You can take the girl out of the thrift store...

...but you can't take the thrift store out of the girl.

Oh the glorious day I had yesterday! Thanks to this bold and creative lady over at The Rowdy Stroudy's, as well as her tales of her forays into the wilds of Good Will and nearby consignment shops (read here or here), I was hankering for a visit to a thrift store. Practically drooling. I haven't been able to find one in our new little town yet. What is an obsessive-compulsive thrift-store addict like me to do?

This week, we have found ourselves in our hometown preparing to attend the funeral of Joe's family member. We have also found ourselves with a little time on our hands. Joe took the boy and I took the girls. Off we went on our merry little ways, me with my mom as my trusty shopping partner, eagerly anticipating an afternoon spent basking in thrift-store glory.

And I was not disappointed.

I have scratched my itch. (For a few weeks at least.)

I could feel myself becoming increasingly giddy as we went from thrift store to antique shop to bagelry to thrift store to fabric store to thrift store! What a perfect day spent!

May I share my spoils with you?

$4.00 for shoes my husband thinks are "Uuuugly!". So what? I think "so ugly they are cool" and the tread has ZERO wear AND they fit me. That is a miracle in and of itself for the Jolly Green Giant Boat-Feet Pregnant Lady.

A Chinese Checkers wall hanging from an antique shop. Oh, the memories of Sunday evenings spent with family at my Grandpa and Grandma Miles' house...

$2+ for a string of Halloween lights. I paid a little too much if you ask me, but when lit up they are pretty cute. Halloween, here we come!

25 cents per book! (for hardcovers, for Caldecott winners, for practically brand-new, for classics like Amelia Bedelia, Spot, and Berenstain Bears!) The kids and I are excited to add to our growing collection.

$1.00 for an addition to my Christmas decorations. I have this weak spot for shabby chic metal deco. This tree opens up and holds a candle. Love the metal! Love the color!

Did I mention my weakness for metal decor? That goes double for lanterns and bird cages. Oh look! Something that combines all three! I must make it my own.

Metal, again. But copper-ish metal! Ooooo! I have no idea what to do with this, but at a $2.00, I imagine I can figure out something cool.

I have a dream...that one day I shall live in a house of my own. And on that day, I shall paint and accessorize and decorate and design a room full of soothing blues and earthy, rich, chocolaty browns. And upon that day, this plate shall rest in that room, completing the ambiance in that room as nothing else can. Aaaaahhhh...

I love games. I love old stuff. I love old games. Especially ones that come in cute little vintage-looking suitcases. Especially for $2.00. Backgammon anyone?

And don't let me forget, the garbage-bag full of back-to-school clothes for the kids. I've got to take advantage of it before they care that their clothes are used. But that's for another post, another day...

As for this day, it was fantastic. Amazing how a day digging through another man's trash can be so treasured. I think even my little hoarding hobby heirs had a good time...