Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Thrift Finds: Animal House

Vintage Glass Pig Container, Goodwill Outlet (<$1)
My trip to Goodwill Outlet on Saturday was more fruitful in the gift department than in the "finds for myself" department. Which is actually how I prefer it, because I love shopping for the perfect gifts for the special people in my life. :) (Corny alert!)

Anyway, I was drawn to this container because it reminded me of my Grandma C. She picked a specific animal to collect little figures for each of her grandkids, and she bought me little pigs. Now whenever I see one, I think of her, and this little vintage container is especially cute. :)

Turtle Basket, Goodwill Outlet (<$1)
Another animal-themed thing I picked up on Saturday was this turtle-shaped basket. It's not the first animal-shaped basket I've thrifted, but there's just something neat about them. I found a particularly cute fish-shaped one on etsy that I would totally get if it was thrift-store cheap!

Well, it's time to go back to work after the long weekend. It went by way too fast, for sure!

Always,
Amanda

Monday, May 30, 2011

Thrift Finds: San Francisco

Finally, I remembered to photograph a couple of my San Francisco thrift finds. It's about time, right? And I thought I might as well interject a little bit of a review of the thrifts we visited there as well. (Clicking on the thrift shop names will lead to reviews and addresses, if you're interested!) Okay, here we go:

Kitty Purse, Thrift Town ($2.75)

I was most pleased with Thrift Town out of the SF thrifts. I got this little kitty purse and the vintage Hawaiian purse that was in one of my vacation outfit posts. For less than three bucks each, I thought they were reasonably priced. The store was two stories and had a lot of items, but the two bags were all that I found.

The very best prices that I encountered out of the San Francisco thrifts were definitely at Community Thrift. The hubby found a veritable gold mine of men's vintage shirts for cheap, and I scored two Chinese fans. The more ornate one went to my sis-in-law, but I kept the all-green one:
Chinese Fan, Community Thrift ($0.75)
While Community Thrift seemed to have pretty great prices and some cool things, there just wasn't much that I liked there. The only other thing I thrifted in the city was a San Francisco shirt from the local Goodwill. We didn't find anything at Mission Thrift, which seemed more like a vintage shop than a thrift shop. It was too pricey for my wallet!

Well, I think this post officially ends my vacation-centered ones, although I could certainly go on for weeks talking about all the things we did! I hope you're having a great day off (if you have today off), and thank you again to all of the servicemen and servicewomen for all you've done for our country. 

Always,
Amanda

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Outfitted In: Blue Dots and Yellow Hearts

Sunglasses, San Francisco; Necklace and Watch, Lake Tahoe;  Dotted Shirt, Jeans, Doc Martins, Navy Blue Bag: All Thrifted; Striped Shirt, Target Clearance
I am finally back in the present after a whirlwind week post-vacation! I hadn't been to my favorite Richmond thrifts for weeks, so it was nice to head to Goodwill Outlet yesterday morning. I found a couple neat things to show you all this week, and I still have a couple San Fran thrift finds to share as well. :)

I hope everyone has a great, safe Memorial Day weekend! Thank you to the amazing members of our military for your service!

Always,
Amanda

Saturday, May 28, 2011

San Francisco on My Mind

I realized that I didn't get any pictures of the San Francisco thrift shops, and I still haven't taken any pictures of the few finds I had there. I thought instead I'd share some of my favorite photos from our trip through the city. :) I hope you enjoy!

Me and the hubby in front of the cable car!
The harbor seals at Pier 39!
The view from the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge!
The hubby in solitary confinement at Alcatraz!
Me, Hubby, Mom, Dad, and the Golden Gate Bridge!
There are about 300 more pictures of San Francisco, but I just had to share these few. :) We had such a great time, and it was so nice to hang out with some of my favorite people in the world. It was definitely a vacation I'll never forget!

Always,
Amanda

Friday, May 27, 2011

Thrifting in Reno, Nevada!

  
Reno was such a fun place for a day trip from Lake Tahoe! My favorite things about Reno (other than the cool retro signs, shown above) were definitely the thrift stores. We visited two on 4th Street: Thrift Depot and Saint Vincent's. 

