It's Not ALL eBay--I DO Go To Thrift Stores...

...I just don't go very often because the cheapo pickings are pretty slim these days.

One of my almost daily thrift stops used to be Jacob's Well--it's a local charity and the thrift raises money to enable the congregation to house, feed and nourish the souls of young women from all over who have, shall we say, gone down the wrong lifepath.  They own four thrifts within 45 miles of each other, mainly due to the enormous amount of donated clothing they receive.  The main warehouse has, literally, MOUNTAINS of pants, shirts, dresses, skirts, pj's, baby clothes, etc.  And if you can't afford their low low clothing prices, they will give you a bunch for free.  

Notice I specifically said "low low clothing prices".  Whenever their main pricer sees anything that might be valuable, usually something that's marked with a manufacturer name, she apparently starts seeing gigantic exploding dollar signs in her head and jacks the prices up.  Actually, if you're just collecting, it's bad but doable.  It's NOT doable if you're buying to resell it.  Fortunately she's not an expert on everything and there are still treasures to be found, like the little hand-painted lavender Fenton swan I snagged recently for $1.00.  I really should have given more, just to be fair, but I didn't.  So there.

The girls were talking to each other about "the couch" in the back--one girl desperately wanted it, the other girl couldn't understand WHY because she thought it was incredibly ugly.  So of course I had to go back and see what they were referring to.  OMG!  With a good cleaning this would be so groooooovy!  But I have no more room in my house for big things like this so I had to pass.  Boo hoo.

There was this ever-so-comfy chair for sale, 25 bucks, but again, no room.  I think it's cute how the girls arranged decorative pillows on the furniture and had a little table and a floral arrangement, too.  They might've been bad girls, but even bad girls know how to decorate! 

 If you are religious and get easily insulted, don't read this.  I'm not trying to be sacrilegious but after getting stabbed about four hundred times by this statue's pointy metal aurora, she is now referred to as Attack Mary.

Why is Baby Jesus poking his head out from under her robe?

And why is there a map of Mexico painted on the base?

Still going along with the religious theme, here's a darling little blown glass church.  The store was having a "Christmas In July" sale so, for half price, you could buy a Christmas tree, ornaments, garland, toys, figurines, lights, wrapping paper, ribbon, etc.  Apparently people other than me overbuy in November and then rather than pack it all up they just shove it in a big box and tote it down to the local thrift store.  "Here!" we say.  "YOU find someplace to put it for the next 11 months!"  Hence, the big sale in July.

Fabulous handbag full of big rhinestones. 

 An unopened box of bottlebrush hat Santa placecard holders.  Just the thing for that big holiday party I'll be giving.  Hahahahahahahaha.  If we ever did give a holiday party for most of the local people we know they'd probably think the placecard holders were either "somea them fancy schmancy whores dorves" and try to eat them, or pick their teeth with them after dinner (Those that have any teeth.  I'm not kidding about this).  By the way, I'm referring to my husband's friends, not mine.

MY friends would steal them and put them on their blog crowing about the sweet little Santa placecard holders they got soooooo cheap.

I snagged a full bottle of Muguet de Bois, which has always been one of my favorite fragrances--I think it was the first perfume I ever owned and it was certainly better than sneaking Mom's Tigress and then hearing her mutter, "My God, Christine, you smell like a French whore!"  How in the hell, I wondered, did she even know what one smelled like?!  Today, while researching the words "muguet de bois", which means lily of the valley in French (ah ha!) I discovered that the molecule bourgeonal is a component of the lily of the valley and that BOURGEONAL ATTRACTS SPERM!

So for once, Mom didn't know what she was talking about, since I smelled like a French whore when I splashed on the Muguet, not her Tigress.  But I'll bet she'd know why Baby Jesus is under Mary's robes.  Unfortunately, I'd have to conduct a seance to ask her, and I'm pretty sure she'd be mighty pissed that I bothered her up(or down) there.  Oh, good lord, Christine, just how disrespectful can you GET??!!!! 

 I collect vintage cigarette cases and lighters.  Got these recently at the flea market.

 I've been collecting pieces signed "Georges Briard" when I find them, and this bar set is one of my favorite finds.  Although he's not in the league of Sascha Brastoff or Eva Zeisel or other mid-century lights, he did some interesting stuff and since he's still not all la de da famous he's affordable.  

If you're interested, you can read what Wikipedia has to say about him here.


Here's hoping you have lots of good luck and find bunches of great things at YOUR local thrift.

And for all of you with moms still on this mortal coil, please give them a hug from that sacrilegious, disrespectful VintageChristine person.

Hell doth truly await me.