Sunday Style- Basic Black

I picked up this basic black dress at my local Salvation Army Family Thrift Store last winter and I love a classic LBD (little black dress).  This dress is the perfect length for my tall frame, has a simple silhouette, can be worn year around, and has pockets!!

I paired my dress with a thin black belt, black patterned tights, and black boots.  Then, I threw on a fun vintage necklace I picked up for just $4 at a local thrift store.  The necklace is unique and is a gorgeous statement necklace.

I also added my "new"vintage coat that I am kind of obsessed with!!  It just makes be feel like Audrey Hepburn or Judy Garland.  I've always loved old Hollywood and it so I am stoked when I can find a piece of vintage for next to nothing and feel like a million bucks!!

I tried to style my hair a bit different as well.  I just simply brushed my hair back and sprayed it till it stayed where I wanted it to with hairspray!!  Not sure if you can see that I did anything different!!

I usually try to take my Sunday Style pictures before church, but some days I have to wait till after church and then the sun is SOOOOOO bright.  That's what happened with these pictures, I need to work on my editing and photography skills in this area!!

From head to toe, my outfit cost right around $30!!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Sunday Style - Christmas Cheer

I love dressing up, especially for just about any special event or holiday!!  What I love even more is being able to do so for next to nothing!!

I picked up this gorgeous Ann Taylor Christmas red skirt for just $4.99 at my local Goodwill store.  I was drawn to the bright color first, but then upon further inspection, I fell in love with the gorgeous cut outs around the hem and the POCKETS!!

I paired my skirt with my basic Talbots black sweater.  I have featured this sweater multiple times and I will probably million more.  It is such a versatile piece!!  The wind was quite fierce, so don't mind the crazy voluminous hair going on!!  I did try to curl it, but it didn't quite do what I was hoping for, but you just have to go with it some days!!

I also added my black boots, herringbone tights, vintage earrings, and a snowflake necklace.

My outfit comes under $20!!  

Enjoy your Sunday and Merry Christmas!!

Sunday Style - Dots on Dots

I love polka dots, what can I say!!  This outfit makes me think of June Cleaver - very classy, but I think I've given it a modern twist.

I first started out the day with this gorgeous vintage coat, I picked up at an estate sale last summer.  I love how regal I feel in this coat.  My mom had to do some work to the hem of the coat, but it was worth the work to make this coat feel and look new again.  She also mentioned she thought my great grandmother had a coat almost identical to this one!!

The three clothing pieces I've chosen are all thrifted!! I picked up the skirt this summer at Goodwill for $4.99, my Gap blouse is a fun swiss dot polka dot button up that I picked up at Maj-r Thrift for under $5, and my hot pink cardigan is from Salvation Army that I picked up on their Black Friday 1/2 price sale for just $1.49.   You can check out my other great finds here!!

My boots are and end of the season find from Sears and my necklace is an online find!!

I'm excited to wear each of these pieces year round and mixing them up with other items in my closet.

From head to toe, my outfit came in under $35!!

Enjoy your Sunday!!

Sunday Style - It's Been Awhile

September and October have been insane!!  Between my husband and I, one of us has had event for seven weekends straight!!  We are ready for November and December to be a bit slower and then I'm really looking forward to January and February, where I like to hibernate!!

This outfit is simple and classy!!  I love to wear patterns and animal prints are trendy almost every fall and winter!!

When fall comes around, I can barely wait to pull out my boot collection!!  I have way too many and am always on the hunt for more!!

My Talbots sweater is from Salvation Army Family Thrift and I picked up this Ann Taylor skirt from Hillcrest Thrift this summer on one of my shopping sprees.  You can read what else I picked up here.  My boots are from Sears, I picked them up at the end of winter a few years ago.  My first pair of tall black boots finally wore out, so I was happy to replace them with these. My earrings were a Christmas gift from my husband.

I'm loving my short hair!!  I can do so much more to it short, then I could ever do long and in half the time.  I tried a little bit of a faux hawk and I don't think I did too bad!!

My outfit comes in at around $30 including my boots!!

Enjoy your Sunday!!

Sunday Style - Transitioning a Dress from Summer to Fall

My favorite season is fall!!  I love pulling out my boots, sweaters, pumpkins, and hot coffee.  When September comes around, I have to fight the urge to pull out my fall wardrobe immediately.  I've learned to keep just a few things in my closet that I can pull out at a moment's notice to add a layer to a spring or summer look.

I picked up this fantastic Chicos dress at my local Salvation Army for just $5.99.   This dress is like butter.  It is so light and flowy.  This is an easy dress to wear all year round with the right accessories.

I simply added a thrifted denim jacket,  Crocs wedges and then a fun pair of leather earrings from Nickel and Suede.  These earrings are amazing!!  They go with everything and I'm thrilled that they still look good with my short hair!!  Once the air turns colder, I could change the shoes, by adding boots, a sweater or cardigan, and some heavier jewelry or accessories.

