Let’s go thrift shopping in the Triangle

I’ve been honing my thrift shopping skills since fourth grade, when I used to pick through the boxes of a corner store thrift shop in Chicago looking for something trendy that I could afford with money I earned from doing household chores and from our regular summer lemonade stands.

In high school, we had about 50 minutes to leave campus and scarf down lunch somewhere (because eating in the cafeteria at a school that opens its campus at lunch was so uncool). During my freshman year, when I had yet to make friends with anyone who could drive, my friends and I would occasionally walk to the Rescue Mission and Bargain Box to shop instead of eat.

So I was a little disappointed in myself when my best friend asked me where the good thrift shops were around here. I told her about my personal favorite, Thrift World in Durham (pictured above). In Raleigh, I’ve been to the Goodwill on Hargett Street and Cause for Paws on South Saunders Street.

As for vintage shops, I’ve been to Time after Time on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. Dolly’s Vintage in Durham’s Brightleaf Square. And Vintage Nation (anyone know if this place still open, BTW? It has looked closed the past couple times I’ve passed by) and Father & Son Antiques. I would recommend all of these places in a heartbeat as they are reasonably priced and have eclectic selections.

(I snagged this 101 Dalmations dress at Vintage Nation for $20 earlier this summer).

There’s also Everything But Grannies Panties in Durham, which I haven’t been to in years. It’s not the best place to snag clothes, but if you’re looking for some awesome kitsch and aren’t clausterphobic, then go get lost inside (although maybe it’s not open anymore either).

So please help me beef up my Triangle thrift shopping skills. Tell me all the thrift shops I must visit and why (do they have crazy kitsch, cheap retro clothes, more modern, trendy stuff?). And let me know which ones aren’t worth my time.

I met Jimmy Carter at Wal-Mart today

I found myself in a Super Wal-Mart today for the first time in more than six months. I wasn’t there to pick up some cheap bread, deodorant or Tupperware though. I was there to see former president Jimmy Carter. No Joke. Carter was signing copies of his latest book “A Remarkable Mother.” I picked up a copy for $15.97 (a decent discount from the $22.95 suggested retail price) and stood in the long line, already more than 200 people deep an hour before the signing was scheduled to start. I met some nice folks who held my place while I went around to scope out the scene and interview some people. You can read the story I wrote and watch the video I made for MyNC.com here.

Carter was sitting behind a plastic folding table in the little room where they keep the restrooms. If you’re even remotely familiar with the layout of a Super Wal-Mart (I am b/c that was one of the only places to hang out after 9 p.m. in my hometown) picture this: The line stretched from the restrooms, down the aisle between the baby clothes and the regular kids clothes, then down the long aisle that separates the grocery section from the rest of the store and then all the way across the front of the store.

Event staff made sure everyone had their books turned to the cover page and handed out book signing instructions indicating that the president would not be personalizing books. The closer we got to the president, we were warned by the Secret Service not to shake his hand and that we couldn’t take pictures until after our books were signed. As I appraoched the president, it was a blur. A woman took my books from my hand, the president asked the little girl in front of me her name while he signed my book, he looked up at me and smiled and then slid my book down the table to another woman who handed it to me.I guess I should have been better prepared. I should have said: Obama or Clinton (he told the media yesterday that he would make his pick public soon). But it went so fast, and I really wanted a cool picture. I was ushered behind a chain and told I had 10 seconds to snap a shot. I tried to get a couple, but people kept stepping in front of the president. Then I was told I HAD TO LEAVE. I told the guy I didn’t even get a pic of the prez (which I hadn’t) so I pretended like I was leaving and then turned around and snapped this pic: If you’re like me, you probably think it’s strange that Carter was signing books at Super Wal-Mart (he was at the Sam’s Club in Durham on Thursday). The News and Observer explains why:

But organizers said Carter, a prolific author of more than 20 books, usually tries to fit in at least one Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club into his book tours. The former peanut farmer was buddies with the late Sam Walton, Wal-Mart’s founder.

So what do you think about Carter coming to Wal-Mart? Does it make sense since he used to be buds with Sam Walton? Or should he avoid helping out the mega chain?

Shopping for that perfect UNC Final Four T-shirt

For the past week, there has been a U-Haul stationed outside the Hardee’s on NC 54 and Harrington Road in Durham selling UNC Final Four T-shirts. I chatted with the guys running it today (they work for Chapel Hill Sportswear) and they said they’ve sold about 700 to 800 T-shirts since Sunday. They set up shop on the street corner because it can be difficult to find parking at the Chapel Hill Sportswear shop on Franklin Street and this new spot offers a prime selling location.

They said they got permission from Hardee’s to sell T-shirts from the parking lot. Apparently, their informal shop drives additional traffic to the fast food restaurant.

This should make Steve Jobs happy

The line outside the Apple store Sunday morning at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh. This was about 10 minutes before the store officially opened.

My commute just got a little more annoying this morning

Is this really how much we’re paying for gas now?

