Hello, Kitty!

Me-ow!  Here's a little stray I found hiding among the hats at my local G-Willie's...ain't she sweet? Look at the cute button detail at the crown...and she's soooo soft to the touch! $5.99, you say? Well, I had to take her home with me, natch.

She's in purrr-fect condition...perhaps the poor dear has spent most of her life in a box...amazing how she's still right in style! She's sporting a RAINBOW of California label, but I can't seem to find any info on them anywhere...so she really is an orphan! But those lonely days are over...now she can start a new life in my heart and on my head! Thrift-O-Gasm!!

Pet Coat

Guess who's curled up on my chair?

She's oh-so soft and fuzzy, just loves to be petted, and is totally lovable, even though she sheds all over the frickin' place...especially on the black clothes I wear 90% of the time...

...but as soon as I saw her, I knew she was going home with me...and I haven't been disappointed! She's so well-behaved I'd barely know she was around...if I didn't place her in conspicuous places to be admired, that is! She makes me soooo happy whenever I see her...whether she's laying around on the sofa or snuggled up in my closet with a few other of my furry friends...but whoever could this marvelous creature be??

Why, it's my latest find! My cuddly-wuddly, fuzzy-wuzzy, faux-furry Guess jacket, which I adopted during a day of what I like to call high-end thrift-shopping...meaning stores like Marshalls, Ross or TJ Maxx, who feature new, cut-rate apparel and shoes. My new pet coat was no exception, which, due to numerous markdowns, was purchased for...not 25%...not 50%...but approximately 90% off the original pricetag!

What's not to love?? Here we are, heading out for our daily walk...looking fabulous...with scads of money still left in our satin-lined, Double-G logo'd pockets! Good Guess!

Hang Ups

A thousand apologies, my darlings, for my unexcused absence! But, you see, I've been busy moving!

...yes! moving! into a brand new pad which, naturally, needed some serious Gamification before it was habitable! So it's been OPERATION: Decorating Storm!! the last couple weeks, and I'm sure my fellow interior designers will understand that putting things in order takes priority over much else...besides, computer access at the new place is sketchy at best. But! Because you've all been waiting so patiently, I'll be giving you a personal video tour in the very near future, so you can see my fabulous Galore Decor!

Anyway, while I was lovingly packing my vintage lingerie collection, I decided to also go to the trouble of arranging all my fancy-shmancy hangers into sets! I'm totally hung up on collecting these, and I was so delighted to see how fun and colorful they looked grouped together, that I took a few snaps. Useful and charming...any garment would be proud to be hanging around these beauties!

Ladylike pink with hand-painted blossoms...

Granny's hand-knits...love in every stitch!

Silky, sassy vintage prints!

Some happy hangers might be hanging around your local thrift store right now! Don't leave 'em hanging!

The Skin I'm In

Sweethearts, I simply couldn't stand another second passing by without sharing these sensational snapshots of me singing a song (Tipsy!) and sipping a Seven-and-Seven during last month's Seedy Side of Burlesque show while sporting some seriously scintillating snakeskin pyjamas in a sassy, swirling asymetrical style studded with sparkling sequins! Snazzy, wouldn'cha say?

This sparkly, snaky ensemble was a full-on Thrift-O-Gasm! for my pal Tamara, who unearthed it wandering through the thrift-store jungle...and captured it with me in mind! She wasn't expecting it, so it surprised the hell outta her...you know how snake encounters are...but thankfully her quick reflexes took over and she was able to snap it up in a matter of seconds, saving it from an uncertain fate! Thanks, Tamara!

And many, many thanks to Seattle photographer David Wulzen for these fah-bu-lous action shots taken from After Hours ~ The Seedy Side of Burlesque! He always has a way of capturing that Gams magic!

My Guardian Shopping Angel

Good ol' Oso isn't the only one receiving gifts of thrift lately. My pal Babe of Belltown has a knack of unearthing the most glamorous treasures which he enjoys bestowing upon his friends...me included! Just look at these Gam-o-riffic additions to my wardrobe:


An effin' awesome silver (and I do mean silver!) leather trench coat! Won't it look great with those RALPH by Ralph Lauren zebra-print pants? I'm not a label whore, darlings ~ really I'm not ~ but I can't resist showing you a close-up anyway, just in case you don't believe good ol' Polo-boy could create something so wild!! Anyway, for more formal occasions, it'll look great with the vintage Qipao dress, this one Japanese-made in black, gold and silver brocade!


