Thrifted Style - The Blanket Cape

Tribal prints are everywhere right now.  They have been popular for all for seasons - bright bold  pants and skirts, sweaters, and vibrant tops.  I have had a tribal printed sweater on my clothing wish list for awhile and I was stoked when I saw this blanket cape that was just be hung on the racks at my local Salvation Army Family Thrift Store!!

I quickly snatched it up and continued shopping.  Before I decide I check out, I always go through what I have picked up and either try the items on or examine each piece for holes and stains.  Once I got this cape home, I then had to decide how I should wear this thing.

I'm not a big belt person.  I try, but most of the time I take it off before I go out the door.  I think part of it is because I'm long waisted and so I think a belt throws of my body proportions.  Another reason is that nothing stays tucked in for me.  Shirts usually tend to be a bit short on me and pants tend to set lower on me, therefore the top half never meets the bottom half right!!

I first tried belting the entire cape - bad idea!!  The cape is much too full to be belted.  Then I tried belting the back half of the cape.  My wide black belt was exposed on the back half of the cape and then I ran the belt on the inside past the sleeves.  Still too bulky for my liking.  Then I tried belting around front half of the cape and running the belt on the inside of the cape in back past the sleeves.  Perfection!!

I also played with what to wear on the bottom half.  I first tried on black leggings and boots.  Figured out I'm so not that person.  I may try it again with leggings and ballet flats in the spring.  Then again, maybe not.  I went with my basic skinny jeans and short brown boots.  I could also where this with tall black or brown boots as well.

I attended a conference this weekend and this cape was a perfect layer for the fluctuating temperatures.  I wrapped myself up pretty tight at one point!!  

My final accessory is this gorgeous necklace that I picked up at World Market this year.  It is from BelJoyHaiti.

Friday Finds

I got away for a couple of hours last week and hit one of my favorite thrift stores, Family Thrift Store and hit the jackpot for Hope.  I did snag a couple of items for me as well.  Family's prices are amazing!!  They never have sales, but who needs a sale, when items are this cheap!!

Chicos T-shirt

$1.98

Kenar Tunic

love the length and polka dots on this one

$2.98

NWT Dress from Ross

this will be perfect for Christmas next year

$2.98

Arizona T-shirt

.99

Old Navy T-shirt

.99

Old Navy Thermal T-shirt (matches Gymboree skirt)

.99

Old Navy fleece set

$1.98 for set

 Old Navy fleece

.99

 Old Navy sweatshirt tunic

love the heart pocket detail on this one

.99

Old Navy sweater (matches Gymboree skirt as well)

.99

Cherokee Gold Cardigan

.99

Gymboree Skirt

I love when I am able to find items that match or coordinate.  Makes it easier to dress little girl!!

.99

 Gymboree Gingham Tunic

.99

 Old Navy Peplum Tunic

.99

Old Navy Fleece

.99

Any favorites??

Thrifted Style - Bold Layers

I picked up this gorgeous sweater at my local Salvation Army for just $2.99.  It is so soft and luxurious!!  It is from Gap and I'm sure retailed for more than $40!!  It may not look like much on the hanger, but it is AMAZING!!  I was drawn to the bright color and it has a high low hemline.

I paired my sweater with a pair of thrifted Gap skinny jeans, my Rahab's Rope necklace, an Eddie Bauer tweed peacoat, and a pair of ankle boots I picked up at Burlington Coat Factory this fall.

One of the items on my clothing wish list for the fall was a pair of comfortable brown leather ankle boots that I wear with jeans, skinnies, and slacks.  I started researching possible options online and just couldn't find anything that was in the price range I wanted.  I even checked out Ebay to see if I could snag gently used pair, but no luck!!!  This pair is from Earth Origins and they are sooooooo comfortable!!   My mom and I decided to check a new Burlington Coat Factory that just opened up close to us and happened upon these beauties for less than $30!!

My tweed coat is a $5 garage sale find that is a perfect winter classic.  When I only spend $5 on a winter coat I don't mind getting a different one every few years when I get tired of the current one.  I tend to rotate items out of my closet after just a few seasons and one of the reasons I shop second hand is that I don't feel bad getting rid of clothing that I haven't spend much money on!!

I've said it before, but this necklace from Rahab's Rope goes with everything!!  I've worn it with so many items and it's usually my go to necklace because of all the amazing colors in it!!  You can see how I've worn it here and here!!

Happy Thrifting!!

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!!

Thrifted Syle - Classic Fall

This outfit screams autumn to me!!  I could wear this outfit so many places - church, shopping, to the pumpkin patch, or on a date. I love this classic look.

Every item I am wearing is thrifted!  My boots were brand new from Salvation Army!!   My chambray tunic and mustard skinnies are also from Salvation Army.  My cardigan is from a garage sale and my best friend picked up my fun chicken bag!!  My necklace is from Rahab's Rope and my earrings are from Nickel and Suede.

I think next time I wear this outfit, I will roll my pant legs a couple of times to see if I like it any better.  Since I'm tall, the length of my pants are usually an issue for me. I've worn these pants with sandals and tucked them into tall boots, but never like this.

Tell me what you think of the length of my pants in comparison to the shaft of my boot.

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Thrifted Style - Hello 40!!

I wanted to wear something fun at my 40th birthday party and I was beyond thrilled when I stumbled upon this gorgeous vintage dress, while helping some friends shop at my local Salvation Army Store.

This dress is SO me!!  It's black and white, it's vintage, and it has polka dots,  stripes, and butterflies!!  I was in LOVE!!  It also fit perfectly!!  I think it was made for me!!

When I got it home, I noticed some staining on the skirt and I decided to soak the dress over night to see if I could get the stains out.  When I woke up the next morning, I was mortified to see that the black from the bodice had now bled all over the skirt.  I was sick to my stomach.  I tried a few of my laundry tricks and nothing worked.  I let it air dry and then I got on Pinterest to see if anyone had an ideas.  I found a few options - color safe bleach and Carbona Color Run Remover.

The Carbona Color Run Remover (around $3) was absolutely amazing.  I followed the directions and within minutes, my water was black, but not my dress!!  I did a happy dance!!  I decided that the former owner had dyed a strapless bra and then sewed it into the bodice of the dress  and I didn't take into account all the dye that was not rinsed out properly.

My friend, Jenelle rocked out my hair, makeup, and nails.  I felt like a million bucks in my $5.99 dress.  I added a pair of  $3.99 shoes, and $1.99 purse!!  A total of 11.97!!

I will be wearing this dress for years to come and think fondly about the first night I wore it!!

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!!

Sunday Style - The Perfect Shade of Blue

I picked up this top for $3.99 on one of my recent thrifting hauls.  I love the color of blue - it reminds me of a peacock.  I'm quite fond of peacocks!!  Now that I see the pictures, I should have totally worn my peacock necklace, it would have matched perfectly!!

I wish I were a better model. I'm not good at posing and when your thirteen year old son is the one taking the photos, there isn't much coaching going on.  I'm not courageous enough to try new poses and then when I do, I look silly.  I don't like how this blouse photographed.  It's sticking out in weird places and that's hard to see that when you are looking through the previews.  It's not until you start editing photos on your computer, that you see all the  flaws.

I paired this amazing blouse with a simple Ann Taylor black pencil skirt I found at Salvation Army, a Chicos bangle thrifted by my mom, and pair of Chaps heels that I found on clearance from Kohls.

The total for this outfit is around $25.

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!!