  • Thrift Depot, our first stop, was an eclectic-awesome sort of place. The gentleman at the register was very nice, asking about our travels and encouraging my dad to buy an awesome carved walking stick. (He ultimately didn't, as he couldn't think of how he'd get it back to Florida. It was really neat though!) We walked around the multi-levels of the store, spotting a unique tree-section coffee table and a very nice antique piano. My parents both bought swim suits to use at our timeshare's jacuzzi that night, and I found a neat Mario case for my Nintendo 3DS. 
  • The Lowdown: This store should be a must-stop for a Reno-visiting thrift lover! They had very cool things for great prices- especially if you have a car to take home some of the larger treasures and time to go through all the different sections. :) A+


  • Saint Vincent's, our final thrift stop in Reno, was just about the opposite of Thrift Depot in terms of layout. It was the cleanest thrift store I've ever been to, with not a single musty smell in the place! It was divided into two major sections: thrift goods and antique items. I found some great embroidery thread for 25 cents a color, including some Japanese thread! The hubby found a bomb squad trucker hat from a Tampa-based squadron, which was cool since that's our hometown. My parents had more luck in the antique section, where my mom found a vintage blow dryer that she's going to display in her hair salon! The lady at the register was also super-nice and made sure to talk with us about our finds. She even asked to see a friendship bracelet that I'd made with embroidery thread, and we showed her the hubby's.   
  • The Lowdown:  I loved Saint Vincent's! It was a very pleasant thrift store, and we found some really cool things. The pricing on the thrift goods was especially reasonable, and the antique goods were less than you'd pay at an antique shop. A++
Always,
Amanda

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Outfitted In: Vacation Wear- Tahoe to Napa to Home

San Francisco Black Shirt, Dotted Shirt, Jeans: Thrifted; KSwiss Shoes, Rugged Wearhouse; Numbers Tote, Store in San Francisco's Japantown; Slapwatch, Store in Tahoe; Hair Band, Target
This is the outfit I wore the last day of our vacation, which was a very long day! We woke up early, checked out of our Tahoe timeshare, drove to Napa Valley, and explored Muir Woods. Then we boarded a plane for an overnight flight and then two more flights. Whew! I get tired just thinking about all the flights we took!

I love the combo of the black and blue, and of the dots and the numbers print. :) This blue shirt may be my new favorite! Tomorrow I'll start reviewing the thrift shops we visited, so stay tuned. :)

Always,
Amanda

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Outfitted In: Vacation Wear- Tahoe

Striped Sweater, Cardigan, Scarf, Vintage Hawaiian Bag: Thrifted; Jeans, Burlington; KSwiss Shoes, Rugged Wearhouse; Sunnies, F21
I didn't realize it at the time, but I packed a lot of red, white, and blue for our vacation! Here's another patriotic outfit, from the second half of our vacation in Lake Tahoe. I found the vintage Hawaiian bag at one of the thrifts in San Francisco for only two bucks! It was the perfect size for toting around my camera and souvenirs while we casually walked around South Lake Tahoe. There were so many things I wanted to buy in the shops there, but I restricted myself to just a really awesome dreamcatcher leather necklace. I can't wait to show it to you all!

Always,
Amanda

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Outfitted In: Vacation Wear #2

Shirt, Sweater, Jeans, Ribbon (tied around neck, blowing madly in the wind): Thrifted; Sunnies, F21; Converse, JCrew Warehouse Sale; Bag, Fieldguided
This was my birthday outfit, worn on Sunday the 15th, which was also our only sunny day in San Francisco! The hubby snapped this shot for me while we waited in line for our first trolley ride. :) I loved the city, but the hills were crazy! I definitely preferred the trolley to walking, but we had our fair share of that too.

