// thredUP //

As I struggle to get back into some sort of order after yet another cross-country move, I was presented with an opportunity to share a bit about a service that I use and in the process pass along some savings to you! I started sending my unwanted brand clothing to thredUP a couple of years ago in an effort to get a little credit for them to use on their site. I wasn't moving on trying to sell the items myself, and I didn't want to simply donate some of the things I knew could make me a little money, so it was a win-win situation for me to just bundle everything into a big bag and send it off!

And that is exactly how easy it is. You "order" a clean out bag (free) and decide if you want to take a payout or put your items on consignment. The first will get you your money quicker; the second will possibly earn you more but over a longer period of time. I go for the first. Now, to be completely honest, there were a couple of bags that I sent that didn't get me much credit. Like less than $10. Meh. Others have earned me closer to $50. Much of that depends on the brands, the condition of the clothing, and resale potential. You have a choice of getting the funds sent to you or using them as credit, and I always use it as credit. The reason behind this is that the prices on thredUP are not your typical thrift store prices. They run along the lines of consignment, which tend to be higher. So, I look for those hard-to-find pieces that seem to elude me at the thrift stores. I pay a little more, but I've found some really great items that are in like-new or new-with-tags condition, and ticked off those items from my mental "to-thrift" list.

Here's what I chose this last time when given the chance to shop specific brands in exchange for a bit of credit:

To start, I love the packaging. Fairly minimal and perfect for reuse! I chose a cropped black top by Express with a beautiful lace detail on the front, a black and white/gray knit poncho also by Express, and a pair of Gap mid-rise skinnies.

As you can see, the black top still had its original tags! That's always fun. Now, I don't tend to shop by brands, but I do look for quality, and I felt that each of these pieces was not only in like-new condition but with the proper care, would last me a long time. The poncho will be perfect for my first winter back in Michigan, the jeans are just a great basic to have, and the crop is something fun and different to try out in a color that is totally safe ;).  Here's a look at how I styled each piece:

Ok, just need to pause here to say that I don't normally include such obvious shots of my rear, but I was proud of how it looks in these jeans ;), even if they are a bit snug! And did I mention that I also got these booties from thredUP? Franco Sarto, dark charcoal leather and with a heel low enough to manage...love them!

Experimenting with a pleated silk skirt I thrifted for $4 over 2 years ago and STILL haven't worn! I love the top with this thrifted blue midi skirt also.

I couldn't find anything else I loved with this top (besides skirts) and it got me thinking of a dress I thrifted last year in Oregon that I am wanting to turn into a skirt...wouldn't it be AMAZING with this crop?!?!

Even if you don't decide to turn in any of your unwanted clothing, you can still find some super great deals today! Just use the code GAP50 to get 50% off your first-time purchases of Gap items! I won't earn extra credit for what you buy, so this is all for you. :)

My opinions are all my own, and I'll just reiterate, I love thredUP for finding those hard-to-find items: shopping online allows me to check whenever and search for specific items instead of counting on getting lucky on one of my thrifting trips.

Feels good to be posting and hope to make it a regular thing again. Getting my sewing space set up and though I've whittled down my refashion pile, I still have many good things to choose from. Here's to the next post being a refashion one!

Peace,
Andrea

April Thrift Scores: Part II

I've been pretty lucky in my thrift scores this month. I've been trying to limit as much as possible as I've cleared out my wardrobe, and only choose items that I know will be super useful. I'm still bound to make a few impulse purchases, but I'm working on it ;). 

These first two tops are basics. An oversized black blouse and a J. Crew light blue button-up. I love tops like these (and the black one is replacing the smaller similar type blouse I got rid of recently) because I can wear them in a variety of ways simply by tucking, tying or leaving them open.

Those two along with this next one were 3 for $10. I really like this pattern, the gold buttons up the back, but the length bothers me a bit...I'll be adding something (probably one of my numerous lace trims!).

Next up is this black maxi dress and sandals. The dress will be taken in to be more fitted and shortened. And I may change the neckline. It was $3. The sandals are Born and so comfortable! They were $5 on half-off day.

This top was definitely an impulse buy...its made of a super stretchy thin fabric, but what sold me was the lace trim with a fringy edge. I totally bought it for that trim ;-p.

It along with these next two pieces were 3 for $10. And these next two pieces were an absolute steal at that price! This gray silk wrap top is so pretty and so me. I can't wait to wear it...tomorrow ;). The sandals I'm wearing are the other piece. They are Clarks Bendables wedges in nude and the most comfortable sandals/wedges I've ever worn. LOVE. 

Final pieces of wearables (minus jewelry) are this homemade black dress and the black platform sandals. The dress was only $3 and the sandals $2! I threw on the belt just because, but this dress will definitely need to be altered to fit. Love the little gold diamonds all over it!

Sparkly things are a must now and then, so this little mirror, bangle and earrings were just enough to fill the void ;). I paid $11 for all 3.

Just look at that floral engraving on the back! So pretty <3

And last, but not least, a random purchase that I just couldn't pass up! These are crocheted shade pulls that someone lovingly made, and though I will not use them as shade pulls, I felt I must buy them to use as something...any ideas, friends? Cause I got nothing. So far. Hard to pass up things that are handmade and looking for a second chance.