Babe knows I have a wild side and love all things burlesque, so he must have known how much I'd love this absolutely amazing corset that he himself created! It's beautifully constructed inside and outside with a patchwork of multicolored brocade strips and edged in mauve lace! I managed to skuh-weeeeze myself into this beauty, but without any...ahem...cups, it rather lacks the support I need in the places I need it...yet it's so wonderfully over-the-top (so to speak) that I'm indeed proud to have it in my burlesque closet!


The other thing he always seems to find are these gorgeous Cheongsam dresses...sadly, they are usually too small, apparently once worn by maidens with wasp waists and swan necks! Just look at the fabrics though...some are beaded, some hand-painted...fabulous! So I'm tearing them apart at the seams...carefully...while thinking about how to refashion them into something that does fit.


What would a girl do without her guardian shopping angel?? I'm glad I got you, Babe!

Oso's New Jacket

What's a gal to do when she has five dollars burning a hole in her pocket and can't find a darn thing to buy at the thrift store?? She shops for her friends, that's what! So imagine my excitement when, while wandering through the kiddie aisle, I came across this fancy Edwardian-style black coat jacket, complete with pocket watch...the diminuitive size and classic styling simply made-to-order for my pal Oso! He's quite the dandy, you know...and he certainly appreciates fine quality details like mother-of-pearl buttons, silver trim and...oooh! velvet collar and cuffs!


You should have seen his face light up when he tried it on! As I was hoping, it fit perfectly and suited him to a tee! And that's why I love shopping for friends, because Oso couldn't be happier! Of course, now he refuses to take it off, but as you know, you just can't argue with bears, especially when it comes to fashion.


Confidentially, this snappy suitcoat was found without a price tag, but I simply had to have it, so I took it to the nice checkout lady and suggested a price of 99 cents...and she went for it! Yay! So...now I have four dollars burning a hole in my pocket. Hmmm...I wonder what color tag is 50% off today at Value Village?

What's the Occasion?

Whatever it is, you'll need an evening bag, preferably a clutch...and here are three lovely examples I found for a song on my latest thrifting adventure! First we have a ladylike, lace-covered, zippered pouch...


Peekaboo! There's another case inside, which could hold your reading glasses, or you could actually use it as a classy case for cigs and a lighter. This lace-over-sateen creation is in good shape, if a little boring. A nice dip in a bath of RIT dye...perhaps Tangerine, Pearl Gray or Mauve...would give her a new lease on life, don'tcha think?


The next bag doesn't mesh around...it's got a snappy closure and a clear plastic divider to keep your money separate from your makeup, or your condoms separate from your compact. The signature inside says Whiting & Davis, which was a thrilling discovery once I googled 'em and found out how incredibly pricey their creations really are! Not mine, though...at $1.99, I was able to purchase this classy clutch for about 1% of the original cost!




Last but not least...every glimmery glamoury gal-about-town needs a sensational satin sparkling sequinned and beaded bag like this one...it's *HANDMADE IN HONG KONG* and ready to take on the world...no special occasion necessary.

Wacky Mackie

Ahh...wouldn't it be wonderfully glamorous to someday be dressed head-to-toe by that Sultan of Sequins, that Rajah of Rhinestones, Bob Mackie?? I've been a fan of Bob's since my disco days...some may consider his creations more trashy than splashy, but you have to admit he knows a thing or two about over-the-top guh-lamour!! So...yes...I think it would be divine to be wrapped in a Mackie...but until then, I will happily settle for this unbelievably gorgeous "Papillon" scarf of his design, snatched from good ol' Good Willie's, 'natch. (Let's not tell Bob, but it was blue-tagged down from $1.99 to a mere 99 cents! Sshhhh!) Willya getaloada those kuh-razy eye-popping colors?? This baby is a whopping 36" square...big enough to constitute a piece of clothing...so...hey! I guess I really can have my bod wrapped in a Mackie...a butterfly cocoon, no less! How utterly thrift-o-gasmic!

