Hard to Concentrate

Sorry I've failed to update my blog for a while. My father has been in the Intensive Care Unit at OSF and I've spent most of my time there. It's hard to concentrate on much of anything when you're in a place so filled with mourning and fear...

Raven

Et-Cetera Shoppe -- Eureka, IL #3

I went back again, as I do every weekend. My limit was $10. I stayed well under that limit.

I found these absolutely awful frog earrings. They're sure to get a laugh. Especially since they have googley eyes. My ridiculously silly friends will get the joke... Horrible googley eyed frog earrings. Sanitized. Used. $0.50.

These are either stone or glass, not that I want to find out the hard way. They look as though they are supposed to be jade, but one can never be too sure at a secondhand store. I thought they would look good with something I own... Jade (?) earrings. Sanitized. Used. $0.50.

This pair of sneakers is sort of the gem of this day's purchases. Brown plaid Rocket Dog sneakers to go with my vintage look. Rocket Dog tennis shoes. New out of package. $3.00.

It seems I should have gone with a darker background for this item, but oh, well. It's a vintage uniform shirt with a fabulous shape to it. I can't wait to find a random reason to wear it. White uniform shirt. New vintage. $2.75.

Last, but certainly not least, have you noticed the backdrop I used for all of these images? I got it on the same trip! It's white polyester, it was a tad dirty, but it was worth what I paid for it so I can have a consistent background. 1 1/4 yards of white polyester material. Used. $0.30.

The Et-Cetera Shoppe - Eureka, IL (Yes, Again...)

As this is my favourite second hand store in the area, you'll be seeing a lot of posts from this store. But don't, fret, I promise there were some fabulous finds today! My limit was $15.00 and I spent $13.46.

Forever 21 isn't the most expensive or exciting store on planet earth, but as their sizes run phenomenally small (typically a medium = size 2), I have a hard time finding clothes that fit me there, unless they're in a much larger size that I usually wear, leaving me feeling bad about my purchase. But this time, I found something at Et-Cetera from Forever 21 that fits me and isn't a Juniours 2x... Little black dress, here we come! Size Medium Forever 21 Twist little black dress. Like new. $3.75.

My favourite bank, which is shaped like an old red phonebooth from the UK, recently had a cork explosion. I've been holding it together with tape and hoping for the best. Today, I can retire it as a trinket for my shelves and use a more practical bank! It is hardwood, Fair Trade from an artisan in India, and has a lock and key. Serrv Fair Trade bank from India. New with tags. $2.00.

Anyone who knows me knows that I live in vintage jewelry. I spotted this in the front jewelry case and had to have it. Its missing a couple of very small stones, but that's a price I'm willing to pay for antique jewelry. It used to be a brooch as well as a charm, but it appears that the pin was broken off the back. It's still incredibly beautiful. Charm and necklace. Vintage. Used. $1.75

I read a lot of classic novels and plays, and I get a majority of them at secondhand stores. I found a couple of them today at bargain prices. The inside is what matters, so if the book is a little cosmetically damaged, I don't tend to mind. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Used. $0.30. As You Like It by William Shakespeare. Vintage. Used. $0.15.

Fossil makes watches that tend to last quite a while and are unique looking. I found this one today and it has the appearance of showing the inner workings of the watch through the face, which I found quite amusing, and it worked, unlike most of the other watches on display... Ladies Fossil watch. Used. $3.00.

There are a few things I purchased which aren't quite as noteworthy as the rest of my posts, but here's the scoop:

I am very picky about the appearance of my leather shoes, so I polish them and watch their upkeep very closely. I found a shine brush today at a fabulous price. Pure horsehair shoe shine brush. Vintage. Like new. $0.10.

Once again, I found a pair of earrings. These aren't cute or unique, but they'll look great with the dress I bought. Black dot earrings. Sanitized. Used. $0.25.

It would have been a bit hard to show this one, since all you would have seen was my camera and my hand, but I found a small (5") freestanding mirror with two sides, one normal, and one magnifying. I had been looking for one, so it was quite a deal! 5" freestanding magnifying mirror. Used. $1.25.

So, those were my most recent findings. Please feel free to comment and post YOUR second hand shopping spree findings! Keep on recycling!

--Second Hand Raven