How to Thrift Shop

Good morning, daisies! Happy, happy Friday! This week certainly flew by; I hope the

weekend doesn’t pass as quickly. I have plans to spend time with dear friends, catch up on Stats homework, and thrift shop. Thrift shopping is an activity I have become quite familiar with this summer. Through the years, I have sporadically visited second-hand stores and others of the like (especially before clashing events or dances), but I have never really made it my mission to be a good thrift-shopper until recently. I truly think there is some sort of an art to it! I thought I’d share with you all a few tricks of the trade that I have gleaned through my thrift-travels:

1. Know the schedules of thrift stores 

Be aware of special deals or weekly sales that local thrift stores have. Goodwill has discounted items every day, including 50% off all merchandise on every other Saturday. On these days, I have been able to pick up several great pieces for under 10$. The Salvation Army also has special deals on Wednesdays. Booya. If you can plan your trips accordingly and get additional discounts, you’re sure to get more bang for your buck.

2. Timing is everything

I can’t emphasize this enough. While there is something to be said about visiting thrift stores on clearance days, if you go late in the afternoon on a 50% off day, do not expect to find anything worth taking home with you. Keep in mind that half your neighborhood has probably already picked over the store by the time you walk in the door. I recommend checking store hours and going shortly after the doors open. I can testify that there is a world of difference between the success I have in the morning versus the afternoon.

 3.   Go with a plan



Thrift stores can be overwhelming because they usually carry clothing, shoes, furniture, accessories, and other miscellaneous items. Before you start your shopping, make a list of things you want (in your head or on paper; I prefer paper so I don't forget anything). If you go to just browse, I can guarantee you will end up spending too much time in sections irrelevant to your needs, too much money on items that clutter your closet, or just grazing over the store. Know what you're looking for and try not to deviate much.

4. Visit many

Because of the nature of second-hand and thrift stores, you will likely not love everything you see. In fact, sometimes it is hard to find something worth the penny or that's even redeemable. It truly takes perseverance to sift through those racks and look for hidden gems. Sometimes a store won't have anything that fits your requirements or taste. If so, go to another! This is a game of hit and miss. Patience and work will pay off; I have found quality items from Gap, Lucky, B. Republic, Nordstrom, Express, J. Crew, and American Eagle. They just required some searching. So make a day of it and don't rush!

5. Take a friend

Half the fun of thrifting is when you can share the time with a friend. If you go with someone who knows you well, there will indubitably be a time when they spot something that is "totally you." An extra pair of eyes will benefit you both. Not to mention how funny it is when you discover some completely ridiculous item; you will be grateful to have someone to share in the moment. The other day, my friend Rachel and I were out thrifting and came across a pair of underwear that could have fit five or six people at the same time, and that's no exaggeration. We laughed, took pictures, and even contemplated the purchase. You heard me.

6. Practice moderation 

Like every other aspect of life, it is important to stay within the parameters of moderation. Yes, the clothes are cheap. Yes, the movies are .25. But this does not warrant compulsive shopping. You will end up taking home stuff that creates clutter in your life. Instead, exercise self control and refrain from buying just to buy.

Rosies, be adventurous this weekend! Thrift, thrift, thrift, and be merry. 

XO.

Lux Coffee Bar

Hello dearies! Wednesday is upon us and I hope it’s as bright for you as it is for me. Today is looking to be quite busy with work, errands, and Catie’s 21^st birthday celebration in the eve. As such, today merits an extra cup of coffee. Because it's Catie’s big day, I can think of no better time to write about a favorite coffee shop that Catie and I discovered together.

Lux Coffee Bar

4404 N Central Ave # 1

Phoenix, AZ 85012

 

(602) 266-6469

Open every day from 7am until 10pm

 Lux is one of the best when it comes to local coffee shops, and I just can’t go there enough. Here’s why: when I first walked into Lux, I noticed that the interior of the place was ulta trendy. Local artists regularly display their work on the walls and hip, soothing music lulls in the background. It was slightly crowded; people from all different walks of life peppered the place, sipping their drinks and nibbling on homemade goodies off hand-painted plates.  While we waited in line, we were immediately drawn to the bakery display of cakes, cookies, muffins, brownies, brioche, and quiche. For drinks, I ordered an iced black and white mocha, which is one of their delicious staples, and Catie ordered a cappuccino. By the second sip, we could agree that it is evident that corners are not cut in the making of Lux’s drinks. As Catie noted, Lux's coffee drinks enhance the coffee’s richness and flavor, instead of turning it into a frou-frou concoction that completely masks or replaces the coffee.

In addition to drinks, we ordered a fruit and date bar and a slice of quiche. Both of which tasted uniquely exceptional.  Catie and I sat down on a free couch, finished our treats, and marveled at some interesting people who came through. These pertinent people included a recent bride and groom (still in wedding attire) and a man holstering a firearm.

Precious.

Gun!



