A few frugal clothes finds: let someone else do the fixing

"'I like your clothes awfully, old chap,' [the Rat[ remarked after some half an hour or so had passed. 'I'm going to get a black velvet smoking-suit myself some day, as soon as I can afford it.'" ~~ Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Part One

I sometimes feel like the luckiest thrifter around. Many times when I've worried about needing something expensive, or finding what I need at all, something used but good pops up and reminds me not to be so anxious. There was that time I searched for pants, and finally found them on the clearance rack at the thrift store. (I'm still wearing those blue jeans.) There were the scarves, and the shoes, and the hat, and the cardigan, and the hook with a bird on it (or the bird with a hook on it)...and Lydia's bed, and the dining room table...well, you know the rest. (I probably forgot to mention the bed, it was a couple of years ago.)

Last week I was looking for pants again; but nothing grey, because almost all my pants are grey. I found a pair of dark-wash, high-waisted jeans for $1.50, plus a pair of "skinnies" to replace my worn-out jeggings. The skinny jeans are labelled "khakis," which I find funny because they're navy blue. Anyway, I came home with the two pairs of not-grey pants, and a belt, and a book we're studying at church (I was using a borrowed copy), all for about ten dollars.

The dark jeans fasten with a zipper plus three metal slide-plus-bar fasteners on the waistband. The zipper was fine, but two of the slides were missing. It looked like they'd never been added at all (maybe that's why the jeans were in such good condition). Walmart sells multi-packs of slides and bars for $5 (plus tax), but a) I wasn't quite sure how to insert them, and b) what was I going to do with the lifetime supply of extras? I decided to inquire at the same shop that took in a too-big skirt and hemmed my grey jeans, and sure enough they have promised to add two slides, for only a couple of dollars more than the Walmart package (plus tax). I'll be good for jeans (and blue khakis) for quite awhile.

Part Two

I was thinking about summery colours, and along came this slightly crazy top with a giant beaded flower and lace sleeves.

Yes, I bought it, because it was that kind of day. It really belongs with summer shorts, but it's not bad either with a purple jacket and grey jeans.