// #thriftstylethursday // Thrift Haul

When I saw the theme for this week of Recent Thrift Haul or Favorite Thrift Scores (thank you Zhenya of Being Zhenya for the awesome theme!!!), I thought, this will be a breeze ...I'll pick out my favorite thrift scores, photograph, post and be on time! For once. But then life happens, as it always does, and here I am posting late. BUT (BIG BUT) I have some pretty amazing scores to share with you today! And better late than never :). I actually will share what I've thrifted this week. My local thrift stores both tend to go through their half off sales, bag sales, then close to restock within the same week, so this week everything is stocked and new...well, you know what I mean.

To start, check out this Danish modern (but vintage ;) lol) sewing chest I picked up for $35! It sells at a much higher price point online.

It is totally relevant to this 'fashion' post because I'll be filling it with all of my sewing/refashioning tools! But on to the wearables...

Now, these booties are a lesson in thrifting...and they fall under the 'don't's. They are my size, felt ok in the thrift store, and I figured I couldn't go wrong since they were practically new and oh so cute! But the heel is higher than I normally wear and one day at work and I could barely walk. So, yeah. Fail. Major fail. I look for these kind of booties religiously, but not being able to get to the bigger thrift stores makes it difficult (read impossible). Oh well. You win some, you lose some. Moving on!

This H&M tunic/dress will be perfect for spring paired with a leather belt with oversized buckle and this cute vintage woven purse. Just look at the texture in the woven sides! Can't wait to throw this on with a pair of sandals ;). This look cost $10.66.

Next up are these three midi skirts. I'm sooooo beyond excited about the black one which is a silk pleated skirt! Perfect for the pleated skirt to dress refashion I've been dying to do. The denim skirt is super soft and just needs the elastic in the waist replaced. It'll be highwaisted and the pockets are so cute! The floral skirt with heart buttons is made in Germany and may be vintage...at least it looks vintage. I'll have to research it, but it is perfection :). I spent $18 on the 3.

Next up some open cardigans for wearing over outfits at work and a white cable knit sweater that is light enough for spring and still spotless. Just the right amount of oversized in all three. They cost $14 for the 3.

And then I picked up a couple of yards of fabric...one a pink lace, and the other a magenta/maroon knit. $3.50 is all they cost me and I can't wait to make them into something amazing!

I've been purging like crazy with clothes that I've grown out of (either too small or too big) and whittling away at my wardrobe to fit my style, so I'm excited to refresh with a few of these pieces. Hope you enjoyed this peek at my haul and now it's time to take a look at what all the other ladies are sharing!

Peace,
Andrea

// #thriftstylethursday // An Unexpected Match

Let's all close our eyes and imagine that it is NOT snowing (yet again), that winter is NOT fighting tooth and nail to hold on to what is clearly a losing battle...well, maybe it's not SO clear seeing as it IS snowing, New Jersey IS under a state of emergency, my son IS home from school on a snow day, and I am NOT taking outdoor photos...yet again. Meh. MEH. Ok, mini rant over. Moving on.

I'm pretty excited about this week's Thrift Style Thursday theme "Unexpected Match" brought to us by our very own Martyna of Spoolish! I planned to have something picked out ahead of time. I planned to take photos and have everything all set to post first thing...but life happens and EVERYBODY gets sick and I'm lucky that I'm posting this at all. Cause I've got a pile of dishes, several of laundry, and just as many donation piles laying around. Sheesh, what a complainer I am today! Moving on FOR REAL.

Sometimes, a little pressure is just what you need to push you in the right direction. Sometimes planning is just way overrated. Today's pieces are the perfect example:

Yes, pieces. This is a two-piece dress + top that I picked up months ago from my local thrift store. It was new with tags and priced at $12, but of course I didn't pay $12, I paid $6 on 50% days. The color isn't unexpected, nor the fabric, but the size is at 16W and how easy it is to fix! I expected to take it apart and remake it into something completely different, but not this time.

I started out by putting on the dress. Next I grabbed an extra long elastic belt and a favorite necklace (both thrifted). I wrapped the belt around my waist twice and then put on my necklace. Really, that's all! I adjusted the gathering at the waist a bit, but otherwise, it really was as simple as that! (See last Friday's Quick 'Fix' for another example of this easy fix for an oversized dress.)

I love how this looks...so my style! And seeing as we're pretending that it is NOT snowing and winter HAS given up, why not style it for summer! My sandals were bought on clearance at Target a few years back.

Next up was the top. I simply removed the shoulder pads. That's it. I know, crazy how sometimes doing the least is really all it takes.

I tied up the sides of the top (there are side slits to allow this) and put on my refashioned distressed denim, kept the same sandals, and then threw on a stack of thrifted bracelets and cuffs. The top has its own built-in jewelry, so I didn't feel anything else was needed.

And with the sides untied, it has a fun hemline to give it added interest. I love the oversized look, but my only question is, do I keep the beaded fringe on the front or remove it and use it for something else...say a necklace in a similar form? I'm tempted because then both the top and the new necklace would be much more versatile.  Opinions please! I'd also consider taking off the sleeves at some point, which would then require taking in the sides under the arm just a bit, but I'll hold off on that until I wear it this way a few times.

Here's the before and after of the MAJOR transformations ;).

Now it's time to go check out all of the other Unexpected Matches that the Thrift Style Thursday ladies put together! I've seen some lovely dresses so far, and can't wait to check them all out!!! And don't forget to show these ladies some love with your words of encouragement and praise :).

Wanna join the fun? Come check us out at Thrift Style Thursday and message us if you're up for the week to week posts! If you'd like to join in a much more casual way, just tag your Instagram photos with #thriftstylethursday and we'll all be able to check them out! Next week's theme is Thrift Haul: share and style your favorite (or most recent) thrift scores!
Peace, Andrea

Quick 'Fix' Friday: No-Sew Floral

As I'm forcing myself to do a major purge of my stash (being very strict about what I keep and what I pass on) I decided to spend my morning playing dress-up with some of the pieces to help me decide. I pulled out this oversized floral dress I picked up while in Michigan last summer. My sister and I always take the time to plan a thrifting trip early on a Saturday so that we can have breakfast and go shopping kid-free. Rare chance for both of us! I absolutely loved the floral print on this dress and knew that I'd be able to do something with it.

Little did I know that I wouldn't have to sew a stitch to completely love the after! I started by unbuttoning the top two buttons and folding the collar inward. Then I put on a thrifted gold belt and called it quits!

I'm loving the bohemian feel to it. It's light and airy and lovely to twirl in :). So romantic! Hoping I can wear it on a date with my husband come warm weather.

Well, it's definitely a keeper, that's for sure! I have quite a pile ready for donation, and more to go through, so I'll update as I go. But if you're looking for a 'fix' for an oversized dress, sometimes a belt is as far as you need to look.

Make sure you pop over to visit Agy of Green Issues by Agy to see her Fix It Friday post! She's sharing tips on sewing zippers...one of my sewing nemeses ;). Happy Friday, all, and happy refashioning!

Peace,

Andrea