thrift Archives - Black Cat Lies

things i didn't buy at the thrift store, thrift, what i didn't buy at the thrift store, what i left behind

Things I Didn’t Buy at the Thrift Store

2019-03-04 No Comments

I haven’t done a “Things I didn’t buy” post for so long! It’s mostly because I’ve started posting a lot of those things on my instagram, so if you want to see these things in “real time” go follow me on insta (@blackcatlies). Anyway here are 10 recent items I didn’t buy at the thrift store, including more than a few regrets.

1. Wicker Chairs

I fell in love with chairs like these when I was watching the movie Arrival a few years ago. Amy Adams’ character had a gorgeous Mid Century-ish house and I found myself drooling over her dining room table and chairs. The chairs in the movie looked a lot like these bad boys that I found at Goodwill last year. Sadly, when I spotted these we had already bought a dining table and chairs. We didn’t need them so at the thrift store they stayed.

2. Leather Pillows

As you know I’ve been on the hunt for some cute decorative pillows to add some pops of color to my living room. I was really into these leather pillows and they were only $5. Unfortunately, I spotted them on a sale day and the checkout line literally wrapped around the store. I didn’t like them enough to wait in that long of a line. So, I left and thought if they’re still there the next time I visit I’ll take them home. Of course they weren’t there when I returned a few days later.

3. Mid Century Modern Style Chair

This one I wouldn’t have left behind but it was already sold when I spotted it. I love these style chairs but we don’t really have room or need any excess chairs. Plus this bad boy was like $250, I kid you not. Seattle area thrift stores have some great stuff but they also have HIGH prices. I didn’t have $250 to spend on a chair I didn’t need, so I’m honestly glad it was already sold. She’s a beaut though.

4. Gold Side Table

This is another piece I just have no need / room for in my home. But, I do think it’s very cute. If I had a bigger space I totally would have scooped it up.

5. Rattan Purse

This vintage rattan purse I actually spotted at the Fremont Sunday market. I really love it and it’s very on trend as rattan/ wicker has had a big moment in fashion accessories lately. This purse would be so adorable paired with a summer dress. But, I knew I wouldn’t really use it that much and it wasn’t cheap enough to justify a purchase. So, I left it for some other fashionista to pick up.

6. Gray Vintage Winter Coat

I really regret not buying this coat. I was really into this coat and it fit me. So why didn’t I buy it? I honestly don’t even remember. I think it was a tad tight. I try to buy things that fit me as I am when I try them on and that are flattering. So the fact that it didn’t fit impeccably probably lead me to leave it. But sometimes you gotta go against your own rules and get it anyway. I tried the coat on in 2017 and it still haunts me to this day. It’s definitely one that got away. But, the good thing about thrifting is there’s always a chance you’ll find something bigger and better in the future.

7. Rattan Shelving Unit

I never realistically considered this piece but I think it has such potential. Rattan/ Wicker furniture and home decor are huge now and this is a pretty cool piece. I could totally picture it in someones insta perfect boho living room.

8. Hudson Bay Blanket

I’ve been searching for a vintage blanket like this for a long time. But this blanket wasn’t in the color-way I was looking for and it had a big ole cigarette burn on it. So I left it hoping i’d get lucky again some other day and find the perfect one.

9. Teal Plaid Blazer

This one is another regret, how did I not get this? I loved this blazer but it didn’t fit me perfectly. It fit pretty well, as you can see, but it didn’t button. I try not to buy any coats/blazers that don’t button. I like to have the option and with coats especially I know I’m going to want to button them at some point. But the likelihood of me ever buttoning this blazer is very low, so I should have thrown caution to the wind and scooped it up anyway. Every rule needs exceptions, right? Sadly, I left it and immediately regretted it. I went back a day or so later to see if it was there, but it was gone. Ah well, another one slips though the cracks.

10. Egg Cup

Do I need an egg cup? No. So, obviously, I left this guy at the thrift store. But, I am very smitten with the pattern and colors of this piece. I took a picture of it with the hope that I could google and find other matching dishes online. I haven’t been able to to dig up any info on the pattern yet, but if you recognize it please let me know in the comments!

OOTD, thrift

Statement Tassel

2017-08-09 No Comments

Top: Thrift (Old Navy) | Jeans: Thrift (Target) | Shoes: Thrift ( Sam Edelman) | Tassel Earrings: Amazon | Bracelets: Thrift

Leave it to a bright tassel statement earring to really elevate an outfit. This very basic summer top and jeans are elevated by the addition of these fun tassel earrings. When I got them they were a little brighter than I had imagined, but I’ve come around to them. I get a lot of complements on them when I wear them so that helps. I’m also somewhat obsessed with tassel earrings now.

