The Almost Thrift Shop

I stumbled upon 

The House of Curious Treasures 

by accident.

I was out shopping with a friend in Florence, Kentucky when we spotted the large, hand-painted "Thrift Store" sign from the road.  Sometimes, there is nothing better than a sign that gets straight to the point. When we had finished at the thrift store that the sign belonged to, also known as the Burlington Pike Thrift Store, we saw random items strewn across the lawn next door. As you can see from the photo below, it looks like the most eclectic garage sale known to humanity. BUT...if you look closely you will see the yellow and red "HOUSE OF CURIOUS TREASURE" sign in the left hand corner.  Although, it's mostly covered by a Budweiser sign.

The exterior of The House of Curious Treasures.

When you enter the vibe is a complete 180  -- the inside is warm and cozy. So cozy in fact, that most of the time you shuffle from side to side.  Luckily, the excellent stock of small framed art, Pop Art lamps, 1940's beaded purses and costume jewelery make up for the lack of space.

I've fallen in love with the warm yellow interior paint and endless black and white framed photos. 
This artwork would be perfect for my imaginary Paris flat.
 I'd sit at my window overlooking le Champs Elysees, and type feverishly while La Vie en Rose played on an endless loop.

I'm crazy about this combination of portraits with rock pillars and colored glass.

There is never cash in my wallet, only a card, so I appreciate a helpful sign such as this,
as to avoid embarrassment.

I refer to this place as "the almost thrift store" because of the wide selection of art, trinkets, dishes, Coka-Cola items, vintage purses, costume jewelry, and the occasional postcard of a Cincinnati child from the 1900s. The prices are comparable to a thrift store and they also buy and trade items.

Be sure to check out the Northern Kentucky Thrift Stores page for more information on The House of Curious Treasures.

Shopping with...Evan

Today, I went shopping with my good friend Evan.  He had previously mentioned, via text message, that he hates all the clothing he currently owns. Thus began my begging him, and eventually convincing him, to join me in my thrifting adventures.

And so the blog segment of 

Shopping With..

was born.

Evan and I focused on the area of Florence Kentucky, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Cincinnati.  Evan, a native Kentuckian, showed me two great places I had never heard of before, The Burlington Pike Thrift Store, and The House of Curious Treasures (more on these later), but our main target was Goodwill in Florence on Tanner Lane.

Evan's before shot outside Goodwill.
His shirt was so sad, it crawled up into his mouth and made him frown.
That quickly changed to a smile when we learned it was
50% off everything in the store today!

There are 5 dressing rooms and no lines...FANTASTIC!

This Goodwill, is bright, open clean AND fits more than one person in an aisle! 
This shot shows approximately 80 percent of the clothing section.
The quality of their items was above average.
  They also had a large shoe section (mostly black), a small furniture/kitchen appliances section, and a couple racks of purses.
  I would say the main draw of this store is its vast clothing selection.  There is also a donation drive-through.

THE RESULTS

MEN'S DKNKY SWEATER

$6.99 

And look, a smile! As you can see, the key to any great thrift store purchase is FIT and QUALITY.

If you can believe it,
these photos were shot on a small patch of grass next to the thrift store parking lot.

MEN'S GRAY HALF-ZIP SWEATER

$2.50

Smart and thrifty.

What a model.  Ladies, he's single, loves the great outdoors, watching Criminal Minds,
and pondering the reality of mermaids.

 Thanks Evan!

Hopefully, I can convince others to join me for future thrifting adventures!

THE WOOL GRAY SKIRT: Part II

The Monochromatic look

This outfit was inspired by a coworker who is very into the monochromatic color scheme. 
While she prefers wearing black on black with a hint of white or red, I wanted to keep this outfit a bit more subdued. 

Here you can see the original gray skirt.
I paired it with a simple gray-blue long-sleeved t-shirt
I bought from target roughly 10 years ago during a Black Friday sale.
I think I paid $6. I'm sure it would be no trouble to thrift a similar top.
This version of the outfit gets finished off with a long, blue rock necklace,
that blends seamlessly into the outfit
and allows your face to draw the attention.

The second way to attack this outfit
is to use a bright necklace as a focal point.

I purchased these painted wooden beads at a thrift store for $1.

A gift from my mother, this rock necklace
comes complete with a
peace sign and disco ball.

Dark gray knee-highs continue the theme, while tan cowboy boots help balance the look.

  I purchased this pair at DSW for $80.

For more uses of this look, try a leather shirt on top.  Thrifted, $4.

THE WOOL GRAY SKIRT: Part I

I purchased this gray skirt a couple weeks ago at St. Vincent de Paul. I'm always on the hunt for fun, work appropriate skirts, preferably ones that sit above the hips and hit below the knee.

Keep gray wool interesting with a unique color palette.
I chose a teal blouse and ballet pink cardigan. 
Other other combinations to try: peach and red,
peach and ballet pink, orange-red and mint green.

Follow the trends: Try buttoning all the way up.

This modern blouse helps off-set the vintage skirt and classic cardigan.
This top was purchased at T.J Maxx. 
Black, round toe heels were purchased at Marshalls.

Modern cut-outs.

Bright neon earrings make this outfit
feel very now. (Forever 21, $4.50)

The high-low hem of the skirt gives this outfit another interesting detail.

Since the material is silk, the shirt ends up feeling light instead of clunky.

.

What I bought: the Oakely Goodwill

I had been to the Oakley Goodwill once before 

while I was furniture shopping a year ago and was severely disappointed.  My sole purpose for this trip was to find a coffee grinder (I didn't).  I did, however, happen upon a sale which forced me to comb the racks, and eventually, purchase these two excellent finds.

 Crop Swing Jacket in Yellow Paid

$3.50 (originally $6.99)

Isn't the plaid pattern great?

As you can see this jacket still has the tag and button on...
it has never been worn!

I envision myself wearing this unbuttoned with a dress or high-waisted skirt.

Chocolate Wrap Skirt

$1.99 (originally $3.99)

This skirt looks like it has never been worn. 
I love the simplicity of it. 
I imagine it with cowboy boots,
a cozy sweater and an updo.

A small, classic detail.

 

 

Until tomorrow, bon nuit!

:) Amy

Thrift at Work: The Full Black Skirt Part II

Option Number Two

Classic and Bold

Black full skirt $3.99

originally mentioned here

In the future, I will remember to remove objects from the background. :/

Red T-shirt Victoria's Secret. Any brightly colored t-shirt should do.
Bonus: it's an easy item to thrift!

Faux pearl necklace = a thrifted gift!

Boots give this look so much personality.
I purchased these leather motorcycle boots
at DSW a few years ago for $75.

Until we meet again, bon nuit!

:) Amy

Thrift at Work: The Full Black Skirt

Here is the full, black, midi skirt I recently purchased, done two different ways for an office setting.

Option number one

Soft palette

If I look in a mirror and find myself thinking,
"I look like a school teacher," for me, that's a success.

Light yellow t-shirt cardigan tied at waist.  Purchased at LOFT.

Necklace: Charming Charlie. Sweater tank: Nordstorm Rack.

The knot detail ties the whole look together. 
Sorry, I had to. :)

I finished it off with some black and wood heels
that I've had FOREVER (9 years?) from Target.

 

Stay tuned for part number two!