This Much

You can probably tell by my smile how much I like this outfit, but, in case you can't, the second photo will tell you I like it **this** much.  I.  Love.  It.

Ruana, not tagged, Goodwill; lace tank, Blue Asphalt, thrifted; belt, gifted (thanks, Kristin!); faux leather leggings, Faded Glory, Walmart; shoes, Relativity, Younkers; earrings, Target.

I've been wanting a ruana since I started seeing them in stores last fall, but I held off because of price.  I spotted this one at Goodwill last weekend, and I knew the wait was worth it.I love that I have the kind of workplace where I can wear coated leggings to work.

I belted only the front part of the ruana with a belt my friend Kristin gave me.  Belting only one side left the outfit flow-y but also secure.  I want to make another half dozen garments like this so I can wear this outfit in a variety of seasons.

Goal for next week: wear a different pair of glasses!  I love this pair from Zenni Optical, but I have so many others to wear!

New to Me: Swapped and Shopped

I can't say enough great things about the Clothing Swap I attended on Sunday.  It was so much fun, and it was a great opportunity to try some new styles and share fun items that were just collecting dust in my closet.  I highly recommend reading Sally's post about organizing a swap of your own.

Sally was nice enough to share some of her photos from the evening.

What get together is complete without wine finger foods?  I was thrilled to meet these charming ladies and share the home-brewed beer I brought to the party.







Sally designs clothing, so she has lots of racks to display the clothes to be swapped.  It was very well organized.

 The "shopping" experience was chaotic but fun.  I can't get over how nice everyone was.

I feel like the event was a win just because I got rid of three bags of unwanted clothes from my closet.  The great finds I took home with me were just a bonus.








In addition to the blue polka dot dress I wore Monday, I found two more dresses and two tops at the swap.  It's easy to try new things when the investment cost is so low.

The pattern on this dress
reminds me of owls' eyes.

Not too much of a sartorial
stretch, but I like what I like.

With mesh and embroidery,
this should be fun to style.

I've been wanting a lace top
for layering.  This one is lovely.

I also made a quick and highly unnecessary stop at Goodwill this week, and I found a few more gems there.

This dress feels effortlessly
cool and I love the true green color.

The ivory lace is very
classic and romantic.

This navy and white zebra print
denim skirt is handmade.

If the question is: lobster print skirt?
The answer is Yes!

This is why I prefer thrifting to shopping at regular stores.  The finds are just out of this world!  I'm excitedly plotting my fall and winter wardrobe, and thrifting makes it inexpensive to fill in any gaps I may find.

Summer Loving

I think my uniform this summer will be the printed shift dress.  I love the warm colors in the print and the beaded neck line of this one.  Of course Goodwill is my number one source for these dresses, including this one.

 

Shrug, Dillards; dress, thrifted; belt, Walmart; sandals, Born, Younkers; earrings, etsy; necklace, etsy.

Rust & Sky

I struggled with a title for this post, but here's my rationale for why it ended up what it is: The shirt dress is rust colored.  The turquoise in my necklace, earrings and toe nail polish are kind of sky colored.  Owls (necklace and earrings) and arrows (belt) are things you might find in the sky.  

 

This is another outfit that wasn't planned in advance but is very pleasing to me.  The whole outfit today started with the belt.  It is from Goodwill.  (Goodwill may be the best place to shop for belts.)  I paired the shirt dress with the printed jersey dress, added the belt, and coordinated the earrings with the turquoise-y green-y color in the belt.

 

Shirt dress, Miss Tina, Walmart; jersey dress, En Focus Studio, TJ Maxx ; belt, thrifted; sandals, Bare Traps, Younkers; necklace and earrings, thrifted; bracelet, gifted (thanks Mom!).  

 

 

In other exciting news, I found the most amazing shoes at Target last night.  I am saving them for my Friday night outfit.  I'm having a girls' night at a local production of Avenue Q.  If you haven't seen or heard of Avenue Q, it is like Sesame Street for grown ups.  It is crude, irreverent, and hilarious.  I highly recommend it.