The only thing I’m not so thrilled about in this outfit are the Jeans. While they seemed fine when I bought them looking at them in the pictures I realize, meh I could definitely do better. I definitely need to invest in some good dark wash jeans and some medium wash jeans without whiskers. I was meh about the whiskers before but, sometimes it takes a good outfit photo to really hate an item. But, I have been trying to simplify and clean out my closet. So these can go as well.

Anyway I hope you all are having an amazing summer! I’m trying to post more regularly. I had had two jobs for 6 months this year and just didn’t have the time to fit in outfit posts. But now i’m back down to one and will hopefully be posting at least once a week. I also have a fun trip to Seattle planned for Labor Day weekend and will be sure to post photos from that. So stay tuned!

thrift

5 Fall Trends To Find at the Thrift Store

2016-10-11 No Comments

It’s fall! While to some that means pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween, and falling leaves to me it means it’s prime thrifting season. Why? you might ask. Well it’s Halloween season at the thrift store and Halloween is the time of year when they bring out all the awesome unusual and/ or vintage items they’ve amassed all year. Since it’s officially prime thrifting season I figured I’d show you some trends you can easily find at the thrift store this Fall.

1.Camo

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I’ve been seeing Camo jackets around for awhile and they are the easiest thing to thrift, especially around this time of year. So before you peruse your local mall, hit up your local thrift if you’re in the market for a camo jacket.

2.Velvet

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Velvet was a big trend this fall and you can find a ton of it at the thrift store. You can find velvet blazers, dresses, skirts or tops that fits your style and your budget. Thrifted items are a great way to try new trends as they let you try them with out investing too much money.

3. Turtle Necks

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You can find turtle necks at literally any thrift store, just stalk the sweater/ long sleeved shirt section and you’re bound to find one that fits your fancy. Good for layering under slip dresses or your favorite summer to fall sleeveless dress a turtle neck never goes out of style.

4. Block Heels

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Block Heels are a practical and stylish trend this fall. Luckily you can find a ton of block heels at the thrift store. Shoes from the 70’s and 80’s have a similar silhouette and are a plenty at the thrifts. These Salvatore Faragamo block heels where found in the Halloween section of a local thrift store. Be sure to check every section so you don’t miss out on any hidden gems.

5. Flair (pins)

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As you probably know I’ve been searching the thrifts for some cool flair for my denim jacket. It’s the perfect place to look and has incredibly affordable prices. You can find all sorts of unique pins and brooches to adorn your favorite piece of outwear or just spice up your lapel.

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ASOS, OOTD, skirt, thrift, Top

OOTD: Too Cool for Spring

2016-06-17 No Comments

Top &Shoes: Thrift | Skirt: ASOS

May was a pretty busy month for me as there’s mothers day as well as my boyfriend and mom’s birthdays. I’m not sure why but It seems like half the people I know have May birthdays. Anyway I wore this to my boyfriends birthday dinner with his family, he turned the big 2-5. Honestly it wasn’t quite warm enough for this outfit, but I wanted to wear something cute and this was the only thing I liked that day. In my defense the week before had been pretty cold so when it was kinda warm out I may or may not have gone a little overboard. But I like the outfit nonetheless. I only really wear this skirt in the warmer months so it’s fun to break it out.

I would also like to add my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were violently gunned down in Orlando last weekend. Here are a few links if you’re as mad as I am about the continued gun violence in our country: resources for turning our sadness into action , contact your representative, remember those lost. And finally just remember that love is powerful so if you hear someone saying homophobic, racist, or islamophobic things speak up, Your voice is powerful.

jacket, leopard, old navy, OOTD, target, thrift

OOTD dark v darker

2016-04-02 No Comments

I wore this last Saturday to see Batman v Superman. I actually enjoyed the movie, although I did have low expectations. There were definitely some things I didn’t care for in the movie but overall pretty good and I’m super hyped for the Wonder Woman movie.

Jacket: Target (old) T-shirt: Thrift (Old Navy) Jeans and Shoes: Thrift (Target)

Anyway my desire to wear bright springy colors hasn’t quite kicked in yet. I think It has to be a bit more consistently warm and nice out to spark a little color in my wardrobe. So for now I’m still gravitating towards blacks, grays, and olive green. But I did get to wear my new to me leopard booties. I’ve worn them a few times and they’re pretty comfy. I wouldn’t wear them for a long time or on a real walk intensive situation but they’re fun and add a nice pop of pattern to the outfit.

