Far too often I am stopped while out and about with Caroline for people to comment on whatever outfit she may have on. It seems that we get compliments on her clothes just as much as we do her beautiful red hair. Of course, those who know her know that by the end of the day she is typically looking like a hot mess. While many people feel that their kids get messy at school, my child actually stays clean. 
It is when she comes to work with me each afternoon that she kicks off her shoes, plays hard and just gets plum dirty. Many people automatically assume that because I co-own a children’s consignment store, a store that I was raised in since I was 9 years old, that that is solely how Caroline is clothed. Although I do buy a good amount of clothes from my own store, I shop all over. The only type of clothes that are off limits are original priced items from new retail stores.
My love for getting dirty, digging and diving during thrifting adventures spawned when I was a pre-teen. I loved finding that one item that was cheap and nobody else had. I would find items for myself and items to sell. I admittedly had an Ebay account way before the age of 18 under the supervision of my mother. Turning super cheap finds into larger amounts of money became a thrill and a challenge all the same.
At the age of sixteen my grandfather custom built this beautiful hope chest for me. It quickly filled up with household items and boutique baby clothes long before I was ready or even dreamed of having either a house or a baby. I simply put these type items in the chest as I found them because they were one of a kind, would not lose their value and would make a great story in the years to come. I have been able to adorn my cabinets with Pottery Barn dishes and Williams and Sonoma kitchenware. My kids can wear high-end boutique clothing because and ONLY because I thrift!
My mother and I have a motto when we are out looking to score great deals. That motto is “find something to keep, something to gift and something to sell”. Days that we can do all three are amazing days!
