You know when thrifting how sometimes you find something you really, really love but for some reason you decide to pass? But later in the day, or maybe even at that same place, you decide to buy something you only kind of like, because it was cheaper than the thing you really loved, but sometimes it's for reasons you can't even explain. Or maybe you can't justify $4 for the thingamajig you really wanted but, sure! Why not spend $5 on that coffee drink to recharge yourself for more thrifting when you're just going to look at other thrift stores for the thing you passed up at the first.
Sometimes it doesn't happen all in one trip. If you're like me you won't commit to that $25 thing you looooove but you'll endlessly spend $1, $2, $3 on stuff you decide to give away by the time you get home.
Today I took a step in breaking that cycle. I had in my hand a japenese porcelain figurine. I really liked it, thought my boyfriend would like it, but wasn't sure I loved it. Sometimes I'll put things down for just a moment and if I get any sense of relief from the idea of not buying it than that's the end of that. Just as I was about to try that very test, I stumbled upon the dishes below.
It wasn't the first time I have come across these very dishes. It was say maybe 6 or 7 months ago at the same thrift store, but at that time they were ridiculously expensive at $80 (!) and I needed more dishes like I need a hole in the head, which is still the case today. But I've thought about those dishes a whole lot since our intial meeting and today when I had an unbelievable second chance I knew they had to come home with me. They were marked down from $80 to $60 and then were half off today, making them significantly cheaper at $30, but still a little rich for my blood. And remember, I don't actually need—and try desperetaly not to want—any more dishes.
That's when my genius plan (rationalization, whatever) struck me: I would share these dishes with the world! And by the world, I mean like my three closest friends and maybe my sisters. I have always been a collector of little dishes and plates to keep on my dresser, in my bathroom, on the coffee table, whereever. They're perfect for holding jewelry, bobby pins, lipstick, keys, and change. This is a habit I definitely picked up from my mom. And I would easily spend, oh, say $5 on a little dish I really loved. And for $30 I was about to get 25 pieces. You see where I'm going with this?
Long story short, I have decided to definitely keep the two serving dishes, two small bowls, and two of the dessert plates for myself. The rest I will give as Christmas gifts. I figure every girl I know would like a little bird dish to keep their tchotchkes in and having only one or two makes the dishes even more special than they were before. And every true thrifter knows there's no better joy than sharing your thrifting booty with others.
The only bad part about this is now I'm thinking about that porcelain figurine I passed on.
P.S. Aren't these dishes awesome?
