Sunday, July 31

Chop Chop Chop [Goodwill Haul + DIY]

I found a few new things to tweak at Goodwill:


It's a little hard to tell, but the dress in the middle is entirely lace.

All three pretty much just need a little length alteration. In fact, I've already finished refashioning the first one!

I took the excess fabric and made a bow. Simple as that.

Shirt: H&M ($8)
Skirt: thrifted DIY ($3.50)
Shoes: thrifted ($2.50)
Necklace: DIY


Friday, July 29

A Dash of Abstract

Finally back! I found this little gem on my trip, in an adorable consignment boutique:


I was hesitant to pay the $24 price tag but my gut feeling told me it was worth it. Which is why I was relieved when I made this little discovery upon returning home:

Image credit to anthropologie.com
Evidently this is the Chroma Mosaic Shift dress from Anthropologie, sold in stores earlier this year. Originally retailed $138. The $24 price tag no longer seems so bad. :)


Sunday, July 24

Be Right Back...Again.

Sorry friends, going out of town again! Meanwhile I'll leave you with this pretty little picture I took on my last trip...


Oh how I love Disney World. If for some reason you have plane tickets to Florida just lying around, please send them to me. I'd go back in a heartbeat. :)

Friday, July 22

Pretty in Pink (sort of?)

I somehow got it into my head that this dress was coral, but the more I look at it, the more it looks like pink...thus the title of this post.

This was my best DIY ever. I hope that means I'm getting better at this sewing thing...


Click image for larger resolution
Quick summary of the process: I took a dress I already had to give me an idea of how much I'd have to sew it in (image A). I sewed the sides in (image B), and also sewed it in at four other spots, two in the back and two in front (not shown). Then I sewed a hem for the skirt and cut off the excess, leaving a few inches (image C). I hemmed that cut to make a double hem, because I thought that would be cute (image E). With the extra material I cut out cap sleeves (image F), and sewed those on (image G). With the material left over after that, I cut two strips (image H), folded them each in half, sewed along the length, and turned them inside out to make a waist tie (image I). All done!

Initially I wanted to attach the waist tie directly to the front of the dress (it's only pinned on in the photo above), but 1) I ran out of coral thread, so I had to stop, and 2) I realized the dress would look cute with a variety of belts (such as the one below). So I plan on just making two belt loops with the little bit of material I have left in order to accommodate both!


And of course, I wouldn't end this post without telling you the cost of this project: $4

Thank you, Goodwill, for your endless supply of large frumpy dresses.

P.S.- It has pockets!

Monday, July 18

Zzzzzz

I slept 12 hours today, oh goodness. The trip was fantastic, but definitely wore me out. I'm back home now, and here's an ensemble from last week that I didn't get around to posting before my trip.


Top: American Eagle ($6.50ish?)
Skirt: French Connection, thrifted ($3.50)
Belt: thrifted ($1)
Shoes: Rack Room ($15)
Bag: thrifted ($2)

Tuesday, July 12

Hello Yellow!

Today is yellow day over at Everybody Everywear! I'm also about to leave on a plane for the happiest place on Earth, so I'll be back in a couple of days...meanwhile, I leave you with this rather sunny outfit while I go somewhere equally sunny and hang out with Mickey Mouse for a while. :)


Top: Charlotte Russe ($7?)
Vest: thrifted ($3.50)
Shorts: Banana Republic, thrifted ($3)
Bows: DIY (free!)
Shoes: Charlotte Russe ($15)
Headband: Charlotte Russe ($1)
Purse: Target ($15)

The purse is a new purchase. I've been wanting to buy a new (larger) bag for quite a while, finally found one I liked. Just in time to serve as my carry-on on the flight.

See you in a few!

Monday, July 11

Flowers and Butterflies

I went on a little wilderness adventure yesterday to do a real outfit shoot for once! And to have a little fun in the sun.





