ST. PATTY'S DAY MUG SHOT

 

St. Patrick's Day was a holiday that was not celebrated in my Italian household, so my only chance to celebrate as a tween and a teen was at school.  I went to a predominantly Irish Catholic high school my freshman year, Notre Dame, aka: The Fighting Irish!  St. Patty's day was a big deal and Notre Dame pulled out all the stops.  I can remember my outfit like it was yesterday; Guess jeans that had a plaid-like green design and a green off the shoulder Benetton sweater with a puffy white B on the front.  I can even recall the tretorn sneakers I wore with the coordinating green stripe.

As an adult, my excitement for St. Patty's day has changed.  Now along with collecting a fab green outfit, I began collecting beer steins.  I thought it would be a difficult task, but in fact it was EASY!!!  I poked my head in a thrift shop and walked out with a collection someone was getting rid of.  The price tag was the most exciting part.  They were marked $1.50 each and when I brought them to the register to pay for them, I was told they were marked down to 50 cents a piece. B-I-N-G-O!!!

I was on a roll for my treasure hunt within the first two minutes of being in the store.  Now that's the way to shop.  With my adrenaline pumping, it now became a game, so I headed to the next thrift shop and found 3 more.  My mission is not to have a uniform set, that's not how I roll.  I like both the character and interest of a variety of styles, as it keeps people thinking. Guests can also recognize their mug by each unique design, making each one feel personal.

Beer steins come in all shapes and sizes, different patterns and designs as well as some with lids.  I passed up the steins that had different beer company logos, such as Budweiser, as there were plenty of those.  After the thrift stores, I headed south to my local antique shops and walked away with quite a few.  I can't lie, in an antique store you can find them anywhere from $3.00-$50.00 and while there, I paid top dollar for some.  It was all worth the excitement though.  My mission was complete with a full collection of coveted beer steins, all within 2 hours.

Happy St. Patty's Day & Happy Hunting!!!

Jamie
XOXO