It was a cold and wet day that Saturday so grey seemed appropriate. Unfortunately my jacket, which is a good four/five years old is on it’s last legs, the “leather” is ripping and it’s just time for a new one. I’m hoping to find a good one during end of season sales or next fall, we’ll see. Obviously the best scenario would be to find a great one at the thrifts, so I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out there as well. Anyway hope you all had an awesome Easter if you celebrate or at least enjoyed some 50% off candy and/or time with your family if you don’t.

apartment tours YouTube, fashion, favorite YouTube videos, flea market, lookbooks, thrift, thrift haul YouTube, thrift store, vlogs, youTube

OOTD Low-key Valentine’s Day

2016-03-01 No Comments

Dress and Leggings: Trifted | Boots: Payless

I’ve always had a generally positive view of Valentine’s Day, even when I was single. But man is it hard to love that day when you’re in a relationship. Valentine’s Day, especially if you want to go out to eat, is one hell of a racket. So this year after going out for the past few Valentine’s Days we decided to do take-out and chill. It was very low-key but perfect, and cheap. lol. Even though we didn’t go out I wanted to dress up a little for the day so I wore this thrifted dress I got during the MLK day sales. I tried it on and instantly knew it’d be a perfect V-day dress, it’s sort of on theme but doesn’t scream valentine’s day. I won’t lie i’m pretty obsessed with this dress and will probably wear it out until it’s too warm to wear it.

concert, dorothy perkins, OOTD, payless, piano and a microphone, Prince, thrift

OOTD Prince “Piano and a Microphone” Paisley Park Concert

2016-01-27 No Comments

Top & Leggings: Thrift | Skirt: Dorothy Perkins | Boots: Payless

One of the perks of being a Prince fan and living in Prince’s hometown is every so often he hosts random events around the cities and at his Paisley Park compound. Two weeks ago my mom got tickets for one of two “Piano and a Microphone” gala concerts at Paisley Park. Having never been to a prince concert I was super excited. The concert was AMAZING! It was definitely one of the best concerts I’ve been to. There were two shows one at 8 pm and one at 11pm. We got tickets to the 11pm show which was much more hits based than the 8 o’clock show that, from what I gather from reviews, was more of lounge type show where he spoke a little more about why he wanted to do the shows this way and his childhood. Although I would have loved to see the first show too I am not disappointed in the least at the show I did see. The setup was just a small stage with a (purple) piano and two candle sticks at each corner of the stage, It was all kind of … romantic. The 11 o’clock show that I went to was the more hits driven show and featured songs like Raspberry Beret, Purple Rain, Nothing Compares 2 U, How Come you don’t call me anymore, I wanna be Your lover, and Kiss. Toward the end of the night he got the crowd to sing along too, which was so much fun. We got there a little late so we ended up standing behind him and saw the back of his head for most of the concert, but walked around so we still got to see him and we had pretty close view of him. Somewhat unfortunately, but predictably, cell phone photos/ recording and cameras were strictly prohibited. So the only picture I have of the evening is of the outside of Paisley Park, I wasn’t about to get kicked out! The cellphone ban is a definite generational thing. I went to see Bob Dylan with my mom two or so years ago at the Orpheum and he had the same rules, no photos. It sucks a bit since you want photographic brag worthy photos, but on the other hand it is nice to just be in the moment and listen to the music. Sometimes people get way too caught up trying to record everything and they don’t really experience the event! If you were wondering he wore a mauve/ marsala / light purple silk ensemble that resembled a funky Pajama set. He wore flared pants, a matching phases of the moon long sleeved shirt, vest, his hair in a medium afro and light up platform shoes. Needless to say he did not disappoint on the outfit front, you can see it on his ~~Instagram~~ Pincestagram.

Paisley Park

Anyway I wasn’t completely sure what to wear to the concert. I was contemplating buying something new but last Monday I spent way more money then planed at thrift store MLK day sales and didn’t really want to shell out money on a new outfit. I did find some clothes at those sales but the one dress I would have worn I’m saving for Valentine’s Day. So I dug in my closet and remembered this skirt that I bought awhile ago and haven’t worn recently. It wasn’t the outfit I had originally envisioned and looking at these picture I forgot how long the skirt is one me, I still like the outfit but next time I’ll probably go for a shorter skirt.

The concert was amazing and now I’m definitely going to have to go to more Prince concerts!

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If you want a better detailing of the two concerts you can read this article from Rolling Stone on the 8pm show and this one from the current of the 11 o’clock show that I saw. Both articles include full set lists if you’re interested.

backpack, cats, fox, lamps, mid century, mid century modern, mugs, side table, thrift, thrift store, what i didn't buy at the thrift store, what i left behind, wishbone

What I didn’t buy at the thrift store

2015-08-24 No Comments

1. A Fox

I found this Illustrated fox/ cardboard cutout at Savers a few weeks back. The fox is very handsome and would be a fun piece in any room really, especially a kids room, but I didn’t really have a need for it and lately have been trying to not bring in unnecessary things. Hopefully this got a home on some adorable child’s wall.

