"Girl, where did you find that?" - Woman at Goodwill

As a college student I am forced to find cheap entertainment. Often I relish being able to go visit a state park for $3 or renting a movie for around $5. However, I absolutely positively enjoy going to thrift shops and browsing. Today myself and my partner in crime, Maygen, went to some of our favorite haunts - the Goodwill's in our hometowns.

Our goal for the day was to search for items to go in our "apartment" at Berry. In the end, we each found something that we plan to use in our homey space. I found these wonderful plates that appear unbreakable. Maegan discovered this red teapot along with six matching cups. We were able to quickly establish that these too are resistant to our touch (Maeghanne dropped one in the Goodwill ). Yet, we stumbled across these items, because we combed the store including the clothes, toys and pictures.

Maigeen with part of her lovely tea set.

Thrift shops and places like Goodwill or the Salvation Army never cease to amaze me. Because of them, people are able to embrace one of the 3 R's: reduce, REUSE and recycle. By receiving donations from people in the community they serve, these places reuse pretty much everything. I have not found a better example of turning someones trash into another's treasure. They have become the means of how a community takes care of its own.

I am also drawn to these establishments because of the people. The people who work there, the ones who shop and the individuals who donate. You never know what or who you are going to bump into at the Goodwill. Just today Megan and I "ran into" some people she new at her local Goodwill. We also had several conversations with people about what they were looking for, what we had at the time or some sparkly shoes. At these places, people are not snobs. Weird, maybe. But what they truly are is a community.

Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't go to these places. I have more than I need. In fact, I have to clean out my closet a lot. Often I combat the feeling that I am taking something away from someone who truly needs it. Then I look at my dinosaur cookie jar or my other new purchase (seen below) and those thoughts fly out the window. Honestly, who buy these things other than me?

The newest member of my Goodwill treasures.

Goodwills and other establishments like them are treasure troves. Not only of the material kind, but of the person kind.

Do I recommend going to the Goodwill, playing dress-up, digging through a bunch of crap to find that one item that calls to you, and making sure that you race a dump truck there?

Do I even have to answer that question? I think it's kind of obvious.

5 out 5 roses.

Below are several finds from our day at the Goodwills. They pretty much rocked our socks.

You can even buy hair there! I defintaly saw Meegan eyeing this peice.

These gloves were the apple of several people's eye (hence the title of this entry).

According to Maygean, she needs more feathers in her wardrobe. I agree.




The dress that reduces your breast size.

The dress that got away. My one regret is I didn't buy it :(

Pretty in Pink!

I should have gotten this one too. Oh well, there's always next time.

I can only hope this was a bridesmaid's dress.

This. Dress. Is. Awesome. Period.

The granny look.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

On another note, sorry for not posting recently. I was on vaykay with my family, and I will soon be flying to Merryland at the end of this week. I hope to have another review up by next Monday at the latest.