Hi!

I’m Ann-Marie and I am so excited to be guest-blogging here at The Style Eater. I’ve known Janelle since our freshman year of high school, when I totally bought the same pair of DVS skater shoes that she had (lord help us understand why those were ever considered stylish?!). Let’s just say, she has always been a fashion idol of mine!  🙂 So while she is rubbing elbows with Fred Armisen in Portlandia, I will tell you a little about my slight obsession with thrifting.

California will always hold the number one spot in my heart in virtually every other way, but I have to say it: Utah has the best thrifting. When I moved here last year to take on an awesome job in the crafts industry, I quickly discovered Deseret Industries. Okay, so it’s totally owned by the Mormons, but it is AWESOME! There are a bunch of stores within a thirty mile radius of where I live, and you better believe I hit up each and every one of them as often as possible. Here are a some of my favorite items to look for:

Bowls, bowls, and more bowls. I use them to hold just about everything, from craft supplies to food to keys.

Frames in all different shapes and sizes. It doesn’t matter what color they come in because you can spray paint the heck out of them to match your decor. For less than two dollars a pop, creating gallery walls in your space has never been more affordable!

Trays + other types of decorative holders. In this case, I bought a glass cabinet window for three bucks and turned it into a tray for my coffee table. Easy peasy.

Typewriters. Currently I am the owner of two typewriters that are both fully-functioning and as awesome as ever. I love using them for all my paper projects and labeling needs.

And the one area I have not had much luck in…clothes. It doesn’t help matters when most of the clothing section has lovely(?) pieces like the one above, but I have faith that the right items will come my way one day!

A few key things to remember when thrifting…

• There are very few things that a good scrubbing and a few coats of spray paint can’t fix. Look beyond the current state of the object and think about it’s potential.
•  Don’t be afraid to dig in and move things around. There are bargains to be had, so get in there!
• Sometimes it’s fun to go hunting when you have a few desired items in mind, but I always score my best finds when I simply keep my eyes open to whatever may be there that day.
• Always have a bottle of hand sanitizer on you at all times! 😉

Happy thrifting!

Ann-Marie: Ann-Marie Loves Paper // ETSY STORE // Pinterest [editor note: she’s the pinning QUEEN!!]