Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 331 Comments

Thrift Store Shopping

Ok, I keep mentioning that Katie B and I had some fun stared into each other’s eyes for 48 hours straight and she posted about the whole shebang right here (update: Katie’s blog is giving her issues, so maybe try clicking over later or tomorrow instead of right now). And by whole shebang I mean the part where Will went to the bathroom in the tub (numero dos) while bathing with Clara. And how Jeremy and John accidentally wore the same exact beverage themed shirt on Sunday…

Sprite Matching

She also touched on our pedicure adventures…

Pedicures

… and mountaintop enjoyment…

Toes At The Top

It’s all here (update: just remember to click over later or tomorrow since her blog is giving her grief).

But back to our little Goodwill excursion. We decided that trolling the aisles of a thrift store in search of stuff that was take-home worthy might be blog worthy (“might” being the operative word). So here’s what we came away with: an 11 minute video of two giddy weirdos who giggle like 5th graders whenever some sort of innuendo slips in. So to answer your impending questions: no, we don’t know what our malfunction is. And yes, this regression is probably Freudian. So think of us not as adults and mothers but as two immature gals who can’t calm down for thirty minutes to make anything remotely polished and posed. For those at work who can’t watch it, just envision twelve year old girls braiding each other’s hair and jumping on the bed while having a pillow fight after applying sparkly nail polish and swooning over a Bon Jovi poster. And for those who can watch it: I’m sorry. We just can’t help ourselves. Tweens may get hyper after too much sugar during a sleepover, but we’re like that at Goodwill at noon.

A few things to note:

  • We used our usual insane method of video entry by squatting and then standing up into frame (first established here).
  • Somehow we managed to reference male parts, maxi pads, and bras in under eleven minutes of tape. Yes, we’re ashamed.
  • Katie’s shirt is from the J Crew Outlet (I loved it so much I had to ask, and I figured you guys would too).
  • We used a bleep. Somehow they just make everything funnier (but maybe only if you’re us).
  • The way John walks through frame holding Clara while I’m talking about those tiny chairs kills me (it’s his Vanna White expression).
  • I’m wearing Katie’s flip flops, which is why they’re a little big (my wedges weren’t “proper attire” for running around all day).
  • There’s a dorky Friends reference in there. Almost immediately. Please tell me you noticed.
  • Katie is about a foot taller and ten times more glamorous than I am (aka: no need to comment about my short shorts + pasty leg combo).
  • People walk by. The intercom blares. But not one employee asked what we were up to or told us to stop. Even when we filmed at the checkout. Gotta love those friendly Georgians.
  • At one point you can hear the song “Yackity Yack” playing in the background. Sweet soundtrack, right?

Oh and we meant to work a little end section into the video about what NOT to buy at Goodwill, but since the video was waaay longer (and substantially more embarrassing) than we expected, we didn’t want to drag it out. So here are a few shots of what NOT to buy at Goodwill:

Katie Coconut

 

Sherry Dolls

All in favor of not buying those things, say I. Oh and you might wonder how Jeremy, Will, John, and Clara kept themselves busy while we Flip cam’d our way through the store. Well, things like giant wooden spoons kept them entertained:

Our Family1

Seriously, every time John brought it near Clara’s mouth she opened wide like a bald little baby bird:

Family 2

Family 3

And while we’re on the Goodwill hunting topic (I’ll pause while someone says “how about them apples”), what treasures have you found at Goodwill or Salvation Army or other places of the like? Have you seen anything that was so mind-numbingly crazy that you actually had to pick it up and examine it more closely to make sure it was, in fact, real (for me it was the gilded ceramic double unicorn vase – I thought they only existed in alternate universes). Come on, it’s Thursday afternoon. Let’s gab.

Psst- A big fat thanks to sweet Katie Bower for being such an amazing host and friend and fellow weirdo. So glad we met thanks to this crazy world of blogging and actually surpassed the “blog friend” title to become real life friends. Miss you already. And you didn’t burn that fajita meat, it was just well done. Just the way I like it.

Psssst- To watch some other terrible KB + SP = gigglefest videos, here’s one, here’s another, here’s one more, and here’s another one. That’s a lot of giggling.

Comments

  1. L says

    Dunno why, but this is the first time I’ve really, really seen how much Clara looks like her mom!

    Haven’t watched the video (yet) but I can identify — me & Ms. A, my BFF get all silly and giggly like you describe. And we are both long-standing members of AARP. So enjoy; it just gets better!

