Pre-Summer Salvoing (and more!)

If you've read any of my blog, you know that every summer, I try to visit a different area Salvation Army every Wednesday (half off day). This is one of my many favorite summer activities. It's summer specific because there are no Salvos in my route home and the schedule of a music teacher makes mid-week shopping excursions nearly impossible. So I save it for school breaks and summer. 

Of course, with the opening of my new Etsy shop, I've been eager to add to my inventory, and a couple of opportunities presented themselves. 

The one thrift store I do visit regularly during the school year is Goodwill. This is a) because the day of the week doesn't matter and b) there are 2 of them directly on my route home. On one of my recent trips, the cashier handed me a flyer announcing the opening of a Goodwill Clearance Center on May 28th, fairly close to my home. This center was going to charge by the pound. 

$1.69 for a pound of clothes?!?

I made my way there on the appointed day, and it was mayhem. A ton of people,  90° with no air conditioning (usually my favorite, but not with all these people) and the clothes were just dumped on these giant tub/tables with no semblance of order. I didn't look as thoroughly as some because this is a little bit like my idea of hell. I did manage to scoop up a vintage girly prom dress and a few scarves (one is vintage Vera!). The California one is pure silk that someone tried to iron on high (judging from the damage) but I figure someone might want the undamaged part to upcycle! 

I got all of this and a modern maxi dress for me for $3! I'll pay another visit when it's much, much further away from opening day. 

Every year, there is an awards show for Wayne County musicals called the Elenbes (this is a play on the name of the sponsoring bank, LNB).  It's one town over from where I teach, in the opposite direction from home. This makes it impractical to go home after work before the awards, but does give me ample time to visit the Salvation Army that's located in the town. I take the opportunity every year. I'd never noticed before that it is a cell phone dead zone, and this year I wanted to look up labels and was completely unable. I walked away with a few gems for the store, though, and a gorgeous vintage La Regale purse that's ALL MINE. 

The attached tie KILLS me.

MINE.

PS, we won the Elenbes.

Finally, after writing my previous post about my Dress Collection, I was inspired to go through it and see what I still have. I had a fit of cleaning once shortly after college (yes, they happen rarely enough to be notable) after I'd stopped having to walk everywhere like you do in Boston and before I realized that running could keep me in my dress size. I got rid of all the dresses I was sure would never fit me again, and I will never forgive myself. 

However, quite a few did survive, and I'm so glad. A couple mysteriously seem to be too small for me now (how did they make the cut?) and are too gorgeous to sit unloved in the attic with the rest. So they've been added to the list of inventory! 

WHYYyyyYYYY don't you fit me?

A long, frilly, girly sundress. <3

There are two and a half weeks left of school, and there will be many wonderful Salvo Wednesdays to blog about! And maybe some yard sale-ing as in Magic Summer days of yore. It can't come soon enough!