Joshua Tree, California is a magical place for many reasons - and their amazing thrift stores definitely top my list when we drop in for a visit. In fact, thriftin' is such a huge part of the way of life in this town that it even spawned a band called The Thrift Store All Stars (now Pappy's All Stars); though there's not a bargain basement musician amongst them. 

I met this little lady at a shop on the main drag in Joshua Tree (29 Palms Highway) - $4 later and she was mine! She's got such verve and sass - this Rumba beauty certainly has brightened up the environs. Yes, those are really the walls in my home behind her. For those of you following me on Twitter, you can see why I've been excitedly Tweeting about ending the tyranny of the previous owner's smoke-stained walls. This is what we've been looking at for four years. I'm taking my cue from Rumba gal - it's time to celebrate!

Found:

Joshua Tree

Hot & Obvious Tip: Don't forget to check out the insanely adorable World Famous Crochet Museum, behind Shari Elf's fabulous Art Queen boutique. 

[Photo Credit: Of course we're painting the walls to match Rumba Lady. Wouldn't you?]

Sass! This lady is so divine, she doesn't need a companion. Her mate was actually at the thrift store the same day I found this fabulous dancing diva. I didn't purchase him because he just didn't have her pizzaz. I decided she could easily stand on her own. And at  five tall, she literally does. We may never see her face, or know what she sees in the distance; but I suspect it's an assignation too fabulous to divulge. 

Found: 

Salvation Army

[Photo Credit: And those background colors! Mama Mia, the seventies really did have a style all their own.]

Sometimes you don't know what you're looking for until it's staring you in the face. That's what happened to me when I spotted (what is surely) the kitschiest coffee table in existence. My (extraordinarily patient) boyfriend and I were at a consignment store searching for a dining room table. While we didn't get lucky on that front, we did happen upon this delight. I said to Larry, "You're going to think I'm crazy, but I seriously love that coffee table." He looked at it, then at me and gave the affirmative 'you are crazy' nod. Good thing it was just days before my birthday. Damn right, I totally played that card! Before you could say "batting lashes/guilt trip" that thing was in our car. I'm pretty sure I caught the, "Damn, this dude must be whipped" look from the warehouse guys as they helped load our find. Larry took it on the chin with a smile - and I made sure to make it up to him as soon as we got home! Sometimes you inadvertently test the one you love - he passed with an A+.

Found:

On Consignment In Bisbee

100 Bisbee Traffic Circle

Bisbee, AZ. 85603

Hot & obvious tip: Thrifting is usually my preferred method of shopping; however local consignment stores can offer a great selection of handpicked items. Prices will be higher, but it can be worth it if you're looking for something specific. 

[Photo Credit: I keep finding reasons to walk into the living room, just to look at this beauty!]

Found: From that same magical thrift store as the cranberry trivet, next to the greasy spoon breakfast joint in Tucson, AZ. Clearly, I need to do a little detective work - this is too good not to share. 

[Photo Credit: Mushrooms in the middle!]

Hey, if 25 cents can buy me something this gorgeous, I guess I shouldn't nitpick about grammar. A vintage trivet is always welcome in this home!

Found: some little thrift store, next to a great greasy spoon restaurant in Tucson, Arizona. I can't believe I don't remember the name of this joint - I'll update as soon as I have the mental capacity to do some name recall.

[Photo Credit: Delicious!] 

I picked this up at last year's Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend. What's that? Oh, you're making me blush! No, I wasn't a participant, but I did wear a lot of glitter to blend in. My boyfriend and I happened to be in Vegas that weekend - talk about a fortuitous booking! We were at The Orleans Hotel & Casino the same time this fab event was going down. We noticed something was amiss when there seemed to be an unusual amount of Bettie Page-type gals at the pool. Never a bad thing! Leave it to us detectives to get to the bottom of this case. Needless to say, we felt very lucky to happen upon all these gorgeous gals. As if that wasn't enough of a score, I also grabbed this beautiful vintage gold daisy pin at one of the event's booths. I like to put vintage pins on a simple chain instead of pining them to my clothing. Makes for a fun, unique look without putting holes in my favorite shirt. Another hot and obvious tip, courtesy of Panty Line Press! 

Found:

Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend

[Photo Credit: Bonus - Daisies are also my beloved grandma's favorite flower.]