Celebrating National Thrift Week.

Yesterday I participated in a thrift crawl with Sammy Davis and Christina of Philly Diva. Unfortunately, Christina couldn't make it due to personal reasons. It would have been nice to meet her. The crawl was also sponsored by the Institute for American Values and the Goodwill

I was so nervous on the drive to the meet up spot at the Cherry Hill mall. I usually don't go out with other people and I tend to hermit. So going out with a group of strangers and a blogger that I've admired for a long time was nerve wracking. It's easy to be confident online, it's different in person. Anyway, I got out of the car and approached the group fellow thrifters, and met Sammy Davis. She is such a warm and fun lady!

Ready to leave for the thrift crawl!

We went to three Goodwill shops, one in Pennsauken, Stradford, and Bellmawr. I found so many treasures in each shop including a Lilly Pulitzer dress with the tags still on it! It was originally $198 and I got it for under 5 dollars!

In the dressing room at the Stradtford Goodwill with my prize!

There was such a feeling of camaraderie in the group, we were all fellow hunters for thrift store treasures. If someone found something someone else might like they held on to it and gave it to them. When we got on the bus after visiting each shop we all dished on what we bought. This was by far the most fun I've ever had on a thrifting trip, and I've been thrifting for a long time. 

 This people were so awesome! Everyone was so nice and outgoing, we all bonded over our love of thrift shopping. (Photo borrowed from Sammy Davis's facebook page)

I met Jasmine, she had her first thrifting experience on this trip. She was with her mother and I had a blast talking to the both of them. 

We spent our lunch break learning about the history of National Thrift Week. Thrift Week was started in 1916, it begins on January 17th which is Ben Franklin's birthday. Thrift week faded out in the mid 60s when consumerism became such a big thing and it was reinstated in 2011.

I'm so happy my passion for thrift shopping has led me to yesterday's thrift crawl. Sammy Davis explained that thrift fashion is all about self expression and creativity and she is absolutely right. I would never be able to play with my style as much as I do if I didn't thrift, more people should join the thrift revolution and I can't see why anyone wouldn't! 

I was elated to meet her and go thrifting!

My Mommom is holding up some of the great things we received in our goodie bags. We also received the indispensable encyclopedia of Thrift. 

I got this gorgeous bubble gum pink skirt yesterday at the Pennsauken Goodwill and I paired it with my Mommoms's beaded sweater to go out today. 

Here's some detail from the sweater and a pair of gorgeous earrings that my Mommom gave me. 

Have any of you ever participated in a Thrift Crawl or do you bring a group of people to thrift with? What does National Thrift Week mean to you?

Two South Jersey shops that everyone should visit.

I have been looking for some new antique/vintage shops to visit this month and I have two great shops to tell you all about. My dream town would be one that has antique shops every few feet and shops that sell vintage clothing. There would also be some sushi places and mexican restaurants, oh and a video store! Sorry, I am prone to going on tangents like that. Anyway, this Monday I visited a new thrift shop in Buena called "Wise Buys" it's on Wheat Road. When I walked in to the tiny first room of the shop there was a huge collection of vintage Christmas decorations. There was also a shelf full of cocktail glasses and other assorted glassware. Everything on the shelf was gorgeous but I had to stay away, I'm a sucker for glassware and my little bar cart is overwhelmed with glasses.  I was a little disappointed when I walked in, from the little room you walk into when you enter the shop it's a little hard to see into the huge room that is the rest of the store. I was overwhelmed with all the treasures in the shop. The owner said she adds new items everyday. I saw a cute 60s mini dress that I tried on and loved but couldn't buy since it wasn't in my budget. "Wise Buys" is a must visit shop for anyone near Vineland and Buena. I picked up two vintage Christmas ornaments.


Today I was driving around Glassboro in the middle of a beautiful snow shower. I was on Glassboro road and I passed a small antique shop that I've passed countless times and each time I passed I made a note to stop in sometime and today was the day. The shop is "Ternay's Shop in the Woods", it's a cute little shop and the owner told me that the shop is expanding soon. I can't believe I waited so long to visit, the store is amazing. They have everything from tea sets to vintage magazines. I walked around studying everything and then my eyes fell upon the tiny perfume display. I am a perfume junkie, there are enough bottles of perfume on my dresser to last 100 years. I ended up purchasing two bottles of Evening in Paris perfume. Evening in Paris is a light powdery scent, it can work in all seasons.

 The two little bottles are displayed on a pretty white fur wrap that I picked up yesterday at Twice Loved Treasures. I went there for fabric for my first sewing project and left with the wrap and no fabric. Aren't the buttons pretty?

Here are the two ornaments from Wise Buys. I've been looking for ornaments like this all winter.