stuff i bought recently

I finally convinced my mom to go thrifting with me which is kind of a miracle because she really dislikes the notion of being poor that comes with buying secondhand clothing (even though half of our furniture is from Goodwill heh). Another pair of eyes is really better than one when it comes to thrifting especially if it's my mom's because she has something like a sixth sense for flaws and durability of clothes... moms...

There's nothing wrong with finding good, inexpensive clothes that were worn by others before (okay I put back a Buzz Lightyear t-shirt because it had a sweat stain under the armpits that even Goodwill's holy bleach couldn't remove but that's usually not the case!!) and I would wish that some people could get over that thinking.. but that would mean less treasures for me heh..

We were actually on our way to buy coconut juice in San Jose when we stopped en route at the stores. (I've been drinking a can like every day.) The Goodwill at San Mateo is the most organized one I've seen so far. Everything was organized by color and size which saved me a lot of time and trouble.

This top kind of reminds me of a schoolgirl outfit though without the skirt it looks more like a waitress's top hehe. There are cushiony pads underneath the shoulders and I'm guessing they're there to make my shoulders look more sharp so sharp it could puncture the hull of an empire class Fire Nation battle ship, leaving thousands to drown at sea because.. it's so sharp.

Not really sure what to wear it with but it looks fine without a skirt too.

This silk blouse is a little big on me so I needa wear something over it to avoid looking like I forgot to change out of the other half of my pajamas. Really like the emblem-like print. I feel like some preppy kid wearing this lol.

I got this summer dress at Ross for 8 dollawrz... I thought the pattern was so cool, kinda like a Persian carpet. 

I'm really bad at this description thing. I swear there is a valley girl trapped inside me because I can't seem to stop starting every sentence in my mind with, "I totally had to get it because so-and-so-reason and it's really cool because I get to use it to wipe my ass later wait wut." Anyway, I'm not actually a crazy fan of the nerd Domo which is my least favorite version of him, but this USB hub looked pretty practical and looks like a decent conversation starter (a requirement I always ask myself before buying things that aren't clothes/shoes... no, even then it occasionally applies.) My mom is part of this rewards program at Best Buy so she gets this $10 coupon to use at the store.. Maybe I should've gotten a bunch of gum instead.. 

Then I find out the 2.0 on the back of the box means it's not compatible with my iPod cable and I have no idea what else I could use it for so now it just sits there all day mocking me ... fk.

My mom found this shirt when we were at Goodwill and said it was cute so I should add it to the basket. I fervently agreed with her recommendation because it's absolutely relatable and appropriate given the people I've had the misfortune of meeting during my life... Of course, she wouldn't have suggested it had she known what the words meant heheh...

Thrifting

My phone does this thing where it autocorrects 'thrifting' into 'thrusting' so my friend was understandably confused when I asked her if she wanted to go thrusting with me.

I've been wanting to go thrifting again for a while now, especially since I loved my last thrift finds. However, I keep giving myself a reason to stay home on weekends and the thought of clothes shopping alone is a bit terrifying for me. I finally grew some balls got some motivation to thrift when I watched clothesencounters's thrifting videos on YouTube. (Jenn is so pretty!) She must either have a talent for this or she's just really lucky to have a Goodwill supplied by trendy donors @_@ Conveniently, everyone happened to be busy today (tf could you be busy doing on a Saturday... bitches) so I just went alone. Mind you, besides not bringing more money I have no regrets.

Goodness in Goodwill

I don't even understand why or how anyone would want to part with these lovely clothes. I was determined to spend no more than $25 (all I brought with me) so it was an internal battle with my desires and frugalness when I stumbled upon all these abandoned treasures.. They were all so cheap too! :'( *my first world woes*

Top-right dress was so cute but too big and small at the same time so it kept slipping down and it was so unreasonably tight and unstretchable at a tiny circumference under my chest (panicked and contemplated on asking the staff lady for help getting out of it when I got stuck in an awkward position) so I thought it'd be more work than it's worth. 

My original intention was to find myself a cheap kiddy watch so I could keep track of time while taking the SAT and totally not because of a personal fashion choice or anything. However, I ended up leaving with two dresses (one is the gorgeous rose print dress on the lower left).

Edit: I ended up going back with more money... I'm a hoarder in-the-making! T__T

Classy used tissue is classy.

This neutral brown petite Ann Taylor Loft dress isn't something I'd usually wear.. but then again, what I usually wear isn't what I usually want to wear. At school I'm usually in a hoodie/thick jacket and skinny jeans (or a skirt on rare occasions) because I feel no need to pretty myself up much when I'm just trying to learn about the Holocaust or trigonometric identities... I save dat for the young weekendz. I thought this dress was so sophisticated (wtf Elle tryna be a fashionista doing fashionista talk) and I love pleats in skirts/dresses so I had to get it despite the price which hindered me from buying more lovely clothes on my first pilgrimage to Goodwill. 

