MI Thrift Score

Long time no post!!! I've missed blogging and sewing lately...but I seem to have lost my sewing mojo, temporarily, I hope. So, I figured I'd share the awesome pieces I picked up while in Michigan last weekend for a bachelorette bonanza...two brides-to-be, a group of besties, and even a bit of family time thrown in. That's where the thrifting comes into play. I got to spend some time thrifting with my sister, and we found some pretty awesome things! She's been on a bit of a weight-loss journey and in desperate need of clothes that fit, while I had recently done some purging in my closet and have 8 bags of clothing, shoes and accessories to donate to the Veterans of America tomorrow morning. I love that I can schedule a pickup (no car means its a bit tricky when I'm ready to donate in bulk), and I love that I am giving to a good cause. 

Here's the shot of my haul that I posted on Instagram earlier this week.

These vintage purple leather kitten heels were only $3.15 and fit like a dream :).

All told I paid $43.15 for everything pictured, and I came back with a suitcase as full as when I'd left (even though I'd packed it halfway with things to pass on to my sister...). This Mossimo dress is a size 2 and cost me all of $3.50!!! I love it: the color, the fit, length, style, everything! The gold heels are Bandolino and such a good heel height that I was able to wear them salsa dancing ;) They were $3.

This blue and white floral t-shirt is a bit boxy and was chosen for its potential as a more fitted top or a pencil skirt...not sure which yet. $3.50. The jeans are pretty amazing...imo! They have the perfect amount of stretch, they fit the way I like and are super comfy! $4.

This Zara blouse still has the tag on it and though it is a palm tree print in a color I don't normally wear, I'm kinda diggin' it! It was $7, which is higher than I'll normally pay, but this is no normal blouse ;).

These next two follow in the theme of printed blouses...the first more geometric and $5, the second sheer (in case you failed to notice my sports bra underneath...) with a fun bird print and costing $3.50.

I seem to be drawn to purples/magentas, as you can see with these next two pieces. The t-shirt was the perfect kind of drapey top to wear with leggings at $3.50 and the jeans (also $3.50) were the perfect plum shade. They fit snugly on my thighs, so I will see if I can let them out a smidge.

This next pair of pants fulfills a Thrifting Wishlist item that I've been keeping an eye out for for several months now. They are big in the waist/hips (notice the weirdness in the crotch area), so I'll be making adjustments there. Otherwise, for $3.50, they are perfect!!!

Now, I also had a sackful of tops that I'd gleaned from my VA donations packed in my suitcase for my friend to try out. She doesn't have a lot of 'going out' wear, and I thought I'd bring a selection for her to try. Her and her sister decided to take them all, and ended up wearing a couple the night we went out! In the process, she pulled out a trench coat that no longer fit her and had her sister try it. But it was a similar story as they have similar builds. Soooo, they asked me if I'd like to try it...having a smaller bust proved to be a plus, because I came home with the trench coat! Thank you Jess!

I actually have more pieces I could share with you that haven't been photographed...I hit up a 50% off thrift sale the day before leaving for Michigan, then I went thrifting this Wednesday and earlier today...yeaaaah, I may need to stop. Now. The purple silk blouse I'm wearing in the picture I shared over on Facebook and Instagram earlier this week was one of those items I grabbed last week, and it is one of my favorite pieces. Here's the pic:

I'd forgotten how much I love this color on me, and am stoked that I've found a few pieces in this and similar shades just in the past week. Lucky me :).

And to make a long post even longer, I'm hoping to have a refashion/alteration up next week...my friend is having a small ceremony and party where she lives here in the states before traveling to Japan for a more traditional/formal wedding ceremony with her family, and we picked out a dress together when she was last here. The only problem is that it was a couple of sizes too big, had a stiff sheer top, and at the time she had less than two weeks before the small ceremony.  I took on the challenge of removing the top (making it strapless), and taking it in to fit...I hope I've succeeded, though it is not as neat and professional as I would have liked since I had to do some hand stitching... :-/ Not my strong suit. But it was great practice and I think she likes it (fingers crossed!). Anywho, I'll be at the ceremony next week, and with her permission, I'll post the before, a bit of the process, and an after shot on the bride herself! 

Ok, done. Promise. Happy Refashioning! Hopefully I'll be doing some soon...

Peace,

Andrea