Thrifting Claire V.

The great thing about thrifting is that you come in contact with many brands that otherwise you might miss. A while back I came across this yellow Claire V. woven, yellow, circle bag mostly because I have a weakness for straw bags! Living in California, they come in handy as most of our year the sunshine, well shines here.  This past weekend I was able to take my bag out for a spin at Miramonte Winery and ever since I have been wearing it nonstop.  I love that in addition to being able to carry it by the handles, I can also wear it as a crossbody or over the shoulder due to the removeable strap.  The only downside to the bag is that it’s open on the top so you have to be careful when carrying it to keep it upright so things don’t fall out.

Since its inception in 2008, Claire V. is a brand that makes most of its items exclusively in Los Angeles and uses only the best materials.  Claire Vivier, the fashion designer and owner of the company is of Mexican and Irish decent which I find neat as a fellow Latina.  I should mention that since products are USA made they tend to be on a pricier end.  My yellow circle bag is the Moyen Alice Basket Bag which has sold at Anthropologie for a whooping $225, yet I came across it in like new condition at my local Salvation Army for $5.99!  Among the disarray of full racks of bags, the bright, mustard color stood out and I almost passed on it because I thought the bag was too small for my taste.  Yet, the quality and impeccable artisan weaving made me put it in my cart to decide later.  After a quick search on my phone I realized that it was a pricy bag that if I didn’t keep I could flip it for a good chunk of change in my virtual resale store. For now, I am keeping it.

Moving to Saturday, wearing my deal of a bag believe-it-or-not was not the highlight of my Saturday!  After, a couple years of getting too comfortable staying at home I have been struggling to get back into my social circles.  Now, I agonize about leaving the comfort of my home because I got so used to staying home.  I have tried to become more social, but it’s so easy for this introvert to find happiness at home. However, I am being more intentional about going out because it’s healthy and good for the soul to socialize. I went to support my close friend and had plenty of good conversation with other like-minded people.  One of the gals filled me in on a couple of faith movies that have an upcoming release date…  This fun interaction ignited my desire to be more social this year and since I have signed up for a women’s retreat and have continued attending my Wednesday Bible Study Group.  It took me a while to accept the closures of the pandemic so I am being patient with myself as I try to enter back into the post-lockdown world. It’s nice I get to do it in my thrifty style.