despite the abundance of j.crew and anthropologie items in my wardrobe (which are far from budgetary brands), i like to pride myself in being a barganista. i hardly ever buy something at full price and scour the racks of j.crew’s factory store to score similar styles to their full-priced brand.

so in the name of a good priced piece, i’m stating my plea to flea. market, that is. for one, my homedrobe could stand a good sprucing with the addition of some eclectic and diy-inspired finds, and well, let’s be honest, my regular wardrobe is always beckoning a unique addition, so with that said, i’m hoping to plan a summertime visit a couple of my closest (and most recommended) flea markets. my google research warranted these top listings:

long beach antique market. this meets on the third sunday of the month and through proper instagram stalking research, i have found it to be quite the treasure gold mine. it’s also only like 45 minutes away which is basically the same amount of time it takes me to get to work everyday, so you know, i’m a veteran when it comes to 45-minute commutes. all i need is a venti iced coffee with a splash of soy and a good playlist and i’m good to go. when the rents and i are in the same city for more than a hot minute, we plan on making a visit to the LBAM (is that a thing? i’m going to call it the ell-bam from here on out because it sounds awesome) very soon. i better start training my eyes for treasure-spotting and working on my haggling skills now…

rose bowl flea market. the flea market that claims to be “the shopping place of the stars” (i mean, that is reason enough to make the trip) convenes on the second sunday of the month. B and i went to this one a couple of years ago and it is definitely worth the near-three-hour jaunt to pasadena. while we weren’t in the market for any big ticket items (if you’re looking for unique furniture or decor for your home, there are aisles and aisles of items for your perusal), it was fun just to spend a sunday morning in the socal sun casually strolling the sprawling parking lot on the hunt for diamonds in the rough. or just diamonds in general. and also, celebs. there were a couple of close calls with a few brooding-giant-black-glasses-the-size-of-her-face patrons that may or may not have been kate beckingsale or victoria beckham (i have a feeling neither are the “thrifting” type), but despite the empty-handedness of our trip -both in wares and in celeb-spotting, it was a fun experience and i plan on making my sophomore trip this summer with BL!

these are the two markets that seem most promising based on previous experience and/or recommendation, but by all means, if you know of any other gold mines that i should be checking out, pass them along my way. and i don’t mean your friend larry’s garage sale next saturday. i’m sure larry has lovely items to sell, i’m just not certain if they belong in my living room or closet.

also, if you want to come with me on any of my future adventures, i would love the company! i mean, as long as you’re cool with listening to the lady antebellum pandora station and don’t mind stopping for coffee and potty breaks, but that should be a given.

i only hope i stumble upon this americana goodness on one of my flea market visits.