The brands I associate with are those that give me what I need, want, desire, and can afford…  I grew up with Izod, Levi, Gloria Vanderbilt, Reebok, and Hang 10. I rode in a Cadillac, Rolls-Royce, Ford, and Buick. I shopped Sears, JC Penney, Rich’s, Davidson’s, McClellan, Smith Roberts, and Crouchs in the town I grew up in. To name a few. BUT Time and brands change….

I have changed brands as life changed over the years and continues to evolve. I am not a brand chaser or cultish needer of things to be “branded” and pay big money for them. I shop thrift stores, consignment stores, Goodwill, and donate my old brand-name things to The Big Flea which raises money for the local humane society.  I shop at small businesses for wants and needs as often as I can.

I now wear odds and ends of brands and their more affordable knock-offs and generic copies. I proudly wear my 24.00 Avia shoes which feel better on my ole’ feet than the Ryka, and other brands I used to pay much more for… I wear name-brand jeans from Belks, bought at Goodwill for 5.99 with Dollar store Gildean t-shirts. I shop sales, use coupons, and worry NOT what anyone thinks.  I shop at Walmart for groceries, and excitedly buy my produce from a local farm stand, Farm 99. I go to the Wainwright meat processing local store for supplies as well. And yes, I am a Dollar Tree shopper for the odds and ends I need. I do love my Premier Protein, and my Fairlife products too. And Built bars are my new candy fav. I just bought a Jeep, it’s 4-wheel drive and a better fit for my dirt road life.  But honestly, I am at the stage in life where I care little about who makes it, im more about quality and price.

Just because it’s a brand name does not mean it’s quality anymore… I am a wearer, user, associate of whatever treasure (brand) I find, that suits me…