op shop

Sometime last summer I decided to stop buying new things, or things made new. The idea was to cut down on the amount of stuff in the world, and therefore not encourage, support or contribute to the creation of disposable merchandise (think Ikea furniture, Forever 21, new cell phones every few months). If I want something, I try to find it used or vintage, and most of the time, I find that I didn't really need it in the first place. It's surprisingly easy (well, for someone who likes thrift stores and flea markets anyway) and I'm not a hundred percent strict about it (underwear, yarn and gifts seem to be my major weeknesses).

Through Lobster and Swan, I found KatieCrackernuts, an Australian journalist who has taken a pledge to only wear secondhand clothing for two weeks to possibly win a new Prius. Although I wish the time frame was a little more substantial, I totally get behind the idea of op shopping, as she calls it. Here in the bay area, there are some fantastic thrift, vintage, used and consignment stores where you have a bevy of great options that fit the bill of op shopping. Besides, the flea is this weekend!