A passion, a hobby, a way of life

Inspired by Julie & Julia and A New Dress A Day blog, I wanted to share some kind of passion of my own. I can't believe I haven't recognized it before now. My passion is thrifting. Triggered by my engagement to my future husband and the nesting craziness that has taken over me to buy things for our future home, thrifting has become daily for me. Blogging about my feelings on life is not something that excites me. I save all that for my yellow comp book that is always in my purse. No, I wanted to blog, share with the world something that bring light into me. I wanted to share something that I become so excited about that I begin to trip over my words. And that thing is thrifting.

A little history: Thrifting is something that has always been in my life. Starting with trips to the Goodwill with my grandma growing up. She would buy me vintage dresses for dress up and teacups to play with, I would love going through the isles and being able to see pieces from different times. They felt like treasures. When I got older I became very disillusioned with going to thrift stores. I didn't want old things, I wanted new things. "Shop for clothes at Salvation Army? You have got to be kidding me....I don't want to be seen shopping in a thrift store mom!" Blame it on hormones or the fact that at 16 you need to be shopping in a mall where a cotton tee shirt that has the store name plastered over the front in $40. But that's what is supposed to identify me! Growing up, no teenager wants to identify with having no money and buying things second hand. You believe that you need these pricey things to identify you. You need to know you are worth these new untouched things.

Ok so aside from all the angst, I have always been pulled torwards things of the past. I love Grease, Willy Wonka, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, That 70's Show, basically anything from time periods other than my own. I would watch Audrey Hepburn movies and desire her clothes, makeup, the way in which she spoke. I would look through old pictures of my parents from the 70's and wish I could have a brown and gold couch. I found beauty in the styles, clothing, furniture, kitchens, everything. Hitting my 20's I stopped merely desiring these style, I started to actually let myself be me. I started shopping at Goodwill and finding amazing vintage dresses, shoes, old vinyl records that I had always wanted, anything and everything that finally felt like me. It felt freeing to not care what others might think and just be myself. I wish I had known this truth earlier in life.

So now when I walk into a fantastic thrift store and find an old teacup I think, "I wonder who bought this? Did they drink tea out of it? Did someones husband, mother, grandma buy this for them as a wedding present? Did they love this teacup before it got lost? Hey it's a quarter!" It's the thrill of the history, it's the knowledge that someone else in this world once owned it, it's the environmentally friendly part of reusing something that would be thrown into a landfield for no good reason, and it's economically fantastic to spend less money for old things that I love rather than spend tons of money on new things that I don't even like. Why do I need new expensive things? I don't. I don't need to define myself by how amazingly new and expensive my possessions are. I just want to be the best Heather God made me to be. I don't even need thrifting to define me. All the thrift stores I shop at give their money to help those in my community that are in need. So I know that when I find a really great dress for $5 at Goodwill that that money is going to clothe a little girl who may not even have a second change of clothes. I know that if I find a juicer for $8 at Burke United Chirstian Ministries Thrift that my money is going to help purchase food for the soup kitchen to feed those who would otherwise go hungry in Burke County.

Not only does thrifting provide for myself it is a system that provides for others. Isn't that wonderful? A system where I can clothe and furnish myself and that directly does the exact same thing for someone else in need! Shouldn't that be the way things work?

Anyways I just hope that by sharing this part of myself it will inspire, being some form of entertainment to others, and just be a good outlet for my thrifting craziness.

What will I find today?!?