The ThriftBooks Blog

By KA Scott • October 06, 2016

As fun as they are, clothing trends can be fickle and hard to track. What was white hot one season is usually stone cold the next. That’s why lots of fashion aficionados encourage women to think about their own unique style instead. From sewing it yourself to sage advice from some of the design world’s most-loved icons, here’s some inspiration to help keep your closet on point.

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By Melina Lynne • August 26, 2016

Excitement is in the air! The drafts are picked, teams assembled, and training camps done. We are now fully immersed in football season: the number one cause of hoarse vocal chords, heated Facebook debates, and self-proclaimed referees. Chips and beer are becoming harder to come by on weekends, and our close friends are slowly becoming our Sunday morning/afternoon enemies.

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By KA Scott • July 21, 2016

Sunshine and longer days, and my mind wanders out to the open road. Every summer I plan a phantom route and mode of transportation. Right now I'm pretty keen on taking a VW Vanagon down the 101. Redwoods, North Beach, The Giant Dipper, Big Sur…fish tacos and saltwater taffy.

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By Melina Lynne • July 07, 2016

I had been in an abusive relationship. Admitting it to myself had its own difficulties, not to mention opening up to my family and friends. Now I had the crazy idea of writing it all down and sharing it with the world. Well, I won’t get too carried away... It wasn’t the world, but all my friends on Facebook and anyone who happened to stumble across my online blog.

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By Jen Crabtree • June 08, 2016

Even though we haven’t officially hit summer, my mind has already drifted to happy thoughts of backyard parties, picnics, and gatherings. I love spending time with friends and family out in the sun, eating killer food made with produce at the peak of its season. I have to admit, though, that feeding people, what with all the different dietary needs, has gotten more difficult over the years.

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By Jason Anderson • May 21, 2016

We love books. Not just reading books, although that's one of the primary reasons that ThriftBooks exists. We also love and appreciate the book as a physical object, a tangible vessel that not only conveys words and ideas from author to reader, but also brings those ideas to life through the art, craft, and design of the book itself.

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By Chris Viola • May 11, 2016

I recently came across a travel website that proclaimed, “London has a rich literary tradition that permeates its streets.”

It’s true, of course. I know the first time I saw London’s cobblestone back streets, I immediately pictured Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger tearing through the crowds, possibly having just picked someone’s pocket. For my money, Dickens’ vivid descriptions of 1830s London are just as compelling as his characters.

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By KA Scott • April 26, 2016

From apartment terrace to table—and every tiny space in between—gardening small has become a big deal in cities everywhere. Whether it's pots on the rooftop or tiered baskets hanging out the window, urbanites are finding inventive ways to grow incredible edibles in even the most vertical landscapes.

It's all easier than you might think—but there's definitely a science to it. What to plant, irrigation, container choice, fertilizer—with so many options, it's easy to get confused. That's why we recommend a little research before you get started (says the girl who grew loads of misshapen, garnish-sized container veggies before picking up some books on the subject).

Here's some of my favorite reads with expert tips for cultivating a thriving small-batch garden of your own. With lots of sunshine and a little luck, you'll be crunching your way through a healthy harvest in no time. And nothing tastes quite as great as something you've grown yourself!

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By Richard Wells • April 11, 2016

The curse of the binary is in dividing the world into two kinds of people: people who eat the pizza’s crust and those who don’t, pie people vs. cake people, mustard people and catsup people, and speaking of cats, there seem to be cat people and dog people. Groan if you like, but this is a serious division, at least to dog people and cat people.

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By Violet • April 04, 2016

I grew up in a meticulously clean home, where everything had a place, the décor was always updated in the latest fashion, and we ate a home-cooked dinner as a family every night. I had a Super Mom.

Me? I’m the girl who can’t figure out how to get the grime off the kitchen floor. I sweep up the dog hair only to find giant balls of it five minutes after I finish. I open a cabinet door and things tumble out.

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