#15. Buy an Outfit at a Thrift Store

Alright, I have a confession to make… I haven’t crossed off number fifteen. No, dear followers, I have merely started to cross it off. However, I would still consider today’s events to be worthy of blogging, so allow me to elaborate further. This afternoon my mother and I trekked out to our local Salvation Army to spend an afternoon sifting through racks of discarded clothing. As if by fate, I was immediately drawn to the tank tops, only to pick up this beauty almost instantaneously:

I snatched up the hanger without hesitation, just knowing I had to take it home, and then it hit me… I’m going to be a senior. Next, it hit me in a way that it never had before… I am a senior!! For once, I wasn’t dreading the prospect of facing my final year living the only way of life I’ve ever known. It was an epiphany that cleared away some of the anxiety that had been clouding my outlook on the approaching school year. Just as I was gushing to my mom, savoring this newfound perspective, I turned it around to read the back:

Yep, it’s definitely fate. Not only does it have my name on it (well, close enough anyway), but it has a direct connection to my dad; in high school, his football nickname was “Lil’ Train.” He even still has one of his old practice jerseys with the moniker emblazoned on the back with yellow iron-on letters. The coincidence is yet another example of how strangely the details of my life have been intertwined this summer.

In addition to this most sacred of all tank tops, I picked up two more simple white tanks and an adorable light pink sweater that reminds me of something Jackie O herself would have worn. Then again, she didn’t live in the world’s largest sauna they call Florida. Although I tried on at least half a dozen pairs of pants and skirts, nothing came even close to fitting, which leads me to render this list item incomplete. After all, it does specify an “outfit,” so until I can find some bottoms and accessories to match, consider it a work in progress. Until then…

Love & Summer,

Sarah

#15. Buy Something at the Second-Hand Store

As I walked into the “upscale resale” store, it hit me like a brick wall… The Smell. I knew second-hand stores couldn’t be the freshest outfits around, but this was taking it a notch above what I had in mind. If it hadn’t been for the uh, older gentleman, eyeing us from the cash register in the middle of the store, I would have begged my mom to just forget about it and leave. The small parlor had a few circular racks, all filled with clothes for those of a generation much beyond my own. I tried to comb through them in search of the diamond in the rough, but The Smell still lingered. The scent of the Viva La Juicy I had spritzed on in the mall had entirely lost it’s original effect. With every piece of clothing I touched, my mind repeated the obvious assumption: somebody had to have died in this. I made my way into the back where most of the abandoned clothing lay. Slowly, The Smell began to fade, and I found myself eager to begin my search once again. I thought I was only going to leave with one item, something small, like a piece of jewelry… wouldn’t you know, I ended up buying four things! I was drawn to the red and white striped shirt you see me wearing in the picture, because it reminded me of a shirt I almost bought at PacSun (an overly-priced beachwear store for teens, found in nearly every mall across America). It would have cost me around $14… I paid a whopping $1.99 for this knock-off. On top of that, I also bought a cropped tank (perfect for summer), a white waist belt, and a rather groovy scarf. (I’ll post pictures of all of these as well on my Facebook page.) And get this – the scarf said Paris on it, like many upscale scarves of the past did, but the tag was printed in Japanese. It’s true origins remain a mystery, but I thought it to be fascinating that now I have my own little piece of historical culture. My grand total? $4.58. That’s it! Originally it would have been around $10, but on top of those bargains, everything was 50% off! But wait! There’s more! Not only did I make out like a bandit… but all of the proceeds go towards helping children with disabilities. I almost felt bad for getting that discount. Oh, and remember that older gentleman I mentioned in the beginning of the story? Well he turned out to be the biggest sweetheart ever! Moral to the story: sometimes you have to look past a little bit of dirt to see a whole lot of treasure. Give it a try – I guarantee you’ll be surprised.

Love & Summer,

Sarah