At some point in the past year, thrifters entered the algorhythem on my Instagram feed, and very quickly I became drawn to this curated, cottagelore style, something not really reflected in the decor of my home.

The older I get, the more comfortable I am with having many different sides. I love fabulous travel and modern, functional amenities. I love being at home, making French galettes and visiting farmers markets. I love exquisitely crafted designer shoes and handbags. And I love a funky style, using clothing I’ve collected for decades including a thrifted piece here or there. That’s okay, right? To embrace all our many facets?

For my bestie’s bday last month, I wore this dress from Banana Republic that I bought in the summer of 2000 before I went to college. I paired it with a denim jacket, a beaded handbag from TJ Maxx complete with a Christian Dior twilly tied to the strap since we were eating in the Dior Cafe that day. My whole point being, if you purchase something you love, regardless of style or age of the item, there’s a good chance you can enjoy that piece for years, if not decades. Is a tie-dyed dress in style these days? I don’t know. But I don’t care. I love it still and want to wear it! Guys, the shoes are still on sale and available!!!

When I first began thrifting, I’ll be honest, I thought it was kind of gross, my main concern being: What if what I purchase comes from a disgusting home? All I can say about this is that there is a chance that is the case. There’s no way to know how clean what your’re buying is. But that’s the case at the grocery store too, right? You bring home some apples without giving much thought to how many people have touched those apples before you bought them? And if their hands were clean. So what do we do? We wash our fruit very well before consuming it.

I do the same when thrifting. As soon as I get home with my purchase, I do a very thorough cleansing: soap and water/dishwasher for dishware; place books in a Ziplock bag and put in the freezer for 24 hours to kill off anything; wash and/or dryclean any clothing. Antibacterial wipes for jewelry and accessories. I also like to leave things out in the sun for a few hours and let the UV act as an antibacterial agent.

Here are three reasons why I thrift:

1.) I enjoy treasure hunting.

2.) It’s sustainable. Instead of purchasing a brand new basket from Target, why not get a gently used one that is in perfect condition for a fraction of the price, without creating a demand for additional manufacturing. There’s too much stuff on this earth. Why not buy something that already exists? For me, buying secondhand is being a good steward of our earth.

3.) I think it adds a creative, unexpected style both to your wardrobe and to your home by including interesting items that aren’t mainstream.

These are the items I like to thrift:

blue and white pieces
accessories
unusual/sentimental pieces
interesting plates to put underneath planters
mugs that make me smile
randoms

Here are a few of the pieces I’ve thrifted over the past year. Some from antique malls, some from actual secondhand stores, some from the fields of Round Top. All are beautiful!

BLUE AND WHITE PIECES

I love blue and white and think it makes any space look classic and elegant. Probably the most beautiful pieces I’ve ever thrifted are these blue and white candlesticks with fleur-de-lis. I also found the swan, the vase, and the mugs thrifting as well.

ACCESSORIES

Accessoreis such as belts, purses, and jewelry are always fun to thrift because they are so different from what’s mainstream, and I never want to look like a replica of anyone else. I always like to look a little unique—I’m the daughter of an artist and get all my creativity from my mother, interesting pieces to add to my collection are always appreciated.

I bought the beautiful vintage shell purse from @threechickadees_vintage when I saw it at the Pardon My French event I participated in at the beginning of the summer. I also bought the vintage chain belt which is soooo cool.

I feel like I had a colorful belt like this as a pre-teen in the 90s. Found this one for $3 and wore it the next day!

UNUSUAL/SENTIMENTAL PIECES

This is one of the most fun parts of purchasing secondhand, those fun unexpected treasures that you know were meant just for you! When I found a set of 8 glass punch cups with my sorority crest embossed on the front in silver for $2.99 each, I knew they had been at that little store waiting for me. I LOVE them!

Or even the vintage Fitz & Floyd “Quacker” Craddle that made me think of growing up as a child of the 80s. I just loved it and get excited to get it out in the spring to hold garlic bulbs next to my stove.

These beautiful fleur-de-lis bookends were found in the fields of Round Top. They are very heavy, in great condition, and look sophisticated sitting on my nightstand. I love anything with fleur-de-lis for 3 reasons:

It’s the official flower of my sorority, KKG.
It’s the symbol of Florence, Italy, my hometown for six months when I was twenty years old.
It’s displayed on the French flag, a country I came to love as an adult so much so I made it the setting of my first novel, The France Dance.)

This framed map of Paris was also found in the fields of Round Top.

I loved this little Asian-inspired fairy light and added a battery operated tealight to make it glow in our entryway.

PLATES FOR UNDERNEATH PLANTERS

Does anyone else love beautiful plates and dishware? 🙋🏼‍♀️ I do, but don’t really need new dishes to use. However, I started purchasing plates from the thrift store to use as drainage plates underneath planters. They are usually incredibly inexpensive—often $.99! And they add color and interest to common planters.

MUGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE

Friends, I am not sure why the mug I use is so significant to me, but I really believe it helps set the tone of my day. Is that crazy? So if I’m at a thrift store, I always check out the mugs to see if there is something that makes me smile. So far, I’ve only purchased one mug apart from the Japanese Blue Willow ones above, and it was only $.99. I found the Bistro London mug from Anthropologie that normally retails for $14! It makes me so happy. For the record, I am in search of a mug in the shape of a cowboy hat and in the shape of a cowboy boot—so let me know if you come across one.

RANDOMS

And every once in a while, I need something random and start looking at the thrift store so that it’s less expensive and for the sustainable aspect. Why buy something new if you can find a gently used one that is perfectly acceptable for what is needed. I always like to check the thrift store first if I need something random.

I needed an easel to hold the large sign of my book cover that I use at special events. $12. You can’t see the easel, but you get the idea.

James needed a little shelf for all his colognes and I randomly found this one. $4.

So these are the reasons why I’ve enjoyed buying secondhand recently. Maybe this post will inspire you to give it a try sometime. My favorite place to thrift in McKinney in called Inn Style and all the sales benefit the Samaritan Inn. It’s the big purple building at the intersection of HWY 380 and HWY 5. They also have a drive through donation station if you are doing a big clean out and need to get rid of some things. Happy thrifting everyone!