Everything's Coming Up Roses

This weekend I went to the Thomasville Rose Show & Festival in Thomasville, Georgia.  This was the inspiration I needed to transform a dress that arrived magically on my doorstep a few weeks ago.

The lovely Gracey of Fashion for Giants sent me a box of fabulous clothing including this rose print dress.  The print is very pretty.  Unfortunately there was something slightly off about the styling of the dress.  It had puffy sleeves of an awkward length and a v-neck didn't hit at the right place.

Of course I started by removing the sleeves at the seams.  Next I adjusted the neck and slightly gathered the shoulders.

 

Here is the final result!  Now I love the dress.  Thank you, Gracey!

 

I added a belt and cardigan (both thrifted), sandals (Younkers), earrings (etsy), and a necklace that I've had since I was a little girl.

 

The dress was a hit with the ladies I traveled with to the festival, and a new lady-like addition to my wardrobe.

Fact vs Theory

I was planning on wearing this purple vintage shirt dress today, but it just didn't work.  It is too big.  It feels like a tent.  I really like it, but I don't think I want to do enough work to alter it.

 

Instead I switched to this purple faux-wrap dress.  It has extremely long ties that wrap around and around at the waist.

 

Dress, thrifted; camisole, Walmart; earrings, purchased in Las Vegas; necklace, etsy; shoes, Payless Shoes.

Sometimes it's better to wear something you like in fact than something you love in theory.

Scruffy

I think I've reached the end of my blue dresses, and just getting this one posted is a priority.  I ended up looking a bit scruffy, but sometimes that can't be helped.

Jacket, Old Navy; dress, Walmart; belt, thrifted; shoes, Payless Shoes; earrings and necklace, made by Chenille.

 

Multi-Purpose

Do you like my silky shrug?  It's a large square scarf tied at the corners.

 

Scarf, Younkers; dress, thrifted; earrings, I don't remember; necklace, purchased in Cozumel, bracelet, handmade and gifted (thank you, Angie!); shoes, Payless Shoes.

 

My square scarves are under-utilized, and this technique will allow me to wear them more often.  I may even sew some of them on the sides to make them more stable shrugs.

 

Amazing

I was told I look amazing in this outfit.  Amazing is good enough for me.

 

Shrug, Younkers, dress, eshakti.com; shoes, Rack Room Shoes; pearl necklace, Fire Mountain Gems (?); earrings, etsy.

 

I wanted two strands of pearls, but this necklace isn't long enough to double, but I fixed that by threading through a second  chain-style necklace.  This way the visible part of the necklace was white and green pearls.

 

Doubly Eco-Friendly

Happy Earth Day!  To celebrate, today's outfit is both ecologically and economically friendly.  All together the outfit cost under $10 (minus the pendant because that was a gift from Stephen), and most of it is either second-hand or recycled.

 

The dress is another $1 Mercy Ministries find.  The shrug is a hand-me-down from my friend Nancy.  The pendant is made from a butterfly wing (after the butterfly died of natural causes).  The beads of the bracelet are recycled from strips of paper.  The shoes were just $6 at Christmas Tree Shops, and the earrings were handmade by me.

 

 

Mercy Me

If you live in the Augusta area and you like a deal, you need to know about Mercy Ministries Thrift Shop.  The thrift shop is run by Mercy Ministries, and money raised goes to support many services in the community.  Mercy Ministiries provides services to the homeless and under housed (usually no utilities) and low income individuals and families.  The store has over 50,000 square feet of thrifting heaven with furniture, housewares, clothes, and even craft supplies.  Clothes are just $1.  The store might be overwhelming for the thrifting novice.  You may have to do a little digging to find the best treasures, but it is fun and worth it.

 

Dress, thrifted; necklace, gifted; earrings and bracelet, ebay; shoes, Christmas Tree Shops.

 

Yesterday I was in need of a little retail therapy, so my mom and I headed down to the thrift shop.  I went a little crazy, but I found some really beautiful dresses, storage canisters, and a pretty flower pot.  

 

Can you believe this Ann Taylor dress was only $1?  I think it will become a staple of my summer wardrobe.  I added my pelican earrings and bracelets and leopard espadrilles.     

 

Good clothes at a good price for a good cause?  I'll be visiting Mercy Ministries Thrift Shop again soon.

Power Dress

Today I needed to feel powerful.  I had a big meeting this afternoon and for once leopard print wasn't the route I wanted to take.  Instead of animal, I chose a cyan dress, turquoise jewelry, and red shoes, belt, lips, and nails.

 

Dress, thrifted; belt, thrifted; shoes, Payless Shoes; necklace, bracelet, and earrings, handmade by me.

 

This silk dress came with a long matching jacket.  The dress lining is gorgeous... so much so I've wondered if I could make it reversible.  For today the bold cyan and pops of red gave me just the power I needed.

 

Have you seen the recent BBC series Sherlock?  It's available on both Amazon Prime and Netflix.  The Irene Adler character in the series has a power dress of her own.  Mine is much more appropriate for business meetings.