GOLDEN Thrift Accessory Finds!

Hey- how is everyone! (By everyone I mean my zero subscribers, but that's okay. It's early yet.) Today I ran to the thrift store (AGAIN) to get a cheap glass bowl for my Lush henna which is sitting on a test chunk of my hair as we speak. Of course, I found more stuff. They put the bowls in the back on purpose! You have to sift through everything else first... so I'm posting the accessories I bought in the past week. Mostly earrings, because I'm obsessed with them. I only got my ears pierced this past October so earrings are still new to me. Every day I have some exciting ear action going on. But, without further ado- Sophie's late hot/rainy summer accessory lineup!

These Native-American inspired earrings I love. They aren't new, but they still go really well with the modern tribal look that's been popular this summer.

These are a little kitschy for my taste, generally. But I think with the right outfit...

I'm in love with these! Firstly, I can't get enough of gold lately. Secondly, this is a fantastically simple translation of a hoop earring. I'm wearing these to work tomorrow, actually :). And thirdly, they look heavier than they are. I'm big on making sure my earrings are lightweight. No saggy slits for me thanks. These are about the size of a quarter.

This pair of beauties is going to take a special look. But the moment I saw them I knew we were meant to be together. Could it get much cuter than miniature lion door knockers? Rhetorical question. The hoops are about the also about the diameter of a quarter.

This, dear friends, is a bracelet turned earring. I actually got this about 6 months ago. I added the hook and wear it alone on one side or with a stud on the other side, something funky for fun days or going out or simple if I want to downplay the fact that I'm going all 80's on the world. Lengthwise it basically reaches my shoulder and sometimes gets caught in my hair, but pain is so often the price for beauty.

I rarely find necklaces that I like in thrift stores. I don't know why. Maybe they're more timeless than other jewelry and people hang onto them more often. But I love this one! The color is an earthy, organic green and it's made of lightweight wood. All the volume at the bottom gives this a lot of potential for my plain outfit days.

That's all I have right now accessory-wise. I'll show you my henna results soon and then I'll decide whether I'm doing my whole head...excited to be a Genuine Ginger!

How to Thrift in 60 Minutes or Less

A few days ago I treated myself to a leisurely day of thrifting, the results of which I will post as soon as my clothes are washed and dried. I realized as I was shopping that although I really longed for a relaxed day full of bargain hunting, I am simply too skilled and efficient at thrifting due to my 11 years of experience in thrift stores. Here's how I do it:

1. Only peruse the items in your size
The Goodwill closest to my home has their clothing grouped by small, medium, and large. This makes sorting through clothes and spotting something promising, but discovering that it is twice your body circumference, a thing of the past.

2. Pull out patterns and materials that catch your eye
Skimming through racks by running your hand and eye over the bit of material showing can be as effective as pulling out each piece. Personally, I almost always stick to cotton so I can skip anything shiny or meshy. Learning to recognize the potential of clothing by a glimpse of its hem is a learned skill, so don't be too discouraged if you try this and end up with an empty cart.

3. If you don't LOVE it, don't bother
The beauty of thrifting is that there's "always more where that came from". If I'm trying on my haul at the end of a trip and I have to think about it for more than 10 seconds, it's out. Also, as my mom taught me, I ask myself- "Do I love this shirt $7 worth?". Think about what else you could do with that $7 (ahem, Chipotle) and you may realize that you don't want it so much after all.

4. Gauge by percentages
If you guess the price of the item to be more than 30% of the original price, you can do better. I don't thrift to get brand names at 50% off. This isn't TJ Maxx. I want a bargain!

NOTE: Even if we're making a quick trip of it, don't forget to take a final look at your purchases before checking out for holes, stains, and sturdiness. Case in point- I recently bought a pair of shoes that I loved but didn't examine well enough, and the sole broke apart from the shoe while I was out yesterday. Lesson learned.

My most recent thrift finds Coming Soon!