover that it was three houses down from another stranger's house where I had picked up a Craigslist item two weeks ago. I'm still not sure if that's cool or creepy.

In my defense, I do try really hard not to purchase things we don't actually need. I've snagged some incredible finds. I'll brag about them some other time, but let me just say it's amazing what's out there for less than a dollar.

Even with the trying really hard though, I've begun to notice a few extra things piling up. I have a weakness for cool stuff from the 1950s and 60s and I just can't help but rationalize my way home with them. A totally awesome retro stroller, some adorable vintage sewing patterns. I'll never use these things. But could I sell them?

Lets. Just. See.

DRUMROLL PLEASE:

I'm opening an etsy shop!

HC has already helped me out by taking some awesome photos and we'll be going live in no time. I bet a wooden nickle** that I have the cutest model in all the land. All I'm waiting for now is an inspired name. Any suggestions are welcome!


*too soon?

**I don't have a wooden nickel, but you won't find a cuter model anyway.

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