We did go to a couple thrift shops in SF and Reno, but I didn't find many things I could carry back! I'll try to take some pictures of my little finds, though, and I definitely want to talk about the thrifts we visited. Hopefully in a couple more days I will have adjusted back to our time zone and can get that done. :)

Always,
Amanda

Monday, May 23, 2011

Outfitted In: Vacation Wear #1

Sunnies, San Francisco Shop; Scarf, World Market; Jeans and Sweater, Thrifted; Shirt, F21;  KSwiss Shoes, Rugged Wearhouse; Fjallraven Bag, Need Supply Co (gift from hubby!)
This is what I wore on our second day in San Francisco. :) It was chilly and overcast, and this outfit was perfect for the weather.

We had such a great time out west, but I am definitely exhausted. I'll have the outfit photos from our vacation for the next couple days, and then I'll work on some thrift shop reviews and other fun stuff like that. :) It's good to be back! I missed you guys!

Always,
Amanda

Friday, May 20, 2011

Blythe's Thrifted Outfit: Buckets of Sunshine

Vintage Doll Shirt and Shorts; Vintage Basket: Goodwill Outlet
Hey there! I hope everyone is having a great Friday! Even though we're on vacation, I hope you've enjoyed the posts I've scheduled for you guys this week. :) This is the last one until we return from California! See you on Monday. :)

Always,
Amanda

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Find: Monchhichi

Vintage Monchhichi Doll, Goodwill Outlet (<$1)
I was super excited to find this 80s Monchhichi doll in the bins at Goodwill Outlet! It's so cute! I vaguely remember seeing reruns of the US cartoon featuring these little guys, but you can check out more info on their Wikipedia page.

Always,
Amanda

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Find: An Italian Keepsake

Italian Sheep Figurine, Goodwill Outlet (<$1)
While we are on vacation in California right now, this little guy came all the way from Italy! I was stoked to find this in the Goodwill Outlet bins the other weekend, especially since it is stamped 'Italy' on the bottom. My parents, brother and I went to Italy back in 2006, and it was definitely an interesting trip! I brought back plenty of souvenirs from that vacation, but nothing as little and sweet as this sheep. :)

I'm sure to have plenty of vintage and thrifted San Francisco souvenirs when we return!!

Always,
Amanda

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Find: Genesis Memories

Sega Genesis Games, Play N Trade ($2)
Remember the other day when I was talking about the beloved Barbie game of my childhood? Well, here it is! The hubby and I played it, and he beat me really bad. (Just like my brother used to when we were younger!)

I couldn't resist also picking up the Jeopardy game, although I didn't play it as a child. The hubby has Jeopardy for the original Nintendo, but we don't know many of the answers from back then!

I hope you all are having a great week so far!

Always,
Amanda

Monday, May 16, 2011

Thrift Find: Vintage Beaded Goodness

Vintage Beaded Purse, Goodwill Outlet ($2)
You can probably imagine my excitement when I find any cool purses at all at Goodwill Outlet now that it's so overcrowded. (I swear I've seen bloodshed over the purse bins!) But when I went last Monday with my hubby, the bins were pleasantly silent. I happily grabbed this beaded bag without, thankfully, any injuries!

Do you all ever see aggression at the thrift stores?

Always,
Amanda

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Outfitted In: Black and Bracelets

Shirt, Jeans, Watch: Thrifted; Cardigan, Gift; Sandals, F21; Bag, Alloy.com; Bracelets, DIY and Target
I've been really getting into making bracelets as of late. I would call them "Friendship" bracelets, but I don't think that counts when you make them for yourself! (Although I did make one for my hubby, too.) Anyway, this is last Monday's outfit- before we left on vacation and a much-needed day off for packing and such. This is the first of the scheduled posts while I'm gone, and I'll be trying to have a couple California ones this week as well!

Always,
Amanda

PS: It's my birthday today! Big 2-5!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Thrifted, Gifted: Chinese Fan

Chinese Fan, Goodwill Outlet
I introduce you to a new segment here on Already Loved: Thrifted, Gifted. I was thinking about the things that never get posted about because they are gifts, and sometimes they are the best finds! So here's the first gift, which will be given to my sis-in-law this morning for her college graduation (among other goodies!). She's really into Asian things, although specifically Japanese ones.

