Thursday, August 8, 2013

Thrifting: Clothes and Books

     I did get to do a little thrift shopping this week, it tends to be a little more difficult since I only like to go when the Salvation has their half price day and the secondhand bookstore is open. Timing that with when Hubby has the day off can be a bit of a task, especially with the newborn in tow. It is so very odd when in one week, Steven was inside of me and I could drop anything to go out and the next day, we needs tons of accouterments to go anywhere. Anyways, my 16 year old twin cousins were spending the week and I convinced them to go shopping with me. Having another person in the back next to the baby relaxes some of my driving alone stress, I have driven alone with baby once since he was born and I told Hubby that I will not do it again unless it is an emergency or baby can talk. I just can not handle not knowing what is going on back there. 
     We piled up into the car after driving Hubbs to work and getting him there on time and then made the trek into the Salvation Army. Since it was Family day, the place was a little busy. I was hoping that Baby would sleep for most of that trip but instead he had me figure out how to walk and nurse only ten minutes into the trip and then need to be carried for the last ten minutes of the trip. I could literally spend hours in there if I have a sympathetic companion and a sleepy baby. 
stanedd-mattkarenI have talked before about how James and I are both on the geeky side and Doctor Who has become a fast favorite in our house, even with the two older kids. My younger brother also loves it and one of the visiting cousins as well, so we have spent a fair six hours straight watching the Doctor. We are still in limbo about attending NY Comic Con this year since I have a wedding (my first as an adult!) so we will have to see if we can organize that crazy weekend. But if we do go, we have talked about having matching costumes (because we are so those kinds of people) and what to do with baby and the older children if they want to dress up. On the off chance that I ever need the outfit, I figured that I would start looking for pieces for a female version of the Eleventh Doctor outfit. Matt Smith has a few different variations on the same outfit based around a tweed jacket, workboots and bowtie. With that in mind and after stalking Pinterest for other people's interpretation of a female Doctor, I have started picking up pieces. Now if only I can get Hubby to dress as a male version of Amy Pond (we honestly debated naming the baby Amelia after her, instead of the Impossible Girl we have Captain America). 
So I found a great light and soft tweed, woman's cut jacket in the right color, maybe a little too light, but I am a girl so it still needs to be feminine and adorable. I initially was going to go with a white oxford shirt, but I like the pink and the contrast that a red bowtie will have with it. The brown heeled oxfords are a maybe with the outfit, I am still on the lookout for boots, maybe an old pair of Doc Martens. But they are too cute and seem to be a relative staple for a trendy fall closet, so for $3 I was willing to risk it.
     Not that I have a little girl in these sizes but... The black and white houndstooth jacket may be too small for Eve, but it will not go bad and since I am packing up baby girl clothes now, if it doesn't fit, I can pack it up for that eventuality. The leopard print one was too cute. I have a friend with a baby girl only two weeks older than Steven and if she doesn't want it then it will go in the box as well. They were just too good of deals to pass on, especially knowing that no one else is thinking about winter jackets quite yet.

     Since I had the extra set of hands to carry the baby, we headed over to the bookstore. Since Baby decided that he needed to be fed while we were there, he cut short how many books I could legitimately look through but I still was able to grab a couple. I was able to grab two vintage hardcover copies of Shakespeare plays: As you like it and Troilus and Cressida, to help flesh out my insane Shakespeare hoarding fetish. I have also been obsessed with recollecting all of my favorite books from childhood. I picked up a copy of Amelia Bedelia, mostly to show her to Hubby who had never heard of her. Those books were the main reason that I did not want to use Amelia as a potential baby name, although it is still an option for future offspring. This trip I grabbed A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle and the Gypsy Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Snyder also wrote the Egypt Game which dictated how I spent at least two summers of my life, dressing in old sheets, writing secret notes in hieroglyphs and mummifying dolls. I haven't read the Gypsy Game, but I assume that it is a similar story and that I will enjoy it equally. I also got The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting Projects, but after looking through it, it seems a little outdated and I have used easier tutorials from Ravelry and such. That one might go back to the store. I also got Good Things from Tag Sales and Flea Markets by Martha Stewart, which I am psyched about, Hubby hates her but I am fascinated by a billion dollar empire built around setting tables properly and spray painting old furniture. I love it. Lastly, I picked up 365 Things to Do and Make, it is a little young for the older kids and obviously too old for my youngest but he will grow into it. All in all, the book haul cost me $5. So I was an extensively happy camper!


     In even happier news, today was Steven's one month birthday (weeks wise, not by date) so last night we made cupcakes and ate them at midnight and wished him a happy birthday for all he cared about it. So far he has gained almost three pounds, weighing 11 pounds. He has his own schedule completely and loves sleeping with us in bed at night. He rarely spends time more then ten feet away from me. He is a messy eater but makes the best faces when he is hungry, unless its crying. Every night he gives us two hours of hellish crying and then sleeps for nine hours, waking up twice to eat and once for a diaper change. Everyday when we are cuddling, I am amazed by this little person and all the things that I wanted to get accomplished are nothing near as important as staring at him while he sleeps and making sure that I am there when his eyes open. I was reading to him tonight and as he fell asleep, I was in tears about all the nights that I have to look forward to, all the nights I will be able to hold him, all the books that we will read together. And in contrast, how few nights out of his life I have to hold him, that soon he will be too old for that, and then he will be too old to read to, too old to hug me, then he will be out of the house and on his own and one day he will have the same exact thoughts about his child and I hope he calls me to let me know that I did a good job. It is by far the most important thing that has ever happened in my life and I hope that I can be the mother that he needs as he grows. I sent a picture of him to Hubbs while he was at work just to thank him for giving me a beautiful baby. Happy One Month Birthday Steven!







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