I love Aroostook County – the rolling hills, the sweet, fresh air, the friendly people, and the great bargains.

During a recent visit, I was lucky enough to have a morning free to spend at Marden’s in Presque Isle. I’m a seasoned Marden’s shopper, and I like them all, but the Presque Isle store is my favorite. It’s bright, neat and loaded with good stuff.

And most of the good stuff happened to be half off the Marden’s price. Fabulous. I picked up two lace-trimmed floral tank tops from The Limited – one for me, one for my sister, ShopGirl Jr. At $3.99 apiece, why not buy two? (One of my colleagues has since informed me that she saw these tanks at Miller’s Discount in Brewer as well, so don’t fret, Bangor shoppers). In the children’s department, ShopGuy found me a ’70s-style zip-front sweat shirt with racing stripes down the sleeves by Abercrombie. Heck, if a kid’s XL fits, why pay $39.50 for a hoodie at the mall? Again, I picked up two for $3.75 apiece.

The red Kenneth Cole Reaction raincoats were hard to pass up at $9.99. But I couldn’t justify it, seeing as I had just bought a perfectly suitable blue Abercrombie & Fitch raincoat last spring. At the same Marden’s, come to think of it. I couldn’t resist a lilac skirt from The Limited, though, accented with blue and green flowers. At $4.99, why not?

I rounded out the mix with a stainless-steel-lined travel mug for $1.99, two bottles of extra-virgin olive oil for $2.99 each, and a few morning-glory seeds. At two packets for a dollar, it doesn’t matter if I kill them, which is usually what happens when I start things from seed.

After Marden’s, it was off to the Presque Isle Salvation Army Thrift Shop, which is, for lack of a better description, a bargain bonanza. Shoppers can find a great mix of new, nearly new and truly vintage clothing here, and it’s usually in excellent condition.

Imagine my surprise when I found a pair of brand-new, tags-still-on flip-flops from Old Navy that matched my new Limited skirt. Accessories are a strong suit at the thrift shop, where I also found a Dooney & Bourke All-Weather-Leather purse for – gasp! -$1.99. I grabbed it out of principle, because even though D&B isn’t really my style, this model sells new for $175.

Add to the accessories a striped Gap T-shirt, a vintage bias-cut plaid skirt, a vintage angora sweater, three retro button-down tops and a velour sweat shirt for ShopGuy, and we were in high style on a low budget. Just the way I like it.

Reader question

Dear Ms. Andresen,

We are a group of senior citizens that has followed your ShopGirl article. Can you tell us where to find summer tops that aren’t low-neck, yet are nice looking? We are also interested in “boy-cut leg” swimsuits. We aren’t all 6 feet tall, size 6 and weigh 100 pounds.

– Anonymous in Palmyra

Dear Palmyra,

I think I found something for everyone in your group – short, tall, big or small.

For tops, I suggest The Pretty Woman in Orono (and as a bonus, everything in the store is on sale right now). The shop’s owner, Nancy Paul, has assembled an impressive selection of sizes and styles, most of which have modestly cut necklines. Among my favorite pieces were a lavender, vacation-print rayon shell and camp shirt, which can be worn together or separately. The Pretty Woman carries a variety of short-sleeved cotton sweaters, including one with a daisy knit on the front, and a bunch of baby-cable-knit styles. With the cool spring we’re having, the three-quarter-length sleeve styles have been popular, but she still has a few left in red and white stripes, tan and black stripes, as well as solid white and aqua.

Sears in the Bangor Mall had some stylish, and affordable, selections. A sleeveless, chevron-patterned shell by Apostrophe caught my eye, as did Apostrophe’s fine gauge short-sleeve sweaters. Both were 25 percent off the already low price of $20 and $24 respectively.

At Filene’s, check out the Liz Claiborne spring line, which ranges from demure floral embroidery to bold, Lilly-Pulitzer-style prints. For something a little more dressy, a chiffon twin set by Impressions includes a tank and matching long-sleeve shirt, which you can button as high – or as low – as you want.

For swimsuits, Filene’s is the place to go. Their sizes range from 2 to 18, with plenty of boy-cut styles. Another interesting option is the Miraclesuit, which is supposed to hold everything together. The fact that it is designed to make the wearer look a size or two smaller is cool enough, but another neat feature of the suit is its built in sarong or skirt, which eliminates the need for a cover-up.

I hope this helps. Happy shopping (and swimming)!

ShopGirl would love to hear from you. Send questions, comments or suggestions to: Kristen Andresen, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329 or e-mail kandresen@bangordailynews.net.