It has now, officially been an entire year of nothing new!

It started as a sort of whim/challenge and has ended as a lifestyle. I am solidly entrenched in repairing, repurposing and generally trying to always buy used rather than new. I may go back to shopping the clothing clearance racks, but only because I am so good at it that I feel I was getting better bargains new than used (and it's not like I buy that many clothes anyway). Plus, I think there are so many women shopping the thrift stores so effectively that you have to be a rather cut-throat early and frequent shopper to get the best stuff...and I am just not that into expending that kind of energy on clothes shopping. That said, two of my favorite clothing items were purchased used. But, consider that during these 365 days, my "cheating" on buying new clothes added up to a total of $75 for 2 pairs of pants, 5 tops and a dressy hoodie, I did pretty good value-wise. I'm still looking for a not-new engineered hardwood floor. I know I'll find one. Can't wait.

Will Etsy.com rescue me?

I am a sucker for beautiful glass. I've been collecting art glass and making art out of glass all my adult life. So, when "not newing" exposed me to all the out-of-fashion vintage glass that looked like it might end up in a landfill, I had to rescue it. I've been making garden flowers, but really don't have any place to sell them. The craft fair I participated in was ill-attended and a pain in the butt. I'm hoping maybe Etsy will work: https://www.etsy.com/listing/247515142/art-glass-garden-flower-white-cobalt?ref=shop_home_active_1

I hope so, I have no room for all this bulky, heavy, fragile stuff. I should not let my heart overrule my head. Sigh.

Wishing I started shopping "not new" sooner.

I am such a, ahem, frugal gal that I can't believe I didn't commit to "not new" sooner. Perhaps it was the time involved in going to garage and estate sales...time I didn't have much of when I was working full time. Or maybe the amount and quality of second-hand merchandise wasn't as good. People used to hang onto their furniture and other belongings, especially treating stuff inherited from mom and dad like treasured heirlooms...now, I'm shocked at what people can't wait to get rid of (wedding photos? Really?!). My mother always looked down on "antiques" as rebranded trash...so maybe it was not having a role model. Whatever the case, I realize that I do already have a lot of used stuff that I love, but I could have gotten a lot more if only I'd thought to embrace the notion of trying to buy used first, instead of heading to a regular store first.

I could not find a "not new" kitchen rug.

Well, I promised I would reveal any "new" purchases and this rug is one of the few. I have been searching for "not new" kitchen rugs for a couple weeks and really couldn't wait any longer. The offspring can be very clumsy. His "dropsies" have cracked three of my porcelain floor tiles. I need some cushioning on the spots he is most likely to drop. I couldn't find any used scatter rugs that came close to being the right size/shape/color (I am still looking for more as I have ugly unsuitable rugs in place in two spots right now), so I purchased this rug on clearance (only $5 off, bringing it to $20) at TJ Maxx. I would have preferred a prettier one, but I didn't have time to waste as I had nothing for this spot.

The good news is, while used rug shopping, I've found that you can get decent area rugs suitable for a living room second hand, so when (if?) I get a wood floor, I can get a nice "not new" rug.

$3.25 earrings felt like a splurge.

Sometimes, it's all about a mood pick-me-up. These are definitely not in style, but they are extremely sparkly (which I could not capture). And I could afford the splurge, so rewarding myself was worth it. Especially if it will help me resist larger $ purchases. Hard to believe this came from an estate sale at a McMansion. I soaked the posts in hyrdrogen peroxide and am a happy camper.

Ironing with my butt...saves time and energy.

I don't iron with my butt to save electricity. I butt-iron because I'm lazy.Plus, if life gives you lemons in the form of a big butt, you might as well make lemonade, right?


I have nothing against wrinkles. If God made the fabric to have wrinkles, who am I to diagree? Don't worry, I usually wear knit tops that don't get wrinkly. But, when something does get wrinkly, I fold it carefully and sit on it (sometimes first dampening it with a wet hand, which is what I did with this). I sit on it while eating dinner. The first pic shows the scarf after washing, the second, after butt ironing. Works great for pants. I don't do men's shirts.