Hoping to avoid the thrift stores for the month of May, and focus on some refashions instead :) Me-Made-May is coming up! I'll post more about that soon. Hope you are well this lovely (but rather chilly here) weekend.

Peace,
Andrea

April Thrift Scores: Part I

Yeah, I know, we're like four days in and I'm posting about the month's thrift scores already. I just can't help it! I loved these finds so much, I just had to share...so, we'll call this post Part 1. ;)  My first thrift purchase of the month was actually a pair of running shorts that I nabbed for $3. But, I haven't gotten a pic yet, and wouldn't you know, they fall into the same color way as these next few items!!! Sometimes I just shop by color scheme (unconsciously...subconsciously? who knows?) and it works for me. Let's take a gander at what I found.

To start, I almost didn't grab this magenta top. And now, I'm soooo glad I did! It's a comfy rayon Gap slouchy T that is my favorite shade of pink. Love it! It was $4. The floral leggings are actually not thrifted, but were on clearance (+ an additional % off) at Anthropologie, and I just wanted them! They cost under $18 and are for working out...or lounging around the apartment ;). This silk skirt is an incredible shade of red-orange and only cost $3, AND is just my size. It will definitely work a bit better as I take on some rays (in safe dosages, of course) but I paired it with the t-shirt because it is the color combo of those running shorts I mentioned earlier! They're patterned and don't come across as loud, but super cute!

Ok. Now, this dress. What can I say? It's silk, to start...lining and all. It feels sooooo good! It's purple! One of my fave colors for special occasions. It's my size! It fits like a dream, and though not pictured here, has a deep V back which is uber flattering. It's Christian Siriano! How fun to find a new designer who has had such success after his debut on Project Runway a few years back! It was $25 and more than I normally spend on one item, but oh so worth it! Can't wait to wear this :)

What's funny about these next two, is that one fits in with the overall color scheme, and one doesn't. Guess which one I'm not loving...the one that doesn't! I don't know what it is, but even though the striped top is flattering, sitting next to all of that color isn't helping. The floral top is an XL and needs to be refashioned, but I'm thinking a cute summer tank top might be perfect. Both were $3 apiece.

That's the haul so far, though I'm not sure I'll be back thrifting for at least 2-3 more weeks. Trying to spread my trips out a bit more and buy less each time. I've got loads to donate and a refashion pile to still to work through, so I'm hoping to keep to my limits.

How about you? Thrifted anything you love recently? What have been your best scores? I'd love to hear your stories :)

Happy Thrifting!
Andrea

Some Recent Thrift Scores

As I attempt to get myself back in the blogging game, I figured a thrift score/haul post was in order as it simply requires photographing items and not remaking them before photographing them ;). Here's a look at just some of the items I've thrifted through November and this past week!

One word sums up my thrifting luck lately: SHOES!!!

From left to right: not thrifted but bought when clearance was an extra 50% off at UO, these vintage style leather heels are comfy and only cost me $10!!!, men's italian leather shoes that are just my size and super fly at $12, fugly men's winter boots in my size at $6 (who cares what they look like if they're functional!!! ), and these lovely brown tall leather boots are like new and cost $20!

Today, I picked up these next four items.

A 'toy' dish rack that I'll use for notions or jewelry ($2), a softie homemade Christmas tree ($2), a fleece ear warmer for my son ($1), and a button-up shirt with a fun print ($4) TBR (to be refashioned).

Now, the tree's bows are in poor shape and a couple are missing, so I figure I'll use these miniature ornaments I picked up for a total of $.50 earlier this week to replace the bows!

I also picked up a bag of little angels at $1 for four and may use one as the new tree topper for this softie tree :).

I'll share more later on about my Christmas decor this year, almost all of which is thrifted or hand-me-down!!! Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my recent scores...have you found any treasures lately??? I'd love to hear about them...

Peace,
Andrea

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

July/August Thrift Scores

Seeing as creativity and inspiration for refashioning have been eluding me, I thought I'd gather together the pieces I grabbed in a bag sale at the end of July/beginning of August. Each came out to about $.27 and not all are pictured here, but you caught sight of a few of the pieces in these three posts {stripes+florals here, eyelet lace here, & tribal no-sew skirt here}.

Notice a theme as you glance at these pieces? LOTS of black...not sure why but I just grabbed pieces that I thought had potential and threw them in the bag ;). Every single one of these pieces is a refashion waiting to happen...some will have small changes to fit, such as the top row. The middle dress will probably just get a better fitting as well, and the rest, well, we'll see!

This batch is more of a mixed bag...ha! Yeah, I know, lame bag joke ;). Top left is a Banana Republic oversized sweater (perfect!), the shoes are from Target and my size (this rarely happens), the jeans will be skinnified, or perhaps refashioned...not so sure yet. The striped cardigan will get a better fitting, and the striped top will stay as is. The skirt is vintage and has sewn in muslin shorts!!! Perfect for wearing while riding my bike :). The two silk scarves will be added to my collection and may find their way into a future project.

