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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

  2. Brandi says

    This is so crazy! I saw the exact same video on The Ugly Duckling House blog this morning and she did the same kind of thing – bought her stuff with a $20 and then showed readers what she bought. Great idea and now the song is stuck in my head!

    Reply

  3. J.Mill says

    Macklemore’s the *isht. Listen to their other stuff. They have a good message usually and are positive influences on an otherwise derogatory genre.

    Reply

  6. Erin says

    Ohhh man. That moment when your favorite blog exceeds awesome and enters epic territory. Me ‘n my bargain hunter pals deemed this song our new shopping anthem this past weekend, so needless to say, this post (and song) made my day. In the words of Macklemore, “This is f*****g awesome”.

    Reply

  8. Lindsay C says

    This is AWESOME!! Now, I’ve gotta get out this weekend and try it :) Can’t wait for next Friday to see everyone’s finds!

    Thank again Petersik’s! Always entertaining.

    Reply

  10. Ruth says

    Great idea! I don’t know the song (yet).
    Wanted to ask, what is the round orange thing on your left sleeve in the picture of you holding the twenty?

    Reply

  11. Barbi says

    I am so down with the thrift store challenge! So, my sisters and I had our own version of this several years ago. There used to be a show on BBC called Bargain Hunt where two teams were given the same amount of money, set loose at a flea market (with some kind of expert for a limited amount of tips) and then put those items up at a big antique auction. Who ever made the most money, or more often than not…lost the least amount of money (lol), won. So we decided to have contests where we would all get the same amount of money to spend at the thrift store and then we would list our spoils on ebay all starting at the same bid amount…and who ever made the most money won. It was super fun! Not to brag or anything, but I won every time :P I love the scavenger hunt part of this challenge in particular :)

    Reply

  13. Crissy says

    Sooo…love the blog and all that…the fact that you just referenced a song that everyone in my house loves (teen and above) because they know I am addicted to thrifting…well, you may just be my fave blog EVAH and now this is my favorite post! Thanks for a great laugh and you look bangin in that big a$$ coat, girl!

    Reply

  14. hannah says

    my husband and i were cracking up over this song the other day. awesome and so true. once we’re through with sickness in our house, i think this will be a $20 date night to look forward to. :)

    Reply

  15. Aggie says

    LOVE THIS. I seriously just posted this song on el blog just a few days ago. Great minds think alike ;). Can’t wait to take on the challenge…y’all are awesome!

    Reply

  16. Michele says

    Literally sitting at the Tacoma H&G show, waiting for you guys. :) decide to check the blog, and see you talking about Thrift Shop… The song I was just telling the friend here sitting next to me about as we waited to get into the show today. :) crazy. Also: Thrift Shop Challenge? It’s ON!

    Reply

  17. Tricia says

    I didn’t think it was possible to love this blog any more… & then you go & post Macklemore. this (blog) is effin awesome!

    Reply

  22. Joy says

    Okay, seriously, THIS is why I love you guys so much.

    I, too, love me some white rappers. And I just found out about this song a few weeks ago and since then have played oh, about 100,000 times.

    This challenge is awesome.

    Reply

  23. Hannah says

    As a long time Macklemore fan, I’ve never been more excited to read one of your posts!! Did you know that Macklemore is a proud Seattlite?! Love that you posted it the same day you visited the greater Seattle area! Was that planed?

    Reply

  24. Stefani says

    Awwww fun!! Love this idea :) great reason for a thrift adventure :)

    My mom is visiting and she discovered your book and is having a great time reading about all the fun projects :) I told her she should read your blog too!! Although she’s the opposite of computer savy so that probably won’t happen :)

    Reply

  28. Stacey says

    awwww yeaaaah POPPIN’ TAGS!!!

    my 13 yr. old and i heard this song while driving back from one of his basketball games and we were howling laughing in the car! we immediately googled it and now it’s our new fave song — especially since my hubby is a thrift store junkie. it’s his sunday morning ritual (50% off boyeeee!). so now when he goes to walk out the door my son is like, “yo dad, you goin’ to pop some tags?” lol

    i think my son and i need to do this challenge!

    Reply

  29. Kim says

    I’m dying right now. AND you are in Seattle, home of the one and only. You def need to hit up a Salvation Army while there.

    Reply

  30. Kim says

    Omg you two crack me the heck up!!, this made my Friday for’ shiz! The keyboard and big a$$ coat pics are hilarious! Love you two! Have a blast on the west coast playas! ;)

    Reply

  31. Alyssa says

    LOVE this song, but my skin is feeling totally itchy & crawly about trying that coat on pre-washed…glad it at least smelled clean!!!

    Reply

  34. Kay says

    Oh hot damn, this is my jam! (I had to–I’m sorry!)

    Seriously, I love this song and this idea is brilliant. I am now off to search for a wolf to rock on my noggin.

    Reply

  35. shereen says

    First time I heard this song back in the fall I totally thought of you $herdog – so happy you’ve made this into a challenge!

    Reply

  37. Heather says

    This really is awesome! And not because the song says it! I wish I would have known about the challenge earlier I went to Goodwill this morning…. Oh well, looks like I’ll have to go to some more thrift stores! ;)

    Reply

  38. Kristen says

    I am so happy you guys heard this song. I heard it on the radio last night and was going to email you about it ! Too funny!

    Reply

  40. Angie says

    Having just heard the song for the very first time yesterday, I am STILL laughing like a fool!! You guys are awesome & I love you!! I’ll be hunting down my big a$$ coat ;)

    Reply

  41. Trisha D. says

    This post is totally fitting. Just getting some Craigslist and Facebook area garage sale hunting. Now to snap some awesome pics!

    Thanks for being awesome as usual.

    Reply

  43. Kyra says

    What a great idea!! And it will be a challenge not only across the country but also across Germany. The 20$ correspond to almost 15,00€ so this will me my goal.

    Can’t wait to start! <3

    Reply

  45. katie says

    There is something about a man that can make footsie pajamas look good. great post. I will be out thrifting tmrw!

    Reply

  48. Susan says

    For sure, it’s on!!

    I have to share one of my favorite thrift-and-music memories: We used to have an awesome thrift shop right around the corner from my house, and my kids and I would have fun hunting for treasures there. One day while I was standing in line to check out, my daughter (who was about six) came up to me with one of her “finds”, a lumpy knitted item colored a dark pinkish-red, and asked “Mommy, what IS this?” After looking it over, I told her “Oh, it’s like a hat. It’s called a beret.” Then I did a double-take and said slowly “It’s a raspberry beret…the kind you find in a second hand store….” and me and the other shoppers in line fell out laughing while my daughter looked at us like we’d lost our minds.

    Reply

  49. Stephie @ ThriftandStyle says

    ooooooh snap this is my BREAD and BUTTER!!! thanks for encouraging my thrifting addiction, guys.

    now all i need to do is find a teal colored scooter and two willing “thrifting assistants” to escort me to my fave thrift store…

    Reply

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