My total for this look is around $30 including my earrings.  

Enjoy your Sunday!!

Thrifting It Out with Some Girlfriends

I want everyone to like thrift store shopping like me, so I invited a girlfriends out for a few hours of shopping therapy!!  

My friends Tasha and Tiffany met me at the Belton Salvation Army Family Thrift Store.  Tasha brought her cousin, Bree, along with her daughter.  I asked each of the girls to give me a list of three things they were looking for.   I also gave them my top ten thrifting tips.  Last winter, I wrote an article for Salvation Army with my tips.  You can find them here and here. 

Here is a condensed version!!

1. Make a wish list. I keep mine on my phone - items for my house, my kids, and me. You also carry swatches of fabric and paint, or pictures of items you are trying to match/coordinate with.

2. Go with a friend!! It is fun to help each other find items. Sometimes friends can also convince us to try on something that we may not want to!!

3. Thoroughly check your items. Check the condition of items and the care info before leaving the store. When trying on items, take a 360 degree view in the mirror. Then check seams and inspect for holes.

4. Be a good patron. Get to know the employees at your local Salvation Army Family Store. There are some pretty amazing people that work there.

5. Give back!! I try to go through my clothing monthly to see if there is something I can weed out. I also do this when I am putting away seasonal items.

6. Shop for seasonal items year round. I tend to think of what I want to have for the next season.

7. Think outside the box!! If I see an item I am not quite sure about, I will carry it around the store with me to think about it. Then I try it on and decide if I love it!! 

8. Size does not matter!! Do not stick to your usual size. Remember items have been worn, washed, and may have shrunk or been stretched out.

9. Shop with your eyes and fingers!! I tend to start in a section and just visually browse the row as I go over items with my hands. I am attracted to pattern and texture, so when I find one or both of those things, I stop and examine the item closer to see if it is my size, a flattering shape, and/or in good condition.

10. Be open to surprise! If you are a newbie to the world of thrift stores, plan a time to just browse the store with no expectation of buying anything.

The girls had a great time and found a few things on their shopping list.

Then a few days later, I met up with my friends Debbie, Jenelle, Alex, and her daughter Phoenix.   We tried a little thrift store tour of three shops in the same vicinity.  We hit up Salvation Army Family Thrift at 115 & Metcalf, City Thrift on Antioch, and Goodwill at 135th & Metcalf.

Again, I asked each of the girls for three things they were looking for.

These girls could shop!!  I was blown away at the deals they found.  They were each thrilled with how much money they were saving.  I was even able to find a few goodies - you can find them here.

One of my ideas for the future, is to offer my services in taking a group of ladies out to a variety of thrift stores and help them navigate the thrift store world.  I asked these ladies to give me some feedback on how to get this service started.

Thanks ladies for your encouragement and feedback!!

Let me know if anyone would like go shopping with me!!

Sunday Style - So, I'm not Julia Roberts

I picked up this amazing polka dress on my last trip to Goodwill.  As soon as I put it on, I thought of Julia Roberts in the movie Pretty Woman.  She wears a dress similar to this to a polo match with Richard Gere.  Her dress was tan and she had some amazing gloves and hat to complete her look.  I could have added some vintage gloves and my grandma's hat, but I just didn't think I could pull it off at church!!

This dress makes me feel so tall, even though I'm wearing flats!!!  I think I could also add a chambray shirt to this dress and make it look like a maxi skirt for a casual date night look!!

This outfit comes it under $20 - shoes, belt, and dress.  I have no idea how much Julia's cost since she shopped on Rodeo Drive!!

Enjoy your Sunday!!

Sunday Style - Vintage Refashioned

I picked up this dress at the end of last summer at my local Salvation Army Family Thrift Store.  I had looked at this dress before, but didn't want to pay the $8.99 price, so I decided to wait to see if it was still available on a sale day.  I was thrilled it was waiting for me and 1/2 price.

I was drawn to the dress because of the beautiful watercolor print.  The sleeves and shoulder pads made the dress look dated, so I thought a re-fashion of the sleeves would freshen up the dress.  My mom was willing to help me take out the sleeves and give this beautiful dress a whole new look.  I also swapped out the crazy brass button, for a simple pearl button.

I paired the dress with a pair of thrifted heels and a spring yellow belt.  Total cost of my outfit from head to toe is around $10.

When I originally wanted to re-fashion the dress, I thought about just cutting off the bodice and making the dress into a maxi skirt.  I am glad I didn't!!  

Here's another fun way I wore this dress - almost looks like it's a maxi skirt!!  I paired my dress with my JCrew chambray, Born sandals, and Old Navy purse.  This look from head to toe cost around $15.

Have a wonderful Sunday!!

