Label-less genuine suede jacket (Richmond Thrift Shop, VT), $15.00

Aunt Dinah’s scarf, priceless

Lucky Brand shirt (Marshall’s, New York), $25.00 (splurge alert)

Outfit:

This genuine and soft suede jacket is flawless!  It is also lined to keep you nice and warm on those mid-weather days.  I found similar items on eBay for around $100!

It is rare that I can identify the previous owner of a thrifted item…but this jacket belonged to somebody named Joan Beach.  The name was written with sharpie, in the neatest handwriting possible, on the inside of the coat.  It was written so perfectly, I originally thought it was the designer!

I crafted a story of Joan’s life in my head.  She grew up in Brooklyn in the 50s, with a passion for violin and poetry.  Although she was not very well-off, she had a few signature clothing items that made her feel sophisticated and classy.  This jacket was from a bargain department store, yet still cost a pretty penny for the time.  In 2010, after a divorce, she moved to Vermont for the solitude, quiet, and cheese.  Her jacket no longer fit her lifestyle, so when her daughter went through her closet years later, she thought “this is a bit impractical for my mother…I think it’s time she parted with it”.  Being that it wasn’t her style either, she decided to donate to her friend’s thrift store in Richmond.  There is nothing over $20 in the store, so the volunteer who received the coat thought, “fifteen dollars is probably fitting.”

That day I snagged this beauty and its story lives on!

Occasion:  Thanksgiving and The Book of Mormon

Yet another wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with the family!  With over 40 people at my house (all my dad’s side), each person brings something and somehow each year it gets better and better as everyone perfects their signature dish!  It was a feast!

On Sunday, before coming back to Vermont, my parents surprised me by getting us tickets to see The Book of Mormon on Broadway!!  It was incredible!  I did not expect to laugh so much, but the characters were hilarious.  Goes down in the books as one of my favorite shows!