The Red Blazer and a Day with my Mom

A few weeks ago, I was heading out to do some yard selling when I saw my mom driving down the street (not too unusual, considering she lives two houses away).

She stopped her car and I rolled down my window.

“Where you going?” I asked.

“Out to yard sales,” she said.

“Me too.  Let’s go together,” so she parked her car back in the driveway and jumped in the car with Eden and I.

And we went shopping.

ALL DAY LONG (sigh).

I’m not sure when I’ve ever had such fun with my mom, except for the last time I was with her. J  Truth be told, we have so much fun together I have to pinch myself.  We’re the girls in the isle at the store laughing so hard we’re crying.  We’re the girls hugging and sharing personal stories.  We’re the girls that look so much alike you can’t tell if we’re mother/daughter or sisters. 

To spend the day with my mom, I felt so lucky, like I’d won a prize.

First, we started at Deseret Industries.  Everything she picked up, she loved.  I love my mom’s taste.  It’s so sweet, almost innocent.  She sees the good in life, so of course trash looks good too.  She grew up in Tennessee and takes pride in her Southern heritage, claiming she learned to sit on the porch swing with a glass of iced tea and enjoy life.  My mom's never rushed and lives in the moment.  Relationships are most important, especially with her children. 

With 20 grandkids to shop for Christmas, she found plenty of trash to buy.  It was so sweet, watching her pick up something special she felt a certain grandchild would love.  A doll, a dinosaur, a truck.   Would you believe she found 8 handmade brand-new quilts?  Her eyes lit up, deciding which grandchild would love which quilt.  It was such an expression of love.

Later, at Goodwill, I wanted to find something with a bit of flare to wear in my family Christmas photos.  

This red blazer, a Jones of New York jacket, probably pre-1990’s, was so hip and colorful I had to have it.  

It was ½ off day, so I purchased it for $7.50.

This got my mom and me talking about fashion.  Seriously, we can’t shop at retail stores anymore, not just because we’re spoiled with thrift store pricing, but because everything is so made so, well I hate to say it, but I will; everything is made so slutty.

Tiny, mini, cleavage-bearing clothing that I wouldn’t even be able to dry off with, let alone wear out.  Most of it’s so sheer and poorly made; it won’t even survive long enough to be donated to a thrift store in the future.

Is that this generation’s gift to fashion?  Kinda sad!  If I want something sensible, fashionable and affordable, I have to shop thrift stores to find it. 

I love that my mom was all into this conversation with me.  She let's me go off on tangents and loved this red blazer too.

Shopping trash with my mom was a great Christmas present.  We had so much fun; we did it again a day later. 

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