{thrifting pieces}
Life doesn't have to be so hard. Just take a look at Jack cat. He ain't sweatin' the small stuff one bit. Thursday is my day here in this space to knock a hole in all things financial. It's my mission to eradicate the idea that style & trend has to come from the front of the store with pressed price tags and extra buttons in tiny plastic slip sleeves attached. Um, because it doesn't. Style & trend comes from you. It's reaching inside and finding your kinda happy only to represent it in your home and on your person. Style shines out brightest, perhaps even the most beautiful, when self and passion are in sync.
The magnificently rocktastic velvet chair you see above is the champ I'm coming at you with today for my cheap thrills installment. Yes, I'm aware that the seventies was an era where massive damage was done to all things velvet. But if bell-bottoms can make their way out from this lava lamp inferno and if J.Lo can bring back the velour jumpsuit in the early 2000's than I"m good holding down my spot. And I'm good reppin' the girls on the block. With Kenny as my Ben Affleck, Meggie on the block's gonna do her thang.
Storying this chair into our family's home is one part triumphant fate and one part wicked skill. Fate & skill are prerequisites for goodwill hunting. And trust me, the more you practice honing your skill, the more fate finds favor on you. I stumbled upon this chair at my local Goodwill one Saturday morning freshly funky from a 6 mile run. I made a quick dart in to survey my hunting grounds. Frequent jaunts in are erratic and revolutionary in perfecting the art of the goodwill hunt. Immediately this goldenrod goddess caught me eye. I was smitten on the spot.
From the siren lips of Taylor Swift it's best to "Speak Now" the moment you gauge a thrifted piece does not, in fact, have a price tag. Immediacy in the inquiry department sets the store attendant into a downward spiral equal to that of a lady hosting a yard sale in her driveway. Native like, the clerk feels the need to seal the sale. There's nothing better than impromptu rapid fire howmuchisthis to secure a rock bottom price. "Oh, that chair? Um, it's $25."
To which you move with stealth-like discernment. The immediate look away is best. Followed by a pucker twist of the mouth. Gazing at the item in question, provide wait time. Seek out the inner actor of you. By all means, improv like a mowchow for the sake of markdown. I'm not gonna tell you you shouldn't shake your head from side to side with a nullified look of disappointment. But don't go big guns until the time is just right. Me? I came back with a soft almost hymnic "hmmm" an octave a tad above a whisper synchronized with an easy slide of hand-to-the hip. BOOM. Fighter jet eye contact, "I'll give you $20 and she's mine forever."
Do not concern yourself with the realistic factoids like "how am I gonna get this home" or "what if I can't get it clean". Nuh-uh. When a piece speaks to you, the proverbial details will fall into place. I keep a few tie down stretchy thingies in my trunk to enhance my inner cheap thrills ego. A few shakes to secure tie down status, a set of hazards blinkity-blinkin' {because when are you really using that vehicle amenity anyway?} and a we-be-creepin' transit status and you.are.golden.
Cleaning this velvetty vixen was a cinch. Free your mind of standards or past protocol that ensures a perfect result. We are dealing with old. With used. With cheap. Get creative with your cleaning methods. The risk is low when you've made such a little financial investment. I unzipped cushion sleeves and spot sprayed in a general sense. I got aggressive with anything that seemed foreign or skank. I then soaked the covers in a mixture of color bleach, detergent and warm water for 4 hours. I washed and dried them twice being a bit obnoxious with the dryer sheets.
As for the structure base of the chair, it underwent a fierce vacuuming, a righteous sponge bath of vinegar & warm water and a full day tanning in the sunshine with no SPF. She's from the seventies, remember? Big girl ain't got nothing on but hip huggers and a smile. Once re-assembly was complete, it was time she come inside to find her happy spot.
I added k.Mac's Crockett pillow design to the chair for three dimensional texture and curb appeal. A noir & white smaller statement fluff was interjected into the assembly to create an overall grounded effect utilizing the infamous designer layering technique. Voila. Andrew Jackson has never been more efficient sitting on that crisp bill of linen. Style. Self. Seek it. Second chance it even. Cheap thrills can add such variety and super history to your home. It lends itself to story. It prides itself in pocket change and leaves your wallet packed for the more important things in life.
Now, go on. Get outta here. There's a velvet chair tucked back in some Goodwill corner just waiting to jive talk with you. Before you go, practice your pucker-twist. Improv like a beast for that basement price. You can do it!
.mac :)
p.s. A special thank you to my models, Jack & Jill. These drama queens cats were such the high maintenance hires. Requesting separate make-up trailers and slightly chilled Evian water in their crystal bowls. Ugh, their Fancy Feast had to be served strictly at high noon in perfect bite sized pieces too. Shew. The life of an actor.