Thrifted Thursday- Persistance Pays Off

Since I live in Mexico most of the year, I do not have a lot of time to go thrifting, so I have taken full advantage of my time here in the States! I wanted to share with you the incredible deals I recently found at the Salvation Army.

I don't know if you remember from an earlier post, but I mentioned that you never know what you will find at the thrift store because many of them put new items out daily. Well, this was the case with my mom and me yesterday! My mom had stopped by the thrift store on her way home from a doctor's appointment in the morning and had found nothing. Later in the afternoon, we went shopping to find her a mother-of-the-groom dress for my brother's wedding that is coming up! On the way home, we decided to stop at the same thrift store (it was on the way). The following are the AWESOME finds that I scored! :)

*First: Casual Corner skirt: $0.62
I am not sure if there are still Casual Corner stores or not, but their clothes were very well made and classic in style! I was super excited when I found this cute black skirt! Some great details of this skirt are that it will not need to be ironed and is made of breathable material! Both are awesome qualities considering that I do not have much time to iron and Guadalajara is hot! :) Just a side note, this skirt had a blue tag which was 75% off!


*Second: cute bead necklace $0.74
I just thought this was a cute necklace...and was happy to find that it also had a blue tag!! So I got a cute versatile piece for under $1.00!!!


*Third: Umberto Raffini sandals $4.50
I have to admit that I almost passed this great buy up! I cringe at paying over $4.00 for shoes at a thrift store even when they look brand new like these. But I have been wanting some shoes this color, so I gave in to my desires and bought them! So imagine my surprise when I got home and did some research on the Raffini brand. I found the exact same sandals on this site http://www.thewalkingcompany.com/bella-umberto-raffini for $50 which is half price of their original $100 price! Let's just say I was pretty excited about this cool buy I scored!!

So my advice for the day is this: shop often, you never know what awesome things you wil find!

Happy thrifting!

                                                                                             -M

Party Time

Who: M

When: 8/19/12

Where: Church and birthday party

What: *Dress-gift *Pink shoes-GAP, thrifted, $4 *Necklace-gift *Rings-Premier jewelry *Pink flower headband-Charming Charlies, $1

Sundays are one of my favorite days!! I love going to God's house to spend time learning and fellowshipping. Another favorite of mine is classy clothes that are also comfortable! This dress is the best of both worlds. With it's fun colors and nice lines, this dress has a fun yet classic look. It is a polyester mix which means I don't have to iron it and it is super comfortable! Cannot forget about the cute shoes- every girl needs an awesome pair of pink shoes! 

My Fair Lady

Who: J

When: 8/25/12

Where: Elkhart County Fair, Goshen, IN

What: *Green tee- Old Navy, thrifted *White tank- Walmart *Brown skirt- thrifted *Scarf- Walmart *Cross-body bag- Beall's Outlet

Yep! I'm STILL showing pictures from my vacation over a month ago... I guess I've been in a little bit of a slump lately and haven't felt like taking outfit pics. M has been sending me some great ones, though, so keep an eye out for some really cool stuff from her!

The day I took these pics, we were spending the afternoon at the fair because it was kid's day (we took our niece) and because ALL the rides were only $1! Woo hoo!! I wanted to wear something kind of lightweight and fun... and something to soak up all the sweat that was pouring off of me... I know, that's not very lady-like, but it's what was happening! It was definitely a little warm and humid, but we had a great time. I even got to ride the Ferris Wheel with my love!

Thrifted Thursday- Tips of the Trade

J asked if I could write something up for this Thrifted Thursday episode...I tried to get out of it by saying that she is a better writer, well, you see how far that flattering got me! Here goes :)

I thought about featuring an item that I love that I bought while thrifting, but then I realized that almost EVERYTHING I own is thrifted...lol. Not quite everything, but...

SO... here are my tips:

1. Don't be ashamed to thrift! I have a friend whose husband refused to let her go to thrift stores...until he met me! Every time he would comment about something that I was wearing, I would say, "Yeah, it is such and such brand, and I got it at the thrift store for $2 (or some other ridiculousy low price!)." Finally he decided that it would be okay if she headed out with me! :)

2. Be critical! By this I mean examine your thrift store deals carefully. On more than one occasion I got something home only to realize that although it was X brand and only cost $1, it had an unrepairable hole or a stain that I had not noticed in the store. Something that my mom taught me was to look at the tag on the clothing. By this you can not only tell what brand it is, but also see how worn or well taken care of an item may be. If it has a tag that looks pretty faded or falling off, is a good way to determine that although it seems to be in good condition, this item has been worn A LOT! I only mention this because on occasion I have bought a "worn-out tag" item that looked good, but after one or two wears the hems were falling out or the seams. Just another way to ensure you are getting the best bang for your buck!

3. Shop around. Try out all the thrift stores! Many times thrift stores get new items daily, so you never know what you will find. A good thing to find out is when the store puts out its "new" items. Many have a certain day that they put out the "new" items, this will give you the biggest variety and best priced items! Also, find out when your thrift store has half off days or other clearance sales. I am terrible about how cheap I expect to get clothes from thrift stores, so I try to hit them on half off days, or only buy the "half-off color of the day tag." But being thrifty pays off! It is awesome when you can look in your closet and see J. Crew items purchased for $10 or GAP shoes for $6!