I didn't have a chance to do much more thrifting in August as this bag sale happened just prior to them closing down shop for a month to clear out and restock...still waiting for them to reopen! But I did pop into the nearest Goodwill one weekend when we'd rented a car for a lake house getaway. I picked up these four pieces, and the leather purse that has been featuring heavily in my IG OOTD posts (Instagram Outfit Of The Day) lately.

The dress is a Diane VonFurstenberg dress that looks to be from the 90's? and will either be resold or refashioned. The jeans are Banana Republic, high-waisted, olive and need to be skinnified. The top jacket is charcoal gray and I love it. The bottom jacket I am not too sure about...yet. It's H&M, very cheaply made and will probably only last me this one season. Impulse buy! Hopefully it works out, though. All told, I spent under $30 for these four pieces and the purse. Definitely not as good a deal as the bag sale ;).

I'm currently in the process of clearing out my sewing space, reorganizing my stash, pairing down my closet and will hopefully make myself start posting the items I'd like to get rid of to my Instagram shop.

I'd love to hear your feedback, not only on my thrift score, but with any inspiration you can share for some of the refashion pieces...anything you'd love to see me make? Want a tutorial on how to do it? Let me know!

Peace,
Andrea

June Thrift Scores: Enough is Enough!

My lovely local thrift store has been like my personal Neverland...a quick escape from wife and mommy hood, a chance for my inner child, aka fashion designer (read, hoarder) to burst free and dream up all kinds of fun possibilities with the clothes and fabrics I encounter. Even the entrance is somewhat magical, no? I love living on the East Coast for all of its ivy covered buildings and moody architecture.

Past the neatly manicured lawns, the roses creeping out over the walkway, down the stairs and through old wooden doors that lead you into...the basement of my local Presbyterian church ;). It's a small thrift store, and I love it. Upon first moving here, I was a little bummed that there were only two local thrift stores, and one seemed to cater to more 'name brand' 'high end' pieces. In Queens and Newark we'd been fairly close to much larger options filled with tons of clothing and bric-a-brac...not so much here. But I quickly found that I didn't need all of that and the treasures I've encountered have far outweighed any of my previous finds (minus shoes...not a great shoe selection for my size 9 feet! But if you have size 7 or below, this is the place to be for some sweet vintage shoes). I love my local thrift store!

Now that I've sung the praises of my local thrift shop, here's a few things I picked up while in Michigan! Hehehe ;) I've already cut into this first 'dress' but have decided on a new path and will hopefully finish it up today, the skirt might need a slight pinch at the waist, and the dress needs a major change...I just couldn't walk away from all of that airy floral fabric!!!

Tribal print 'dress' $2.50 + floral skirt $2.00 + floral dress (to be refashioned) $2.50 = $7.00.

I'm not completely sure where I'll go with this blouse...probably keep it a blouse, but I'll have to do some looking at my Pinterest boards for inspiration.

Polyester 'granny' shirt with interesting pattern (to be refashioned) $2.00.

I so can't wait to work on this bathing suit...either making adjustments for myself or just tightening up the elastic in the lining and reselling it!

Vintage bathing suit $1.50.

And here are some of the things I picked up back here in New Jersey: The lace slip will stay as is and become a layering piece, the tribal print dress will probably become a skirt, and I need to change up the hem of this blue blouse...there are two pleats at the bottom front and back! So weird.

Lace slip $3.00 + tribal print dress (to be refashioned) $4.00 + blue blouse (to be altered) $4.00 = $11.00.

I haven't worn white shorts or jeans in a long time...basically I've felt too fat, but that's silly and I'm over it. I found these two and they fit great! The floral pants are too big and HOPEFULLY I'll be able to do with them what I plan to do with them...hopefully.

White shorts $2.00 + white jeans $3.00 + floral pants (to be refashioned) $3.00 = $8.00.

And what can I say? I've been a Star Wars fan since it came out when I was a little girl...and I couldn't pass up this t-shirt when I saw it! I've wanted/needed a black zip hoodie for a while and found one, and my obsession with stripes continues as I add these two striped t-shirts to the mix!

R2-D2 shirt $2.00 + black zip hoodie $2.00 + striped t-shirt $1.50 + striped v-neck $2.00 = $7.50.

That's $37, though there are actually more items that are not yet pictured...yeah, that self-imposed ban didn't go over so well. So, it's on for July! Some other items I picked up include sewing notions (a whole bag of salvaged zippers!!), clothes for my son, a new set of saucepans after I ruined the two that we had (these are made of tempered glass and clean up so well, great find!), and a few other clothing items that are in the wash.

I'm on the verge of a pretty major purge as I decide to start selling some of my previous thrifted finds and refashions, so keep an eye out for info on that. Which leads me to this question: what are the best online ways of selling thrifted/refashioned items that you've come across? Do you have any experience that would prove useful as I look to set up shop? Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you on some of your thrifted finds from this month...you can always send me an email or message me on the Little Did You Know Facebook page if you'd like to share pics. I can even put together a collage of reader's favorite thrifted finds as a monthly feature, if anybody is interested :).

Peace,
Andrea