PS: if you click on the photos, you can see more detail

For $1.50 I can look uber professional in a second (and save my top from getting ruined)

Got these two scarves at Goodwill: $1.50 for the silk and $2.50 for the larger scarf. As you can see, they washed up beautifully (I will "iron" the silk scarf by sitting on it while I eat my dinner...I never iron-iron). I love prints and have discovered scarves are a cheap way for me to indulge (learned this early on after discovering all my print skirts didn't match my print blouses). While doing so, I also discovered that everyone thinks you are fabulously well dressed when you throw on a nice scarf. It's amazing. I was always a very casual dresser and the addition of a scarf made me look instantly professional.
Another nice thing about inexpensive, second-hand scarves is that they are de-facto bibs. As a, ahem, (unhappily) well-endowed woman, I've ruined a good number of tops. Putting a napkin in your lap is useless when any droppings never make it past your chest. However, a scarf protects the shirt. Sometimes the scarf washes up just fine. Other times, with the busy pattern, you can just fold the scarf a different way and no one will know there is a stain. If lunch results in a mishap, the scarf can be rearranged or removed and you can go through your business day without looking like a slob.
But, mostly, scarves are just beautiful and fun to wear. And warm. And hide cleavage until it can be displayed more acceptably at a later hour. So there.

$3 brooch, pricey, but it makes me happy.

Got this at a half price sale at a thrift for $3. Probably paid too much, but my sister envied it today, so that alone is worth $3. She mostly just mocks me.

Almost done in by Michael Kohrs jeans on clearance.

The offspring needed a lot of clothes and does not share my commitment to "not new," so he asked me to take him to TJ Maxx. This, in itself, is an accomplishment as he used to only want to buy clothes from the mall. While he was shopping for his bargains, I whiled away my time browsing the clearance sections. There was a pair of Michael Kohrs jeans in my size, originally ticketed at $110 and marked down to $27. Now, the only glitch in my "not new" wardrobe is that I have a difficult time finding pants that fit right. Currently, I put on 6 winter lbs. that have my tightest fitting jeans, well, not fitting me anymore. And I haven't been able to find used ones that work. Fortunately, neither did the Kohrs jeans, so I was able to stick to my guns...but, deep down, I know I would have purchased them if they fit properly. It's tough to have a big, weird butt. Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans are about the only ones that work.

Back to the pawn shop for a compounding miter saw.

Not 100% sure exactly what this does or how it works, but if I am going to put in my own flooring, I know I will need one. Still looking for "not new" flooring. Found some, but I'm holding out for the perfect flooring. Might take awhile if it's going to be "not new." Planning on selling the saw when I'm done. I bought it for $55 and found it selling elsewhere for $70-$125 used elsewhere, so should be easy enough to sell. Feeling good about my purchase...used and a bargain to boot. The guy even put it in my trunk for me. (Now, if I could just get someone to take it out of the trunk...)

At least the gloves from etsy.com fit

I was bound to be disappointed in these gloves since they cost $5 more than some really sharp looking new ones I saw on ebay. But, they do fit nicely and they are long enough (I wanted long gloves as my dress coat sleeves creep up when I extended my arms). While they look okay, they seem mighty fragile around the edges. Not sure if that is from a lot of use or age. However, since I will only be wearing them when I am all gussied up, I shouldn't be putting too much stress on them. Hopefully they will last the couple decades I have left above ground. I suppose if everyone got just one pair of gloves used instead of new, it could make a huge difference, so I'll keep that thought to make me happy.

What's a good discount for something used?

They say your car loses thousands in value the minute you drive it off the lot. Seems these days, other stuff may not. I see Savers charging close to the original price on some things. Lots of stuff on goodwill.com goes for over half the original price...and they don't even guarantee that it works! I try to pay no more than .30 on the dollar since you never know how much "life" is left in the product and usually have no way to return defective items. (Of course, I prefer to pay much less.) Still can't get over people who will pay too much for used stuff. Are they new to used or just don't care what they spend?

