Non-Consumer Photo Essay
by Katy on April 30, 2024 · 24 comments
It’s time for a bit of nonconsumerism in photo form.
I took my son and nephew to the Goodwill on N.E. Broadway yesterday and although I walked out empty handed, I was sorely tempted to bring home this Bag O’ Ties™ for just $9.99. That vintage yellow one at the bottom was extra special, but I need to hold off on buying for resale until I list everything past Katy already bought to sell.
Unless of course I come across any Ming vases.
I was not swayed by this “shelfies” brand shirt, although I did document it for your pleasure.
I read somewhere once that you should edit photos of moving water on iPhones using the “long exposure” filter, which creates a really cool effect. Here’s Little Zigzag Falls on long exposure:
And here’s the unedited photo:
I kept driving past this roadkill hoodie near my house and finally remembered to walk back for it. It had been there for days and was directly in spot where a lot of cars drive.
I was careful to look both ways before loitering in the street for this photo.
And here’s what the hoodie looked like after I put it through the wash. The zipper is a bit mangled, but I think I can fix it. As you can see, I dressed up and for sure brushed my hair before getting my husband to snap this photo of me.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Katy,
If you are super crafty and know how to sew and quilt, you can use those ties to make a really pretty quilt/comforter/bedspread. Several years ago, this was a trend going around my town: you’d take a bunch of old neckties, lay them out diagonally in a pleasing pattern, and sew them together. They made amazing-looking bedspreads. I don’t remember how they solved the problem of the neckties not being the exact width of, say, a king- or queen-sized bedsheet, but I imagine there would be instructions posted on the internet. I understand that when some men retired, their wives or daughters-in-law took their ties and made them into these quilts and gave them to them the next Christmas. I have neither the skills nor patience to undertake such a massive project, and I’m not sure how frugal it’d be, but I thought I’d pass that along in case any other incredibly skilled “GW Boutique” (Goodwill) customer happens upon that big bag of ties. But I’m betting a $9.99bag of ties made into such a bed covering could be sold on estsy for way more than 10 bucks.
I’ve seen the quilts done in about 10″ squares and made of ties cut into strips and sewn together…then the squares joined together to reach the size desired.
My favorite project using old ties was a woven ties chair seat. Love this one!
https://www.toolgirl.com/toolgirl/2008/03/to-tie-for-reup.html
That roadkill hoodie washed up great!!!
I was inspired by your roadkill clothing rescues and rescued a hat, which turned out to be vintage merino and in perfect shape. Completely transformed from a grey blob on a parking lot!
Katy, I found a Nike Pro balaclava (combination of neck gaiter with attached hood-I never knew it was called balaclava till I found it on a website) in a Rite Aid parking in Michigan, while visiting my parents. It will be great to go with my secondary winter coat (which has no hood). When I picked it up I had no idea what it was, it just looked like black underwear. I was so glad it wasn’t!
A character in one of the mystery series by Charlotte MacLeod wore a balaclava. I had to look it up when I first read it.
Women knitted this headgear for the British Army during the Crimean War against Russia. Unsurprisingly, unbelievably cold in the winter. Key battle was the Battle of Balaclava and the headgear took its name from that.
Fashion and history. Thanks for sharing.
Fascinating, thank you!
Impressive that you picked up something you thought was underwear!
I like that hoodie! I was excited to find a black mystery object in the Rite Aid parking lot. It turned out to be a balaclava, a combination hood/gaiter. I was pleased it was in great shape too.
Cool, I love that you rescued it!
Thank you for the photo tip. I’m going to try it out right now. I have tons of photos of waterfalls.
Ooh . . . have fun with it!
Keeping it real:
Not frugal purchase in anyway, shape or form but body healthy action:
I bought a pro red light therapy for a billion dollars. My masseuse who was working on my frozen neck recommended it. Painkillers take a huge tole on my system and I absolutely won’t do anything stronger than that. Massage, stretching and hopefully this light will improve quality of life for both my husband ( who is a 7th generation farmer) and me. It is medical grade, FDA cleared so I could us my HSA fund which had the money. Not going into debt. In the long run, I hope it will help us age gracefully.
A billion dollars? It had better work!
I just love your dedication to rescuing roadkill clothes and towels.
Today I took stuff to Goodwill and went inside after dropping my bags at the donation dock. Bought a dish for the dog, two pieces of antique kitchen glassware — all in the marked down color tag of the day, a mint condition Ralph Lauren wallet, which I needed a smaller wallet and it fit the bill, and CDs by Lyle Lovett and kd lang. Grand total was $11.97. The wallet is selling on Depop for $45, while it was $2.99 at Goodwill. Nice!
Bought a 7.5 pound pork roast for $10.58 at our local grocery store and did post-purchase work to carve it into three small roasts, make broth out of the bones, fry the trimmings into cracklings, and pour the rendered fat up in the jar in the fridge that I keep for cooking for anyone with a lard deficiency. 😀
Impressive work with the pork!
Gorgeous photo, Katy! You should frame it – well, that is if you print it. And thanks for the photography tip – I never knew that.
Love the hoodie! Awesome free find!
I’ve always been tempted to pick up every piece of clothing that I see on the street in Chicago (which could be frightening!), wash them and give them to someone living outdoors. Maybe when there’s nobody with marginal health in my household, I will start doing that – heaven knows what I will find!
You do good work – I’m a loyal and admiring follower.
big hugs from Chicago,
Janice
Thank you! I lived in Chicago for a summer in college, but have never been there in bitter weather.
I worked in Berkeley, CA for 7 years. I loved walking before work, and often would saunter 1-2 miles in the early mornings. I found so, so many roadkill clothing items. Some I kept, some I sold, and some were complete, disgusting garbage that I was happy (at least) to remove from the street to be put off of its misery.
Mercy kills.