2. Brass and Marble side table

I really liked this side table, but wanna know what I have a lot of? side tables. I’m not even kidding I have five in one room. This was cute but I need closed storage more than side tables, so I passed.

3. lil Wishbone

I used to have a dog named Wishbone (before the TV show started thank you very much) and she was the sweetest dog. I also was a fan of the PBS show and even went to meet wishbone once at the Mall with my best friend and her mom, but the line was so long we got fed up and left. Anyway I spotted this mini Wishy at an estate sale and had instant nostalgia, but stuffed animals I need not.

4. Rich n’ Creamy Nestle Cup

I loved the typography on this mug and the cool 70’s vibes. I was going to get it if I ended up finding anything else, but I didn’t find anything else that day and forgot about the mug.

5. Mid Century Modern Library cart

I’ve seen these before on craigslist and such but have honestly never really got them. I’m sure there is someone somewhere who styles these bad boys amazingly and would make me regret not buying it. But, I’d rather have cleaner looking closed storage or storage with non-slanted shelves. I thought about this for a while (it was super cheap) but I decided to pass and let it go to someone who’d be really excited for it.

6. Gold Lamp with potential

Something about the clean lines of this gold lamp drew me to it. With the right lampshade and/or a coat of spraypaint it could be really cool. But for the most part unless it’s an amazing Mid Century lamp that I just cannot live without I generally pass on lamps, like side table I already have too many.

7. Men’s symbol Mug

This was another piece I told myself I’d go back for if I found anything else, but I didn’t. It’s very Austin Powers and I love that about it. The only thing with vintage mugs is they are often pretty small. That is obviously coming from the land of huge portions and giant mugs but I’ve become so accustomed to bigger mugs I find it hard buy cute smaller ones at the thrift store. I feel like I’d opt for the bigger ones and they’d be used mostly for decoration, which is kind of silly.

8. Backpack

I was given an old real leather coach mini backpack a few weeks before I saw this one. When I first spotted it I was hopping it was a bucket bag, so when I found out it was a backpack I was a little bummed. It’s super cute but I don’t really need two small backpacks, so I left it.

8. TACO CATS IN SPACE!!!!!

I saw this shirt hanging on a dressing room and loved it. But I wasn’t really in the mood to check the tag or try it on. I love it though, had I been in a different mood ( and it been in my size) I may have bought it.

9. Small Mid Century Lamp

I carried this around with me a bit, it was only three dollars but in the end I decided it really wasn’t cool enough for me to bring home. Plus I don’t really have a place for it.

10. Big Box Light

I liked the look of this lamp. Obviously it’s very big and bulky but something about it was appealing, I still passed though.

11. Mixed Media lamp

This lamp had a cool look i’d never seen before. But didn’t need it.

12. Sand Dollar Lamps

There were two of these lamps and I actually think they’re really cool. I love the texture on them and think they have a really interesting shape. But I really have no place to put them, so I passed.

ASOS, food truck, OOTD, Snapchat, thrift

Food Truck Style on Point

2015-08-03 No Comments

A while ago now I went to a food truck fair with the boy in Blaine, MN. There’s some organization that has different food truck fairs throughout the summer in different locations around the metro area. I had to work the next weekend when it was in Minneapolis so we decided to go the one in Blaine that coincided with my day off.

I’m a semi-terrible food photographer. I never want to wait to take the picture I just want to eat, as you can see above.

We tried food from about five trucks before we were too stuffed for more. The best were probably the taco truck and empanadas.

I wasn’t really sure what to wear and originally had a recently thrifted skirt in mind, but I just wasn’t feeling it that day. When I was almost ready to compromise and go with the skirt I just wasn’t feeling I thought of this one. I’ve had this skirt forever but haven’t worn it much in the last year, It was instantly perfect.

I bought this skirt a couple years ago from ASOS and loved it instantly because it reminds me of the talking Pansy/garden scene from the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland. For some reason a lot of that movie has stayed with me. I should watch it again.

close up of the print on the skirt.

Top: Thrifted Skirt: ASOS Shoes: borrowed from mom

Someone told me my whole look was on point, so I’ll take that as a win. It was a good reminder that I really need to go through my closet and take inventory of the good stuff I have in there, especially when I feel like I have nothing to wear.

Also if you’re on Snapchat come and follow me! My username is: blackcatlies. I’ve started to really get into it and am trying to post more on there. Plus I’ll totally follow you back, I’m always looking for new people to follow on snap!

if you didn’t know you can instantly add me by pointing your snapchat camera on my QR code above!

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