Ginny gets glasses

I’ve needed glasses for a while. I can’t read the signs hanging in grocery stores telling me what aisle the rice is in. I can’t read street signs from far away, making finding new places difficult. And it’s tough to spot hot guys across a crowded bar when I have to squint. So today I got glasses.

Can you guess which ones I picked?

A. B.
C. D.

E. F.

G. H.

For the record, I wasn’t seriously considering some of these. The ones I picked should arrive in two weeks.

Fashion Blogging: If you don’t know what chartreuse is, you’re missing out

While driving through the parking deck at Crabtree Valley Mall yesterday, I spotted 17-year-old Katelin Gragg walking into the mall. You couldn’t miss her in the dark garage because she was glowing in her chartreuse slip. But alas, I couldn’t just get out of the car to photograph her for my fashion blog, so her cute outfit slipped out of my life.

Lucky for me, I spotted her inside and she agreed to be photographed wearing this vibrant chartreuse-colored, chiffon slip over a black turtle neck sweater: “I just had to add color,” the Hickory, N.C. resident said of the slip, which she scored from Urban Outfitters.

Turns out a lot of the men in my life aren’t familiar with chartreuse. I thought the green-yellow color was well-known, but apparently not. A few weeks ago, I took my surrogate father to every shoe store in The Streets at Southpoint in search of a pair of chartreuse-colored flats. He had no idea what we were looking for until I likened it to lime green. (We found a perfect pair of Steve Maddens, BTW, but they didn’t have them in my size and I can’t find them on his Website).

Then yesterday, while at the mall with one of my guy friends, he admitted he had never heard of the color. He even asked me to spell the word, which I think threw him off even more. I made a $1 bet that the sales clerk in J. Crew would know of the color, but he didn’t. Out of four clerks in the store, two knew what I was talking about. I’m not clear on whether I won or lost that bet, but he hasn’t asked for his dollar yet.

Apparently there are a few variations of chartreuse, according to the always trusty Wikipedia, read about it here, if you’re so inclined. Or just take my word for it, chartreuse is hot and you should try adding some of it to your wardrobe this spring.

So you tell me, have you ever heard of this color?

Dude, bet you didn’t know you could buy this at Wal-Mart

Raleigh blogger Brandy found this hilarious confection yesterday when she went to Wal-Mart. Her blog “Girl on Camera” is filled with random nuggets like this. Thanks to her, guess what all my friends are getting around Easter time.

Buying gourmet goodies may help save some land

I haven’t been to A Southern Season in Chapel Hill since I moved back to the Triangle. For those of you who have never been, it’s a gourmet market that you can easily spend hours in if you’re hungry and love to shop (it’s so fabulous that I have a girlfriend who actually shrieks every time you say you went without her). You can take cooking classes there, sample wines on the weekends, dine in its restaurant (the Weathervane) and shop for delicious candies, coffees, housewares and oh so much more. OK, I’ll stop now, I’m starting to sound like a commerical.

I bring this up because I found out today that A Southern Season is teaming up with the Triangle Land Conservancy for a day-long fundraiser next month. On Tuesday, March 17, the market is giving the conservancy 5 percent of all retail sales. The conservancy works to protect open space and other natural areas in Durham, Wake, Orange, Chatham, Johnston and Lee counties. The nonprofit is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, according to a news release I read today.

Anyway, if you haven’t been to the market in a while or *gasp* not at all, this might be a good excuse to check it out.

Good Night, Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Here’s a reason why you might want to think twice before picking up free furniture you occasionally see sitting curbside: Bed Bugs.

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reports a steady increase in the number of reported bed bug infestations, while local pest management professionals are finding residential infestations are becoming more common.

According to Terminix Company of North Carolina President Jim Haugh, the bed bug infestation is here to stay. “We’re only going to see more and more cases of bed bugs in the future, especially in people’s homes,” says Haugh.

Haugh indicates:
* Most people do not realize they have bed bugs until after waking up with red, itchy welts, and by that time it’s too late to prevent infestation. When bedbugs bite human skin they inject an anesthetic-like liquid that numbs the skin and allows the pest to bite undisturbed.
* Some Hampton Roads residents, have had to toss out thousands of dollars worth of furniture, clothes and luggage because of bed bug infestations. Unlike mice and roaches, there is nothing sold in the grocery store that can eliminate bed bugs.
* Once the bugs make it into the home, eliminating the pest is a taxing process as the nocturnal creatures can hide in cracks and crevices, carpet, peeling wallpaper, and light fixtures, making detection and removal difficult.
* The infestations have been most common in hotels, hospitals, and college dorm rooms where large congregations of people are found, allowing the pests to migrate from person to person. Recently however, the hitchhiking pest has started moving into suburban homes and neighborhoods.
* Haugh indicates that there are several measures people can take to help prevent infestations. “Make sure your new or existing mattress and box springs are wrapped in plastic,” says Haugh. “You should also pay attention to your surroundings when you travel, check the mattresses and sheets, and behind the headboard of the bed in your hotel room. Just to be safe, it’s also not a bad idea to have all of your clothing dry cleaned upon arrival from vacation, business travel, or college.”

What pesky critters creep you out the most?