Today’s Prompt: Open a Book. Choose a book and open it to a random page and point to a phrase.  Use that phrase to get you writing today. Free write for 15-20 without stopping.

I’m always reading.  One book I’ve been reading on and off for a while is I Know What I Like (a visual autobiography by) Vincent Price.  (one of the coolest people who ever lived!!!  Just saying!!)   I’ve had the book for a few years now, and normally I fly through books, but this book I’m savoring, and enjoying every morsel of it.

I just opened the book closed my eyes and pointed to a phrase…..

“The junk store still holds a ghastly fascination for me.”

I’ve always enjoyed shopping in thrift (or junk) stores.   Yard sales were also a fascination for me.  I would go with my friend and her mother to scour the neighborhoods for the best yard sales, my friend would begrudgingly go, I eagerly awaited the search for the newest treasure.   Some days I may find nothing of interest.  Normally I found at least a book I just had to have!  Often I came away with treasures I just knew others would love and hold dear, often to be disappointed when they were less than impressed by my “used” gift.

As I got older I depended on the thrift store to supplement my wardrobe, and I loved it!  No I couldn’t afford the fancy clothes many of the kids wore at the private school I went attended, I was lucky to get a few fundamental pieces, then I discovered thrift stores!  Why would I pay $50 for a name brand sweater I could find for $2?  Having used clothes never bothered me.  I was picky about what I bought, and no one would have known if I didn’t tell them, but I bragged, and still do.  Someone will complement me on an outfit and I’ll say, “I paid $12 for this whole outfit, including the shoes!!   In high school it wasn’t cool, but in college….times changed.

I was an art student.  I bought all my clothes from thrift stores, loved to create my own look!  (wonder where that ability went?)  I often bought old paintings and white washed them and painted over the old painting.  Cheap canvas!!  I found many things to use for art projects!  For the artist, a thrift or junk store is a paradise.  My furniture was mostly thrift store items.  I loved them.  A bright yellow half circle leather chair from the 1970’s – that was my favorite.  I remember needing storage and an end table so I bought a bunch of old suitcases, cleaned them up, stored things in them, stacked them up and that was my table!  I still think that was a cool table.

Ahhhh, I remember my roommate bought a mink coat for $10.  It was such a wreak, and we were all a thither over the idea that someone would kill animals for a coat, but they had, and she felt that she was saving this poor pelt.  What a mess.  I don’t know what she ended up doing with it, I hope a good burial, but I’ll never forget that poor, poor mink coat we found.

I’ve found some gorgeous art books, I have a huge collection of old art books that have the prints in them.  They are gorgeous.

Now, before we buy anything new we go to the thrift store first.  I still buy a lot of my clothes used.  Little house hold gadgets….

I have found that most thrift stores are not the treasure houses they used to be, it’s more “trendy” to shop in thrift stores now.  I haven’t seen good used furniture in our local thrift stores in a long time, and when I do, the prices are way too high.

Still, I love to go on a treasure hunt in a junk or thrift store, I do not believe the fascination will ever die for me.   (as long as I take an allergy pill first, whew the dust will get you!)

“Ummmmm, honey, think we can go thrift store shopping this weekend?”