a guide to all things vintage
At the end of South and West, Joan Didion writes, “The particular flat expanse of the Central Valley comforts my eye…I am easy here in a way that I am not easy in other places.” The Central Valley is known for being somewhat flat and beige — some might even say dull and bland. But … 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 approach thrifting like a treasure hunt, staying open to all of the wondrous possibilities that the thrift store holds. That said, I do find it useful to go into the store with some kind of mental framework for picking out pieces. It helps me avoid the all-too-common pitfall of hoarding stuff just because it’s … Read more
My overarching ~thrifty~ goals for this New Year are to shop secondhand whenever possible and to cut down spending on things that don’t serve my lifestyle. As a self-employed writer, my income can really go through feast and famine cycles, so I like to be frugal even when I have ample savings. Shopping secondhand is … Read more
I’m in a season of my life where I take immense pleasure in — perhaps even love — cooking. Just last week, I scoured my local Indian supermarkets for spices and whipped together a hearty potato chickpea spinach curry and chicken tikka masala. (Thank you, Food with Chetna!) Similar to gardening, preparing ingredients helps me … Read more
Merry Thriftmas! Christmas is simply the most wonderful time of year at the thrift store. Christmas paraphernalia pops up at secondhand shops like clockwork after Halloween. I think this happens because holiday cheer is mostly concentrated in November and December — by mid-January, everyone is pretty much over the yuletide spirit and desperate to declutter … Read more
Miraculously, I avoided Black Friday shopping altogether this year. While you don’t see hordes of people trampling over each other to clear out 80% off retail sales anymore, I still feel overwhelmed at big-box stores during peak holiday business hours, even in my sleepy part of northern California. I wasn’t going to subject myself to … 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