LBD-lovely!

It's D-lightful! It's D-licious! It's D-lovely! This thrift-shopping success story starts at my beloved local Goodwill...I'm telling you, the racks are so over-packed there, you'll often find items that have been unwittingly misplaced...so just to be on the safe side, I go through everything! It's often worth a potentially fruitless search...case in point ~ this adorable Miss Rita LBD, size 12, which stood out because of it's metal zipper (I can spot one from across the store)...but hold on a second...a-ha!! that's a vintage size 12, which roughly equals today's size 4. So there she was, petite Miss Rita from California, waiting for me amongst the size 12 frocks...$7.99?...she never looked lovelier! Her charming tag is still attached, so I know she's never been out on the town before...but look at those sassy loops around her hemline and you'll see she's ready to go have some fun!

Brown Baggin' It!!

Did I mention? I'm just a wink and a smile away from my local Goodwill, so I can't resist visiting as fuh-requently as possible...you know I love the thrill of the hunt! And did I ever bag a good find this week! Look at this!! Have you ever seen such an oh-so-ladylike handbag? In absolutely mint condition, no less! I must admit, I went over my budget at $12.99...but sometimes...it's just...so hard to leave something...so special...behind! Know what I mean, jellybean??



This beauty must have been lovingly and carefully boxed away over the years...the fabric is unstained, un-mildewy...in the most incredibly creamy, luscious shade of brown that changes tones depending on the light. Sadly, my camera couldn't really capture it's richness. Let's say it's "raspberry chocolate truffle"...get the idea? Yummy. The marcasites on the clasp are as sparkly as ever, and the coin purse is still held safely inside, attached by it's dainty golden chain. I suspect it probably included a mirror at one point, as lady bags usually do. Not surprisingly, the mirror was long gone, but when I got the bag home, I noticed that the previous owner had placed a shiny penny inside...a sure sign of good luck and prosperity, according to my lovely grandmother, who certainly was glamorous...and had her share of lady bags, as I recall.


Anyway, this chocolately Steffen creation will be going to lunch with me tomorrow! And together, we'll bring new meaning to *brown baggin' it*! xo

Friday's Fancy Find

Ah, yes! Another thrift thrilla-dilla! This adorable straw bag is perfect for summer, don't you agree? So what do you think caught my eye first...the fact that it's in my favorite shade of hot, hot pink, with an incredibly bright orange lining peeking through? The fact that it matches my new hot pink and orange bikini?
The $2.99 price tag?? Indeed, those were definite selling points, but when I spied that beaded, sequinned butterfly on the front, it was true love! It's not exactly vintage vintage, considering the modern touches such as a polyester zipper, magnetic clasp and it's crisp, clean Laila Rowe label...but, really, who cares??

Thrift-O-Gasm!!

It's Thursday, and oooh-lala!! it's my thrift find of the week! Cute and cuddly, these furry, pearly collars are just waiting to nuzzle somebody's neck...preferably mine! I can't decide which I like best...the long one made of soft, creamy rabbit fur, the fuzzy white one with pearl edging, or the beautifully detailed, hand-beaded one. Any one of them would look fabulous accessorizing a vintage cardigan or shell, wouldn't they? I'm not really into high, round necklines, but for these, I'll make an exception! And of course, I got 'em for a song...(I can't remember the exact song, because, I confess, these are not recent purchases...but I just had to show 'em off! And as you know, a Picky Li'l Bitch like me never pays too terribly much for stuff ~ even stuff as cute as this!) xoxo

Thrift-o-gasm!

Once I get started on a thrift-shopping adventure, I'm driven to find something...anything...to prevent leaving the store empty-handed! Such was the case at Goodwill the other day. After a fruitless search, I was frantic to find just any little something that cried, "take me, I'm yours!" and was just about to give up, when what to my wandering eyes should appear, but these adorable little beaded earrings ~ who wouldn't love 'em?? Especially with a vintage rosebud hanky and straw hat? That was a buck-99 well spent, don'tcha think? Coralie would certainly approve!