Cristiano Ronaldo has nothing to do with my blog, but who cares - just look at him!

I found my Pride & Prejudice book…in a book chainstore (sigh). Sorry my friends, the Thriftstore God placed a hand on my shoulder as if to say, “Your mission is over. You must surrender to the chainstore. There you will find a compilation Jane Austen book for only $7.99.”
I saw it, my heart dropped, because I still had hope of finding it in a thrift store. At least the price helped cushion the blow to my bargain heart.
So there you have it – mission accomplished!
Due to the loverly economy (rolling eyes), yours truly has not been shopping, not even thrift-wise. I do intend to browse a bit this weekend, to recharge my shopping mojo. I don’t expect to spend much or any of my clams, but you nevah know, ya nevah know….;)

Where are you, oh thou elusive book?

I’m on a mission. Not a space mission or a global exploration mission, but a shopping mission….for the elusive Pride and Prejudice book.

I don’t care if it’s first edition, hardcover, paperback or paint-by-numbers, I just want it! I’ve found all sorts of other treasures along the way, and oh, let me tell you – I’ve put back tons of stuff too good to pass up!

I’ve found Sense and Sensibility, Jane Eyre, Emma – the list goes on, but my sweet lil’ Pride and Prejudice book is like a sly fox; one step ahead of me every time.

My friend K says that I have some sort of shopping gene, because I can shop and shop and shop for hours on end – exorbitant amounts of stamina, and well, it’s true!  My stopping point is when my feet hurt and the “high” has left me, or when my checking account cries “uncle”.  Usually it’s the latter…

We were in a couple Salvation Army stores in Pasadena and I pored over the book shelves only to come up short.  I barely looked at clothes.  Okay, I did buy a few things, but they’re ALL business related, I swear!  Four hours later, in the Pasadena Antique Mall, I emerged unscathed with a funky skull ring, a stash of cookies, chocolates, pretzels and nachos stuffed in my belly and that long sigh which all shopfiends know all over the world to signify as – “Another successful day of shopping”!

I broke in new shoes and all the thanks I got were fresh blisters.  It was my last day in San Francisco, one of my favorite cities in the world (until I go to Italy), and after my company event was over at the Palace Hotel, I, your die-hard shopper, was determined to find something unique for my husband.

The Palace Hotel during Tea Time

I was and still am the vessel of a horrible cold.  The worse condition to be in when performing my happiest feat – shopping.  I call it a feat because it takes stamina and focus.  If I could do this for a living, well…

That brings me back to the “best buy”.  I was determined to NOT leave San Francisco with bleeding ankles due to beautiful shoes.  Luckily a fellow shopper gave me a shopping map of the area and I found a New Balance cross country shoes for $19.99 at ROSS.  Add on a pair of comfy socks and I was back in business!  Well, except for the nagging cough and congestion, all things considered I did enjoy the shopping mission.  I just wish I had a weekend and not 2 hours to immerse myself into San Fran.

I found a belt at Aldo Accessories for my hubby – no cool socks though.  He won’t wear anything metro, so stripes were out, lol…I also bought a shiny black backpack, but with one smirk from him I knew it was a definite return.

So now, I spent the last 2.5 days recuperating, hacking up my left lung and thanking the DirectTV powers that be for running some of my favorite feel-good movies:  Kate & Leopold, Someone Like You.  Is there anything Hugh Jackman can not do?

My friend K moved down to L.A. from San Francisco a year ago and luckily for me, she also understands my “vintage/used” sickness.  She tends to veer towards accessories and I to clothes.

This past Sunday, we started with a nice little burger lunch at Bob’s Big Burp.  I don’t know what it is about greasy diners, but you only live once, so why not, right?!  Plus, I came to the harsh reality that I was never going to marry Edward Cullen.  If I hadn’t kept stuffing fries down my pie hole, I would’ve actually ate A pie and that, as they say in Swahili, is that.

