I just need a purse...

Last night, the hubs and I met some friends for dinner at this quasi-new Turkish restaurant in DC (it's restaurant week and a fun time to try new places). We got a babysitter and everything! Just like old times. Anyway, since we don't go out without the little guy all that often, I decided to dress it up just a little. I wore a black and white knit jersey wrap dress and some cool platform stilettos. Both of those were purchased retail (on sale) at Nordstrom. I threw on my purple beaded twist necklace for color and immediately realized that the purse I was currently carrying, my Kooba Sienna anniversary edition in brown, just wasn't going to cut it. It looked clunky and too casual. I turned to my overwhelming collection of thrift store-purchased purses - there had to be something sitting in inventory that would work with the outfit. Behold the Kate Spade beauty I found. Crappy cell phone pic aside, it's a beaut - purple embossed leather with gold hardware and monogrammed noel lining. It matched my necklace perfectly. And it cost me $7.98. I definitely had to sift through a lot of plastic crap to find it at the thrift, but the reward was worth it. I seriously felt like I was getting away with something when I put my money down to pay for it. I will probably re-sell it at some point and make some money. But for the evening, it was the perfect bag for my outfit. This is why I love thrift store hunting.

What's this all about?

First, a litle bit about me. I work a day job. I spend lots of time during the business day in meetings, talking on the phone, writing documents that generally end up in a concurrence do-loop, and staring off into space wondering how to turn my favorite hobby into something a little more profitable. I LOVE to shop. But I hate spending tons of money on most things (handbags and shoes are notable exceptions). TADA.... Enter the thrift store! You would not believe the kinds of things I find. High-end barely used designer denim. Runway dresses. Every designer from Anthropologie. Barely worn Manolos (on occasion - these are a rare treat). Coach bags. Kate Spade bags. Even a couple of Longchamp and Gucci bags. All 100% authentic! And all under $10 apiece. My guilt is nonexistent when I plop down my credit card and no one knows that I didn't spend a mint on this stuff.

The best part about all of this? Not everything I find is my size. But I know each item is desirable and will fit someone in this great wide world. I buy up everything fabulous (my apologies to other shoppers, sort of) and sell the things that don't fit or aren't my personal style on eBay. It is truly win-win! I get to shop and make some money, and designer-hungry, budget-minded people get screaming deals. I love it so much that this is often how I spend any free time I have in the evenings after my son goes to bed. My husband says that our basement looks like an episode of Hoarders. He is kind of right.

Some friends have suggested that I blog about my experiences thrifting, selling, and bargain shopping in general. I have encountered some weird characters along the way! From time to time, I will probably do giveaways to help reduce the level of basement storage. And of course, if you want advice on thrifting for resale, I am happy to entertain questions.

That's all for now. Welcome to my world!