It's a Shoe In

Ok, so I know the expression is actually "shoo-in," but this is a post about shoes.  Actually, it's a post about a sweater with a shoe print.

 

I'm a bit of a shoe fiend, in case you didn't know.  My shoe closet (shoetopia) is a embarrassing monument to conspicuous consumption.  When I saw this sweater at Goodwill (another from my excursion with Chenille), I knew it was meant to be mine.  It is a silk and cotton blend, so it has a decadent softness.

 

Sweater, City Silk, thrifted; skirt, George, Walmart; shoes, 5th Avenue, Rack Room Shoes; belt, thrifted; necklace, thrifted.

Close-up of sweater and necklace.

 I took my photos outside at lunch today.  Noon sun is really not the ideal photographic lighting, but wow is it a beautiful day.

Today is Thursday, and Thursdays are for Thrifters!

Jersey Girl

This is yesterday's outfit.  It was a comfy, comfy outfit.

Have you caught on that the primary goal of my outfit choices this week has been comfort?  I almost wore pants again yesterday, and usually the reason I wear pants is because I'm feeling exhausted and/or lazy.  Luckily I remembered this dress just in time.  It's another Goodwill find (from an excursion with the fabulous Chenille), and it is the perfect combination of feels like a giant t-shirt/bath robe and looks like I give a damn.   I really love jersey material dresses for that reason.  All the reward without the effort.

 

Dress, Newport News, thrifted; shoes, Predictions, Payless Shoes; earrings, World's Window; necklace, handmade by me.

I didn't try to take photos until the end of the day, and by then I didn't have much patience to try.  These were the only two that came even close to turning out, and right after taking them I changed into my grubby clothes to help my mom work on her house.  We're making progress!

Roll Up Your Sleeves

Yay! My mom made it to Georgia safely and ahead of schedule!  She arrived around midnight last night, after driving straight through from Iowa (about 18 hours of drive time).  That means that today is my last day of work for this week.  I am taking a couple days off to spend time with her and unwind after the crazy, nonstop work I've been doing for the past month or so.

 

This is what I'm wearing for one last crazy day of work before the long weekend.  I have so much that needs to be done before I go.  I've been pretty casual so far this week, so I'm continuing along that vein.

Dog hair: the perfect accessory to any outfit.

Shirt, Liz Claiborne, thrifted; tank, Maurices; slacks, Star City, Younkers; shoes, American Eagle, Payless Shoes; earrings and necklace, handmade by me.

I still love the necklace and earrings.  They are definitely some of my favorite handmade pieces in a while.

On my to do list with my mom this week/weekend:

• Goodwill
• Garage sales
• Farmer's market
• Crafting
• Maybe a bit of theater

Everything's Coming Up Roses

This dress is a perfect example of why I unashamedly shop at Goodwill.  I like a lot of what it has going on including the colors, pattern and flow.  I'm not crazy about the length, so you can anticipate some hemming in the future.

Dress, vintage, thrifted; belt, thrifted; shoes, Dexter, Payless Shoes; earrings, So & So, etsy; necklace, handmade by me.

 

The dress is greener than it looks in the photos.  It is closer to the color of the belt.  

Today is Visible Monday, so check out all the loveliness at Not Dead Yet Style.

Out of Left Field

Can you guess why I titled this post the way I did?

 

I feel casual, comfortable and, dare I say, chic.  Both shirts are Goodwill finds from Saturday.  I was just wearing the striped sweater initially, but it was far too boring by itself.  Today feels like the stereotypical Monday, so it was all I could do to dress myself.  I feel like I deserve extra credit for mixing three patterns in there (sweater, shirt, shoes).

Love these shirts.

Striped sweater, SweaterWorks, thrifted; floral button down, Liz Wear, thrifted; black slacks, Larry Levine, Younkers; flats, Dexter, Payless Shoes; necklace, handmade by me; earrings, I don't remember.

My affirmation of the day from Louise Hay's The Present Moment: 365 Daily Affirmations is: Everything I touch is a success.  I draw prosperity of every kind to me.


I parted my hair on the left side today.  Mixing things up...


Lots of thrifted finds this week, so lots of posts on Thursdays are for Thrifters.