    Reply

  2. Tiffany B says

    You two made my day! I was completely laughing out loud at the video (from the maxipads to the bleep)

    I loved when the gentleman interrupted and commented on Katie’s smile and her southern voice was a so much more noticeable when she said “Thank you”. He was such a flirt :)

    Oh, and I love that YHL and BowerPower reference each other because I follow both blogs daily and I think its great that y’all know each other. It’s like when CSI’s cross over for an episode :) Thanks for including us on your road trip.

    Reply

  3. Carla says

    You guys filming and giggling was probably one of the less strange things those GW employees saw that day! And love Katie’s taste in mirrors – I have the same/almost the same one, also a TS purchase in the $4-$5 range.

    Reply

  4. Melissa @ Mitchell House says

    I frequent the Goodwill i our area. Definitely the oddest thing I have to scope out for pure curiosity is the wedding dresses that are brought in. It’s like teleporting back to the 1980’s. Shoulder puffs and sequins galore. Once I saw a lime green one with a reaaaly long train and matching veil. No lie.
    I can only imagine what that wedding was like.

    Reply

  5. Necole says

    I totally own one of those pirate heads. It has hung in every bathroom I have every lived in from college to now. Well, now it is in the kitchen. It is a stash box, and I keep $$$$$ in it. The husband does not know the wiser.

    I have a sick love for truly ugly things.

    Reply

    • Elizabeth says

      Is it a coconut head purse? I remember people having those things back in the day. Too funny.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It was actually just a hanging critter – sort of like a hollow coconut I think with a loop at the top. A purse would have been extra awesome though.

      xo,
      s

  7. hillary says

    Okay, cutest video ever! And Clara with the giant spoon!? *dies*

    Did you buy the squirrels? I love the squirrels.

    Reply

  9. Georgia says

    Haha love the video, another place to add to my list when i goto vegas… Goodwill *check* pottery barn *check* lol

    Cant stop looking at Katie’s camera… *swwwwwoooooon*

    Love the southern accents, especially the lady who walks past you both! haha

    I recently bought a little yellow jug which looks like a Beehive, for £2.99. really cute. I also bought a huge green teacup and saucer for £1 … which is like $1.60 its super cool, and i use it for bits and pieces on my dressing table.

    x

    Reply

  11. Michele Daggar says

    Such a great post! Poor Clara, she was expecting to get fed and all she got was a dirty old giant Goodwill spoon! She’s so adorable.

    My best Goodwill find was a console/sofa table that I’d been dreaming of buying at Target. I got it for $50, Target was selling new ones for $120. It’s the exact same one! There was absolutely nothing wrong with it. I couldn’t find a mark anywhere. I think it was the floor model. I know that the Goodwill near my house gets lots of “leftover” home goods from Target. I especially see bedding, linens and shoes.

    Reply

  13. Adriane (aka the greenhorn) says

    That video is gold, lol. The whole post is a really cute freindship glimpse actually. And I must, must mention a couple things…

    1)The things people donate to Goodwill are a seriously atrocious slash hilarious testament to what people think their stuff is worth.

    2)My husband always wears his sunglasses on his shirt like that and although it’s painful when going in for a hug and getting them in my forehead, it’s cute and I can’t wait until he can rock mini pink ones. Way to pull that off John…you need a bumper sticker “Real Men Wear Pink Baby Shades” maybe “I Wear Her Sunglasses At Night” ??? Hehehe

    Reply

  14. Letty says

    You two crack me up! I watched the video and found it funny, but the pictures at the end are hilarious!

    Reply

  15. Shannah says

    We are on vacation in OBX (NC) and have hit a few of their thrift stores so far. Yesterday, I scored some wooden Christmas themed lumieres (just need some repainting) and a great lemonade jar.

    Reply

  17. Molly says

    Our college town has the best Goodwill ever – This week I stopped in and got a faux leather chair that is identical to one I’ve been drooling over at Target. Target price – $110, Goodwill price – $5.99!! We also found a piece of $1 china there that is stamped “Made in Occupied Japan” which is getting super rare and could be worth A LOT.

    And again, Matt Damon. Yummmm. If you haven’t seen it, you should look up the video of him doing a Matthew McConaughey imitation. Hilarious..

