November 13, 2009

All Spiffed Up...


I just PDF'd off a painting... or did I FTP it? In any event, I don't know why I get so nervous when I do that. I much prefer the old fashioned mailbox and stamps and waiting in line. I always see the most fascinating people standing in line at the post office... whereas with FTP you only get to snoop around at cyber stuff. Not nearly as interesting.

I had a fabulous time shopping at Value Village the other day. I love shopping in thrift stores exactly as much as I hate shopping in malls. Malls depress me. They drain the spirit out of my soul.

Why do I like thrift stores best? First of all the prices are impossible to beat. I also much prefer clothes that are already a bit worn out... they match the rest of my wardrobe. (unlike those idiotic clothes from the high-end fashion stores where they want you to pay $145 for jeans that come 'pre-ripped').

Also the selection of clothes from thrift stores is far and away more interesting, with more character. High end labels, styles no longer made, assortments unavailable anywhere else... and all for a song. I also like how everything is in one store... so you don't have to troop for miles through a maze of flashing lights and glass counters full of glitzy junk like at the mall.


So I got all decked out in all my new thrift store finds... trying to feel like somebody else. That's the real reason I like thrift stores. For the first day or so it's like I'm somebody else instead of me, especially while they still have that thrift store smell. Eventually it wears off... and I return to being just me.

But I've prattled on too long, as usual. Anyhow, 2 cotton shirts, 2 corduroy pants, 1 pair of lined flannel chinos, 2 polartec pullovers and a light lined jacket... all for the price of 1 shirt at the mall. lol!

I was just thrilled to get a blog comment from the great nephew of Cromwell Dixon! Gosh... I know nobody else on planet earth much cares... but I do. Usually I feel slightly guilty when someone says they're going to buy my book... but in this case I'm making an exception.

4 comments:

paula said...

I absolutely understand the thrift store high, John. I've been doing Goodwill, the Salvation Army, etc. since high school (i.e. a looooong time). It's also fun when someone says something like, "I like your shirt", and you can point to it, smile and say, "Thanks! Fifty cents!"-or whatever the "for a song" price was. Thanks for sharing!

John Nez said...

Mostly I ignore clothes... and in fact I always hated shopping for clothes when I was a child. But there's a real 'treasure hunt' fun thing about thrift stores... you never know what you're going to find.

:0)

June said...

Ha... we illustrators spend too much time hermiting in our studios.
I also like buying from thrift stores. I went into some regular shops the other day hoping to buy some new clothes and couldn't believe the prices!!!
I need to get out more.

Wade Brandis said...

I'm curious as to what kinds of glitzy junk can be found at your mall? When I go to a mall, I usually focus on going to the store I want to go, and I usually don't look into glass cases that may be along the way.