extreme thrifting

if they can make a show out of people clipping coupons, they could surely do one on thrifting.  wouldn't that be more interesting than watching people get excited about 2 for 1 toothpaste deals?  the best part of thrifting for me is the drama of it...it's never the same twice.  some days you strike out and come home with nothing, other days you can't stop finding great stuff.

but you have to be willing to deal with some crazy situations, which is where the extreme part comes in...my current favorite thrift store (I'm not telling you the name, that's how good it is) is deep in the San Fernando Valley, totally huge (I spent 2 hrs there saturday and didn't see it all), packed at all hours of the day, and only takes cash.  people there are totally intense and will take things out of your cart if you don't watch them.  I even once saw a man there have a seizure and fall down and crack his head open, sprawled out bleeding on the floor, and people did not stop shopping.  now that is good television!

anyway I was so happy to have a few hours on saturday to thrift, I went a little crazy...in addition to a ton of cute clothes, here's what I picked up...

this little guy.  did I need more blue art glass?  no I did not.  but $2!!  so home he came.

I did not find this brass butterfly sculpture saturday, but I've never snapped a photo of him so I thought I'd do that.  found at some thrift store, not sure where.  incidentally, if "Black Coffee and a Sidecar" is taken, "Brass Butterfly" would also be an excellent title for a memoir.

this is pretty certainly not C. Jere, but it's got that vibe so it's all good.

this pink and grey woven, probably South American, sexy throw is also not needed...but I'm on an ethnic-folksy textile kick these days...

let's get a closer look at those colors...so eighties!  I love it.

and lastly...and bestly...these guys.  I don't know, I guess I'm collecting antique shoe forms now?

I just couldn't resist them...that patina!  the one with the red handle kills me, the paint is all cracked and worn, so perfect.  these are so quirky and random, they feel a bit like a prop in a Pottery Barn catalogue, so I'm not sure how to display them, but I still love em.  check out these great stamps:

fantastic.  and come to think of it, "Oil All Moving Parts" isn't a bad title for a memoir either.