A long road ahead…

Seven-hundred and fifty-one miles, 20 questions, six saran-wrapped sandwiches, and a 5 p.m. departure time were all three eager friends needed to survive the long drive to San Francisco. Though our intentions were to evenly distribute driving duties, we didn’t object when Wes offered to power through the night. All the while, Cory’s sister Shannon was in Mill Valley fighting sleep so she could properly greet us once we arrived in the early morning.

San Francisco bound

After resting at Shannon’s, we ventured to the Mission in San Francisco seeking sweet sustenance at Tartine Bakery and Cafe. It was a perfect day to sit in Dolores Park and savor our baked goods while baked locals offered us alternative sweet treats.

Banana cream tart (above); hazelnut brownie (below).

On our way to the Rickhouse to meet friends for old-fashioned cocktails, we encountered The Twins of San Francisco.

Marian and Vivian Brown (left); bartender at The Rickhouse (right).

Saturday was spent in the East Bay and included an obligatory pilgrimage to Stuart Street and Telegraph Avenue (die-hard Green Day fans can appreciate this). Then we took the BART to 1-2-3-4 Go! Records to see the Big Kids/Summer Vacation/Sourpatch show. Even though we saw Big Kids when they played at the Meat Market Garment Factory, we still felt guilty when we missed their set due to our outdoor giggle fest. (Big Kids, if you see this, we are so sorry.) After the show, we returned to Downtown Oakland for a midnight barbeque and called it a night.

(clockwise from the left) Cory & Shannon “Having a Blast”; Wes, Kim & Melinda outside of 1-2-3-4 Go! Records; late night barbeque in downtown Oakland.

Our food fund superseded our clothing budget; however, Wes direly needed new footwear after his shoes lost an uphill battle on the cattywompus streets of San Francisco. Luckily, Haight-Ashbury’s bountiful boutiques fulfilled our window-shopping quest and led Wes to pair of classic Keds. After lunch, we shared a “Full House” moment in front of the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square.

(clockwise from the left) Michelle & Stephenie forever; Wes revealing some of his is-shoes; Wes & Kim’s Full House moment (note the new Keds!).

On our last night, we huddled together on Baker Beach to watch the sunset and appreciate the cold weather knowing that the unforgiving heat of Arizona was waiting for our return.

Views from Baker Beach.

San Francisco is not a one-and-done kind of town. We always leave wanting more, and this is one addiction of which we aren’t ashamed.

Until next time,

Cory and Kim

Vacant parking lots, bath water pools, and sweaty brows… summer in Arizona leaves much to the imagination. However, Goodwill’s bi-monthly Saturday sales offer not only free air conditioning but also a plethora of pret-a-porter and podunk junk. And with our wide-open schedules, we found a little bit of everything.

Our first stop was the Goodwill on Scottsdale and Curry in Tempe. We had a few items on our list that we were hoping to find, but like all true thrifters, we were open to the unexpected. Between the shopping cart traffic jams and competitive grandmas, morale seemed to decrease at a rapid rate and it wasn’t even noon. As we meandered through the monotonous knick-knacks, we started to lose all hope. And then we spotted some framed art that struck our fancy.

Cross-stitch & Velvet!

From that point on, stellar finds were practically jumping into our cart.

1970s velvet blazer, 1980s pale pink prom dress, 1980s rainbow mug.

Onward! Next stop: a Goodwill in Scottsdale that carries primarily home furnishings. We weren’t deterred by the surplus of discontinued Ashley Home furniture. Nestled in the not-so-one-of-a-kind modern couches and dining tables, we found an unsuspecting ottoman. The color was just right, and the unconventional shape hinted that there was more than meets the eye. After giving the piece a good once-over, we discovered that this was, indeed, a living room necessity.

1970s Mustard Tramp-ottoman!

We ventured out to another Goodwill in Scottsdale, then made the trek back home for one last stop at the Arc of Tempe. We picked up a few kitschy kitchen goods and dragged our feet through the rest of the store where we found a worn-out patron who looked exactly how we felt.

Tuckered out.

Even though we didn’t find anything on our shopping list, we ended up with exactly what we wanted.

Check back next month when we take our budget to the Bay Area!

-Cory & Kim

Quick Fix:

Kim painted the thrifted framed art to match her existing motif.

Natural to black.

With the winter season soon drawing to a close, make way for the lovely season of Spring! You know what that means here in Arizona? A prelude to the scorching heat of Summer! So start rummaging through those closets for your personal Spring collections.

Photography/Model: Tricia Gosingtian

Photography/Model: Tricia Gosingtian

So, what’s trendy in Spring? Well, you can never go wrong with floral patterns. On dresses, tops, skirts, accessories, and even pants!—get creative with your Spring looks!

Ralph Lauren Spring 2012 pastel solids

Spring is also all about those lovely pastel colors. Not a big fan of color blocking? Wearing a simple pastel colored piece in your outfit can be more than enough. But if you really love color, go ahead and be inspired by Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2012 collection (picture above).

2012 Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring

Spring is a time when plant life awakens from its long Winter slumber so celebrate this with lovely pastel colors, floral patterns, and your creativity!

Written by:  Gillian Tomimbang

The wait is now over! The new Meat Market Vintage store is now open at Mill Ave. So vintage lovers and fashionistas rejoice because we have great pieces that await you here! Come stop by any time between 11am-7pm TUES-SAT and 12pm-5pm SUN at 1020 S. MILL AVE. TEMPE AZ (480-968-1118).
As with our Ebay store, we have pieces that embody the fashion of a range of eras:  from the full skirts of the 1950s to the hippie fashion born out of the late 1960s. So don’t waste time and come see what Meat Market Vintage is all about!