4. Last, but not least, have fun! Bring a friend along to laugh at all the unfashionable clothes you find, or the strange people you meet! Make it a girls day out, do lunch and make memories!

Happy Thrifting!
                                                                                            -M

Why Don't We Just Dance?

Who: J

When: 7/24/12

Where: Elkhart County Fair, Josh Turner concert

What: *Green tank- Walmart *Grey shirt- Merona, thrifted *Tan skirt- Cato's, shortened by me *Boots- Ariat *Earrings- gift from N

More pics from our Indiana trip! Yay! ;)

One of the really cool things about the Elkhart County Fair is that they bring in different acts, and the price of the show is included in your fair ticket. This year, the "big" act was Josh Turner. Of course, there's only so much room in the grandstand, so you have to sit there pretty much all day to reserve your seats and make sure you can get in... A BIG thank you, by the way to N's cousins who sat there and saved seats for all of us! I like Josh Turner because his music is more on the bluegrass side than most country music, and because he keeps his music pretty clean- he doesn't talk about drinking, or immorality, etc. Plus, his wife tours with him and plays the keyboard for him... how sweet is that? It was a great show and I'm glad we got the chance to go!

It was pretty humid and sticky this day, but I really really wanted to wear my boots. I had lugged them all the way from Texas, after all!! It turned out to not be too hot after the sun went down, so it wasn't too bad. Plus, I got to eat some BBQ rabbit... so, a good day all around! :)

A Little Pampering

Who: M
When: 8/13/12
Where: pedicure, lunch at Olive Garden, and a stroll through the mall
What: *Denim skirt-DKNY Jeans, thrifted, $7 *Black shirt-NY&C $7 *Yellow headband-(re-purposed as a scarf) gift *Sandals- Naturalizers, thrifted $2

Don't just LOVE it when you find a SUPER great deal on something at the thrift store? Well, I know I do! My problem this time around was that I found too many super good deals! Of course, I blame J! She kept finding all this great stuff and showing it to me! Actually, she was the one who found this great skirt! I was debating on whether or not to buy it, but I could not pass up this great DKNY skirt at such a good price since I REALLY needed a new denim skirt!

I wanted to add some color to this outfit, so I decided to try something new. I re-purposed a cloth headband as a scarf! I really liked how it looked. I have several of these headbands and do believe that I will be doing this again!

I really enjoyed spending time with J in El Paso! It is always great to get together with long-time friends! What could be more fun than getting pedicures and lunch at Olive Garden...two of my favorite things! All-in-all a SUPER fun day!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

Who: J

When: 7/23/12

Where: Silverhawks baseball game, South Bend, IN

What: *Purple D-backs shirt- gift *Denim skirt- Jessica London *Cross-body bag- Beall's Outlet *Hoop earrings- ?... maybe Walmart? *Flip flops- Walmart

I don't know if I've ever shared this on here, but I am a HUGE Arizona Diamondbacks fan!! I haven't followed them as closely the last few years, but there was a time when I knew who they were playing when, where they were in the standings, stats on the players, who was on the DL, etc. etc. etc. So it's always great to get to see a baseball game- especially when it's a Diamondbacks affiliated team. The South Bend Silverhawks are an A team for the Dbacks- Brandon Webb, Justin Upton, and Mark Reynolds all started out here!  I'm sure that all of the non-baseball fans out there are quickly losing interest, so I'll just say it was a lot of fun!

N and I, and our niece, wanted to wear Dbacks stuff to support the organization. I have a bunch of the new red and black Dbacks stuff (they changed their colors a few seasons back), but when I was packing, I was trying to stay with a blue, purple, and green color scheme, so I packed this purple shirt. It still shows my love for the team! ;)

Thrifted Thursday- Reunited and It Feels So Good

You may have read this in our last post, but M was here visiting me this past weekend. Yay for visits with good friends! We really did have a great time, and we did TONS of thrift shopping! I mean TONS! Over a 4 day period, we hit 6 thrift stores, and that was with taking one day off for church! We did go to a couple of "regular" stores, too, so that all totals up to a lot of shopping. Good times! :)

I thought I'd share some tips with you that I either learned from, or was reminded of by M. She's a thrifting expert!

1. To find the best stuff, be prepared to put in the time. Looking through things takes time! If there are certains types of clothes you're wanting to find (ours were mostly dresses, skirts, and shoes this time around), be willing to go item by item through the racks. Here in El Paso, it's a little faster to do this at Savers, which has things grouped by size, than Goodwill, which has things grouped by color. You never know what you might find buried between two hangers!