This dress received the mother approval because it's the first one I own where I don't look like a 'con đĩ' (whore) wearing it. Until this thrifting trip I had only two black dresses which I would save for special events (nonexistent with my social life). 'Pretty slutty' would be an understatement for one of them; if I bent down the slightest I would risk mooning someone unintentionally and the revealing back made me feel like a languidly wrapped mummy. The dress was a gift from a girl who wanted me to wear it to a New Year's telly (which I would later learn was a hotel party where I ended up being surrounded with a bunch of strangers all older than me - girls in tacky bunny lingerie, dudes getting high on the balcony, wasted guy taking a piss in the bathroom with 10 other people in the same room including myself). Needless to say, that was the last time I ever wore it... but I digress *u*

This floral print dress fit me perfectly. Again, I don't understand how people can part with clothes like these.. The rose print is gorgeous and the colors are so vibrant; it's like a work of art I could hang on my wall. This is a change from my other monochrome dresses. The dress wraps around me perfectly without suffocating me. I also love that there are little straps so I don't have to worry about unintentionally giving people the idea that I want my jerry beads. Another plus is that it has pockets!! *O* Pocketsssssssss. For $7.49 I can't believe how lucky I am to be the one to bring it home. 

I always wanted a denim jacket (I want everything lol T_T) and this one was super warm! Inside the jacket is an unattractive knit layer of pink, orange, and white (atrocious colors to combine) stripes that kind of ruins the subtle badassness that comes with wearing a denim jacket, but it helps keep me warm and at the price of $8 I can't be one to complain.

Look at those spines!!

I didn't expect to leave with books of all things, but this Goodwill had such a huge collection of vintage  hardcovers. I could've spent days going through books written by Charles Dickens, books on algebra and self-teaching mathematics (which were actually interesting ok!!!), and a plethora of other books on neat subjects like law vs. morals. Even at the cost of $5.49/book, I didn't feel like I was ripped off because these are vintage!! VINTAGEEEE D8 Owning a vintage book makes me feel like I've been passed down a valuable possession or am the keeper of a century-long secret. (I sound senile) @_@ 

Thinking Special Topics in Calamity Physics was a purely academic book I just shoved it into my basket. The table of contents also fooled me, but according to its wiki page the ToC is actually 'written in the style of the syllabus for an English Literature course and includes references as footnote'. Neaaaat. I also love that the protagonist is a female; I'm not sure how this preference came to be but it may have something to do with being able to relate more with the character or just the fact that until The Hunger Games I've been deprived of good stories involving a protagonist with a vagina for once.

Cure for a bad case of edumacation.

High School Self Taught immediately caught my attention with its regal spine. The whole idea of learning at least four years of high school from a single book was funny to me and so it was kind of fitting that I bought it because I don't really learn much at my high school anyway. The book gives a basic overview of the fundamentals in a bunch of subjects like physiology, sociology, mathematics, and even beginner French. There's something about the font that I really like (font fetish) as well as the brown tint at the edge of the pages that form a kind of vignette from aging. 

I spent a total of about $38, seems like a hefty cost but I'm really content with all my finds. The great thing about Goodwill (aside from the thrill of never knowing what you may find) is the fact that it's tax-free! Plus, knowing that your money goes directly to charity to help provide jobs and job trainings for people in need is always a good feeling. I'm such a cheap samaritan. 

As I'm finishing this blog post I have the temptation to go back and scavenge for more treasures.. Must resist becoming a hoarder... *__*

4/20

Today, H took me to the Ice Cream Bar in Cole Valley (aka 'vile' valley in autocorrect). H always takes me to these super cool places I've never been to in San Francisco (even though I've lived here for almost eight years). Last time, H took me to the Tango Room and it was such a magical experience. You would never have guessed that a place like this could be hidden under the Fairmont hotel. With its artificial rainstorms (punishment from The Angry Tiki Gods), little lanterns, swimming pool-turned-lagoon, delicious food, and lovely music the Tonga Room was really hard not to enjoy, even while knowing that H insisted on paying for everything! 

Found these cute erasers at a vintage shop called Tantrum. The mischievous faces on these immediately reminded me of someone so I'm gonna give them to her since her birthday's coming up hehe.. I liked them so much I bought another box for myself.

Even the packaging is so cuute.

H bought me a copy of The Great Gatsby. Hopefully I finish it by the time the movie comes out!

slow saturdayz