This Chinese fan was so pretty, I couldn't pass it up though, and I know she'll love it. :) Admittedly, Ashley is one of the easiest people to thrift for, because she likes a variety of things that I find while thrifting. Happy graduation, girl! (And to my cousin Meredith too!!) We're off to San Fran tonight!

Always,
Amanda

Friday, May 13, 2011

Blythe's Thrifted Outfit: Tie Dye + Denim



 Every piece of Blythe's outfit for this Friday came from Goodwill Outlet on Monday. :) Gotta love all-thrifted, easy outfits! Well, I'm off to California on vacation tomorrow, so have a great week! I'll have some posts scheduled, and perhaps I'll pop in a time or two, but I'll mostly be tuned out from the internet. :)

Always,
Amanda

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Thrift Find: A Happy Wrist

Watch, Family Thrift ($1)
I keep finding these Happy Meal toy watches at the thrifts, and I really love them! Not only do they add a bit of quirky to an outfit, but they are all plastic so I can wear them. :) I love having watch options, especially since non-metal ones are so hard to find. My dream, dream watch would have to be an all-wooden one (!), but as those cost more than a hundred bucks, that dream will have to wait!

Always,
Amanda

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Outfitted In: Black and Blue

Shirt, Blouse, Ribbon (as belt), Courds, Pin: Thrifted; Sandals, Clever Nettle etsy; Bracelets, DIY and Target Dollar Section; Bag, Alloy.com
Now that the hubby and I have gotten more comfortable with my new camera, we're both loving it! It takes great close-up photos, and it even works well on cloudy mornings like Sunday. :) I wore this to a Mother's Day brunch at a place called Galaxy Diner with my in-laws and hubby, and to Need Supply Co. for my hubby's birthday present to me: an awesome grey Fjallraven backpack!!

Can I just say I am soooo excited to use my new backpack on our vacation?! I love it so much! It's funny because I originally wanted the yellow one, but upon seeing the collection in person, I fell in love with the light grey. Thank you Josh for such a lovely birthday present!!! (My birthday is actually on the 15th, and I've already gotten most of my presents! I am one lucky, lucky girl!)

I hope you are having a great week so far. :) I know I am counting down the days until the weekend, when I'll get to see some of my family, and we leave for San Francisco! Fingers crossed the rest of this week goes by quickly, and that next week goes by suuuuper slow!

Always,
Amanda

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Thrift Find: The Red-Eyed Frog

Frog Brooch, Family Thrift ($2)
How adorable is this little frog? Its little legs move back and forth! I got it and a white-eyed one for my mother-in-law at Family Thrift on Saturday. I hardly ever visit FT because they are generally way overpriced (they had brooches for over $30 each), but every once in awhile, you can find something cool for pretty cheap.

Yesterday, the hubby and I went back out to Goodwill Outlet and Love of Jesus and found a couple things. The hubby got a Sega Genesis at Love of Jesus! Awesome. My little brother and I grew up playing the Sega Genesis, so I had to get one of our favorite games: Barbie! Seriously, you had to memorize poses on a runway, drive your convertible, and avoid things in your way. I can't wait to play it again!

Always,
Amanda

Monday, May 9, 2011

Thrift Find: Perfect for a Monday

Vintage Wall Art, Goodwill Outlet (<$1)
I didn't find much at Goodwill Outlet on Saturday, but I did manage to grab a couple little things like this psychedelic wall art! I definitely can relate to the saying on it, especially on Mondays. Today I am off work, though. :) I plan on hitting up Chick-Fil-A for breakfast, going to Goodwill Outlet, and then seeing Your Highness with my hubby. Ahhh, days off. So great!

Always,
Amanda

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Outfitted In: Yellow and Stripes

Vintage Benetton Top, Jeans, Bag: Goodwill; Sandals, Journeys; Sunglasses, Target Dollar Section; Necklace, Estate Sale; Bangles, F21 and Antique Store
Yesterday was a packed day, including: work all morning, trying to figure out the settings on my new camera to take my outfit photo, visiting my fave thrift stores, checking antique stores for mother's day presents, and finally coming home. Whew. Today I plan to do a lot, lot less. :)

I want to wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day, especially my wonderful mom and mom-in-law, Grammy, Grandma C, Granma, and Grandmother!

