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

Sweetheart Sweater

I've been saving this sweater for just the right refashion and just a week ago I was struck with the most amazing idea to fix it!!! It was a super simple idea, and one I'm sure I've seen around and simply didn't put two and two together on...but hey, at least it came to me eventually ;) AND just in time for Valentine's day! You'll see why that's relevant...

Here's what I started with. A flesh tone wool cardigan (J.Crew) with the most lovely little buttons that I thrifted sometime last year (ish).

As you can see from the bottom right photo, it also came with some small holes in the front. They were all localized to this side and within a fairly small space and one had already been mended (though that came undone and I had to fix that one again). I closed up these holes using similar colored thread and a thin needle by gathering up the loose loops of the fine knit and gathering them around the hole so that when I pulled everything taut and tied off the thread it closed the hole right up. This is a pretty visible mend, though it didn't much matter as I was planning on camouflaging it anyhow.

So, I gathered up my supplies...the sweater (obviously) and some stabilizer (thrifted $.25), and black embroidery floss along with a sharp embroidery needle.

I did, in fact, start with much more embroidery floss ;) This was taken after completing the project!

I cut the stabilizer into tiny little squares to start off, then started playing around with different stitch designs trying to decide what would look best. I settled on what I was HOPING would look good and got to work!

I laid my little squares of stabilizer on the backside of the front panels one at a time then stitched my shape of choice, first where the holes had been mended, then continued from there to incorporate them into an overall layout that was "uniform" but imperfect :). I'm going with a V shape...

As you can see, (2)I placed the stabilizer, (3)inserted the needle from wrong side out then back to the wrong side at an angle, (4)pulled the floss through and (5)checked the front of the sweater to ensure that it looked good. Next, (6)I started the needle back down at the bottom of the V and angled out in the opposite direction, (7)pulled it through, (8)checked it, and finally (9)knotted it in place. I did this over and over and over again (about 40 times per side of the front of the cardigan).

Now look over your work, and admire! I still need to decide if I'll line the front of the sweater now, and if I do I'll use a pre-washed muslin hand-sewn in place tacking it down from time to time to the stabilizer in between the two layers. But we'll see. I plan on wearing it buttoned up, however for variety of use, I'll need to line it.

I adore how the tiny V's look line mini hearts now all over the front of this cardi, and though the color before didn't look great on me, with the simple addition of the contrasting black embroidery it has become so much more flattering (even on my winter skin!).

A little pop of color on the lips and this is Valentine's Day ready (whether the husband and I get to go on a date or not). Any signs of mended holes are completely gone and this sweet little number is ready to be added into my wardrobe rotation! I think I'll be trying it on over brightly colored camisoles to see what a pop of color underneath will add, as well.

No major changes to shape or size or even function (as it has remained a cardigan) but its use value has skyrocketed with a little mending and camouflaging :-). And I am pleased!

Here's one last look at the before and after:

Hope this helps you see the potential in some of your clothes that start to go holey...there is hope for them yet! Or for a boring sweater or cardigan that could use a little pop!

Peace,
Andrea

Love Bot!

Meet Love Bot!

I've seen these amazingly adorable little robots all over Pinterest and Etsy and thought that I'd make one for my little boy for Valentine's Day :) I didn't follow a tutorial (figured I'd just wing it) and I didn't take my time (the little boy was soooooo tired of waiting!!!). Yeah, he got his gift a little early ;). But I'm in love and will be making a girl version for myself with a weighted bottom so that it sits up on a shelf...or my desk...or maybe I'll just move it around with me wherever I am in the apartment throughout the day!

Stay tuned for more Valentine's Day refashions...