All in all, a marvelous time. Please see if you can’t stop by Lux for a coffee date or two. You will have no regrets! Have a wonderful afternoon, love doves. I appreciate you.



Happy birthday, Catie!



XO.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chunk Chippers

Good morning, sweet peas! How's Tuesday for you? For some odd but oh so great reason, I have splendid feelings about today. I would venture to say that I'm experiencing overflow from how well my Monday ended, but who knows. Who cares!
As I hinted, last night was perfect. I daresay it was a little piece of heaven. After a long day at work (and just a long day in general), I felt like spending a little time in solitude. After running to the grocery store and renting a redbox movie, I decided to do a little baking. Because I will be moving out of my apartment in the near future (tear.) to move back into the oven-and-stove-less dorms for the fall semester, I have been trying to use up my stock of baking ingredients. I had almost an entire bag of whole wheat flour, so I used this as the pivotal feature to work around. After some minutes in thought and internet research, I decided on making whole wheat chocolate chunk chippers. Mmmm. I hope you find this recipe as delightful and delicious as I found it to be. Keep in mind, too, that I substituted several ingredients for healthier alternatives. Delicious meets cookies meets wellness. Hello, perfection!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chunk Chippers

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup applesauce (sub. for butter)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 dark chocolate bar shaved and/or chopped into chunks (this is way cheaper than buying a bag of chocolate chips)

two handfuls chopped almonds (or pecans, macademias, etc., or omit entirely if you so desire)



Directions

First things first! For a little company:

Oh, Frank.



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. On a cutting board, chop almonds and chocolate

3. Mix brown sugar, white sugar, and applesauce together in a bowl

4. Beat in eggs, one at a time

5. Stir in vanilla, salt, and baking soda until well blended

6. Fold in chocolate chunks and almonds

7. Spoon out small globs of cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet

8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown

9. Enjoy with tea and a good movie :)

I ended up enjoying these little delights while lounging on the couch and watching the Adjustment Bureau. It was a fine evening, indeed.

Chickadees, a hope you find time for some 'you time.' We all need a little break once in a while. Love from me to you.

XO. 

Moving Mantras

You know those days when the world is on your side? You hit green lights, your hair looks great, the weather is perfect, you don’t ruin a new recipe, and you feel super motivated at the gym? This was not one of those. Not one little bit. It’s okay, though; sometimes these days need to happen to keep us on our toes.  I had a brilliant plan to bring to you a new cookie recipe (have you noticed yet that prefer baking over cooking?), but I failed miserably. I almost set my apartment building on fire and got pretty frustrated with the whole ordeal. It was unfortunate. So I apologize for the delay, and I will most certainly post a recipe before the week is out. Stay tuned J

Today, instead, I’ll share a few mantras for those of you who can relate to experiencing “off days.”

What is a mantra you ask?

According to the Wikipedia, a mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words capable of creating transformation. I love this definition, especially the word ‘transformation.’ It implies that words are capable of having such a powerful effect. This reminds me of how the Bible emphasizes and delineates the power of the tongue and its ability to encourage or deeply hurt; it is such a tool of power.

So, here are few little mantras that help me remember to keep my head up when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed:

Petunias, I know these mantras are terribly cliché, but try to see past the cheesiness. Each holds a little grain of truth for us. Today, I hope we can remember to recognize the power of our words and generously dish them out in love. Till tomorrow!

XO.

Apologies!

Hello, faithful followers! I am terribly sorry that I have been scarce lately. One of my summer classes, Statistics and Probability, has been kicking my booty this week. I want to make up for lost time, though, and will try to post more often this upcoming week. Thank you for being great and understanding that life (and stats, boooo!) happens. Love, love, and more love.






XO.

Nice Nails

Good morning, daisies! And a merry Monday to you. I hope your weekends were pleasant, peaceful, and full of smiles. I got to spend a good portion of my weekend with my dear friend Carly and, let me tell you, it has been too too long since we've had a girls' night. We went out to a nice dinner, saw Harry Potter again, and talked each others’ ears off. It was grand.

Another thing I did this weekend was paint my nails. A pretty little violet, summery color. See below.

Coffee and purple nails



Endless possibilities



One thing I decided while coloring my nails is this: painting nails is underrated. My friend Chelsea once told me that nail polish is a cheap accessory. And now that I think about it, how true is that?! The right nail color can compliment any outfit, equally as well as jewelry or the right shoes, but without a high cost. Nail polish typically ranges between $2 and $10 (for the really nice kind), and it lasts 1-2 years. Affordable, easy, fun. Win, win, win.

Check out the many avenues of nail polish.

While waiting patiently

Crackle polish; gives any color a bit of edge

Vintage nails

Newspaper nails; see how here!

Newspaper nails 2

Glamour nails

Retro nails

Toes, too!



Today, try something different and get creative with your nails if you so wish. Thanks for reading; it means so much!

XO.