Always,
Amanda

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Etsy Find: Hardy Boys Book Clutch

Book Clutch, Pretty Theory etsy
How cool is this book clutch? I told you guys about the Pretty Theory etsy shop last week, and I just had to show you my new clutch I bought from them! It is really well-made and fun for only ten bucks. :) I might have to spring for a larger, purse-size one in the future, because I just think they're that cool.

I hope you have a great weekend! I'm working this morning, and then I'm definitely hitting up the thrift stores. :)

Always,
Amanda

Friday, May 6, 2011

Blythe's Thrifted Outfit: Pastels and Purple

Vintage Barbie Clothes; Keds Mini Backpack; Goodwill Outlet
It is so, so green outside our balcony right now! I love when the trees are full of leaves, because it seems like we live right next to a forest.

Blythe's 80s-tastic shorts and crop-top are fun spring pieces, and I love that I thrifted a tiny backpack as well. :) I hope you have a great Friday! I work tomorrow morning, but then I have Monday off and vacation the next week! I'm super excited!

Always,
Amanda

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Thrift Find: Not a Fjallraven

Backpack, Goodwill Outlet ($2)
I've been really, really wanting a Fjallraven backpack for our upcoming San Francisco trip, and for daily use after. While there's little-to-no chance that I'll ever thrift one, I'm crossing my fingers that maybe I'll get one for my birthday. :) If not, then I thrifted this backup backpack. I really love the bright color, but it doesn't have the pretty design that my dream backpack has. Then again, what more can you ask of a two-dollar find?

Always,
Amanda

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Thrift Finds: A Pretty Laptop Bag

Laptop Bag, Good Samaritan ($3)
I hadn't been to Good Samaritan thrift store in a couple weeks, so I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few awesome things there Saturday! My most-used find so far (other than my Florsheim loafers that are getting worn every day to work) is this laptop case. On the outside, it just looks like a particularly huge purse, but it has a padded section inside for a laptop. Which is proving to be perfect for my new camera! I can't wait to try it out in the sunshine (this photo was taken with my old camera), so you'll be sure to see plenty of photos soon. :) I hope your week is going well!

Always,
Amanda

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Meet Moxie the Kitty!

Moxie the Kitty!
Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to the hubby and I's new kitty, Moxie! She's very sweet and a little shy so far, but we already love her so much. :)

If you followed Another's Treasure, you probably read many times about my fear of cats. While I'm still getting over that fear, Moxie is an absolute sweetheart! She hasn't once hissed or scratched or bit or anything scary-cat-like. We can't wait for her to get more comfortable with our apartment and us. :) I hope you have a great day- I'll be back tomorrow with some thrifted finds!

Always,
Amanda

Monday, May 2, 2011

Brown Leather Perfection

Florsheim Wingtip Loafers, Good Samaritan ($2)
I thrifted the most perfect, comfortable loafers on Saturday! They are Florsheim brand, and they're just perfection! In other news, the hubby and I got a kitty! We named her Moxie, and she's brown and black and adorable. :) I'm sure pictures will come soon!

Always,
Amanda

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Outfitted In: Stripes and Dots

Striped Top, Target Clearance; Dotted Top, Sandals, Bag: Thrifted; Jeans, Burlington; Ray Bans, TJMaxx, Necklace, F21
One thing I've noticed recently is that my closet is chock-full of blue. I almost always wear blue jeans, I have mostly blue shirts and sweaters, and I have blue sandals and blue sunglasses! Talk about an overload of one color! But the thing is, wearing blue makes me happy. It's such a calming, nice color, and I always feel good in it. So here's my most recent blue-tastic outfit, from head to toe. :)

On another note, I was able to go to a couple thrifts this morning! I actually found some pretty neat stuff to share with you all over the coming week. :) And I am almost completely over being sick, thank goodness. I really was feeling bad this past week, and I'm just so glad to be feeling better!

Always,
Amanda