I don't know about you guys but I need January to seriously pump the breaks so that I can get my little life together! Ha! But we all know that life doesn't wait on anyone so you may as well live your best life while you can. Am I right? Well, at least that's what I am going to keep telling myself until it doesn't work anymore. That's all the more reason why this weekend was filled with coffee shop stops and a little thrifting to get on with the evening. Nothing seemed more relaxing than shifting around some of my favorite places looking for a new handbag to rock this season. But before I could continue I had to make sure that I was going to fuel up for the afternoon! I honestly feel as though I can shop easier if my stomach is filled with delicious food and a good cup of coffee. This time around I opted for a delicious vanilla iced latte and a few pigs in a blanket to get the morning started off right!

After I was finished eating I decided it was time to get my day started and look for all of the treasures!!

When it comes to thrift shopping I have a few tips that always come to the rescue no matter what!!

• Always get there early because you don't want to miss out on those good items that will surely be gone by the time the afternoon crowd arrives.
• Always shop on a budget no matter what. It's no secret that the thrift stores have become a bit pricier so it's important to watch your spending habits when you shop.
• Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's worth purchasing, I cannot tell you the number of items I have purchased just because it was cheap and then I realize it was just a useless item that I didn't even need or used.
• Look for things that will compliment your wardrobe/decor as opposed to buying things that are very indifferent. I find that it is harder to build a wardrobe off of thrift only items because I don't have a solid base to work with! This frantic way of shopping often leaves me feeling overwhelmed, stressed and underaccomplished. The end goal is to shop smarter, not harder.
• If you see something you like, GET IT! Do not, I repeat DO NOT say that you will get the item another time! I can 100% guarantee you that it will not be there when you return and you will regret that you didn't buy what you wanted forever! Ok, maybe not forever but you will be very mad that you didn't get it when you saw it! Ha!

Prime example, I found this cute little boho bag for a whopping $4 and I couldn't help but pick it up! I loved the way it looked and I had already been looking for something similar. Many other places that I had seen the bag before was very expensive and I know I didn't need to pay a high price for something that I used to rock all the time in high school! And on top of that, I knew I had found a gem when a lady was watching to see if I were going to put it down or not because she really wanted it! Ha! I told her that there was no way that I was going to let this little bag go and we both laughed about it for a few minutes before I decided to head over to the check out counter.

But of course, I couldn't fully check out without doing a few more rounds to make sure that I didn't miss any hidden gems! It never hurts to double check and make sure that I have seen everything in the store before I commit to finally checking out for the evening.


At the end of the day, I was very happy with the one purchase that I made! I know a thrifting trip was successful when I can fall in love with at least one item from the store. Sometimes it's ok to accept the fact that you still had a successful shopping trip even if you found one item! Walking out with a bag full of things is amazing but one is better than none! Anyways, I know I found a good deal when I came across this bag and  I have been successfully rocking this little gem ever since. It is perfect for the winter weather and it's easy to sling over the shoulder and walk right out of the house. I couldn't be happier with my purchase and I'll say it was worth every penny! Well, that's pretty much how my weekend ended and I couldn't be more satisfied! What are your plans for this upcoming weekend?

Always Living and Forever Learning,
Sha'Carey Martin