a thrifting, reading, and gardening diary
As the rain hammered down this past gray February weekend, I made my quarterly pilgrimage to Modesto for a much-needed thrifting trip out of town. I didn’t find much at Goodwill, but I had a blast yet again perusing the endless aisles at the Mad Monk. I first came across Mad Monk when I lived … Read more
Every so often, my thrifted finds need something extra to be displayed properly. Specifically, I’ve been in need of plate hangers and a frame for a while. But my workload has been ramping up this month, so I haven’t felt motivated enough to dig through thrift store craft bins for these very particular supplies, despite … Read more
Flashback to what seems like an entire lifetime ago, I worked as a junior marketer at a stationery e-commerce in my early 20s. While I eventually left that post after a year, it was there where I developed a lifelong appreciation for stationery, especially fancy luxury stationery. There is, admittedly, a lot of frivolity and … Read more
I consider myself a pretty discerning thrifter, but I let things slip through the cracks from time to time. Sometimes, I’m so eager to pick up a cool thrifted find that I don’t pay attention to the actual item I’m buying. (Especially if it is very inexpensive!) During a thrifty adventure one sleepy Saturday morning, … Read more
I’ve resolved to thrift for Christmas gifts this year. After years of burning money on Black Friday impulse buys from online sales, I’ve decided that I want to pamper my loved ones with thoughtful, high-quality gifts this time around. I’m trying to make Thriftmas happen this December: No more flimsy polyurethane “leather” handbags and threadbare … Read more
No, I don’t have a reading journal for school — I’m just a grown woman who really likes to document her literary escapades. At the end of last year, I channeled my inner geeky fourth grader and started keeping a reading log in a slim Stalogy B6 journal that I’ve since adorned with obnoxious Arthur … Read more
I know I’ve become a small-town mouse because a trip to Modesto is a big city excursion for me. As much as I love shopping around the thrift stores near me, I also like to venture out of my tiny nook in the Central Valley to explore secondhand shops. I typically visit Mad Monk Vintage … Read more
It’s been a minute since my last Bay Area thrifting trip — about a year, to be exact. Since I have fantastic thrift stores near me, I haven’t felt particularly inclined to make the drive up to the South Bay. Still, it’s always a fun time thrifting in the Bay Area since there are simply … Read more
In the early days of the pandemic, I found a knockoff Prada(?) faux leather bag at Goodwill for $4. After a few solid years of use (and many compliments, I might add), a handle ripped off, and I was forced to search for a new neutral-colored leather bag. Cute as it may be, my giant … Read more
Hands down, one of my favorite things about living in the Central Valley is the Great Valley Bookfest. I came across it while coming back home from a date a few years ago, and I’ve been making an active effort to attend every year! (Is my blog becoming a case study of life in the … Read more