    Reply

  20. Kim says

    For $6.00 I recently scored a lovely aqua vase that stands about 16 inches tall. When our brother-in-law who is a potter saw the vase, he immediately knew it was a custom piece, not one that had been mass produced. We turned it upside down and sure enough, it’s signed and dated by the potter. So aside from it’s aqua loveliness, it’s also a one-of-a-kind :) I talked my husband into letting me get it because I told him it would basically be $1 per month for my enjoyment during the six months we’ll be here in the U.S. But now I’m totally trying to figure out HOW IN THE WORLD I can get it home with me at the end of our time here! LOL
    P.S. It was originally $12 but we hit the store on a half-off day. Love those!

    Reply

  21. NettyC says

    Recently I bought a little white ceremic creamer (milk holder/pouring thing) in the shape of a cow with the spout being the cow’s little mouth. It’s hilarious. I’ll send a pic. Oh, and it was $.68 (68 cents). LOL

    Reply

  23. laura says

    The entire time I was watching the video I was trying to figure out what movie star/celebrity your friend looks like. I finally figured it out…Bebe Neuwirth. Has she ever heard that one before?

    Reply

  25. Beth C says

    That was hilarious! Totally reminds me of when my friend and I go shopping, especially at Anthropologie. We use the word “cute” more times than anyone should in a lifetime!

    Reply

  26. Regina says

    Totally got the Friends reference!

    “Jute to la fruit!”

    Wasn’t that from the episode where Joey lies and says he can speak French and Phoebe is trying to teach him, and he ends up blurting out, “Toot to la fruit” or something like that?

    Reply

  28. Chaucea says

    Goodness! I am absolutely floored at how pricey things are at that Goodwill store.

    The prices at the thrift stores I’ve been to in Colorado are between 1/4 to 1/2 of those prices mentioned.

    The Re-Store near me has some amazing pieces (like really, really nice pieces of mid-century and earlier furniture) for $10 to $15.

    Reply

  29. Kim says

    Many favorite things from Goodwill-lot’s of brand name clothing, for myself and my kids. But one of my favorites is a rock candle holder. A real rock with a hole in the middle for a candle. I love rocks, so this was a score for me!

    Reply

  30. Alice says

    I swear, your description of you two gals made me think of 13 Going on 30 where Jennifer Garner is jumping around on her bed with the 13 year old girls singing to the video “Love is a Battlefield”!

    Reply

  31. Josie says

    Where in Georgia was this goodwill? did she selma? That store really looks awesome wished all of them were like that i dont live to far from the GA line and have some friends that live in Ga might have to take a trip to that goodwill seems like they have a big variety of items.

    Reply

  32. lauren says

    Sherry- I love For the Love of Jesus too! Lucky for me FLOJ and the Goodwill on Midlothian are minutes from my work so many a lunch break is spent browsing the goods! In fact, I just got this mid-century dresser I’m using as a sofa table for $55! Now if only I can figure out if I want to paint or stain it!

    Here’s a link to the dresser on my Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/46363006@N02/5815967337/

    Reply

  33. Kirsten says

    Ok… I just have to tell you that everything about this post made me laugh out loud. Seriously. So, thank you for that. Ok, that is all.

    Reply

  34. Polka says

    love the video and the jokes. I think most of us silly chicks make that kind of jokes :) haha

    addicted to your blog. I am here everyday, always waiting for the next post :)

    best
    polka

    Reply

  36. Angela N says

    So funny!! You girls are so cute!! I hit my local GW (yes, I now refer to it as GW) once a week. Last week I scored a cute Land’s End dress for $5 and almost always see JCrew clothing items there. Not my size though. :-( If I could just loose a few lbs! lol I have scored a tons of stuff there. Especially clothing for my 2 girls for VERY inexpensive. Mostly Baby Gap, Mini Boden type stuff too! And even take my family members when they come in town. I am on the hunt for some good lamps, but haven’y had much luck yet. I’ll keep checking back each week. ;-) You guys found some really great stuff!

    Reply

  37. Rachel says

    I so wish I could go Goodwill shopping with you! Looks like you had so much fun. I live in Austin, TX and we also have a Goodwill “outlet” called the Blue Hanger and you buy everything there by the pound. You just roll your cart on the scale. I scored a really cool vintage train case, a cool wooden shelf (like the truck you found) but the little cubbies are different sizes and I use it for my jewelry!
    Your videos are awesome and Clara’s photos crack me up. Oh! and I love what you said about Burger and his friends sitting in those little chairs! I have a little chihuahua and I just pictured my little guy (Diego) sitting with Burger! LOL

    Reply

  38. Alicia says

    OMG! That video totally makes me want to be your friends…does that make me some weird creeper…oh well guess it’s a good thing I live clear across the country!

