thrifting in utah

one of our favorite places to go when we visit our family in utah is the DI. that is, Deseret Industries, the giant nonprofit thrift store that the mormon church runs. it's just a huge cinderblock warehouse packed full and practically brimming over with JUNK, heavenly junk.

there are many things about thrifting in utah that make it special and fun.

for one, the mormon church used to have a culture of self-sufficiency (by the suburban sprawl of provo, sadly i don't think it's so encouraged anymore) and so a lot of the mamas would make their own clothes and clothing for their family. as a result, you can find a lot of beautifully handmade and sometimes hand-altered clothes on the racks.

 the thrifty gods must have been happy with me because i found the cutest little vintage burlappy homemade prairie dress. to be listed soon in my shop!

another interesting aspect of thrifting in utah is the KIDS. little kids are everywhere because everyone in provo has kids. lots of them. there are young mothers with two, three, four, even five babes hanging out of their carts and hiding inside the circular racks and just generally running amok.

and naturally, the toy aisle is the number one babysitter. it's hilarious, but maybe not for the workers that have to clean it up later.

check out this madness:

jarom, bella and orion always get to pick out one toy. it is a serious and weighted matter, which one they choose. here's bella trying to make her selection and getting our input. this process was repeated many many times.

wish i could limit myself to just one!

but if i had to, it surely would have been this:

(yes, the thrift gods were certainly smiling upon me)

the cutest most pristine gunne!

 she is tiny and oh-so perfect and i can't wait to help her find her way home!

addie found her share of goodies too. she actually spent almost the entire first day at the two DIs in the area, claiming it is the only thrift store she actually likes and having us leave her there until closing time at 9 pm! she's way into floral 90s dresses and skorts, which abound in utah territory. oh, and you should see all the Big Love style dresses! amazing.

showing off some of her newfound treasures:

we also found a tucked away little gem of a thrift shop in moab called WabiSabi.

(hanging with matt and amy rules by the way)

orion was totally freaked out by this lady:

whereas i think jarom was rather intrigued, hehe:

we found out as we were leaving that there is a sister store of the more junky stuff. so bummed that we didn't have time to check it out, but not everyone wants to waste their time in the desert shopping at thrift stores! sorry, fam.

and thanks to pops for taking all the pictures. he just gets the biggest kick out of everything we do. such a good sport.

the best thing about thrifting in utah is that i'm with my fun and hilarious family who are just as addicted to it as i am! well, almost.