Downsizing my"not new" collections with etsy.com

I have put three items up for sale on etsy.com in the past 2 months and I just sold my first item. The cost of listing and selling seemed much more reasonable than ebay. I am downsizing my collections of my favorite things in anticipation to moving into smaller "retirement" quarters someday. It is difficult to purge a lifetime's supply of beloved items, but there is also a sense of accomplishment that comes with decluttering. I also know (by the price I am charging) that they are going to people who should appreciate them for their true value. This first sale was a mid-century modern apothecary-style jar. I haven't seen anything like it. I'll miss it...except when I'm dusting!

Adventures in Estate Sale-ing. (Replaced the broken toaster!)

It’s always a challenge as to where to shop. Garage sales usually have the best prices, but it can take a lot of gas per purchase…and you have to get up so early! Estate sales can be pricey, but then again, it depends what you are looking for. I went to the third and last day of an estate sale nearby (so, not a lot of gas) and found a toaster for $1. Estate sale shoppers are usually looking for fancier stuff than toasters. And the company running the sale was glad to get rid of the toaster. There was some Karma going on as the toaster I picked up was the same toaster (only in a 2-slice size) as the 4-slice toaster I gave to Goodwill last year. (I had downsized to a 2-slice, but then the offspring broke the new 2 slice.) Also, for my mosaic endeavors, I got some glassware and a huge, old grinder for a pittance (under $10 all), so this was a very good estate sale for me. Sometimes I go away empty handed.

Oh dear, I bought myself a vintage mink jacket.

Did I mention I can’t resist a bargain? When I discovered that affordable vintage fur jackets were to be had, well, my spending restraint was put to the test…and failed miserably. I would NEVER buy a NEW fur unless it was some sort of animal also used for food or very ethically raised, etc. But, a USED fur is a different story. I’m okay with wearing fur from critters that were dead before I was even born. I am extending their usefulness. And no one is going to look at my fat self (looking even fatter in a fur) and think: “what a great look, I have to go get myself a fur that makes ME look that huge.” Of course, finding a vintage fur that fits a fat lady is not an easy task. The women that owned fur coats in days gone by seem all to have been very petite. So, when I found a decent-looking, ‘50’s-era mink jacket for $225 on Etsy.com, it caught my eye. Fur is incredibly warm. I needed a dressy winter jacket/coat. And I liked the style. I was still going to pass up the jacket when I happened to notice the seller was running a 30% off sale. That did me in. $157 for a kooky, warm, luxurious jacket that would last me the rest of my life (it’s not like I have THAT many decades left). I took a big risk (because returns were not accepted) and ordered the coat. As luck would have it, it fits great (and I am built really weird so that is very lucky

Going "nothing new" is going to be tough with a clumsy teen.

First, he broke the blender. Now, the toaster. Aiieee! I’m going to go to social media right now to ask friends for castoffs. (next day) OK, the social media thing didn’t work. Sigh.

Selling finds on Etsy

I had opened an Etsy shop to sell some of my art glass collection (items for sale pictured). I am downsizing in anticipation of moving to a smaller place someday in the near future. As I am shopping "not new," I am finding so much really neat vintage stuff that seems destined to go otherwise unappreciated that I am going to try to resell some on Etsy.com. It will allow me to indulge my love of cool stuff and bargains while (hopefully) making a little bit of money and further “justifying” the gas it takes to drive around to garage/estate sales. I try not to drive too much, but, um, mileage happens. The name of my Etsy.com shop is ArtGlassAndMore. I also sell a little bit on ebay.com. Today I finalized the deal on a really nice (used) fur coat that I bought for myself, but never wore. I was hoping to break even, but I actually sold it for more than what I paid. Yipee!