small town shopping haul (thrift store finds and more)

I love thrift stores. Absolutely adore them. For starters, everything inside is so much more affordable. Not to mention the fact that there are older items that are harder to find elsewhere. Since I love books, movies, and music from different decades, thrift stores are an absolute must when it comes to finding the entertainment I want and need. My family spent time at a cottage recently (which had far too many mosquitos and spiders for my liking) but my mom and I made time for a healthy amount of shopping in some of the small towns. This included lots of thrift stores, antique stores, and local shops. Ready to take a closer look at some of the items that came home with me? Here is a peek at my small town shopping haul...

Thrifted Books and Comics. Who can resist a book store? Not me. Never me. Reading has always been a really important part of my life. The kinds of books that I read vary (I love biographies, mysteries, feminist texts, chic lit, and well, a little bit of everything) and I am always on the hunt for more. My mom, dad, and I went to visit The Book Lady in Fenelon Falls. It is this amazing used book store with shelf after shelf after shelf of books to choose from. There were a ton of Archie comics there and a bunch of those came back with me. (I grew up reading Archie comics and have loved them ever since. Each and every Christmas, an Archie comic is in my Christmas stocking. It is tradition!) There were also lots of cozy mystery novels. I picked up one from Joanne Fluke (who I adore) and one from an author I'd never read before, Ali Brandon. I read "Double Booked For Death" while at the cottage and loved it. I absolutely must read the other books in the series. So so good! Other books found at The Book Lady store included a biography of Kris Jenner (which I read years ago at the library but could not resist adding to my collection) and the Judy Blume book, "In The Unlikely Event." I am so excited to read that. It is definitely next on my to read list.

Records, Records, and More Records. The great thing about thrift stores and antique stores? Being able to flip through all of the different records. Most of the time, I don't find anything that strikes my fancy, but this time, it was a gold mine. I found all sorts of records that have been on my wish list! Above are the two most thrilling finds. The first is The Partridge Family Notebook by the Partridge Family. I've been a fan of the Partridge Family for ages now (you can read my tribute post about David Cassidy here) and used to find their records semi-regularly at thrift stores. But honestly? It's been at least five years since I spotted one out in the wild. This was one that I did not have on vinyl and it was actually in good condition as well. Score! The other album that made me giddy was Take Me To Tomorrow by John Denver. Now, it is no secret that I am obsessed with John Denver. Obsessed. I have all of his music on CD or downloaded and a fair bit on vinyl, but my collection was missing this album. A bonus? This was in near perfect condition. It was so exciting to find records from some of my all-time favourites.

Ricky Nelson Records. Told you that I found a lot of records! I found the Ricky Nelson (or Rick Nelson) records shown above at two different stores. The Million Sellers record was pretty beat up on the outside, but it plays like a dream. I have all of his music on CD but there is something extra special about putting on a record. The sound is so full and warm. Often, when I am working, I have a record on in the background. It just brings me a lot of joy. The More Songs by Ricky album was in much better condition on the outside, but it was still pretty worn. Like the other record, it plays well, so that is what matters most. 

Even More Records. A few other musical finds include Christmas With Andy Williams and the Williams Brothers and Portraits of Bobby by Bobby Sherman. I have been listening to the Andy Williams Christmas album a lot lately....even though it is still technically summer. I am the kind of person who loves Christmas stuff all year round, so this is sure to be in heavy rotation no matter the season. It has been a delight to listen to. Then there is Bobby Sherman. I was introduced to Bobby Sherman through The Partridge Family television show and I've been collecting his records ever since. I just love his voice so much.

DVDs and VHS Tapes. Streaming is great. It is. In fact, I have far too many streaming services. I love watching lots of different things depending on the mood that I am in at any particular time. That being said, I also really love to own movies and TV shows that have meaning to me. After all, just because something is on a streaming platform now...it doesn't mean that it will be there forever. One example? The Christmas movie, Just Friends. I used to watch it on Netflix, but one day, poof! It was gone. So when I found it at a thrift store, it was an immediate purchase. I was also able to find a Christmas With the Kranks DVD and soundtrack. Most exciting? Finding a John Denver Montana Christmas Skies DVD. I had no idea this was even available on DVD, so it was an absolute thrill to find it at an antique store. (For only a few dollars at that!) I know that this is a Christmas special that will be watched over and over again in my home. The last find was a VHS tape of a movie called The Angel Doll. I've never heard of it or seen it before, but I love all Christmas movies. A lot. I especially love obscure Christmas movies from the 80s and 90s, so this checked off a lot of boxes. Who knows? Maybe there will be a post about it closer to the holiday season.

Kicking Cowgirl Designs Clothes. I've posted about Kicking Cowgirl Designs the last couple of years. This is a store that is located in Bobcaygeon. This year, we drove to Bobcaygeon specifically so I could stop there. The store is overloaded with cowgirl inspired clothes. Confession: I am not a cowgirl. At all. But I do love the aesthetic. All of the designs are so cute and I always feel really good in their clothes. This time around, I splurged on a grey hoodie with a sparkly design on the front, a neon pink tank top, a pink v-neck shirt, and a long sleeved shirt with a blue and purple design. Did I spend too much in the store? Absolutely. Do I regret it? Not one bit. I really do love these cute and comfortable (cowgirl inspired) clothes. 

Fun and Fabulous Sweaters. The last two items in this haul really sum up my personal style: sweaters. I love a good sweater. The first was actually purchased at the Kawartha Dairy location where I had an excellent cotton candy flavoured ice cream cone. I actually tried to purchase this same sweater last year, but there were only super small sizes available. I was in luck this time and the merchandise items had been fully restocked. So, now there is a Kawartha Dairy hoodie hanging in my closet. (Or more specifically...on my body right now as I write this blog post. It is super comfy.) The second sweater came from a Winners store. It was love at first sight, honestly. The bright colours and the mixture of patterns just called to me. It is such a fun design. I've already worn it a few times, because it is so comfortable, and can be layered over just about anything. 

Did I do a lot of shopping during this cottage vacation? Yes. But it was such a thrill to be able to bring home some fabulous thrifted items and add a few new items of clothing to my closet. I suppose you never know what you will find in a small town.

What do you think of this small town shopping haul? Have you done any shopping lately?