St. Vinnie’s, the Holy Grail

This week I would like to share my favorite pastime: thrifting. If you are a person that only shops at Abercrombie, American Eagle, or whatever brainwashed “fashion trend” the Man is feeding youth these days, then you may not enjoy the true fashion hunting that is involved with thrift stores.

OK, maybe I shouldn’t start off by insulting 90% of my audience. Plus, I don’t want to be a hypocrite because I’m sure I have an American Eagle sweatshirt hidden somewhere in my closet from eighth grade. Let me start anew. Thrifting is not just a way to spend your hard earned paycheck; it is an adventure. I can spend hours sifting through thousands of shirts, pants, dresses, jackets and shoes in assorted styles, eras, and colors just to find the “One”. The “One” is that magical item that is sans shoulder pads and stains, has come back into style, and fits perfectly. I can count the number of days on one hand that I have found multi-magical items, those days will live in my memory as glorious… forever. You may be thinking that is too much work just to find some clothes, but its not just about finding an outfit. Thrifting takes effort, but it is also a spectacle of fun, kind of like a scavenger hunt.

Thrift stores such as Bethesda, Saint Vincent de Paul (better known as Vinnie’s and is my paradise), or Yellowjacket have unpredictable hours and are in the weirdest locations, so that is a journey in itself. Then there are the hours of exploring through awesomeness, trying wacky outfits on, taking pictures in prom dresses from the eighties, playing with semi-broken toys, relaxing in used Lazy-boys, etc. The best part is feeling like you accomplished something when you finally get to the check out and only pay $3.11 for two dresses, a pair of moccasins, and a fur coat. If the idea of wearing someone else’s clothes grosses you out, there is always the huge assortment of books and music, jewelry, furniture, and other random mishmash.

I’m hoping I may have swayed you to experience the thrill of bargain hunting at its most extreme. But if you are still a little leery, then I have a program that will slowly emerge you into the underground fashion culture. First, start off at a place like T.J. Maxx where you will learn to bargain hunt. Next, go to Style Exchange and learn to shop by size instead of going straight for the first cute shirt you see; also at a place like that you can exchange your old clothes for money and then go shopping. Third stop is at Goodwill, which is the most commercial of the thrift stores, and is the easiest to learn your way through if you are a thrifting newbie. After that you are prepared to step into any thrift store: Bethesda, Manna for Life, Fox Annie’s Closet, etc. Finally, if you think you are ready, go to the Holy Grail and experience pure bliss.

Need a sled? Does your Backstreet Boys C.D. have a scratch in it? Only have five dollars to buy a prom dress? Moving our of your parents’ house soon? Go thrifting!!!

Numero dos

Topic of the week: what photography has become

I found myself being cynical while I was at an art fair today, in downtown Milwaukee. As I was perusing the stands of homemade decoupage, amateur photographs, and designer pens; I wondered who actually buys this overpriced "art". A photograph of some castle in Europe which had been photo-shopped to a sepia color, was selling for $160. What!? That means that the photographer had sold enough pictures to know that he could sell this photo for the price of a cheap digital camera. I'm not saying he did bad work, it was a lovely photograph and I would have been extremely proud if I had created such a work.
The largest part of my confusion is why would someone pay that kind of money when these kinds of photos are a dime a dozen on the internet. I bet a few of you have them as your screen saver. Maybe not a castle in Europe, but something along those lines. An empty road in fall with leaves spilled across the pavement, an ocean of turquoise with an empty hammock, a purple flower in the prime of it's life, etc. etc. Those are all free too! Well, they aren't suppose to be, but since they're on the internet they have become fair game. You could easily save one to your desktop and if you decided you loved it so much, put it on a jump drive, print it off at your local CVS, have it matted, and ta-da: a new piece of art for your dining room.
The reason I'm cynical is because I don't see what makes his photo so special. With the money you could spend by not by overpriced photos, you could use your own camera, vacation to a scenic area, take a lovely photo and put that on your living room wall. It would mean so much more to you because you wouldn't just see the photo, you would see the memories included in the moment you captured on film. That is the beauty of photography, to capture moments in time and make them eternal; not to sell them at heinous prices and sit on someone's wall as a way to fill the white space.

Numero UNO

Topic of the week:
Simple things that I believe can make the world a better place.

1)Everyone should be forced to take a bubble bath at least once a week. This would make the people of the world less stressed, which means a more laid-back population, which obviously means there wouldn't be any more wars. If you are too manly to take a bubble bath, a light-up rubber ducky makes it so much more dangerous.
2)Smiley face stickers are hard to get angry at. No matter what mood you are in or who's shoe they end up on the bottom of they always give you a loving grin. So, I vote bring back the smiley face logo, Walmart. Is this the second phase of their world domination plan? First, they were all nice and welcoming with their yellow happy faces that made us want to join in on their peace and love attitude. Then, they decided that they were going to admit to their monopoly and go with a "save money, live better" campaign. Fine. I will buy into your monopolizing company, Big Brother, but at least you could put a smiley face on your four dollar prescriptions so we can all feel better about our lives.
3)Baby hippos are some of the cutest animal babies and they aren't big enough to eat you. All people should be given a baby hippo to love and snuggle with. I am positive that the world would be a more loving place if we all had a baby hippo to call our own.
4)Gandhi knew how to relax, and even when he was starving himself he looked joyous. In this face-paced society, the least we could do is take a yoga class once a week.
5)Hand-written letters are the best form of communication. Getting one just makes you feel loved, and isn't that everyone's quest in life? So, all texting, e-mailing, and cell phones should be eliminated and we should all go back to snail mail.
6)Free Candy. Trick-or-treating was the greatest invention ever. My solution to a better society is make trick-or-treating a weekly event. If dentists have an issue with that, then I guess monthly would fulfill everyone's candy quota.
7)Soft, fuzzy blankets are one thing everyone can agree on. I have yet to meet a person that picks the old, crusty, matted hay blanket over those plush, pastel colored, cloud-like blankets. So, I propose the government issue every citizen a fluffy blanket of their choice, then everyone would stop grumbling over taxes.
8)Hula-hoops are one of the greatest ways to waist time. o, puns. All exercise equipment should be replaced by hula-hoops.
9)And lastly, sharpie markers make the world more colorful and smelly in a deliciously chemical way.

And that my friends, is the solution to world peace.
I dare you to disagree.