Hiding, Stalking, Thrifting

 ...all my friends are doing it?

The last two weeks I was home in WI spending needed time with family and friends. Life has been a cliche roller coaster ride, on which, I at least have my friends, throwing up their arms, screaming and inevitably laughing right alongside me.

I've learned that my therapy of choice is thrift-wandering with a friend and chatting over too many cups of coffee, which spurs more scavenger hunts than originally planned. Somehow I'm ok with this, it certainly makes for a quick recovery.

I've always preferred having a thrift partner.  Everyone has their own thrifting style, and it's interesting to watch how people tackle the same secondhand store: which section they bolt to first, whether they dig or not; do they scan quickly and want to leave or do they get "lost" in the back aisles; can they pass things by, or do they have to have it?

 I am friends with quite a few thrifters and no two are the same. I love thrifting with each of them for different reasons, but the most entertaining thrift gal I've got is the beautiful, the stylish, Ms. Julie Beierle.

She is going to school to become an Interior Decorator, and it shows; she definitely has a flair for finding not just beauty, but potential beauty.

Julie will hold up an over-sized shirt and turn it into the cutest dress ever by simply buckling a belt 'round it. She taught me that belts and leggings can transform just about anything into something stylish. Give her a parachute and she'll turn it into a Prada gown, I swear. She sees rundown furniture and figurines and sets off on a dramatic monologue of everything she could do with them, how she could recreate them,  move this over there, place this next to that....it's very inspiring and very dangerous to go thrift shopping with Ms. Julie Beierle.

If Julie wants something she means it.  She will even hide things so that she can come back and get them the next day.  She will tuck a must-have item behind ugly things, shove it on a low shelf, or an out-of-reach high shelf, bury it in a pile; she's possibly one thrift breakdown away from filling out post-it-notes that read: Julies, Back Off! Julies, It's Mine! Julies, Forget About It! Julies, I Will Pry This From Your Cold Dead............Ah yes, that's Julie's thrifting technique in a nutshell. ;)

She's a little overzealous, a little too creative, and she's one of my best friends.  She's crazy, in a good way, and that's exactly why I love her.  She makes thrifting, and life in general, so much fun. 

Thrifted Target Curtain

Last week when I was shopping with her, she came rushing up to me and exclaimed, "She's got it! She's walking around holding it! She better put it down!"
"What are you talking about?" I asked
"This material! It's gorgeous and she's walking around with it! I'm going to follow her. That bitch better put it down."
I laughed, "Please, Julie, don't stalk a woman. What are the chances she'll put it down?"
"I have to have it! It's the prettiest material I've ever seen!"
"I'm dissapointed in you, how'd you not get to it first?"
"I know! Dammit! I'm going to keep my eye on her."

And here I thought I was the Italian one. The day Julie was let out of her mother's shopping cart must have been one hell of a dangerous day, that's all I'm saying.

Lookin' all sweet n innocent ;)

 See, on paper, Julie sounds much crazier than she really is. I'll give her that.  I'll also give her props, because that lady did put that material back.  Maybe she felt Julie's hawk eyes, or maybe she heard Julie's frantic material talk from across the store, chances are this woman never wants to thrift again....it really doesn't matter. What does matter, is that in the end Ms. Julie Beierle was the lucky bitch buying that material for only $3.99.
                     ;)









Any of you have a crazy, thrifty friend? Or did I snag the best one?