Saturday, February 4, 2012

Saturday night confessional

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned
In high school, I went with a guy for two and a half years, whose family was Catholic.  I loved his family.  More often than not, I was at his house for dinner.  Before eating, the four of them would make the sign of the cross.  I grew up in the Foursquare Pentecostal Church.  Quite a difference from Catholicism.  My boyfriend's parents would attend service on Saturday evenings.  Afterwards, they would play cards with friends.  David and I would be at his parent's house, listening to our favorite radio program, The King Biscuit Flour Hour.  This was in the late 70's.  To avoid going to church on Saturday evening with his family, David would go to confession on his own.  This seemed to appease his parents.  This troubled me greatly.  What did he tell the Priest?  Did he tell him we were parked at Baker Park and got caught by the police?  (We did.)  Did he tell him we were at David's house when his family was gone?  (Something both of our families would have frowned upon.)  Did he tell him that David peer pressured me into sipping my first liquor?  (Grape Vodka- it was hideous.)  I worried and worried about what David told his Priest.
Well, it is Saturday night and I have a confession of my own.
My name is Cheryl and I like nice clothes.
Some might even say that I am a clothes horse.
In years past, I wore some right fancy dudes.  I would shop and shop and lay that plastic down.  Lordy, I nearly wore out some of that plastic.  Back in the day they would lay the card down and sweep, sweep back and forth over it.  Do some of you remember what I'm talking about?  I shopped and charged.  Well, it is quite likely that I am still working to pay off some of said charges.  Now a days I get just as much of a thrill from saving money as I used to get from spending money.  

We have a Vintage Vogue in our town.  If you are a regular reader, I've written about this store before.  It is by Goodwill.  But this is upscale Goodwill.  They carry brand new shoes.  They carry high end purses.  You never know what you will find.  But I have become a Goodwill Vintage Vogue snob.  You see, on the first Saturday of the month, everything is HALF off. 

I started dragging Doug in there with me.  We found a pair of Cole Haan shoes for him in there.  Again, brand new.  Doug wears a size thirteen shoe.  These were a moccasin style with a tassel.  He was quite taken with the tassel.  "I've never had a pair of shoes with a tassel, before."  They have a soft sole- perfect for dancing.  Ever so often we go out dancing.  They can be worn for dress with socks or casual without socks with bluejeans.  He loves them.
Last month on the first Saturday we went to Vintage Vogue and I spent $30.00.  Today we went back and I spent something like $54.00.  This is all half-price.  And Doug spent $24.00.  He found a dress shirt, two pair of pants and a brand new pair of Levis.  I found grey lounge pants for $4.50.  Crisp, beautiful paisley Talbot's capris for $7.00.  (I'm thinking Paris.) I found a sunflowers shirt for $4.50.  You know, the kind they sell at Cracker Barrel that normally run $20 or $30?  I found a wonderful blue flowered three quarter length sleeve t-top by Take Two with butterflies on it.  At first Doug wrinkled his nose and I said "you don't like it."  He said "if you like it, I like it."  (He is good to say that because he knows if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.) I found another pair of Talbot's capris for $6.50 and lots of other items.

For Christmas, I bought Doug a soft blue flannel shirt.  Then I started stealing it to wear with my pajamas when I was chilly in the evening or early morning.  I found a soft flannel man's shirt for $4.50.  (I paid $15.00 for the one I bought for him at TJ Maxx.) I found an adorable pink and green Lilly Pulitzer looking bag for $4.00 that I will carry in the spring/summer.

We have two other Goodwill stores in our town.  We were in the vicinity of another as we did our errands today.  I had a trash bag of clothes to donate and I wanted to take them through the drive-through donation.  After we dropped it off, Doug said "do you want to go in?"  I said "we may as well."  I found a pair of pajama pants for $1.50.  And Doug found a pair of Eddie Bauer hiking shorts for $4.00, Adidas work out shorts, NBA warm-up pants, another pair of warm up pants and a pair of LL Bean zip off hiking pants.  (He turned to me and said "do you know how much those would have cost, new?") I've turned him into a bargain hunter, too! (At this Goodwill location, our purchases totaled $14.00.)  When we left the house this afternoon he said to me "do you think I could find some pants for work, there?"  He found the pants for work, too. 

I love the Vintage Vogue, and so does the fashinista, Jessica Quirk, author of What I Wore.  Hope over to her blog to see her photos and what she has to say.

This is my confession.  I feel so much better, now.

9 comments:

TARYTERRE said...

No confession needed. Though you did have GOOD reason to worry that your boyfriend spilled the beans. He probably said 1000 Our Fathers and Hail Marys for some of those things you described, then was FORGIVEN. Meanwhile you suffered worrying about it all. LOL A bargain is a bargain. Finding one makes your day, whatever the source. Sounds like you two made out like bandits. AWESOME finds, indeed. Back east, my mom goes to an upscale thrift store too. She found brand NEW draperies, ceiling to floor for two rooms in her house. Cost was $3 a panel. Original tags were still on them. And they were plenty EXPENSIVE. We have one GOOD consignment shop here. Nice stuff. Clothes, purses, jewelry. Kind of pricey though. No good deals like you found. Take care. ENJOY your goodies.

Janie Fox said...

No good resale shops around me. I am a couponer though. Give ma a sale and aa 30% off and I am happy girl. I love TJ Maxx too. I am a junker though and we have lots of that kinda stuff here in ruralville.

Dina said...

I'm just right next door in Columbus but I never think of popping over to B to shop. ( well except to go to the yarn store!).

Holly said...

Grape Vodka? Was that Grape Nehi with Vodka? Ick. I very rarely shop for clothes anywhere other than thrift stores now. I do stop into TJMAXX since their prices are good too. Such great bargains. And parking and necking, shame on you! I would never do such a thing.....only because I now have a comfy couch of my own to neck on.

Rae said...

I used to love looking in the Goodwill store. I never bought clothes, but found odds and ends of other sorts to buy. Confession is good for the soul. You did an outstanding job confessing your "sins". This was a great post.

Princess of Everything (and then some) said...

At least you are a thrifty clothes horse now!
I love recycling shopping!!

And I forgot that was how we used to do credit cards!

My WV is: salesee

Kris said...

Wow...I want one of those stores in my town!!! I love to thrift shop, but I have never really shopped for clothing! I should look! Good shoppah!!!

Sally said...

You really got some good deals! I love thrifting; there are two places here that I frequent, one is a shop for the abused women's shelter. The other is Goodwill. I've always liked GW because when my brother was alive, they often hired him to work in their warehouse. They're very good in our area for hiring developmentally disabled as well as other disabilities.

msdebbiea said...

You KNOW this is my kind of shopping girlfriend! :)
Miss you~~

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