Top: thrifted ($3.50)
Open Front Top: thrifted ($3.50)
Shorts: J. Crew, thrifted ($3)
Scarf: DIY (free!)
Shoes: Target ($15)
Bag: thrifted ($2)
Sunglasses: H&M ($3)

Saturday, July 9

The Happy Skirt


 Top: Old Navy ($5)
Skirt: thrifted ($3.50)
Belt: DIY (free)
Shoes: Rack Room ($15)

I love spinny skirts. That's all I have to say.

Tuesday, July 5

Thrifting Haul (Part 2!)

If you recall, I went on a thrifting trip on Saturday, and I purchased three pencil skirts at the local thrift store for $3.15. Then I went to Goodwill...please don't judge.

Click for larger image
a. Ruffled blue circle skirt ($3.50)
b. Pink pinstriped jacket by Frenchi ($3.50)
c. Blue mix patterned skirt, by Gap ($3.50)
d. Blue brocade textured pencil skirt ($3.50)
e. Striped linen dress, by Delia's ($4)
f. Lace crop top, by Charlotte Russe ($3.50)
g. Chiffon tiered ruffle tank ($3.50)
h. Merino wool dress with lace inset 3/4 sleeves, by Loft ($4)
i. Floral skirt, by French Connection ($3.50)

Items D and E are a little big, I intend to alter them. Item B is a little small for me...purchased for someone else.

I found item G in the adult section, but it's sort of teeny...it either shrunk or it was never supposed to be in the adult section to begin with. I bought that for my sister.

I also got one more thing...


I've always wanted to get a dress that's way too big for me from Goodwill...just for the challenge of cutting it up and refashioning. With something so big and so ridiculous, I'll have plenty of fabric to work with and nothing to miss if I mess it up. :)

We'll see what happens!

Color Brigade

Okay, admittedly, this is not the outfit I'm going to wear today. I work in a lab and let me tell you, heels and a pencil skirt don't constitute proper attire in a research setting.

However, I figured since today is color brigade Tuesday, I'd make a quick outfit with my lovely new J.Crew skirt to post. It just so happens that the J. Crew skirt looks good with the J. Crew lookalike tank. Figures, right?

So here's my very J. Crew outfit. For a fraction of the J. Crew price.

Tank: Old Navy refashion, here ($2)
Belt: thrifted ($1)
Skirt: J. Crew, thrifted ($1.05)
Shoes: Joey ($16)

I also look like a hunchback and didn't do anything to my hair or my face. It's morning. I'm still tired.

BUT. If you somehow can look past all that, and you like this outfit, please go over to Color Brigade, find my outfit in the entries, and click the  "Like" button! I'd love you forever if you did! :) 

Sunday, July 3

My First Ever Bag Sale!

Yesterday I had some free time on my hands and I realized that my local thrift store was having a bag sale. I decided to check it out, not expecting to find much because I've never had much luck there. My expectations were a little off. Here's what I got:




The first one is a grey skirt from the Loft. The second one is a navy blue houndstooth pencil skirt. The third one happens to be a J. Crew Double Serge Wool Skirt in Ochre. :)

I've been wanting a Double Serge ever since I started reading fashion blogs...this skirt seems to be the staple for so many bloggers. But it retails for about $90 and I'd never pay that price. Want to hear how much I got it for?

Both the Loft and J. Crew skirts were included in the bag sale, even though they were priced at $18 at the thrift store. Ironically, the other skirt, priced at $5, wasn't included. The lady at the counter decided to be super nice and include the $5 skirt in the promotion, and instead of charging me $4 for the bag, she only charged me $3.15. So the final cost: $1.05 per skirt.

You have no idea how I excited I am right now.

Saturday, July 2

A Long Overdue Refashion

I purchased this brand new chambray dress from Goodwill for $4 a few months ago...and yesterday I finally mustered up enough motivation to alter it.

Dress: thrifted, $4
Shoes: Rack Room, $15

I shortened the dress by about 5 inches and used the excess fabric to make a waist tie, because I didn't like the wiry, tasseled one that came with it.

This took less than an hour. Yet it took me 4 months to get around to it...what does that say about my time management skills? Hmm.