I must have an extra special gene that fuels me with energy to withstand shopping at 4, count ‘em, FOUR thrift stores in a matter of 5 hours.  I would’ve sworn on a stack of Archie comics, that my friend K was ready to make me drop and roll out of her car at the end of the day.  

OH, what did I find?!  I’ll keep you from the suspense and list my treasures:

• Red patent wide belt – too bad a little big on me.  It goes straight to my Bonanzle site! 
• Darcy & Elizabeth book for $2.99!  Nevermind that I haven’t read Pride and Prejudice yet, BUT I did see the movie with Keira Knightley about 100 times, so does that count?
• Cole Haan mini shoulder purse – all leather and in the most light iridescent buttery gold leather for under $7!  It doesn’t even look used.  I’m on the fence on whether to keep this or sell it.  Hmm….
• Bronze-tone feathers pendant on a leather necklace
• And some other items I can’t remember, now that it’s Friday

At our last stop at a Goodwill I thought I was going to be a literal fashion victim.  I’d only been in the store for 2 minutes when I heard a woman disputing a return with the store clerk.  It went something like this,

Shouting Woman to clerk:  “This is supposed to be a Christian organization and you’re supposed to represent (that)!”

Clerk to Shouting Woman:  (unintelligible reply that sounded like an apology/refusal to meet woman’s request)

Shouting Woman to clerk:  “Because of YOU, I can’t take my son to the movies TONIGHT!”

Clerk into intercom:  “Security”

Shouting Woman:  I AM NEVER GOING TO SHOP HERE AGAIN!

The woman grabbed her Goodwill bags and stormed out of the store.  All I could think was, “What a killjoy”.  I saw Shouting Woman Standing With Fists by her car and I thought she was going to get her gat and spray the joint.  I would’ve been Fashion Victim Jane Doe and hadn’t even bequeathed my special-edition Twilight DVD to my future unborn child yet. 

I don’t understand how someone can try to return used clothing for $50.  It’s a USED CLOTHING STORE for goodness sakes!  Needless to say, I didn’t buy squat and (newscaster voice) “Goodwill stock fell 2 points today due to civil unrest”.

You need this t-shirt!

I know you’ve all been wondering where I’ve been and before you go sticking your head in the oven, I’m here for you my dears!

Been busy working my real world job (meh) and posting my wares for sale online at Bonanzle.com.  My glorious friend offered to take photos of my wares, so 1.5 hours and a glass of wine later, we were fini! 

I only had energy this morning to post 7 items, but I have tons more.  I didn’t realize how long it took to type up the descriptions, but you know me….hitting the thesaurus, reading up on 19th century love stories…oh wait, that doesn’t have anything to do with it, hahaha! 

Theory sweater jacket

Here’s the link to my wares:  http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/shopfiendshop

OK, I’m off to snip my ‘do so I’ll be primp’d for my next posting!

Do You Dabble in Discount?

(polls)

I can’t pay full retail.  There…I said it, phew!  This past Sunday, I made a little trek to the Westside (as we Angelenos call it) to hang out with one of my best friends.  She and I share a passion for eating, delicious libations and shopping.  Luckily she isn’t a discount snob or a label whore, so we get along swimmingly!

After a lovely brunch, we ventured to the Fox Hills Mall, which everyone I’ve mentioned it to insisted on pointing out to me – “It’s a Westfield Shopping Center now.”…whatever you want to call it, it’s a mall Sparky.  I can’t really recall the stores I strolled into, because I think I blocked it out of my mind due to a major case of sticker shock. 

Remember when Target was affordable?!  I found an adorable green argyle sweater, but it was $24.99.  It’s all relative, I suppose.  If you found a sweater at Nordstrom for $24.99, it’s considered a major mark down, but Target?  What’s their excuse?  So I did what any full-blooded American woman would do – walked around the entire Target for an hour carrying it and then left it in the little girls’ section.  I have it down to a science, people!

