My New Favorite Thing. Ever.

First off, let me apologize for my two week hiatus from le blog. Honestly, I just haven't been feeling up to writing/photographing much lately. It's just That Time of Year. Those of you that live in Minnesota or other tundra-like climates can probably empathize. It was fucking snowing here in March. While all my California friends posted Facebook statuses like "OMG! It's soooo hot!! Going to the beach today!!", I was noticing how closely my skin color matched the white pages of the 100+ page journal I was inputting for work. Crappy weather, long days of listening to rambling political speeches laced with completely irrelevant high school wrestling metaphors, and busted NCAA brackets have made me feel like curling up on the couch with a bag of pretzels and giving life the finger. 

However, after a relatively warm, sunny weekend full of bike riding, healthy food and an overdose of yoga, I have regained my will to live. And blog. Also, shop.

Now, let me introduce you to my new best friend:

My boyfriend Justen took me here for the first time a couple months ago, unwittingly creating a rabid, thrifting monster out of his girlfriend.

Apparently, Justen had gone here a few times when he was a kid, when what is now "The Goodwill Outlet" was known simply as "Diggers," which I feel pretty much says it all. Basically, this is a giant warehouse full of clothes, shoes, purses, books, records, luggage, and other random assorted household items.

Just when I thought Goodwill couldn't get any cheaper or more awesome, it fucking did.

Here's what happens at the Goodwill Outlet: workers put out bins of clothing, shoes, etc. onto conveyer belts on one side of the warehouse. There are also several (unmoving) platforms on the other side of the warehouse containing mostly shoes and purses, but also lots of other random assorted goodies. You dig through and grab what you can. Sounds pretty simple, right?

It is, except that it's also A FUCKING RACE AGAINST TIME. That's because every 30-60 mins., the workers come by and empty all the bins into huge cardboard boxes so they can put out MORE BINS!! I like this because it makes the whole thrifting more exciting by adding a time constraint/competitive element to the process. This can be especially thrilling when you are looking for shoes. Often you will not find shoes in a pair. This is because they literally just shovel them onto the platforms and into bins. So you'll find one shoe, and then spend 20 minutes frantically searching for its companion before they come with the shovels again.

If you're not a total competitive psycho like I am, you're probably wondering why the fuck anyone would want to shop like this. Well, that's the other thing about Goodwill Outlet. It is insanely cheap. They charge you by the pound. Yes, it's like $1.50 per pound of clothing, $2 per pound of purses/accessories, and $1.50 for each pair of shoes. And if you dig, you can really find some really amazing things.

Here are a few looks featuring some of my favorite Goodwill Outlet finds:

From Goodwill Outlet: hot pink pumps ($1.50) and belt (less than $1)

Necklace: chain, leaf and wood piece from a F21 necklace, plus a fish charm bought in Jerusalem for $1

Vintage dress and bright pink pumps (again) from Goodwill Outlet. This outfit cost less than $3.

I love this dress because it appears kinda matronly, but is actually super sheer and see-through. Plus, the print is a-fucking-dorable.

Winter jacket from Goodwill Outlet, probably $2. I was kind of bummed to find this amazing coat at the very end of winter, but oh well, it's still pretty fucking cold, and it will be awesome for next year.

I pretty much lived in this sweater for the last month. It is so cozy, and I love the 70s/80s silhouette. Also, found these amazing nude Guess pumps, which are a little big despite the fact that they say they are size 7. Anyone a size 8ish that would appreciate these? Let me know. I want them to go to a good home. It took me like 30 mins. to find the second half of the pair.

This turquoise purse is my new favorite accessory. And these boots are my new favorite shoes. They are real leather, in great condition and AMAZING. Again, I had to look for the second half of the pair for about 30 mins, but for $1.50, I think it was well worth my time.

This kind of thrifting is not for the faint of heart. The warehouse is pretty dirty, and so are many of the items within. It can also take a fair chunk of time to find really great items, or the other half of a really great pair of shoes, and sometimes the other shoe simply isn't there. It can be frustrating, but for me, it's worth it. I love the treasure hunting aspect of thrifting. If it was easy, way more people would do it, but instead there are malls filled with hundreds of the same shirts, shoes, purse, etc. in different colors and sizes. There are plenty of situations where this kind of shopping is fun, useful, or even necessary, but most of the time, I prefer the hunt. I take so much satisfaction in finding a completely unique item that sparks my imagination, especially when it costs less than $5.

<3-hallee