Thrift Store shopping with My Best Friend: priceless! Part 1

It's crazy, I know, but the second we got into California, I was anticipating hanging out with my longtime closest girlfriend [the Great and Fabulous E] and going to second hand shops to gab and shop and shop and shop.

When she drove up to meet me, it was assumed that we would make the rounds at our favorite places.  Neither of us live there anymore, so it was new and different for both of us.

At the first place, I wasn't that into the Thrifting.  I actually felt like I chose things simply to get the juices going.  I was looking for something to stow our stuff in our hotel room, things to entertain the kids and a pair of straight legged jeans for chubby little me.

I  found these cute little ceramic trays with little cups, a pair of straight legged jeans in my size (which I hemmed at my mom's with her sewing machine, because that's how short people make their clothes right) a popeye shirt for E, a wooden tray [kids love wooden stuff, and so do I, this will go with all their "kitchen" things] and this way cool monkey balancing toy, a little green dish (used for the contents of my pockets at the end of the day) and a book (I read East is East by the same author).  I also found a Care Bear for Iz there.

The next place really got me going.  I love these metal lunch boxes.  In fact, the Great E bought me one from a flea market when she was living in New York and it disappeared in the moves over the years.  This one has seen better days, but that's kind of the point.  I also bought some reusable bags because I hadn't brought any with me.  This cute little wooden set of drawers (which my dad sanded down for me) a wooden Ikea file box, a glass globe and a little glass microwave popcorn popper.  I left that at my parents' with the hopes that they would try it out for me.  And of course, that little cup for E.

This is taken at the St. Vincent's.  I have to say that this is my favorite thrift store on the planet, even though it is not the nicest looking by far.  I just love it.  In the back they had a bunch of glass jars that I was immediately drawn to.  I bought two for terrariums (which I put together at my parents' house and are probably dead now, it's very very hot in Central California).  I don't know what else I bought.  I was talking about my husband to my friend and it turns out that the clerk has the same first name, we all had a laugh, because the two of them couldn't be more outwardly different: she is little and brown like me, but elderly and he is big and light skinned, tattooed and tough guy through and through.

OK, I didn't buy this cup, but I thought about it.  I once had a serious cup buying problem, which I've replaced with a minor cup fixation.  The Big Kid (when he was a little kid) used to say I was a "cup lady".  I was always coming home with these funky odd cups and glasses.  I don't need my table wear to match, something I don't have in common with my husband, who feels that some things belong in sets.  Whatever.  For a while The Big Kid and I collected jelly glasses, until they started charging collectable prices for them.  Most of his collection cost ten or 15 cents way back when.  I drew the line at 50 cents; It's a jar.  I did buy other cups.  But I resisted more than I yielded.  Yay me.