    Reply

  39. cc says

    Ahaha! While visiting friends one time, that happened with our husbands’ shirts too! They were too weirded out about it to pose for a picture, however, and if I recall, they BOTH went to change shirts immediately. Thanks for the memory, though. :P

    Reply

  40. Lauren says

    Since you asked at the bottom of this post, I just had to say… I made curtains this week and just finished them today!! Yours look absolutely fabulous and are more my style, but the curtains I made were for my sister (another faithful reader of your blog… if she’s reading this comment, ‘Hi Jen! Your curtains are ready!’) She wanted white eyelet curtains with ruffle trim similar to some super expensive ones at Urban Outfitters. I recently decided to bring my own (very old) Brother sewing maching out of hiding (after reading about your sewing adventures here) and have made a few things already (a pillow out of a $1.99 cloth placemat? yes, please!) Thanks for the constant inspiration and enjoy your new curtains!

    Reply

  42. Mary Thomas says

    Seriously… could not… stop.. laughing. And it’s one of those whisper giggle things with stifled squeals because my boy is napping next to me right now and CANNOT wake up. That would be tragic. Ohman I wish I was at Goodwill with you guys. A few things: John walking through with Clara- hysterical. You holding the 80s Unicorn disaster- THAT FACE! tears, I tell you. Plus you look so much like Clara for some reason. The old man who complimented Katie on her smile! HA classic Goodwill shopping. Or maybe classic filming in a Goodwill? And since when is that “classic” Geez I dont know. Okay. Out of control now. Will stop.

    Reply

  43. Heather W. says

    I just had a question about hanging the curtains behind the bed. What type of rod did she use and is that the actual wall above the rod? I can’t tell by the photo? Love the house super cute and so cute how you met!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, I don’t know if I remember correctly (Katie has since moved) but I think it was a long tension rod or just a long curtain rod mounted about 4″ in front of the wall. So if you leaned on the curtains you’d feel the wall back there pretty quickly. Maybe pop over to her blog with questions?

      xo,
      s

    • Heather W. says

      Ok, Thanks. I can access your blog at work but not hers shucks! I’ll just have to check it out from home=)

  44. Caitlin says

    I love that unicorn? pegasi? whatever? vase thing.

    Best thing I ever found at Goodwill was a midcentury glass bowl that turned out to be worth about $400. I also scored a huge bag of vintage fabric from the 1960s not too long ago. I basically furnished my entire first apartment with thrift stores and yard sales. If you’re patient, you can find incredible stuff.

    Reply

  45. Martha says

    I loved the video, esp all the 7th grade “nut” references! Y’all had me cracking up!
    So i swear this week I’m in used furniture heaven!!! Craiglist has been killer and maybe it is because everyone is cleaning out their homes because it is summer but I am LOVING it!
    On Monday I scored a Tiger Maple veneer over solid Oak chest for $60! Then on Wednesday I stopped by the ReStore (Habitat for Humanity’s second hand shop) and found a chinoiserie chandelier for $20! It is lovely and from Italy. Today, I found a lovely Asian inspired china hutch, solid wood, with glass doors and display lights for $100 on Craigslist! I’m probably going to paint the chandelier and china hutch a fun color.
    Obliviously, you can tell I’m excited! I’ll hush now but I thought you’d enjoy my scores! Thanks for your blog, my boyfriend and I are in the closing stated of buying a fixer upper and we reference your blog All the Time!!! We are also trying to pay cash for everything as well. Thanks so much :D

    Reply

  46. Meredith @ La Buena Vida says

    Lizzy was sitting on my lap while reading this post, and inexplicably kept yelling “PIZZA!” at the husbands in their matching shirts.

    She also belly laughed like crazy at the photo of Clara with the spoon :)

    Reply

  47. Ms. Amy says

    I found a set of All-Clad cookware for $24.99 at my local Community Thrift. I think I actually shed a little tear of happiness. The outsides are thrashed, but a little cleaning with Barkeeper’s Friend & the insides are perfect.

    Reply

  49. kathy says

    You two make me laugh… I wish I could go thrift shopping with you girls. Is it weird and creepy that I feel like you are my BFFs too?

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *