Tag Archives: Thrift

Everything so beautiful and like new!

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So…I have been starting to look shabby. Like, I’ve had to start discarding jeans one by one with considerable rips and holes popping up everywhere, tops discoloring and losing form from many wears and washes, etc. I haven’t really purchased clothes in years. Only a few necessary items. I work from home now, and I don’t go to dress-up places anymore either. So, I’ve just been making do. And, though I once went to nice stores and picked out nice things when I needed (or wanted) them, money has become too precious for that. Those days are long gone.

But you know what? I did something yesterday that I should have been doing even years ago when I stepped out to the stores. I went thrifting at Goodwill. I walked away with a heart so full, friends. For about $55, I left with 3 jeans, 2 sweaters, 2 blouses, 1 flannel, 2 black slacks, a winter hat, a scarf (not all seen here in the photo). Everything so beautiful and like new!

My only difficulty with used items, is that they tend to have perfume in them from past owners. (Donators don’t necessarily wash items before they donate). Which, my serious allergies can’t take. But, with these clothes, a wash (maybe a half a cup of vinegar in it) will do the trick.

I feel SO blessed. God is so good. And from here on out, I will be a thrifter rather than a shopper. There is NO excuse not to stretch my hard-earned money, when such nice things are available to me, at such good prices. I always liked thrifting before, but I have a much stronger appreciation for it today.

All my best, and Stay Inspired ~

The Secondhand Purse

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Good Day Good Friends! Are you staying inspired?

I love thrift stores, antique malls, secondhand places! Always have.

During the pandemic, I didn’t visit any of the secondhand stores I love. I really missed that. I’m eager (after my busy summer ahead) to be able to browse them again. For me, it’s not about shopping. It’s about finding a special or useful find that will bring joy to my life.

In any case, there is a local consignment shop that more recently, every time I walked by, was closed. Only, there was a leather purse in the window that I just felt was meant to be mine.

At length, after seeing it again and again in the window of this closed shop, I finally found the store open one day and promptly purchased the purse. Great price, and I was really happy.


Only, after getting it home, my house began to smell like strong perfume (understatement). Those of you who read this blog know that I am VERY allergic to perfume. I didn’t notice while carrying the purse home on a walk out-of-doors. But now, I got close to the purse and YIKES! It was as though it had been soaked in strong perfume. I now have to believe that it was sprayed inside, intentionally. This wasn’t a little surface fragrance. It was in the leather.

This was really upsetting to me. I’d pined for that purse for a long time but now it seemed I would have to promptly remove it from my house.

All of this to say, I looked up ways to remove perfume from leather online. And I, after weeks, have almost achieved the goal of removing much of the perfume from the bag. It has required wiping down, filling with baking soda, filling with newspaper, airing in the window, repeatedly. It’s been a chore.

The winner? Newspaper, I think. It seems to take in the perfume. You pull out the newspaper and it is scented. You throw it away, and do it again as needed.

Perfume and I are mortal enemies. But I really wanted to give my new secondhand purse a chance and I’m glad that I made that effort. It’s not there yet, but it’s come a long way. Enough that I can carry the purse around. It is at present however, taking another round of newspaper!

Sometimes there are hard cases in life. But when you love something enough, the extra effort is worth it.

Stay Inspired.