Mixing It Up

One of the trends, that I have kind of shied away from is print mixing.  I have attempted it before and it just never quite looked right, so I would change my outfit before heading out the door.  Then I finally found a combo,  I couldn't wait to try!! I wear lots of stripes and polka dots, so I decided that mixing the two patterns together would be a great place to start!!

I follow a few fashion blogs, and Jessica at WhatIWore is one of my favorites.  Her style is just classic!!  She mixes prints so effortlessly!!  I added a few more items inspired by Jessica to my clothing wish list!!

Last month, I picked up this amazing J Crew blouse at my Salvation Army Family Thrift Store.  The best part was it was new with tags and retails for $49.50!!  I've mentioned my love for J Crew before and this top is 100% classic J Crew.

I added my favorite vintage polka dot skirt, Born sandals, belt, beaded necklace, and my gorgeous fisherman's basket purse.  All of my clothing items are second hand finds!!

Total cost of my outfit was $18!  I think I'll be wearing this outfit several times this summer!!

Be Thrifty!!

Sunday Style - A Little Mad Men

I love a good vintage dress.  There is just something about finding a treasure from the past that is still  is amazing shape and super on-trend!!

I picked up this dress from my local Salvation Army Thrift Store for $5.99.  You can check out my other fabulous finds at fashionkc.  As I was looking through the dresses, this gorgeous print popped out at me!!  I pulled it out and I was instantly in love.  I didn't even try it on, I just knew I was taking it home.  Someone hand made this beauty!!  Last summer, I found a dress made from this same pattern, so I was confident in not trying it on.

On one of the blogs I follow, Thrift and Shout, Lindsay featured a fun way to mix prints and I thought I would take a big step out of my box and give it a whirl.

I paired my dress with a fun vintage scarf from my grandma's collection.  I hadn't been bold enough yet to wear it and Lindsay's blog really inspired me to go for it!!

    

I also added a pair of my grandma's rhinestone earrings and my vintage sandals to complete the look!!  I love, love, love this combination  and can't wait to try mixing patterns more this summer!!

This whole outfit came in a mere $10.98!!  I think that price sounds like what I would have paid for this outfit back in the day!!

Enjoy your Sunday!!

Sunday Style - A Bold Print

I'm getting more daring with my style choices as I age!!  When I'm spending less than $5 for each piece of my wardrobe - why not take a chance!!

This skirt was one of those bold choices!! This winter, I picked it up at my local Salvation Army for just $3.99.  I had to wait a few months to finally wear it, but it was worth the wait.  

I paired the skirt with a simple J Crew chambray  and vintage leather heels also from Salvation Army.    The heels are just soooo fun.  I'm always on the hunt for vintage shoes, but I rarely find them in my size!!  These Italian leather heels were steal at just $4.99.

I also added one of my favorite necklaces and bracelets, gifts from friends.

My outfit total is just $12!!!

Enjoy your Sunday!!

Nikki

Sunday Style - I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty

This outfit makes me feel girly!!  I love the design of the daffodils, they almost seem real, only on a jumbo-tron!

I picked up the skirt at Goodwill a few weeks ago.  I had been looking for a midi length floral skirt and this one was perfect.  It's a tad big around the waist, hence the belt!!

I told my photographer, my son Jonathon, that I was going to attempt to twirl.  It's a lot harder in heels while trying to get the perfect shot!!  Here's what we got!!

To complete my outfit, I added my faithful Talbots beaded sweater, black belt, and heels.  My entire outfit is second hand and came in at under $10.

Be Thrifty and Enjoy Your Sunday!!

And Away We Go. . . .

I've toyed with the idea of writing a blog for a little over a year now.  I've always been a planner.  I like to have things all figured out.  I like to know what I'm getting myself into. So for a year now, I've been researching, planning, following blogs, and pinning away on Pinterest, trying to figure out the blogging world.

I've been struggling to figure out my niche - what's going to set me apart from all the blogs out there, but I've concluded I don't really have a niche. I don't have one or two things I want my blog to focus on.  I love too many things - I love crafting, thrifting, God, movies, fashion, scrapbooking, books, repurposing, food, travel, fitness, entertaining, and photography.  I might think that is a lengthy list, but I could have added several other items!!

I want my blog to be a way to express myself.  I love creating, whether it with paper, photos, or fashion.  Being able to create energizes me.  I have finally figured out that when I'm not able to be creative in some form, I start to shut down.  It's time for me to just be me!!

I chose the name A Pocket Full of Violets for a few reasons.  1- I love violets - they are my favorite flower (thanks Anne of Green Gables!!).  2 - If we are blessed with another daughter, I want to name her Violet.  3 - I also have tons of ideas I want to share with you - my pockets are filled to the brim :).  4 - Just like a pocket full of lovely little violets always makes me smile, I hope that this blog will bring a smile to your face as well.