Young House Love

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Our (Completely Unofficial) Macklemore Thrift Shop Challenge

Psst- We’re bouncing around the West Coast this weekend with a talk and signing in Portland on Saturday at Rejuvenation at noon (for more info call 503-238-1900). Then on Sunday we’ll be in Palo Alto at 11am at the West Elm on 180 University Avenue (RSVP here). Parking isn’t enforced on Sundays so you can park anywhere, or you can purchase a visitors pass at Palo Alto Civic Center and park in any of their lots all day.

There are two irrefutable facts about me. 1) I tend to fall in love with rappers and 2) I’m a fool for a good thrift shop. So when those two passions collided in the form of this Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song called Thrift Shop, the Internet at large was quick to clue me into its awesomeness, which started around the fall of last year and continues well into 2013. So to anyone who commented/tweeted me the link, thank you for giving me my official jam of 2012 and 2013. The clip below is the clean radio edit of the song (if you’re on a smart phone click here to watch it) but here’s a link to the official non-clean video (warning: it’s a bit, um, saltier).

And now that the song is starting to get some radio play (seriously, they’ve started playing it here in Richmond!) it gave us an idea. As J-Boom and I pulled into a thrift store while it played, I was like “Ooh look at this, it’s so meta, a song about thrifting is playing while we’re going thrifting.” And then John turned to me and said “We should do a Macklemore Thrift Shop Challenge.” And boom. Just like that I fell more in love with my husband.

Macklemore Challenge

Here’s the deal. This “Challenge” is basically an excuse to all (virtually) go thrift shopping together and share our spoils, plus there’s a scavenger-hunt-ish element tossed in for good measure. So it’s meant to be a nice low pressure Friday fun-fest. And just like our little Pinterest Challenges, if you’d like to partake and blog about it, we’ll do a little linky thing next Friday so everyone can share their favorite finds. There are just THREE things you gotta do to play along (well, four if you count blogging about it later, although of course you can play along even if you don’t have a blog).

Step #1. Go to a thrift shop with – just as the chorus of the song says – “$20 in your pocket” and take a picture.

Macklemore Twenty

Step #2. Spend that $20 any way you’d like and photograph your spoils. They can be home related, fashion oriented, kid focused, anything. And you don’t necessarily need to make them over or repurpose them at all (although that’s totally allowed too!). It’s just an adventure in seeing what people all across the country (the world?) can score with a twenty at a thrift shop. And if you don’t find enough items to spend the whole twenty, there’s no pressure to buy weird things to meet that number, so it’s more of a cap than a you-must-hit-this-exact-number thing. This isn’t The Price Is Right.

Oh yeah, and we’ll reveal our spoils with everyone else next week…

Macklemore Dolls

Step #3. Find one item (or more) referenced in the song and snap a pic. Here’s the scaveger-hunt-ish element that we tossed in because we’re weirdos. And you get bonus points for doing something ridiculous with the item in the photo. After all, Macklemore has some pretty great confidence when he’s rocking those footy pajamas.

Macklemore Keyboad

If you’re like John and have a terrible time deciphering rap lyrics, we’ve listed some of the items you could hunt for here: clothing with fringe, an all pink outfit, moccasins, a velour jumpsuit, house slippers, a brown leather jacket, a keyboard, a kneeboard, shoes with velcro, luggage, a plaid button up shirt, flannel zebra jammies, PJs with built-in socks, a telescope, and of course… a big a$$ coat.

Macklemore Coat

Feel free to interpret the scavenger hunt items as literally or as loosely as you’d like. The point is just to have some good clean thrift shop fun. Happy hunting! We’ll be back next Friday with a rundown of what we found, and we can’t wait to see what you guys score as well.

Viva la thrift shop!

Comments

  1. Sheena says

    Hahaha! No joke, that song was on repeat when I did the work out of the day at my local Crossfit last week…the song is “eff*** awesome” to workout to too! By the end most of the group was chanting along to the chorus :) good times

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’ve notified Rejuvenation about it, so hopefully it’ll be coming back soon. You could also try calling them wen they open in a couple of hours: 503.238.1900

      -John

  5. Amanda says

    Heck yes! Challenge accepted! Is it weird that when I first heard this song on the radio, I thought of a) a sudden urge to go to the Goodwill and b) the Petersiks. lol

    Reply

  6. Clare says

    This is hilarious. I love the song/video too and if I weren’t SO broke, Id totally be participating in this. Can’t wait to see all the results.

    Reply

  8. Laine says

    Ha! I was just at Diversity Thrift with a few friends. One friend pulled up the song on her iphone on the way over and we kept going on about $20 in our pockets and popping tags as we were shopping. We hit Love of Jesus too, but the selection was disappointing this time.

    Reply

  9. heather says

    BWAHAHA. You guys just cracked me up. That big ass coat is fantastic and your mug in it is awesome. This is fantastic. I think a ballin’ video needs to accompany your finds next Friday.

    Reply

  11. Suzanne C. says

    That song came on the radio last weekend when we were in Richmond visiting friends,and it inspired us to visit some of your thrift store recommendations. We hit up love of Jesus and diversity and ended up scoring a beautiful cherry dining room table from diversity! Thanks for the recommendations!