Peace,
Andrea

A Christmas Review

Maybe this should have been my first post, following the holiday season, but our season didn't end until January 6 when we celebrated el Dia de Los Reyes Magos/Three Kings Day, also known as the 12th day of Christmas! My husband grew up celebrating this day in Puerto Rico by placing a box (normally a shoe box or something similar) underneath his bed the night before filled with yerba (grass, leaves...camel food) for the camels that brought the kings on their way to find the baby Jesus. In return for this favor, the kings would leave a small gift as a thank you for the child's hospitality along their long trip. Living in a cold climate does not afford a lot of "camel food" this time of year, so we opted for some carrots and my son insisted the kings should have a treat as well and sat out 3 pieces of fudge. The next morning he awoke to find a gift left by the three kings. Here's what "they" made for him:

I've told him that the Three Kings and Santa prefer to leave handmade toys/gifts, 1. because we are on a very tight budget and don't have the money to spend on toys, and 2. because I want him to value handmade items just as much, if not more, than store-bought/mass-produced items. It satisfies my desire to see his imagination sparked as we prepare for and wait so impatiently to discover the magic in the holidays, and it satisfies his desire for a new toy to love. He hugged this lizard so tight when he found him under his bed (despite still being half asleep and showing absolutely no emotion on his face). I sighed a sigh of relief, because not being able to buy for your children after a lifetime of being taught that buying for your children is how you show them you love them was disproved in an instant. He loved his lizard immediately and named him Googly-Eyes.

Now, because of our current lack of funds, I was forced into meeting a goal that I hadn't necessarily been planning on keeping this year: to do a homemade/thrifted Christmas all around. That means all of the gifts and decorating would be homemade or thrifted (and even my thrifting budget was microscopic). Nothing like having no money to spark your creativity, right?! I used supplies that I already had in my stash, gifted items that I'd bought new and had never worn/used, and thrifted a few inexpensive things (half-off week is my favorite week to shop!) Here's a rundown of some of the gifts I came up with:

My son had seen the "ninja"bread man cookie cutters, and I found this angel at the thrift store and figured I'd just "refashion" it to fit my needs ;) Nothing a pair of pliers and some patience can't fix!

I'd seen snowman kits all over Pinterest and figured I'd make one for each of my siblings' families. I used buttons, felt, hot glue, corks, clothespins and some fleece and fabric from my stash to put these together!

Again, another idea from Pinterest, felt tic-tac-toe games for travel or whenever. You don't have to waste any paper and this just folds up when you want to take it to go! My nephew got this one...

and my niece got this one!

I made a stocking for my niece to go with the ones I'd made for the rest of them...though, now that I think of it, I haven't made one for my newest nephew!

 Another niece requested a jellyfish from this thrifted sweater and this is what I came up with:

I'd made this felt Christmas tree for my youngest niece last year, so I added a few more ornaments for her to play with this year :)

I made a dinosaur from one of this coat's sleeves for my youngest nephew:

And a little softie bear for my youngest niece from a thrifted sweater and embroidery floss:

I made this bunny for another niece (it has moveable arms and legs!):

And thrifted these toys for my son (love that they are learning tools as well!):

 These were a stocking stuffer 2 years ago, that my son pulled out and played with this Christmas:

And here's the Santa Sack I made for the toys that Santa would leave...my son had to write his own name ;) (made from a thrifted pillow case):

And here's the main event! I found the monkey at the thrift store for $4 (in a camo outfit) and made the Sonic the Hedgehog costume for him from my stash and a picture of Sonic from my son's t-shirt. This was his favorite gift from "Santa":

Most of our lights, tree decorations, and other decor for the house are thrifted from previous years, things I've kept since childhood, and a few recent additions from my grandparents' decorations. These things hold so much meaning and memories for me. They make me feel like I am "home", not just here with my husband and son, but surrounded by family and friends that may not be with me in person as the miles separate us. I am absolutely a sentimental person and love to reminisce about the good memories, but as opposed to "living in the past" it spurs me on to making those same kinds of memories for my son by coming up with our own family traditions. I love blending the practices from my childhood with those of my husband's; it results in a beautiful celebration of love, family, hope and sacrifice as we try to give of ourselves. Música Navideña and Christmas carols, pavochón and Christmas Eve tacos (old family tradition ;) ),  coquíto and eggnog...who said the blend couldn't be delicious, too? I find each year that I love the holidays more and more because of the experiences rather than the gifts...as it should be.

Well, in any case, using a lot of previously thrifted materials, "junk" that I keep in a drawer just in case, and a little imagination (with the help of Pinterest, of course) I think I did pretty well. Hopefully all of my nieces and nephews appreciate the gifts and get some good use out of them. Hopefully, they love them! Hahaha, here's hoping...

Peace,
Andrea