We beelined it to Aeropostale, lured by the huge sale sign in their window, and I quickly snapped up a purple sweater for $16.99 and a pair of grey corduroy jeans for $16.99.  Mind you, I’m 99.9% of the time dressed in black, so purple and grey were my baby steps into the color wheel.  Unfortunately for the Aeropostalians, they forgot to change the sweater sale sign from $16.99 to $29.99, which is what I would’ve paid for the sweater.  My Fairy Fashionmother was looking out for me, because the manager honored the lower price, nice!

Our next stop was ROSS and I almost did some major damage there.  At one point I had 4 pairs of shoes cradled in my arms muttering ”my kingdom for a cart”.  I put back 3 pairs just in case it was a full moon.  The last time it was a full moon, I accidentally signed up for a 3-year membership at Bally’s.

ROSS find

I managed to slip a pair of jeans and 2 dresses into the cart before I made my escape (or, as I like to pronounce it “es-cah-pay”).  One of the dresses by Roulette retails for around $79 and I got it for $15.99.  It’s similar to one pictured at left, but with a leopard print top and I wear it with a wider belt and a pair of black BCBG Grido platform pumps that I got at DSW.  I don’t know where I’ll venture to next, but I’m really close to the grand opening of my online “store”, so be on the lookout for ShopFiend Shop!

I have this in black - $69.50 at DSW!

When I get stressed or feel anxiety, I shop.  I entertain all kinds of shopping, I don’t discriminate, I’m an Equal Opportunity Shopper.  Window-shop, power-shop, shop-’til-you-drop, midnight xmas shop, on-a-mission shop, shop-at-a-late-night-drugstore-because-it’s-the-only-thing-open-shop…you get the picture.

Do you remember that first scene in the movie ”Confessions of a Shopaholic” where Rebecca walks into the store, takes a deep breath and smiles giddily?  Yeah, that’s me.  Unless it’s a musty vintage shop, I usually pause, close my eyes while inhaling that invisible scent of calm and happiness, and then smile like a 5-year old holding an ice cream cone.

If you think I’m thoroughly in debt because I shop, au contraire mon frere, I’m all about finding that little treasure that speaks out to me with high style and a gnome price.

As I get older, I find that I can’t rock the Forever 21 look anymore and honestly they’ve gotten expensive and the clothes don’t last forever. And that’s OK; they’re not meant to - there’s a season for everything, and until a Forever 41 opens up, I’ll keep on truckin’ with my shopfiend habits, thank you.

Today was similar to my other days where I wanted to take a plane and jet to some serene, beautiful place away from annoying homo sapiens.  Essentially today screamed out like a banshee for shopping intravenously.  If the Fashion God could invent a pill that I could pop and feel that shopping high, I would, in the words of Rachel Zoe, go “bananas”!

So, I gulped down a Diet Coke, endured the last few minutes of serfdom and sped off like a cheetah to one of my favorite shops.  I’ve been on a vintage/used clothing binge of late and I’m working on getting those lovely treasures posted here and eventually for sale for two reasons:  1) My closet is the size of a phone booth, and 2) My closet is the size of a phone booth.  (Don’t ask me why my closet is so small – that’s a whole other post in itself!)

Tonight I found a black Nine West shirt dress and a colorful racerback top for that workout regimen that is in the planning stages (lol).   Note to self:  need to hire a project manager to implement workout regimen (Ah, progress!). 

My recent finds have culled a vintage I. Magnin purse, a hot pink velvet Juicy Couture blazer, an 80′s Liz Claiborne silk dress (think Dynasty), a Theory kimono sleeve cardigan, and a Wayfarer-like sunglasses.

If you haven’t already noticed, my blog is as random as the fashions I find.  I think and talk in tangents.  I’ll attempt to get a handle on the flow.  However, this being my Freshman post, you’ll have to excuse any awkwardness until I become Homecoming Queen or preferably Molly Ringwald in “Pretty In Pink”.