2. Know your brands. I'm always amazed at how M knows what store almost every item of clothing came from originally. It's not that we're brand snobs or anything even close, but it is helpful to know where it came from when you're deciding whether you want to buy something. For instance, it would be a little crazy, in my opinion, to pay the same, or even more, for an item for what you could have bought it for brand new on clearance at the store. We found some Old Navy tees at a thrift store for $7... you can buy brand new tees on clearance for less than that! What is doubly crazy is that the same store had a Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dress for $7! Unfortunately, it didn't fit either of us... So, it really helps to know what store carries what brands. I think M's expertise comes from years and years of "in the field research!" 

3. Try things on! While shopping, we both ended up with armfuls of clothes that we hauled to the dressing rooms... and then only ended up buying 4 or 5 things. What if we had just bought those things because they were cute on the hanger and got them home, only to find out they didn't fit, or didn't look right? Take the time to try things on!

4. Have fun! This tip actually comes from my poor, longsuffering husband. He was still on leave, so he got the "privilege" of going shopping with us a couple of times. I felt bad for him, but I soon found out that he could amuse himself... he kept bringing me the craziest shirts and jackets he could find and asking me what I thought. He was even able to find a Star Wars Nascar t-shirt... who knew those even existed? Thrift shopping (even for guys) should be a fun experience... if you're too tired or you're getting stressed, just stop! You can come back another day when you'll be able to enjoy the "thrill of the hunt."

M and I had a great time and I'm already looking forward to the next time we get to spend some time together- she needs to come back when she can spend more time!

Happy thrifting!

                                                                                                 -J

It's Easy Being Green

Who: J

When: 8/13/12

Where: Hanging out with M, getting pedicures, shopping

What: *Green tee- old Navy *Green skirt- maxi dress from Kmart, made into a skirt by me *Scarf- made by my mom *Shoes- Old Navy

Ok, so I have three things to tell you about this post... are you ready?

1. I aplogize for the squintiness in these pictures. This is partly due to the fact that it was brighter than I thought outside (it was overcast, so I wrongly assumed I wouldn't need my sunnies), and partly due to the fact that M was making me laugh... which brings me to my second point....

2. M was here visiting me!!! We did a really horrible job at taking pictures while she was here, but we had a great time thrift shopping (more on that on Thursday!), getting pedicures, getting (slightly) lost, being scolded by the gas attendant for washing the car's windshield, and eating (yay!). Lots of fun! 

3. Today, Everybody Everywear is wearing monochromatic outfits. Monochromatic, according to wikipedia, means "paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color." So, basically, an outfit in one color or shades of one color. Head on over there and check out everybody else's take on monochrome!

Thrifted Thursday- Accessories

Today, I'm going to talk about one of my favorite parts of thrifting- accessories!! If you've read our blog very much at all, you'll know that both M and I LOVE accessories- scarves, hats, jewelry, purses, shoes, and the list goes on and on! What we love even more than accessories is getting a great deal on accessories! Thrift stores can be great places to find some unique pieces without paying a ton of money.

Some things to keep in mind when shopping for accessories:
1. If you have time, be thorough! Sometimes a great little clutch or wallet is hiding behind a less desirable piece on the rack. Take your time to pick through everything!
2. Have an idea of how much you're willing to pay for different items. For example, I generally won't pay more than about $5 for a piece of jewelry at a thrift store unless I really, really love it. Of course, there will always be pieces that get you to bend your own rules a little... ;)
3. Have fun! Don't get discouraged if you don't find anything on every trip- shopping is its own reward (that's what I think, anyway!)

Here are some of the great accessories that M and I have found at thrift stores:

Happy thrifting!

                                                                                                               -J

County Fair

Who: J

When: 7/20/12

Where: Elkhart County Fair, Goshen, IN

What: *Plaid shirt- thrifted *Denim skirt- Jessica London *Belt- Walmart *Purse- Beall's Outlet *Flip flops- Walmart

I'm finally getting around to posting some of my vacation outfits! This was our first "official" vacation (non-traveling) day. In my husband's hometown, the county fair is a BIG deal- I mean BIG! We had a great time looking at all of the animals, eating delicious fried food, riding rides, and tons more. We ended up going more than one day, so I'll post some more of the stuff we did later.

I originally planned to wear a brown leather belt with this top, but decided this stretchy elastic one would work better for a day that I'd be walking around and moving a lot. Also, I'm very glad that I took this cross-body bag- it worked great for letting me keep my hands free.

I've included some pictures that N and I took around the fair so you can get a taste of the fun we had:

Buzzzz....

Who: J

When: 7/15/12

Where: Church

What: *Black tee- store at mall (I can't remember the name!) *Grey skirt- Jessica London, thrifted *Yellow sandals- Cato's *Belt- thrifted *Necklace- gift from store owner in Indiana *Vest- made from thrifted tee (read about it here)

My vacation is winding down, so I'm trying to get back into the swing of posting things. We've been in Arizona this past weekend picking up our animals from my parents' house and enjoying visiting with some of my nieces and nephews. Fun times!

I don't usually wear a lot of yellow, but I was singing a special with one of my friends at church, and we decided to wear yellow and black and white. Since I didn't really have a lot of yellow clothes, I ran to Goodwill and got this tee shirt for $2... pretty good deal, I think! And I don't look THAT much like a bumblebee... ;)