    Reply

  13. Tania says

    No related to the song..(but he was in a Goodwill Outlet…you can score ALOT with 20 bucks there).

    The link to RSVPing for the Portland signing isn’t working??
    How long will you guys be there?? I will be working up the street, and will be done some time in the afternoon so would love to come by if I can make it.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yeah, sadly it looks like their site is down. The event is scheduled to go from noon to 2pm. If there are still people around at 2pm we’ll hang as long as we can until we have to run catch our flight!

      -John

  15. Lindsay says

    So cool to see you guys are into Macklemore! For people just tuning into him, don’t stop at “Thrift Shop.” He is an incredibly gifted rapper and with some really smart, powerful lyrics. Check him out!

    Reply

  17. Ann Marie says

    Wow, I can feel the excitement in this post!!! Totally hysterical! Hahahaha I can’t wait to see what this yields.

    Reply

  19. Jenny says

    Um, this may be the BEST POST EVER! I have been DYING over that song for a solid month now. It’s just so catchy! And I’m with you, I totally get a crush on white rappers. Nothing more to add, just a thank you for such a fun post! :)

    Reply

  20. Ammie says

    I’m so excited for next Friday – to see your spoils and everyone elses! And now, since evidently i’ve been living under a rock even though I listen to all genres of music, i’m going to google Mackelmore to see what i’ve been missing.

    Reply

  21. Lisa says

    Oh thank God you didn’t buy those dolls. Afraid they’d wake up in the middle of the night and start singing Thrift Store! Dolls scare the bejezzus out of me…

    Reply

  22. Laura says

    This has nothing to do with the post (though I think my grandma owned that coat, haha). Would you guys be willing to do a post on rugs in the future? I always see such great rugs on sites like Joss & Main and Overstock, but I have no clue if the material is good/shiny/sturdy/etc. I’m sure others would be interested, too!

    Reply

  23. Sarah says

    This. Is. Amazing.
    Seriously LOLing here while reading this!!
    Is it sad that I have that song in my head now and I didn’t even watch the video (I’m at work)?

    Reply

  24. Deb says

    I am so excited for this challange!!! I tell my husband that I need another house for all of my great finds. Not.funny.to.him. Can’t wait to see what people find! Happy Book Tour this weekend!

    Reply

  26. Kelly M says

    Thanks for enabling me! My husband is obsessed with the song, so maybe this is a good excuse to get him out and convince him Thrifting is super awesome. Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  27. asike says

    This is hilarious…and X*&Oing awesome to quote the song! I won’t have time to contribute but I am SO looking forward to what everyone finds!

    You just MADE my day. Too fun! – abby

    Reply

  28. Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says

    Let’s reallu mix references with a Barney Stinson “Challenge accepted!” high five! So glad to see this post. I have been jamming to this song for a few weeks now. But there is nothing like watching that hi-larious video!!!!

    Reply

  30. Linda says

    Off topic, but while reading the Chicago Tribune’s Chicago Homes section this morning, what do I see but a full page on creating a mudroom, guided by no other than John and Sherry Petersik! Lots of Sherry quotes, and nice reference to the book. Yay you guys!

    Reply

  34. Alicia says

    I think this is my favorite post to date. Hilarity Ensues. I’ve decided to start embracing the things I think are too ridiculous at the thrift stores… it’s clearly “in.”

    Reply

  35. Nicole says

    You guys are the best! Loved this video, it is my new favorite song! Please keep being yourselves – it’s so refreshing to read such about such open, honest bloggers!

    Reply

  38. Amie says

    I’m so in! I could use a little more milk glass to add to the horde, I mean the wedding centrepiece collection. Oh and more pillow cases for quilting.

    Reply

  39. Elise says

    I love that song and I love thrifting and I love you guys so this will be happening TOMORROW. This is F&*#ing Awesome.

    Reply

  40. Jeana says

    Challenge Accepted!! HAHA-A little How I Met Your Mother reference there for you!
    I have been obsessed with this song as well and just love it even more now.
    I will brave the fridged temps!(it is 1 right now but with wind chill it feels like -22) Got to love the ND winters!!

    Reply

  42. Alissa says

    YESSSS! Maybe it’s because I am a displaced Seattleite in SoCal, but I am obsessed with Macklemore. My husband plays this song every day at work when he needs a little break from the stress. More Seattle artist recommendations, if you’re looking for some awesome new music: Allen Stone, Carson Henley, The BGP, & Tess Henley. I think white hip-hop/r&b/funk is Seattle’s new grunge ;)

    Reply

  44. Samantha says

    You guys… this is f***ing awesome.

    Haha I thought it was so funny how many people commented and said “this is so awesome” when that line was just begging to be said!

    But seriously, you guys are hilarious.

    Reply

  45. Sara says

    Aaaack! I had never heard this song before and now I can’t. stop. playing. it! Definitely in on the challenge, though I don’t have a blog. Thanks for this post! I think. ;-)

    Reply

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